Latest NewsPRESS CONFERENCE TODAY: POOR PEOPLE SET UP TENT CITY TODAY IN FERNDALE!!!PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY: POOR PEOPLE SET UP TENT CITY TODAY IN FERNDALE!!!! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2010 TENT CITY IN FERNDALE: Press Conference: 2pm June 20, 2010: McDonalds Parking Lot: 22525 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, MI 48220-1840 Contact: Kelly Benjamin (813) 300-1434 The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign to set up a Tent City in Ferndale. The Campaign has been on a 12-week, 24-city march from New Orleans to Detroit for the US Social Forum. Along the way, the march has been highlighting the plight of the poor and homeless who have been affected by the great recession and foreclosure crisis. This tent city will house poor people from across the country who have come to Detroit to share stories and organize to fight poverty and homelessness in the United States. Website: http://old.economichumanrights.org email: kellybenjamin@gmail.com  Native Americans against SB1070Ghost Dance prophecy...Native Americans Against SB 1070 First Nations United Statement Against SB 1070 First Nations United All Saints Church 3044 Longfellow Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 www.firstnationsunited.com PRESS RELEASE April 26, 2010 "While the power of the Europeans has continued, I see the other part of the Ghost Dance prophecy coming true today. So-called 'Hispanics,' with faces that sure look like Indians to me, are returning to repopulate North America. We cannot always speak to each other because we have learned the languages of different colonial powers. But these Indians have as much right to come and go on our land as the geese when they migrate north and south. No one would dare to ask them for their passports and visas as they cross man made borders. Instead of seeing 'Hispanics' as outsiders who do not belong here, we need to start seeing them as ancestors of the original inhabitants of these lands. They are the living fulfillment of the Ghost Dance prophecy." -Chief Billy Redwing Tayac, Piscataway Nation First Nations United, an Indigenous organization largely made up of members of the Red Lake/Ojibwe and Dakota nations, would like to formally express its outrage and disagreement with the SB 1070 ("Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods") Bill passed last week by the state of Arizona. This bill is extremely detrimental to the indigenous communities (including indigenous peoples of Latin American origin), which reside in the state of Arizona as well as those who live throughout the country. The language of the bill states that if there is "reasonable suspicion" that a person is an illegal immigrant, a "reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable" to check for documents. Such language purposefully promotes the racial profiling of brown-skinned people, and in particular, of people of American indigenous background. As an indigenous organization, which stands for the civil and human rights of indigenous peoples throughout the continent, we are concerned that this bill will promote the unfair and discriminatory arrests, prosecution, and deportation of people of American indigenous descent-not only of those who belong to federally recognized tribes, but also of the hundreds of thousands of indigenous people who have migrated from South/Central America and Mexico to what is now called "the United States." Indigenous peoples across the continent do not recognize the borders established by the settler colonialist state on our lands, and, we do not agree with the malicious and dehumanizing way in which the settler colonialist government wants to enforce them. As an Indigenous organization, we recognize that indigenous peoples from Latin America have every right to migrate up and down the continent as they please and as they have done through trade and communication routes since time immemorial. The native peoples of the continent should be the ones establishing immigration laws and enforcing them. However, because we were disempowered through genocide and colonization, and because we have consistently treated "foreigners" in a more humane and hospitable way, we respect peoples' rights to migrate. If we did enforce such power, only tribal identifications from throughout the continent (including documentation identifying peoples from Latin American indigenous ancestry) would be recognized as legitimate, and we could very well racially profile people of Caucasian descent as the true and eternal foreigners. As the first peoples of this continent, we pose this question to Governor Brewer, Senator Russell Pearce, and law enforcement in the state of Arizona, "Who are you to check for documents?" We remind them that the power they have taken to legislate was established by an immigrant and illegal settler colonialist government, which has consistently relied on the genocide and mistreatment of the original peoples of this continent. First Nations United greatly objects to SB 1070 and denounces Governor Brewer, Senator Pearce, and the State of Arizona as anti-Indigenous, cruel, and racist. We call for an Indigenous boycott of the State of Arizona until this bill is repealed or found unconstitutional as it will gravely violate the civil and human rights of indigenous people in the state and throughout the country. FIRST NATIONS UNITED Gabriela Spears-Rico Doctoral Candidate Dep't of