2000

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Josh Jones

age 17

Slam Bio

Color Green

Taste Green Chili

Tortillas smell like sage after the rain

A bull elk running lots of power

And freedom

My tribe is anywhere in nature

I live out of town in the woods

With my dad

Our house is made of stone and its always comfortable there

I struggle with alcohol and anger

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Tricia

Slam Bio

My color is brown

My taste is spicey



My touch is soft

I think I would be a cute little fish

That swims with lots of other fish

My tribe is Ute

I think we function very well with lots of things im grateful for that other tribes don’t have

by Leroy Moore/PNN & Krip Hop

I like when things come together! I can�t ask for anything better. November 1st 2009 wrapped family, disabled musicians, traveling and my forty-second birthday all into one big present to myself.

After two years of researching about paraplegic street musicians, Staff Benda Bilili (Staff for short), who live around the grounds of the zoo in Kinshasa, Congo; I found out that they released their album and was invited to perform at the annual WOMEX Festival, World Music Expo, who have moved their world music festival to Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen, Denmark is also home to my sister, Pamela Juhl and her lovely two children. I had no excuse not to go and visit with my sister, nephews and at the same time meet and interview the members of Staff Benda Bilili with Copenhagen Voice that my sister started. Yes, both my sister and I are journalists for the people!

WOMEX, an international event that brings together professionals from the worlds of folk, roots, ethnic and traditional music and also includes concerts, conferences and documentary films. It contributes to networking as an effective means of promoting music and culture of all kinds across frontiers. This year WOMEX announced their 2009 awardees, which was Staff Benda Bilili.

After more than eight years, I finally had a chance to see my sister Pamela Juhl. As Pamela�s brother, I was so happy to create media content with her at the WOMEX Festival right in her office located in the center of Copenhagen the day before my fortieth-second birthday November 1st 2009.

CPHVoice agreed to have me on their media crew at the WOMEX Festival covering one of the most incredible bands I ever researched and wrote about - Staff Benda Bilili of the Congo. I had a chance to connect last year with the filmmaker, Florent de La Tullaye, who is shooting a documentary of the band who translated my first online interview with the group when Florent traveled to the Congo to continue shooting the film that will be out early 2010. Florent emailed me the band's replies, pictures and sent a copy of their CD almost a year ago which I am so grateful for. There are many reasons why Staff Benda Bilili caught my attention; one of them was, seeing an all disabled band really singing about real issues of their lives - like poverty, homelessness, disability and street kids � it just blew me away as a Black disabled activist, journalist, poet and lover of music.

So, now the day after meeting and interviewing the members of Staff Benda Bilili, November 2nd (My birthday) I�m still thrilled about the opportunity I had and writing what I have experienced and the interview below. Read on.

I almost didn�t make the WOMEX Festival! I was in Augsburg, Germany doing some Krip-Hop/Mcees With Disabilities, MWD business with Binki Woi when I found out that my credit card was denied after trying to buy an airplane ticket to Copenhagen, Denmark
but my sister, Pamela came to my rescue and bought me a ticket for November 1st to see Staff Benda Bilili's last CPH performance. Although I missed the award ceremony earlier that day where they received the 2009 WOMEX Artist Award. However, I was shocked when I asked my sister what did the group talk about during the award ceremony. Come to found out, the members of Staff Benda Bilili didn�t say anything after winning the award � each member kisses the Award and passed it to the next. The manager of Staff Benda Bilili, Michel Winter of Belgium, spoke to the Womex audience at Bella Center.

The night of November 1st was freezing; walking the dark cold streets of Copenhagen with the crew of CPHVoice and a friend of my sister, Line Mompremier, who is a Haitian-American living in Denmark and thank God she knew French and was down to be our translator on a last minute basis. We were heading over to Global club, where Staff Benda Bilili was about to perform and where the interview was going to take place backstage prior to their concert.

