damali ayo • gazing through big black eyes

Hello Everyone!!!

It’s that time of the year again....yes indeed. The leaves are getting ready to turn, the Summer harvest is in, Columbus is just about to “discover” “America” and we are taking to the streets to panhandle for reparations!

Last year over 70 people in 20 states sat out on street corners with homemade signs, cups, and banners and collected and distributed hundreds of dollars in reparations.

“It was panhandling, it was performance art - and it was a political statement about the legacy of slavery and reparations for black people.”
- The Associated Press on the 2007 event

This year we are doing it again.
OCTOBER 10, 2008
Any corner you pick.
Any time you pick.
Take Pictures and send them to reparations@damaliayo.com

Sign up now, get your Panhandling for Reparations Kit, t-shirts and much more at http://reparationsday.com

Tell your friends!!

“It was panhandling, it was performance art - and it was a political statement about the legacy of slavery and reparations for black people.” - The Associated Press



Send your pictures! pics@reparationsday.com

A warm THANK YOU to all of you who participated. You are this event. Thank you for your courage and charisma, your signs and savvy. You should be very proud. The feedback has been amazing. We got lots of press and the experience of both panhandlers and passers-by have been reported as positive learning experiences. It has been a true honor to share this performance with you. I am deeply moved that you each trusted me enough to take to the streets and take my performance into your own hands. You are Now Art.

damali

View these pictures and many more here http://www.flickr.com/photos/damaliayo/sets/72157602252100202/ If you have pics, send them into >pics@reparationsday.com

Press Coverage for National Day of Panhandling for Reparations:

The Oregonian
Panhandling for reparations
An artist’s campaign draws ire but also discussion about slavery
Thursday, October 11, 2007
by ERIN HOOVER BARNETT
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119207313367680.xml&coll=7&thispage=1
Great story on Frances M with a great quote from Annin B.

This story was picked up by the Associated Press (AP) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jx4bMOqVmjiKiIRB21sxNg69qqQAD8S737A00

and reprinted in over 40 papers/outlets, including:
Vail Daily News, CO
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 1 hour ago
Portlanders panhandle for slavery reparations
Statesman Journal, OR
6abc.com, PA
Hays Daily News, KS
WAVE, KY
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA
Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, WA
Worcester Telegram, MA
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC
Centre Daily Times, PA
WTOP, DC
News & Observer, NC
Bradenton Herald, United States
Charlotte Observer, NC
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX
Pioneer Press, MN
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA
ABC7Chicago.com, USA
The State, SC
Kansas City Star, MO
MiamiHerald.com, FL
Kansas.com, KS
Contra Costa Times, CA
Kentucky.com, KY
Tuscaloosa News, AL
Times Daily, AL
Belleville News Democrat, USA
Forbes, NY


Oregon Public Broadcasting Radio
Performance Artist Panhandles For Slavery Reparations
By Colin Fogarty
Portland, OR October 10, 2007 4:08 p.m.
http://news.opb.org/article/performance-artist-panhandles-slavery-reparations/ (you can listen online)

KOIN 6 TV News
link pending. visit http://koin.com later this week and search for “reparations”
The story features Jagjit N.

The Nation Online
Panhandling for Reparations
This article was originally published by Wiretap, a national magazine for a new generation of progressive ideas and action.
by Kameelah Rasheed
October 3, 2007
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071022/panhandling


It really was a NATIONAL performance!

damali

I Am Virtually Panhandling for Reparations!
(Please REPOST)



National Day of Panhandling for Reparations is a national street performance on October 10, 2007, led by conceptual artist damali ayo.

I am participating in this performance because I believe that a conversation about reparations has been pushed aside for way too long. This country has paid reparations for some of its past injustices, but not for slavery. Why not? I am sitting with this sign to show that I want reparations for American Slavery to move forward.

You can participate too. Bloggers- spread this post to any and all blogs that you belong to. This performance is a great way to generate dialogue and re-energize the stalled conversation about reparations, and a great way to show the power of blogs for connecting people, art, social issues and dialogue!

Here is How to Panhandle Online:

note: If you want to physically participate by panhandling on a street corner in your community, sign up here.

1-REPOST this post to your blog under the title “Virtual Panhandling for Reparations” Remember to include this entire post, including these instructions and the “about” section below.

2-TAKE A PHOTO of yourself with a handmade sign that reads “Reparations accepted here” or “I support Reparations.”  Post this to your blog with the reason you find this performance worth your participation. Try to inspire others to participate.

3-EMAIL YOUR PHOTO with your name, city and state to pictures@reparationsday.com. A collection of all the photos will be posted here (include the link) on October 11th.

4- COLLECT ACTUAL REPARATIONS!  Click here to make a reparations payment. The money will be collected and redistributed to individual African Americans. Those who make and receive payments will receive a receipt (via paypal).

5- CALL IN YOUR STORIES!
The National Day of Panhandling for Reparations Voice Mail is (971) 285-4820 Share your experiences, thoughts, opinions, excitements, concerns, and most importantly stories! On the day itself you can give this number out to people who can call in and share their thoughts.
Help us collect all the participating blogs and virtual panhanlders. Paste the following code at the end of your post Panhandling for Reparations

Make sure everyone knows that you are a virtual panhandler for reparations by posting a banner. Grab the code below:






Hello Everyone!

Last week I was at the College of Wooster in Ohio, and some of the students and I did the “Living Flag: Panhandling for Reparations” performance on their campus. It was AMAZING!! I offer this performance to every campus that I visit and this was the first one who took me up on the offer, so it was definitely experimental.

The students ended up collecting over $22.00 in reparations, and having powerful experiences with each other. Trust was formed between students of different races, and some deep and powerful conversations were started. You can see video from the day on my “dose of reality” show that will air in about a month.

We donated the money to the families of the Jena Six.



I hope that these creative and courageous faces inspire you to join the performance!
REGISTER now to participate in the NATIONAL DAY OF PANHANDLING FOR REPARATIONS at http://reparationsday.com


damali

100 Americans Panhandle for Reparations
An interview with damali ayo, creator of National Day of Panhandling for Reparations
September 2007

Since I announced the National Day of Panhandling for Reparations, I’ve received some wonderful feedback, including some concerns and questions. I asked Heather Day to gather together these questions and put them to me. I hope this helps the conversation continue and deepen. Ultimately, of course, I hope it encourages more of you to join the performance and find out for yourself exactly what it is like. Experience is always the best road to understanding. – damali ayo

Heather Day: damali, you’ve been asked a lot of tough questions about your upcoming participatory performance “National Day of Panhandling for Reparations.” What do you make of people’s reactions?

damali ayo: I’m all about starting dialogue. So I’m glad people are talking to each other, though it’s not quite the caliber of conversation it could be. People often give art a quick glance, then react react react. We live in a sound-bite society and art just doesn’t fit into that mindset. Art asks you to slow down. That is one of my favorite things about this work especially. It literally asks people to slow down, to stop and take it in as they walk by on the street.

Even though I provide a lot of information and explanation on the web pages, people still don’t take the time to read, watch or listen. We live in a society where people are taught to react by lashing out instead of by learning. I wish that would change in general. I don’t mind criticism, but I wish our society was more knowledge-driven rather than reactionary. This interview is yet another attempt to engage people beyond cursory reactions. I hope people will spend time with it, and be encouraged to go back to the web page and read, watch and listen. If you are for or against the work, then write a letter to your local paper or favorite news organization, instead of writing me. Let’s broaden the conversation. This is a dialogue for our nation, not a few select folks.

HD: Let’s start with one of the most frequent issues raised: Isn’t it degrading for black people to beg on the street for reparations? Doesn’t this just play into stereotypes that blacks are lazy and looking for a handout?

From the performance statement: African Americans have tried several means to recoup reparations for the enslavement of our relatives, with little progress. Panhandling shows the last resort of African Americans after our government has ignored or denied all previous requests for reparations. Panhandling is an immediate means of exacting reparations. We offer ordinary citizens the opportunity to pay the reparations our government has denied us, or to walk past our presence on the street and continue to ignore our collective history.

da: The performance exaggerates how EASY it is to pay reparations, showing our fellow citizens and government that they are failing at such a simple task. We’re not asking for a meal or a job, we are asking for reparations. Reparations are not a handout. That’s an important point. It doesn’t equate reparations with a handout- it pairs the two to show the absurdity of equating them.

