Moderator: Davey D - Hard Knock Radio http://mrdaveyd.com
Featuring:
Favianna Rodriguez – Presente.org's "Move the Game" http://www.presente.org/mlb
Dave Zirin – Author “A People’s History of Sports in the U.S.” http://edgeofsports.com
LIVE from South Africa via Skype - Trevor Ngwane, Organizer for the Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/trevorngwane
Massive workers’ strikes, brutal sweeps of the homeless, more than 20 assassinations of whistle blowers: one version of the World Cup is now playing live on TV and more than a billion people are watching.
While the U.S. Left has largely dismissed sports as a distraction from serious organizing and the pursuit of social justice, across the globe sports are seen as a crucial site of both struggle and transformation - as a vehicle for popular expression and resistance.
In recent weeks, activists across the U.S. have been rallying wherever the Arizona Diamondbacks play to protest the racist immigration law SB 1070, demanding that Major League Baseball "move the game" - the 2011 All Star Game slated to be played in Phoenix. In an unprecedented and highly-publicized move, the NBA's Phoenix Suns wore "Los Suns" jerseys to draw attention to the unjust legislation.
Less well-known are the community coalitions across the country that work every day to challenge public-financing of corporate-owned stadiums, replace racist team mascots, and foster non-sexist practices by school districts and personnel.
Sports also provide organizers with huge opportunities to build community “beyond the choir” and impact the dominant messages of the day. Patrick Bond from the Center Civil Society in Durban has said: "Anytime you have [a] billion people watching, that's called leverage."
Join us for this inspiring session on the intersections of sports, social justice and community transformation.
