Fifty years on from the battles and uprisings of 1968, struggles against racism and political repression and for people’s power and international solidarity were as necessary as ever in 2018. In collaboration with organizers, activists, and authors, CPE offered programs that examined links with these past struggles and offered perspectives on new challenges.
In 2018, CPE programs included:
We Have No Choice But to Resist: J20 (part of the series, Resisting State Repression, in collaboration with National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco)
A panel discussion on the status of the J20 resisters and future strategies for resistance under the Trump regime. With Bay Area J20 Resisters.
Reclaiming MLK’s Legacy of Militant Internationalism: Linking Third World Struggle with Black Resistance
A teach in on Martin Luther King Jr.’s radical, internationalist legacy. With Haiti Action Committee.
The End of Policing
A book talk featuring Alex Vitale discussing his book The End of Policing. With Kamau Walton and Rachel Herzing.
Update on Venezuela
A screening of Venezuela, The Shadow Agenda followed by a panel discussion on the situation in Venezuela. With Antonio Jose Cordero, Jeanette Charles, and Carolina Morales.
Cooperation and Solidarity
A talk by Kali Akuno about Cooperation Jackson followed by a discussion with local organizers. With Najari Smith, Jackie Byers, Brandon King.
Targeting the Movement: The FBI’s Black Identity Extremist Designation and Black Liberation (Part of the series, Resisting State Repression, in collaboration with National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco)
A panel discussion about the FBI’s “Black Identity Extremist” designation and potential impacts on local organizing for Black liberation. With Liz Derias-Tyehimba, Kiilu Nyasha, Tur-ha Ak, Woods Ervin, and Zoe Samudzi.
Loaded: A Conversation with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz discussed her book Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment.
Repression of Prisoner Organizing (part of the series, Resisting State Repression, in collaboration with National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco)
A panel discussion about the political repression of prisoner-led organizing on the anniversary of the 2013 CA prisoner hunger strikes. With Dolores Canales, Azadeh Zorabi, and Stacey Rojas.
Honduras Report Back
A report back from members of an emergency delegation to Honduras.
With Juan Rivera of CARECEN SF and Jose Artiga of the SHRE Foundation.
Long, Bitter and Beautiful Struggle for Freedom
A talk by Vijay Prashad on the anniversary of MLK’s assassination on Beyond Vietnam followed by responses by local organizers Sabiha Basrai, Lara Kiswani, Roberta Ryan, and Steve Williams.
Land and Freedom (part of the series, Resisting State Repression, in collaboration with National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco)
A panel discussion about the repression of organizing against displacement and for land sovereignty. With Morningstar Gali, Bilal Mafundi Ali, Leila Sayad-Taha, Max Rameau, and Ziad Abbas.
Revolution in the Air
Book talk with Max Elbaum and Alicia Garza for the re-release of Max Elbaum’s book, Revolution in the Air: Sixties Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che.
Workers of the World—NLG (part of the series, Resisting State Repression, in collaboration with National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco). A panel discussion about the repression of organizing for workers’ rights and protections. With Kung Feng, Kristina Hillman, and Justin King.
Spirit of ‘68: Lessons from the Worldwide Revolution
A four-part class on the politics of 1968 and its lessons for today’s struggles.
Insurgent Supremacists
A talk by Matthew Lyons about his book Insurgent Supremacists: The U.S. Far Right’s Challenge to State and Empire.
Pictures of a Gone City
Talk by Dick Walker about his book Pictures of a Gone City: Tech and the Dark Side of Prosperity in the San Francisco Bay Area. With discussion participants Vanessa Moses, Alex Tom, and Divya Sundar.
Marxism 101
A six-part introductory course on Marxist history, theory, economics, and political practice for grassroots organizers.
Spirit of ’68 Track
A four-session track of programming at the 2018 Howard Zinn Book Fair based on CPE’s Spirit of ’68 class. Panels featured Paul Ortiz, Vanessa Moses, Alex Tom, Lane Windham, Asha DuMonthier, Jennifer Alejo, Elena Serrano, Sabiha Basrai, Jason Ferreira, Nikhil Singh, Nick Estes, Lara Kiswani, and Clare Bayard.
CPE also offered strategic planning and facilitation to the following organizations to strengthen their campaigns, organizing, and political education: AROC, a national network of organizations engaged in Boycott Divest Sanctions (BDS) work, EBASE, generative somatics, the Stop Urban Shield Coalition, and student organizers at SF State and UC Santa Cruz.