Saturday Free School for Philosophy and Black Liberation

We continue our discussion on how contemporary political theories such as settler colonialism and racial capitalism fit into the current crisis of legitimacy facing the US ruling elite.

We discuss the economic program of the Biden administration and whether it will be tenable in this period of crisis. We also discuss how contemporary political theories such as settler colonialism and racial capitalism fit into this context.

We review an event held this past Sunday by the Lotus Collective on media reports of Anti-Asian violence. We place this in the context of the rise of Asia, the 50th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh, the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, and the current crises facing the American people.

We commemorate the 60th anniversary of the defeat of the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba. We also discuss the first 100 days of the Biden administration.

We mark the centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of the Bangladeshi liberation struggle with audio recordings, presentations, and cultural performances. We discuss what Bangabandhu's legacy of fighting for peace and freedom means for our times with an international keynote panel of freedom fighters from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, including Professor Rehman Sobhan.&nbsp...

We mark the centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of the Bangladeshi liberation struggle with audio recordings, presentations, and cultural performances. We discuss what Bangabandhu's legacy of fighting for peace and freedom means for our times with an international keynote panel of freedom fighters from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, including Professor Rehman Sobhan. This...

We commemorate Bangladesh and understand threats to World Peace

We commemorate the birth anniversary of Paul Robeson. We read from his essays on civilization and discuss their relevance for today.

We play a recording of Dr. Martin Luther King's April 4th, 1967 speech "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence." We then discuss its contemporary relevance. Due to some technical difficulties, some pauses in the recording will be present. 

We begin with a summary and reading of short excerpts from the final chapter of Du Bois's Russia and America, World Peace. The PDF of this book can be downloaded at: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b221-i082 We then proceed to a discussion of the NY Times' 1619 Project and other ideological trends in this moment.

We begin with a discussion of our upcoming event commemorating the life of Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, the liberation struggle for Bangladesh, and their significance for world peace. We then continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America. We read Chapter VI "The Witch Hunt" and read from pages 225 to 250 in the manuscript. The PDF of this book can be downloaded here: ht...

We continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America. We continue Chapter Six, The Witch Hunt, and read from pages 202 to 227 in the manuscript.  The PDF of this book can be downloaded here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b221-i082

This week we begin with some presentations on the upcoming International Women's Day 2021. We then continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America. We continue Chapter Five of Russia and America, The Reign of Roosevelt, and read from pages 176 to 202 in the manuscript. The full PDF of Russia and America can be found here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mu...

This week we discuss the new film Judas and the Black Messiah and the struggle to remember the true legacy of Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party. We also play W.E.B. Du Bois's speech "Socialism and the America Negro" in honor of Chairman Fred and the party's commitment to scientific and revolutionary socialism.

This week we present a tribute to W.E.B. Du Bois for his 153rd birth anniversary. Our program features historical tributes from around the world, presentations by members of the Free School on the impact of his work, and a discussion of his significance today.

We begin with a discussion of two recent articles on the coordinated network of elites and NGOs that opposed Trump in the presidential election. They can be found here: https://time.com/5936036/secret-2020-election-campaign/ and here: https://www.rt.com/.../514770-time-electiion.../... We then move on to the first 25 pages of Chapter Five of Russia and America, The Reign of Roosevelt. The full PDF...

This week we continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work, Russia and America, focusing on his arguments about socialism and civilization in Asia. We complete Chapter Four, I Gird the Globe, reading from page 125 to 151 in the manuscript.  The full PDF of this book can be downloaded here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b221-i082

We continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America in light of current events. We continue Chapter Four, I Gird the Globe, reading up to page 125 in the manuscript.  The PDF of this book can be downloaded here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b221-i082

This week we continue Du Bois’s Russia and America. We read the first 100 pages of Chapter Four, I Gird the Globe, which covers conspiracies against the Soviet state and the Soviet experiment’s contribution to human social science, and compares the German fascist state to the Soviet Communist one. We discuss how to understand Du Bois approach to logic, and how to apply it to understanding big tech...

This week the Free School makes a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring historical speeches, artistic performances and discussion of his legacy in this period of crisis.

We analyze the crisis facing the ruling elite in the aftermath of the protests against the January 6th congressional vote on certification of the electoral college. We discuss the struggle for unity among the poor and the possibilities ahead. 

This week we will continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America. We will be reading Chapter 3, Blind Staggers: 1917 - 1936. The PDF of this book can be downloaded here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b221-i082

This week we continue our discussion of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America and read Chapter 2, The Soviet Union in 1926.  The PDF of this book can be downloaded here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b221-i082

We read the recent article "Principle of Humanity and the Struggle for Humanity": https://forpositivepeaceblog.wordpress.com/.../principle.../ Then we discuss the first chapter of W.E.B. Du Bois's unpublished work Russia and America. The PDF of this book can be downloaded here: https://credo.library.umass.edu/.../mums312-b221-i082...