Saturday, May 21 - "Not Your Average Housing Fair," presented by Latinos United and the Near Northwest Neighborhood Network/Humboldt Park Empowerment Partnership, a free, comprehensive housing fair going above and beyond the average housing fair based on home ownership!  The fair will cover everything from housing discrimination, to local affordable housing waiting lists, to tenant /landlord rights, to block clubs, to homeless services, to homeownership and more, through booths and workshops in English and Spanish.  It will also serve as an organizing tool to engage residents in locally-based efforts to stabilize the community.  Live artistic interpretations related to housing from the Youth Action Team members of the community and others complement the event.  "Not Your Average Housing Fair!" will be geared toward the greater West Town, Humboldt Park, and Logan Square communities, but all are welcome!  Sponsored by Washington Mutual and the Office of Alderman Billy Ocasio.  10 am - 1 pm, Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1440 N. Sacramento Avenue.  For info or to host a booth, call Katie Van Tiem of Latinos United at 312.782.7500, or Rubén D. Feliciano of the Near Northwest Neighborhood Network at 773.489.0383Monday, April 18 - The Young Feminist Book Group discusses "Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy" Sunday, April 17 - "The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror," sponsored by Chicago Filmmakers and co-presented by Chicago Indymedia, Saturday, April 16 - 2nd Annual Neighborhood Fest and Walkathon: A Celebration of People and the Earth in Rogers Park.

Saturday, May 21 - Civil Liberties Benefit for the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights, honoring The Hon. Abner J. Mikva and Bennett J. Johnson, Jr.  Mikva is a former Chief Judge, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, former member of Illinois legislature and U.S. House of Representatives, and former White House counsel to President Bill Clinton.  He will address the crowd on the subject of "Law vs. Order."  Johnson is former President of the Evanston branch of the NAACP, Vice President of Third World Press, and co-founder of Protest at the Polls.  Program: 11:30am - Noon, special reception with honorees; Noon - 1 pm, buffet; 1 pm - 2 pm, program.  Tickets: $100 -- special reception with honorees, names listed in program book, buffet and program; $50 -- buffet and program; $25 -- program only.  To reserve tickets either send a check to CCDBR, 1325 S. Wabash, Suite 105, Chicago IL 60605 (checks can be made out to CCDBR or - for a tax deduction -- to the Bill of Rights Foundation), or call or email to make your reservation, 312.939.0675 or ccdbr@pobox.com.  Please indicate the quantity and category of tickets/donations you wish to record.  All tickets will be held at the door.

Saturday, May 21 - Support Benton Harbor two years after the rising.  Two years ago, after another poor and Black resident of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was killed in a police chase, Benton Harbor was rocked by an uprising that lasted several nights and garnered the small town national attention, refocusing the national spotlight on police brutality.  But the nature of our country, our media and our mindsets leaves us with very little memory, and the people of Benton Harbor, across the lake from Chicago, has bave been forgotten.  Reverend Edward Pinkney, who works with the Black Autonomy Network of Community Organizers, has recently been arrested, and called for a protest rally to continue the struggle on May 21st, at Noon.  More details will be posted shortly, and it is requested that people begin organizing caravans NOW! Chicago made a big showing two years ago at rallies called for by local activists like Rev. Pinkney, so let's show them that we haven't forgotten.

Saturday, May 21 - "Feast for Peace," a benefit for Play for Peace, featuring music by Rhythm Revolution and Bethlehem Brass.  Sumptuous food will be served.  Free-will donations.  6-10 pm, Lake Forest Friends Meeting, West of Rt. 41 on south side of W. Old Elm Road before Ridge Road intersection. Info: Maurine Pyle, 847.367.5449

Saturday, May 21 - Counter-Military Recruitment at Armed Forces Day.  Navy Pier invites the Armed Forces to bring out the static displays, personnel and performances to showcase military achievements and promote military enlistment.  Chicagoland Committee Opposed to the Militarization of Youth (CCOMY) is organizing counter-recruitment efforts at the pier. Meet at the park in front of Navy Pier at 10:30 am for orientation.  Action runs from 11 am - 5 pm.  Info: Eric 312.491.9092 or s4sj@hotmail.com.

Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 - Hemp Fest Montrose & the Lakefront at Cricket Hill.  Bands playing so far include 9MM, Smoke, Tribal Moon, Hells Funk, Secret Agent Bill, Fashion Bomb, Frequency Below, Starrunner, and Genral Patton & His Privates.  Many acoustics, speakers and poets.   Food by the Heartland Café.  Free admission - bring a blanket!  Band schedule is Saturday: Hi Noon -Roadcrew; 1 pm - Tribal Moon; 2 pm - Frequency Below; 3 pm - Hell's Funk; 4 pm - Secret Agent Bill; 5 pm - Charlie Pierce; 6:30 pm - Blizzard Of Ozz; 7:30 pm - Fashion Bomb; 8:30 pm - 9MM.  Sunday: Hi Noon - Electric Medicine; 1 pm - New Fuze; 2 pm - The Flock; 3 pm - Might as Well; 4 pm - Genral Patton & His Privates; 5 pm - Smoke; 6 pm - The Giving Tree; and 7:30 pm - Starrunner.  We gather to change the laws, not to break them.  Info: gnrlpatt@ameritech.net

Sunday, May 22 - "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: U.S. Media and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," a free film showing and discussion cosponsored by Countryside Social Action Committee, Not In My Name (www.nimn.org) and  Northwest Suburban SUSTAIN (www.nwsustain.org).  1:30 pm, Countryside Unitarian Church, 1025 N. Smith Road, Palatine, IL.  Info: sustainnwburbs@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 22 - The Studs Terkel Awards 2005, 3:30 pm on Chicago's CAN-TV Channel 21, featuring tributes to Lu Palmer, Vernon Jarrett and Grant Pick, wit and wisdom of awardees Tracy Baim, John Conroy and Mary Schmich, and Studs Terkel himself.  For more about this year's winners and pictures from this great event, go to http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=Calendar&main_id=430

Sunday, May 22 and Monday, May 23  - Chicago part of a tour commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Gwangju Peoples Uprising.  The Gwangju Peoples Uprising was a pivotal moment in the movement for Korean democracy and human rights.  On May 18, 1980, the people of Gwangju organized spontaneous resistance to liberate their city from the military dictatorship of General Chun Doo Hwan.  Their martyrdom and the struggle for democracy and self-determination that followed sparked a fundamental transformation of South Korean society that continues to reverberate to this day.  Now a national holiday, the Gwangju Peoples Uprising is revered as a source of inspiration for activists around the world and as a point of unity for the Korean people.  The tour will feature a delegation led by activists from Gwangju.  Kim Hyo-Suk participated in the 1980 Gwangju Peoples Uprising as a high school student and became a political prisoner.  Mr. Kim teaches at Song Won College and is President of May Light, an organization established in 1998 to promote human rights and peace.  Mr. Kim is also a representative of Life and Human Rights Division of Buddhist Action Solidarity. Lee Shin, a former student activist, is a graduate student at Chonnam University and an advisor to May Light.  Mr. Shin is also Director of Policy for the Reunification Alliance in Gwangju-Chonnam and Director of Investigation for the Korea Truth Commission in Gwangju-Chonnam.  Sunday's event will begin at 6 pm at the Korean American Community Service Center, 4300 N. California Ave.  Monday's event will begin at 7 pm at Northwestern University's Evanston Campus, Harris Hall, Room 107, Evanston, IL.  Sponsors: Korean American Students Association, Multicultural Center, Asian American Studies Program.  Info: Call Yoomi Jeong at 917.225.9615 or visit http://www.koreatruth.org

Monday, May 23 - Forum regarding protesters at gay Pride.  Present and/or speaking at the event: Bill Greaves, Mayor Daley's Liason to the LGBT community; Bennett Lawson, representative of Ald. Tom Tunney; Jenny Mutation of the Chicagoland Anarchist Network; a representative from 23rd District Town Hall police station; and Bob Schwartz of the Gay Liberation Network.  6:30 pm, Merlo Public Library, 644 W. Belmont.

Monday, May 23 - "A Critical Look at Antonio Negri's Multitude."  6:30 pm, News & Letters, 36 S. Wabash, Room 1440.  Info: arise@newsandletters.org or 312.236.0799

Monday, May 23 -  "No Vietnamese Ever Called Me N**ger," part of Civic Cinema's and Cafe Society's film series on veterans and war.  This film features interviews with three African-American Vietnam veterans about the racism they encountered in the armed forces, both in training and at the front and their feelings of resentment about the fact that after they allegedly fought for the freedom of others in Southeast Asia, they returned home to find that discrimination and poverty still existed.  6 pm, Ron's Barbershop, 6041 W. North Avenue, Oak Park, IL.

