[Peace-discuss] PRC Anti-Columbus Day Event

[Jen Tayabji]

Hi--

The Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC) is currently organizing
our annual Anti-Columbus Day Event. It will be on October 11th at 12noon at
the north end of the UI Quad.

Unlike in past years, we will be incorporating several issues into the
event, including the presence of the racist mascot "Chief Illiniwek" at the
UI and the U.S.-led war in Iraq. These two issues are examples of the U.S.
Tradition of racism and oppression that is in many ways epitomized by the
real legacy of Columbus.

We would like to invite AWARE to be a cosponsor of the event! We will
include cosponsors on our publicity and would like to have cosponsors help
publicize the event by forwarding the email announcement, etc.

Please see below for more info. The deadline to be included in the publicity
is Tuesday, September 28th.

Thanks!
Jen Tayabji
PRC Member
***

---------------------------------------------------------
    PRC COLUMBUS DAY ACTION:
Speaking Out Against the American Tradition
of Racism and Oppression

Monday, October 11, 2004
12 noon, Illini Union South Patio
North side of the UIUC quad
---------------------------------------------------------

The story of Columbus is usually told as a story about discovery,
exploration, and human progress.  But many forget that it is first and
foremost a story about conquest, the rise of capitalism, and the
genocide of indigenous peoples.   Unfortunately, this violent legacy
continues to be enacted to this day: capitalistic motives helped fuel
America¹s invasion of Iraq, racial discrimination continues despite
laws protecting minority rights, and Native Americans are degraded
by the offensive stereotypes embodied by the ³Chief.²  Come and
speak out against America¹s tradition of military and cultural
imperialism‹a tradition that began with Columbus but continues to
impact our lives today!

The rally will include speakers from [TBA] on issues such as U of I¹s
mascot ³Chief Illiniwek,² the conflict in Palestine, and American
occupation of Iraq. (We will add more to the paragraph when we
know who is speaking)

Although we can¹t change the past, we can commit to a better future.
Come out on Columbus Day and show your opposition to racism,
war, and imperialism!
 
For a more in-depth account of the effects of Columbus¹s ³discovery²
of America, see the first chapter of Howard Zinn¹s book "A People¹s
History of the United States: 1492 ­ present."

For more information, or to volunteer, contact the Progressive
Resource/Action Cooperative at prc at prairienet.org.  Visit the PRC¹s
website at www.prairienet.org/prc.

Sincerely,
The PRC
----------------------------------------------
Jen Tayabji
Director, Illinois Disciples Foundation
610 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign, IL  61820
(217) 352-8721 * cell (217) 840-8248
http://www.prairienet.org/idf

Social Justice YES! President Bush NO!
VOTE BUSH OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE!

"And they can call me crazy if I fail / All the chance that I need / Is
one-in-a-million / And they can call me brilliant / If I succeed / Gravity
is nothing to me / Moving at the speed of sound / I'm just gonna get my feet
wet / Until I drown...

Cuz I don't care if they eat me alive / I've got better things to do than
survive / I've got a memory of your warm skin in my hand / And I've got a
vision of blue sky and dry land"

--Ani Difranco