Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Usually wrong but never in doubt

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

This fight is for everything.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

After roe, women are no longer free.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / This Is So Good. LIVE Right Now.

This Is So Good. LIVE Right Now.

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This is so good.

Keynote speaker peaking right now:

https://bam.gallery.video/mlk2022  Link fixed!

The 36th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Presented by BAM and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso

Join us via livestream for this beloved Brooklyn tradition, which rings in a new year with music, dance, and an invigorating call to action. Led by keynote speaker Dr. Imani Perry, this year’s tribute encourages us to continue in Dr. King’s radical spirit, relentlessly pressing forward in pursuit of justice—even against the odds—and celebrating the strength and power of community to create change.

This free event, livestreamed from BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, features speeches by civic leaders and activists and performances, including live appearances from singer Nona Hendryx with Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales and Sing Harlem, and a recorded dance piece by choreographer Kyle Marshall. Join us in hope and in solidarity!

 

 

Reader Interactions

15Comments

  4. 4.

    WaterGirl

    “It mattered more to tell the truth [about sanitation workers] than protect his own comfort and safety.”

    “The cameras followed him… he showed up with it mattered.”

  6. 6.

    Benw

    Argh, looks they’re not going to re-post the full stream: From the site:

    Will the performance be available after Jan 17?
    No, this is a livestream event and will not be accessible after the program concludes.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    Sadly, this was a live event only, no video available later.

    An amazing keynote speaker, and I only got to see about half of it.  Here are some notes I wrote as she was speaking at the end.

    55 years after King asked the question where do we go from here?

    The truth bears repeating.

    We are living in the chaos of epic design failure.

    Any society that places profits above the dignity and safety is a design failure.

    Our sense of minimum responsibility to people in this nation is too low.

    Globally more than 3 million people have died of covid and that number often does not include “excess” deaths.

    120 million people have been pushed into deep poverty.  White supremacy is flourishing.   We are back to having to vote for voting rights.

    As prior speakers have said, this day to honor MLK was not just about community service, it was about the radical moral imagination in the service of justice.

    Marrtin Luther King is not best remembered as a monument, but as a foot soldier, a person who asked “where do we go from here?’

    I have 3 modest answers to that question.

    1. As a bare minimum any time we do anything for our own safety, include someone else.  That includes information, resources, food, masks.

    2. Empathy is a deed.  Listen to people on the front lines of all these crises.  This is a time for listening. King listened carefully to what was said by those who attacked him, and he was transformed by their messages.  At the heights of …  he listened to younger organizers. he witnessed the truths of those most affected.

    3. Awareness means very little without a moral imperative.  i don’t care how much you know about what is wrong, the question is what are you going to do about it?  How are you going to address it? Power concedes nothing without a demand.  It never has and never will.  Our responsibility is to make demands for our people and  communities.

  10. 10.

    WaterGirl

    Final words by the last person on screen before the event concluded:

    I know where I’ll be.  I’ll be fighting for the things that are important to my community.

    The real question is: “Where will you be?”

    So many important moments are so fleeting, like this wonderful event.

  13. 13.

    WaterGirl

    @Benw: Next year send me the link ahead of time and I’ll make sure a post is up and that people know about it ahead of time.

    I can’t imagine a better keynote speaker than the woman today.

  14. 14.

    Another Scott

    I missed most of it. Here’s an AmsterdamNews story about it from last week:

    Beginning at 10:30 a.m. the inspirational program features a keynote address by critically acclaimed author and cultural historian Dr. Imani Perry, performances by Afrofuturist funk-rock icon Nona Hendryx with composer-trombonist Craig Harris & Tailgaters Tales, Vy Higgensen’s award-winning Sing Harlem choir, and a recorded dance performance by acclaimed dancer and choreographer Kyle Marshall to the powerful oratory of Dr. King’s final speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”

    My baby texted me and said “I see your talk is over. How did it go?” I’m so grateful to have two kind and loving children.

    — Imani Perry (@imaniperry) January 17, 2022

    Hehe.

    https://aas.princeton.edu/people/imani-perry

    70 minute interview with her in 2019 by Krista Tippett (who is just fabulous on various Virginia public radio programs).

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  15. 15.

    Another Scott

    ObOpenThread – KyivIndependent.com:

    A group of U.S. senators is visiting Kyiv to show support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian military buildup.

    A bipartisan delegation consisting of seven U.S. senators — Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Murphy, Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, Rob Portman, Kevin Cramer, and Roger Wicker — met with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Jan. 17.

    “We are here to send an unequivocal message to Russia,” said Senator Portman. “We stand with Ukraine; it is important for the stability of Europe and a beacon of hope for other nations.”

    The senator highlighted that Russia’s actions are “unprovoked” and “unwarranted,” which is why the U.S. will continue to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

    Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2014, the U.S. provided over $3.7 billion in assistance under both the democratic and republican administrations.

    […]

    Some are speculating on Twitter that Putin has backed himself into a corner and a new invasion is inevitable. Few things are actually inevitable, but …

    https://twitter.com/CherylRofer seems to be keeping an eye on sensible commentary about it.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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