After reading other interviews online by different reporters, I noticed that there was very little written about the political views and the strong activism of the members of Staff, so I chose that to be my interviewer angle. The CPHVoice, Line and I stepped into a dark hall where two middle age people greeted us with some questions. They knew we were there for the interview thanks to CPHVoice prep for it. We were led to the stage that had a portable unstable ramp that pointed us to the backstage. Walking in, I first noticed that the group members of Staff were in regular wheelchairs not in their customize handmade tricycles that they travel the streets of Kinshasa in. You must go online and check out their handmade tricycles! Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZUk7qy_sbA&feature=channel�

The members of Staff Benda Bilili are Ricky Likabu, the bandleader, Coco Ngambali, who sings, plays the guitar and composed many of the band�s songs, Theo Nsituvuidi, the soprano singer, Roger Landu, a 17-year-old young man who was adapted by Ricky many years ago. Roger created his own instrument that is called Satonge: a one-string guitar and sings, Djunana Tanga-Suele is a singer, Zadis Mbulu Nzungu is a singer, Kabamba Kabose Kasungo also sings, Paulin �Cavalier� Kiara-Maigi plays the bass, Cubain Kabeya plays the drums and sings and finally Randy Buda plays percussion. Read more about Roger�s instrument at: http://www.myspace.com/staffbendabilili.

During the interview Ricky and Michel, the manager, answered almost all the questions. Staff Benda Bilili made a song in 2007 which successfully increased voter turnout by 70% in the Congo. This was a collaboration work with UNDP (distributors) and produced by UN Mission (Monuc) in DR Congo 2007. Although, the song was a hit before their album came out with a showering of international fame, they were denied their legal copyright �inalienable rights� for their song and no contracts were offered to secure their rights. They pretty much got stiffed in royalty earnings and a meager one time payment of 50 dollars each per band member. (See BBC article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6612749.stm) Even though they had a lawyer during the time, it was unclear how this issue panned out. Today, the band replied, that with so much time elapsed, since the initial legal dispute with the UN, they had decided to let go of pursuing the case and wanted to simply move forward with more positive music partnerships.

Before this interview, what really made me love Staff was more than their music, it was their political views about life in the Congo as people living in poverty and being disabled. So, when I asked them about their political views and a quote about considering themselves as the real journalist of Kinshasa I was shocked when their manager spoke up, saying, �there was a misunderstanding and some journalist made the quote that Staff Benda Bilili were the real journalists but the group never said that.� - However, this is the quote from my online interview with them in 2008: �Staff Benda Bilili: Coco: We the SBB are like journalist; in our songs we are the true press. We talk about street life, the street kids and their dreams of happiness, we talk about corruption. The press here is a slave to the power. I consider myself as a journalist, my duty as a member of the SBB, is to say things as they are.�

I thought that was strange because if you read the insert of Staff�s CD, it says it right there. I also realized that members Staff were very tired and were dealing with a whole new way of tour living in Europe. The cold weather of Denmark, their new wheelchairs, clothes, getting used to the food, traveling and being managed must be a total new way of life for them now, and I bet they want to make sure that they can live off their music could be why that they may be cautious on what gets out and what should stay in the past. I wonder if I met them on their turf of the Kinshasa�s Zoo in the Congo, would Staff tell me some political stories that my questions were fishing for?

Getting into Staff�s songs and their lyrics that tell the life of poor people in the Congo one of the eleven songs on the CD is the song, Tonkara, track number 8, is a song talking about street kids who sleep on cardboard outside. Ricky said, they live & sing on the streets. The first track of Staff�s CD is entitled Moto Moindo that translate to Black Man. It�s a song warning Black men what is happening in Africa and how their food, the Earth, and nature is being corrupt so they, Black Men, should stand up, come together and take action. On that same theme, Staff used to have a center where they taught street kids how to build instruments, wheelchairs and play music. However, the center was completely destroyed in 2005 by a fire. Currently, local business people in the Congo, some private organizations and others from the US are in the process of building the center back up again.

Staff Benda Bilili is still looking for a US sponsor to facilitate their tour in the USA. Their music manager told me it is hard to get a US sponsor compared to Europe where they have been touring since last month (October). In the US, people with disabilities have held disabilities as a civil rights issue but in recent years, it has now become a cultural lens of insight; where we have our own history, art, music and ifestyle. Disabilities are not something you overcome, it is a part of the person. But I�m surprised when I travel abroad and even sometimes in the US of peoples perspectives of persons with disabilities. I hear a similar reply also heard by Ricky of Staff Benda Bilili, when I asked him to give some advice to Poor and disabled people around the world. The advice Ricky gave was, �disability is all in the head and you, people with disabilities, have to be independent.� I scratched my head and thought at that point, �was that advice too simple, too pull yourself up from your boot stripes kind of advice?� Ummmm!

