About 40 people gathered in the north side church’s dining hall for the Revolution Club’s potluck dinner and Open Mic as a part of the $100,000 fundraiser heading into its final stretch and the Livestream on February 19. Together we raised $1,100. Another $50 plus was raised at a craft fair earlier in the day.

There were enough deserts to open a small bakery. Plates overflowed with food. People came from different parts of a hyper segregated city to enjoy each other and the program. The program for the night opened with a clip from the three-part BA Interviews on the importance of having a poetic spirit to lead a revolution and the program ended with an illustrated video of BA painting a picture of what if the world could be radically different.

In between there was poetry and music. The MC, Leo from the Revolution Club, continually brought it back to the serious purpose of the night combined with a playful humor which knit together the audience as did the fund pitch. Videos included “Bella Now,” from Outernational and Shekib Mosadeq, calling for freeing Iran’s political prisoners, and a 12-year-old Palestinian rapping to end the horrors of life under Israeli occupation. Members of the Revolution Club and community people were drawn to the open mic. Poems about Tyre Nichols, one given as Tyre skateboarded silently on the screen, celebrated in skateboarder’s terms arced into “time to revolution up”... raw anger expressed over yet another youth’s life snuffed out by pigs... the rare time when revolution becomes more possible... immigrants braving the harrowing journey fists held high. Other participants offered their poems thoughtfully picked to be in the spirit of revolution; for example, one called “Revolutionary Love” (inspired by Cornel West) and another titled “Bound” by a young man who travels the city to participate in Open Mics.

The “fun” in the fund raising was also brought by a percussionist and a bassist, both professional musicians. The drum kit, made from pans and tin food cartons, various recyclable items and very portable—was dubbed “the snack master 500" by the percussionist. A highlight of the night was Godfather, also a professional performer, who the MC noted “you might recognize him—he is one of the flashier people in the room” which was the understatement of the night. Adorned in gold and black sequined attire, Godfather said how happy he was to be part of the promotion of BA and the revolution, then rocked “My Girl” and the Spinners' “I’ll Be Around” and ended with a soulful and rousing rendition of “Mississippi Boy” accompanied by the bass and “the snackmaster 500.” The nightcap was the percussionist and bassist leading a raucous and, as one participant put it, “good but chaotic” drum circle, as various noisemakers and percussion instruments, were passed out so everyone could be part of making music.

While there were some new people in attendance, we wish there had been more. Everyone left with a packet of materials which included, among other things, palm cards for the BA interviews, an invite to a planning zoom for International Women's Day and the Fund Drive flier announcing the upcoming Livestream. Hopefully everyone there was inspired to take up the call to go all out this week and bring many more new people into the Livestream next Sunday to meet, and even surpass, the $100,000 goal to promote the BA Interviews, fund the RNL show, the revcom.us website, the National Revolution Tour—to put revolution on the map in 2023.