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Welcome to the Age of Yes!
I’m writing a long and in-depth piece analyzing the election and the outcomes, and the president-elect’s particular approach and potential legacies. I started to write it here but it got too big and unwieldy. There’s a portion of it, though, that I am excited about and want to share.
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My Big Gay Blog
Today I came home to find a “Yes on Prop 8″ sticker slapped onto the Barbara Lee campaign sign in front of my building. Prop 8 is the proposition to ban gay marriage that passed in California last night. The sticker wasn’t there yesterday. Driving around the neighborhood tonight, I didn’t see anymore stickers, just the one in front of our building.
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YM Blog: More Than Obama and McCain
(This post originally appeared on FOBBDeep)
While most people are caught up in the election hype surrounding the race to the Presidency, it’s important to remember that there’s a hell of a lot of other things on the ballot to research. There are the congressional elections that are taking place for each person’s respective district, 12 state propositions, and whatever other propositions and local offices exist in one’s district.
To reitirate, there are 12 propositions on the California state ballot. For the Presidential undecided voters, who confuse me more than Republicans, this means you need to figure out that part of the ballot yesterday and start researching the other important things that in many aspects affect you even more.
Ideally, I would l would like to drop some knowledge on each of these propositions, but I’m busy as hell with classes and have to select the ones that I feel an urgency to speak. In this case, it’s regarding Proposition 6 aka the Runner’s Initiative: Police and Law Enforcement Funding. Criminal Penalties and Laws. Initiative Statute.
In a state where the institution criminalizes the youth and tracks them to become products of the prison industrial complex, such an initiative further perpetuates the cycle of injustice. Prop 6 essentially mandates nearly $1 billion each year towards a failing criminal justice system. This would in turn cut funds in education, healthcare, and other vital social programs that work at the roots. Instead of pumping more money to place even more folks behind prisons, what is needed is community-based solutions to curb the crime and violence.
What is ironic about the initiative is that the biggest contributor towards Prop 6’s passage, Henry T. Nicholas, has his own justice problem as he has been accused of securites fraud and multiple drug crimes.
Don’t let the name “Safe Neighborhood’s Act” fool ya’. It’s just going to make the problems that exist even worse. The anti-gang talk just further promotes the war on the youth, allowing more 14 year old to be tried as adults.
Learn more:
Holiday Reflection
(This post originally appeared on RaceWire)
A country tells so much about itself through its national holidays. The stories from the heart of the country are evidenced in those celebrations. Yesterday, on most calendars, was Columbus Day in the U.S. Some calendars call it Indigenous People’s Day.
I have echoes of how I celebrated this day as a child in Department of Defense schools. Dressed up for the occasion, I often joined the other non white kids to play a little Indian with my hair in braids, sometimes called Pocahontas. The day was taught, as many American myths are, as “history”: In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, then he had an awesome picnic with the Indians, who subsequently started scalping white people in caravans of wagons while screaming, and now we’re here!
I’d like to say I intuited that something was wrong with the story, but memory says I bought it all. I wasn’t exactly patriotic, but there were good guys and bad guys, and at that point white people were usually the good guys.
I had some scarring middle school experiences with race in a small Georgia town, and my heart began to attempt the reconciliation of the violence and racism I'd experienced at the hands and mouths of white kids with the identity of whiteness I'd seen modeled by my mom. That reconciliation is still in progress and I am writing much more on that specifically so stay posted.
But about that time, I had a teacher shift the whole frame, tell me about imperialism and manifest destiny, about how unfunny the mistake of Columbus was, about the shady dealings and violence and smallpox and ultimately the attempt to erase the "savage" spirit wherever it existed in the world. This came as a one-two punch, with a huge breakdown of slavery, which had been fairly glossed over up to this point, oversimplified. I learned of Northerners having slaves, and the economic factors in ending slavery. I was as devastated by all of this as I had been when I learned of the Holocaust in Germany, where I spent most of my life growing up.
In Germany, I'd felt a specific and curious fear...these people had killed Jews and Gypsies and anyone else they didn't like, gathered them up and gassed them and burned them? I would stare little old Germans down, but in the town center where the Neo-Nazi kids would gather and harrass us, I ran.
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Exact Change
(This post originally appeared on Fobbdeep)
During McCain's Thursday night acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, he was trying to showcase the "C" word as being the center point of his campaign. The word being "change" and not the other word McCain has been known to call his wife. This was clearly an attempt to undermine the theme of "change" in Obama's campaign. With it being absurd that change can come about from the elite, meaning is lost from the word.
