The wonderful MEChistAs at Vassar are very busy this semester and we would like to update you all on what they are up to this fall semester.
They are sponsoring two lectures
1)"On Being and Not Being the Wretched of the Earth" (Breeze Harper) (Nov) Breeze Harper is is the editor of “Sistah Vegan” (Lantern Books 2010) and a PhD candidate in critical food geographies at UCD. The Sistah Vegan Project focuses on how plant-based consumptive lifestyle is affected by factors of race, racisms, sexism, heterosexism, classism, and other social injustices within the lives of black females. Her dissertation (in progress) is titled Situating Racialization, Racisms, and Anti-Racisms: Critical Race Feminist and Socio-spatial Epistemological Analysis of Vegan Philosophy in the USA.
2)"El Barrio No Se Vende! ¡Se Ama y Se Defiende" (Mikey Velarde VC alum) (Dec) Movement for Justice in El Barrio was founded by immigrants and low-income people of color of East Harlem to fight for dignity and against neoliberal displacement. Movement operates on a commitment to self-determination, autonomy, and participatory democracy.
In addition they seem to be very involved in the campus life by joining the a few on campus events like:
"Smashing History: 150 Years of LGBTIQA Vassar" (Nov) A weekend conference celebrating the accomplishments of prominent alumnae/i who have distinguished themselves in service to LGBTIQA communities variously through activism, archival work and public history, the arts, community organizing and outreach, education, journalism, the law, and many other areas.
"Meet me in Poughkeepsie" (Dec) An event aimed at fostering/strengthening community ties between campus activist groups and community activists.
They also hosted the Dia de los Muertos event (Nov) which was not one but two separate events. One located in the community and the other on campus. Along with a traditional altar, 2 additional altars will be devoted to victims of social inequality (i.e Troy Davis) and unjust Immigration policies.
They were pitching in at local public schools in September and October by providing translator services during the Back to School/ Open House season. In addition, they participated in Occupy Wall St and Occupy Poughkeepsie demonstrations/organizing. (Oct/Nov) As well as doing some fundraising for scholarship fund
A documentary by Oscar nominated/Emmy award winning Filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman, is being done on one of the members of M.E.Ch.A de Vassar and their MEChA chapter has been featured.
Keep on making us proud M.E.Ch.A de Vassar!
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