I had the special opportunity Friday evening to spend my time at an event dedicated to arts and social activism: a concert entitled “Activism Right There,” which featured conscious performers such as Gabriel Teodros, Siren’s Echo, spoken word artists and headliners, Zion I and ILL-Literacy. The event opened with a panel on the history of activism at Cal,which consisted of Bettina Abtheker, Free Speech Movement activist and professor of Feminist Studies at UC Santa Cruz, Jeff Chang, author of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, as well as UC Berkeley’s own Roxanne Winston, ASUC Senator, and Asian American Studies lecturer, Harvey Dong. Zellerbach Theatre was less than half-filled at the conclusion of thepanel discussion, but gradually turned into a full house by the time Zion I took stage. At one point during their performance, the audience had not only crowded into the aisles, but onto the stage as well, me included. Host Marc Bamuthi Joseph described this as “the people taking over the institution,” aswe young folk turned took this world-renowned stage into our dance floor.

While the concert was chock-full of invitations to getting off the couch and actively engage in making real positive social change, I couldn’t help but wonder how effective would this concert be in fulfilling its mission. To be honest, even I couldn’t wait for the small-time spoken word artists and musicians from Seattle to get off stage so I could wild out to the beats of Zion I. While Siren’s Echo was performing,I turned to my friend and asked her how many people did she think would actually be moved by the political messages and get fired up to take up an issue they felt passionate about. Her reply was, “Hopefully a lot. Some people need to be motivated.” I was a bit surprised as I was half-expecting a more pragmatic answer from her, but her comment made me think about Pilipino Cultural Night, or PCN. This event, while it claims to be “more than show” but hardly is, does in some way to light a fire in its participants to take hold of the Pilipin@ community, their community, here at Cal. And so in a similar fashion, perhaps I can have some faith that people in the audience were moved to take up the torch of some social issue and that some were reinvigorated to keep pushing on with their drive for change. Still, I can’t help but remember noticing how the theatre swelled as Zion I murdered the mic, and filtered to less than half empty for the closing act of ILL-Illiteracy, which put on a slammin’ performance. Not to say that Zion I doesn’t produce dope, conscious music n beats, but if that is who people were waiting for in order to go crazy, blaze it up, and rush the stage, then I do wonder if a burning desire to takeaction on social issues was really “right there” in the minds n hearts of the people in attendance.

As an interesting counterpoint tothe crowd at the concert, before arriving to Zellerbach, I was at a fundraising dinner/alumni mixer for a community organizing project I’ve been a part of forthe last two years: Asian American Community Training (ACT). There was about 25 people at the mixer, and while I did not know everyone, all were truly down for positive social change and empowering Asian American youth and developing new leaders to change the world. I appreciate my experience with ACT so much as it has allowed me to build a network of people I can trust on for support and good will whenever I see them. While participating in 2006 was a fun time, being a coordinator was much more fulfilling. Although I helped to put on the training, I learned a lot from the community activists brought in as trainers and I’m glad to have relationships with people like Hai Binh, Eric, and Alex. Being in DC with Pahua, Kathy, and Ryan also allowed me to see how much of an impact ACT had on our lives as we’ve gone from being strangers from the minute of our first meeting to being friends, a crew wherever we go together.

“The true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.” —Che Guevara

“A Revolution without dancing, is a revolution not worth having.”—V, from “V for Vendetta”

One of the panelists from the concert at Berkeley mentioned that a revolution concerns all human emotions; that it is a holistic experience that requires of the revolutionary everything that he or she has to give. A revolution cannot be solely about being angry and protesting every big or small injustice going on, but also a celebration of life, victories, and unity. Reflecting on Friday and being in two settings in which the value of human expression and friendship was so honored and celebrated, I just have to conclude that in the connections I make with people I know and don’t know: the individuals I have met in Berkeley, the idealists I encounter in leadership trainings and programs like YP4, and that fly lookin’ kid going crazy to socially conscious beats—change lies in these bonds I make. The hearts and hands of the amazing people I write poetry, plan rallies, give speeches, and dance with beat and toil as my heart and hands beat and toil to shape a different future now. In the love and celebration of life in the friendships I have made, I see the reasons to pursue activism right there.