Oxfam Cafe Task Force Report

The Oxfam Cafe Task Force Report has been released. It describes in detail, the transition in management occurring at Oxfam Cafe.

Rally Against Racial Bias at Tufts: Thursday

This just posted to the 04.09.09 Bias Incident at Tufts University Facebook Group:

On Thursday, April 16th, 2009, from 12:30pm-1:30pm, please join us in front of Tisch Library for a public rally in support of the victims of the bias incident on 04.09.09. As you all know that morning, a group of Korean American students were assaulted with racial slurs and physical violence while practicing for their culture show. This public demonstration will promote awareness on not just this bias incident, but also the history of discrimination against Asian Americans on college campuses that has been rendered invisible. The rally will shed light on measures that the Tufts administration can take to prevent such and other related incidents from happening on campus.

Asian Americans are but one of the many populations that suffer from racial discrimination and marginalization. Therefore, this rally encourages all those who have experienced similar bias incidents and those who consider themselves to be allies to be present and show their support. Because this incident is just the latest of several bias incidents that indicate the need for change of the Tufts campus climate, we will rally together in calling on the administration to make effective institutional changes towards ensuring that all students at Tufts have a safe environment in which to pursue their higher education. On Thursday, please wear red to show your support for victims of all incidents of bias, racism, and racial discrimination.

We hope to see you there and thank you for your support.

2nd Annual Safe Neighborhood Summit- Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 from 12pm-6pm at Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, the S.O.S. Collective will host our 2nd Annual Safe Neighborhood Campaign Summit to mobilize against violence for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Transgender and Gender-Non-Conforming people of color. Last year's Summit was a huge success reaching over 75 members of the community, and this year we would love for you to attend!

Our Safe Neighborhood Campaign began as a response to a number of devastating incidents of violence in Central Brooklyn. We knew we wanted to do something about this, so we organized this campaign as a way to ensure that all of us feel safe in our spaces. Local institutions including businesses, schools, faith-based institutions and other organizations agree to become Safe Spaces which means that they will do their work to learn how to promote a welcoming environment for everyone and how to intervene and deescalate situations of violence. As always, this year's Summit will focus on individual and community safety systems for LGBTSTGNC people of color without relying on the police. Instead we will promote creative community-based alternatives. Let's come together to discuss and continue to build ways we can support each other by remembering those we've lost, putting together a community map of safety, participating in interactive workshops on how to respond to an incident of violence, practicing self-defense and community-defense skills, hearing from local leaders, learning how your institution can be a Safe Space and breaking it down with S.O.S.'s Step Team. Your organization could be a part of something powerful. Come learn novel, exciting and effective ways to strengthen our communities. Our safety can't wait.

As always, the S.O.S. Collective supports your health and safety by providing free food, free Metrocards, free childcare, free knowledge and free fun!

Although space is limited, don't keep this opportunity all to yourself; bring a friend and support community mobilization towards safety. Sign up today to ensure your spot.

Register online now:

http://alp.org/whatwedo/organizing/sos/2009_summit_registration

Contact Ejeris Dixon at (718) 596-0342 ext. 22 or edixon@alp.org for any questions.

More information about S.O.S.

The S.O.S. Collective works to challenge violence that affects LGBTSTGNC people of color. We are guided by the belief that strategies that increase the police presence within our communities do not create safety. Therefore we believe in fighting the root causes of violence by building stronger relationships within our communities to prevent, intervene, and hold attackers accountable outside of the system.

About the Audre Lorde Project

The Audre Lorde Project is a community organizing center of LGBTSTGNC people of color. Through mobilization, education and capacity-building, we work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice. Committed to struggling across differences, we seek to responsibly reflect, represent and serve our various communities.

Bias Incident at Tufts

This from Sophia, our Campus Liaison:

There was a bias incident involving members of the Korean Students Association (KSA) that took place in the early morning hours on Thursday, April 9, in Lewis Hall Lounge, while the club members were practicing for their culture show.

Thirteen members of the KSA were preparing for their culture show at approximately 1:45AM. A white freshman male living in Lewis Hall approached five male members who were practicing their dance. He had been drinking at a bar prior to arriving at Lewis Hall. He insisted several times that the KSA members teach him the moves to their dance and was repeatedly asked to stop. Despite this request, he continued to molest the dancers, imitating the dance moves and declaring, “This is the gayest shit I’ve ever done.” The KSA members then asked him to leave, to which he responded, “Fuck you. Fuck you, I could take all of you. I’ll kill you all.” He then threatened to get his fraternity brothers to help him retaliate. At this point, he began to physically harass the dancers, spitting at one member and shoving another one of the guys. An altercation ensued during which the freshman ripped two shirts and inflicted minor cuts to a member’s forehead. In order to restrain him, the KSA members pinned him to the floor and put him into a headlock, at which point the freshman mentioned that he could not breathe and the person holding him down immediately let go. At this moment, the freshman’s friend and his girlfriend, who watched from the side, stepped in to take him away. When he got up, he started cursing “Fuck you, fuck you” and spitting at the dancers again. As he was being dragged away, he shouted, “Fuck you all, you fucking chinks, go back to China! Go back to your fucking country, you don’t belong in this country.” His friends took him to the bathroom, where he could be heard repeatedly shouting, “If I see them again, I will fuck them all.”
The fight was reported to an RA, who wrote and sent in a bias incident report. According to the RA, submitted within the report was testimony from his girlfriend supporting the fact that her boyfriend initiated the altercation. Thirteen people, members and friends of KSA, were present during the fight. In the aftermath of the dispute, members were shocked and saddened that such racism and hostility could be found at our school. It is the collective wish of KSA and affiliated students, both of Asian and non-Asian heritage, that this event come to the attention of our community in order to shed light on discrimination among our peers and our ongoing fight for cultural understanding. The Korean Students Association greatly appreciates the support that the community has shown. This particular incident affected members of KSA, but anyone could have been a victim of this bigotry. Please take the time to show your support by joining this Facebook group. To share your thoughts on the matter, please contact administrators and keep an ongoing discussion about how we can move forward from here. As always, we are extremely passionate about issues regarding race and culture in our community. If you want to join our cause in promoting cultural understanding and feel that you have a great idea for the future direction of our community, we strongly encourage you to raise this issue with your dean. For those who feel the need to talk to a professional regarding this racial attack, Tufts offers free counseling sessions. Please spread the word! Social injustice is a fundamental yet taboo issue. It is imperative that we confront these problems.