Gerald Gill

I just found out that Prof. Gerald Gill passed away last week. Prof. Gill (I never got up the courage to call him anything other than that) was one of my favorite professors at Tufts. I took his African-American History class as a freshman, which was one of the most challenging classes of my four years, and one of the most interesting. I remember more facts and stories from that class than probably any other class I took there.

Beyond his class, I had the priviledge of having dinner with him a few times and learning about his experiences in various parts of the country. In addition, he was very supportive of the activist community. We knew we could count on him for faculty support when needed.

Here's the announcement that Larry Bacow sent out to the Tufts Community:



To: Tufts Faculty and Staff

Date: July 27, 2007

Dear Colleagues,

This is a sad day as we learned of the passing of our dear friend
and colleague, Gerald Gill. Gerald was found in his apartment in
Cambridge last night by a friend. We do not yet know the cause of
death. We have just reached his daughter who lives in Mississippi.
We are providing his family with as much assistance as we can in
this time of sorrow.

Tufts loved Gerald and Gerald loved Tufts. Few faculty members have
had as large an influence on generations of students as Gerald. He
was a master teacher and a gifted scholar. His scholarly work was
broad and deep, focusing on race relations in Boston,
African-American opposition to the wars of the twentieth century,
and the history of African-Americans at Tufts. Like the good
historian he was, Gerald helped us understand Tufts and its history
in ways that many had not appreciated before. Twice voted the
Massachusetts Professor of the Year, Gerald was the consummate
teacher, always gently challenging and encouraging students to see
the world in new and different ways. He was a fabulous and much
sought after faculty adviser, the very first recipient of the
Lerman-Neubauer Prize for Outstanding Teaching and Advising. His
many other awards included the Arts and Sciences Multicultural
Service Award, the Allan Cormack Award for Outstanding Achievement
in Collaborative Research, and the Distinguished Service Award for
Outstanding Contributions to the Tufts Community from the Africana
Center, subsequently named the Gerald R. Gill Distinguished Service
Award.

No award can do justice to the many contributions Gerald made to
Tufts. Thoughtful, soft spoken, and incredibly generous with his
time, Gerald was a wonderful friend and colleague. He was a
constant presence on this campus since he first arrived in 1980. He
always pushed Tufts to be a better place, a more inclusive place,
one that is welcoming to all. For many of us it is difficult to
imagine Tufts without him.

The news of Gerald's death is still very fresh. Neither funeral nor
memorial service arrangements have yet been made. More details will
be forthcoming.

To all of Gerald's family, friends, and colleagues we extend our
heartfelt condolences.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Bacow
Jamshed Bharucha
Robert Sternberg
Andrew McClellan
Virginia Drachman



I'd love to hear your thoughts and memories of Prof. Gill.

Unfair Sentencing of 4 African American lesbians cont'd

Here is a related message from the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement:

The 4 young African American lesbians from Newark, NJ, who were convicted of
gang assault and received long sentences for defending themselves against
street harassment have been sent to NY State prisons. Supporters and those
concerned about what has happened to these women and their families are
trying to obtain them pro bono counsel to handle their appeals, along with a
campaign to support them and win their release.

None of the women who were sentenced can afford a lawyer; they urgently
need pro bono counsel for an appeal. If you can help, contact Susan
Tipograph at 212.431.5360. If you want to provide non-legal support or write
letters to the women, go to www.fiercenyc.org

Any cards or letters of support for them would be greatly appreciated. Their
addresses are:

Terrain Dandridge # 07-G-0637

Venice Brown # 07-G-0640

Patreese Johnson # -7-G-0635

Renata Hill # 07-G-0636

Bedford Hills Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 1000
Bedford Hills, NY 10507

More related articles:

NY Times report
Sakia Gunn's death
Sentencing, NY Times
Sentencing, NY Daily News
"killer lesbians"; "sapphic septet"
"wolf pack of lesbians"

Job: Berklee School of Music seeks Multicultural Educator/Program Manager

This sounds like a great opportunity... pass it on to folks currently looking for a job.

http://www.berklee.edu/hr/jobs_public_detail.php?id=1139

The Office for Cultural Diversity seeks a self-motivated and innovative professional to join the team. The Multicultural Educator/Program Manager will develop and implement the majority of campus programming on diversity issues. The position will develop, design, implement and assess related programs including workshops, activities, ongoing series, and special events. The Multicultural Educator/Program Manager will collaborate with students, staff, faculty, and administration to create and implement such programming. Programming will be inclusive of all members of the Berklee community, promote awareness, and work towards the expressed goals of both the Office for Cultural Diversity and the college as a whole. Beyond programming, this position will be expected to provide support and guidance to the Office for Cultural Diversity, provide and develop diversity resources for the Office and campus, and supervise work-study students in collaboration with the Administrative Associate. The ideal candidate will be an effective leader with a vision, be an insightful and experienced administrator, and will have experience managing a large budget in a fast paced, changing environment.

