Redefining Memorial Day in Michigan City, Indiana

May 26, 2017

Redefining Memorial Day -- Grand Opening of P.A.R.C. in Michigan City*

 
Saturday, May 27th -- 2:00pm(CT) 
1713 Franklin St.
Michigan City, IN 46360
 
Jonathan Wilson - (Black Lives Matter - NWI/Educator/Activist)
Sabrina Bosques - (Veterans for Peace/Activist) 
Dominique Edwards - (Activist/Urban Development)
Dr. Raoul Contreras - (Vietnam Veteran/Activist/Professor)
Huda - (Syrian Refugee/Activist)
Abdulsattar Anogada - (Syrian Activist/Translator)
Samuel Love - (Historian/Activist/Poet) 
Bryan Bullock - (Lawyer/Activist/Writer) 
Dr. Patricia Hicks - (Professor/Activist)

Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer season in the United States: barbecues, cold beer, warm summer nights and the Indy 500 immediately come to mind. 

For veterans, however, Memorial Day Weekend represents the most somber of holidays as they commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Indeed, for veterans and their families, Memorial Day Weekend is about much more than hot dogs and mattress sales.

Yet, veterans experience only a small fraction of the loss and trauma endured by civilians in the war zone. Millions of Iraqis, Afghans, Syrians, Libyans and others have needlessly lost their lives since 9/11. Tens of millions of refugees remain displaced. Without question, the world's most powerful nations are to blame, especially the U.S. 

At home, people of color are routinely harassed, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and killed by security forces and police officers. They have no "Memorial Day" to commemorate the loss of black and brown lives at the hands of the police. 

This Memorial Day Weekend also represents the 80th anniversary of the Memorial Day Massacre of 1937, where nine union members were shot and killed by the Chicago Police. The U.S. has a long and brutal history of both state-sanctioned and corporate-funded violence against labor activists. 

If we don't tell these stories and share our experiences, who will? This year, spend a day with grassroots community activists and listen to members of Black Lives Matter, Veterans for Peace, United Steel Workers, community organizers and Syrian refugees as we Re-Think Memorial Day. 

* * * 
Cover Charge: $5 (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
Light Refreshments Will Be Available 
 
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