Tuesday, May 24 thru Friday, May 27 - Café Society discussions on "How the Media Has Shaped Our Perceptions of War." Tuesday: 7-8 pm at Café Mestizo, 2123 S. Ashland Avenue (Spanish Speaking), or at 7:30-8:30 pm at Intelligentsia Coffee, 3123 N. Broadway; Wednesday: 7-8 pm at Buzz Café at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL, or at 7- 8 pm at Pause, 1107 W. Berwyn Avenue (at Broadway); Thursday: 7-8 pm at Caffe De Luca, 1721 N. Damen Avenue, or at 7-8 pm at Valois, 1518 E. 53rd Street; Friday: 5-6 pm at Ron's Barber Shop, 6041 W. North Ave., Oak Park, IL.  Sponsored by The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council.  The programs aim to promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations

Wednesday, May 25 - Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will discuss his forthcoming book, "The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities For Our Time," at a reception and book signing.    "Extreme poverty can be ended, not in the time of our grandchildren, but our time," says Sachs.  He will address the most vital issues facing our planet: the causes of poverty, the role of rich-country policies, and the very real possibilities for a poverty-free future.  6:30 pm, Intercontinental Chicago, 505 N. Michigan Avenue.  Guests are encouraged to arrive at 6 pm for registration. Admission: $15 for Columbia University Club of Chicago members; $20 for non-members.  Advance payment is required.  Sponsored by The Columbia University Office of Alumni Relations, The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the Columbia University Club of Chicago.  Info: og14@columbia.edu

Thursday, May 26 - Art "Chat Daddy" Sims and the entire Real Deal Staff in association with Afrocentric Bookstore are honored to welcome the legendary Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, Department or Religious Studies, Ph.D. Princeton University. Join us for a very stimulating debate on his latest masterpiece, "Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?"  Now available on the anniversary of Bill Cosby's infamous assault on the black poor during his NAACP Awards speech on May 17, 2004.  Nothing exposed the ever-increasing divide in black America today more starkly than Bill Cosby, the comedian-cum-social critic, when he lamented what he sees as a lack of parenting, poor academic performance, sexual promiscuity, and criminal behavior amongst what he called the "knuckleheads" of the African-American community. Even more surprising than his own comments, however, was the fact that the audience laughed and applauded. Michael Eric Dyson deconstructs Cosby's speech and offers a critical and much needed reassessment of the social and cultural issues facing America's black poor. Displaying the critical prowess and commitment to struggling African Americans that have made Dyson the nation's preeminent spokesman for the hip-hop generation, Is Bill Cosby Right?  Named by Essence magazine as one of the nation's "50 most inspiring African Americans," Dr. Michael Eric Dyson has been dubbed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a major American thinker and cultural critic." Dr. Dyson earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in Religion. After teaching posts at Chicago Theological Seminary, Brown University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia University and DePaul University, he is presently the Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, and Professor of Religious Studies and African Studies, at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Dyson has written ten books in ten years, ranging from works on cultural criticism, race theory, religious thought, philosophical reflection and gender, and sexual studies. He has also written four books on "biocriticism" - works that use biography to probe social themes and cultural politics. These include "Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X," named a New York Times "notable book of 1994" and one of the outstanding black books of the 20th century by Black Issues Book Review; "I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.," a national bestseller that was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award; "Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur," his best-selling treatment of the slain rapper and icon; his most recent bestseller, "Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye."  Dyson has also published "The Michael Eric Dyson Reader" and "Why I Love Black Women," a national bestseller that won the 2004 NAACP Image Award for outstanding nonfiction literary work.  Dyson is also an ordained Baptist minister, radio commentator for NPR's Tavis Smiley Show, contributing writer for Philadelphia Magazine, and frequent guest on the nation's leading cultural and political television shows. Before all of his success, the former church pastor was a teen father on welfare in his native Detroit who worked in several factories before starting college at 21. That may explain why, despite being termed a "superstar professor" by the Washington Post, author Nathan McCall simply calls Dr. Dyson "a street fighter in suit and tie."   Jack's Java, 9649 S. Western (plenty of lot & off-street parking).  Doors open at 7:30 pm, Chat begins promptly at 8 pm.  $10 donation.  Info: 773.239.JAVA or http://www.jacksjava.com/

Thursday, May 26 - David Enders, the founder of "The Baghdad Bulletin," the only English language newspaper to be printed in Baghdad during the war, will discuss his new book at 8 pm at Left of Center Bookstore, 1043 W. Granville Avenue (just east of the "Granville" Red Line el stop). At the age of 22, Michigan native David Enders opened and edited "The Baghdad Bulletin."  After many issues, the newspaper folded. Since then, Enders has reported in Iraq for "The Nation," "Mother Jones," "The Independent" of London, and "The South China Morning Post."  His articles have also appeared in "The New Statesman," the "Guardian," "New York" magazine, "The Chronicle of Higher Education," and many others.  Enders will discuss his experiences and his new book, "Baghdad Bulletin: Dispatches on the American Occupation" (University of Michigan Press, 2005).  Info: 773.338.1513

Thursday, May 26 - Niles Township Democratic Meetup. Roy Parrish, the only GI counselor for Viet Nam Veterans Against the War, will talk about the plight of Iraq War veterans, as well as the benefit cuts, diminished health services, and other problems facing veterans of all wars. In addition, a representative of Chicago Youth for Conscientious Objectors will explain how young people (and their parents) can handle military recruiters, become a conscientious objector, and more. 7 pm, Edwardo's, 9300 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL. Info: visit illinoisdemnet.com or email lkyarrow@yahoo.com

Thursday, May 26 - Vigil for anti-police brutality activist May Molina on the one year anniversary of her death in police custody.  7:30 pm, Belmont & Western Police Station.

Thursday, May 26 - Michael Eric Dyson at the Harold Washington Library.  No other information available.

Friday, May 27 - Critical Mass Bike Ride, 5:30 pm, Daley Plaza.  Info: www.critical-mass.org

Friday, May 27 - Free film/discussion based on "Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land: U.S. Media and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict."  7 pm at the Elmhurst Public Libary, 125 S. Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst, IL.  Co-sponsored by Not In My Name (NIMN), a predominantly Jewish group that opposes the U.S.-backed Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land seized in 1967, and the Committee for Justice and Peace in Israel and Palestine (CJPIP).  Info: 312.409.4845.

Friday, May 27 - Homofrecuencia presents "Noche de Arco iris: Queer Prom 2005."  Students and community activists met recently in Pilsen to begin planning a 'prom' for youth who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and their allies. The planning committee, which is mostly Latino, feels that it is important to create visibility for the queer community that already exists in Pilsen.  "Many young LGBTQQ people that attend high schools from the area don't get to enjoy their school's prom as other kids do," said Tania Unzueta, senior producer of Homofrecuencia, a Spanish-language LGBTQ show that broadcasts from Radio Arte.  Although this is not the first time that a 'prom' for LGBTQ teens is planned in Chicago, it is the first time that it is done outside of the well established gay neighborhood of Boystown.  Pilsen is a predominantly Mexican neighborhood. "That's part of the point," said Unzueta, "we want to create a safe space for us within our own communities. We want to be who we are, where we live."  Tickets are $10.  Doors open at 7 pm, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, 1852 W. 19th Street.  Homofrecuencia is a production of Radio Arte WRTF Chicago.  Radio Arte is a youth initiative of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum.  For more info or tickets, call Tania at 312.455.9455, x108 or tania@radioarte.org.  More info: http://www.wrte.org/homofrecuencia

Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 - Concert for peace, sponsored by Amnesty International.  Includes 18 punk, ska, metal, grunge, reggae, and other bands of different tastes.  Location t.b.a.  Info: 708.899.4313 or seanski35@aol.com

Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29 - "Gunner Palace," first-hand accounts of the war in Iraq from "The Gunners" whose barracks are the bombed-out pleasure palace of Uday Hussein (nicknamed Gunner Palace), situated in the heart of the most volatile section of Baghdad.  Part of Civic Cinema's and Cafe Society's films on veterans and war series.  2 pm on both days, Facets Cinematheque, 517 W. Fullerton Avenue.  Admission: $9

