Support Your Local Activist (patrons needed)

There seems to be no polite way to ask for money. Fundraisers, carwashes, capital drives, personal contributions out of our own pockets; whether you are a non-profit, a grassroots community group, or an individual activist, the reality is that we all require some level of funds to operate. There are many of us who have no formal organization or “operating budget” per se who struggle to keep the lights on and food on the table. Meanwhile, we are facing off with school boards about racist policies and ensuing achievement gaps; going door to door after work conducting surveys about experiences with the police in our neighborhoods; and organizing meetings with solidarity groups to support unions and labor struggles. We are not necessarily the “face” of activism seen in the papers asked to meet with mayors or senators. We are not the executive directors of non-profits with healthy 401-Ks. We are addressing complicated problems that cannot be settled between the hours of nine and five and we are broke.

If you are among those who have availed themselves to work for social change, you are familiar with the litany of problems we face. Corporate influence has become our government. Virtually every problem we are dealing with from healthcare to education to food affects people of color two or three times worse than white people and yet people (progressives included) still want to debate the existence of institutional racism. Global warming and decreasing air quality are quickly becoming accepted realities by everyone except our elected officials. The results are in: the problems are serious and our current solutions aren’t working.

It stands to reason that if the problems are serious, then our solutions need to be as well. Make no mistake: the corporate and quasi-elected CEOs of the U.S. from Archer Daniels Midland to Northrop Grumman, Wal-Mart, Monsanto and the U.S. Congress have proven themselves willing and capable of doing anything to increase individual and corporate bottom lines. Everything these folks believe in is fully funded. Where does that leave those of us who profess belief in justice and equality? Those of us that consider ourselves as progressives, revolutionaries, “in the struggle”, activists, dedicated to change, whatever, need to ask ourselves: “Am I willing to dedicate my life’s energy and resources to making the ideals I profess a reality?” Put more simply: “Do we want to wish or win?”

I would like to humbly suggest that as activists we need take deep stock of our finances and resources and be honest and accountable for what we are willing to bring to the table. As the oft-quoted but rarely imitated Mohandas K. Gandhi suggested, we must “be the change we desire to see in the world.”

This essay is meant as a counter-weight to the defeatism so often found in progressive culture. Whether or not we are aware of it, our part time commitment to the ideals we profess belies a truth that goes unspoken the vast majority of our lives: we are at times scared and other times unwilling to put ourselves at risk in the inherently dangerous venture of resisting this system. Our financial selves, the public images of our selves, our physical and mental selves know that this system will fight back. But that happens whether we choose to engage or not. So the beauty of it is that we have no choice but to fight; it is the world into which we were born. Each day that we choose to accept the status quo as “the best it can be” we fuel the engines that drive white supremacy and all of the oppression that comes in tow. Let us instead choose victory and take daily steps to discover what is possible.

For the better part of the last ten years I have been involved in an anti-racist intentional community that has supported and participated in several community-based struggles for racial and economic justice. We are a collective of four to five families (depending how you count) with a fluidity of “members.” Among the principles of anti-racism we practice is our commitment to upholding and supporting black leadership and the leadership of other people of color. Our collective is composed of black and white folks possessing a deep-seated belief in the need to struggle against white supremacy in all areas of our lives. Economic inequality across racial lines is perhaps the most glaring indicator of institutional racism. For this reason, we have focused much of our energy in the creation of equity based financial practices on a family and community level.

Several years ago, we formalized our income sharing practices and have found this to be a key part of our collective living practices. It has allowed some of us to work as full time activists and others to work part-time in order to support collective and community goals. In the last two years, we have made substantial moves towards starting community based businesses allowing us to develop means of income in ways that support our unique skills and creativity but that also allow us the freedom to design alternatives to the economics of white supremacy and capitalism.

In recent years we have tried to make good on the vision of working for ourselves with small businesses started by members of our collective. We’ve had the all the struggles of nascent businesses but these trials are buoyed by a vision that this work is larger than simply making a living or material accumulation. These businesses are conscious attempts to make this system operate in a way it was never designed. I learned recently that our endeavors might be termed “entrepreneurial socialism” in that we are trying to operate in a capitalist system with the goal of benefiting the whole versus the individual.

Pooling our income and our other collective living practices has not come about without much internal struggle and ongoing work against the individualism of the dominant white capitalist culture. For many years we have met at least once a week developing our small but committed group examining and exploring what it means to lead an anti-racist life and devising ways and means to raise families and create a community committed to social change. There are other ways that we have collectivized; we all take part in caring for and raising our growing numbers of children, we share food and cook for each other three or four nights a week and we support each other in the daily commitment it takes to choose a life path that is not condoned by this system. Yet the component of our community that without fail raises eyebrows is our income sharing. How do you make it fair? What if someone doesn’t pull their weight? Shouldn’t your finances be a private affair?

In this society that so adores the dollar and individual advancement above all else, we are each other’s insurance policies. If we swim, we swim together. If we sink… well that hasn’t happened. Perhaps one the most radical things about our community is our daily interdependence upon one another. Though we wish for more, we currently transport 15-20 people where they need to go with three cars. When groceries are tight each families’ pantry is open to the other. Now with our “members” spanning three generations there is a plethora of support and wisdom for child rearing. As we are a multi-racial community, there is ongoing discussion about the dynamics of race and class and what it takes to hold ourselves accountable for the vision we see possible for the world.

We are far from perfection in our endeavors. Our constant tinkering with communication and collective accountability focuses just as much on undoing the addictions of greed and isolationism as on creating new realities and culture. We are not a commune removed from the reality of the world in which we live. Rather, we are located in a working poor/middle class neighborhood comprised of many races and ethnicities. Some of our neighbors know of our collective efforts but it is interesting to note how “normal” our “radical” lives appear to others. One neighbor a few doors down commented, “Oh, I thought you guys ran a day-care because of all the kids and swing-set in the backyard.” Hmm… a day-care… not a bad idea.

I am asking that each of us examine who we are in light of this simple question, “Am I doing everything in my power to bring about justice and equality in this life for all people?” After all, it is this very type of self-reflection that brought most of us into this work from the start. Now we must reevaluate and dig deep with questions about what we do with our money and our time. Most of us have more of both than we will freely admit.

In my experience, this form of voluntary redistribution has helped me to gain a better understanding of what poor people deal with everyday and have a deeper look at the brutality of this economic system. I must again emphasize that for me as a white male from an upper middle class background, these realizations would not have been possible without a principled commitment to anti-racism coupled with guidance and leadership from individuals in the black community and other communities of color who possess a strong analysis of race, class and power.

This is not a plea for charity but a call for the redesign of our lives. We must quite literally fund and staff the work for justice in our lives and the wider world. It’s great when we are able to find grants from foundations, our government and corporations to bring money back to our communities. However, the reality is that institutions that create and maintain inequality will not undercut their power. No, real change is of the do-it-yourself variety.

There is no prescripted method for giving your all. As an example, consider how much of our money and time goes toward paying for housing. In an effort to compound this phenomenon, the dominant culture dictates that buying an affordable house is not good enough. Even when we might be free of this burden, we sell our existing homes and mortgage our lives for a more expensive one. What if we were to collectively work to pay off our houses and help others that work for change do the same? In this simple way we might buy the freedom to make real change.

This article is also written with the knowledge that everyone who desires justice in this world is not poor and some of us have access to tremendous resources- financial and otherwise. If this is you, I urge you to consider finding ways of sharing these resources in ways that enable more of us to work for change. Push the limits of comfortability and be constantly reminded that poor folks don’t have the privilege of nest eggs and safety nets.

Ultimately this experiment in collective living and vision of undoing racism across generations is just that: an experiment. Nevertheless, we are far from where we began and we are confident in the simplicity of our approach: see what works, leave what doesn’t, but never quit.

Agricultural Firms Post Record Quarterly Profits

After my last post I read these headlines on Democracy Now.

