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E-day: Faces of Early Voters in Minnesota
(This content is produced by Rock the Trail -- a parnership of Rock the Vote and WiretTap magazine. All photography by Rebecca “B FRESH” McDonald.)
7 a.m. At the University Avenue bus stop in St. Paul, Minnesota, Robina Rai continued her Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts from the night before. She is not a citizen, but has been active in both the 2004 and this year's election through the League of Young Voters, or as they say in the Twin Cities, the League of Pissed Off Voters. She took the bus from St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis, getting off at the University of Minnesota campus to make sure people are getting out to vote, and are informed about the candidates. The League put together voter guides for cities across the country, which can be found online at www.theballot.org.
8 a.m. Nellie Brau, on her way to class to take a test, chose to represent her excitement about this year's election with her American flag scarf.
Zubair Saiyed was campaigning on a busy corner of campus for Obama, letting people know he thinks Minnesota needs change. All over town, people on their way to class and work were greeted with the morning dew, and political flyers from the previous night's "Midnight Madness" flyering efforts.
9 a.m. On Nicollett Mall, Malissa Mallory, a special education teacher who was recently laid off, was on her way to get health insurance, vote and then go volunteer and make sure people are getting out to vote today.
9:30 a.m. Deangelo Jacox was on his way to school at Studio 4/High School for Recording Arts. He is not old enough to vote yet, but can't wait until the next election.
10:00 a.m. Franklin Delano-Nothing is an anarchist who believes people can organize and make change, even without a leader. He might vote today for the State Referenda on Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage & natural Areas (AKA Vote Yes Minnesota), but he will not be voting for any individual person.
10:30 a.m. Robina makes her way back to University Avenue and gets off the bus at the Plasma Services building where a line has formed to donate plasma for money. She makes her way up the line, making sure people know where to vote and that they can register at the polls today, because Minn. has same-day registration. Today, she will also be poll-watching with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Minneapolis. The ACLU is part of a coalition of organizations that are making sure everything runs smoothly across the country today.
11:00 a.m. I finally make it to my voting location to cast my ballot. This is what I have been working toward for months and months. I can't wait until this day is over, so I don't have to see another nasty political advertisement on TV. I got my sticker, and checked out the ballot where kids can vote, too!
Exclusive Ralph Nader Interview
Originally posted on Rock the Trail, a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap.
Check out the B FRESH/Davey D collabo interview with Ralph Nader, Presidential candidate for the Independent Party, live from the Xcel Energy Center on September 4th, 2008.
Thanks to Pacifica Radio and Davey D's Hard Knock Radio.
RNC: Journalists Locked Up
(This was originally posted on Rock the Trail -- a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap).
Pre-Convention Drama
Raids of suspected terrorists swept the Twin Cities before the Republican National Convention doors even opened:
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I was driving down I-94 on Saturday and saw a green school bus pulled over:
Monday Morning
My backyard in St. Paul is overrun with protesters, anarchists, police, secret service agents. The crowd was mostly Republican, but you could spot a few Democrats and Independents walking around in their Obama Ts. There were others -- legal observers, the media and innocent onlookers with strollers and cameras. I walked out of my front door this morning at 9am, near the Cathedral on John Ireland and Kellogg Blvds. Protesters greeted me on their way to the state Capitol nearby, heading to the March on the RNC, gripping signs saying "No Peace for the Warmakers," "No More War" and "WWJB: Who Would Jesus Bomb" with water in hand, expecting a heat wave- a humid 90 degrees.
The Convention
Compared to the DNC, things felt pretty empty here in St. Paul.
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Convention Season
(This post originally appeared on Rock the Trail -- a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap)
After basking in the heated activity (and 100+ degree weather) of the third bi-annual 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention in Las Vegas, I touched down back in the Sota and read my notes, processed through pictures and got down with of some of the most critical and thoughtful recaps and reflections:
Trials of a Hip Hop Educator: My Reflections on the 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention
Hip Hop and Academia: Where Do We Go From Here?
Anything is Possible: An Interview with Cynthia McKinney
Hip Hop & Electoral Politics: Are Hip Hop Organizations Wasting Their Time Or Are They Effective?
The Green Party VP Candidate: “The Hip Hop Party Has To Go Green”
Find more videos like this on onefamspot
After ciphering and breaking bread with some of the most engaged solders (actually doing real work in the community) and greatest minds of our time, I walked away with more clarity about the importance of young people being politically engaged and the Hip Hop community’s power in this election. We all have a great responsibility. At the very least, we all have a responsibility to vote. More importantly, we MUST be politically active and engaged at the local level in our own ways.
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Let's Build Together
(This was originally posted on Rock the Trail -- a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap)
National Night Out: America’s Night Out Against Crime (NNO) reenergized the nation again for the 25th year on August 5, 2008. This community-centered event was initially developed by Matt A. Peskin, the Executive Director of the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). In 1984, (just months after my birth) Peskin launched NNO in Northfield, New Jersey- a small, predominately white community of just over 7,000 people. NNO was a creative way to address crime prevention and bring attention to programs as well as create unity among law enforcement and the community they serve. The first year's nationwide efforts brought out more than 2.5 million people into their streets.
What better way to check what’s going on in the streets of your hood than taking a stroll and hangin’ out for the night? Nothing unusual for us young folks, right? But what about your neighbor? Do you know who they are? Do you know what issues they care about on the block? Do you know if your neighbor is registered to vote? If you answered yes, then you are 10 steps ahead of the game. Unfortunately, most people do not know who their neighbors are, or interact with them much. In this time of technology, we spend a lot of time behind our computers (I mean c’mon now, face it. You’re at a computer right now reading this). We poke our neighbors on Facebook, and leave Myspace “Have a Great Weekend” glitter graphics on pages, but do we really care about our neighbor’s weekend? Do we really value real human interaction?
After a little thought, I decided to leave my last Myspace comment and close up shop, hitting the streets of the Twin Cities, Minnesota!!
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Breaking Bread
(This post was originally published by Rock The Trail, a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap.)
I am patiently waiting for my flight to depart at the airport. Where am I going, you may ask? I am the official Rock the Vote/WireTap magazine correspondent for the third Bi-Annual National Hip Hop Political Convention (NHHPC) taking place in Las Vegas this week. The excitement is building across the country as the Hip Hop generation gears up for the another round of community-building, forward-thinking discussions, provocative panels, informative workshops, as well as showcases and celebrations of the diverse talent and power of the Hip Hop community.
So who makes up the national Hip Hop community you ask? Combine artists, social justice advocates, activists, sprinkle in some music-lovers, community organizers, college students, scholars, add some journalists, backpackers, historians, and insert movers and shakers, interested spectators, heat up and stir. It’s the remix of the “Melting Pot.” Think fondue. Fondue isn’t very Hip Hop, but follow me here. Everyone brings the ingredients to the table to contribute to the luscious pool of ideas. They coagulate to form the national Hip Hop political agenda. The key idea here is that everyone maintains their individuality and uniqueness and only takes from the pot what they need or can share with others. This is a community meal where everyone gets a sample of everything, and only takes what they need. Everyone will convene at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to break bread, engage in defining this agenda and continue building for the future.
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Rebecca "B FRESH" McDonald, from the Twin Cities, MN, is a Hip Hop feminist, photographer, visual artist, and community activist. She is currently a citizen journalist with Rock the Trail -- a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap.