On Saturday, September 10th 2005, visionary
musician, filmmaker and human rights worker, Michael Franti
along with his band, Spearhead and Guerrilla
Management present the 7th Annual 911 Power to the
Peaceful Festival (PTTP) at Speedway Meadow in Golden
Gate Park, San Francisco.
Now in its seventh year, PTTP is an annual
series of free, outdoor music and arts festivals with a social
justice message bringing together international musicians,
local artists and renowned speakers in a large festival
atmosphere. The first festival drew over 6,000 people, but has
expanded to be one of Ca's largest festivals of its
kind with over 50,000 attendees last year. This year, the San
Francisco Mayor's Office will proclaim September 10th Power to
the Peaceful Day at the festival. This year's theme, Bring `Em
Home, seeks to remind the public that the best way to support
American troops abroad is to bring them home today.
Inspirational performances at PTTP have
included such diverse speakers and artists including Amy
Goodman, Dennis Kucinich, Alice Walker, Ram Das, Digital
Underground, Talib Kweli, KRS-One, The String Cheese Incident,
Lyrics Born, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, John Butler Trio, Krist
Novoselic, and Jello Biafra. This year's music line up
includes Michael Franti and Spearhead, Jean Grae, Saul
Williams, Anti-Flag, Zap Mama's Marie Daulne, J-Boogie's
Dubtronic Science and Glide Choir. Speakers include
Angela Davis, Woody Harrelson, Robert Greenwald
(filmmaker - Outfoxed, Wal-Mart), Rev. Cecil Williams
(Glide Church), Paul Rieckhoff (opTruth.org), Tim
Goodrich (Iraqi Vets Against The War), and DJ Miguel
Migs.
New to the festival this year will be an ASEC
(Action Sports Environmental Coalition)sponsored, ecologically
`forest stewardship certified' wood built skate ramp featuring
demos by pro-skater, Danny Way, who recently jumped the
Great Wall of China, ESPN X-Games Medalists Jen O'Brien,
CaraBeth Burnside, Lyn-z Adams and Mimi Knoop. The
ramp will be donated to a Bay Area city high school after the
event.
As festival organizer and Spearhead frontman
Michael Franti explains the history of the festival, "As a
brainstorm of LA-based organization, Artist Network of
Refuse & Resist, Rage Against The Machine, artist Robbie
Conal and Franti, the festival began in 1999 as an
international day of art and culture with events in NYC, LA
and San Francisco in support of political prisoner Mumia
Abu-Jamal. The name and date 911 were chosen to call attention
to the emergency status of Mumia's impending execution.
Inspired and wanting to continue the movement of music, art
and social justice, Franti adopted the moniker `911' and
expanded the event in 2000 to show support for all prisoners
on death row and to speak out against the exponential growth
of militarism and the prison industrial complex."
Noting the significance for more recent
global political events, Franti says, "In 2001 the day of
September 11th took on a wider significance as a result of the
tragic loss of life by the attacks of the day. The 4th and 5th
events in 2002-2003 created a space for healing and compassion
for ALL the people killed or displaced by terrorism and the
war on terrorism and in 2004 PTTP brought out the issue of
`get out the vote' and `stand up and be counted.'
In addition to the performers and speakers on
the main stage, the festival features a zero-waste program
using bio-diesel vegetable fuel for power, biodegradable
flatware, water bottles and plates, recycle and composting
bins, an open-air art gallery, earth-conscious vendors,
massage and yoga, DJ dance floor, eco-village, kid's zone,
bike coalition and a diverse array of social, environmental
and political organizations tabling.
For those unable to attend, the event will be broadcast
live on Pacifica station, KPFA (94.1 FM in or www.kpfa.org
).
The weekend doesn't sleep with a festival
after party and all-star jam and DJ's on Saturday, September
10 from 10PM - 4AM at 1015 Folsom. On Sunday, September
11th, a Franti hosted Social Justice Forum will take place at
Cell Space on Bryant Street from 11am-5pm produced in
conjunction with Craigslist Foundation, Next Generation of
Activists, Global Exchange, Ella Baker Center for Human
Rights, Circle of Life Foundation and Agape. Lastly, there
will be a `Power To The Peaceful Yoga Workshop' with
Nicki Doane and Eddie Modestini (yogaonamaui.org) at
the Yoga Tree-Yoga Flow classroom in the Castro
District (yogatreesf.com).
