AUGUST 2006 ACTION ALERT: Hurricane Katrina Artists for Life Fund

[Mekeda7]

AUGUST 2006 ACTION ALERT
http://assatashakur.org/0806.htm

Title: Demonstrate your compassion and solidarity for Hurricane Katrina Artists for Life!

Time Frame: 1 month

Plan of Action: ARTISTS FOR LIFE presents "art/work: a Hurricane Katrina Memorial Celebration."

“art/work” is a fundraiser and visual arts/performance showcase. It is a grand opportunity for the artists-survivors of Hurricane Katrina to tell their own story, in their own words. Mark the date now…more details soon!
Artists For Life has a long-term vision: to service and support a national network of progressive artists with emergency funding, technical assistance, and free professional development resources. Its immediate focus, however, is on the artists-survivors of the storm here in New York. If you agree that poetry, creative writing, music, dance, theater, paintings, and the arts in general have the power to transform lives for the better, then help us fuel this journey!

Purpose Of Action: Artists from Hurricane Katrina Have a Story To Tell!

After nearly a year, many of the Hurricane Katrina survivors who were evacuated to New York still need housing, employment, and support services in order to re-construct their lives with dignity. Even while dealing with the trauma of “the storm” and while dealing with the personal upheaval of being displaced, many of the artists here have been contributing to and enriching the cultural landscape of NYC - doing shows, teaching youth workshops, and much more - often for free. Promises of support have been made, and more than you can imagine, many promises have been broken!

Through the non-profit organization Artists For Life, AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc. is doing what it does best: connecting arts and activism on practical terms. Since 1993, AKILA WORKSONGS has provided professional services to the arts community, produced socially relevant programs, and donated hundreds of hours of free services to independent artists. We have stood up for what’s right in the world, and we do it through the arts!


What you can do now to help make a difference:

1. MARK THE DATE!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts
Long Island University • Brooklyn campus

2. Be it $1 or $1,000-- your monetary donation to Artists For Life will help us carry out our vision. Kindly direct your contributions to our fiscal sponsor, the Twenty-First Century Foundation. Our fiscal sponsor is a 501(c) 3 public foundation-- the oldest endowed Black foundation with a mission to advance charitable giving in the Black community. All gifts made to Artists For Life are tax-deductible.

Checks may be mailed to:
Twenty-First Century Foundation
271 W. 125th Street - Suite 303
New York, NY 10027-4424

* please write Artists For Life in the memo

*To make online contributions, visit http://www.21cf.org/Donate.html

* Be sure to select "ARTISTS FOR LIFE" or your monies will be directed elsewhere.

Goals & Outcomes:

Goals
*The black community across the nation joins together to support one another in times of need, as it pertains to nation building
*Black Art meets activism, with moral, social and financial support from the black community
*Awareness is raised by Hurricane FEMA-Bush victims, among the people

Outcomes
*Hurricane Katrina Memorial Celebration is properly funded to achieve its goals of raising awareness among the people in New York
*Hurricane Katrina victims in the NYC area receive exposure for their artwork, leading to increased support for getting back on their feet
*Ordinary citizens in turn begin to think and act in the interest of Pan-Afrikanism, social justice and the common cause of Pan-Afrikan solidarity.


Artists For Life
(the non-profit organization of AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc.)
c/o AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc.
1185 Carroll Street
Brooklyn, NY 11225
~718.756.8501 (office)
~ 718.756.8502 fax
~artistsforlife@akilaworksongs.com
~www.akilaworksongs.com

General information contact: artistsforlife@akilaworksongs.com

Artists contact: Saddi Khali, s.khali@akilaworksongs.com

Coming soon: artists-for-life.org

[Nesayem]

Uhuru Fam,

Checkin' in and signing off on this one. I sent a monetary donation to the foundation. When I was reading through the alert I was reminded of a picture I saw. This photo is called "Louisville Flood Victims" it was taken in 1937 by a woman named Margaret Bourke-White. This photo along with the many photos that have been preserved in the Katrina disaster, serve as artifacts for a younger generation of Afrikans. With this being said it is most critical that the artwork continues and these valuable stories are told.

