Author: jbertuso
Hopeful Encounters, Violent Collisions: Black and Italian Diasporas in the Contact Zone – Oct. 5, 25, and 26 @ BCC
Admission is Free! All events are open to the public
Thursday, October 5, 2017; 11:00 am – 12:30 pm, BCC Room 55
John Gennari Lecture: Spike Lee’s Italians
View more on the Arts & Cultural Studies Department News page
Hopeful Encounters, Violent Collisions: Black and Italian Diasporas in the Contact Zone
Thursday; Oct. 5, 2017
– John Gennari (U of Vermont); “Spike Lee’s Brooklyn”; 10:30am-12pm; Room 55, Berkeley City College
– John Gennari (U of Vermont); Flavor and Soul: Italian America at Its African American Edge), 5-7pm; Dwinelle Hall, UC Berkeley
Wednesday; Oct. 25, 2017
– Medhin Paolos (filmmaker) presentation and screening of her documentary Asmarina @ the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco
Thursday; Oct. 26, 2017
– Igiaba Scego (author); presentation of the English translation of her novel, Adua; UC Berkeley
Sponsored by:
· Berkeley City College, Office of the President & Department of Arts and Cultural Studies/Humanities Program
· Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco
· University of California Berkeley, Departments of African American/African Diaspora Studies, Geography, and Italian Studies
IMAGE painting by Ficre Ghebreyesus
series title inspired by John Gennari, 2017
Hopeful Encounters, Violent Collisions: Black and Italian Diasporas in the Contact Zone
This series of events explores the connections of intimacy, violence, cultural creativity, and political struggle that link together the African and Italian diasporas–from the influence of African American musical traditions on Italian American singers, to the influence of Black diasporic resources on contemporary Afro-Italian struggles for recognition, to the mobilizations of Eritreans in the United States and Italy to unearth hidden histories of Italian colonialism. Through presentations, film screenings, and book talks, this series approaches “Afro-Italy” as a complex, global contact zone.
About Flavor and Soul: Italian America at Its African American Edge
(by John Gennari, Chicago University Press, 2017)
In the United States, African American and Italian American cultures have been intertwined for more than a hundred years. In Flavor and Soul (University of Chicago Press, 2017), John Gennari spotlights this affinity, calling it “the edge.” Through studies of music and sound, film and media, sports and foodways, he shows how an Afro-Italian sensibility has nourished and vitalized American culture writ large, even as Italian Americans and African Americans have fought each other for urban space, recognition of overlapping histories of suffering and exclusion, and political and personal rispetto. It is only at such cultural edges, Gennari argues, that the nation can come to truly understand its racial and ethnic dynamics.
About Asmarina (documentary film, 2015, directors, Medhin Paolos and Alan Maglio)
The Eritrean/Ethiopian community has been present in Italy for at least half a century and it has been actively integrated into the social and cultural life of the city. Starting from the collective memories of the community, on the ground of photo documents, the film gathers together the legacy of personal stories, exploring the different shades of identity, migration and the aspirations of the people. The result of Alan Maglio and Medhin Paolos’ research is a collective tale which brings to light a postcolonial heritage that has been little scrutinized up to now: the everyday life stories of those who have lived in the city for years, those who were born in Italy and the daycare of the refugees who have just arrived. The film makers approach this reality empathically and get involved in it, patiently trying to create a relationship with the protagonists. The research and the filming of Asmarina lasted one year and a half and are based on direct witness accounts and the survey of audiovisual material taken from personal and institutional archives.
About Adua (English translation, New Vessel Press, 2017)
Adua, an immigrant from Somalia to Italy, has lived in Rome for nearly forty years. She came seeking freedom from a strict father and an oppressive regime, but her dreams of becoming a film star ended in shame. Now that the civil war in Somalia is over, her homeland beckons. Yet Adua has a husband who needs her, a young man, also an immigrant, who braved a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. When her father, who worked as an interpreter for Mussolini’s fascist regime, dies, Adua inherits the family home. She must decide whether to make the journey back to reclaim her material inheritance, but also how to take charge of her own story and build a future.
DACA Update – 5 Things to Know about Trump’s Announcement to End DACA
On September 5, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, on behalf of the entire Trump Administration, announced an end to the DACA program. Here are the top 5 things to know about this announcement.
Teaching and Learning Center – Fall 2017 Kick-Off Event: 9/12 & 9/27 @ 12:45 – 1:45 pm, TLC
#WeAreBCC – Margit Temper | BCC Class of 2017 Salutatorian
September 4 – Last Day to Add Class with Instruction Permission Number – Enroll NOW!
Enrollment in Fall 2017 is Ongoing Now
- Current Students – enroll in classes through your PASSPORT Student Center.
- New & Returning Students – follow the steps in Apply & Enroll Now at BCC on submitting/re-submitting your application and what to do next.
- View Course Flyers for Fall 2017
Fall 2017 Class Schedule
Important Dates:
August 7 – Drop for Nonpayment of Tuition and Enrollment Fees!!!
August 21 – Day and Evening Instruction begins
August 26 – Saturday Instruction begins
August 26 – Last Day to Add without a Permission Number of Add Card
September 4 – Last Day to Drop Regular Sessions Classes and Receive a Refund, and without a “W” on Transcripts
Note: Short-term and open-entry classes must be dropped within 10% of the first class meeting to receive a refund.>>> 2017 Fall Refund Drop Deadline Schedule
September 4 – Last Day to Add Regular Sessions Classes with an Instructor issued Permission Number
September 4 – Census Due – Instructors Verify Enrollment in Classes
September 8 – Last Day to File for PASS/NO PASS Grading Option
See more in Academic Calendars
Please make sure that you meet any prerequisites before enrolling in classes. If you need assistance with prerequisite information, please contact:
- the BCC Counseling Department for further information at (510) 981-5036 or send an email to counselingbcc@peralta.edu
The Campus Life Office Welcomes You to Berkeley City College!
Whether it’s “Welcome” or “Welcome Back” – we are happy to have ALL OF YOU here!
The Campus Life Office Welcomes You:
- This Fall look out for the right club for your during Club Rush!
- Get a free massage at our Wellness Center located at 2000 Center Street.
- Upcoming events can always be found on our homepage or events calendar a www.berkeleycitycollege.edu
- Visit the Campus Life Office in Room 151 for more info!
15th Annual Berkeley Poetry Festival on Saturday, August 26, in the 5th floor Student Lounge – 11:30am to 4:30pm
Join us at the 15th Annual Berkeley Poetry Festival on Saturday, August 26, 2017. Councilperson Kriss Worthington will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Naomi Helena Quiñonez (pictured above, photo credit: Michelle Guttierrez). Read more about Dr. Quiñonez below. We will have a small book fair, an open mike, five Milvia Street poets, and several readers.
#WeAreBCC: Vy Thao Nguyen, President’s Medallion Recipient, BCC Class of 2017
#WeAreBCC: Patrick Kluger, Valedictorian, BCC Class of 2017
Patrick Kruger is the Valedictorian of Berkeley City College’s Class of 2017. Patrick was one of the writers behind The BCC Voice where he served as Editor-in-Chief for two terms. Read more about Patrick Kruger.