Comparative Ethnic Studies University of California, Berkeley 506 Barrows Hall Berkeley, CA 94720 (510) 643-0796 [Tel] (510) 642-6456 [Fax] "What I treasure most in life is being able to dream. During my most difficult moments and complex situations, I have been able to dream of a more beautiful future." -Rigoberta Menchu Tum  Addict (Inspired by: Pasha Brown, Maurice "Soulfighter" Taylor, Maria Kang and Rahman JamaalNote: The first line and inspiration for the song comes from Pash A Trunk Specialist. "Are & Be" From the album Cadillacs and Cockroaches. Please lord redeem me from my habits an addict so fuck it When I was youthful it was useful, I had it I loved it Now it's a magnet for a pattern that's tragic, destructive Hop on the track and put it out, man I have to discuss it Inhale the smoke feel the relief my emotions are deaded bottle of jack if I fuck up then I'm bound to forget it Get high enough that I don't feel any need to express it Get drunk enough that I'm distorting the point and it's essence Never admit it's got a hold I refuse to accept it Never commit to self control or healthy direction It's an infection everyday it gets worse, it progresses Give me a shot, Give me a hit give me sex cause I'm reckless Every morning's a surprise I survive Cause I'm trying to erase myself each time I imbibe Let me describe the situation that I'm feeling inside Slow suicide when I fuck, get drunk or get high   Sidewalks Are For Everyone Action Makes Front Page of Oregonian Metro! Photo by Michael Lloyd of The Oregonian On Thursday, April 29th - the communSidewalks Are For Everyone Action  Photo by Michael Lloyd of The Oregonian On Thursday, April 29th - the community turned out in strong support of keeping public spaces public - for everyone! Check out the Oregonian article here and continue to check our Take Action page for more ways to get involved!  Cheri Honkala: March to Fulfill the Dream Rosemary Williams: Birmingham March to Fulfill the Dream PSA Selma  We rode to Selma with Roger, Steve and Eric. You might remember Roger as the cat from Mississippi with the surprising free Mumia T-shirt 9only surprising because of our assumptions.) Eric and I had a very long and intense conversation about responsibility and relationships. I've been thinking a lot about that recently. And have actually been feeling very blessed to have had the relationships I've had. More on that later. As we approached the bridge entering Selma, I started having this overwhelming feeling. As we approached the bridge and entered the city. Saw the deterioration an lack of care and economic development I'd seen in many places at this point. But something was stronger here. Something I would come to understand over time. I cried for my people. We had the honor and privilege of staying with Selma's Ms. Rose-Alabama's first Black judge. Can't front. The apartment was pretty plush. After crashing right out, I woke up early and got to working out and working. Jeff, Ms Rose and I went to 105 fm, the radio station co-owned by Ms. Rose. I met the DJ, Mac who would become my friend and source of Selma game over the course of the trip. After a great conversation, I met Sister Mahidera, one of our physical and spiritual guides throughout the trip. We scheduled a town hall meeting at the gathering for 5 o clock at a place called the Gathering. Roger and I set up and around 5 o clock folks began to arrive. We were visited by a social worker from Florida who had relocated around a decade a go, a couple with a beautiful baby, a few other locals and of course our hosts. We were eventually joined by the magnificent Empress Imani and the multi talented Lady Freedom and Sister. Cheri Honkala arrived at around 8pm. We sat down and had a roundtable discussion which included James Neville (son of the civil rights activist of the same name) and Co-counsel (who's mother's head was split open during the Bloody Sunday protest). The meeting was potent and powerful, and we were proud and honored to be welcomed by our Selma family. Over the course of the next few days, we would host an event at the park and at Selma High School. The park was tight, and Jason busted out the bubble machine. (I didn't even know we had a bubble machine) I played with the bubbles my whole set. The high school was off the hook. You can check out some of the video of this track that should by all accounts be a hit. We had a little trouble recruiting at first, but it wasn't anything that a bullhorn couldn't fix. While the entire experience in Selma was life changing, committing me to this work at a level like I had not experienced before, the most powerful experience by far was the Slavery Museum. I can't really describe or explain what took place. All I can tell you is to go there. I emerged from the experience a different person.  One of the big issues in the city of Selma was the recent appointment of an open White Supremacist to city council. The election came following the death of the previous city council President. Black city council members elected a man who wishes to place them in an inferior position, and now they are suffering the consequences. Lessons from Selma 1. We are not as far from 1965 as we'd like to believe we are. 2. America really needs to reconnect with the reality of Slavery and the Civil Rights movement, the pain and the healing involved. Anyone new to America should be made to understand this critical element of our collective history. Anyone with a history in America would do well to understand how this history affects them. 3. If you are not vigilant, you will be taken. It is that simple. 