Here is the picture I was speaking of:

Louisville Flood Victims 1937

[Jahness]

Greetings Everyone!

The support must continue for our people who has suffered
so much in the Katrina diaster.

Monetary donation made online.

Thanks for this very important Action Alert sister Mekeda7.
I appreciate you committment to all Afrikan people.

Peace & Blessings

[Nia Maishani]

Support Artists For Life If You Belive Art/Works!

Artists For Life is producing a GRAND celebration of life through the arts! Even as we remember and pay respect to our ancestors who died in the storm a year ago, we are standing up for the healing power of art! Of the estimated 5,000 Katrina survivors in this area, many of them are visual and performance artists. They have powerful stories to tell and Artists For Life has created “art/work� to help them do just that!

art/work is a showcase and fundraiser for and by the artists-survivors from New Orleans and Mississippi. Join us in this commemoration of life…using poetry, spoken word, song, dance, and much more!

art/work
a Hurricane Katrina Memorial Celebraton!

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2006
8:00 pm
KUMBLE THEATER for the PERFORMING ARTS
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
(Brooklyn Campus)
ONE UNIVERSITY PLAZA • BROOKLYN, NY


featuring

poet, performance artist Saddi Khali
visual artist/filmmaker Paul DE0
all male a cappella group Crescendo
soul funk singer/songwriter Tondrae
spoken word artist Eliza B
visual artist Vidho Lorville
visual artist Clifton
singer Keziah Streets
actress Donna Duplantier
jazz musician Jesse McBride
dancer Yvahn Martin
hip hop artist Jaha Baby
…and others!
special guest appearances by New York’s Own
singer Stori James ♦ performance poet/actor Mo Beasley
poet/hip hop artist Toni Blackman

Hosted & Blessed with Performances/Remarks by
Nana Camille Yarbrough
Abiodun Oyewole (of The Last Poets)
and Rev. Malika Lee Whitney
(program subject to change)

Tickets On Sale NOW!
adults: $25 ♦ seniors/students with college ID: $15

purchase your tickets today at www.tix.com
keyword: kumble

If you cannot attend but still want to show your
support, please make a generous donation through
our fiscal sponsor: Twenty First Century Foundation!
You can even donate online! Learn More

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!
Contact April Silver at 718.756.8501
artistsforlife@akilaworksongs.com

[Nia Maishani]

New York University Donates Computers to Artists For Life!

In response to our call for support, New York University’s Department of Student Diversity Programs and Services answered with a generous donation of a dozen i-mac computers! Thanks to Rachel Lizardi for making this happen. We also appreciate that other individuals and organizations have taken extra care to demonstrate BIG support in a variety of ways:


Lea Byrd, LEABYRD PR

Rev. Malika Lee Whitney, Pickney Productions
Mo Beasley, The LoveStorm Entertainment Group

Crystal Nelson (a fellow Howard University graduate!)
Rodney Hurley and Trecia Marin, The Kumble Theater
Matt Klein, Blue Ridge Foundation New York
Carolyn Butts, African Voices
Rha Goddess, 1+1+!=ONE & Divine Dime Entertainment Group
KLAD Creative
Erica Ford, Ja Rule’s L.I.F.E. Camp
San Vicki Chapman, Another Way Enterprises
and the Twenty First Century Foundation

If you believe that art/culture are powerful and valuable
in our lives and that art should be linked to activism,
then consider making a donation to Artists For Life!

Our first BIG event is a benefit showcase to support

artists-survivors of Hurricane Katrina who have been displaced and now living in NYC!


"art/work"
a Hurricane Katrina Memorial Celebraton

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2006
8:00 pm
KUMBLE THEATER for the PERFORMING ARTS

Long Island Univeristy - Brooklyn Campus
(corner of Flatbush Avenue and Myrtle Avenues)


featuring these TALENTED artists from New Orleans and Mississippi

poet, performance artist Saddi Khali • visual artist/filmmaker Paul DE0 • male a cappella group Crescendo • soul funk singer/songwriter Tondrae • spoken word artist Eliza B • visual artist Vidho Lorville • visual artist Clifton • singer Keziah Streets • actress Donna Duplantier • jazz musician Jesse McBride • dancer Yvahn Martin

hip hop artist Jaha Baby • …and others!

(program subject to change)

Tickets On Sale NOW at www.tix.com
keyword: kumble / adults: $25 / students and seniors: $15


Can't attend, but still want to support?

You can go to the Twenty First Century Foundation to make a donation
www.21cf.org/Donate.html (be sure to select ARTISTS FOR LIFE)

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES STILL AVAILABLE!
artistsforlife@akilaworksongs.com

[cdemafa]

If we dont support our people who will,I will circulate this action alert as wide as possible and encourage all my pan african network to donate.

[Nia Maishani]

Peace & power, Commandante!


Brothers & Sisters, please do not forget that you can help this cause each time that you perform a search online, if you use the search engine at:

www.GoodSearch.com

Twenty-First Century Foundation (Artists For Life) is now listed there, so simply type in the name of the charity, spelled out (Twenty-First Century Foundation) in the box indicated, click VERIFY, select from the drop-down menu, then begin your search as usual. Do this each time you perform any search engine search, and we can realize POWER IN NUMBERS--a very simple way to make a small difference amidst your normal routine.

The GoodSearch search engine can be added to your Firefox search bar (or to Internet Explorer tool bar if you use IE), and an estimated $730 can be generated in a year's time if just 100 of us perform two searches per day (or 200 of us perform one search per day). Spread the word!

[Nia Maishani]

Pulitzer Prize Nominated Journalist Pens
Children’s Book For Children of Hurricane Katrina


Washington, DC – Caroline Brewer isn’t sure how it happens. She just knows that it does. A book she was almost forced by a teacher-friend to write after 9/11 keeps being the stuff of small miracles.

Now after nearly a year of hard work and funding from family, friends, and grants, up to 1,000 copies of it are on their way to survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

“I call this my little miracle book. After I sold the first 13 copies, somebody came and bought 55 more. Then my mother sold 60 out of her beauty salon. Next thing I know, I got an order for 2,000!� Brewer recalls of the book’s humble beginnings. “Since that time, this book has raised money for orphans in Ugandan, homeless children in Nicaragua, provided life-saving AIDS medication for a Ugandan mother of five, and helped fund a playground in Michigan. Now it’s on the way to the Gulf Coast. It’s just a continuation of an amazing journey.�

The book, “Kara Finds Sunshine on a Rainy Day,� argues that “the sun is always shining,� even when we can’t see it. To underscore that theme, readers are introduced to inspirational historical figures, such as Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Cesar Chavez, Kim Phuc, and Mahatma Gandhi. At the end, a mother suggests to her daughter, “If we reach out and touch somebody’s hand, the world will be a better place for children, women, and men.�


For full press release, click here...http://hosting.bronto.com/479/public...na_PR_0806.pdf

To purchse the book, click here...
http://hosting.bronto.com/479/public/kara_orderform.pdf


Contact the author directly:
Caroline Brewer
804 Taylor St. NE
Suite #1
Washington, DC 20017

Phone: (202) 526-2952 or (201) 281-5696
Email: caroline@karafindsunshine.com

[Nia Maishani]

Join Us Tonight at The Kumble Theater
Downtown Brooklyn

Tickets Are Almost Sold Out!

Check Out...


the legendary Last Poet
ABIODUN OYEWOLE
•
the phenomenal
performance ensemble


•


writer, activist
KEVIN POWELL
(there will be a booksigning after the program)

...and a parade of singers, dancers, poets,
actors, painters, filmmakers, hip hop heads,
and musicians from New Orleans,
Mississippi, and New York City

"art/work" is creativity + collective work
and responsibility at its best


TONIGHT!
August 29, 2006
at 8 pm
Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts
at Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus
(corner of Flatbush & DeKalb)



buy a ticket today...at the door or online!
Door proceeds go directly to the
Hurricane Katrina Artists-Survivors!


$25 / $15 for seniors, college students
www.tix.com

keyword: kumble