For those glossy-eyed progressives caught up in the Obamania, there should be a realization that even in this campaign, change will not come about through a single politician. Proper institutional and social change grows from grassroots organizing, even if the Reeps would like to tell us otherwise. It really is up to the people to work collectively and challenge the system.
With "change" becoming the buzz word of the moment, it becomes necessary to really reflect on what the word means. On Bambu's latest release, Exact Change, he breaks down the real notion of change as a community involved. With the monetary second meaning of the title, it speaks to those tough times where were down and out, using exactly all we have to pay for a loaf of bread.
Bam sent me a copy of the album the other day, and I must say that this is his dopest release thus far. The album is laced with production from the likes of Sabzi of Blue Scholars, Illmind, Amp Live, etc. As usual Bambu brings a critical voice meshed with an LA swag flow. One of the many standout tracks is "Quit" which features production by Illmind, where Bam tackles the new age studio gangsters. Geologic provides an acapella at the end of the track.
Bambu f. Geologic - Quit (Listen or Download)
If you’re in the Bay this week, roll out to Exact Change Tour show at Cafe Du Nord and pick up the album:
The Space Between Dissent and Terrorism
As Hurricane Gustav descends upon the Gulf Coast, the party who taught us how heartless our government can be in crisis struggles with the age old question..."What is the appropriate level to party?"
But before the games can even begin at the Republican National Convention, cases of police crackdowns on diverse activist and journalist communities are already starting to surface.
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Calling All Guilty Olympics Watchers - Free Tibet!
Free Tibet while watching the Olympics!
I need to be writing more...here's what's on my mind:
Everyone keeps sheepishly admitting to me that they are watching the olympics, and I have to tell them: it's ok.
This is one of the fundamental challenges of being a radical person in a very entertaining, mainstream world. The Olympics serve a very specific function -- we get to see people distantly like ourselves pull off superhuman acts, strung throughout with stories of individual triumph over daunting challenges. You cry, jaw dropped in wonder. The full potential of muscles is remarkable.
And yet, the Olympics are happening in China, and the Chinese government has been using this as an opportunity to clean up its repressive public image. Those repressed by the chinese government have to use this opportunity too.
I have had the honor of following and supporting the amazing campaign that the Students for a Free Tibet have been running to highlight the abuses of the chinese government against the tibetan people. It's a breathtaking, intelligent and nuanced campaign that just won't stop.
So here are a few things you can do to assuage your guilt, if you just can't stop watching Phelps kick international swimming ass:
1. It costs a lot to run a huge international campaign that includes mindblowing actions. Support the actions, the legal support, the travel and the amazing work -- donate to the Students for a Free Tibet at StudentsForaFreeTibet.org/donate or send a check made to:"Students for a Free Tibet" to:
602 E. 14th St., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10009 USA.
2. Watch the actions happening all over the world, which are as breathtaking as the olympics themselves, at ft08.tv.
3. If you're watching with other people, slip in the stories about the brilliant campaign to raise international awareness and understanding about the plight of repressed people in Tibet, innovated by Tibetan organizers working with international allies. they've done actions on mount everest, the great wall in china, the golden gate bridge, tienanmen square and the olympic stadium. The goal is political freedom for the tibetan people, and this is a rare opportunity for them to gain international attention for their plight.
Go ahead, watch the Olympics, cheer, but don't leave the Tibetans hanging at this moment, support their work too.
much love!
amb
Reporting from the Allied Media Conference
We wanted to create a world for you, a world that looks back a decade and to the beginning, that looks forward a decade and beyond imagination. We wanted to create a world beyond the media of now where a voice speaks at you and you can’t respond –- tonight you will hear many voices from all around you, from those not in the room, from those who are never heard. Speak back, revel in the experience of each other tonight, this is the world we will be heard in, the world we will create, the world we must be ready for.
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Pro-Tibet Protests: Sports Lovers Meet Torture Victims
UPDATE: We've been holding the corner of Embarcadero and Washington streets since 10 a.m. this morning in San Francisco together with Tibetans, Students for a Free Tibet, Darfur activists, and then of course pro-China folks have been right here with us. Intense emotions abound as sports lovers meet torture victims.
