II Annual Freedom Weekend

I was recently in Austin, TX, AKA ATX for the II Annual Freedom Weekend held April 29to May 2, 2010. While I helped out in different venues my primary role (besides supporting my daughter, Kaleema Haider Al-Nur) was as one of the guest speakers for the Interfaith Worship Service held on Sunday, May 2. Each of the four clergy delivered ten minute mini-sermons:

Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker, Senior Pastor, David Chapel Missionary Baptist, Austin, TX
sermon - Rebooting Justice

Cardinal Aswad Walker, Shrine of the Black Madonna, Houston, TX
sermon - Why Do You Cry to Me So? Tell the Children of Israel to March On. Exodus 14:15

Rev. Dr. Qiyamah A. Rahman, Director of Contextual Ministry and Senior Lecturer at Meadville Lombard Theological School, Chicago, IL
sermon - On the Road to Beloved Community

Robert Muhammad, Nation of Islam, Austin Study Group, Austin, TX
sermon - The Science of Freedom

WHAT IS FREEDOM WEEKEND?
BLACK FREEDOM WEEKEND 2010 featured 4-days of discussions, Films, performances and trainings!

Annual Black Freedom Weekend featured a gathering of individuals and community groups and organizations, convened by Community and University organizers and partners to confront major issues that impact Black communities in Austin [and throughout Texas] as human rights issues. The Weekend included some exciting venues featuring: a film festival, community forums with keynote speaker, Ajamu Baraka, Executive Director of the U.S. Human Rights Network. His presentation was titled, From Civil Rights Back to Human Rights: Recapturing the Spirit of Revolutionary Change. Freedom Weekend Kickoff Night featured an elder activist, African Martial Arts (stick fighting and a version of Capoeira) and slamming guest poets delivering spoken word. The largest gathering occured on the last day when white allies convened to talk about gentrification in Austin.

FW fosters practical strategy-making, community building, truth-telling, critical dialogue, and creative collaborations and coalitions by inviting a variety of voices to the table during activities held at different locations throughout the Community. Freedom Weekend is:
* Community Art Show & Performances
* ‘Bringing Human Rights Home’ Community Forum
* Sunday Sermon
* ‘People Get Ready’ Community Workshops

Annual Freedom Weekend is Housed at: the Warfield Center for African and African American Studies and the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas.


[2010] II Annual Freedom Weekend: This year’s Freedom Weekend focused on naming the collection of Systems, policies and practices that work in concert to produce a Push-Out/Pull-Out effect of Black communities or Black Community Displacement. As the size of the Black community in Austin continues to shrink, we ask: WHERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE GOING AND WHAT’S GOING ON WITH BLACK PEOPLE!? Last years focus and theme was
"Bringing Human Rights Home."

Question: What are you doing in your community to bring together segments of people that do not usually communicate such as the residential community and academia; grass roots activist and policy makers/legislators and politicians?

If you are currently not doing anything what can you begin to do? Who do you need to collaborate with? Who are the existing players?
Blessings! Rev. Rock (Rahman)