Join the Canyon Poets on Thursday August, 25, 2022 at 7:00 PM PST when we feature Natasha Huey. Natasha Huey is a poet, teaching artist, and project manager. She is currently an Artist Mentor at Performing Arts Workshop, co-founder of The Root Slam, and co-founder of the Write Home Project.
The Root Slam’s co-founder wrote a whole book, and now we get to gather to honor the gift that is. Oh to hold bound pages of Janae Johnson’s poems in our hands. Come through. 📖
Gilman Brewery in Berkeley. Thursday June 9th 7-10PM. Free event! 😷 COVID and accessibility guidelines posted here: bit.ly/JanaeAccessibility
Come celebrate the publication of 14 Hills Magazine’s 28th Issue! I have 3 poems published in this issue and will be a featured reader.
"The Working People’s Section” is a tradition amongst poetry venues where the event organizers get to share their work. There are only three rules to The Root Slam's Working People’s Section: 1) all the organizers share, 2) it has to be new, and 3) it better shake the room. Join the organizers of The Root Slam for a special Litquake Out Loud edition of The Working People’s Section, where your favorite local writers / farmers / dancers / healers / educators / activists / festival planners / and twerk influencers bring you that world premiere, that new and necessary work. Featuring Isabella Borgeson, Tianna Bratcher, Gabriel Cortez, Ciera-Jevae Gordon, Natasha Huey, Will Smith, and Sandy Vazquez. FREE, $5-10 suggested donation
Registration is required for Zoom access. Spots are limited.
Event will also be livecasted on Facebook Live.
Buy the authors' books at Litquake's bookstore here -- https://bookshop.org/shop/litquake
The Root Slam is an award-winning Oakland poetry venue. Our mission is to create an inclusive, socially just space to promote the artistic growth of the Bay Area poetry community. We are guided by values centering the voices of Black, indigenous, and people of color artists; queer, trans, gender non-conforming, and women poets; working class/low-income, disabled, im/migrant and undocumented folks. For more on The Root Slam, visit www.RootSlam.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @TheRootslam.
Recent years have seen important fights - and important wins - in the struggle to dismantle the prison system in California. From repealing sentence enhancements, to shutting down jail expansion plans, to working to restore voting rights to folks on parole.
Come hear from four incredible movement leaders at the frontline of these struggles about victories, strategies, and the importance of campaigns and coalitions in the continuing movement to dismantle the Prison Industrial Complex. Their stories will highlight the small and big ways you can also contribute to creating a more progressive vision of justice than mass incarceration.
Moderated by former Black Panther leader and political prisoner Ericka Huggins, the panel features:
Sandra Johnson, Senior Organizer, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC)/ All of Us or None (AOUON)
Eric Henderson, Policy Director, Initiate Justice
Ivette Alé & Amber-Rose Howard, Statewide Coordinators, Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)
When: Thursday May 2nd, 7-9pm
Where: First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison Street, Oakland, CA, 94612
Tickets: $5-25 sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds - available here.
All proceeds from this event will go to LSPC/AOUON, Initiate Justice, and CURB, with specific focus on supporting this year's Quest for Democracy Day, an annual advocacy and rally day led by formerly incarcerated people and families with incarcerated loved ones to bring their voices to elected officials in Sacramento. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Location and Accessibility Information
This event is taking place at First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison Street, in Oakland. The venue is nine blocks away from the 19th St. BART station and is directly on AC Transit line 33. On-site parking is limited but is free at the rear of the building.
ASL INTERPRETATION AND CHILDCARE
Childcare and ASL interpretation will be provided by reservation. Please RSVP to policy@surjbayarea.org no later than 5pm on Tuesday April 30, 2019 to reserve ASL interpretation and/or childcare.
MOBILITY ON SITE
The parking lot is slightly sloped in areas. The venue is accessible for mobility devices from the rear parking lot via one slightly downward sloping ramp and tan-colored double doors. The front entrance will also be in use, but has a few steps up. Please contact us in advance at policy@surjbayarea.org if you would like assistance navigating either entrance. Floors are linoleum or low-pile carpet. Reserved seating for people with visual or mobility challenges will be available toward the front and rear of the hall. Seating is in pews arranged on slope downward toward the stage. There will be greeters at the front entrance and one greeter at the back entrance to welcome and guide people to the sanctuary.
BATHROOMS
There are several gender neutral bathrooms, including one that is ADA compliant. We ask that everyone respect people’s gender identities and expressions by making all restrooms available to anyone, regardless of lived or perceived gender identity. We ask that folks choose the restroom that is right for them, and that no one question a person’s chosen restroom. Hand soap is scent free in all the restrooms. The ADA compliant restroom is also specially cleaned with scent-free products. There are no automatic doors on the bathrooms.
SCENTS
While the venue is not fully scent-free, we ask guests to please refrain from wearing scented products like lotions, perfumes, or essential oils so this event is as safe and comfortable as possible for people who have chemical sensitivities or allergies. Thank you! Other scents may be present from other church attendees prior to our event, and possibly from some custodial products. There will be a marked scent free section.
LIGHTING
Lighting in the main hall is from compact fluorescent bulbs. Other areas are lit with standard fluorescent bulbs. The parking area can be darkly lit, so volunteers will be available to assist people with flashlights.
ACCESSIBILITY QUESTIONS
Can be directed to policy@surjbayarea.org
We host a FREE writing workshop series located at Chapter 510 in Oakland! Join us every 2nd & 4th Saturday from 10:00am-11:45am. Come through and write with a group of folks that share the same passion for poetry. We even have space for you to share your new work(s) at the end. No experience necessary! Just bring something you feel comfortable writing with (pen, pencil, notepad, laptop, etc), and we got the rest!
Reclaiming Our Voices: Narrative Strategies for Justice
Our stories are powerful. The way that we strategically frame our issues can change the story of the status quo. How do we use these narratives as building blocks to inform policy advocacy and shape policymaking? In this skills-based workshop, narrative strategists will provide participants with a framework to mobilize public will for change by strategically shaping stories about social and political issues.
Speakers:
Natasha Huey, Artist Mentor, Performing Arts Workshop
Khilacz Foster, Oakland Military Institute, 10th grade
Amina Nicole Johnson, Lodestar: A Lighthouse Community Public School, 8th grade
Jordan Roque, Roosevelt Middle School, 8th grade
