Celebrating Sonia Sanchez on her Eightieth Birthday
featuring 
Sonia Sanchez
and
Jessica Care Moore, internationally renowned poet, publisher, 
playwright, performance artist,

Now, a tribute to the beloved world renowned poet, humanitarian, scholar, and activist Sonia Sanchez on her eightieth birthday with Jessica Care Moore, and a special message to all of us from Sonia Sanchez  

Poet, playwright, mother, scholar, lecturer and peace activist, Sonia Sanchez is a renowned force of nature respected in literary and activist communities all over the world and by people of all races, identities, ages & backgrounds. In 2011, Sanchez was selected as the first poet laureate of Philadelphia. She is the author of more than 20 books, and has been awarded countless awards and honors, including the 1985 American Book Award for Homegirls and Handgrenades.  She is also the Poetry Society of America’s 2001 
Robert Frost Medalist. She was the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University and she held the Laura Carnell Chair in English at the university. She came of age in NYC during the Black Arts and Black Power Movements of the 1960s and ’70s. Currently based in Philadelphia, the former Harlemite is regarded as the Godmother of the Black Arts Movement. The late Maya Angelou heralded her as “a lion in literature’s forest.” Today’s poets, writers, hip-hop artists, grassroots activists, and public servants alike point to her work as their guiding light. “She opened the door for everything we do,” says hip-hop artist Talib Kweli.

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Beyond the Climate March - Flood Wall Street 
with
Anne Petermann,  Exec.  Dir., The Global Justice Ecology Project, just released the report "Green Shock Doctrine" and runs the climate-connections.org blog

Petermann said : The Global Climate  "march brought together a diverse mix of constituencies from anti-capitalists to Indigenous Peoples to representatives from communities impacted by climate change both in the U.S. and around the world. Each had their own set of demands, but the overarching theme was the need to build power from the grassroots and stop relying on governments and the UN to do this for us. Hundreds to possibly a few thousand of these folks will be taking part in the Flood Wall Street direct action to bring attention to the real culprits of climate change, and to expose the corporate capture of the UN." Petermann recently wrote the piece: "Confronting Climate Catastrophe: Direct Action is the Antidote for Despair: Or, Why the UN is Worse than Useless and we need to Flood Wall Street!" 

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On the Count, Using, Not Doing Time: 
A Truly Amazing, Authentic African American History Lesson 
with 
Marshal "Eddie" Conway   

Marshal "Eddie" Conway  a veteran of The Black Panther Party 
was held as a political prisoner for four decades in a government 
frame-up.  But whether behind the walls or now back in the 
community after his recent release, Convey exemplifies the 
power of love.  He is a theoretician, who melds his knowledge 
with activism, to prove that the educational key to self-growth 
and realization lies within  the collective process of striving for 
human rights and fundamental change wherever you are.

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Facing Thousands of Layoffs , Olive Garden, and other Darden 
Workers Prepare to Take Direct Action 
with 
Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director, ROC United

Starboard Value, a hedge fund continuing to increase its control over the Darden restaurant chain, just released a 300 page presentation on the future of  Olive Garden, franchising out the company, increasing part-time scheduling, and thousands of lay-offs.Starboard Value and Darden Restaurants have continued to ignore the requests of a  petition, singed by thousands of Darden employees to meet with leadership from both the hedge-fund and restaurant company. The petition also calls attention to problematic labor practices, including the company’s elimination of auto-gratuities on large parties, unpredictable scheduling, and wages that
are unable to sustain a family. Darden Restaurants’ Inc employs more than 130,000 people across the U.S. The company’s annual shareholders’ meeting is confirmed to take place on October 10th in Orlando, Florida. Employees are planning direct action in New York City before the shareholders’ meeting .
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Eliminating NY’s Tipped Sub-Minimum Wage  
with 
Paul Sonn, General Counsel, Ntl. Employment Law Project (NELP) 

Marking a new front in the fight for fair pay for low-wage workers in NY a new coalition of women’s leaders, food delivery workers, and low-wage tipped workers are calling for an end to the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers by the Cuomo administration’s Wage Board charged with recommending an increase in the state’s tipped sub-minimum wage. A new report by NELP finds that a  Wage Order eliminating the tipped sub-minimum wage would benefit an estimated 229,000 low-wage tipped workers. The minimum wage for thousands of tipped food service workers remains stuck at just $5.00/hr. (tipped hotel workers earn slightly 
higher at $5.65 per hour). In many states the tipped minimum is far lower

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Exciting Labor Highlights From Sunday's Peoples Climate March

With our future on the line and the whole world watching, labor and community groups joined forces to take a stand to bend the course of history. And as the people took to the streets to demand that the world we know is within our reach: a world with an economy that works for people and the planet; a world safe from the ravages of climate change; a world with good jobs, clean air and water, and healthy communities, we were there.  Building Bridges was there to now bring you labor voices from the Peoples Climate March .

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