weekly links (april 17th edition)

artwork by: Banksy

Grace Lee Boggs on Detroit and "The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century" (Democracy Now)

Chris Hedges: Why The US Is Destroying Its Education System (TruthDig)

Maryland Passes Its DREAM Act (RaceWire)

Twenty-Two Senators Ask Obama to Stop Deporting DREAMers (RaceWire)

Feeding the World: It's Not About Quantity (Common Dreams)

If Congress Looked Like Us (Sociological Images)

DC Mayor Vince Gray Arrested in Budget Battle Protest (RaceWire)

Dissecting Laissez-Faire Theory (Dissident Voice)

Egypt Dissolves Former Ruling Party (Al Jazeera English)

On DJ Mister Cee, Malcolm X and Online Homophobia (RaceWire)

Pushing Back Against Homophobia in Sports (Sociological Images)

Hear This: Les Nubians, Ambrose Akinmusire, Pharoahe Monch (The Root)

De La Soul's 3 Feet High And Rising Inducted in the Library of Congress (The Smoking Section)

Radiohead: The King of Limbs Bonus Tracks (Pigeons & Planes)

On Japan, Disaster and Humanity

.. by working on my/your/ourself.

I've spent a lot of time in the past month folks' reactions to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan. The on the ground footage of the 9.0 earthquake and the tsunami washing away entire towns and cities was terrifying. and while some of the responses have been infuriating, most have been uplifting and inspiring.

I was especially wary after how people treated each other after Hurricane Katrina stirred so much bitterness. But stories of people in Japan opening up their homes to the homeless, sharing what little food they have with the hungry, and holding their heads high with dignity have moved me. and led me to some conclusions.

At the core of any sort of progress, there has to be the intention to stretch our ability to see the humanity in each other. In order for us all to sustainably co-exist on/with this planet, we need to shift from self to common-interest. and more important than measurable social gain is sense of community.

In the following video, Grace Lee Boggs speaks on the fact that "we need a very different philosophy on what it means to be a human being. and we have a tremendous opportunity to advance our evolution to a higher stage."

Iersonally, i'm still wrapping my head around what (r)evolutionary politics look like. and at this point, i'm not fucking with ideology. I'm just trying to build on basic values i believe in: compassion, community, self-determination, dignity, equality, kindness, spirituality, and creative expression. and living those values, rather than spouting them out.

* more info on how to support Japanese relief efforts.