Sunday, May 29 - Open organizing meeting against the CTA cuts.  No Layoffs or Firings!  No Fare Hikes! 2 pm, 36 S. Wabash, Room 1440 (News and Letters office, half a block south of the Madison "L" stop).  The CTA is planning massive service cuts to go into effect July 17. This includes increasing cash fare to $2, a reduction of service by 36%, completely eliminating 54 bus routes as well as the Purple Line, and laying off 2000 CTA workers. These cuts are an outright attack on poor and working people across the city. The politicians aren't doing anything to stop this. We have to take matters into our own hands.  Everyone who is interested in putting pressure on the CTA and the City to stop the cuts is welcome. Pass on the word! In attendance at this meeting will be members of: The Arsenal Collective; The Black Autonomy Network of Community Organizers; Blackstone Underground (Southside Anti-Capitalist Group); The Industrial Workers of the World; Labor's Militant Voice; Midwest Unrest; News and Letters; and more ...  Info: www.midwestunrest.net/fightorwalk or 773.250.7060

Monday, May 30 - Vietnam Veterans Against the War Memorial Day ceremony.  Info: 773.276.4189

Tuesday, May 31 - Local author Jeff Libman will read from his new book, "An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago's Newest Immigrants" at an event to benefit Literacy Works, a not-for-profit group that supports more than 40 literacy programs around Chicago.  Suggested donation: $10.  7:30 pm, Women & Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark Street.  Info: 773.769.9299 or wcfbooks@aol.com.

 Wednesday, June 1 - Wellington Avenue UCC Progressive Film Series features "Hotel Palestine: Killing the Witness," a powerful film documenting the US military's killing of Spanish journalist José Couso in Iraq. The Palestine Hotel was to be a safe-space for members of the international media, including unembedded reporters who were capturing the essence of war. On April 8th, 2003 a U.S. tank aimed and opened fire on the hotel.  7 pm, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ, 615 W. Wellington Avenue (Broadway and Wellington). Admission Free.

Wednesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 2 - The media landscape is changing fast. Internet communications are exploding. Daily newspaper circulation is down. Cable TV news is hot; network TV news is not. Non-profit and public interest groups need to rethink and retool their communications and media strategies. There is nowhere better to do that than at 2005 Community Media Workshop, "Making Media Connections Conference," all day both days, Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Avenue.  Keynote speakers are Alex Kotlowitz, investigative journalist and award-winning author speaking on "Ways to Improve Coverage of 'Real' Chicago Stories," and Mary Mitchell, outstanding journalist and noted Sun-Times columnist speaking on "How the Media Can and Should Get Real."  Workshop and panel discussion topics include: SPIN 101: Media Boot Camp; Jump-Start Your Creativity: Writing For The Media And The World; Become A Better Storyteller; Power Pitching: The Phone Call Worth 1000 Words; Secrets Of Effective Powerpoint Presentations; The Art Of The Television Interview; Stop Being A Bore: Use Creativity In Your Media Communications; Reaching the Editorial Page; What's Happening to Radio; Online Publications; Journalism for Social Change; Working with Columnists; What's Happening with the Chicago Sun-Times and Tribune; Going National; Accessing Public Radio; How Blogging is Transforming the Media Landscape; The Changing Weekly Newspaper; What's New with Magazines; Local Television Possibilities; Creating Media Relationships; New Thoughts on Press Kits and Media Publications; A Primer on Political Communications; How and Why to Blog; Successful Media Campaigns; Fighting for Funding; Hiring and Working with PR Agencies; Internet Marketing Tips; How Not to Give a Speech; Success Stories; Special Events That Work; and Fighting for Funding.  The conference is a unique opportunity to meet with working journalists, pitch your stories to them, and improve your media communications skills.  Workshops will be available.  For more information and reserve your place at the conference, go to www.newstips.org.

Wednesday, June 1 thru Sunday June 5 - A series of workshops designed as a crash course to get you up to speed as a quality mask maker!  Jeff Semmerling offers a week of workshops to get you started making Professional Masks.  June 1 thru June 3: Sculpture For Mask Making, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm at Inside Out Art Studio, 2005 W. Montrose.  Designed to teach, in three workshops of three hours each, the fundamentals of sculpting for mask making in many materials.  Students will also sculpt and cast a professional papier mache mask.  Tuition is $150.  June 4 and 5: Casting Rubber Masks, 1 pm - 5 pm at Inside Out Art Studio, 2005 W. Montrose   Learn the ins and outs of casting sculptures for rubber slip molding.  Students will sculpt a small mask and cast a slip mold of it while observing the creation of full size molds and techniques of casting rubber slip mold masks and puppets.  Tuition is $150.

