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on January 21, 2010Funded!
100 Poems For 100 Days by kahlil almustafa
On January 20th, 2010, I will publish my book, "From Auction Block to Oval Office," 100 poems written during the first 100 days of Obama's presidency.
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100% funded $3,010 pledged
- 29 backers
- Funded Jan 20, 2010
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on January 9, 2010
kahlil almustafa
Posted project update #6The People's Inauguration: Poetry & Dialogue on the one-year anniversary of Obama's Inauguration
Post CommentThe People's Inauguration: Poetry & Dialogue on the one-year anniversary of Obama's Inauguration
kahlil almustafa, The People’s Poet and author of From Auction Block to Oval Office leads an interactive event combining performance poetry and critical dialogue commemorating the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration.
When: January 20th, 2010
Where: The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space
44 Charlton Street (on the corner of Charlton and Varick) New York, New York 10014
Time: Doors 6:30pm, Poetry & Panel 7pm
Streamed Live: www.MVMT.comGo to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/532616069 to Register.
Panelists include:
* Rosa Clemente - 2008 Green Party Vice-Presidential Candidate
* Cindy Sheehan - author of "Not One More Mother's Child"
* Michael Skolnik - Political Director to Russell Simmons & Editor for GlobalGrind.comFrom Auction Block to Oval Office Book CoverAbout the event:
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of Obama's inauguration, kahlil almustafa, The People's Poet, leads an interactive session combining performance poetry and critical dialogue. Reading from his fifth collection of poetry, FROM AUCTION BLOCK TO OVAL OFFICE: 100 POEMS IN 100 DAYS OF OBAMA'S PRESIDENCY (MVMT Publishing, January 2010) kahlil explores the hopes, fears, contradictions and complexity which come with the election of the United States’ first African-American president.
Written in the voice of a young, African-American male, a romantic revolutionary, and an intellectual, these poems capture a nation teetering between danger and opportunity, cynicism and hope.
"kahlil almustafa’s poems are extraordinary in their political complexity and aesthetic sensibility. His language in From Auction Block to Oval Office is crystal-clear and the ideas are continually provocative."
- Howard Zinn, author, A People’s History of the United States
This event will be interactive. The panel will respond to the critical questions raised by the poems. Audience members will have the opportunity to create their own poems. Panelists to be announced. This event will be streamed live on www.MVMT.com
Some of the questions to be addressed:
* How do we create a space for people to express the ways Barack Obama has inspired them and create a space for principled criticism?
* Is this the closing of a chapter in the American narrative beginning with the auction block and concluding with the Obamas in the White House? Or is the narrative of African enslavement being used to promote the idea of America perfecting its democracy?
* It has been said that the Hip-Hop generation greatly impacted the election in 2008. How has the Hip Hop generation been impacted by the campaign, Obama’s presidency, and how will the Hip-Hop generation continue to be engaged?The event is powered by the Mighty Mighty MVMT
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on December 31, 2009
kahlil almustafa
Posted project update #5Quote from Howard Zinn
For backers only
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on December 14, 2009
kahlil almustafa
Posted project update #4Sample Poems: Days 1-7
Post CommentDay 1: January 21st 2009
Along with millions
of other hope-filled Americans
i tune intoAmerica’s latest reality
television show: Black Prez –From Auction
Block to Oval OfficeDay 2: January 22nd 2009
Martin would celebrate
this victory and in the same
breath speak out
against injustice. i canhear his voice trembling
comparing the bombing
of children in the West
Bank to Four LittleGirls in an Alabama
church. From the pulpit
he would say, keep
marching and WE wouldlisten.
Day 3: January 23rd 2009
the dolls are coming –
The Obamas – collect
the whole set:
michelle, barack,the kids, the dog.
Limited time
offer. You could own your First
Family today.Day 4: January 24th 2009
i hope Barack Obama’s presidency
will help my family accept my wifeMaybe they will be able to imagine
the possibility
of a genuine
Black/White love relationship.Day 5: January 25th 2009
There is no memory
of firehoses in Barack
Obama’s DNA,no memory
of women moaning
at the bottomof slave ships. In
the crowds of millions
gathered there isno evidence of my parents
ever being here. i am
a survivor who dares to bea witness.
Day 6: January 26th 2009
Today i woke up with that
Barack Obama swaggeri kissed my wife
scanned the day’s news
hit my desk without missing a beatgreeted everyone by their first names
flashed smiles, shook hands
and dished out low-fives when appropriate.
i negotiated every encounter with
YES-but-how-‘bout-this
and got my way.At the end of the day
i came around Secret Service picks
and shot jumpshots left-handed
came home
played with my kids
and made sure my lady
went to bed with a smile.Day 7: January 27th 2009
This was no election
This was
a pep-rallyfor imperialism
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on December 14, 2009
kahlil almustafa
Posted project update #3January 20, 2010: The People's Inauguration
Post CommentThe President of the United States announced his decision to deploy 30,000 young women and men to war in Afghanistan. In response, MVMT is mobilizing 30,000 Motivated Vehicles to build themselves and their communities, here at home.
MVMT has implemented an action-based program to empower people to one, Grow Community First, two, Get Committed, by making individual and collective goals, and three, Get Organized.
We are claiming January 20th, 2010 as "The People's Inauguration." To commemorate this occasion we will be taking over the airwaves by streaming online live for 24 hours. We are looking for motivated individuals to join us now.
See you January 20th, 2010, "The People's Inauguration."
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on November 23, 2009
kahlil almustafa
Posted project update #2The 100 Poems Process
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on November 23, 2009
kahlil almustafa
Posted project update #1Making a Vision Mirror
Post CommentTo keep me inspired through my publishing process, I made myself a Vision Mirror. First, I took my grandmother's old mirror and gave it a fresh coat of paint - Money Green. Then I took some of my favorite quotes and photos:
The "100 Poems For 100 Days" project image. My good brother, Mikey (Michael Codero, 1 Soul MVMT, designed the cover for "Growing Up Hip-Hop") created this image for me while I was working on the poems.
The picture of Langston Hughes from the stamps.
A picture of Haki Madhubuti. He is a poet, educator and founder of Third World Press which has been a premiere publisher of Black literature for more than thirty years. In 1969, Ebony Magazine published three of his poems in an article about him and he went on to sell 50,000 copies of his book "Don't Cry, Scream" in the next year.
A photo of my grandmother, Shirley Redmon. I have several poems dedicated to her in this book in the chapter, "Ssssshhhhh, There is a Black Woman in the White House." She was the most financial savvy woman I know.
A photo of Julia's grandfather. I never got to meet him, but I wish I did.
A Kahlil Gibran quote, "Love is work made visible."
A card I got from my Vermont College buddy, Kedrick Keyes. It was my time in the Vermont College Adult Degree Program during my "Business of Art" semester that I transformed my artistic career.
Two notes I received from a fellow Goddard College student, Lisa Kumar. She gave me these notes are part of her art practice so I honor them by putting them on my mirror.
Every time I get dressed to go out into the world, I look at my mirror and get re-inspired. This was my first step to publishing my book.
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on November 16, 2009
kahlil almustafa launched a project
100 Poems For 100 Days by kahlil almustafa
On January 20th, 2010, I will publish my book, "From Auction Block to Oval Office," 100 poems written during the first 100 days of Obama's presidency.
- $3,000 funding goal
- 01/20/2010 Funding Ended
kahlil almustafa
kahlil almustafa is known as the People’s Poet, whether for a mass rally of hundreds of people, a nightclub, church, university or a backyard family reunion. almustafa is the 2002 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion and the author of four book of poetr... view more
