5/5
The Revolutionary Communists are back again.
Daily checking on details.
Alia goes back to the days when she worked
with Leila’s father, Samir. She is a classical pianist and accompanied Samir’s
original compositions, including I believe his opera, Perimplin , based on a play by Lorca. It was his life’s dream to
have it performed and finally he realized it here at West-Park. I’m glad that
was able to happen before he died.
Like Berik, Alia is a Kazakh. She also used to
teach Kazakh language classes to children and dreams of doing that again. But
under current building realities, that’s not possible.
Off to Newark.
5/6
Deacon James drops in. I missed him last
Sunday. That always concerns me. But he’s ok. Good to know.
Today it’s Bob from the RCP in to work on
logistics. They are seriously taking Saturday’s event seriously.
Debra comes in to share some ideas about
making the church more attractive. Pat will be happy to know that. Jamie, too.
Need to get them all together.
I stop in and see RL before I leave. He’s watching Nero Wolfe as I walk in. I tell him about Rachel calling to threaten to
sue us fro removing her valuable items.
I told her about the exterminators, how the mice are now gone. But it is
foolish of me to attempt a rational conversation which isn’t going to happen.
5/7
A Spanish couple comes in looking for food. I
refer the down to SPSA and the Westside Campaign Against Hunger.
Jerry (who is named the Mad Uke by RL) is looking for Danielle to do another walk through
and bid for the work we need to get done. Trying to get this all moving
forward. He’ll be back on Monday.
Phil F of Revolution Book Store has been
wanting a conversation, so I set aside the time and we talk. He’s interested
in my background. And progressive Christianity. And the theologies of
liberation course I teach at Newark. How NST was created to serve working people. Lots of connections here. He goes back to
Berkeley . The Free Speech movement. The Black Panthers. He’s long time friends with Russ J from our
Palestine film series. And Norman Gottwald, who spoke to my Newark class in
early April. Norman, whose pioneering work on the Tribes of Yahweh
revolutionized (well, that word again) Old Testament Studies, created with
Newark School of Theology founder and President Douglas Bendall the Center and Library for the
Bible and Social Justice (CLBSJ) at Stony Point Center. (http://clbsj.org/)
He apparently was once a minister himself. And
was one of the many cadres who were sent to industrialize themselves in
solidarity with the proletariat back in the seventies. Like so many friends I
had back in Pittsburgh.
I talk about the ‘80’s, the Sandinista
Revolution, its successes and failures. My conversations with Occupiers, my attempt to explain just how serious revolution is and how they needed to take
seriously how the empire responds when it feels threatened, the systematic
assassinations of Panther leadership in the seventies, for
example. Their need for discipline, strategy.
He talks to me about the need to transform the people
for a revolution and for a solid core with elasticity. He frequently quotes the
RCP Chairman Bob. I want to hear the Cornell West interview.
Off to meet Lotte and Carman.
Well, I admire anyone who has remained steadfast this long.
Newark School of Theology (http://www.newarkschooloftheology.org/)
Norman Gottwald
(http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/boer290411.html)
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