Thursday, June 2 - "The Great Divide: Improving Coverage of the African-American Communities and Issues."   Join professor and award-winning journalist Laura S. Washington as she leads a roundtable discussion about media's relationship with the black community. Coming to contribute, listen and learn will be: Cliff Kelley, Host, WVON; Jerry Thomas, publicist, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; Salim Muwakkil, syndicated columnist and editor and "In These Times" reporter; Sylvia Ewing, journalist and producer for WBEZ/Chicago Public Radio; Alysia Tate, editor and publisher, "The Chicago Reporter"; Don Wycliff, public editor, Chicago Tribune; Roland Martin, executive editor, Chicago Defender ... and more.  This roundtable discussion is FREE, but please RSVP to aamericanroundtable@newstips.org.  This discussion is organized with cooperation of the Independent Press Association-Chicago, Black Public Relations Society, Chicago Headline Club, Association for Women Journalists and other partners.  3:30 pm - 5 pm, Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.

Friday, June 3 - Chicago premiere of "Rachel: An American Conscience," a documentary film about Palestine rights activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed while trying to stop Israeli home demolitions in the Occupied Territories. 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm at Healing Earth Resources, 3111 N. Ashland Avenue. $6 suggested donation.   Twenty-three-year-old Rachel Corrie gave her live defending human rights and freedom two years ago, and with her death, her work and message became a beacon of hope in a sadly dark world.  Mr. Yahya Barakat, director of this powerful 90-minute documentary, goes beyond the politics of the Occupation to depict the facts on the ground.  He shows the Palestinian struggle, and shows what motivates concerned individuals from around the world to come to Palestine to resist demolition of Palestinian homes and lives.  Rachel was not an Israeli nor was she a Palestinian.  But she was a member of the International Solidarity Movement and a member of the international civil society.  In her actions she affirmed her responsibility for upholding the inherent dignity and equal rights of all people. She opposed non-violently the violence that occupation does to the Palestinians. Info: ISMinChicago@aol.com or 773.489.3505

Friday, June 3 thru Sunday, June 5 - RadFest/Midwest Social Forum, an annual weekend conference for progressive activists organized by the Havens Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  The central purpose of the forum is to contribute to social movement building by providing organizers, activists, community members, and intellectuals the opportunity to come together to discuss issues, strengthen networks, and devise strategies for progressive social, economic, and political change. In recent years, the forum has grown considerably, and this year's program is by far the biggest yet.  It includes over fifty panels and workshops, including plenary sessions on "The New Voting Rights Movement" and "Building a Multi-Racial Movement," strategy sessions designed to foster strategic coordination among participating organizations and individuals, a RadFilmFest hosted by Free Speech TV, musical performances by Taste Emcees (http://www.gorillapromo.com/spot_taste.html) and One Drum (http://www.onedrum.net/), visual art displays, and daytime recreational activities.  The conference will be at the Lake Geneva Campus of Aurora University in Williams Bay, WI, about 50 miles southwest of Milwaukee, 70 miles southeast of Madison, and 80 miles northwest of Chicago.  Free buses (suggested donation $5-10) will be leaving for RadFest from Chicago on Friday afternoon and returning Sunday afternoon.  For information on the complete program, housing, transportation, child care and registration, go to www.radfest.org or email info@havenscenter.org

Monday, June 6 - "The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror," a documentary film directed by Gerard Ungerman and Audrey Brody (producers of Hidden Wars of Desert Storm) will be shown for one night only at 7 pm at Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue (35mm, 90 minutes).  A reception and question and answer session with Ungerman will follow the film.  Narrated by Ed Asner, this new documentary examines the link between the oil industry and current U.S. foreign policy.  It includes original footage shot over a four-month period in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan and interviews with an array of personalities including Bush administration officials. The film takes a candid look at the economic rationale behind Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2004. Tickets $10 at the door, $8 with advance reservation. Call the Peace Pledge Hotline to reserve tickets at 312.494.5840.

Thursday, June 9 - Open University of the Left Activist Glenn Fritz presents "Beyond the Fringe: Reading Jon Ronson's 'Them.'" Ronson's book (full title: "Them: Adventures with Extremists") is a lighthearted romp through America's heartland of darkness.  Ronson sets out to find the people who control everything.  Does such a cabal exist?  He finds rumors of them everywhere and learns of theories by conspirators about other conspirators. Ronson's extremists, though dangerous in groups, come off as disarming and sometimes pathetic as individuals.  7 pm, Acme Art Works, 1741 N. Western. $5 donation requested.  Info: 773.384.5797.

Saturday, June 11 - Pride Kickoff! "I Was a Teenage Feminist," part of Chicago Filmmakers' Dyke Delicious Series, presented in conjuction with Chicago N.O.W.  6 pm and 9 pm screening; 8 - 9 pm social hour at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark Street.  Filmmaker and former Chicagoan Therese Shechter in person for the Chicago premiere of her new documentary, "I Was a Teenage Feminist" (2005, 67 mins.). Is feminism dead, hibernating, or trapped below the radar?  Have the goals of the '70s been accomplished or has Victoria's Secret won out?  "I Was a Teenage Feminist" is a first-person journey into the movement that once sparked social revolution, yet now commonly evokes discomfort, indifference and even disdain.  Armed with a video camera, an inquiring mind, and an irreverent sense of humor, Shechter crisscrosses the country and her own psyche in the hope of reclaiming feminism as a source of personal and political power.

Saturday, June 11 - Counter-Recruitment Summer Training.  Get ready for the summer's counter-military recruitment activities, with this three hour training organized by the Chicagoland Committee Opposed to the Militarization of Youth (CCOMY). The training will include an orientation to information and strategies needed to effectively work against military recruiters at public events and in schools. Following the training, CCOMY volunteers will head out to the Chicago Blues Festival for hands-on training. After the training, join a volunteer network to work with CCOMY at at public events through the summer.  1 pm - 4 pm, Grace Place, 637 S. Dearborn, Lower Level.  Info: Darlene Gramigna, 312.427.2533 or dgramigna@afsc.org

Sunday, June 12 - The Chicago Committee to Free the Cuban 5 presents "Butterflies on the Scaffold," about how an historically poor and abandoned Afro-Cuban neighborhood of Havana is transformed by beautiful and charismatic drag queens.  Cuba's first and only "dragumentary" takes us on stage for the show, backstage for the preparation, and out to the community, where interviews with community leaders who how their attitudes changed and their insight grew.  In English, with Spanish subtitles, at 2 pm, DePaul University's Lincoln Park Campus, Schmitt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore, Room 254 (near the "Fullerton" stop on the Red Line "el").  Info: 773.376.7521, 773.465.0177, or uscubachi@hotmail.com 

Thursday, June 16 - The Irish American Heritage Center presents "Bloomsday 2005," its sixth annual event celebrating the legacy of writer James Joyce.  On June 16, 1904, writer James Joyce met his wife, Nora Barnacle, and immortalized the date in his monumental epic, "Ulysses."  Modern Joyce aficionados have denoted June 16th "Bloomsday"; a day set aside throughout the world to honor the great man and his controversial and thought-provoking works.  Entertainment will include readings, music and song presented by notables from Chicago's theater and music community.  The group will perform excerpts from Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," "Dubliners," "Ulysses" and "Finnegan's Wake," as well as biographical detail on Joyce's life.  Directed by Center member, Josephine Craven, the evening will begin with cocktails at 6:30 pm and dinner at 7:30 pm at the irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox.  The cost for the celebration is $40 and includes wine and soft drinks with dinner.  International Joyce, a traveling exhibit on the life of James Joyce, sponsored by the Cultural Division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, will be on display at the Center during the month of June.  The Irish American Heritage Center fosters the practice, study and celebration of Irish, Celtic and Irish-American cultural traditions. Membership in the Center is open to anyone with an interest in these traditions.  Info: 773.282.7035 or www.irishamhc.com.

Thursday, June 16 thru Sunday, June 19 - The 17th Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival.  Onion City presents a diverse selection of the best in experimental film and video from around the world over four days. Check our website or contact us in mid-May for a complete schedule. Opening Night on June 16 will be held at the Gene Siskel Film Center and will feature a specially selected program of new work by some experimental film greats.

