Bob Avakian is a serious revolutionary leader and wide-ranging thinker. He is the leader of a party and a movement aiming to make revolution when the possibility opens up. He is someone who, in the words of Cornel West, “is a long distance runner in the freedom struggle against imperialism, racism and capitalism."
An evening of music, visual art, poetry and readings including musician Guillermo Brown; Richard Brown, former member Black Panther Party and co-founder of The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, founded by the SF8; Ruby Dee; poet and playwright reg e. gaines; Moist Paula Henderson, baritone saxophonist and composer; jazz musician David Murray; Outernational; Abiodun Oyewole from The LastPoets; Ted Rall, cartoonist and author; excerpts from Tapsloitation; and jazz musicians Matthew Shipp and William Parker.
A visual arts exhibition specially curated for the night will include the work of Derrick Adams, Richard Duardo, Skylar Fein, Kyle Goen, Dread Scott, SenOne and others to be announced.
The April 11 Host Committee, in association with Revolution Books, includes Aladdin, actor and playwright; Paul Von Blum, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, African American Studies and Communication Studies, UCLA *; Herb Boyd, journalist and author; Elaine Brower, National Steering Committee of World Can't Wait* and anti-war military mom; Dr. Robert Keith Collins, anthropologist; The Committee For the Defense of Human Rights, founded by the SF8; Carl Dix, founding member of the Revolutionary Communist Party; Jessica Green, media maker and co- director, Maysles Cinema*; Nicholas Heyward, Sr., father of Nicholas Heyward, Jr. (murdered by the NYPD in 1994); Russ Jennings, theatre producer and writer; Erin Aubry Kaplan, journalist and author; Rev. Earl Kooperkamp, St. Mary's Church*, Harlem; Mike Ladd, poet and music producer; Philip Maysles, visual artist, co- director, Maysles Cinema*; John Santos, musician; Matthew Shipp, musician; Dr. Tolbert Small, co-founder and physician at the Harriet Tubman Medical Office in East Oakland, CA and former physician to the founding chapter of the Black Panther Party; Clarence Taylor, professor of History, Baruch College*; Cornel West, Professor of Religion, Princeton University*; Robert M. Young, film maker, and David Zeiger, film maker.
“On the Occasion of the Publication of BAsics: A Celebration of Revolution and the Vision of a New World" April 11, 7pm Harlem Stage at Aaron Davis Hall on the campus of the City College of New York between West 133rd and 135th Street on Convent Avenue.
