This Reader is an expression of Common Good Collective, a vision for an alternative way, rooted in the act of eliminating economic isolation, the significance of place, and the structure of belonging. Whether you come at this from a place of economics, social good, or faith, we hope these reflections help orient your day in fresh, provocative, courageous ways. And most importantly, we hope these lead you into the sharing of gifts in particular communities—into co-creating a common good.
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As our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities continue to grieve from the heinous attack in Atlanta, we as a community may struggle with knowing “what to do” to show support. Vignesh Ramachandran for PBS Newshour has graciously taken our hands and showed us how to show up for him and his community.
What you can do to fight violence and racism against Asian Americans By Vignesh Ramachandran
As Asian American communities reel from an uptick in violence and hate spurred by racist rhetoric about the coronavirus pandemic, advocates are urging Americans to be allies in actionable ways that go beyond words.
Even as overall hate crimes fell in 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S. cities grew nearly 150 percent. Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group Stop AAPI Hate has recorded at least 3,795 reported incidents of hate against Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
We are collectively reaching a point of exhaustion at the amount of tragedy we are facing on a global scale. In these moments, comfort can be found in the words, stories, and music of past resisters and truth-tellers. When we are reminded that there is nothing new under the sun — that many of our ancestors have endured hardship we can’t begin to understand — we realize that survival, and even thriving, is still and always possible when we choose to prioritize our collective well being.
The words of W.E.B. Du Bois have been front and center at Common Good Collective these days as we prepare for a very exciting project. In this moment of grief and remembering, Dr. Cornel West and Arturo O’Farrill have created a sonic space to reflect on four important question for the liberation-minded.
Four Questions (feat. Dr Cornel West)
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist/composer Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra release their latest recording, Four Questions (ZOHO Music), featuring special guest Dr. Cornel West on the title composition “Four Questions” on Friday, April 10, 2020. Four Questions marks O’Farrill’s first album in his famed recording catalog to exclusively include all originally written compositions. Weaving together empowering messages for the times, Four Questions portrays the pioneering pianist as outspoken as ever on the obligation of artists to speak truth to the great injustices occurring across the globe.
Premiered live-in-concert at The Apollo Theater on May 21, 2016, “Four Questions” will now be available for worldwide audiences to hear on Four Questions with the electrifying Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra joined by Dr. Cornel West as a guest soloist, conductor, and percussionist. O’Farrill’s commissioned piece for the Apollo Theater as part of his MacDowell residency took the shape of Dr. Cornel West’s speech at Town Hall (Seattle, WA: October 9, 2014) based on his book, Black Prophetic Fire. Four questions posed by the great African American civil rights activist and author W. E. B. Du Bois in his 1903 book, The Souls of Black Folk, are expounded upon by West while O’Farrill and his 18-piece orchestra usher in a jolt of inspiring fury.
The four essential themes from W.E.B. Du Bois’ seminal publication, include:
What does integrity do in the face of adversity / oppression?
What does honesty do in the face of lies / deception?
What does decency do in the face of insult?
How does virtue meet brute force?
“‘Four Questions’ is about bringing attention through Dr. West’s brilliance and vision, coupled with the subversive power of the Afro Latin Big Band, to the influence of revolutionary thought that demands we take stock of where we are as a country and demand better,” says Arturo O’Farrill, pianist/composer and Artistic Director of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance. “We must pay tribute to the jazz greats like Coltrane, Holiday, Mingus, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, and carry on their legacy of bringing attention to the real issues of modern society through jazz music.”
A modern-day prophet, Dr. Cornel West joins the riveting Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra to hold our feet to the fire and demand that we deal with the social and political horrors of our day. Standing strong for what you believe in often threatens others in their complacency. To witness Dr. Cornel West in action is an awe-inspiring experience. He is widely renowned as a speaker of substantive truth within the intelligentsia community.
O’Farrill notes, “Watching Dr. West speak is one of the sublime musical moments of my life. His oratory has the weight of a John Coltrane solo. His rhythmic delivery has the tumbao of Mongo Santamaría. The humor with which he injects his very serious messages floats like Charlie Parker in flight and, oh, most sacred of all, when he gets deliberate, each word has the authenticity and Afrocentricity of Thelonious Monk’s right hand.”
More than ever the brilliance of Du Bois’ introspections, West’s interpretations and the pure jazz fire with which they are delivered are a salve for those who are hurt by the daily assault of those who use ideology to promote hatred and violence. Jazz fans and music lovers alike are in for a special treat upon hitting play on their audio devices when “Four Questions” is in the queue.
Yesterday marked the anniversary of the start of Greta Thunberg’s climate protest, a day when the world once again noticed the perilous state of our environment. People all over the world are finding ways to do their part to right our collective wrongs — sins against the earth and against each other — enriching their communities in the process.
Spurred by Tragedy to a Life of Female Empowerment By Aida Alami
When Yayi Bayoum Diouf sought community leaders’ permission to fish, she was told that “the water doesn’t need women.”Credit…Ricci Shryock for The New York Times
THIAROYE-SUR-MER, Senegal — Sometimes when she’s alone and looking at the sea, Yayi Bayam Diouf imagines the silhouette of her son passing over the waters offshore.
Not usually the sentimental type, she softens when asked about the personal tragedy that would spur her to challenge her town’s traditional patriarchy and become a path breaker for female empowerment.
As we reflect upon the anniversary the pandemic declaration and the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, it is undeniable that we have all collectively been changed. Those who have chosen it, though, have changed for the better. And, as we found ways to connect, comfort, and depend on each other, we have created notable change for the common good.
One Year Later: We’re Not Okay, But We’re Going To Be All Right by Courtney Napier
March 11th marked one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 was, as feared, a pandemic.
I remember picking up my oldest daughter from preschool the week before, and then never returning. Her teachers came and delivered her nap-time sheet and spare set of clothes weeks later. I remember the teachers sending videos of them sitting in the empty classrooms reading books and singing songs in order to retain a connection with their students and continue their education from afar. That June, during her virtual graduation ceremony, we cheered from the couch as her teachers deemed her “Most Likely To Be The First Woman President.”
As we reflect upon the anniversary the pandemic declaration and the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, it is undeniable that we have all collectively been changed. Those who have chosen it, though, have changed for the better. And, as we found ways to connect, comfort, and depend on each other, we have created notable change for the common good.
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