> For a really exciting conference, driven for a huge part by NLU community psychology folks, see the attached flyer, and the link here > > http://www.racialjusticeactiongroup.org > > You are all invited to participate and we hope you do. > > The conference is downtown Chicago on April 8th and 9th, and proposals are due on March 20th. > > Please get this flyer (again attached) and other information out as widely as possible, on any of your lists, Facebook etc.. > > If you have any other questions, the conference email is [email protected] > Brad > > Oh, and here are some current titles and submissions to give you some sample of the initial topic interests: > > Proposal Descriptions: > 1. > The Carefree Black Girl Movement, a movement primarily taking place on social media, celebrates diverse and liberating ideologies of black womanhood. This illustrates an active protest against oppressive stereotypes imposed upon black women. This case study offers an opportunity to critically explore the ways in which postmodern ideas about identity and emancipation are currently being utilized by black women in the Carefree Black Girl Movement. By considering sociological deconstructionist concepts regarding liberation from oppressive forms of knowledge and stereotypes, the Carefree Black Girl Movement serves as a place of resistance against harmful racialized meanings and limiting conceptions of black womanhood. > > 2. > Discussion of African American perspectives of their history and their vision of the future. > Art Work Abstract:The pyramid > > 3. > Global Health and Human Rights Seminar > My work in understanding what social and political factors contribute to youth engaging in violence, including joining groups that use tactics deemed to be "terrorism," has led me to challenge the problematic government program called by various names, including "Countering Violent Extremism." Concern has been raised in "pilot" cities, including Boston. Organizations including American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, CAIR, and the ACLU consider this program to be seriously problematic. Recently, the CVE program has been promoted under innocent sounding names like "Community Resilience" and has been quietly and insidiously affecting community approaches to prevention, offering financial incentives that require placing an unwarranted focus on Muslim youth. There is a push underway by CVE advocates to reach out to mental health professionals and encourage providers to view Muslim clients with suspicion and report them for what amount to normal and innocuous thoughts and behavior. While some have imagined this to be well-meaning but misguided, the evidence suggests that it is more likely a deliberate attempt to support anti-Muslim sentiment. Such efforts lead to further xenophobia, anti-immigrant attitudes, and endorsement for wars in the middle east. This, in turn, benefits military suppliers. I will discuss ways under consideration to counter this program, in hopes of raising awareness and garnering support. > > 4. > A Study of the Masters: Parallels in Modern Art and US Empire This presentation begins with a discussion of artists that make work about radical politics and racial justice. These artists include Favianna Rodriguez, Dread Scott, Stephanie Syjuco and Ernesto Yerena. The artist then discusses his personal background with race relations including estrangement from his paternal Mexican lineage and his school years during the LA uprising s of the 90’s. Ultimately, he frames his conception of identity as a professional white male and a “colonized body.” The artist shares insights into the ways art institutions sustain privilege, while describing various strategies for dissolving these limitations. These strategies include performance art as protest, community art projects, and online/print media collectives. Concluding this presentation the artist details his current painting series “a study of the masters.” The paintings are based on “master” compositions from the Classical era, re-casted with political “masters” of US empire, and rendered in the style of modern art “masters” in order to reveal traditions of structural power across several institutions. A minimum of ten minutes for Q&A will be preserved so attendees may discuss their own strategies for dismantling race in art and public spaces. A Note for the Selection Committee: This presentation is designated as “important” because I wouldn’t prioritize a white male perspective in a conference on racial justice. Although I hesitate to designate this presentation as “very important” for this very reason, I would still consider this topic and my strategies as “urgent” and highly relevant to diverse audiences. The reality of white supremacy in today’s culture is undeniable. If the Selection Committee anticipates a significant presence of white attendees, I would assure that this presentation provides an excellent model for criticism, self-reflection, and activism. > 5. > A significant part of the South Side (SS) of Chicago communities has been overshadowed by many challenges including the lack of and access to basic health and social resources. Health and racial inequities in African American (AA) communities have been widely documented, although, there is very little known about how to reduce these disparities. However in the midst of the disparities, the SS of Chicago is rich in history, education, cultural and oral traditions. Examples of these traditions are the church and gospel music which play an integral role in the AA family life. Historically the cultural life line of the AA community has been wholesome and a place where “call and response” is the communicative strategy used to promote AA survival, advancement and well-being. The history of poetry dates back to the days of slavery when AA slaves would sing “call and response” type songs out in the work fields to secretly communicate with one another so the overseer could not understand. There are poetic ties in the call and response gospel preaching, music and songs in the churches. Such traditions are meant to raise awareness, spirit and to celebrate life. Other traditions are deeply rooted in rap songs, oral storytelling, personal testimonies, and rhythms and