The members of Staff Benda Bilili are hoping that after the tour and the release of their film documentary that they can afford to buy their own house. Noticing that Staff Benda Bilili is an all men group, of course, my last question was have they sung with disabled women? Coco, once again, answered �Yes, they do.�

After the interview was the concert. To see Black talented disabled musicians singing about their lives with my sister the day before my birthday was a dream come true. It truly doesn�t get any better than this!

Thanks for the friendship of Florent da Tullays who helped me connect with Staff Benda Bilili almost a year ago and last but not least thanks to the members of Staff Benda Bilili for being you, your political lyrics and reppin' people who live in poverty and who are disabled!

Here is a link to my first interview with Staff Benda Bilili http://www.poormagazine.org/index.cfm?L1=news&category=2&story=2003

Question for the reader. What happens to people who goes from living on the streets, poor but speaking their minds about their situation to people who are managed by others who have the means to bring wealth and fame? What happens when people from outside your world can take you out of your struggle but at the same time you hold back your politics aka voice so you can make a living? These are the questions I have after reading both interviews of Staff Benda Bilili and meeting them live.

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Jacob Frost

Slam Bio

Green

Like a newly grown apple

Sour like lemons kiss

The smell of rain

Kissed leaves after a nights rain

Touch of soft silk

A red panda

Not many culturally centered left of my Ute people

My home is beautiful

I live in my world

My family fights to keep our culture alive

My sisters death was a difficult time to deal with

I was forced to grow up

At age 11

The streaming green light reminds me

To live in reality

But dream

like im asleep

by Staff Writer

We, the people, the oppressed need to be heard.

We are at the bottom of the pyramid.

The have nots of society.

Who are falsely accused of being the minority when we're really the majority, criminals, free, failures, immigrants, gang bangers.

These are just labels, ways to classify us, they're all lies.

Sons and daughters of the oppressed.

Who dream of a better future.

Who feel unheard, yet powerful.

Who need freedom, your help, and your voice to fix our community.

Who fear becoming another statistic.

Who gives a damn no matter what color, gender, or race.

Who would like to see a government that cares, people treated like human beings, and the people united, so stop labeling us.

Who will fight for what's right, be successful, stop ignorance, and prove them wrong.

Learn to survive.

We are the social justice academy, we fight for hope, justice, and freedom for generations to come, we are the people, the majority, the world.

We are not going to be judged by our race, but judged by the things we have done.

We did not get to choose, we were born as we were meant to be.

We will not be the pawns of society.

The people, united, will never be defeated because the people, united, can never be divided.

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Kayleen Monroe

Slam Bio

Tan

Orange

Orange

Orange

Caterpillar

P

S

C

O

S

L

S

U

WHOAH

WHOAH

by Staff Writer

Racism goes around�

Racism is all around�

then people were really sad and still is really bad.

and because of racism we are struggling, so many issues.

then the government says racism is gone, come to me, tell me, ask me!

FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!
 

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Takoda Armstrong

Slam Bio

My color is blue

My smell is apples

My touch is tough

I’m a bear

Got strong power

I live with my sister and my mom

Sometimes my sister could be a stupid punk

My mom cool

I struggle with school

Sometimes life could be like gun shootings

by Staff Writer

Is light coming?

Is light coming my way?

Or is it staying in its place, hoping it comes.

It�s hidden in the dark�

People say �hold on you have a long life to live.�

This is the way I live?

It�s not the right way to live.

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Ricardo Rivera

Slam Bio

My colors red representing deplicting burn & desire like I gotta have it

My taste can only be described as a tall 40

Keep it so real I can smell the reality

My touch is ice cold just don’t know and wont tell

I would be a rabbit in a turtle race to riches

I Ute mountain Ute from Towac

I live with my moms

Emotions

by Staff Writer

Then rain comes.....

Then rain comes, sadness starts, oppression of anything and everyone around me. �Oppression� is a whirlwind of depression, no money, no help from the government because the government creates it,

the oppression starts when they stop supporting us. Oppression is depression, constantly labeling us like when their soldiers leave their wives with teenagers, like me. my family�s broke and separated: I feel depression.

