DATE: 2-11 p.m. March 25 and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. March 26, 2011.

EVENT: The past, present and future of Asian American political activism will be the focus of a free, public two-day conference, “Out of the Margins: Asian American Movement Building.”

The conference will feature prominent scholars, including Grace Lee Boggs, the 95-year-old philosopher-activist from Detroit, as well as students, performing artists and community organizers from across the United States.

Participants will discuss how the rising numbers and political clout of Asians in America will impact movements for nonviolence and social justice. The struggle to shatter the model minority stereotype of Asians as passive and assimilating will also be examined.

Some of the conference highlights include:

• “Sustainable Activism for the 21st Century,” a panel discussion 4-6 p.m. March 25, will feature Boggs; political theorist Michael Hardt, professor of literature at Duke University and co-author of the books “Empire” and “Multitude”; and Mabel Williams, an icon of the civil rights and black power movements and widow of African American activist Robert F. Williams. A reception will follow and Boggs will sign copies of her new book, “The Next American Revolution.”
• “Asian American Performers Showcase,” 7:30-11 p.m. March 25, will celebrate 40 years of socially conscious Asian American music and arts. Nobuko Miyamoto, a pioneer in the Asian American folk music scene of the 1960s and ’70s, will provide a history of Asian American activism through a multimedia performance. She will be joined by West Coast hip-hop artists Geologic of Blue Scholars, Kiwi and DJ Phatrick, as well as other performers.
• Panel discussions, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. March 26, will address community organizing, public education, immigration, cultural activism, international adoption, LGBT politics and multiracial coalition building.

PLACE: Michigan League Ballroom, 911 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor (March 25) and the Trotter Multicultural Center, 1443 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor (March 26).

SPONSORS: U-M’s Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program is one of the primary sponsors, along with the Program in American Culture, Center for Educational Outreach, Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Committee on Institutional Cooperation.

INFORMATION: Registration is required. For details, see www.umich.edu/~apiamovt.