What “we” can do together
While the wealthy rely on the traditions of complacency, the Indianapolis Liberation Center relies on volunteers who work every day to build a new people’s movement in Indianapolis. In July, we advanced existing traditions and locked in new ones, all while threading distinct struggles together.
Last month, we chartered a bus to the national pro-Palestine demonstration in D.C., advanced the campaign to exonerate Vernon T. Bateman, helped establish the city’s Community Food Access Coalition, published a radical LGBTQ reader, held ANSWER Indiana’s monthly meeting, PSL Indianapolis’ regular Liberation Forum, the Hope Package assembly, and more–all while keeping our Center open seven days a week, running our online and in-person store, publishing original news and analysis, and supporting affiliated organizations and other struggles. To be clear, “we” refers to every one of our volunteer organizers and activists, donors, supporters, and advocates.
Today’s global fight shows history is far from over
In 1989, Francis Fukuyama claimed we’d reached “the end of history” because capitalism was the culmination of “social development.” More than anything else, perhaps, the unprecedented and irreversible global Palestinian liberation struggle proves Fukuyama incorrect.
When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump were meeting with war criminal Netanyahu, we were in the streets to let the people of Palestine–and the world know–he isn’t welcome here. Just as they did June 8 and Nov. 4 last year, ANSWER Indiana and their partners organized a bus to D.C. to prevent Netanyahu from having a moment of peace. Despite their desperate attempts to downplay the protest of tens of thousands, no amount of theater from the White House can fool the masses. We are still around $1000 short of breaking even on the bus, please help us break even so we can continue mobilizing for Palestine on this large of a scale.
A fight against imperialism abroad must come from the fight against this nation’s imperial damages at home. That is why on July 4th, dozens of community members joined our Anti-Imperialist Independence Day Community Potluck, eating, building community, and discussing what it means to “celebrate” in a land where the majority are neither free nor independent.
The real fight for independence
Instead of celebrating independence for slave owners, we fight for independence for the masses. Our work fighting the U.S. mass incarceration system, propelled when IDOC Watch joined our ranks, is a key pillar in that fight. We kept building the struggle to exonerate Vernon T. Bateman (and launched FreeVernon.org). We released “16 Years of Transformation,” the second installment in our documentary series on his 26-year-long fight, and supported his first solo art opening–which brought out a vanguard of fighters, including Leon Benson. With pressure mounting, freedom is on the horizon.
At her request, we joined the struggle of Dr. Meleeka Clary, a Black woman targeted by her ex-husband, attorney Michael Ghosh. Ghosh is working with Judge Jonathan Brown to financially export and psychologically abuse her and her daughters. You can meet Dr. Clary at the Center on August 9 at 6 pm for a discussion and letter-writing campaign, and we recommend watching her award-winning documentary on the fight, Three Corners of Deception, if you missed our recent screening.
Indiana AID (Assistance for Immigrants in Detention) is an organization whose work we need to support and highlight, which the Center was able to do by hosting their fundraiser, film screening, and panel with organizers and a recently released detainee. We are excited about building our relationship with this small group doing big work.
Sometimes, the only way out is in
The only way out of the struggles for healthier neighborhoods is by getting in the fight. Hope Packages, the city’s longest-running, radical homeless solidarity project, launched their new sustainer program, just after bringing sounds of the collective outside the Center for their semi-annual benefit show at State Street Pub and just before their monthly assembly.
Working with community partners like Flanner Farms, Community Food Box Project, and others, we established the Indianapolis Community Food Access Coalition. Our local government “recognized” the coalition in January 2021 but, by May, still hadn’t formed it. Working together, the people did it in under two months. At the Mayor’s request, the Coalition announced the four people it recommends to serve on the Indianapolis Food Advisory Commission at its July 15 press conference.
The city doesn’t prioritize keeping our neighborhoods clean, so the Liberation Center officially adopted the blocks surrounding our Center by partnering with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. We inaugurated the new project with our block clean-up, the first of many to come.
Culture, continuation, and creation: On to Black August!
As part of continuing our Fourth Friday series, the Center’s Fonseca-Du Bois Gallery powered by Arte Mexicano en Indiana inaugurated a new Indianapolis revolutionary ritual: “Frida by colors,” an annual exhibition by artists of color inspired by Frida Kahlo.
Angelita Hampton, a local artist, art educator, curator, and generous human brought Frida’s lifelong revolutionary artistry and organizing into the Center, where the work will remain until the end of August. Step into the Center this month and you’ll feel Frida with us, pushing us to continue the work to which she dedicated her life.
While summer is technically winding down, the struggle is intensifying. This week alone we have events and actions every day–and thanks to our volunteers, sustainers, donors, and advocates–we will not only carry out our new commitments but continue our existing ones, from our open hours and street outreach to our expanding Liberation Center Store and new Liberate the Block program.
Whether you’re an occasional visitor, a regular volunteer, or a newcomer, this is our Liberated Center. Together, we will make August our city’s most active and politically informed Black August ever!
Featured photo: Indianapolis Liberation Center Operations Coordinator Destiny Glover speaks at the Hope Packages fundraiser. Credit: Tom Strasser.