Agricultural Firms Post Record Quarterly Profits

The rise in food prices has been linked to several factors, including bad weather, the higher price of oil and the diversion of crops to produce biofuels for cars. The growing unrest over food security comes as major agricultural companies are posting record profits. This week, the grain-processing giant Archer Daniels Midland announced a 42 percent rise in third-quarter profits. Revenues from the distribution of grains including wheat and corn were up 700 percent. According to the Wall Street Journal, other major firms, including Monsanto, Deere and Mosaic, have all reported similar windfalls.

there's food, not money

Listening to all the talk about the current food crisis I think many folks have voiced at least part of the problem in this emerging crisis; I fear that all these factors are playing a role and we may be seeing the emergence of a "perfect storm" that is complicated to say the least.

It's not as simple as corn being used for biofuel that has created a food crisis. Something I haven't heard mentioned yet is how subsidies paid by the U.S. government to agribusiness allows the U.S. to flood world markets and artificially drive prices down on corn and other crops. This is what happened when soda companies switched from sugar to high fructose corn syrup. We couldn't control the sugar market so we created a market for corn and the U.S. provided the subsidies that allowed U.S. farmers to sell corn cheaper than anyone else could do it.

I'm betting that the push for ethanol over the last few years has very little to do finding sustainable fuel sources and more for finding new markets for U.S. corn. NPR did a story yesterday that basically said with so many areas of the economy in trouble, investors are looking for places to put their money. Oil is making money so folks with cash are investing in oil artificially driving the price through the roof. Rising fuel costs drives everything up- especially food because we use petrochemical fertilizers, tractors, trucks etc.

I don't know because I am not an economist, but I feel pretty sure that this push for ethanol was subsidy based, that this monkeyed with world markets and helped to throw us and the world into several different economic tailspins of which oil emerged as one of the last sure bets of investors creating a vicious cycle that is literally feast and famine.

We are critical of handouts to the poor but our government consistently provides corporate welfare to billion dollar companies like Archer Daniels Midland and others without blinking an eye. The current food crisis is criminal considering oil and other industries are making profits higher than they ever have in their history of existence.

goings-ons

Stuff has been um... busy? No, things are always busy it seems like. More like cwazy! Sometimes you have to be out doin' the stuff before you can blog about the stuff. So let's see...

Sun and Moon Dojo, where I take martial arts, has opened in my neighborhood and things are in full swing. We have a variety of classes with different instructors including tai-chi, kung-fu, ju-jitsu, kenpo and taekwondo. Classes currently begin at around 4 in the afternoon and run back to back until 8 each night Monday through Friday. The dojo is open 10 until 1 on Saturdays. Very soon we hope to have a yoga class in the mix.

There was an awesome turnout at the HIVE last Thursday for a showing of the movie, Bastards of the Party. Over a 150 folks came out to see and discuss this film which deals with the history of L.A. gangs. The film originally aired on HBO and it gives a unique perspective on how institutional racism help provide an incubator for what became today's Bloods and Crips. The film doesn't excuse gang members who do wrong, rather it is a sobering reminder about how no one is born bad and that complex powerful forces create complex powerful problems. There will be follow up community discussions so stay tuned.

I recently submitted a letter of intent with the Fund 4 Democratic Communities about a grant I'm trying to put together to support a local coalition group studying interest-free banking. A few posts back I shared information related to interest-free banking institutions like JAK Members Bank in Sweden. As I've talked to various folks, there seems to be a desire to figure out how we could make interest-free lending a reality in Greensboro.

That's it for the moment... I guess I'll see you when we are not in front of our computers.

there and back

Found this on our weekend trip to northern Virginia. Explains a lot about the DC area, actually.

organizing for door-to-door

The Inclusion Committee of our neighborhood association is preparing for a door-to-door campaign in Glenwood. We will be talking with residents about the Neighborhood Draft Plan and passing out summaries of the plan. We will also be doing surveys to get additional input from neighborhood residents; especially concerning peoples' thoughts about ways to improve neighborhood communication and security in Glenwood.

If you would like to be involved in our door-to-door effort please email me or post a comment.

what would jesus buy?

What would Jesus buy? (I'm thinking the answer is something like food, clothing and shelter for everyone who doesn't have enough but that's probably just too danged simple). Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are making folks look hard money and values; especially when comes to the Son of God's birthday.



Go, Rev go! Anyone banned from all Starbucks everywhere has got to be on the right track. Now I can't wait to see the movie.

(photo by Pak Fung Wong for the Village Voice)

10 reasons i don't celebrate thankstaking

"You guys have some big plans for Thanksgiving this year?" is a question we all get leading up to this day. It's a pat question that expects a more or less pat response kind of like, "How are you?" By answering the question honestly (we don't celebrate Thanksgiving) it generates the same kind of discomfort as telling someone you are sad or angry who didn't really want to know when they asked.

I stopped celebrating Thanksgiving (or thankstaking as we call it) in 1999. There are many reasons why myself and folks in our collective don't celebrate this or most of the holidays on the calendar but the main reason for not celebrating thankstaking is that it is based on a myth (read lie) that if accepted, or even tolerated, takes us down the road to making racism and our history of oppression permissible.

Genocide of Native Americans and Africans in what should be called the Holocaust of the "New World" is not somethings folks want to come to grips with this time of year (or ever, really). There are many people that acknowledge the not-nice parts of our history but there is very little any of us do to rectify this past that is literally strewn with murder, land-stealing, deceit and codified oppression.

Even in progressive circles I hear things like, "Oh, the holiday isn't about the history of the day. It's really just a time for us to gather as a family, eat and enjoy some time off together." I agree- most of us as adults don't focus on the myth of the peace and gratitude among Indians and pilgrims. We don't have to. This cliche of racial harmony has been drilled into us since birth and now we participate without thought. Does this not strike anyone, especially those of us who work for social change, as dangerous? On a basic level, if the symbology of Indians and pilgrims is meaningless, why is it on Google's graphic today?

All this may sound nit-picky and a bit holier-than-thou, but that is certainly not my intent. My point is this: if you consider yourself an activist or advocate for justice and social change you are probably very aware that there are mechanisms and cultural institutions that keep oppression in place. Most of us who are socially engaged nod our heads when we read an analysis of the connections between racism and militarism. We understand that our economic system is a tool that maintains social hierarchies. If we are willing to accept these and other more or less radical assumptions, we should consider that the cultural cornerstones which are our major holidays (holy-days?) in the U.S. serve to maintain a collective amnesia. It is this national forgetting which begets our current reality. Accepting the oppression of the present requires us to accept or at least be ignorant of the oppression of the past.

So, without any further delay... ten reasons I don't celebrate today.

1. Thanksgiving is basically an origin myth that feeds us the lie that our country is a melting pot of cultural exchange instead of an empire to generate wealth for people of European descent (white people).

2. The U.S., to this day, has never honored any of the treaties made with Native Americans. What exactly is there to celebrate?

3. Do Turkeys Love Thanksgiving? A great lecture about "New Racism" by Arundhati Roy. Download the mp3 if you can.

4. Thanksgiving is not tradition we have nationally celebrated since Plymouth Rock. The current holiday was declared by President Lincoln in 1863 to boost patriotism for the Union during the Civil War. Hmm... very interesting in this post 9/11 world. Here is a good article titled "Inventing Thanksgiving."

5. Thanksgiving is integrally connected with Christmas- in fact it is common knowledge that the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. A huge percentage of the materialism and gluttony which has become synonymous with being American happens during this month. Support Buy Nothing Day and let's strategize for a Buy Nothing Month.

6. We need to be more intentional about making time for family. When I tell people that I don't celebrate Thanksgiving, almost immediately folks respond that it is the time everyone in their families has off from work to gather in one place. Let me be clear, I'm not advocating for less time with anyone's family. Rather, let's not just accept our rushed lives as the only possible reality. We must demand time for our families throughout the year and not just accept the crumbs of a long-weekend.

7. Solidarity with Native Americans and others who continue to resist the 500 years of genocide and oppression since Columbus and the rest of the European invasion.

8. What we teach children matters and they learn from what we do. Children of color and white children begin to learn and intuit roles of dominance and submission from a very young age. What they learn and believe is the reality they will act out and accept.

9. "History does matter, which is why people in power put so much energy into controlling it." Quote from an article by Robert Jensen.

10. What we do matters and, if we take ourselves seriously, we can change the current social order. In this sense it not only important that we stop our tacit support of the racism and oppression that Thanksgiving embodies. We must also engage in collective, intentional and strategic action to realize the justice we want to see. The past 500 years didn't happen by accident so it is safe to assume the ongoing exploits of colonialism and empire won't end without a plan, sacrifice, and concerted effort.

the root of being broke

One of life's cruel ironies is that I have to think about money. On a personal level I hate the stuff. The adage that money is the root of all evil resonates very deeply and I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to be free of this controlling economic system. I'm not a monk by any means but I've managed to pursue and develop interests that don't cost very much and reduce expenses whenever possible. Like most folks our major expenditure is for a place to live and we're blessed to be buying our home (notice I didn't say own, that won't happen for another 25 years or so at this rate).

Over the last few years I have given much thought to the freedom and security our community would have if we owned our houses outright and were not locked into mortgages for the next two and a half decades. As an intentional community rooted in the struggle for racial justice, we are engaged in a lot of community work from which we expect no financial return. The equation is simple: the more time we don't have to work for money the more time we have for community work.

One of the primary reasons we work the majority of our lives to pay a mortgage is due to the interest charged through the life of the loan. This means that for a house that cost around $80, 000 when we bought it we will actually pay around $240,000 over 30 years. Now of course this is better than paying rent our entire lives and owning nothing in the end, but at what point do we step back and say, "There has to be a better way" ?

This weekend I found a piece to that puzzle. Muslim friends have told me that charging interest is forbidden by Sharia law which comes out of the Quran, so I knew that interest-free lending existed in other parts of the world. Islamic banking practices are interesting, but from what information I have been able to gather, there are often many fees involved that while not technically interest, make the loans expensive. I say that with caution because I'm sure there many examples of other Islamic lending practices of which I am not aware.

Doing a web search for interest-free loans I found a cooperative bank in Sweden called JAK which, in Swedish, stands for land, labor and capital. In an interview transcript from Global Public Media, a representative from JAK describes the incredibly simple way that the cooperative bank provides interest-free loans to its members, "The members borrow at no interest, and the loans are financed by the members' deposits. Let's say I lend you $53 per year, and you pay me back $1 per week. I'm helping you, but what's in it for me? If you pay me $2 per week instead, one as a lead payment and the other that you are saving with me, then you are giving me a resource to use during the year and when the loan is repaid you get your savings back."

Our house cost close to $80,000. If we stretch our mortgage to the full 30 years we will pay around $240,000. If we could have gotten a mortgage with a cooperative bank like JAK we would pay for around 20 years and at the end have $80,000 in savings! Think of the things you could do with $80,000!

This is particularly inspiring in relation to ways we might help create capital and wealth for traditionally impoverished or economically depressed communities. That $80,000 could put children through college without acquiring more debt. It could be an investment nest-egg or start-up capital for business. However the savings is used, it provides an answer to the perpetual dilemma of it takes money to make money.

This won't be the last post on this subject. I want a bank like this in Greensboro and everywhere else for that matter. We need strategies for achieving social justice and this is one.

getting us talking

I've been giving some thought to ways we might improve neighborhood communication. We need ways for folks to give input and feedback over the long haul that is accessible to all and as convenient as possible. We would need to ask people what would work best for them, but here are some of my ideas...

1. Call out system- This works like an automated phone tree. My school currently uses one for quick, mass communication with our parents. Basically, when there is a meeting, an announcement, or other events coming up the system calls out and gives a reminder. This could be especially useful with our multi-lingual neighborhood because messages could be quickly done by interpreters for various native languages such as Spanish and Vietnamese.

2. Email/ Yahoo group- There is still more growth that could be made with both email and our online bulletin board. True, not all folks have computer or internet access, but for those that do, it is an extremely efficient way to communicate. For folks that don't have a computer or internet at home, we should encourage the use of the library computers. I'm sure Glenwood Library would be agreeable to conducting some trainings about how to use web-mail and the online bulletin board. Also, our new community space on Grove Street, the HIVE, is planning to have free internet/ computer use at some point).

3. Neighborhood bulletin boards- These would be physical bulletin boards in places like parks, the library, the grocery store, and bus stops. They could be used to post announcements and could also include suggestion boxes.

4. Neighborhood wifi system- There is a cheap way to build a wifi network using devices called repeaters that bounce signals so that several folks could share. It would require some initial investment, but I'm guessing that for under $2,000 we could set up a network that covers the majority of the neighborhood. Sounds like a lot, but considering that we have close to 1,100 homes in Glenwood we could collect a few dollars from each home. This would not only help improve neighborhood communication, but there have been several studies done showing that high speed internet access is an important component to education.

5. Computers for Glenwood- We could organize a program for used computers to be donated to Glenwood residents that do not have computer access. Perhaps we could work in conjunction with a club or student organization that rehabs old computers. I know it is not unusual for offices and universities to upgrade lots of computers at a time; it wouldn't be surprising if we could find several computers at one time.

6. Block by block neighborhood meetings- These could be held on an annual or semi-annual basis. We could help organize to have facilitators on each block with the idea that each facilitator holds a dinner or cookout at their house and hosts a mini-neighborhood meeting for the purpose of gathering feedback from residents. These facilitators would then report back. I'm betting we would get turn out and input from folks that would otherwise would not come out. This especially includes renters and folks whose first language is not English.

7. Meetings/ Workshops in the community garden- This could be a visible way to utilize the garden while building community. We could get straw bales donated for mulch and before they get spread out, use them as seats to hold a meeting or conduct a workshop.

8. Utililizing the community space at the HIVE- The HIVE is a dedicated community space in our neighborhood. It would benefit us all to, as much as we can, use it as a place for folks to find out
about community goings-ons, meet for conversation, and conduct meetings or workshops.

All of these ideas take work of course. Part of what's key is to realize that no matter what steps we take that we need to put systems in place for the long term viability of neighborhood communication. It is also vital
that we have a plan for developing neighborhood leaders because no small group of individuals could take all this on. On the other hand, I think things like a call out system and the like will help build the momentum we need.

do we want input or not?

After Wednesday night's meeting and with another input session coming up on Saturday, I thought it important to clarify a couple things. First, the request for an extension to the draft period is in no way an effort to stop this process. I've listed my reasoning for requesting an extension in a previous post so I won't go into it here, but I'm definately open to talking about it and it in no way offends me if others feel differently.

On the other hand, I was bothered by the amount of emphasis put on the amount of time and number of meetings folks have attended in the past. Some of this came from the city presenters, but some of that sentiment wasfrom the Greater Glenwood Neighborhood Association (GGNA) whether it was intentional or not. People at the meeting who most of us had never met before picked up on this and spoke to this very issue.

With the meeting on Saturday coming up I really want to encourage us to be as open and receptive to folks as possible, especially if it is their first time out. People's participation is what we want- even if they have criticisms or disagree.

We have to remind ourselves that even if someone never came to a meeting they still have a right to criticize and give input on this plan. I, myself, have been to almost every meeting scheduled by the city in this planning process, participated in GGNA meetings and I don't feel like outreach has been adequate. This is not to point the finger at anyone; I include myself in saying more outreach could have been done. Perhaps an extension will not be necessary, but us working
that out as a neighborhood and community is part of the democratic process.

proposed extension to glenwood plan

The input sessions for feedback on the draft of the Glenwood
Neighborhood Plan are this week at Peck Elementary. One on Wednesday
the 7th at 6:30 p.m. and the other on Saturday the 10th at 11:00 a.m.

As I've been working on trying to get folks out to these meetings I've
had several conversations with a variety of people that make me think we
really need more time before this plan is finalized. I would like to
propose that we ask for an extension of the time that allows the plan
to remain in the draft stage for several reasons:

-We still have not reached the majority of residents in a meaningful
way in order to get their input on the plan. While I don't think we
will ever have total participation, there have been growing amounts of
involvement in neighborhood meetings and events. This participation is
wonderful- I would like to give some time for this energy and
conversations to continue to so that this can be worked into the plan.

-Ultimately I believe we all want a plan in which everyone feels they
have ownership and investment; these will be the folks that help carry
out the plan after all. I truly believe taking some more time for
input and revision now will pay off in the long run.

-As it stands now, once our plan is finalized it is is very difficult
to amend or change. While this helps prevent someone (like a developer
for instance) from radically altering the vision of the plan it could
also be exclusive of folks trying to do good work in Glenwood down the
line. Perhaps there is some middle ground that could be reached on
this issue, but again there needs to be time for discussion.

-Realistically there is no reason we couldn't start and/or continue
working towards the short range goals of the plan. An extension of the
draft period allows for more conversation and input it doesn't keep us
from doing the work in the plan.

I know specifically that folks from the mosque and a few of the small
business owners on Grove St are interested in stepping up their
participation and would like a voice in this process. They will attend
the input sessions but relationships like these are so vital to the
success of our neighborhood that I want them to be able to enter into
this conversation without the pressure of a deadline in a few weeks.
We want people's genuine input not a rubber stamp.

Very little, if any, outreach has been done to Hispanic residents and
other immigrant communities in Glenwood. We need everyone's input for
this to be a success.

At least two people I have spoken to have mentioned that the language
of the draft makes it difficult for them to understand what the real
implications of the plan will be. Both of these people are college
graduates so I have to wonder, if they feel this way and have these
questions what is other folks' grasp of the draft plan.

All this is to say- come out on Wednesday and Saturday and please
consider asking for an extension on the draft period of the plan.

free market analysis... for free!

The owner of the convenience store where last month's shooting occurred was in attendance at our monthly neighborhood meeting last Thursday. There has been a very strong sentiment that he needs to play a stronger role in curbing the drug traffic that occurs on that corner and several folks in the neighborhood feel that his store should be shut down. I feel like this would not only be premature, but it focuses our energy in a negative way that doesn't ultimately solve anything. If the store was to shut down, there is no replacement in sight so we would be left with yet another empty building. These kind of tactics also miss the basic point that the drug traffic which so many want to disappear would remain with or without the store. On a level of basic fairness, it seems like folks want him to solve a problem for which we, ourselves, have no good solution.

As the meeting wore on several folks commented that the drug dealers working our neighborhood are not scared of much. The store owner pointed out that he has installed cameras outside and calls the police several times a day. The police officer who attended reiterated that the best strategy would be to keep calling and know that their response time depends on call volume. Basically, if we want to continue with our current strategy of relying on the police to solve this problem, we can expect the same response (and therefore, the same results).

Interestingly, the officer was from the UK and said a neighborhood in Birmingham solved their drug problem when the citizens themselves went on a more or less full time visible watch of problem areas. In so many words, this police officer was telling us to police ourselves.

It occurred to me that focusing on the drug dealers, the convenience store, the police and whoever else we want to be "responsible" for this problem is the wrong way of looking at the problem. I think we should instead be asking, who is buying the drugs? Who is paying for prostitutes? Drug dealers are, by necessity, bold and accustomed to risk. The potential for arrest or violence is just part of the job. Drug users and johns I think would feel wholly different about knowing an entire community was watching them. I honestly wonder if there were a few large signs posted in our problem areas that let folks know they were being watched how much longer we would have a problem. This needn't be some type of Orwellian Big Brother operation; very simply it would make folks buying drugs think about if they are cool with their boss knowing what they do after work. It might make husbands think twice about swinging through to pick up prostitutes if they thought their wives might see them on YouTube. My guess is that there would be few actual arrests because it would no longer be a comfortable "shopping experience." If the free market should determine our neighborhood is not the place to buy drugs and prostitutes, well ... everyone knows the customer is always right.

Support the DREAM Act!

Support the DREAM Act!

The DREAM Act is very simply a bill that would allow undocumented
immigrants to attend college in the US. This would allow students who
have been raised here all their lives and completed a high school
education the same opportunities (like in state tuition and student
loans) to attend colleges and universities with the same rights and
privileges as their documented peers. As it stands right now, these
students are expected to settle for a high school diploma which
greatly limits job opportunities.


Take Action!

Contact your Senators and urge them to pass the DREAM Act

Burr, Richard- (R - NC) Class III
217 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3154
http://burr.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home


Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC) Class II
555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6342
http://dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactInformation.ContactForm




October 23 - Update- The sponsoring Senators have introduced a new
version of the bill, which is expected to come up for an important
vote on Wednesday, October 24.

Last week, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and
Richard Lugar (R-IN) quietly re-introduced the DREAM Act as a new
stand-alone bill, S. 2205 . On Wednesday, October 24, there will most
likely be a "cloture" vote on whether the DREAM Act can be debated and
ultimately voted on. This will mark the first time that the DREAM Act
has ever come to a clean vote on the Senate floor.

Like S. 774, the version of the DREAM Act that was filed by the same
Senators earlier this year, S. 2205 would provide a 6-year path to
permanent residence and eventual citizenship for individuals brought
to the U.S. more than 5 years ago as undocumented children if they
graduate from high school and continue on to college or military
service.

However, there are some key differences as well. The most important
differences are that S. 2205 would not apply to individuals who, on
the date of enactment, are over 30 years old, and it would not delete
a provision of federal law that places conditions on states that
provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. These changes
were made by the sponsoring Senators in order to gain more support for
the bill to try to ensure its passage.

Statistics show that over 65,000 undocumented immigrant students
graduate from U.S. high schools each year. These students have been
raised in this country, and their families pay taxes, but they do not
have a legal mechanism to remain here. The DREAM Act will enable them
to adjust their immigration status and contribute their education to
the nation's benefit.

More detailed information on the DREAM Act is available from the
National Immigration Law Center.

The cloture motion will require 60 votes to pass. Anti-immigrant
forces are already at work stirring opposition to the bill. If it
fails, the DREAM Act will be pulled from the Senate floor. If it
passes, there will be more votes on the DREAM Act as well as on
possible amendments. The outcome of these votes will determine the
fate of the DREAM Act for this Congress.

Contact your Senators now and urge them to support the DREAM Act!

a modest proposal

We are in the middle of one of the worst droughts that folks can remember. Two weeks ago everyone in Greensboro received a notice that our current water supply is enough for 125 days. No car washing, no lawn watering, no any of the stuff that I don't do anyway.

But they are still watering the golf courses. I'm all for chipping in with my fellow citizens in order to conserve precious resources, but it's frustrating to know that at 6 a.m., as I try to be conscious of how many minutes I've been in the shower, the sprinklers are running on the putting green.

So here it is: I'd like to propose that anyone who feels compelled to play golf through the drought should forgo bathing. It would be a token display of solidarity with those of who liked it when it used to rain. A bold action like this would actually endear the "sport" of golf to folks like myself who have yet to develop the proper respect for paying money to drive drunk in a golf cart.

Golfers, themselves, may find new significance in this gentleman's game when they smell like men. Weathering this crisis along with the rest of the mortal population will likely usher in a new era of elevated golf ethics that will later be referred to as the Golden Brotherhood of Golfness.

So golfers, what do you say? Let's take it to the next level while you play golf and save us from environmental destruction. What do you have to lose? Besides your job, house, money and social standing, I mean.

questions

There is an article here about the victim of last week's shooting in our neighborhood. It turns out that the young man was the victim of a robbery. There has been much speculation what the victim was doing at the convenience store but as one woman pointed out in our community meeting last weekend, whatever his involvement, this is a tragedy. He has a family- and most certainly a niece that will miss him dearly. My last post about community security is perhaps not explicit enough about how deeply we must love ourselves and others so that when something like this happens we don't allow ourselves to believe, even for a second, that anyone "deserves" such a fate. Getting to the root of problems like this is hard without pointing fingers at sections of the community. While people most certainly bear responsibility for violence that they perpetrate we also have to love them enough to work towards solutions that put an end to tragedies like this. Often it is easier to turn away and demand that police and other institutions take the problem away rather than peeling back the layers of social fabric to find and heal the root of these problems. When we begin that process it forces us to think about questions have no simple answers. Why is there such a prevalence of illegal weapons on our streets? Why is there a 30 percent educational achievement gap between black and white students? Where do illegal drugs come from? What is white folks' historic and present day role in black on black violence? Why are so many people working full time and more and not able to make ends meet?

These questions are not excuses for last week's murder but I believe deeply they are part of the solution.

what are we doing?

There was a shooting two days ago in my neighborhood. A man was shot three times in the head outside of a local convenience store on the edge of our neighborhood that is a well known drug hot spot. I'm not sure what happened to the victim; amazingly enough he wasn't killed on the spot and was taken to the hospital.

Our neighborhood is in the midst of putting together a long range development plan which, among other things, attempts to address issues of crime and security for our 1,100 residences. At this point the plan calls for a predictable litany of police and traditional community watch style tactics that I sincerely believe will not be effective. Ours is a neighborhood which is diverse racially and ethnically but we are pretty solidly working poor and lower middle class. In a city that is already crying about shortages of police and other services, we don't rank at the top of security priorities.

I, myself, am not a big fan of the police. While there are many individual police officers who believe fully in service to the community, it's the institution itself that I don't think is designed to truly serve the needs of the community. The police end up dealing with folks we don't want to talk to or are scared by which is very tempting initially. But then they leave. At that point we are left with a community that has the same problems and are no stronger to create the security we desire. I'm a big believer in the old adage that actions speak louder than words. If I don't do drugs and yet I know three spots within a mile to get drugs, I'm pretty sure the police know as well. Individual officers can say the words that they are trying to get a handle on things but the institution has shown they are not committed to the security of the neighborhood.

I'm not advocating that we allow our streets and neighborhoods remain unsafe by not calling the police. Nor am I interested in vigilante patrols that mimic our existing police force with more brutal tactics. Instead I believe deeply in creating and building relationships that strengthen the fabric of our community. This takes a lot more time and commitment than dialing 911 but ultimately a community where residents know each other, understand the context of our relationships and polices itself is stronger through and through. In short, I don't think we should beg for something we should do ourselves.

I don't know how any of this would look- I have ideas of course, but really it's not up to me as an individual. If this is our concern then it is not up to me to decide. We have to do it.

too much for one entry

Well... I've fallen off the blog wagon again. So much stuff happening, so many events, meetings, openings, celebrations; who has time to be in front of the computer to gather one's thoughts? For those of you that don't know, Greensboro, NC is thriving with forward thinking plans and action. As much as I have an urge to do everything and be everywhere, it is reassuring to know that so many positive things are afoot that it is impossible to do it all.

At the top of the list is The Hive, a community space opening in my neighborhood. The Hive will be home to a number of progressive organizations as well a providing a meeting spot for music, art and just hanging out with folks without having to spend money. Perhaps most exciting about The Hive is the possibility for cross-pollination among people concerned with social justice. Too often we are all so busy with all that is wrong in the world that it is hard to find the time and space to develop relationships and just be friends.

Inspiring slack bloggers everywhere, Liz Seymour has entered the blogosphere with zest, inspiration and, most importantly, stuff that's interesting to read. She has started a FAQ post about collective living that's generating some good conversation.

Deep Roots Market is holding it's annual owner's meeting this Saturday. Deep Roots is a cooperative that I've been on Board of for the last few years. We've been working hard to reinvigorate the vision of the cooperative as a progressive force in the community. Coops, Deep Roots included, have gotten trapped into the belief that our primary role is limited to that of an organic grocer or health food store. After much research and conversation we've opened ourselves as a board to the understanding that a cooperative can literally do anything that we, the owners, want to do. While Deep Roots will continue to be a source of local, organic food we've begun the conversation of envisioning other possibilities for the future. Among other ideas in the hopper are a cooperative health clinic, cooperative housing and ways that local, healthy food can be more widely available to all people regardless of income.

Greensboro has a long history filled with struggles for justice and new ways of seeing tough problems. Seeing as there is no shortage of problems in the world, it's reassuring to be able work towards solutions with so many cool people.

i love this stuff

I have to brag a little and throw up a pic of the veggie nori rolls that I made the other night for my friend's birthday. I really want to learn more about how to prepare sushi and found an awesome site here, but in the meantime this stuff was bangin'! I can't tell if it is the taste I love best or the fact that if prepared at home it literally costs cents per roll. I recently got a mandolin slicer-dicer thingy that makes short work of the thin strips of veggies. Oh, and the wasabi...

oh, joy of joys!

I opened the lid to my compost bin last night and what did I see? The larvae of Hermetia illucens, also called the Black Soldier Fly. Okay, a little weird and more than a bit nerdy, but this stuff is like pulling protein out of the air! They feed on almost any type of waste and the larvae is high in protein and fat which can be fed to fish, chickens and ducks. NC State was working on a project to use Black Soldier Flies to process hog waste at Smithfield Packing; much better than the toxic lagoon systems which are usually used. Don't know if they ever got around to using it. I liked the idea on it's own merits but also thought it could give Smithfield something else to focus on besides harassing undocumented workers. My next task with the larvae is to figure out how to reproduce these chow hounds and get 'em ready for some egg layers at the end of the summer!

colony stylin' an profilin'

Here's a pic of my rabbit colony pen that I'm building. The basic idea is to build an enclosed pen that is as predator proof as you can get it and then let your rabbits "free range" inside the pen. They have plenty of room and can burrow. Eventually most of the rabbits will have their babies (kits in rabbit speak) underground. This really helps keep them cool in the summer heat. Some folks let the male rabbit (the buck) live inside the pen and breed with the female rabbits (the does) as often as they want, but for right now I'm keeping the mister in a separate, pasture style pen kind of like the one you can see here. After I get a wire top on and the fence dug in where you can see the trench I will open the front of the hutch and let rabbits roam willy-nilly. The straw bale in the center is to encourage them to dig in the center and not along the fence line. We'll see how that goes...

busy, busy

Been working on multiple projects this weekend. Here is a rain barrel that I finally got around to attaching a spigot to. It's a 3/4 inch brass spigot with a galvanized connector on the inside. I drilled about 1 1/2 inches from the base of the barrel with a 1 inch paddle bit. Each side of the fitting has a rubber O-ring. It's got the slightest leak so I will probably go back with some silicone and see if I can't get a good seal. The galvanized connector on the inside probably could use a screen wrapped over it as well. I'm psyched that when the barrel is 1 1/2 to 2 feet off the ground it has enough pressure to run a soaker hose. If you don't want to buy a soaker hose, keep an eye out for hoses in the trash. Repair any big leaks by splicing it together with a hose splice kit from the hardware store and drill holes every 2 inches all the way down with a 1/16 inch bit. Attach a cap on the end and you're in business for little to no money.

the duckweed we need

I'm really interested in duckweed, scientifically known as Lemna minor, unscientifically known as pond scum. This stuff is generally regarded as as nuisance but has incredibly useful qualities such as very high protein levels, the ability to double in size in a 24 hour period and the fact that it thrives in wastewater conditions. I'm going to try growing some for my rabbits and see how they like it. I'll grow the duckweed in barrel halves with a manure/compost tea solution. I'll scrape off half the duckweed each day, let it dry, and feed it to the bunnies. People use duckweed to feed to fish, chickens and, shockingly enough, ducks.

pondering the puzzle, III

The following is the a continuation of my posts on a discussion group I belong to. I'm not printing other folks' responses and have edited where necessary for clarity. If something seems random, it's probably a response to a someone asking a question or making a statement...

