Dignidad Rebelde

San Diego-Papel y Tinta: The Artwork of Jesus Barraza & Melanie Cervantes

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:44:51 GMT

We would like to invite all of our folks that will be in Southern California on August 15th to join us for an artists talk at The Front in San Ysidro. This show is our first two person show together and we aree very excited about having a show in Jesus' home turf. It will be a night a art, music, celebration and community building. We look forward to seeing you there.

Dignidad Rebelde-Selected as Organizer Pick for Art of Politics 2008

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:56:01 GMT

DIGNIDAD REBELDE'S ARTWORK SELECTED AS AN ORGANIZER PICK FOR ART OF POLITICS 2008

If you are in Portland this Friday check out this event...

Announcing the Official Art of Politics Poster Launch Party-Life, Liberty and Libations
July 4, 2008 Backspace and The Someday Lounge, Portland, OR

FINALLY! On the 4th of July the top 30 winning political posters and a couple of the organizers picks (all posters are up on our website) will be go on display at Backspace (115 NW 5th Ave). The posters will be up for an entire month, but the real haps will go down at the launch party on the 4th-the organisers decided if they were going to do this they are going to do this BIG. Below are all the highlights and details. Judges, participating artists and sponsors are invited as our VIP guests, so if you are in Portland or planning on being in Portland, shoot them an e-mail and they will put you on our guest list.

Hosted by: Backspace (all ages), backspace.bz and The Someday Lounge (21+), somedaylounge.com

5 p.m. -8 p.m. at Backspace: The party kicks off with the political poster unveiling, a weenie roast (provided by Old Town Computers and will include meat and veggie options), DJ Corban Lester, beer garden, giveaways from Suburban Riot and voter registration information from The Bus Project.

8 p.m. at Backspace: Old Town Computers' Geek Movie Night to show "TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE". The movie kicks off with a pub style trivia contest, with questions touching on the theme of "America FTW!"

8 p.m. at the Someday Lounge (next door to Backspace): Two of Portland’s best bands, Patina and Former Form will be playing until about
10 p.m. Setting the stage will be a running video of all 250 poster submissions to Art of Politics 2008. Signature Drinks Political Punch and Liberty Libation will be available. After the fireworks show, DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid take the stage for Filmistan-A Bollywood Night.

10:00ish Backspace and The Someday Lounge: Both locations will have a live webcam stream of the fireworks display at Tom McCall Waterfront Park projected on big screens.

All they ask is a little $5 cover at The Someday Lounge.

NYC Police Beat Up Rap Group Members Rebel Diaz

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:42:22 GMT

Jesus and I are great fans of Rebel Diaz and see them as allies in the cultural work that is at the heart of a movement for social justice. Please get the word out an call to the 41st Precint. If you are in New York please make the effort to show physical solidarity with these cats-melanie

NYC Police Beat Up Rap Group Members Rebel Diaz

By Davey D

Looks like the NYPD are living up to their reputation of being bonafide 'dipshits'. We are just getting word that NYC Police located in what was once known as Fort Apache-the 41st Precint in the Bronx, have shown that police terrorism is alive and well.

The word is in a unprovoked attack they badly assaulted two members of the Rap group Rebel Diaz.

The story we are hearing is that group Rodstarz and G1 were up in Bronx on Southern Blvd in Hunts Point, when they noticed the police were harassing a street vendor who was selling fruit. The two went over to witness the cops in action and when they saw the police being abusive they pulled out a cell phone to video tape the incident and asked for the officers badge numbers. keep in mind that part of the Bronx has a large immigrant community and it is also being gentrified. The police from the 41st Precint have made it a point to commit acts of terror including the shooting and killing of an unarmed immigrant man last year. The case brought up images of Amadou Diallo another immigrant was gunned down by out of control Bronx cops in the neighboring precint.

According to witnesses, when Rodstarz and G1 asked for badge numbers the police became agitated and turned around and started beating them with bully clubs and kicking them in full view of other vendors and people on the crowded street. The two were dragged off bloody, put into a police car and charged with resisting arrest and assault.

The backdrop to this story is that Rebel Diaz are not your ordinary rappers. They are well known activist who not only speak out against police terrorism, but have been key in helping out folks within this immigrant community. Hence it would not be usual for group members to bear witness and to speak out against the injustices. Rebel Diaz has committed themselves to given voice to the voiceless in that Bronx neighborhood.

Many feel that the assault by these cowardly Bronx police officers in plain view of everyone was a way to send a strong message to folks in the community that the police run things and they best stay in line. By beating the Rebel Diaz members in front of everyone was a way to spark fear and remind people that no one is safe from the police. They wanna let folks know that they can brazenly beat up popular rappers in front everyone even with cell phone cameras rolling and do so with impunity. The whole ordeal is akin to the slave masters from way back sparking fear in the hearts of other slaves by beating the strongest among them in front of everyone for all to see.

Over the past year NY Police have been man handling, arresting and terrorizing politicized Hip Hop artists, activists and news reporters.

For example, last year in Brooklyn well known attorney Michael Tarif Warren who routinely represents people in police abuse cases was badly beaten along with his wife when they stopped to watch and bear witness to NY cops terrorizing a unarmed tennage boy at a gas station.

During the protests immediately following the acquittal of the officers on trial for the Sean Bell shooting, journalists who had been speaking out against the police were harassed and roughed up.

Hopefully folks will read this and understand that what the police are doing will not work.. A police state will not take place on our collective watch..

Tonight there will be a rally infront of the 41st Precint Police station

bring drums, noise makers, banners, and people power!

***please forward widely***

ACTION ALERT!

COPS BEAT REBEL DIAZ RODSTARZ & G1

ALL OUT TO PROTEST THE 41ST PRECINCT!!!!

bring drums, noise makers, banners, and people power!

1035 Longwood Avenue (@Southern Blvd.) 6PM TODAY June 18, 2008

take the 6 train to Longwood

Please call the 41st precinct 718-542-4771 and the arresting Officer MacHugo 718-542-8745 to demand:

1.

Drop All Charges

2.

Release Rebel Diaz!

Thank you beloved community...

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:44:48 GMT

The Taller Tupac Amaru participated, for the first time, in ProArts East Bay Open Studios. We want to thank each and everyone of the over 350 people who came to visit us at our studio and who shared in the celebration of what we have been able to do (in partnership with our communities) so far in 2008.

We also want to thank all of the family and friends who helped make our Open Studios successful (thank you Margarita, Gustavo, Tim, Derek, Maria, Jose, Bobby, and Farianna...)

We know some of our friends and allies couldn't make it out during the weekend so we want to extend the invitation to folks in the Bay Area to arrange a studio visit for the next week. If you would like to come by to check out the art we had available at our open studio please feel free to contact Melanie at 510 502 6393.

Be sure to check out our store which will be updated with new work.

A Successful International Immigrant Rights Poster Project

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:08:50 GMT

We need strong pro-immigrant and migrant art to confront the multitude of images of disempowerment given to us by our daily media.

The Taller Tupac Amaru set out to meet this need by enlisting the help of artists, art enthusiasts and movement supporters this May 2008. Jesus Barraza, Melanie Cervantes, Dylan Miner and Artemio Rodriguez under the leadership of fellow artist Favianna Rodriguez set out to produce of FIVE empowering posters for the international immigrant rights movement. This type of collaboration and support given by a vast network of people was crucial in order to place 10,000 posters into the hands of hundreds immigrant right activists around the globe, and the thousands of people they help organize.

A historic gathering brought together over 300 migrant leaders from the US and Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America this May 2008, in Mexico City, to form a global association of remitters and their families. The event helped consolidate remitters’ economic and political power and gave them the space to define an agenda for the sustainable economic development of migrant communities. The conference was convened by TIGRA (Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action).

