Image: Black August collab banner created at Doodles table at LA CAN’s Black August commemoration in Aug 2025

Kind light / Բարի լույս* to you, dear neighbors, artists, collaborators, community partners, co-conspirators, supporters of arts in Skid Row and doodles without borders,
^{*morning greeting in Armenian translates as “kind light” (բարի լույս [baree looys])}

Post highlights: (1)Events/Activities in/near Skid Row, (2)Thoughts Aloud, (3)Quote of the Month
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HIGHLIGHTS in and near Skid Row neighborhood, August 2026
Some neighborhood events, celebrations, and parties to join

1. Mondays, Aug 3, 10, 17, 24, at 8am PST online – Black August Study: Blood in My Eye with Black Power Media on YouTube.com/ @blackpowermediareloaded
2. Thur, Aug 6, 3-6pm, 11th Annual Jamaican Independence Day Celebration with DJ Sir Oliver at Skid Row Museum (250 S Broadway)
3. Fri, Aug 7, 7pm: MOVIE NIGHT at LA Poverty Department’s Skid Row Museum (250 S Broadway)  
4. Wed, Aug 12, 7p: MOVIE in the PARK @ General Jeff Park (movie start at dusk)
5. Thur, 10am – SRAA MicroGrant Workshop @ Skid Row Museum
6. Fri, Aug 14, 5-7pm: ARTS JAM Open Mic at Studio526 (526 San Pedro St)
7. Sat, Aug 15, 1-4pm: COFFEE HOUSE by Urban Voices @ InnerCity Arts. Check urbanvoicesproject.org for details
8. Fri, Aug 21, 3-7pm – Black August event / commemoration at LACAN (838 E 6th St, Skid Row neighborhood)
9. Fri, Aug 21, 7pm: MOVIE NIGHT at Skid Row Museum (250 S Broadway)  
10. Fri, Aug 28, 3p: Sock Puppets + 5-7:30p: OPEN MIC @ Skid Row Museum
11. Fri, Aug 28, Dusk: Movie by StopLAPDspying in front of LAPD headquarters (sometimes location varies, check IG page
12. Sat, Aug 29,  “Hotels in Crisis (Again)” new performance by LA Poverty Dept, and “Rise Up!” concert by The Elderman at Skid Row Museum
    
    You can VIEW, DOWNLOAD, or PRINT the monthly calendar at doodleswithoutborders.com/calendar

Pa/est/ine + Skid Row Actions: some places to find local downtown LA and nearby actions that make local Skid Row to global connections: Pal Youth Movement – LA, Organize – LA, StopLAPDSpying, LACAN

SAVE THE DATE / ONGOING
• ONGOING: Hotels in Crisis exhibit at Skid Row Museum (250 S Broadway), Museum hours are Thu, Fri, at 2-5pm

OPEN MICS as places to come together, and plant seeds of collective struggle.
There are at least FOUR regularopen mics currently in Skid Row:
Weekly – (1) every Thurs, 6:30-9pm at Peace and Healing Center (116 E 5th)
Monthly – (2) 1st/3rd Fridays 11a-1p: BuckFest at Care Campus (442 S Crocker) by Urban Voices,  (3) every 2nd Friday, 5-7pm, at Studio526 (526 San Pedro St); (4) every last Friday of the month, 5-7:30pm with Lorinda at LA Poverty Dept‘s Skid Row Museum (250 S. Broadway)

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THOUGHTS ALOUD

ALIGNMENT WITH LIBERATION
There is no controversy in seeing organized alignment with working class rooted Indigenous sovereignty movements and Black liberation movements as the only hope for liberation of everyone in Turtle Island from 534 years, 407 years, 250 years of colonial anti-human suffocation.
These liberatory themes find parallels and reverberations around the world, from Pa/estine to Sudan, Congo, Haiti, Armenia and beyond.

With this in mind, to live inside u.s. empire means you have an obligation to find out about Black August, study the history of Black August, the commemorations and activities associated with Black August (Malcolm X Grassroots Movement‘s Resistance Handbook is one starting point: bit.ly/BARHandbook), including learning and contributing to the fight for release of Black political prisoners and by extension support all prison abolition work: Free Them All!

Some additional starting points points:

• All month long, discussion group for “Blood in My Eye” by George Jackson (pdf link): Mondays, Aug 3, 10, 17, 24, at 8am PST. Black August Study with Black Power Media on YouTube.com/ @blackpowermediareloaded
• Great discussion about “Blood in my Eye” on I mix what I like – YouTube channel
• Locally, keep an eye on BLM-LA’s instagram for LA as a whole, and on LACAN’s instagram for Skid Row neighborhood specific events and commemorations.
• Finally, as part of overlapping work being done, learn about the Critical Resistance chapter in LA (or where ever you are), and consider joining Critical Resistance LA’s group for writing letters to prisoners as one starting point. There is one coming up on August 19th!

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are already dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done, discover your humanity and your love in revolution.”

– George Jackson, “Bood in my Eye” 1970


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dwb ONLINE:
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2) There is a monthly dwb Skid Row Community & Arts Calendar. If you do community strengthening work in Skid Row and know of an event/meeting that should be on there, please share. 
3) dwb wishlist!  You can find it here: bit.ly/dwbwishlist 

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For previous newsletter(s), go to www.doodleswithoutborders.com homepage

doodles without borders is just starting to scratch the surface of our collective, abolitionist, liberatory work and I look forward to much much more together!

With much love and joyful commitment to universal equitable access to housing, healthcare, education, arts and cultural spaces, and a strong and vibrant community locally and globally, across timezones, beyond borders, 
Հայկ [hike] / Hayk

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