Someone brought up the example of Enron the other day and I totally agree that greed runs across all skin tones. Racism pokes its head up in how we perceive that greed and then again how agressively it's prosecuted. Since Enron there have literally been hundreds of stories of related corporate scandal and theft and yet very few stories of the prosecution and jail time for these white collar criminals. On the other hand my local news has weekly stories and pictures of Black and Hispanic men in jumpsuits and handcuffs arrested for crimes they have not yet been convicted of. Let me make clear I am not condoning or excusing either one; I am simply making an observation that we view criminality very differently both in our personal perceptions and in the courtroom.

My example of India and the greed of agribusiness was not intended to overlook what is happening to white farmers in the U.S. You are correct that greed drives the Monsantos and ConAgras of the world. My point is that this level of greed necessitates profits at someone else's expense and that brown and black skinned people suffer at disproportionately high rates as transnational companies pursue these profits with virtual impunity. I would also add that it is a predominantly white, elite power structure (public and private) that facilitates this impunity. Again, I would encourage us to think about racism and other forms of oppression in terms of effect, not solely intent. It's all the same thing to the person on the receiving end of the stick.

Along with the plight of the white farmer in the U.S. I would encourage you to look at the ongoing struggle of the black farmer in the U.S. There is a good documentary and website called Homecoming found at http://www.pbs.org/itvs/homecoming/. This history details how the USDA systematically helped save white farmers and created conditions for black land loss. This is all documented and is in fact the subject of a class action lawsuit against the USDA.

I am not anti-racist out of "kindness" and agree with you that this type of mentality is not at all helpful. As I study history and reflect on current world situations I realize the price that was paid by whites for what we did to "become" white. We used to be Polish, Italian, Scottish, Irish and so on until we arrived here in the U.S. In a previous post I touched on the creation of racial hierarchy in the form of slave codes and the like and unfortunately our white ancestors became white by denying their own roots and assuming a place in the social hierarchy as "better than" those with darker skin. White folks gained on a material level from slavery, Jim Crow and so on- but we gave up a tremendous amount of spiritual and emotional selves in order to parcipate in these systems.

Acknowledging that racism exists and studying its effects is not a way to excuse anyone of any color from being all that they can be. For me it is not an either/or discussion. Studying and exposing institutional inequality is a strategy to be coupled with individual and collective ingenuity. I agree George Washington Carver was a tremendous man no matter your ancestory. I also feel the same about Martin Luther King, Jr. Many criticized King, Ghandi and others for bringing attention to the institutional inequalities of their time- few would dare to criticize them today because history has given us the perspective that they were right to advocate for change in an unjust system. Both of these great men were assasinated and it is easy (and safe) for us to admire them in the passage of years. What if we were to apply their teaching and analysis to the world of today?

I brought this topic up because I see as a part of the piece of the puzzle that many in this group are trying to solve. There is no need for this topic to be divisive- every person who contributes to this group does so out of a belief that good, honest work is being done here. I'm merely trying to shed a little light on the perspective that brings me to this work.

el conejo

Here's a pic of one of our rabbits. They are the Californian breed and provide entertainment and manure, though not necessarily in that order.

pondering the puzzle- the sequel

Continuing from the post below, part of the point I'm
trying to make about racism is that we usually focus solely on
intention not the effect. I believe we must take into account that
when bad things happen, the consequences are almost always worse if
you are poor or a person of color in this world. What I consider most
racist around the Katrina disaster were preparedness decisions that
factored in the inevitable casualities as part of a cost analysis. I
do not believe these casualties would have been factored in as
inevitable if the population with no transportation out of New Orleans
had been white and well to do.

Someone raised a hypothetical example of an earthqquake in L.A. (God forbid). I believe it could produce similar results to Katrina. The institutional racism would present itself with a disproportionate number of people of color and the poor living in sub-standard housing being hardest hit by earthquake damage.

I disagree that there is less and less racism in the world today,
though I do understand that point of view. I would say there is less
overt racism especially with the advent of political correctness in
this country. While it is great that many of us are more aware as to
what is offensive to others, the racism I am speaking of is more
institutional in nature. A great introduction to this kind of thinking
is in RACE: The Power of an Illusion.

I've read Ishmael and think Quinn has alot to offer. I would agree
that man ultimately lives inside the rules of nature (acknowledging
that extinction is one of the ultimate rules). Another book I have
been reading recently is Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has
Hijacked Civilization by Richard Manning. In it, Manning poses some
interesting theories about how power has revolved around food
production and, in particular, food surpluses.

As an anti-racist I am not trying to "blame" whites for everything
wrong in the world. I do believe, however, that white folks benefit
from historical inequalities. Often we look present day inqualities in
education, economics and the like and don't have a clear picture as to
how we got here. When we don't understand history and assume that the
playing field is level (which it is not) it becomes easy to
oversimplify and blame poor folks and people of color for every
situation they may face.

Just as I am careful not to blame whites for every wrong, being
anti-racist does not mean every person of color is absolved of
responsibility. Obviously every person bears heavy responsibility for
their own destiny. What I am asking us to acknowledge is that the game
has been tilted in favor of those with a light skin complexion for
quite some time. For those of us that have benefitted we at least owe
the time and resources to help right historical inqualities.

I am a school teacher so I'll give you an example of racism as I see
it in the public education system. In the U.S. there exists a racial
acheivement gap in which year to year whites tend to outperform blacks
by at least a third. Now if I were personally prejudiced (a form of
racism) I would look at that data and say to myself it's obvious that
blacks are intellectually inferior to whites and have explained away
any need to find a solution. This is a base level racism that has
fallen out of vogue but has been seen in the mainstream with books
like The Bell Curve.

Continuing to examine the acheivement gap we find that there is not as
strong a correlation between race and acheivement as there is between
income and acheivement. Over and over we hear the cry for education as
the road out of poverty. We then must ask what is education? In this
country education is predominantly academic thinking and knowledge
presented in a text format. Even math and science are heavily text
based. This means if you cannot read well, your chances of doing well
in education are slim.

So, we know that to do well in school you must learn to read well. Why
is it then, even with all the advanced research that has been done in
how to effectively teach reading, we cannot settle upon nationally
accepted methods and materials for teaching reading? This is not
rocket science. I would argue that effective reading instruction does
not take place across the board because, for the most part, white
students get the skills they need in this department and it does not
become a major impediment to their continued education. If we saw a
surge in illiteracy among white elementary children I guarantee you
would see decisive, effective action taken.

pondering the puzzle

The following is a post from a Yahoo! group that I belong to called Barrelponics. Barrelponics is an offshoot of a food production system called aquaponics. Aquaponics is the organic production of fish and vegetables in a recirculating hydroponic system. Essentially, you feed the fish and the fish waste feeds the plants. Anyone interested can check it out here.


I understand folks come to this group from a wide variety of perspectives. Most of us have been taught no religion or politics in polite company but I often find myself reflecting on how closely these two as well as a number of other "impolite" subjects influence and create the problems this group works to solve.

My passion for exploring avenues of food production comes from my ongoing work as a community organizer and educator. The foundation for this work comes from an anti-racist perspective which very simply recognizes that people of European descent tend to dominate in virtually every sector of our society and the rest of the world. It doesn't matter what subsector we choose to look at: economics, healthcare, education and so on generally work to the benefit of white folks and especially white folks with money. I'm not bringing this up as a conspiracy theory (how we got here is a much longer post ;) rather I truly believe that if we truly want to solve problems that we face we have to be honest about the realities that we live in.

