[News] Barbara Lubinski, one of the founders of the Freedom Archives, passed unexpectedly into the ancestral realm on May 5th

[Anti-Imperialist News]

We are very sad to announce that Barbara Lubinski, one of the founders 
of the Freedom Archives, passed unexpectedly into the ancestral realm on 
May 5^th , 2016.


Barbara was an extremely warm, kind, and generous woman who helped raise 
many stepchildren, nephews, and nieces in her extended San Francisco 
family.She began her radio news work at WGTB at Georgetown University, 
introducing a progressive magazine format that mixed poetry and music 
with news stories.


In the early 1970s she worked with KPOO Community Radio in San Francisco 
under the direction of the Third World media Alliance. She produced 
“Common Woman,” a weekly program of interviews, culture and issues on 
women and the women’s movement as well as being co-news director.


In 1976 she, along with Heber Dreher, began work on the program series 
that is a core part of the Freedom Archives, as they initiated Freedom 
is a Constant Struggle, building a collective of six producers that 
maintained a progressive weekly news and culture format until 1995.


Among her most notable programs are in-prison interviews with Lolita 
Lebron and Assata Shakur, an interview with South African liberation 
leader Chris Hani, and many programs on the impact of oppression on 
people of color, the poor, and especially children.


Barbara was also instrumental in the production of /Wild Poppies/, a 
Freedom Archives poetry CD honoring political prisoner Marilyn Buck.


Barbara was a dedicated anti-racist and anti-imperialist activist in the 
civil rights/Black liberation movement, against the US wars in Indochina 
and Central America, in support of women’s and gay/lesbian liberation 
and freedom for US political prisoners. She worked closely with Barbara 
Dane to build and maintain Paredon Records. She also held financial 
positions at a number of progressive non-profits, including the Asian 
Law Caucus, and most recently the Mosaic Project in Oakland. Barbara was 
74 years old.


______________________________________________

A White Mother to her Four African American Stepchildren

By Barbara Lubinski

/(This poem is inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son”)/

Well, children, life ain’t easy, let me say.

No yellow brick road guides the way.

Born poor, white female in the South,

Life knocked me down, but never out

I scraped my knees, shed some tears,

then got back up, in spite of fears.

You tread a path that’s rough, rocky…more

Four black youth in a zone of war.

My womaness gives you no shield.

My whiteness stays no blows

I have no gold to smooth your way

Protective powers I don’t wield

With my love, I can you surround

Reflect your heart and strength.

And hope when hard times pull you down

You’ll find the grit so you’ll rebound.

Well, children, life ain’t easy, let me say.

No trouble-free paths to lighten your way

But when the going gets real tough

Just look old life dead in the eye,

and keep on reaching for the sky.

*The Ordinary Woman *

*/... a herstory.../*by Barbara Lubinski

The ordinary woman

Into the chaos strides,

Bringing order with a sweep of her hand.

She breathes fire into all life,

Whispers life into the air,

Puts the blossom and the fruit on the land.

The ordinary woman

Fills the ocean with her tears,

Stars up the heavens with her love.

She kisses songs on all our lips,

Draws the stories from our hearts.

She’s the rock, foundation for all above.

The ordinary woman

Fishes fish, bakes the bread,

Feeds the people with her sweat, and her blood.

By her mystery, voodoo, witchcraft,

She heals body, spirit, soul,

Raping, drowning, burning often her reward.

The ordinary woman

Bears the children and the lash,

Strides off to war, yet creates the peace.

She works the factories, plows the fields,

Swings the hammer and the hoe.

She makes the rhythm that moves us without cease.

The ordinary woman

Stands toe to toe with every man,

On picket lines, front lines, in the streets.

She marches in the marches.

She rides the freedom trains.

She raises up the banner that spells out our dreams.

The ordinary woman

Does extraordinary deeds,

Speaks the truth,

Fights the fight,

Stands real tall.

The ordinary woman

Is the woman in us all.


-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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