The performance exaggerates the begging feeling that African Americans might have as we ask and re-ask for reparations from our government. How many ways and times do we have to ask? No one should have to beg for what is rightfully owed to them. Many black people have told me that they either feel desperate, degraded and devalued in the reparations conversation or they just want to give up on it entirely. This performance shows our level of frustration in a clear tangible way to the American public.

The fact that some people want us not to beg is part of the performance itself. I hope that citizens all over the country see people panhandling for reparations and do all they can to stop us by encouraging our government to offer the reparations that African Americans are due.

HD: How do you define reparations?
da: Reparations is such a complicated concept.

35 performers and counting....
Register to participate in NATIONAL DAY OF PANHANDLING FOR REPARATIONS at http://reparationsday.com. Email damali ayo about this performance at reparations@damaliayo.com

Is the paying of reparations to African Americans (or any group) a “green” issue?
Why or why not?

My philosophy is that all issues are deeply connected. It is the segregation of issues and "specialization" of experts that has caused us to become segmented as a society and to turn a blind eye to things we see as only affecting other people. The reality is that everything affects all of us.

In addition, reparations incorporates issues of wealth equity, profit from agriculture, economic justice, globalization, recycling, alternative energy and making the shift to green lifestyles. If we learn to treat each other with respect we can more easily treat the earth with respect. Oppressed groups have historically (sadly) shown each other that when we experience oppression, we often respond by oppressing others. This includes the earth. Collectively (not always individually) we exhibit the syndrome that people who have been treated as trash want to treat something else like trash. In that respect reparations could be a way to interrupt this cycle. In addition living with a legacy of unfair labor- "we labored without fair pay or work conditions so let someone else do that for me" informs our daily choices. Even though we know from our own history that sub-standard working conditions are inhumane, we fail to make that connection with those in sub-standard conditions today. The lack of recognition, restitution and reparation from this nation's historical actions makes empathy all that much more difficult.

What do you think?

damali

Hey!
Does anyone out there want to volunteer to start some MeetUp groups for the National Day of Panhandling for Reparations?
I would love it if you would!
( Read more... )

*** Please Crosspost***

October 10, 2007
We are taking it to the streets.
Join the
First Annual
National Day of Panhandling for Reparations

More info and Sign up to Participate at reparationsday.com

OCTOBER 10, 2007. People of all races across the United States will take an hour or two to sit in a range of locations in our communities: outside of businesses, libraries, museums, art galleries, or on busy street corners. We will wear signs reminding passersby of the history of slavery in the United States. We will collect reparations in the form of money from white Americans for the enslavement and free-labor of Africans and African Americans during the establishment and economic rise of this country. This money will be immediately paid out to black passersby. Both parties will be offered a receipt. We will do this to offer a convenient opportunity for American citizens to acknowledge, apologize and compensate the unpaid labor of African Americans, the travesty of slavery, and the rightful due of reparations.

“This performance opens a powerful opportunity for dialogue between government and citizens. Wouldn’t it be remarkable if the United States decided to implement a reparations strategy before a single one of us had to take to the streets?”

Why panhandling? African Americans have tried several means to recoup reparations for the enslavement of our relatives, with little progress. Panhandling shows the last resort of African Americans after our government has ignored or denied all previous requests for reparations. Panhandling is an immediate means of exacting reparations. We offer ordinary citizens the opportunity to pay the reparations our government has denied us, or to walk past our presence on the street and continue to ignore our collective history. What choice will you make?

Social movements succeed when multiple channels are involved. This performance takes the conversation about reparations to the street, adding a grassroots element to the already present academic and legislative conversations. Citizens have both the chance to pay and accept reparations, showing our representatives that citizens do indeed want to make reparations payments and how easily it can be accomplished. In addition citizens are encouraged to send their receipts to the IRS as proof that reparations is a process supported by the general public.

This work began in 2003 as a street performance by artist damali ayo: In living flag: panhandling for reparations
watch the performance on damali's web page or on youtube.