Friday, October 1st, 6:30 PM
at the Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center
NC National Conference of Black Lawyers Chapter members will be engaginging the community in a lively discussion on the role of the District Attorney and upcoming local elections, and watching "The Hate U Give".
Enjoy our fish fry with cornbread, collards and other fixins!
Tribute to
Melvin Van Peebles

By Ron

I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of someone who I believe was a true cinematic revolutionary. Melvin Van Peebles died Tuesday at the age of 89. I fondly remember viewing his tour de force, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," when it hit the big screen in 1971. 
I wanted to jump up and shout "YES!!" when Sweetback got away after having beaten up two racist White cops, figuratively riding off into the sunset at the end. I had never seen a movie (because there hadn't ever been one) where the Black "hero" survived after having taken on the White establishment in such a manner. And his play, "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death," was the first Broadway musical I ever ventured to see.

My family and I had the honor of meeting Melvin some years ago at an NCBL reception held at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. I felt we bonded to some degree over his son Mario's and my connections with Columbia University. While he got to see Mario make a splash for a while as an actor and director, Melvin never received the credit I believe he deserved for paving the way for future Black filmmakers to make films that need not be solicitous to White sensibilities. Nonetheless, Melvin, like Sweetback, will always be remembered in my book as the Baadasssss Man he was.
Calling All "Social Justice" Musicians/Singers/Hip Hop/Poets/filmMakers/Artists!

The Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center/FOLWCC has several SOCIAL JUSTICE Community art projects in the works, and we are looking for qualified artists/artist teams/cultural art workers and activists to create inspiring yet enlightening musical CDs and artwork that speak to the themes of each project.
Please take a look at the qualifications and feel free to inform us of your interest. Apply by e-mail and/or share with other artists!

Inspiring, healing and informative music and poetry that gets our people up for the challenges ahead as we all as workers, working-class, youth, and oppressed will as a community get through the present U.S. & World health/economic/social crisis:

Create unique empowering music, lyrics, poetry for outdoor shows at the FOLWCC and professional studio production piece.

Deadline: October 10, 2021


Create artful works for covid safe presentations at the FOLWCC ( inside and outside our center).

Deadline: October 10, 2021

Create an artful mix of all of the above and MORE!

Deadline: October 10, 2021

Learn more about our artists! Email fruitoflaborwcc@netscape.com or call our office (919) 876-7187 leaving your name and phone number, as well as, a good time to call you back.

Art Exhibit inside the FOL WCC Building

On view now is "A Collection of Works by Social Justice Artists...." which features works from around our NC community, Africa, the Caribbean, Cuba and more. Many art collection works by artists reflect our social justice and historical values. The exhibit is available to view NOW by appointment! 

Register for a FOLWCC activity today!
Emancipation Statue Unveiled in Virginia
After Removal of Lee Monument


A new statue commemorating the abolition of slavery was unveiled in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday, two weeks after a monument of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was removed.

State of play: The Emancipation and Freedom Statue consists of two bronze statues depicting a man and a woman holding a baby after being freed from slavery. It also includes the names of 10 Virginians who fought for emancipation, including Dred Scott.

  • The statue was meant to be revealed in 2019, but it was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

What they're saying: "I pray the public will see to the heart of the piece, to feel the intent to present a work with which every African American can identify, and find a place that every person can visit and piece for reflection and to teach their children," said Virginia state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D), who is head of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission, which commissioned the statue.

"We talk often about the need to make sure that we tell and teach the full and true story of our shared history, how we must ensure that everyone understands where we have been so we can build a more inclusive future together," Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said.

"By necessity that often includes focusing on the horrors of slavery and the terrors of the Jim Crow era. But in this monument, we see a different part of the story. These figures embody the power, the power of emancipation and the power of free," Northam added.
Critical Race Theory Bans are Making Teaching Much Harder

Educators are confused about how to navigate new laws that ban discussions about race in the classroom.


This year, American history might look different in Iowa classrooms.

In early June, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed a bill that restricts what teachers can teach in K-12 schools and at public universities, particularly when it comes to sexism and racism. It bans 10 concepts that Republican legislators define as “divisive,” including the idea that “one race or sex is superior to another,” that members of a particular race are inherently inclined to oppress others, and that “the U.S. and Iowa are fundamentally racist or sexist.”

The law, which is already in effect, has sparked confusion and distress among educators, some of whom say it is so broad and the language so ambiguous, they fear they might face consequences for even broaching nuanced conversations about racism and sexism in the context of US history. Read more here.