Rachel’s message amplified in New york

Co-hosts: Amy Goodman and James Zogby

Participating: Anthony Arnove, Huwaida Arraf, Brian Avery, Nirit Ben-Ari, Leila Buck, Kia Corthron, Suheir Hammad, Leonard Hubbard from The Roots with A. Marcy Francis, Brian Jones, Liz Magnes, Malachy McCourt, Betty Shamieh, Jonathan Tasini, Zafer Tawil, Tom Wallace, Ora Wise, and Maysoon Zayid.

Appearing via video/statements: Maya Angelou, Kathleen Chalfant, Eve Ensler, Mariam Said, Patti Smith and Howard Zinn. “My Name is Rachel Corrie” is a powerful one-woman show based entirely on the diaries and emails of Rachel Corrie. Rachel was a human rights activist and gifted writer. She was crushed to death by an Israeli Army bulldozer as she tried to protect the home of a Palestinian pharmacist from demolition in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on March 16th, 2003.

Rachel was 23. The play was scheduled to open at the New York Theatre Workshop on March 22nd. It has been postponed indefinitely, sparking an escalating controversy. Rachel’s words will still be heard on that day. Rachel wrote about issues that concern us all. Come hear an array of academics, activists, performers and playwrights read selected writings of Rachel Corrie, honor her through poems and songs, and discuss the context in which her words were written and the pervasive climate of fear in which they have been suppressed.

Maya Angelou: acclaimed poet, historian, author, and civil rights activist.

Anthony Arnove: editor, with Howard Zinn, of Voices of a People’s History of the United States.city of Jenin.

Nirit Ben-Ari: an Israeli citizen, and was a soldier in the Israeli military radio station. She worked for the United Nations Department of Public Information, Africa section.

Leila Buck: founding member of Mixed Company, a bi-cultural theater collective.

Kathleen Chalfant: Tony nominated actress.

Kia Corthron: is an award-winning playwright.

Eve Ensler: performer, activist and award-winning author of The Vagina Monologues.

Amy Goodman: host of Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now! program.

Suheir Hammad: poet, who has appeared in award winning anthologies, and in zines stapled together by queer youth collectives.

Leonard “Hub” Hubbard: band member of grammy award winning “The Roots”

Brian Jones: has toured across the country as Marx in Howard Zinn’s one-man play Marx in Soho since 1999.

Liz Magnes: celebrated Israeli jazz pianist.

Malachy McCourt: actor, author and writer. He has performed on Broadway and off-Broadway.

Mariam Said: the widow of the late Edward Said.

Najla Said: a founding member and the current artistic director of Nibras, the Arab-American theatre collective.

Betty Shamieh: Palestinian-American writer and actor. Her play “Roar” was the first play about Palestinians to appear off-Broadway, and was selected as a New York Times Critic’s Pick for four consecutive weeks.

Patti Smith: American musician, singer, and poet.

Jonathan Tasini: New York Democratic candidate for the United States Senate

Zafer Tawil: New York based oud player born in Jerusalem Tom Wallace: American peace activist and media coordinator for the International Solidarity Movement at a crucial time following the killing of Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall.

Ora Wise: is an Israeli-American peace activist.
Maysoon Zayid: is an actress and professional stand-up comedian.

Howard Zinn: historian, playwright, and social activist.

Dr. James J. Zogby: founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI)