Yearly Archives: 2018

Housing is a national crisis due to speculative investment and gentrification. I spoke to Noni Session, executive director of the Oakland-based East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EBPREC), about solutions. “EBPREC is: A movement based, investor crowd-funded, multi-land holding entity through which Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and allied communities can cooperatively organize, finance, purchase, occupy, and steward properties, taking them permanently off the speculative market." The Co-op launch party is tomorrow, Dec. 5, at the Oakland Impact Hub.

If America were screwed on straight, “Widows“ would have raked in cash last weekend. But everything is crooked, and we can’t have nice things, not even at the movies, where we go to escape the ongoing wasteland. Two HuffPost writers, Zeba Blay and Matthew Jacobs, are here to tell you just how wrongheaded everyone was when they decided not to catch Steve McQueen’s poignant thriller about four women who band together to pull off the heist that saddled them with their late husbands’ debt.

It’s only been a few months since our prison strike took place throughout the United States. Although many of our brothers and sisters have made reports of being arbitrarily subjected to reprisals, I assure you that our small “KAGE cadre” in California hasn’t faltered but is standing firm against injustice and broken promises since the agreement known as Ashker v. Governor intended to end indefinite long-term solitary confinement.

F.A.B. is the voice of the streets, the voice of the voiceless. F.A.B. is the embodiment of the struggle of young Black men growing up in the raw, merciless streets of post-industrial Oakland, California. He is still a young man. However, in these latter years, F.A.B. has used his voice to offer direction, encouragement and advice to young people desiring to stand on the peak of hip-hop stardom next to him. As he grows into O.G. status, that voice of wisdom becomes more pronounced.

Marc Lamont Hill, a professor at Temple University and a fierce advocate for equality, was perhaps the strongest, most articulate and most passionate voice against racism and bigotry among CNN’s regular contributors. On Nov. 29, CNN fired him because he believes Palestinians, too, fit into a vision where all people deserve equal rights. For CNN, that was just too much. Marc was targeted by what can only be described as an organized campaign to silence his principled and consistent advocacy against racism and for the equal treatment of all people, including Palestinians.

The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), a founding member of the Global Campaign Against U.S./NATO Military Bases, joined 300 attendees from 36 countries at a historic conference that re-committed anti-war activists to closing U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military bases throughout the world. The Global Campaign Against U.S./NATO Military Bases held its first international conference Nov. 16-18 at Liberty Hall in Dublin, Ireland. The conference’s Unity Statement was endorsed by more than 700 individuals and organizations.

U.S. military families, the Wrights and Tibbs of Columbus, Georgia, mourn the passing of Brenda M. Wright, wife of U.S. Army Veteran Joe N. Wright and daughter of U.S. Army Veteran Bruce Tibbs Sr. Three children, Damon, Candis and Chad, were born to Joe and Brenda Wright’s 43-year lifelong relationship and 38-year marriage.

Equity across the board is the crucial component for creating positive change within Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. Commissioners must take account of all women’s needs. As it stands, new policies are implemented within the narrow scope of reducing overcrowding in the interest of public safety with the age-old tactic of fearmongering. Thus, violent offenders serving LWOP (Life Without Parole) are devoid of representation.

by Michael Manjeet Singh Books called it The Great Migration, but people aren’t birds Yet we fly in flocks and also remain lonesome doves So do crows...

Finally, a personal “victory” to share. As some of you know, WE were forced into homelessness over a year and a half ago by the Trump-supporting gentrificators Jessica Sawczuk, Eugene Gorelik, who refers to himself as “Mean Gene,” and their “Oakland Redevelopment Group LLC.” These gangsters purchased the building that our family resided in for over 20 years – and which had been my only residence in California since moving from Chicago in 1995 – and then proceeded to violate our rights and City and State laws.

Melvin Dickson was a writer, poet, author and organizer whose passing marked a sorrowful day for those who had the privilege to work alongside him. In order to give those community members their moment to reflect and honor our brother, a local community event was held Saturday, Nov. 17, to celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Melvin Dickson. His recent passing this past October continues to be felt across the Black Panther Party community. Melvin Dickson was one of the longest active Party members, who then went on to found the Commemoration Committee for the Black Panther Party (CCBPP) in the early ‘90s.

When students at Malcolm X Academy returned to their elementary school in the Bayview in August to begin a new year, they came back to a changed environment. Over the summer, part of their school building had been taken over by KIPP Bayview Elementary, a charter school operated by Knowledge is Power Program, the largest charter network in the country and in San Francisco.

Many New Afrikans (Blacks) for some reason think that the revolution is dead. The revolution is not dead. It is the spirit of the people that is dead. They have forgotten their history. And since their spirit is dead, the revolution is at a standstill or stagnant. Revolution means to bring about a change. A revolutionary is one who is dedicated to bringing about that change. We can all agree that change in these times is indeed needed. Revolution is needed! The people’s spirit is only dead because those of us who claim to be revolutionaries haven’t sparked their interest.

Palestinian women in HaSharon prison are continuing their protest against the imposition of surveillance cameras on Sept. 5 in the prison yard. The placement of surveillance cameras also covers the collective kitchens, washing machine areas and prayer areas. Since that time, for 56 days, the women have refused to go out for recreation or enter the areas under surveillance until the cameras are removed. The imposition of the surveillance cameras was one of the latest repressive actions initiated by Israeli minister Gilad Erdan’s committee, charged with rolling back the accomplishments the Palestinian prisoners won through years of struggle.

Caltrans is perhaps the largest and most high profile evictor of homeless encampments in California. According to “The Mile Marker: A Caltrans Performance Report” – the organization’s quarterly progress report – Caltrans estimated that it spent $10.04 million cleaning up homeless encampments in fiscal year ending 2017. Obviously, Caltrans should be impacted by Martin v. Boise, because it restricts the conditions under which evictions can be made.

Dedicated to ensuring the historic Fillmore neighborhood has an economic and cultural anchor to call its own, District Five Supervisor Vallie Brown and a group of nonprofit and African American community leaders have initiated a collaborative campaign to reactivate the Fillmore Heritage Center. Beginning Nov. 5, the collaborative is offering live music, community events, and housing and financial empowerment workshops at the former Yoshi’s site.

The Poor People’s Campaign is all about the oppressed citizens of this nation – making the connection between the working proletariat and the lumpen proletariat. This will close the gap between the working poor and the non-working poor, who share common interests, such as affordable housing, affordable health care, adequate educational institutions, adequate wages that provide a standard of living that’s suitable for a human being. Once we bring the lower class together by successfully campaigning around our shared human rights, then we can bring an end to such exploitations as mass incarceration, the death penalty, homelessness and poverty.

I’m sad to report that I was attacked and beaten by clansman as Black guards watched. I sent out a report on this but left out info I felt would cause the message to be banned, delayed or thrown away. This attack was in response to my November Bay View piece that circulated around the prison like wildfire. Until I don’t have hands to write and eyes to see and a tongue to speak, I will continue to expose such attempts to repress my freedom of speech.

  NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SFPUC’S CITYWORKS SUMMER INTERNSHIP Applications are open for the 2019 CityWorks Summer Internship Program, which strives to increase diversity in engineering, program...

Unhoused residents of Berkeley who live in RVs and vans on the occupied streets of Berkeley (called Huchuin Lisjan by the Ohlone, the first people) wrote their stories in POOR Magazine’s Street-Writing Workshop held weekly on the corner of Eighth and Harrison streets. This powerful community, who call themselves Berkeley Friends on Wheels have dealt with harassment, politricksters and ongoing criminalization for doing nothing but living humbly and cleanly in their RVs.