4. There are two things. There is the necessary healing that must take place from slavery for both white people and black people. It has not happened yet. There is the necessary political unification of all of those affected by poverty and the inhumane polices and practices of what we like the call, the 1%.   Victory in Mobile-GO CHICAGO! All right. So I took forever to write this. I know and I'm working on it. As you might imagine, this whole trip is crazy busy. But I can't say I have anything to complain about. In fact, I don't have anything that resembles a thing to complain about. Except my stomach, my smoking and my "occasionally excessive" drinking. True That said, if you've been following me on facebook, you've heard that something big went down. Sooooo, that might have been a little dramatic. At any rate, you might remember the homie Chicago. I still haven't edited his movie. Well, about two days ago I got a call from Chicago and this is what he told me. "I got a call from Wayne. Their lawyer called him and said that they want to settle." Jeah. Here's what that means: 1. In 3 days in Mobile, by simply backing the community in taking a stand, we've managed to take some steps towards rectifying a whack labor situation. We've still got to follow up on a couple of other things. 2. The Homie Chicago may be coming up soon. :-) 3. So may some of the other workers who've been affected by these practices. 4. Sometimes, all you have to do is stand up. It's important to note that while Chicago was not the only one to experience the situation, he was the only one willing to come forward. He was ridiculed and told he wasn't smart enough to do it. Some of the other workers ratted him out, which possibly resulted in his being removed from the site. Bottom Line: As of right now, this is the Score. Chicago 1, Wack Contractor -$ (Insert ammount). Good working with Chicago it was a pleasure and an honor. So that was my big news. A victory in three days. Like I said, might not be exciting for some of you, but I was feeling it. I hope you do , too. Love and Lyricism, The Sword of the West  The End of Mobile So, I am running around like crazy right now. So as insane and unethical as it is, I must temporarily post the blog post from the www.economichumanrights.org website. I don't think I'll leave it like this permanently, but it will give you a sense of how we closed things out. Enjoy. Today is day 10 of our caravan to the U.S. Social Forum. It’s our last day in Mobile, Alabama. The most striking part of our visit here was the homelessness. A couple of the homeless men we met in the town square, Derrick and Chris, showed us through a homeless encampment in the woods just minutes from the city center. Hundreds of homeless people live in these woods. A hidden network of paths winds deep through the trees and marshlands with tents, furniture, and people animating the landscape. Chris brought us to his family’s tent, where his wife, Stacy, and a friend of theirs were pulling copper out of trash that they had found to sell the scrap metal to companies. Stacy is pregnant with twins. Chris worked on supply boats until he was laid off months ago and could no longer afford to pay the rent. After spending some time on the streets he and Stacy decided to head into the woods with their family. “There aren’t enough shelters in the city and the police always harass us. This is the only place where nobody bothers us,” said Stacy. This makeshift homeless city in the woods, surrounded by snakes and alligator-filled swamps, is a harsh example of the desperate conditions forced upon the poor in the United States. It’s also a sobering reminder of how many people are hanging on by just a thread, and how an economic recession destroys people’s lives when there is no sufficient social safety net in place to protect them when our economic system fails to meet their needs. After touring the homeless encampment a wonderful woman named Dora took us on a driving tour of the African American Heritage Trail, where the history of African American resistance to racism and colonialism in Mobile has been preserved for hundreds of years. Mobile is a city on the Gulf of Mexico that was historically a hub for the slave trade, with ships coming in from Africa to deliver slaves for the Southern market. Today, the slave trade is long gone, but people of all races still suffer the plight of poverty. Less than 10 minutes away from the hidden city in the woods, wealthy bankers in suits stroll past dozens of homeless people in the park, a visual expression of the drastic wealth inequality which characterizes our economy. In the park Derrick tells us about the contracting company that recruits homeless people to work for $4 or $5 an hour, well below minimum wage, doing dangerous roofing work and handling asbestos. “He told me if I ever fell off the roof I would be fired before I hit the ground!” Derrick told us of his unlicensed superior. The contracting company works to fix up houses owned by one of the local bankers. Shamako Noble of our team helped organize a meeting with Derrick and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to talk about the dangerous and illegal labor practices employed by these contractors. We’re grateful to the United Methodist Inner City Mission for letting us park our giant truck on their property and letting us use their facilities. UMICM became a homeless women’s shelter after Hurricane Katrina to meet the overwhelming need for such a facility. Today it remains the only homeless women’s shelter in all of Mobile and is stretched beyond capacity. Finally, everywhere we went in Mobile we shared our vision of a better world, one without homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. We talked about our March to Fulfill the Dream, the legacy of Dr. King, the movement to end poverty, and the U.S. Social Forum. We hope that some of our new friends will meet us in Detroit for the USSF! We’ll have more pictures and videos from New Orleans, Waveland, and Mobile online soon. Another car has joined us from Gulfport, Mississippi on our caravan.   