AK Press Hiring for Two Positions

Job Announcement
Please forward, repost, and circulate widely.

For immediate consideration!

Women and People of Color strongly encouraged to apply.

AK Press is looking to add two new members to our collective. These
positions require a minimum of 40 hours work per week in our Oakland
warehouse, plus additional nights and weekends tabling at special events
(bookfairs, concerts, conferences, etc.).

AK Press is a worker-owned and run anarchist collective, which publishes and
distributes books and other media. Our politics draw on the rich heritage of
anarchist, anti-authoritarian and left-communist thought and action; for
more information on our politics as they relate to our business, please see:
http://www.akpress.org/about/aboutakpress. AK Press publishes around 20
books, CDs, and DVDs per year, and distributes thousands of other titles
from independent presses and publishers to the book trade, individuals,
radical spaces, and other outlets.

We are hiring for two Order Entry / Shipping and Receiving positions in our
distribution department.

Job responsibilities include:
Entering orders and shipping books to stores and wholesalers.
Receiving incoming shipments (including entering new products, reconciling
differences between shipment quantities and purchase order quantities,
entering pricing changes, etc.).
Communicating with our store customers and vendors.
Shelving and storing books and managing warehouse space.
Working with other members of the department to select items for
distribution and eventually sharing other duties such as ordering stock.
Coordinating and supervising volunteers and interns to help with job tasks.
Collective management: the general management of the company is a collective
responsibility. From ensuring our financial health, to assessing our
political strategies, to facilitation of meetings, to answering the phone,
to changing light bulbs and sweeping the floor, all responsibility and
accountability for AK Press rests with its workers.
We're actively looking for people:
Whose politics are compatible with AK's mission, and whose experiences and
interests can contribute to AK's vibrancy and diversity as a political
project.
Who are detail oriented and well organized.
Who have good math skills.
Who have experience with Macs.
Who have a knowledge of and passion for books.
Who have an incredible work ethic.
Who can work well as part of the collective.
Other desirable qualifications include:
Experience with Filemaker and/or Acumen Book.
Experience in other collectives.
Connections to current political activities.
Experience in the book trade.
Our pay is $25,000 per year, comprehensive health insurance including
dental, 4 weeks per year of paid time off and all the joys and headaches of
being part of a worker owned and managed company.

Please mail, fax, or email a comprehensive letter of interest and a resume.
All applicants will receive a response. Send applications, by July 31, to:

AK Press
Attn: Jobs
674-A 23rd Street
Oakland, CA 94612-1163
Fax: (510) 208-1701
E-mail: jobs@akpress.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 2007

Contact: Lydia Lowe 617-259-1503

CHINESE AMERICANS SPEAK UP FOR BILINGUAL BALLOT

Chinese-speaking voters and community leaders will stand in support of a fully translated Chinese bilingual ballot at a press conference and speak-out this Monday.

Community Speak-Out for Chinese Bilingual Ballots

Monday, July 9th

12:00 noon

in front of the Massachusetts State House

Chinese bilingual ballots, and an increase in bilingual poll workers, were the result of the US Department of Justice lawsuit and agreement with the City of Boston that followed in August 2005. But Secretary of State William Galvin, who governs statewide election policy, has consistently opposed the inclusion of Chinese transliterated, or phoneticized, names for candidates on the ballot. Now that the City of Boston has set a successful precedent by twice providing a fully translated Chinese bilingual ballot that includes transliterated candidate names, Galvin is opposing both the City of Boston and the Department of Justice in US District Court in an attempt to eliminate phoneticized candidate names from the Chinese bilingual ballot.

Chinese American community members say that inclusion of candidate names is the most important part of the bilingual ballot.

Both the City of Boston and the US Department of Justice agree that Chinese bilingual ballots should include phoneticized candidate names, since the Chinese language does not use the Western alphabet. The US District Court Judge William G. Young has given Secretary Galvin until July 9 to respond to the court on the issue.

Women and Environments Magazine

This looks like an interesting magazine for those interested in how feminism and environmental issues connect: Women and Environments International Magazine. I'd be interested in hearing what others think of it: www.weimag.com.

Quincy 4 Community Meeting

A Community Meeting
Quincy 4 Verdict & Community Response

The Quincy 4 Support Committee will be holding a community meeting to
respond to questions that people may have around the verdict of the Quincy 4
case and to collect community response!

This meeting will address
‧ Updates on the Quincy 4 case
‧ Answering questions and confusions regarding verdict and
consequences
‧ Understanding the judicial system
‧ Opportunity to voice your questions, opinions and/or concerns!
‧ Addressing a collective community response

Date :
Monday July 2 ，
Time :
6:00pm-8:00pm
Location :
Josiah Quincy School Cafeteria
885 Washington Street
(New England Medical T-Stop)

Light refreshments will be served.
Any questions, contact call Chinese Progressive Association at 617-357-4499.