6/23/09

Change of venue--the opening night performance on Thursday has been changed to a new venue. It will still be at the SHAPE Center, but at a different facility. The address is 3903 Almeda - Houston, TX  77004. The schedule for the shuttle from the hotels to SHAPE remains the same.

6/22/09

If you missed Free Minds, Free People on Dialogue with Ada Edwards, you still have two more chances to catch us on the radio--Connect the Dots with Robert Muhammad, KPFT 90.1 FM, Houston's Pacifica Station, on  Wednesday sometime between 10 am and 11:30 am central and S.O.S. Radio KPFT on Wednesday sometime between 3 pm and 5 pm central.

6/19/09

Tune into Dialogue with Ada Edwards at 7:30 am Saturday on Praise 92.1 in Houston or listen online as conference organizers Robin Owens and Tara Mack talk about Free Minds, Free People. Please call in and join the conversation on 713-390-5921. Tell listeners why you're excited about Free Minds, Free People.

6/16/09

The conference doesn't end when the sun goes down! We hope all the night owls out there take advantage of one of our two Late Night Activities on Friday--the Dia-lounge, a hang out and mingle space for youth (snacks provided), or Be the Difference, a film about teaching children who live in poverty.

6/15/09

Important upcoming deadlines--The last day to register online is Monday, June 22. After that date, if you want to register, you will have to do so on site. However, activities are filling up quickly. We have two that are already full. So please register soon!

In addition, the last day to order a conference t-shirt online at the discount rate of $15 is Thursday, June 18. We also must receive payment for the t-shirt by that day. So if you ordered a t-shirt and are planning to pay by check, please put your check in the mail today. After that date if you want to purchase a t-shirt you will have to do so on site for $18.

 

6/9/09

In response to popular demand, we have added two new site visits: An Eye on Third Ward and Una Reflexión de Nosotros (A Reflection of Us): The East End. Learn more about these visits to important Houston neighborhoods.

6/8/09

Announcing the Free Minds Cinema! On Saturday the conference will screen several films related to education for liberation. Please click here for a complete list. You are welcome to drop into the film room at any time that day. No need to register. On Friday evening, we will screen a plenary film, Third Ward TX, followed by a facilitated discussion.

 

6/2/09

The early bird registration deadline has been extended to Friday, June 5. Register this week to get the lowest fees. The deadline will not be extended again.

 

5/27/09

We have reserved a block of rooms at an additional hotel for $85 per night. Please note that although this hotel is not within walking distance of the conference, it is accessible to the conference site by MetroRail.

 

5/26/09

Don't forget--the early bird registration deadline for Free Minds, Free People is June 1. After that date, registration fees will increase. So register now for the lowest rates.

 

5/18/09

Introducing our fantastic conference keynote speakers--Rosa Clemente and Charles Cobb!  Charles is one of the architects of the 1964 Freedom Schools in Mississippi and has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, co-founding the National Association of Black Journalists. Rosa is a hip hop activist and journalist and the Vice Presidential candidate for the Green Party in the 2008 elections. We are honored to have them speak at Free Minds, Free People. Please note that we've made a small change in the schedule. Charles will be speaking Friday morning and Rosa on Saturday morning.

5/18/09

On Saturday evening please join us for a Youth Poetry Slam featuring teams from Houston and Austin. We are also inviting other youth conference participants to sign up to be a part of a pick up team that will compete as part of the slam. We will have a sign up for the slam at the conference.

 

5/18/09

For your convenience, you can now now download a complete list of workshops, site visits and panels in schedule order. You can also find a link to this list at the bottom of the agenda

page.

 

5/14/09

Learn more about the work of two of the conference presenters--IndyKids and Venceremos. Listen to this podcast featuring teachers and editors talking about  IndyKids, the progressive newspaper for children or stop by the Critical Race Studies conference in Tucson, AZ (May 21-23) to hear the staff of Venceremos describe how they started in Chicano newspaper at the University of Utah.  You can also download a copy of the latest edition of IndyKids.

 

4/29/09

Conference t-shirts are now available! Click here for a sneak peak. You can pre-order yours for $15.00 when you register online and pick it up at the conference, or you can buy one on site for $18.00. Already registered? No problem. Just enter the username and password you created when you registered the first time, and add a t-shirt to your order.

 

4/15/09

Conference registration is now open! Click here for more information about conference fees, vendor and exhibition tables, the conference location, transportation and for a link to our online registration page.

4/13/09

The deadline to book a bed at the Houston Hostel is Wednesday, April 15. After that date rooms reserved for the conference will be released to the public. Beds at the hostel are $17.95 per night. Click here to get more information on how to make a reservation. On that page you will also find information about other lodging options.

 

4/6/09

Attention cycling enthusiasts--a bike tour of Houston has been added to the agenda, Saturday morning at 7 am. Visit Houston's historic Third Ward and Texas Southern University, an historically black college, while enjoying fresh air and exercise.

 

3/24/09

The conference website has been launched! Explore these pages to find the conference agenda, descriptions of conference activities, hotel/hostel information, meet the people who are making this conference happen and much more. Registration will open soon!