Day 6: Mobile, Alabama I woke up in the front cab of the truck somewhere around 8:45. Abel was already up and on the phone and Jeff popped out the back as I was walking away from the truck. This is the first 24 hour period I haven't meditated this whole trip. I'm a little out of it so I head to the gas station two blocks from the Mission. As I'm walking, I realize that I can't tell whether or not a storm destroyed this community, or just the economic system it faced. I ask a few friends of mine, but the answer would reveal itself throughout the day. There were abandoned and empty houses and business, church after church and a whole lot of empty space. So many things were for sale, but who could afford them? There were a lot of rims, and one car with some paint that changed color from different angles. Abel and I decided to walk up the street to see if we could find some wireless. After failing, Jason found a spot in downtown Mobile. Probably where we were meant to be anyway. We parked the truck and headed towards to cafe. After setting up, I realized that I needed to go and grab something from the truck. When I got to the truck, I noticed folks lining up to get what looked like a meal. I ran back to the cafe and grabbed the camera. I brought it to the spot and was immediately asked about what I was doing? Fair enough. After giving the shpeel, a gentleman stepped out and immediately started talking about a contractor that he was fighting against. This contractor was paying people five dollars an hour to work in asbestoss filled locations. The workers he was exploiting were basically homeless folks that need the work and didn't have a lot of room to negotiate. We toured the worksites, and the place where this man was living. He was squatting in an abandon building. We would ended up hanging out with each other for the rest of the day. We went by a few shelters, the police station and $300,000 park that was probably the size of an average living room. He seemed to know everybody on the block, even though he was from Chicago. Probably a part of the reason he knows everybody on the block. I headed back to the cafe to connect with the guys and to connect with my Cousin George who seems to know how to get in contact with virtually every relative I have. I guess that my family is huge and have connected with a lot them on facebook. This trip presents an opportunity to meet or reconnect with a lot of the family that I have down here. I talked to George, sent him the info and look forward to getting the phone numbers to my relatives. I hope for many pictures. I decided to hang out with Chicago for the rest of the night.  We headed to McDonalds to get a bite to eat and ran into some real righteous folks. One man named Greg became homeless after a divorce and losing his job. He commented on how there were people coming to South from other parts of the country looking for work. It can't be found. He might be able to get his job back, but he spends half the week in a hotel and the other three days on the street. He remarked on who the materialism of this country was coming to an end, and how, as a society we would soon need to be able to live off of the land and learn to live without television and the wealth that we've come to know. He commented on how China was putting a halt to acquiring American debt seeing how unable America was to pay it off. Chicago and I hung out for a while longer and headed down to the water on the docks where he showed me what he called the goldmine of Alabama. The factories, shipbuilding facilties and productive forces of mobile. The light of the factories reflected of the water like the stars and galaxies of deep space. After enjoying the scenery for a while we dipped out to Mama's Bar and Grill to charge the phone and write. By the end of this day I couldn't help but feel like everybody seems to know at some level or another. The degree to which they know, and what role they will play in it seems to a much larger question. Who are we asking for what. Why can't we just take it. Why can't we just have it. Who exactly are we stealing from? Who exactly is stealing from us? What is petty and what is important? PS DLabrie dropped his CD press release today. That's hot. Check the posting on my website and/or facebook for more information.   Day 5-The Final Day in Waveland After a bit of a late start, we got up and got ready for the day. The day included several interviews and some wonderful folks, oysterfest and crawfish cookout. We were supposed to be out on our way to Mobile, Alabama later on the day so even though it started slow, by the afternoon it was and on and poppoing. We were joined by Ryan, Bridget, they're little girls and Roger. I can't front, I was kinda tripped out by the appearence of the Free Mumia shirt. But really that's my prejudice problem and not Roger's. I interviewed Roger and will be posting that interview soon.Roger talked about his work in contruction. He reflefcted on how, in his professsion there was a lot of hostility on the part of whites and blacks against mexicans and other Latin American's for taking their jobs. He noted that was not the fault of workers trying to feed their families, but of the contractors who paid less than living wage and pitted the workers against each other. Roger and I instantly became friends and he would join us for the rest of the day. Afterwerds, we rolled down to Oysterfest (neglecting the crawfish cookout mainly because of the price, even though it was for a good cause and found out that they'd already run out of oysters. (BOOOOO) They were going to get more (Hell Yeah!). This opportunity was taken to interview a couple named Ryan and Bridget. Their story was remarkable. I can't even do it justice in written descrption, so you'll have to check out that interview as soon as I can get it edited. That should be soon. Right after the interview, we said our goodbyes to the Krings. The kindess, hospitality, spirt and determination they showed had been more than an inspiration and comfort. Sgt. Kring gave me a belt with Vietnam Vets on the buckle. I'm still process the significance of the gift. Roger had agreed to help get us to Mobile. We pulled out and our Big Rig got stuck in a ditch. The team and the Krings would hear of no such thing. With the help of 2 jacks, a couple of wooden boards, and big truck later we were out of said ditch. After a series of stops we ended up at a truck stop only miles outside of Mobile. I met a man in the parking lot who worked in a hospital making about $450 a week. He had a daughter and was stuggiling to figure out how they were going to survive. I gave him a few bucks for a beer. He ended up spending it on gas. Go figure. We finally ended up in Mobile at about 1:00 am and thanks to PPEHRC fried Tonny had a lot to park in at a Church and Shelter. We settled in, said our Goodbye's to Roger and Steve and headed to sleep. So far, a few things had become clear. 1)People were being pushed out or kept out of their homes everywhere we went. 2)The governement that should be helping them were not. "I'll give the government credit for being great for two things. EMT's and Ice." 3)The thing that everyone remembered most, and that I was seeing most, was the kindness of others. Everyone had mentioned the volunteers. We'd been treated with nothing but respect and love on this whole journey so far. People are wonderful. And people know it. So if there are some people if can show the greatest kindness, while their others that can turn a blind eye to the pain, suffering and inhumanity they impose on others.  Day 4: Cottage Junkyards & Artillery in WavelandAfter waking up, getting ourselves organized, and getting our technical stuff out of the way. Sgt. Bo took us on a tour of the Waveland area. What we saw was hard to describe. Like New Orleans, empty lot after empty lot. The same markings on the homes we saw in NO, we saw here. There were overturned boats where there should have been houses and cars. We did not understand how the destruction could be so complete, but lacked the media coverage of NO. What both areas have in common is the lack of recovery taking place for everyone but big business. We met some of the local residents and heard their stories. We were taken to the "cottage junkyard" where we discovered rows and rows of unused cottages! These cottages are homes build for 3, 4, 5 people or more. Each one represents a family without a home. It is difficult to understand why they remain lonely and unoccupied.  We returned to the Krings' home shortly after, where Sgt. Kring showed me his weapons, and we began concentrating on editing the material we gathered. Truly, these stories were both and inspiration and a dire warning. That night, I got to hang out with the Krings' son Andrew, a strong, bright young man caught in the struggle for land and homes. It was without a doubt, one of the highlights of my trip so far. He doesn't listen to rap, but he likes my album. The hospitality and kindness that was shown was amazing. For more of my Waveland photo album, click here.  Day 3: Welcome to Waveland, Mississippi After doing our morning routines and saying our goodbyes to the members of the Lower 9th Ward Community Center, our delegation headed out to Waveland, Mississippi, where we were greeted by Cheryl Kring. She took us to her home, where she had prepared a delicious meal of red beans, rice, and cornbread. Cheryl and Sgt. Kring have been deeply engaged in the fight for the right to return to their home and the right to retain their MEMA (Mississippi FEMA) cottage. Soon, we were soon joined by their lawyer, Andrew Cantor, of the Mississippi Center for Justice. We were then treated to a two hour interview in which they outlined the details of that struggle. It became clear to me through their story that while the people of Waveland, Mississippi, simply wanted to have homes to return to, there was another, different vision for the area being imposed upon them. This other vision included casinos and hotels, and excluded restoring this once vibrant, close-knit community to its former glory. See the interview below: While its true that the MEMA cottages themselves were actually an outstanding product, the bureaucracy and the administrative run-around many people faced in order to get and keep them became such a burden that many people have simply given up. The Krings continue to fight for themselves and for the community, and are supported in their struggle by Cheri Honkala and the Poor People's Economic Human Right's Campaign. After the interview with the Krings, we went to a local bar and grill to do some outreach. There, I met Uncle Dale, a skilled construction worker. He spoke of the many conflicts he experienced with the engineers that were brought in after Katrina. His story was another indication of bureaucracy and outside forces imposing themselves to the detriment of those that called this place home. Despite all this though, by the end of this day, it was apparent that the spirit and humanity of the people affected by this tragedy had only grown brighter, and everyone remains greatly appreciative of the work of volunteers who came and continue to come to help rebuild.  Here is me looking on the beautiful shores of Waveland. For my Waveland, Mississippi, photo album, click here.  Day 2: Stories from the Lower 9th WardReally bright and early in the morning, I rose early for some meditation followed by coffee. I stumble across a conversation that Ward "Mack" McClendon, the man who started and runs the Lower 9th Ward Village Community Center, and Rosemary Williams of Minneapolis's PPEHRC chapter, were having about the struggle to create such centers. View our interview with Mack below:  After this conversation, I took my camera and began walking the neighborhood to photograph some of the things I was seeing. Click here to view more of my photos from New Orleans. After I returned, I talked to Mack, and he told me he would take us on a tour of some of the most hard hit areas later. I returned to the center's computer lab to do more technical work, and met Allen Kimble. Allen is a New Orleans Lower 9th Ward resident, Viet Nam veteran, and concerned community member. After hearing the story of my tour, he began sharing with me some of his thoughts on the situation in New Orleans. He agreed to let me interview him, so we went to an abandoned house between the home and office of Fats Domino, renowned jazz musician, and Allen's niece's home. View that video below: After the interview and some more technical work, I regrouped with the delegation, which split into two teams. One team went with Andre, a coordinator at the center, to the Mission to interview some of the folks who were in shelters at that location. Click here for an interview from Glenn, of New Orleans mission, and links to more of those interviews. A second team, which was myself, Rosemary, and Mack went to check out the most devastated areas of the Lower 9th Ward. Rosemary Mack and myself went to the Northern Lower 9th Ward. Mack showed us whole sections of empty lots where homes used to be side by side, nearly inches apart. Some homes that still remained had holes in roofs from where people were clawing their way out after Katrina. One thing that became remarkably clear is that the flooding which occured in the Lower 9th Ward happened 24 hours after the storm had passed. Mak showed us a completely empty lot that used to be a vibrant high school. We saw a park that used to be one of the most active parks in the city. Now, all that remained was a rusted, abandoned basketball hoop. During this tour, he took us down to a swamp area, where some of the local folks were fishing. We spoke with some of the people there, who shared their stories with us. One story told by a gentleman named Reggie illuminated how difficult it has been for anyone to put the pieces back together. Millions of dollars of relief funds poured into New Orleans. It was painfully obvious that those funds were not being seen by the victims of this tragedy. Soon, we returned to the center, and after debriefing with the group and wrapping up our day, I strolled down to the Mississippi River, where I reflected on the day's events. Afterwards, it was time to call it a night.  Day 1: Arriving in New OrleansToday was a slower, introductory day for me. I arrived the morning of April 6th to New Orleans, unfortunately missing the Kick Off event for the March. I was picked up by PPEHRC's Cheri Honkola, and taken to the Lower 9th Ward Village Community Center.
 There, I attended a check-in meeting with the rest of the march delegation. There was a lot of meeting and greeting as well as getting acquainted with each other and the neighborhood. Although there's nothing much from my end to report for today, Khalilah Collins from Kentucky's Women in Transition and Cheri did an interview with Tavis Smiley. Listen to and share this short interview, which does a great job summarizing how 42 years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the March to Fulfill the Dream and PPEHRC advances King's vision of Economic Human Rights. You will also learn more about the background of the march, the resources (or lack there of) we are working with, activities planned, and stories from some of our allies and participants. Also, see Cheri speak at the March to Fulfill the Dream kick-off event below:  |
To make the kind of statement and have the impact that we must toward eradicating poverty in the United States we need massive support. We need your active participation. We could REALLY use your donations right now. Anything helps - thank you :) |
