The Peoples' Saturday School (fiscally sponsored project of ABWF, Inc.)

### Context Profile for The Peoples' Saturday School (fiscally sponsored project of ABWF, Inc.)

#### 1. Organization Mission & Cause
The Peoples' Saturday School aims to create a transformative learning community that engages participants in critical discussions about social justice themes, including colonialism, police brutality, and mass incarceration. The organization emphasizes collective liberation and the development of analytical tools to understand and address material conditions affecting marginalized communities. Their mission is rooted in honoring the wisdom of historical figures and movement elders, fostering a space for honest dialogue and community empowerment.

#### 2. Type of Activities
- **Book Club**: Monthly sessions focused on reading and discussing works by influential figures in social justice, such as "The Autobiography of Malcolm X." These meetings encourage dialogue on themes relevant to contemporary social issues.
- **Community Engagement**: Events are designed to foster community connections and promote collective healing and transformation.
- **Educational Programs**: The organization provides resources and support for participants to engage deeply with the texts and themes discussed.

#### 3. Tone of Voice
The tone of the website and communications is **friendly**, **inclusive**, and **inspiring**. The language is accessible yet thoughtful, aiming to create a welcoming environment for participants. There is an emphasis on community, care, and the importance of dialogue, reflecting a commitment to social justice and empowerment.

#### 4. Emoji Usage
The organization does not appear to use emojis in their communications. The tone is maintained through clear and direct language without the use of informal symbols.

#### 5. Key Facts
- **Founding Info**: The Peoples' Saturday School is a project of the ABWF, Inc. (A Better Way Foundation).
- **Scale**: The organization has conducted 19 total forms and 28 email campaigns, indicating active engagement with their community.
- **Impact Metrics**: Specific impact metrics were not detailed on the website, but the focus on community dialogue and education suggests a commitment to measurable outcomes in participant engagement and awareness.
- **Volunteer Info**: Details about volunteer opportunities or involvement were not explicitly mentioned on the website.

#### 6. Writing Guidelines
- **Style**: Use clear, accessible language that reflects the organization's commitment to inclusivity and community engagement.
- **Structure**: Organize content in a way that highlights key information, such as event details and themes for discussion.
- **Engagement**: Encourage participation by using inviting language that emphasizes community and collective action.
- **Consistency**: Maintain a friendly and inspiring tone throughout all communications, ensuring that the message aligns with the organization's mission of empowerment and social justice.

This context profile serves as a foundation for creating personalized and effective content for The Peoples' Saturday School, ensuring alignment with their mission and values.

General admission

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;display:inline-block;margin:0px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">First name , Thank you for registering for April's Book Club! We are excited to be in community with you. If you would like to contribute further, contact us to become a volunteer, or talk to your friends about our cause! Varun Khattarsaturdaycooperative@gmail.com

About book club The People's Saturday School's Book Club is a transformative learning community. Once a month, we will work through a book written by a movement elder or ancestor and engage in honest and vulnerable dialogue about the themes of colonialization, police brutality, mass incarceration, love and resistance. Together, we aim to develop tools to better analyze our material conditions and work toward collective liberation. Book Club meetings will take place on the second Saturday of each month from 10am-12pm at 30 Ashley Street, Hartford, Connecticut, starting on Saturday, April  12th.  Space is limited! For the April session, we encourage you to register by April 5th, but we will keep the registration form open until we hit capacity.   You are welcome, but not required to register for multiple or all sessions.  When possible, we will provide registered participants a free digital copy of the selected text. If not, participants are responsible for getting a copy of the text from a local public library or bookstore.  Coffee, tea, and pastries will be provided.  High quality masks (i.e. KN95, N95) will be offered and encouraged. A HEPA air purifier will be in use in the meeting space and windows will be open for ventilation, weather permitting. Please stay home if you are experiencing any flu or COVID-19 symptoms, or have had a recent COVID-19 exposure. About the textThe book for April is If I Must Die-Poetry and Prose: Refaat wrote extensively about a range of topics: teaching Shakespeare and the way Shylock could be appreciated by young Palestinian students; the horrors of living under repeated brutal assaults in Gaza, one of which, in 2014, killed another of his brothers; and the generosity of Palestinians to each other, fighting, in the face of it all, to be the one paying at the supermarket checkout. <p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;line-height:25px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;width:100%;outline:0px !important;max-width:100%">Such pieces, some never before published, have been curated here by one of Refaat’s closest friends and collaborators. This collection forms a fitting testament to a remarkable writer, educator, and activist, one whose voice will not be silenced by death but will continue to assert the power of learning and humanism in the face of barbarity.About the author<p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;line-height:25px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;width:100%;outline:0px !important;max-width:100%">Refaat Alareer  gained his PhD with a dissertation on the poetry of John Donne. He taught English Literature at the Islamic University of Gaza, now destroyed. He is the editor of two collections of writing by his students, Gaza Writes Back and Gaza Unsilenced  (both published by Just World Books). His journalism featured in The New York Times, and he appeared on the BBC, ABC News, and Democracy Now.  He was a volunteer at the Gaza Zoo.<p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;line-height:25px;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;width:100%;outline:0px !important;max-width:100%">The renowned poet and literature professor Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City alongside his brother, sister, and nephews in December 2023. He was just forty-four years old, but had already established a worldwide reputation that was further enhanced when, in the wake of his death, the poem that gives this book its title became a global sensation. “If I Must Die” is included here, alongside Refaat’s other poetry.About the facilitator Jose is a Puerto Rican socialist, artist and nerd surviving in the belly of the beast. They are a founding member of The People’s Saturday School and an educator working with youth in Hartford. They deeply believe in the people’s ability to heal and transform, and in a world free of the empire. Jose loves being a papa and is dedicated to raising their bebé in a world that prioritizes people, community and care.  Any questions? Please contact <a href="mailto:saturdaycooperative@gmail.com">saturdaycooperative@gmail.com</a>.

The Peoples' Saturday School (fiscally sponsored project of ABWF, Inc.)

April Book Club-If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose - Refaat Alareer

30 Ashley St

General admission

Free

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