Do you know how its feeling right now? Some people take things for granted.

Oppression and depression is for people to put us out, like outcasts and label people like me. Sometimes I think why am I on this earth.

by Staff Writer

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Ian Twiss

Slam Bio

I am as red as the tide tingles off your tongue letting it lick your ankles in the softness of a new moon

Eagle

My culture is of a burnt thigh, that’s why we’re Sicangu

Sometimes I forget where home is

I could drive the 2 blocks but still be a 1,000 miles from home

Sometimes I’m white, sometimes I’m not

Sometimes I’m red, sometimes I’m not

I think sometimes circles aren’t coherent, like the ones we have to run in

by Noemi Martinez

you don’t smoke do you?

no parties?

no overnight stays.

no visiting relatives.

no party types.

you don’t smoke do you?

how many kids do you have?

they go to school right?

you don’t smoke do you?

no overnight stays.

i’ll walk through once a month.

no parties. no party types.

you do work, don’t you?

where do you work?

you can afford this, can’t you?

no other adults?

no, there are no rats.

I don’t care if you don’t have a social security.

the traps are cautionary.

ignore the dead roaches.

and the cracks in the walls.

the mold won’t make you sick.

the stains in the rug aren’t blood.

ignore the smoke stains.

smile.

sign here.

by Staff Writer

I like Mike, still do. Truth be told, I didn’t buy the later albums and I only watched the Thriller video once or twice. To me, Michael was at his best when he was singing with his brothers. I loved the way Michael and Jermaine switched lead roles and the way the Jackson Five moved across our black and white TV set and living room floor. How could he move like that, such a young boy?

He seemed more than human, super-talented, in command. Of course he owed a debt to the singers that came before: James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Billy Stewart and others. Of course there’s the debt to Berry Gordy for signing him and his brothers to Motown but let’s not forget the secretary at Motown who kept bugging Mr. Gordy to give the group a shot, a listen. To me, Michael was the young kid at the forefront of the Jackson Five, wearing those cool hats and singing with a range and emotion beyond his years.

I talked to one of my coworkers, a musician. We debated which song was Michael’s best. We pondered the songs in our minds—too many to remember—too many great albums. I said, “Got to be there” and “Never can say goodbye”. He shook his head in agreement. A few minutes later he said, “What about Working Day and Night” from the “Off the Wall” album. The debate goes on, as we work day and night.

To me, “Thriller” was both Michael’s biggest success and biggest downfall. The best selling album of all time. How do you top that? He tried. The songs crossed over radio formats, songs like “Beat it”. I remember a radio DJ announcing the song, not mentioning Michael but proclaiming “That was Eddie Van Halen on guitar”.

It’s hard to stay on top. Michael did it for nearly 4 decades. To call him the king of pop is an insult. Somehow, genius doesn’t quite apply either. But for all his success, he had insecurities, fears, doubts—just like the rest of us—perhaps even more so. I like to think of Michael as a soul singer, a great soul singer. Is there more to it than that?

The media has been very disrespectful in its coverage of Michael. The media has made millions off Michael in life, and continues to thrive after his death. The drug allegations, the vilification of father Joe Jackson, his finances and the child molestation allegations have been the subject of talk shows while hosts have shown little compassion or empathy to the Jackson family. But, like millions, I sit and watch as these half-talents spew their disrespect through the clogged up cables reaching into millions of homes sponsored by companies whose products clog our arteries as well as our minds.

The man was the best in the world at his profession for nearly 40 years. Do you know anybody personally that is or was the best in the world at anything for 10 years, 10 minutes, 10 seconds? Tell me, do you?

by Staff Writer

Pt 2

by Tendai R. Mwanaka

You have come from the east?

Have you been here before this?

Of-course, she believed the stars!

Even though you are aiming at me,

I might as well admit it!

The food was not so bad.

But did you see what she saw,

Standing so gaily like
breaking shadows?

An empty house on
an empty street.

by Jennifer Fong/PNN Interna del Instituto de Raza, Pobreza y Justicia de Noticias/Race, Poverty, Media Justice Institute intern

English follows

Aunque la epidemia de ser acosados por la policía de la Bahía por razón de pertenecer de una raza particular no es cosa nueva, ha habido una ola de acciones discriminatorias en contra de la gente de color, específicamente con sus autos. La comunidad emigrante Raza especialmente son forzados a lidiar con este problema, de tener la grúa quitarles sus autos, y lidiar con las serias consecuencias que siguen.