************
I'm sitting with a mix of folks from Students for a Free Tibet, Ruckus, RAN and others at the jail where the seven Tibetan rights activists who pulled off the stunning Golden Gate bridge action have been held since being whisked off the bridge yesterday.
Our latest news is that they're coming out any minute now -- that's been the word for two hours. I think of them through the labyrinth of halls and walls beyond the door so sleepy, sore, with perhaps no idea of just how far reaching their tremendous action has been for two days.
This isn't the first action on the Golden Gate Bridge, but a good friend pointed out that its probably the biggest action since 9/11. But the actions in this campaign so far have all been big -- Mt. Everest, the Great Wall, the Eiffel Tower. Well, almost the Eiffel Tower. Police presence in Paris was too high for the action to get going, so they defaulted to a nearby bridge over the Seine whose name escapes me now, writing this on my phone from the waiting room of this jail.
The demands -- no torch run through Tibet, an end to human rights abuses, and ultimately the liberation of Tibet -- are on the front page of newspapers worldwide.
The victory in many ways is already complete for the campaign on the torch. The Olympics were supposed to herald a new China. Thing is, the Chinese government thought it could get the symbolic stamp of approval without actually changing its behavior. As Tibet has escalated their campaign for international attention, China's government has shown its unwillingness to improve their violent history.
The activists are released one by one, first the women, then the men, swamped by journalists and then enveloped by loved ones.
They are free! Tibet is next!
Pro-Tibet Protesters Climb San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
I write right now with the utmost pride. Three activists, including one of our beloved Ruckutistas, are climbed up the suspension cables of the Golden Gate Bridge in an action to support Tibetan independence.
San Francisco is the only city hosting the torch in the United States, and Students for a Free Tibet responded. The message is clear and visionary: FREE TIBET!
Actions in Paris and London have already shown one of the ugly truths of standing up against injustuce -- the bravery of nonviolence is met with the cowardice of violence. This is true in Tibet, where 180 people have been slaughtered since March in their attempts to send a message to the world through the layers of repression of Chinese rule.
As the climbers pulled themselves higher and higher, I meditated on what this struggle is about. It is as fundamentally a fight against inequality and tyranny as the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa...it is the old world of imperialism and inequality against a new world of sovereignty and spiritual wealth.
As the banners scooted across ropes strung between the three climbers, the news media gathered four helicopters, two vans, eight photographers. The news poured in: "traffic is stopped", "five people detained on the bridge", "two diversion teams". The story ran live on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC. A cameraman next to me finally said it: "They've brought the city to a stop. It’s amazing!"
And then the banner unfurled, white and black against the iconic red Golden Gate Bridge, and was gorgeous. "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet"
This was a huge, beautiful and strategic action; the people of Tibet have this brief window, when the whole world is watching China, the whole world is speaking of "One Dream," the whole world is waiting for the Olympics.
The Tibetan dream of independence is our common dream, and we're asking you to do one thing if you are moved by the strength and perseverance of the Tibetan people and Tibetan-led Students for a Free Tibet: donate to StudentsforaFreeTibet.org to support this action and the actions to come.
And check out these two links for a couple of visuals on the banner hang:
Obama Gets Real, and Reflections on Take Back America
I'm at the Take Back America conference this week, seeing the event with the dual eyes I have been using for viewing this entire election season thus far.
This is the most exciting election of my lifetime and most of the folks I know have to say the same, whether they want to admit it or not. everyone's talking about it, the speeches and debates are water cooler conversation for more than the usual (political nerd) suspects.
Our next president will be a black man, or at the very least a white woman, according to the masses at this conference (nicknamed the "progressive convention"); the passion is in people's eyes, their bodies aquiver with the idea of advancing progressive ideals. it's been a while since we had a national moment of victory.
The speakers here are talking about green jobs, healthcare for all, workers' rights, Martin Luther King -- things/ideas/people I take seriously, believe in, need. and more than ever before, the speakers and participants here are referring to a history of nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience, the idea of protecting our democracy with actions that make our words mean something. So that makes me happy.
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Heavy Rotation: The Rise of Filipino Radio Representation
Cassie, that one Asian guy from the Neptunes, the other producer who did that skateboard track for Lupe Fiasco, that main girl from the Pussy Cat Dolls, they're all at least part Filipino, right? Walk into a workshop focused on Filipino-American media representation, and this thin list of musicians would likely be all that the group would generate.
