VCUarts Adjuncts Organizing for Fair Pay

Check out the Facebook page for VCUarts AOFP, the VCUarts Adjuncts Organizing for Fair Pay, and their website. 

Non-tenure-track faculty do much of the work in institutions of higher education (and make up two-thirds of the faculty), but are paid poverty wages. The average pay for adjunct teaching positions in the U.S. is $30,000 per year and some positions have benefits— by contrast, the average yearly pay for VCUarts adjunct instructors is $10,000 with no benefits. Of the top 10 arts schools in the country (of which VCU is consistently ranked in the top 3), VCU is dead last for adjunct pay. Tuition keeps going up: what's the administration spending it all on?

This is relevant even if you aren't a VCU adjunct or student. As one of the largest employers in the city, the university helps "set" wages. When VCU employees win better pay, it gives other workers in the area another lever to use to exert pressure on their employers. 

Petition VCU's President Rao to Affirm Protection of the Immigrant Community

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy implemented by the Obama administration in 2012, by executive order. DACA allows undocumented immigrants who arrived in the USA as children before 2007 to apply for renewable work permits, and have some protection from deportation. Trump has made ending DACA and deporting previously-protected undocumented immigrants a priority of his administration. 

In light of this, this petition is calling on President Rao to support VCU's undocumented community by opposing anti-immigrant policies like those proposed by Trump. Everybody with an affiliation with VCU is encouraged to sign: students, alumni, staff, faculty, and members of the Richmond community.

This op-ed by Miguel Molina, an undocumented childhood arrival and current student at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, was published today in the New York Times. It describes what an end to DACA would mean for the up to 1.7 million undocumented people who arrived here as children, often fleeing violence and poverty in their countries of origin. 

Please sign and pass it on. 

Screening of "When Two Worlds Collide: A Battle for Indigenous Amazonian Land": VCU PLUMAS

Tomorrow, Monday November 21st 2016, from 7-9pm, at the VCU Student Commons (907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), PLUMAS at VCU is holding a film screening for Indigenous People's Day. From the event description:

"Come out and join us in watching "When Two Worlds Collide: A Battle for Indigenous Amazonian Land", a new documentary showing the struggle of an Peruvian indigenous community against environmental pollution on the part of the government. We'll have a brief discussion afterwards, and we'll also have new PLUMAS crewnecks to give out to attendees. The film is provided by VCU Kanopy."

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

"Make America White Again" posters appearing around VCU's Monroe Park campus

They're advertisements for an alt-right neo-Nazi blog titled "the Right Stuff". This one was photographed on Laurel Street, near VCU's Johnson Hall, last week. 

A spray bottle of solvent and a putty knife will remove even wheat-pasted posters. 

Next Steps with PLUMAS at VCU

Today, November 17th 2016, at 6:30pm in room 1030C of VCU's West Grace North (830 West Grace Street, Richmond VA), PLUMAS (Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society) is holding an event to discuss the outlook for immigration after the election. There will be a presentation on the current realities, changes to be implemented in 2017, and what can be done to prepare. Legal aid will be present to answer specific questions. 

Free, open to the public. The venue is wheelchair accessible. 

For more information, email plumasatVCU@gmail.com 

Lecture with Dr. Maboula Soumahoro, "France in the 21st Century: Christianity, Islam, and Race in a Secular, Colorblind Society."

Monday, November 21st 2016, from 3-4pm, in the Forum Room at the VCU Student Commons (907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), Dr. Maboula Soumahoro of the University of Tours Francois-Rabelais will give a lecture titled "France in the 21st Century: Christianity, Islam, and Race in a Secular, Colorblind Society." 

Free, open to the public. For more info, see the link. 

"Richmond Grabs Back" Anti-Trump Demo

Saturday, November 12th 2016, at 4pm, in the Compass at VCU’s Monroe Park Campus (in front of the library, 901 Park Avenue, Richmond VA), there will be another anti-Trump gathering and demo. The organizers are working to get people together to protest the inauguration. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Undocually Training with PLUMAS (Open to VCU Community Only)

Sunday, November 13th 2016, from 10am-2pm, in Room 2119 of VCU's Harris Hall (1015 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), PLUMAS (Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society) is hosting a training for people affiliated with VCU on how to be allies to students who are undocumented immigrants.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The venue is wheelchair accessible via the entrances on Main Street and Floyd Avenue. Free, open to VCU staff, faculty, and students only. 

There are only 25 spots, so you must RSVP through this link. You can see the Facebook event page here.

Lecture with Dr. Caroline Emmons: "A Tremendous Job To Be Done: African American Women in the Virginia Civil Rights Movement."

Thursday, November 17th 2016, from 4-5pm, at VCU's Student Commons (907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), Dr. Caroline Emmons of Hampton-Sydny College will give a lecture titled "A Tremendous Job To Be Done: African American Women in the Virginia Civil Rights Movement."

Free, open to the public. The venue is wheelchair accessible with accessible bathrooms. For more information, see this link. 

Showing of "Meet Me in the Bottom: the Struggle to Reclaim Richmond's African Burial Ground": the Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality

This Friday, November 11th, from 5-7pm, in room 1030J on the first floor of West Grace North Student Housing (830 West Grace Street, Richmond VA), the Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality are holding a showing of the documentary “Meet Me in the Bottom: the Struggle to Reclaim Richmond’s African Burial Ground.” This award-winning film, directed by VCU’s own Dr. Shawn Utsey, tells the story of the 9-year community struggle to recover Richmond’s African Burial Ground, covered by a VCU parking lot until 2011. 