I am a white male in my thirties from an upper middle class background. I am committed to anti-racism not because of white-guilt but because after much study and building of relationships with folks who do not look like me from the U.S. and other parts of the world I realize that we are still living in the psychological and in many instances, physical paradigm that created and condoned African slavery and Native American genocide. Don't get me wrong, there has been progress through history but many of the same race and class hierarchies of 500 years ago are with us and are deeply entrenched the way we live in and view the world.

Why bring this up?

In relevance to the current thread on climate change I do agree that some of our very same arrogance that allows us to believe that people who do not look like us are somehow less human is the the same arrogance that Travis is referring to as believing we are the center of the universe. There is much to be said about the profits made from fear-mongering (plastic and duck tape in case of attack anyone?). While I personally believe that man has contributed to climate change, this argument is also somewhat of a moot point if we have not developed as a people to be in true solidarity with others in the face of disaster. Katrina showed us an appalling lack of readiness on the part of our government and institutions in a disaster setting and people of color and poor folks paid the largest price.

We can argue about whether Katrina was caused by global warming or not but what cannot be disputed is that there was no question as to whether New Orleans would at sometime have such a disaster. The only unknown was when it would occur. It had also been documented that at the time of such a disaster 100,000 people inside the city would not have access to adequate transportation to evacuate in time. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that a very large percentage of these 100,000 were black and poor. This is racism. Whether it was the part of a nefarious master plan misses the point. If the people left behind had been white and well to do, we would have seen better preparedness and a faster response.

Katrina and anti-racism may seem far afield from the focus of this group, but I would counter that for as much time as we spend thinking about how to analyze the variety of challenges that aquaponics poses that we also think about why we do it. Many folks here are looking to find ways to feed the world or ways for the world to feed itself. How many times do we stop and ask the question "Hey, why doesn't everyone have enough food?" After all, many areas of the world actually produce a food surplus. That folks do not have access to these surpluses is a study in power (politics) not a technical, food production question.

Take India as an example. As we speak, Monsanto and their ilk are transitioning farmers from saved seed (free) to genetically modified seed (expensive and debt producing). I look at this a form of racism; not because the executives of Monsanto are in the KKK but because the propietary strong arming of a third world population by a largely white transnational company is once again being allowed to occur. Monsanto is presented as the "saviour" for India's hunger problems and Indians are presented as "helpless" which reinforces the race and class hierarchy.

Now I know that probably no one on this list considers themselves a friend of Monsanto but I bring it up so that we are realistic about the challenges we face. For every conversation about nitrate levels their also needs to be a conversation somewhere about what will allow people, regardless of skin color or monetary means the ability for self determination?

I know that several folks on this list are involved in missionary work. I appreciate the drive and energy you all bring, but I have often found myself honestly wondering what can another white missionary in the 3rd world do? This is not a criticism of you personally, I truly believe that the folks on this list do their work with a big heart. My question stems from the history of white missionaries, colonization, and the role religion played as a way subjugate people through violence and coercion. Let me be clear and say to Travis and others that I do not believe that this is what you are trying to do. Rather, I believe is important to understand our historical context no matter where we are.

There was a thread a few months ago about work in Haiti and how to develop a low cost pump/ way to move water uphill. I was struck by the ingenuity and passion folks brought to the conversation. I was also left asking myself, "Why is there so very little to be had on a material level in Haiti?" Around the same time I saw a documentary called The Agronomist which depicts the life, exile, and assasination of the Haitian radio broadcaster, Jean Dominique. What spoke to me was not only his personal story, but also the relentless violence and upheaval the Haitian people have faced, often funded and supported by our own government. Low cost water pumps are important, but we must also engage in the complex questions of why have the people who we want to help have been so brutally oppressed so as not to have running water? I think it often easier for us to concern ourselves with "doing for others" than to ask questions that might get us in trouble.

I'll sign off here and ask that folks don't take this as an attack on your personal beliefs. Please know that I'm not pointing my finger at anyone. Racism goes far beyond our personal prejudices. If we do not take into account what has transpired historically and look at the realties of the effects our insititutions have on the poor and people of color then we are missing a major opportunity to have all of our hard work to be of positive significance.

6 billion blog posts missing!

Holy crap. Somebody erased every last post I made in the last year and a half. Oh wait, the computer is unplugged.

HURRICANE BENEFIT & ANTI-RACISM SPEAK-OUT!

PLEASE POST AND FORWARD


HURRICANE BENEFIT & ANTI-RACISM SPEAK-OUT!

Saturday, September 17, 1-6
Faith Community Church, 417 Arlington St.

? Music! ? Speakers! ? Open Mic! ? Food! ? Raffle! ?

Performers include Logie Meachum, Dan Edwards, Cakalak Thunder and many
more.

co-sponsored by Beloved Community Center & Greensboro Community Arts
Collective

For more information and to donate
274-1814 or gcac@riseup.net
www.gcaconline.org

In the last two weeks many of us have felt confused, frustrated and
angry at the terrible injustices we've seen in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina. Join us this Saturday to raise much needed funds, to enjoy
some culture and creativity, and also to vent some anger and SPEAK YOUR
MIND over the blatant and deep racism made evident by the way this
whole disaster continues to unfold. We will have performers, speakers
(including evacuees), info tables, bake sale, raffle, and more. It's
going to be a great day!

The money raised will be donated for direct assisstance to the victims,
the exact recipient(s) to be determined after the event by a community
committee. Criteria include: provides direct assistance, black-led,
and has an analysis of race in relation to the disaster.

Organizations are invited to set up a table, though we would ask that
you use it as a chance to do publicity, advertising, and networking,
rather than selling products, unless you plan to donate a portion of
your sales to the fund.

Want to help?

*Donate items or services for the raffle. Raffle tickets are $2 apiece
For more information jojubeme@yahoo.com

*Bake and bring something for the bake sale. For more information
larkin_carroll@hotmail.com

*Set up an information table. For more information
friskyscootch@yahoo.com

AND SPREAD THE WORD!!

Responding To Hurricane Katrina

Hello Friends --

The following is a copy of an email my wife sent out and I am forwarding it as is because it echoes my sentiments exactly. The only thing I would add is the level of rage I feel watching this wholesale devastation in the gulf area and knowing that much could have been done to stop this tragic loss of life and property. The last census showed that thousands of people lived in New Orleans who had no access to transportation. The plan has been to take those who remained out in body bags . It's no secret those that are left are largely Black and poor. It's also not an accident it's what called a cost/benefit analysis. This means this disaster was expected and nothing further was done because those with ways and means (most white folks fall into this category) would be able to get to safety. Katrina was a "natural" disaster. The UN-natural disaster is the explicit racism and classism being allowed to occur. THERE IS NO OTHER EXPLANATION for the demographics of who was left in New Orleans. Meanwhile the president has the nerve to say no one anticipated the levees being breached. Meanwhile the head of Homeland Security was brazen enough to declare he is not aware that there are thousands of people in New Orleans without food and water even though it is on national television and radio.

A disaster of this proportion reveals the inequality and the lies that exist everyday in America. We need to do what we can to help the victims of Katrina in the immediate future, but let us not forget the racism and deception that drastically worsens such a tragic event. We cannot keep waiting for disaster in order to work for justice. The truth is that disaster surrounds us everyday if we choose to acknowledge it.

I hope this letter finds you well and your families are safe, but I myself am mad as hell and refuse to forgive such gross negligence, racism and deception.

Here's the letter. Love to all. Peace.

Todd

Hello All-

Many of you may feel as useless as I do when confronted with the horror that is unfolding in New Orleans and throughout the gulf coast area. I wish I could be down there, right now, doing everything and anything possible to help those people get water and safety.

I have spent some time researching how to help. Apparently, the most urgent needs right now are funds. Other donations risk bogging down the system due to the need to process them before delivery. (http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_4498,00.html.)