Though, the lack of talent in mainstream music is a result of the Filipino American community getting shafted by clueless A&Rs, radio broadcasters, and all the other corporate types who attempt to dictate what music gets heard. Enter Heavy Rotation, a new online radio show aimed at showcasing Filipino-American talent not given the opportunity by the likes of Clear Channel.
Already two shows recorded since its inception, Heavy Rotation is building itself to be a strong monthly medium exposing listeners to the deep musicianship in the Filipino community. Operating under the mantra, "The rise of Filipino Hip-Hop and R&B," there is an implied attitude that the presence of Filipinos in American pop culture will soon reach a tipping point. Who better to break folks off with the coverage of what could be a new cultural renaissance than a group of youthful individuals who have been working in the industry for some time?
DJ Marlino, nineteen-years thick in the DJ game, decided to set up shop in a small studio in San Diego as a base of operations. Along with co-hosts, Rich, Diane, and Jeff, the crew hopes to use the music to make the show. With much untapped talent yet to be heard by many music fans, the selection of music won't likely get dry any time soon.
Tuning into the two-hour program, sounds of boom-bap resonate from the Upstarts and Son of Ran, bullet-riddled political lyrics from Bambu and Kiwi (members of the now defunct Native Guns), and jazzy grooves from Freddie Joachim and Choice 37 can be heard, along with a hand picked selection of other artists found from Myspace and various cultural festivals. For some, listening to a show can incite thoughts of, "Oh, snap, these cats are actually Filipino?"
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The Golden Age of Global Warming
I'm visiting Detroit and it's January and balmy. A week ago there was snow on the ground and the air hurt my cheeks. But now I bundle up inside the house and then strip on my way to the car cause it's too hot for a hat, for long underwear and scarves; and snow boots just look silly.
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New Orleans' Activists Stop the Bulldozing of Their Homes
The good news is pouring in from all over -- New Orleans activists, with the support of a national community, were successful at stopping the demolition of three out of four public housing complexes pending approval from the City Council at next Thursday's meeting.
Senator Vitter and the New Orleans City Council still needs to hear from more of us. They need to know that residents need to have more access to the decision making process and that a 1:1 replacement of public housing is a necessity.
Contact Senator Vitter:
Washington D.C. Office (202) 224-4623
New Orleans Office (504) 589-2753
Contact New Orleans City Council Members: Arnie Fielkow - (504) 658-1060
Jacquelyn Clarkson - (504) 658-1070
Stacy Head - (504) 658-1020
Shelley Midura - (504) 658-1010
James Carter - (504) 658-1030
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell - (504) 658-1040
Cynthia Willard-Lewis - (504) 658-1050.
The victory is not in the salvation of projects, or an expectation that the projects are saved for all time. Residents and organizers want to see better housing for all. Today's victory is against poor federal planning, a housing crisis, and the mistreatment of the low-income residents of New Orleans. Today's victory is about collaboration, however imperfect; about centering local voices; about elevating a struggle to create the kind of movement moment that can sustain a tired community through a long battle.
The questions that need to be resolved before any demolition continues:
-Where do residents go in the meantime? Tent cities and FEMA trailers are housing homeless communities and displaced families, and both of those spaces are being threatened now in what many believe is an overt push to get black and poor folks out of downtown New Orleans.
-What guarantee do residents have that they will have access to the mid-income housing being built in place of the current projects?
-In what ways is New Orleans addressing the issues of poverty and inequality that led to unlivable conditions in these projects before the hurricane hit and the levees broke?
This is a big step on the road to seeing New Orleans as a space of opportunity in crisis, rather than our abandoned legacy. This is a victory that shows what people united and dedicated and supported can do to shift the power and demand a seat at the table in their city!
Your support is still needed -- please visit Katrina Information Network at KatrinaAction.org or Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund's website to stay in the loop.
Wiretap will report on the City Council meeting and more news on Friday, Dec. 14. You can also find pictures and updated action insights at Ruckus.org.
Hey Buddy, Spare a Euro?
Dollar bills are set to start appearing on shelves at your local Dollar Tree, in rolls of four, as the next uncomfortable single-ply toilet paper.
Since the American dollar has slowly become the new Mexican peso, its not just Ahmadinejad and OPEC dismissing its value, as rappers are taking notice too.
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Adrienne Maree Brown is the executive director of The Ruckus Society and an advisory board member of WireTap. A co-founder of the League of Young Voters, Adrienne is obsessed with learning and developing models for action, community strength and movement building.