YES! Posters are crucial for today’s immigrant rights movement!

We printed EACH poster in a run of 2000 via offset and freely distribute them to the organizations attending the gathering. The posters will reach cities around the globe, so that we may introduce new and inspiring concepts about what it means to be an immigrant in the 21st century.

We forged partnerships with over 20 individual donors whose generosity made this project possible. This ambitious project was advanced by the collective power, action and love of many, many people all of whom are part of the immigrant rights movement.

This poster project was made possible thanks to:
• Efren Paredes, Jr. (www.4Efren.com)
• The Adelman/Llanos Family
• The Consejo Grafico
• Joel Lopez (Cuchilla del Tesoro, D.F., Mexico)
• Judilee Reed
• Diane Sanchez (Oakland, CA)
• www.iresist.org
• Roberta Uno & the Ford Foundation’s Matching Gift Program
• Jee Kim
• Leeway Foundation (Leeway.org)
• Jaime Cortez
• Carol Wells, Center for the Study of Political Graphics (PoliticalGraphics.org)
• Tito Delgado
• Quinn Delaney
• Margarita Rodriguez
• Sergio Rodriguez
• Carlos Valle
• Angelica Loa Perez
• Hugo from Los Angeles
• Anonymous donor

Logistical and Translation Support provided by:
• TIGRA - Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action (Transnationalaction.org)
• National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (Nnirr.org)
• TUMIS.com
• Viviana Rennella
• Arnoldo Garcia
• Cathy Lee
• Youseff & Mahmoud Sawan

Artists:
• Jesus Barraza (DignidadRebelde.com)
• Artemio Rodriguez (LaManoPress.com)
• Melanie Cervantes (DignidadRebelde.com)
• Dylan Miner (DylanMiner.com)
• Favianna Rodriguez (Favianna.com)

There has never been a movement for social change without the arts – posters in particular – being central to that movement. Protest posters flaunt their politics and court discussion. They can deepen compassion and commitment, ignite outrage, elicit laughter, and provoke action. The power of the poster is that it is produced in multiples, and therefore can be easily distributed for all to see.

Posters are still available. If you are interested in purchasing the full set of five for $30 contact favianna@favianna.com

Jesus Barraza

Melanie Cervantes

Favianna Rodriguez

Dylan Miner

Artemio Rodriguez

Taller Tupac Amaru -Open Studios

Sat, 31 May 2008 00:45:29 GMT

Prints! Radical Political Art! T-Shirts! Books! Printmaking Demos! Live Art and More!

Open Studios
for Jesus Barraza, Melanie Cervantes, and Favianna Rodriguez
TALLER TUPAC AMARU

TAMALES + BEER +LIVE ART MAKING!

June 7 & 8th, 2008
10 am - 6 pm
1505 33rd Ave.
Oakland, CA 94601
(Accessible by BART - Fruitvale)

It is with great joy and excitement that we invite you to our annual Open Studio. This event will be a time of celebration, music, and great art!

We are asking the community to come out and support us by checking out the work we have done and seeing what is in store for the rest of the year.

Our Taller has been very busy this past year traveling, teaching art workshops, supporting grassroots organizing and movement building work and participating in various collaborations, exhibitions, and artist residencies.

Come check out our new work!

All art works that will be on sale will be on pre-display on our websites, www.favianna.com and www.dignidadrebelde.com by June 4.

You can locate our Open Studio listings on pages 32-33 of the Directory of East Bay Arts!

For more information contact:melanie@dignidadrebelde.com

Encuentro Xican@ and Flor y Canto

Fri, 02 May 2008 05:55:54 GMT

The Xicana/o Culture Working Group at U.C. Berkeley proudly presents:

The 1st Annual Encuentro Xican@

Friday, May 9th, 2008
9:30 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Tilden Room, MLK Student Union

A community gathering of activists, scholars, poets, public intellectuals,
and dreamers.

Featuring:

A Keynote address by Chicano activist and scholar Dr. Carlos Munoz, Jr.

Panels on Immigrant Rights and Youth Violence Prevention

An Artist Plenary with spoken word artist Paul Flores, writer Carla
Trujillo, visual artists of the Taller Tupac Amaru (Melanie Cervantes & Jesus Barraza), and Professor Laura E. Perez

FOLLOWED BY

**************** The 2nd Annual Noche de Florycanto ****************

5:00-6:30 Dinner/ Reception 330 Wheeler
6:30-9:30PM Florycanto 315 Wheeler Hall, Maude Fife Room

Featuring:

Nahuatl opening/blessing by Xicana songstress Eutimia Montoya

A rare public appearance & reading by the legendary Chicano poet

******************** JOSE MONTOYA *****************************

The Winners of the 2nd Annual Florycanto Chicana/o Poetry Prize

Naomi Quinonez

Achiote Press poets: Javier Huerta and Gabriela Erandi Rico

Alejandro Perez

And a special performance by: The Brown Buffalo Project

This event is wheelchair-accessible, Free & Open to the Public

For more information, please contact Marcelle Maese-Cohen
(mmaesecohen@berkeley.edu) or Gaby Erandi Rico (erandi_rico@berkeley.edu)

Solidarity with the People of Palestine/Melanie's 31st Birthday

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:34:18 GMT

Jesus and I have talked about creating Palestine solidarity posters since we had dinner with another artist friend in Fall of last year. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Palestinian's resistance to the occupation of their lands by Israel.

As Xican@s we understand how settler colonialism plays out in the lives of Indigenous people's. So our political solidarity is built on a common experience of displacement and is accompanied by a true committment to stand by our Palestinan brothers and sisters.

Please help me celebrate my 31st birthday by standing in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and celebrating the vibrant movement which resists this occupation. See here for details

These are the posters we have created. They will be available at the Taller Tupac Amaru's Table at the Nakba 60 event in San Francisco.

Melanie's Solidarity with the Palestinian People poster

Jesus's Nakba poster

Anti-War and Immigrants Rights Movements Converge in Oakland's May 1st Mobilizations

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:43:57 GMT

On May 1 Oakland Families Call for "No War, No Walls, No Raids"

Two years have passed since millions of immigrants took to the streets demanding human rights and calling for "legalization for all.” This year a coalition of Oakland community based organizations, community clinics, labor unions, student groups, and anti-war organizations have planned a multicultural, intergenerational event that focuses on the root causes of migration: economic displacement, trade policy, war and militarization, and calls for human rights, social services, sanctuary, peace and unity.

Thursday, May 1, 2008 Rallies, March and Music in Oakland

3:00-4:00pm Rally & Cultural Performances, Fruitvale BART Plaza
4:00-6:00pm March down International Blvd to Oakland City Hall
6:00-7:30pm Rally & Cultural Performances at City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza

Confirmed Speakers Include:
Cynthia McKinney, Former member of the US House of Representatives
Evelyn Sanchez, Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition
Clarence Thomas, International Longshore & Warehouse Union, leader of West Coast port shut down
Maria Jimenez, Mujeres Unidas y Activas
Betty Olson- Jones, Oakland Education Association, President
Sharon Cornu, Alameda Central Labor Council
Carlos Mares, Lucha Unida, Day Labor Organizer
A Youth Together student
Filipino Airport Worker, PAWIS

Cultural Performances:

FUGA (pending confirmation)
Roxana Damas, singer/ songwriter
Danza Cuauhtonal, Aztec Dancers
East Side Arts Alliance performers
Peralta Creek Middle School Spoken Word Poets
La Peña Cultural Center performers

Sponsoring organizations include: Alameda Central Labor Council, AFSCME Local 3299, Anak Bayan East Bay, Bay Area Labor Committee for Peace & Justice, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, La Clinica de La Raza, East Side Arts Alliance, EBASE, Filipinos for Affirmative Action, Huaxtec, ISO, Just Cause Oakland, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, OEA, Peace and Freedom Party, SEIU 1877, SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation, Teamsters, Unite Here 2850, United for Peace and Justice, and more

