US Africa Policy and Lootable Wealth:

[JemChi]

PCIAS Announces the First Forum of the Year, in its Second Yearlong Series
of Black Public Issue Forums.

US Africa Policy and Lootable Wealth:
A Critical Analysis - January 24, 2008

CONTACT:
Butch Cottman
Philadelphia Community Institute for Africana Studies, Inc.
215-438-4188
[ mailto:iolabey@covad.net ]iolabey@covad.net


PHILADELPHIA, PA - January 3, 2007 - The Philadelphia Community
Institute for Africana Studies, Inc. (PCIAS), today announces the first in
its second yearlong series of Black Public Interest Forums. The Forums
were created in 2007 to encourage and facilitate dialog and debate on the
history, progress and challenges facing the African American community in
the Delaware Valley. The first forum in the 2008 series will take place
Thursday, January 24, 2008, from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Calvary Episcopal
Church, 41st & Parrish Streets.

Everyone with an interest in the African American struggle for social and
political justice is welcome to attend. Admission is one dollar.

The featured speaker on January 24th is the renowned educator and
Philadelphia organizer, Jerry Herman, Director of the Africa Peace Tour,
and an African American History instructor at Camden Community College. He
will offer a critical look at U.S. Africa policy.

Jerry Herman notes, " .that U.S. communities must find ways to obtain an
accurate understanding of African realities.in order to avoid
misinformation while designing sound community organizing
strategies...strategies that must coincide with and become a part of local
community efforts to confront the negative impact of globalization".

Jerry Herman has organized nationally on a number of African issues that
include the struggle around apartheid in South Africa and slavery in
Mauritania. In August 2007, strong anti-slavery legislation was passed in
Mauritania. Several of the Mauritanian activist involved in this work
have spoken at events organized by PCIAS partners. Jerry has traveled
widely on the African continent and was in Rwanda during the 1994
genocide. In the late 1970's. he traveled by land across the Sahara desert
to reach West Africa in an effort to get an up close look at that part of
the African continent. In the 1960's, Herman worked on voter registration
in Chatham county Georgia and later was an organizer in the Northern
protest of the Martin King led Chicago Campaign.

The format of the program includes the presentation by Jerry Herman,
followed by a question and answer period during which members of the
audience will have the opportunity to dialog with our speaker.

The Black Public Interest Forum is sponsored by the Philadelphia Community
Institute for Africana Studies, Inc. and supported by The Coalition, a
network of civic, social justice, educational and community organizations
and activists.