<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><br></b></div><!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Community Change, Inc<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Challenging Structural Racism since 1968<o:p></o:p></i></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>THE DECLARATION OF (WHOSE?) INDEPENDENCE<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>A Round-Robin Reading of Frederick Douglass’<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><i>The Meaning of July 4<sup>th</sup> for the Negro<o:p></o:p></i></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><i> <o:p></o:p></i></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>July 1, 2009 (Wednesday)<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Noon-1:30 pm<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Community Change Library on Racism<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>14 Beacon Street, Room 605<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Boston MA<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b><i> <o:p></o:p></i></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Please join Community Change staff and friends for a round-robin reading/reflection/discussion of <i>The Meaning of July 4<sup>th</sup> for the Negro, </i><span style="font-style:normal">a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852 in Rochester, NY. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">We will start by taking turns reading Douglass’ powerful exposition of the hypocrisy of a nation celebrating its declaration of independence while at the same time holding 4 million enslaved Africans in cruel bondage. We will then discuss how this speech connects to our “Independence Day” of 2009. <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">It may seem that we have moved beyond race in the 105 years that separate us from Douglass’ eloquent rage against slavery, especially since the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. And yet, when we remember that our current economic recession was brought on, in large part, predatory lending schemes targeting people of color, when we remember that our incarceration rate, 1 in 100, is the highest in the world, disproportionately penalizing men of color, and when we reflect on the learning opportunity gap in our schools that deprives our lower income urban and rural children of a quality education, Douglass’ words are discomfortingly appropriate descriptions of our time.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Please join us on July 1 from 12 noon-1:30 p.m. at the Community Change Library on Racism, 14 Beacon Street, Room 605, Boston MA for the discussion on race, racism in the United States of today. There is no admission charge.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none">For more information, call 1-617-523-0555. For a copy of the speech, go to: <a href="http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/douglassjuly4.html">http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/douglassjuly4.html</a>). We will read an abridged version of the speech, available at the event.<o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal">.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:none"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->
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