CMENAS Teach-In Town Hall. What is BDS? And Why Does it Matter?

Lorde cancelled her show in Israel in protest. So did the Pixies, Elvis Costello, Roger Waters, and Santana. More than one 100 artists and musicians have joined the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement in solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent activists. What motivates them? Since 2014, twenty-five U.S. states have passed anti-BDS legislation, citing anti-Semitism. In recent days though, federal courts in Kansas and Arizona have ruled that such laws violate First Amendment rights to freedom of expression. What is fair and just, in light of our diverse histories: members of the U-M community recall boycotts of Jewish businesses in Nazi Europe, America's history of civil rights boycotts, and boycotts in response to Palestinian displacement under Israeli Occupation? 

The CMENAS Teach-in Town Hall will explore this vital moment in world history with experts and take stock of BDS, now active for thirteen years. Meet Anna Baltzer of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Huwaida Arraf, Civil Rights Attorney and Co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, and a U-M alumna. 

Everyone is welcome! 

Funding Support: CMENAS Endowments, Institute for the Humanities, Department of Anthropology, Arab and Muslim American Studies, Department of American Culture, the International Institute, Conflict and Peace Initiative, Colonialism, Race, and Sexualities Initiative (through IRWG), Middle Eastern Law Students Association (MELSA), and the College of LSA 

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If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to us at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange. Contact: jessmhil@umich.edu