Thursday, June 16 - The Iraq Labor Tour in Chicago.  Info: lduncan@igc.org

Friday, June 17 thru Thursday, June 23 - African Diaspora Film Festival.  Info: www.Facets.org

Saturday, June 18 - "Free Palestine" Guerilla Theater.  A guerilla theater company is forming for summer actions.  The Chicago chapter of the International Solidarity Movement and the Stop CAT Coalition are calling on other Palestine solidarity activists interested in participating in guerilla theater actions this summer to attend our first planning meeting.  All are welcome!  We need actors and prop makers of all ages.  No prior skills are necessary.  New World Resource Center, 1300 N. Western Ave, Noon - 2 pm - Info: isminchicago@aol.com or 773.489.3505

Friday, June 24 - Critical Mass Bike Ride, 5:30 pm, Daley Plaza.  Info: www.critical-mass.org

Friday, June 24 - A benefit for Room to Read, a program that promotes literacy in Southeast Asia.  Enjoy cocktails, appetizers, dessert and inspiration with a cool crowd in a cool space, for the benefit of a great cause.  This event will raise money to provide scholarships for girls who otherwise would not have the opportunity to go to school!  A presentation by Room to Read Chapter President Tina Sciabica will give an overview of Room to Read's exciting work.  Find out why Room to Read has been honored as an innovative charity by "Fast Company," and featured in "Time" and "Forbes."  7 pm - 11 pm, Chi Healing Center, 1733 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Bucktown.   Donation amount is at your discretion (they are tax-deductible).  RSVP by June 23 to RNKOPP@aol.com.  Info: Http://www.roomtoread.org

Saturday, June 25 - New Date of Spring Fundraiser for the Urban Life Center.  The Urban Life Center Spring Fundraiser originally scheduled for Saturday, April 30, has been moved to Saturday, June 25 at 7 pm at the Bailiwick Theater, 1229 W. Belmont.  If you've already purchased a ticket from Urban Life Center, it can be applied to the June 25 event.  Refunds are also available for your donation.  Info: www.urbanlifecenter or call Sarah at 773.363.1312 if you'd like a refund.

Saturday, June 25 - Annual Chicago Dyke March. Assemble at 1:30 pm at the Trumbull Elementary School's playground on the corner of Ashland and Foster.

Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 - Conference on IWW Centenary, UIC, centenary@iww.org

Sunday, June 26 - Join the Gay Liberation Network contingent in this year's Gay Pride Parade!!  Whether gay or not, all who agree with our slogan for this year's contingent, "Money for Health Care, NOT for Warfare," are welcome to participate!  Meet at the corner of Halsted and Diversey at 11:30 am.  Info: LGBTliberation@aol.com or 773.209.1187

Thursday, June 23 thru Saturday, June 25 - "Souls' Fire," the second national conference of the African American Roundtable of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, focusing on the theme, "Re-Imagining Black Religious Identity: Race, Class, Gender & Sexuality."  African American LGBT people of faith spearhead a conference in Chicago to discuss race, class and sexuality in the church.  "Souls' Fire" presents a rare opportunity to hear African American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of faith from around the country -- along with their straight allies -- speak publicly about some of the most controversial issues in the church today -- race, faith, gender, class and sexuality. The conference also breaks new ground by bringing together scholars, artists and faith community leaders for collaborative, cross-disciplinary discussion.  Panelists will include religion scholars, artists, pastors and social service workers.  Participants include Johari Jabir of the University of California, Santa Barbara;  Juan Reed of St. Martins Episcopal Church, Chicago; Maurice Charles of the University of Chicago; and Irene Monroe, doctoral candidate at Harvard Divinity School and religion columnist. On Thursday, June 23rd the conference will be at the University Church, 5655 S. University Avenue; on Friday, June 24th the conference will be at the Chicago Theological Seminary, 5757 S. University Avenue; and on Saturday, June 25th, the conference will be back at the University Church. For Friday and Saturday events, register in advance through the CLGS website www.clgs.org. The advance registration fee is $25 until May 31. The fee after May 31 is $35. Tickets are available at the door.  Sponsor: The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry and The African American Roundtable of CLGS, which seeks the full inclusion of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in communities of faith in support of social justice for LGBT people by fostering dialogue about the intersections between faith and sexuality among black church and faith leaders (including scholars of religion), black church congregations, black LGBT persons and between each of these constituencies.  Co-sponsors: Chicago Theological Seminary,Pillar of Love Fellowship Church, St. Martins Episcopal Church, _MOCHA Collaborative,YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago-Loop, and SAFE Services LGBT Program.  Info: www.clgs.org or contact the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at 510.849.8206, 800.999.0528, or clgs@clgs.org