CCCSF's Culinary Arts Graduates Enhance Frida Kahlo Way

Ah, City College! On my way to pick up a cake for our celebration of Frida Kahlo's 111th birthday (a celebration begun at 11 Frida Kahlo Way and at 1:00 PM), I was at a crosswalk when a young woman told me she liked my red, and I told her what it was for. She replied, "Oh, I just graduated from City College!" I invited her to join us, but she said she was putting her degree in cinema to work and had an audition that afternoon! Then in the Wholesome Bakery (so sorry about that name) I met three graduates of CCSF's Culinary Arts program! The event itself --beautifully composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Leslie Simon, who got the praise she deserved from Noemi Sohn's heart-felt tribute--was a very meaningful and upbeat way of celebrating Frida Kahlo Way.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0t908mdkt1zx1j3/AADZQ8gdmHKyEp4dKoquuk0Ma?dl=0

CCSF Celebrates Frida Kahlo's Birthday on Frida Kahlo Way

Since Phelan Avenue has been re-named Frida Kahlo Way, we had a very special place to celebrate Frida Kahlo's 111th Birthday--at 1:00 PM at 11 Frida Kahlo Way, where the Bookstore Annex used to be.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0t908mdkt1zx1j3/AADZQ8gdmHKyEp4dKoquuk0Ma?dl=0

"Jimmy: According to Me"

I just got back from something really exciting at CCSF--two actors, Carl Lumbly and Delroy Lindo,  spending a month at CCSF to develop a performance piece on James Baldwin, "Jimmy According to Me."  

Today was the second public reading of this.  (Wednesday night was the first.)  

Delroy Lindo is directing, and both he and Carl Lumbly said that this was the beginning of a work in progress--but how exciting to see it in the initial stages.  

As our (very handsome, charming) chancellor said, we hope we can all make it to New York when it's completed.  

Lindo.Lumbly.Flyer.pdf

Speaking on Frida Kahlo Way in the Chambers at City Hall

Today some of us spoke at City Hall to the subcommittee of supervisors on the Land Use and Transportation Committee about Frida Kahlo Way.  

We want to change the name of a few blocks on campus and a little beyond  from Phelan (a name associated with racism) to Frida Kahlo Way because she's a woman of color who was also disabled and still created remarkable pieces of art.  

There were some residents on Phelan opposing the name change, reminding people that Frida Kahlo was a Communist and not an enthusiast of the USA, but at the end of the hearing Supervisors Jane Kim and Ahsha Safai both said they wanted to co-sponsor the resolution for this name change.  I was worried  when the President of Riordan High spoke out against it, but Leslie Simon, who organized the campaign, quoted from an op-ed piece by a student at Riordan High who was strongly in favor!  There are very few streets named after women, and Frida Kahlo Way will lead to the Diego Rivera Mural!

Diversity Collaberative Certificate Brings Review of Park 51

CCSF had a lovely Diversity Collaborative Graduation Celebration yesterday, when students received certificates, roses, and Rebecca Solnit's book HOPE IN THE DARK. Lauren Muller, IDST Department Chair, and David Palaita, founder and coordinator of the Critical Pacific Island Studies, (among others) did a great job planning and carrying this out. The students gave good, heart-felt speeches. Because I was getting a certificate for Critical Middle East/SWANA studies, I took another look at my notebooks, binders, and books--a wealth of materials for very important courses. Of special interest to me was my binder on 51 Park Street.  This morning I re-read a paper I wrote on that for one of my classes.  I called it "How the 'Monster Mosque Monument to Terror at Ground Zero' Became Park 51:  Reflections on Isllamophobia and How an Islamic Center in Lower Manhattan Affected My Sabbatical Course Study at City College of San Francisco."  But before I re-read this, I'd looked up the latest on 51 Park Street.  That's definitely enough for another blog post!

In the meantime, here's something on the Diversity Collaborative.  

https://www.ccsf.edu/en/educational-programs/school-and-departments/school-of-behavioral-and-social-sciences/diversity_collaborative.html

AFT at KQED for Pledges and Comraderie

Just got back from an afternoon of socializing and taking pledges at KQED--the first time I've done this for about 30 years!  (Kim Lee organized that one too!) 

Cruise to Tropical Islands Retirement Party Complete with Mermaid!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zy4bm9wfi67gzrk/AACu_dgG7tu0Gg6c7WCl5C2ia?dl=0