The State of North Carolina has has established the NC Disaster Relief Fund. Here is information about it from the NC Center for Nonprofits Website (http://www.ncnonprofits.org/ncresponds.html):
"Citizens in North Carolina who want to donate money to help with relief efforts in other states can call the N.C. Disaster Hotline toll free at 1-888-835-9966 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The money that is collected will be sent to the other states to use for their immediate needs... The N.C. Disaster Relief Fund is managed by the Governor's Office in partnership with United Way of North Carolina. There is no administrative cost associated with the fund, and 100 percent of the donated funds will go to the victims. Make checks payable to the N.C. Helping Neighbors Fund and mail to: N.C. Helping Neighbors Fund, Office of the Governor, 20312 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-0312."

The NC Center for Non-Profits will have updates on activities from local agencies and their response to Hurricane Katrina.

To donate at the NAACP website: https://www.naacp.org/disaster/contribute.php

Below are some internet links from www.Alternet.org featuring donations sites:

1. The Red Cross is under heavy traffic and as of now the site is not working. Yahoo has posted a dedicated page for Red Cross donations.
2. AmeriCares has already sent disaster response teams to Mississippi to assess the needs of millions affected by the hurricane.
3. Feed the Children has sent 25 truckloads of materials to Mississippi and Louisiana, and is sending more to affected areas in Texas and Georgia.
4. Roomate Click is offering free housing services to New Orleans' homeless, as is Katrina Housing.
5. Progressive bloggers have united in the hopes of raising $1 million for Red Cross' Katrina relief effort -- DropCash.com is collecting the donations and keeping the running tally.
6. MoveOn.org has set up a Web site, Hurricane Housing, where Katrina victims in need of shelter can connect with people willing to open their doors to help.
7. Operation USA has two warehouses of supplies in Los Angeles that will be sent to the areas hit by Katrina as soon as possible.

The next step for all of us will be to ensure that no disaster of this magnitude ever happens again. Of course, we can't prevent or alter the course of hurricanes. But the fact that it is largely people of color, the poor, the elderly, the sick and disabled, and small children who are being impacted by this event -who haven't been evacuated, who haven't received relief supplies, and who are dying due to the horrible conditions they are now facing- is unmistakable and unforgivable. Major news media have reported on the vulnerability of the Lake Pontchartrain levee system for years (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/01/146259). Money has been diverted from repair and redesign of this system, resulting now in the deaths of untold numbers of people. (http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content )

We must respond to ensure the safety of all who are suffering the immediate impact of this natural disaster. We must also insist that the federal government, from the president on down, is held accountable. That is going to be our long term fight, which we must take on in honor of all who are now suffering and all who have already died.

My prayers go out to all who are suffering in the Gulf Coast and around the world.

up from ignorance

Well, I'm back after a summer hiatus of sorts. We've traveled a little as a family, I've been to numerous retreats and workshops for school, I've become very involved in doing anti-racism training for the coop where I serve on the board and, other than that, I've been doing a lot of reading and playing with my kids.

A few weeks ago I read Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. I literally started it one morning while my kids were asleep and finished it the next afternoon. I couldn't put it down. In reading this very accessible autobiography that details the indomitable spirit that moved Booker T. Washington to accomplish incredible feats even in the face of some of the most overt forms of racism ever seen in this country, I realized that I have mistakenly dismissed Booker T. Washington in the past due to some of his portrayals in history books as being conciliatory to Southern whites. Reading Up From Slavery made me really check myself and ask the question of, "Who am I to question or think less of a Black man who made it through slavery, provided not only for himself and his family but also, among other things, established Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) a mere 16 years after the end of legalized slavery?

I realized, even though I've spent years as a white person "undoing racism," that many of my thoughts and assumptions, if they haven't been directly questioned, are still laden with racism. I also realized that there are very unhealthy currents in anti-racist and progressive circles that motivate us to pit individuals, especially people of color, historic and contemporary, against each other instead of realizing the common cause among us. The way Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X are portrayed as polar opposites is one insidious example. Martin and Malcolm fought and gave their lives to end racism. Perpetuating arguments over which one was better succumbs to classic divide and conquer strategy. Regardless of the methods of Dr. King or Malcolm X, neither one would be content with the overwhelming disparities between people of color and whites we face today.

Most disturbing about the unconscious opinions I held about Booker T. Washington are their sources. This notion of Booker T. as a "sell-out" or "counter-revolutionary" is common among progressive modes of thought. My point is that this racist, undeserved opinion I was carrying of a great man with tremendous vision came not from the conservative right, but from the left. People considered to be fairly radical. We must always be vigilant against racism in all its forms and truly consider what we ourselves have done before we form an opinion of those that have come before us.

Fire Flies Festival

Fire Flies: The Art of the Possible
July 4-July 10, Greensboro; www.GCAConline.org

It’s almost here and it’s shaping up to be the biggest celebration of arts and activism that Greensboro has ever seen! A sampling of events is posted below--the full schedule is online at www.GCAConline.org. Check back often for updates. Questions or suggestions? Email gcac@riseup.net or call 336/274-1814.

Collective Bargaining

gift cards by pure designs

Please visit our community store, Collective Bargaining.

Collective Bargaining directly supports Recollective, the Greensboro Racial Justice Collective based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Recollective is a group of everyday people dedicated to supporting each other in living anti-racist lives.

For over a decade, members of this collective have fought racism and individualism in the following ways: doing direct social and political action surrounding the issues of educational reform, police community relations, racism in public housing. Individual members have created a multiracial tutoring program, planned and planted learning/teaching gardens, lead classes in dance and photography, advocated and facilitated local refugee and immigrant resettlement, and supported the work of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

stop gmo!

Genetically Modified Fascists

An article from the Independent newspaper in the UK states that studies leaked from Monsanto have shown consumption of GMO (genetically modified organism) corn is somehow responsible for "causing immune response in rats, abnormalities in the rat's blood and kidneys, consistent with the presence of tumors."

For folks that may not keep up with genetically modified stuff, the basic problem with genetic engineering and industrial agriculture is that our (everyone's) seed supplies are being corrupted with genetically modified gene lines. This creates a whole host of potential problems, the worst of which forever genetically alter our food supply and makes it vulnerable to pest and disease. GMO (genetically modified organism) food is regularly sold in the US and does not have to be labeled by law. Our corn supply, already down to just a few varieties, has already been permanently genetically altered (apparently unintentionally through human error and lack of responsibility).

Monsanto (most commonly known for its product, Round Up) is the epitome of an evil corporation. They are literally endangering the world's entire food supply. Not just with the possible health risk of GMO crops, but with their "Terminator" technologies. Terminator crops engineered by Monsanto produce sterile seed so that the farmers who grow their crops cannot save seed and are forced to buy from Monsanto every year. As if this wasn't diabolical enough in itself, Terminator crops could contaminate traditional crops and sterilize the reproduction capabilities of our food supply.

Over 70% of all genetically modified crops are grown in the US. Many counties across the US and other regions of the world are collectively declaring themselves "GMO Free Zones." Here's a list reprinted from Humboldt County's GMO Free initiative of ten reasons to declare your county GMO Free:

1. To protect local GMO-free farms from cross-pollen contamination by GMO crops.

2. To attract & promote GMO-free farm-based businesses in our area.

3. GMOs are so new and untested that it makes sense to set aside a biological corridor for naturally selected non-gmo crops.

4. To eliminate the possibility of GMO/’Round-Up Ready’ crops being planted (a technology that leads to an increase in the use of cancer-causing pesticides).

5. To encourage farmers to grow nutritious produce. Some GMO crops are designed to have features such as longer shelf life at the expense of nutrition.

6. To encourage biodiversity in farming which would otherwise be lost to a few patent-holding biotech seed companies.

7. To avoid situations where a farmer is sued for royalties by the biotech industry due to accidental cross-pollen contamination (See PercySchmeiser.com)

8. To keep GMO/Terminator Gene technology out of our local agriculture (a trait that causes a plant to produce sterile seeds).

9. To protect the local ecology from GMO crops which produce the toxin ‘BT’.

10. It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature. Splicing the DNA of different species of organisms is unnatural & potentially dangerous.