Built with Empty Fists: Black Liberation Through Martial Arts

Join us for a workshop by Dr. Maryam Aziz that explores how martial arts became a significant form of self determination for Black communities. Dr. Aziz will provide a historical overview that shows how self-defense moves can be traced back to the Reconstruction period while focusing on how unarmed self-defense contributed to Black Power organizing and shifting ideas about liberation, abolition, and gender norms from the Cold War to our present moment. This workshop will be interactive with Dr. Aziz highlighting and breaking down the importance of several moves from Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and Karate!