rhymes. This panel will discuss ways in which an understanding of literature from cultural communication and an in-depth understanding of intercultural contact can assist in developing needed strategies to promote poetic health education that includes: active involvement of pastors, physicians, community poets, and members. This panel will discuss the potential phenomenon, design and use of poetry as a form of art and an excellent vehicle to “meet people where they are” and educate AA communities on the importance of good health as well as express the nuances of race and health inequities. > > 6. > Gone But Not Forgotten is a community quilting project creating a memorial quilt for victims of police violence. In a three hour long workshop, structured as combination quilting circle and peace circle, we discuss racism, police accountability, transformative justice, and community safety, while recording the stories and names of victims of the Chicago Police Department. The workshops can accommodate a maximum of 30 people, and are facilitated by 2 circle keepers and 2 sewing instructors. We're asking our host organizations for a donation of $100 to $400 towards honoraria for the circle keepers, but we're flexible for community groups with limited budgets. We can supply all of the other materials for the project. You can see photos and a short video of the sewing circles at http://wcgmemorialquilt.com/ We'd love to participate in this conference, it sounds like an incredible fit! > > 6. > Anti-Police Terror Project > This workshop will introduce the work of first responders committee of the Anti Police-Terror Project in Oakland. First responders conduct independent people's investigations of police murders and provide support to impacted families. This work can significantly benefit from engagement of mental health professionals working as healers, trainers, and investigators. There is a possibility that this workshop will be done in collaboration with a related effort by We Charge Genocide/ Chicago Copwatch, but I need to confirm that. > > 7. > Yoga and Spirituality: Allowing your life to be a living prayer. We will discuss and explore how trauma is stored in our bodies and process how we use these trials and tribulations to become greater advocates for ourselves and others. I will share my community work in which I bring yoga to urban black and brown environments and share the importance of healing through health, meditation and nutrition. This will be a workshop/ yoga class. > > 8. > Cities of Peace: Storytelling as Healing & Resistance Young people in Chicago and Phnom Penh are separated by language, culture, and nearly 9,000 miles of Pacific Ocean. What aligns their experiences are shared histories of state and interpersonal violence and generational trauma. As we mark the fortieth anniversary of the Khmer Rouge genocide which took the lives of nearly one in four Cambodians, a group of Chicago activists organized under “We Charge Genocide” petition the United Nations to recognize a global epidemic of police violence that disproportionately impacts young people of color as well as queer, trans, and gender nonconforming youth from marginalized communities. Cities of Peace is an intergenerational initiative which connects the struggles of young people in Chicago and Phnom Penh as they organize to transform harm caused by state and interpersonal violence and create community healing. Using their own site-specific histories as a jumping off point, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (JAHHM) and the Peace Institute of Cambodia (PIC) have formed delegations of youth Peace Fellows who have interrogated the roots of structural and relational violence. Over the course of two years, youth have participated in an international exchange, developed trauma-informed critical curriculum, created a documentary film, and facilitated a series of teach-in’s to re-imagine learning spaces as sites for healing and resistance. Join us for a storytelling workshop about trauma, racial justice and torture. We will share our research and lived-experiences as we identify solutions and practices found within our histories of oppression. Will will screen the Cities of Peace documentary, share our own stories, and facilitate a storytelling workshop through which we will explore: how do we use what we know about trauma to cultivate resistance, resilience, healing, and social transformation? > > 9. > Research supports the role of music in enabling people to overcome a traumatic occurrence in their lives. It documents how people are able to use music to maintain a resilient response over time, underscoring the role of music in adapting to a new normal as they continue to lead productive lives (Hodges, 2013). Negro Spirituals are a well-researched body of musical literature that allows a glimpse into the struggle of African Americans during slavery. Research on Spirituals has been from the perspective of other disciplines, seeking to dissect their meanings and purpose while only alluding to the psychological distress that was present without fully examining it. Despite their popularity and noted influence within different musical genres, researchers have neglected to examine the Spirituals as being a source or method of healing during a traumatic historical period. The purpose of this research is to focus on and understand the psychological function of Negro Spirituals and the purpose they served for those in slavery. By conducting a textual analysis of the lyrics with a grounded theory framework, we can understand if and/or how Spirituals provided psychological release from the conditions of slavery. By understanding their mental states during an extreme trauma, we can begin to comprehend the importance of having an outlet for their psychic pain. This research could potentially provide an understanding of how African Americans created a coping approach that has survived through generations while adding to the literature that implicates music as a therapeutic tool. Through the lyrics, this research gives a historical perspective on racial injustice experienced during slavery and highlights how a race of people liberated themselves spiritually and psychologically while seeking escape physically.
