Scenes from BA Everywhere
Week of January 14
January 20, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
"Scenes from BA Everywhere" is a feature that gives our readers an ongoing picture of this multi-faceted campaign, and the variety of ways that funds are being raised, and the whole BA vision and framework is being brought into all corners of society. Revolution newspaper/revcom.us is at the hub of the BA Everywhere effort—publishing reports from those taking up the campaign. Revolution plays a pivotal role in building an organized network of people across the country coming together to make BA a household word. We urge all our readers to send us timely correspondence on what you are doing as part of this campaign.
Party for BA Everywhere - A Success and a Beginning for 2013!
From a reader in the Bay Area:
On January 5, an exciting fundraising party for BA Everywhere drew 75 people, including people from India, Mexico, and China. There were African-American proletarians, World Can't Wait activists, teachers, revolutionaries and many others as we celebrated the New Year and the Vision of a Whole New World. The mix of people from many backgrounds and ages with many new people in the house for this campaign was a new thing.
It brought together people who have been involved in taking out BA Everywhere and raising funds in 2012: people who went out to the neighborhoods, to campuses, concerts, summer festivals, and farmers' markets along with participants in last year's BAsics Bus Tours, which took Bob Avakian's vision and work on the road, introducing thousands to this revolutionary leader.
Others newer to this movement came to support the campaign or to find out more about it. The party had good music, good food and good dancing moves, which created a lively atmosphere with people talking, getting to know each other and having fun.
In 2012, thousands of dollars were raised by some of the people at the party and many others who went out to people, asking individuals for donations and organizing collective efforts like garage sales, selling baked goods and hosting fundraising dinners. Some people at the party have an understanding or are coming to understand that money is crucial to really get BA Everywhere and that getting BA Everywhere will make a huge difference in what happens in this society, whether we can make revolution or not.
The plans for January and February 2013 were announced, with Michael Slate's interview of BA hitting the airwaves on January 11 and the upcoming release of a film of BA's new talk.
The party was a great kick-off for 2013, building a broader community of people who want to actively take out BA Everywhere this year and who can play an important role in drawing others into this movement.
The event was held in a warm and inviting dance studio in Oakland. People ate delicious tamales, Middle Eastern desserts (donated by a small shop owner), Chinese food, and salads while listening to a rocking blues band and a DJ who filled the air with Motown, soul, Latin, and some reggae and the dance floor sizzled as people let loose with their moves to the driving beat of the music.
Some outreach for the party was done with BAsics cards, Revolution newspapers, and the party leaflets at Les Miserables movie lines, a farmer's market, a New Year's Eve concert with Erykah Badu and Boots of the Coup, and at the Oakland Art Murmur, a lively street and art gallery scene, which draws thousands. We found that many who were hearing about BA and this revolution for the first time were very open and interested.
At the party, conversations flowed as people met and mingled. It was exciting for everyone to see people they had never seen before supporting BA Everywhere by coming to the fundraiser. The main hall was packed while a smaller room played Bob Avakian's Revolution DVD.
A short program gave people the sense that there was a good beginning last year, especially with the BAsics Bus Tour traveling to different parts of the country. Three African-Americans from a neighborhood read prisoners' letters which talked about the effect of BAsics and BA's work on them and their understanding, and which called on people to support the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund.
One fun part of the program was a skit about the BAsics Bus Tour with four kids from a neighborhood and a Revolution Club narrator. The kids played the driver, the navigator, the political discussion leader who had a copy of BAsics and the cook. After "riding in the bus," they "got off the bus" and chanted the quote, "No more generations of our youth...," from BAsics in unison, getting a loud round of applause and cheers from the room.
The fundraising appeal called on people to imagine what difference it would make if tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions of people were to hear Bob Avakian's voice and learn about his vision of revolution and a radically different and much better world. If this money were raised, we could publicize BA, make films, DVDs, and get them out into society and do a whole lot more. The speaker said that even though there were important beginning steps last year, it's still the case that too few people know who Bob Avakian is and what he stands for and that has to be radically changed.
A challenge was made to donate generously. We reached our goal of $2,000. Many people left the party really happy to have been there and energized to take up BA Everywhere. A great time was had by all.
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