Events

BOOK LAUNCH: “Freedom Train: Black Politics and the Story of Interracial Labor Solidarity” by Cedríc de Leon (University of Massachusetts-Amherst) in conversation with Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz (University of California, Berkeley), Tianna Paschel (University of California, Berkeley), Steven Pitts (University of California, Berkeley) Time/Date: 30 April, 10-11:30am; Reception to follow (including book signing) Location: Social Science Matrix Conference Room – 820 Social Sciences Building RSVP: https://forms.gle/Ne157d4aggmuhEz68

“Working with Community Archives” with Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez, Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, CUNY and author of Decolonizing Diasporas: Radical Mappings of Afro-Atlantic Literature. Date and Time: Wednesday, April 9, 4:30-6:30pm Location: African American Studies Conference Room – 650 Social Sciences Building. Professor Figueroa-Vásquez will lead graduate students, faculty and staff interested in community archival work in a hands-on workshop organized by the Anti-Colonial Lab at UC Berkeley. Workshop participants should bring 3-5 pictures AND a copy of 1-2 documents – birth, death, census, letter, card, mail, etc. These archives could be family archives or other archives that are important to you. Please come prepared to free-write and share. Participants should also read this short piece before the workshop. About Speaker Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez is an Afro-Puerto Rican writer, teacher, and scholar from Hoboken, NJ whose archival and public humanities work is informed by community commitments, creative practices, and public writing (blogs, essays, podcasts). She is Professor of Africana, Puerto Rican, and Latino Studies and is the Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at CUNY Hunter. She is also an alumna of the UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Ph.D. program.

The Anticolonial Lab invites you to a special event:  “Global Battlefields: Memoir of a Legendary Public Intellectual from the Global South” with Walden Bello We are honored to host Walden Bello, who will discuss his memoir, Global Battlefields: Memoir of a Legendary Public Intellectual from the Global South. Bello recounts his journey from student activism to becoming a fixture of the international left: He will share with us reflections on his triumphs and setbacks, from his fight against the Marcos dictatorship to neoliberalism. Bello’s reflections provide a rare, firsthand perspective on the forces that have shaped contemporary struggles—from the streets of Manila to the battlefields of the anti-globalization movement. The event will feature an introduction by Lisandro Claudio (South & Southeast Asian Studies). A reception and book signing will follow the talk. Books will be available for purchase (cash or Venmo). This event holds special importance because it was Michael Burawoy, who connected us with Bello and we hold this conversation to honor his legacy. We hope you can join us! Tuesday, March 18 Social Sciences Building, 4th floor (UPDATE: Room 402) 2:00-4:00pm, followed by book signing & reception This event is co-sponsored by the Othering & Belonging Institute and the Oakland Institute. The Anticolonial Lab is supported by the Global Democracy Commons.

The Anticolonial Lab Presents Working with Film & Visual Media with Clara Pérez Medina. Clara Pérez Medina (they/them) is a photographer, videographer, filmmaker, and doctoral student in Geography at UC Berkeley. Thursday March 6 2-4:30pm, Social Science Matrix Conference Room, 820 Social Sciences Building, UC Berkeley

We invite you to a talk by Varun Santhosh, an Indian National Congress party official who served as the party’s national vice-chairperson for the 2024 parliamentary election war room. He will speak on “The Power of Listening: Democratic Resilience in India.”  Date: Wednesday, 5 Feb. 2025  Time: 12:30 pm  Location: Social Science Matrix (8th Floor, Social Science Building) Talk Description: India’s 2024 general elections mark a pivotal moment in the country’s democratic landscape. This talk explores contemporary democratic processes through the lens of grassroots movements and opposition strategies, focusing on the Indian National Congress’ nationwide campaigns: the 4,000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra from South to North and the 6,600 km Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from East to West. Offering an insider’s perspective, the speaker examines how these campaigns engaged citizens across the country through active listening, network mobilization, and strategic narrative-building. The discussion will highlight the interplay between public participation, political communication, and counter-narratives in modern India, shedding light on pathways for democratic renewal and transformation. Speaker bio: Varun Santhosh has been deeply involved with India’s Congress Party for over a decade. Most recently, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Indian National Congress’ National War Room during the 2024 parliamentary elections, overseeing campaign strategy and grassroots volunteer coordination. Previously, he was a senior staffer on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests & Climate Change. He also played a key role in organizing the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. He has worked closely with prominent MPs, including Jairam Ramesh and Rajeev Gowda. His published research focuses on election laws, electoral reforms, and public funding of elections. We hope you can join us for this session. Hosted by GDC – Fostering Democratic Elections in Diverse Societies Lab

Thursday November 21, 4-5.30pm, Social Science Matrix, 8th floor Social Sciences Building. Please RSVP