Antonio Roman-Alcalá, Abundia Alvarado, Samiha Hamdi
Oriented in part by the forthcoming book by Antonio Roman-Alcalá on contemporary food movements in California, this session will include both the author and leaders from movements included in the book. The focus of the discussion will be strategies for organizing around food, farming, and reconnecting to the natural world, in the context of a rising fascist state and the fascism-enabling role of mainstream liberal politics. Against conventional reformist politics, newer food and farm movements — led by BIPOC and informed by radical lineages from Black, Indigenous, Marxist, anarchist, and intersectional perspectives — are advancing a radical North Star politics that moves beyond the existing social order, while pragmatically engaging both markets and state arenas. Come here about some of these strategies and share your own.
Join Duo Pizzicato and guests for a short set of Italian roots music played on mandolin, guitar, tamburello, and castanets. Mid-set, please plan to join in on a participatory singalong of Bella Ciao in English, Italian, and Spanish (with the lyrics, translations, and song info provided so everyone can join).
Speakers will include a number of Bay Area activists
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is now the best funded army in the world. They are engaging in countless cruel and illegal acts daily including in the Bay Area. Our panel looks at how ICE operates as Trump's private army to do his bidding without regard for the USConstitution. They also go into detail about how community has taken on the daunting task of resisting this violent force to try to stop their illegal abductions and show immigrants simply following due process that they matter. There will also be discussion about the path forward, how individuals, communities, non-profits and even local governments can attempt to slow or stop this wildly unconstitutional activity.
Laura Scherling, EdD
The Future of Hacking explores the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and digital defense, revealing how hackers protect as much as they attack. Drawing on extensive research and expert interviews from around the world, the author will discuss the urgent challenges surrounding cybercrime, internet freedom, and digital policy.
Eric Mann
A talk based on his work with CORE, SDS, the United Auto Workers, and the Labor/Community Strategy Center and his books Katrina’s Legacy—U.S. genocidal climate crimes from New Orleans to the Third World and Playbook for Progressives: The 16 Qualities of the Successful Organizer.
Evelyn Ferraro, Antonella Vitale, Benedetta Liccardo
This panel uses Jason Stanley’s work, Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future, to examine the broader politics of history in Italian transnational and diaspora studies. Recent battles over monuments, school curricula, and DEI initiatives reflect a coordinated effort to reshape collective memory, silence marginalized voices, and reassert dominant power structures. Within the context of Italian studies, the glorification of figures like Christoper Columbus or the marginalization of southern Italian or immigration history illustrates the ways in which narratives are selectively constructed to serve nationalist or assimilationist agendas. Positioned within the frameworks of Italian Diaspora and transnational frameworks, panelists invite participants to consider: Who controls historical narratives and how do these narratives serve political ends? And what are the consequences when history is distorted to justify oppression or silence dissent? The panel seeks to foster critical engagement with the current forces reshaping our understanding of the past and how we can challenge them.
Laura Scherling, EdD
The Future of Hacking explores the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and digital defense, revealing how hackers protect as much as they attack. Drawing on extensive research and expert interviews from around the world, the author will discuss the urgent challenges surrounding cybercrime, internet freedom, and digital policy.
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Legendary movement historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a sneak peek at her new book on White Christian Nationalism.