The film (40 minutes) will be introduced by Ana Edwards of the Defenders’ Sacred Ground Reclamation Project, who will fill us in on the ongoing fight to memorialize what was once the hub of the domestic slave trade. Though reclaiming the Burial Ground in 2011 was a great victory, the work to establish Shockoe Bottom as an international site of conscience isn’t over yet. Ana will talk about the ongoing work, and ways to get involved.

The event is free, and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more info and to RSVP, see the Facebook event page here. 

"Money, Cash, VCU: Wealth Hoarding and the Corporate University" with Divest VCU for Climate Justice

This Thursday, October 27th 2016, from 8-9:30pm, in VCU's Founder's Hall (827 West Franklin Street, Richmond VA), Divest VCU for Climate Justice is holding an informative presentation on neoliberalism, the capitalist freedom-means-liberty-to-pursue-profit ideology of modern America, and how it influences universities. DivestVCU will propose means for students to get involved in fighting the deleterious influences of the corporate university.

Free. Though this event is of specific interest to students, it is open to the general public. The venue is accessible from the Shafer Court entrance.

For more information and to RSVP, see this link. 

"Landscapes of Renewal: Cherokee Adaptation and Environmental Governance" with Dr. Clint Carroll

Thursday, November 3rd 2016, at 5pm, in room 1030J at the West Grace Street Student Housing (830 West Grace Street, Richmond VA), Dr. Clint Carroll, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, will give a presentation titled "Landscapes of Renewal: Cherokee Adaptation and Environmental Governance."

Free, open to the public. For the original posting, see this link. 

"Latin American Immigrants in Virginia: the Challenges They Face" with Dr. Jennifer Bickham-Mendez, Dr. Debra Rodman, and Ms. Carolina Velez

Tonight, October 18th 2016, from 6-8pm, in Room 1030-J on the first floor of West Grace Student Housing (830 West Grace Street, Richmond VA), there will be a panel and discussion titled "Latin American Immigrants in Virginia: the Challenges They Face". Panelists include Dr. Jennifer Bickham-Mendez of William and Mary, Dr. Debra Rodman of Randolph-Macon, and Ms. Carolina Velez of the Wayside Center for Popular Education.

Free, open to the public. The venue is wheelchair accessible with accessible bathrooms. For more information and to RSVP, see the link.

Sorry about the late notice. 

A Conversation with Billie Jean King- Part of an LGBTQ@VCU Events Series

Thursday, October 27th 2016, at 6pm, at VCU’s Seigel Center (1200 West Broad Street, Richmond VA), Billie Jean King, the celebrated tennis star, feminist, and LGBTQ rights advocate, will speak.

From the event description: “King was outed in 1981 and lost all of her endorsements and sponsorships overnight. Over her career she has been a tireless advocate for LGBTQ people as well as for women in sports and society. King has created new inroads for women and LGBTQ people in and out of sports throughout her legendary career, and she continues to make her mark today as her enduring accomplishments reverberate far beyond the tennis courts."

 This event is part of the series "LGBTQ@VCU: Celebrating Forty Years of LGBTQ Activism at VCU.” You can see the other events here: http://humanitiescenter.vcu.edu/lgbtq-activism.

Free, open to the public. For the original listing, see this link.

“Recovering and Preserving Our LGBTQ Past” with Historians Richard Godbeer and Marc Stein: Diversity Richmond

Thursday, October 13th 2016, at 7pm, at the Iridian Gallery at Diversity Richmond (1407 Sherwood Avenue, Richmond VA), there will be an event titled “Recovering and Preserving Our LGBTQ Past.”

Two acclaimed historians of US LGBTQ history, Richard Godbeer (director of the Humanities Research Center and professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University) and Marc Stein (Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Professor of History at San Francisco State University) will speak on the importance of recovering and preserving local and institutional histories relating to the LGBTQ experience. In particular, they will speak on the 40th anniversary of the successful lawsuit to compel VCU to officially recognize its first LGBTQ student group.

Free, open to the public. Email RSVP@diversityrichmond.org to RSVP.

“Applying Indigenous Legal Traditions to Conceptualizing Water Justice" with Dr. Deborah McGregor

Thursday, October 6th 2016, at 5pm, in room 1030J of the West Grace Street Student Housing (830 West Grace Street, Richmond VA), Dr. Deborah McGregor, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice at the Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, will give a presentation titled “Applying Indigenous Legal Traditions to Conceptualizing Water Justice." 

Free, open to the public. 

Students, Sodomy, and the State: LGBT Campus Struggles in the 1970s

Thursday, October 13th 2016, at 4pm, in the Richmond Salons 1 & 2 of the VCU Student Commons (907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), Dr. Marc Stein will give a presentation titled “Students, Sodomy, and the State: LGBT Campus Struggles in the 1970s.” Dr. Stein is a Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Professor of History at San Francisco State University. 

 This event is part of the series “LGBTQ@VCU: Celebrating Forty Years of LGBTQ Activism at VCU.” You can see the other events here: http://humanitiescenter.vcu.edu/lgbtq-activism. 

 Free, open to the public.