Donnaji Esteva del grupo comunitario Personas Organizando para Ganar Derechos del Trabajo (POWER), vino al circulo indígena de Prensa POBRE, el Martes pasado para traer atención a este tema y para ayudar a ell@s que están sufriendo por esta discriminación. Ella, y tres otras residentes locales de San Francisco, fueron recibidas tiernamente en el circulo de familia y amig@s en prensa POBRE, donde aprendimos de su sabiduría y compartimos la lucha hacia la justicia.

“Muchos autos son detenidos por tener un rosario colgando del espejo o por tener un rotulo que diga ‘for sale’ en la ventana,” Esteva explico. La policía ha estado alegando que las razones por estas acciones es para bajar el nivel de violencia. Pero no hay ninguna razón clara o legitima que pueda explicar porque hay tant@s inmigrantes siendo parrados por la policía. Personas son parradas sin explicaciones, interrogad@s intensamente, cuestionad@s por sus documentos, y después el vehículo es confiscado. Muchas familias, incluso son perseguidas por la policías después y siguen siendo aterrorizadas.

La situación se exagera con ell@s que no llevan una licencia valida, particularmente en la comunidad inmigrante. El resultado es devastador. Una fianza de $2,000 debe ser pagada antes que se devuelva el vehículo. “Incluso, después de que se a pagado la fianza,” Esteva explica, “la gente recibe su auto en medias condiciones.” Ella nos dijo, que muchos vehículos son devueltos sin radio, sistema de estereo, herramientas y otras pertenencias personales. Hasta la gasolina es robada del tanque.

Mas alarmante es el paso en que estos eventos están ocurriendo. En una publicación reciente del periódico, El Tecolote, 66,288 vehículos fueron tomados por la grúa en el ano fiscal del 2009. Esteva revelo que todo la gente Latina y inmigrante, cada una a tenido su auto llevado por la grúa por lo menos una vez. No hay ninguna persona que no ha pasado por este crisis. Un hombre hasta ha perdido quince vehículos. Algunas personas podrían preguntarse, como es que alguien en esta situación continuaría agarrando un nuevo vehículo, poniéndose en riesgo. La razón es que muchas de estas familias dependen en sus autos para sobrevivir a diario. Mucha gente trabaja lejos de donde viven y deben cargar muchas herramientas. Madres tienen dificultad montando toda su familia en un bus. Para hacer el caso peor, cuando la grua les quitan su auto, muchos son forzados a perder su trabajo, resultando en una carga mas para la familia que depende en el cheque.

La co-editora de Prensa POBRE, y sabia de la pobreza, Tiny, hizo la conexión de la represión policíaca de gente sin techo, gente inmigrante, y toda gente de color cuando contó su historia de cuando vivía en su auto con su mama, y tenían a la policía constantemente acosándolas, siempre quitándoles su auto. Ella se referir a su “crimen,” como, Manejando mientras eres Pobre y Manejando mientras eres Afro-Americano y Latin@.

Escritora residente de prensa POBRE y sabia de la pobreza, Vivian Hain contó su historia cuando la policía le discriminaba y tenia que luchar para manejar como gente pobre en la Bahía. Tuvo seis autos tomados por la grúa en el pasado ocho anos que ha vivido en Oakland. Uno de los policías le puso la pistola en su cabeza y no la dejo sacar nada de su auto antes de que se lo confiscaran.

Una pareja casada quien también estuvo presente en esta junta nos contó que a ellos le confiscaron sus autos dos veces. Le habían rogado a uno de los oficiales que los detuvo, que no sacaran a su hija del auto porque estaba siendo mucho frió y tenia problemas de la salud. El oficial no quiso escucharlos y cuando finalmente llegaron al hospital les dijeron que la niña tenia neumonía. El auto es vital para la salud de su hija, quien es sensitiva al clima fuerte, y se enferma de la neumonía cada ano. Ahora tienen que lidiar con una cuenta medica de $10,000, arriba de la cuota de la grúa que no pueden pagar. “Hasta ahora pagué $800 por el auto, pero todavía no nos lo quieren dar,” dijo el señor.

