The Year of Du Bois began with a celebration of his vision of the unity of Pan Africa and Pan Asia, against colonial oppression and for the building of a better world. The event started with a symposium. The panels for the symposium were be based on some of W.E.B. Du Bois' most profound works: Black Reconstruction, The World and Africa, and Dark Princess.
This will be followed by a cultural celebration with art, music, poetry and dance. Performances will include the Universal African Dance Ensemble, Indian Bharatnatyam dance, Sufi singing, Ethiopian dance, and Jazz by Alfie Pollitt and Bobby Zankel.
We hope to have laid the foundation of the philosophy and practice for the entire year.
The event was held at The Church of the Advocate, 1801 Diamond Street, Philadelphia (Click here for directions)
Friday, February 23rd to Saturday February 24th, 2018
This will be followed by a cultural celebration with art, music, poetry and dance. Performances will include the Universal African Dance Ensemble, Indian Bharatnatyam dance, Sufi singing, Ethiopian dance, and Jazz by Alfie Pollitt and Bobby Zankel.
We hope to have laid the foundation of the philosophy and practice for the entire year.
The event was held at The Church of the Advocate, 1801 Diamond Street, Philadelphia (Click here for directions)
Friday, February 23rd to Saturday February 24th, 2018
Friday, February 23rd
6PM:
Screening of Finally Got The News
7PM:
Message from Mumia Abu Jamal
Black Reconstruction: African America and the World
Panelists: Glen Ford, Ismael Jimenez, Hugh 'Munchie' Moore, Brandon Stanford
Moderator: Mahdi Ibn Ziyad
In 1935, W.E.B. Du Bois published the groundbreaking book, Black Reconstruction in America, where he recognizes the crucial role of the Black worker in relation to U.S. capitalism and its role in the Black liberation struggle. Transcending Marx’s theories, Du Bois explores the role of the Black worker and their relationship to the capitalist and white workers. By reinterpreting the history of the African American, Du Bois makes a revolutionary claim: the enslaved African was a conscious worker. We will discuss the modern role of labor in the United States to provide context amidst the failure of the “American Dream”.
Saturday, February 24th
10AM:
The World and Africa: Clarity In A Time of Crisis
Panelists: Yusuf Khalfani, Archishman Raju, Brandon Do, Yvonne King
Moderator: Jahanzaib Choudhary
In this monumental work, W.E.B. Du Bois reinterprets world history through the eyes of Africa. Du Bois highlights Africa as the center of human civilization and explores the vast historical connection between Africa and Asia, as well as, its influence on medieval Europe. Du Bois discusses the role of the TransAtlantic slave trade and the rape of Africa as the root of European wealth and ties their history to that of Africa. We will explore how the collapse of Europe has created the conditions for a new epoch of humanity.
12PM:
Performance by the Children of Jubilee School
Dark Princess: Towards A Love Supreme
Panelists: Divya Nair, Nandita Chaturvedi, Dahlia Wasfi, Mahdi Ibn Ziyad
Moderator: Meghna Chandra
One W.E.B. Du Bois’ most critical concepts is that of the principled unity between the darker nations of the world. In his political novel, Dark Princess, Du Bois explores this very concept through his two main characters, Matthew Townes and Princess Kautilya, who commit the greatest crime against white supremacy: forming a love supreme. By rejecting their roles within a white empire and unifying on the basis of humanity, love and civilization, they create a new vision for the future of humanity.
2PM:
Lunch Break
3PM:
Cultural Celebration
3.00-4.00PM:
Drumming by Zumbie Soweto and group
Freedom Lamp Lighting ceremony with King Mahabali
Welcome address by Pastor Renee McKenzie
4.00-5.00PM:
Music Performances by Ali Richardson, Divya Nair and the Free School Unity Ensemble
Jazz by Bobby Zankel
Welcome address by Sarah Lomax Reese
5.00-6.00PM:
Sufi Singing by Reihan: Juan Carlos Castrillon Vallejo and Maria Giraldo Gallo
Ol’ Man River and Carnatic singing by Meghna Chandra
Bharatnatyam Dance by Ramya Shankaran
Poetry by Angel L Martinez and Carlos Raul Dufflar
Performance by Eritrean Youth Dance Team
6.00-6.30PM:
Performance by Senzala Capoeira Group
A Reading of Martin Luther King Jr’s tribute to Dr. Du Bois by Anita Holland
6.30-7.30 PM
Dinner
7.00-8.00PM:
Address by Dr. Anthony Monteiro
Poetry by Ursula Rucker
8.00-9.00PM:
Performance by the Universal African Dance Ensemble
Performance by organist Michael Jackson
9.00PM:
Jazz by Alfie Pollitt and trio
We look back to the powerful history of the anticolonial struggles, when the fight for independence of nations from European control meant the fight for the future of all humanity. We look back to build once again the unity of Pan Africa and Pan Asia in this moment of crisis.
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"We are 95 countries from all the continents representing the vast majority of humanity. We are united by determination to defend cooperation among our countries, free national and social development, sovereignty, security, equality and self-determination. We are associated in the endeavor to change the current system of international relations based on injustice,inequality and oppression...The nonaligned countries know very well who are our historic enemies, where threats come from and how we must fight them. For this reason we agreed in Havana to reaffirm that the quintessence of the nonalignment policy, in accordance with its original principles and fundamental nature, is the struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism, apartheid, racism, including Zionism, and any form of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony, as well as the struggle against the policies of big powers or blocs."
-- Fidel Castro to the 34th UN General Assembly, in his position as chairman of the nonaligned countries movement |
"Here is the real modern labor problem. Here is the kernel of the problem of religion and democracy, of humanity· Out of the exploitation of the dark proletariat comes the Surplus Value filched from human beasts which, in cultured lands, the Machine and harnessed Power veil and conceal. The emancipation of man is the emancipation of labor, and the emancipation of labor is the freeing of that basic majority of workers who are yellow, brown and black."
--W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America |
"What can we do? We can do much! We can inject the voice of reason into world affairs. We can mobilise all the spiritual, all the moral, all the political strength of Asia and Africa on the side of peace. Yes, we! We, the peoples of Asia and Africa, 400,000,000 strong, far more than half the human population of the world, we can mobilize what I have called the Moral Violence of Nations in favor of peace. We can demonstrate to the minority of the world which lives on the other continents that we, the majority, are for peace, not for war, and that whatever strength we have will always be thrown on to the side of peace."
--Sukarno at the opening speech of the Bandung Conference |