AND IF YOU ARE IN SAN FRANCISCO:

* San Francisco: 10:30 AM, March with Longshore
Workers, Mason & Beach (see above poster by my good friend Doug Minkler)

* San Francisco: 2 PM, March from Dolores Park

* Oakland: 3 PM, March from Fruitvale BART

* San Francisco: 7:30 PM, Celebrate May Day with
Young Workers United, Balazo, 18th and Mission

-melanie

(This entry was based on media advisories from Deporten La Migra and Oakland Sin Fronteras)

Education is a basic human right, not a privilege.

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:48:03 GMT

I have been on the board of an organization called Youth Together for almost a year and a half now. I have been a supporter of the organization almost as long as I have been in the Bay (over five years now). Please read about this wonderful organization and consider coming out our May 16th event. Over the next few weeks we will be making unique and beautiful political art that will be available the day of the event . See you there! -melanie

THE HISTORY OF YOUTH TOGETHER

Youth Together was created as a community-based response to inter-racial conflicts and violence in our school communities. Shortly after the passage of Prop. 187 and during the Prop. 209 campaign efforts, school officials, mental health workers, and parents were reporting increased incidents of inter-racial conflicts and violence in school communities, including group attacks on youth based upon racial identity.

In response, community leaders and activists convened parents and public and school officials to assess the problems and determine proactive solutions. The outcome of these meetings in 1995 was a commitment to work collaboratively to address the underlying conditions that contribute to the racial tension and poor developmental outcomes of students. This commitment led to the formation of Youth Together in 1996.

The community leaders and activists who founded YT believed that social, political, community, and educational inequities were at the root of these tense conditions at schools; and that youth must take the leadership in creating long-term solutions.

In 1997, YT student teams at each target school, representing the diversity of the student body, assessed the needs of students in their schools. In every needs-assessment, the overwhelming majority of students was concerned about problems in their schools and wanted to participate in creating positive solutions. YT has provided the vehicle for young people and other community members to empower themselves by coming together to advance the health and wellness needs and rights of our school community members.

YT's founders were Margaretta Lin, David Kakishiba, Gabriel Hernandez, Millie Cleveland, and Warrick Liang. Representing their respective community-based organizations, these individuals helped found YT as a multiracial consortium between ARC Associates (YT's former lead agency), East Bay Asian Youth Center, Xicana Moratorium Coalition, West Oakland Health Council, and International Institute of the East Bay. Their social justice experience and knowledge of and close connections to the ethnic-specific communities they serve helped shape the model and guiding principles YT follows. YT currently operates as a single organization with a board of directors comprised of youth, staff and community representatives.

Consider the reasons why founders were inspired to form YT in 1994: – inter-racial conflicts in schools, bursts of violence, reactionary reforms in public schools, and a lack of student voice in decision making. Founders were also inspired by the rich history of social change that has been accomplished as a result of organized communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Seeing what was, as well as what has improved and how, we can see what still needs to be done.

Mission:
Grounded in our commitment to unity, peace and justice, Youth Together addresses the root causes of educational inequities by developing multiracial youth organizers and engaging school community allies to promote positive school change.

Vision:
Education is a basic human right, not a privilege.

The vision of Youth Together is to reclaim public education. We seek to create public educational systems that are just, community based, supportive and people centric. We aim to empower, mobilize, and build self-determination among students and their communities.

Youth Together envisions students who think critically, are social change agents, and who challenge internalized, interpersonal, and institutional oppression in their schools and communities. Specifically, we envision public schools as spaces where youth, their families, and community members are key decision makers in their educational experience.

We envision an educational system that is both the center of the community and a tool for creating community. When local educational institutions are designed to meet the needs of students, a strong community is created.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Youth Together.

Donations can be sent to:

Youth Together

449 15th Street #302

Oakland CA 94612