Humanities and Philanthropy Blog

So good I had to share! Check out all the items I'm loving on @Poshmarkapp #poshmark #fashion #style #shopmycloset #prada: https://posh.mk/xNY8NgOWZX

Working downtown? Vote at the Central Library at Wood and Akard. 

Thursday night 3/26 9:00 PM at the Granada on Greenville Ave in Dallas. See you there!

This week, in honor of Black History Month, we went down to NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C., to screen Sam Greenlee's 1973 film The Spook Who Sat by the Door and host a conversation about its resonance. In case you're not familiar with the cult classic, the main character is Dan Freeman, who's trained by the CIA to be its first black agent. After he masters the agency's tactics, he goes home to the southside of Chicago on a mission to train street gangs to be "Freedom Fighters." When a young man is shot dead by the police, Freeman's trainees spring into action. What happens in the end is open to interpretation, as you'll hear at the start of this recording of our panel discussion. The members of our panel are Dr. Greg Carr, Chair of the Afro-American Studies Department at Howard University, Jamilah Lemieux, Senior Editor at Ebony Magazine, and K. Nyerere Ture, Professor of Anthropology at Morgan State University. The panel and the audience discussed the film's themes of resistance and intra-racial tension as well as the erasure of the Black Arts movement from mainstream discussion of black history. "The villain of the film," said Dr. Carr, "is the idea of the nation-state." Special thanks: Erin McIntyre, Dennis Herndon, Keith Woods, Darlene Barkley, Justin Lucas, Brittany Brown, Neil Tevault, Bobby Carter, Eleanor Kagan, Morgan McCloy, Joe Hagen and Anya Grundmann.

Ambassador Shabazz, Daughter of Civil Rights Icon Malcolm X to Speak at UDC Washington, DC – The University of the District of Columbia and Arab America are proud to announce their collaboration in presenting author and humanitarian, Ambassador Shabazz, in observance of African-American History Month and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of her legendary father, Malcolm X, who was killed on February 21, 1965. The program will be held on Thursday, February 26 at the UDC Theater of the Arts Auditorium, located at Connecticut Avenue and Windom Streets, NW, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Appointed as the Ambassador-at-Large by the Prime Minister of the nation of Belize, Ms. Shabazz is an advisor on International Cultural Affairs and Project Development. As a writer, diplomat, and the eldest daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, she is among the most sought after and captivating speakers in the United States, Europe, Africa and Central America. Through her dynamic and inspirational words, she seeks to motivate and encourage people to recognize the value in and appreciation of diverse cultural engagement, traditions and perspectives. She encourages dialogue between diverse people to create a better understanding of history and unity among different cultures. “The challenge of creating a unified community belongs to everyone,” says Interim University President, Dr. James Lyons, who considers Black History month as part of our collective community heritage. “The struggles and accomplishments of any one group of people should be shared by everyone. We must all strive to broaden our perspectives by considering what we have in common and by listening to each other more closely. Seeing ourselves as one community, while still respecting our differences and honoring our unique cultures, is essential to realizing our vision for a unified community. Since history belongs to all of us, perhaps the month of February is a good place to start.” The recent release of the motion picture, “Selma” has brought the fight for civil rights and justice into contemporary consciousness and serves as a reminder that prejudice and discrimination is still directed against people of color. In the wake of recent uprisings in Ferguson, Missouri over the police shooting of Michael Brown, and the latest tragic murder of three Arab American students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the struggle for civil rights continues until the day when there is justice for all--regardless of their race, color or religion. “Last week’s horrific shooting of three Arab-Americans was racially motivated because of religion and ethnicity,” says Arab America President, Warren David. “The purpose of this event is to commemorate Black History Month and for our communities to stand together both, African-American and Arab-American. I can think of no better event than this one which brings our two communities together in solidarity.” The program is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested at: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/udcfoundation/event/515034/

Film Screening and Panel: The Spook Who Sat by the Door The Cult Classic The Spook Who Sat by the Door, a 1973 film based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Sam Greenlee, is a cult classic and named one of the most influential black films of the 1970’s (by Torriano and Venise Berry in their The 50 Most Influential Black Films). Dan Freeman, the “spook who sat by the door,” is enlisted in the CIA’s elite espionage program as its first black agent. Upon mastering agency tactics, he returns home to Chicago with a mission to train street gangs as “Freedom Fighters.” Quickly, they become experts in urban guerrilla warfare and plan to launch a war against the white power structure in every major US city. After the film, a panel will convene to discuss the historical context of the Black Arts/Power movements and how protest music influenced not only these movements but also this film. The panel includes: Dr. Greg Carr (Chair of Afro- American Studies, Howard University), Jamilah Lemieux (Senior Editor, Ebony.com) and Professor K. Nyerere Ture (Morgan State University Professor of Anthropology). Where: NPR Headquarters, 1111 North Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 – Studio 1 When: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 6:30 – 9:00 p.m Cost: FREE! Seats are limited, so reserve your ticket today! 5:30 PM Doors open 6:30 PM Film Screening 9:15 PM Panel Discussion A reserved ticket is required and all tickets are general admission. Seating is first come, first served. NPR HQ is accessible by Metro, located a few blocks from the NOMA - Gallaudet U/New York Ave stop on the Red Line. Bike racks and public parking are available. Follow Studio 1 on Twitter for information on upcoming events @npr_Studio1 Wednesday, February 25, 2015 06:30PM - 09:00PM NPR Studio 1 1111 North Capitol St, NE Washington, DC 20002 1 Tickets available

See all photos from last party!

Civil rights are human rights

Copyright 2014 Melissa Dian Chapman

Instructional Strategies for 2nd Language Learners