La empresa de San Francisco, Tegsco Llc Regreso de Auto, hace una cantidad de $3.7 millones cada ano, por confiscar y usar la grúa. POWER es protestando en contra de esta injusticia. El 7 de septiembre, el grupo tuvo una protesta de mas de 50 personas en frente de la empresa para presentarles un premio en forma de una gran rata con una corona por, “La Empresa mas Corrupta del 2009.” Desafortunadamente, nadie de la compañía estuvo presente para aceptar el premio. Aun así, POWER continua su llamado para poner un alto de la confiscación de autos por un periodo de 30 días, y que el costo de las cuotas sean reducidas. Aunque el grupo no se ha podido comunicar con el Fiscal de Policía actual, han hablado con la Fiscal de Policía anterior, Heather Fong. “Una cosa que es inspiradora fue que ella vio a la comunidad de San Francisco muy organizada y quiere enfrentarse al tema,” exclamo Esteva.

Pues, la campaña para enfrentarse a la discriminación racial esta en progreso, y Esteva invita a tod@s y cualquiera al las reuniones semanal de POWER, los Miércoles a las 6pm en la oficina 335 South Van Ness St. “Nos tenemos que movilizar para poner un alto ha esto,” dijo ella.

Cerrando el circulo, Tiny les agradeció a tod@s las almas en el cuarto que han sentido el impacto del prejuicio racial, y las ultimas palabras que dijo mando escalofríos de verdad en mi columna, “Una de las cosas que me salvo la vida es unirme a la lucha porque cosas como estas nos matan.”

Inglés sigue

Though the epidemic of racial profiling by Bay Area police is nothing new, there has been a recent wave of discriminatory actions taken against people of color, specifically their cars. The migrant Raza community especially is being forced to deal with the problem of having their vehicles towed, and the repercussions that follow are creating harsh realities.

Donnaji Esteva of the worker advocacy group People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) came to POOR Magazine's indigenous news-making circle/Community Newsroom last Tuesday to bring attention to this issue and to help those that are suffering from it. She and three other local residents of San Francisco were warmly welcomed into POOR’s circle of family and friends, and we learned from their scholarship and shared in the struggle for justice.

“Many cars are detained for having a rosary hanging from the mirror, or a ‘for sale’ sign in the window,” Esteva explained. The Police have been claiming that the purpose of these actions is to bring down violence levels. But there is no clear, legitimate reason for why so many immigrants are being pulled over by the police. People are unexplainably pulled over, intensely questioned, asked for paper work, after which their vehicles are impounded. Many families are even followed by the police afterward and continue to be terrorized.

The issue is exacerbated for those that do not have a valid driver’s license, particularly within the immigrant community. The result is a devastating $2000 fine that must be paid before the vehicle is returned. “Even after the money is paid,” Esteva described, “people are only getting their cars back half complete.” She proceeded to tell us that vehicles are often returned without their radio or stereo systems, and tools and other belongings that were in the car go missing. Even gasoline is stolen right out of the tank.

More alarming is the rate at which these events have been occurring. According to a recent El Tecolote publication, 66,288 vehicles were towed in the fiscal year of 2009. Esteva revealed to us that of all the people she has spoken to within the Latino immigrant community, every single one of them has had their vehicles towed at least once. Not one person she has talked with has gone untouched by this crisis. One man has even had fifteen cars taken away. Some folks may wonder why someone in such a predicament would continue to get new cars and put themselves at risk. The reason is that many of these families depend on their automobiles for daily survival. Many people work far from where they live and must carry a lot of tools. Mothers have difficulty loading their entire families onto one bus. To make matters worse, when vehicles are towed some are forced to miss days of work, resulting in an increased hardship for any family that relies on a paycheck.

POOR/PNN Co-editor and poverty scholar Tiny linked the po’lice repression of landless/houseless folks, migrant folks, and all peoples of color when she told her story of being vehicularily housed with her mama and having the po’lice constantly stalking them and having their “hoopties” seized and towed for what she referred to as DWP/DWB (Driving while Poor and Driving While Black and Brown.)

POOR/PNN staff writer and poverty scholar in residence Vivian Hain told of her story of po’lice profiling and struggle trying to drive as a poor person in the Bay Area. She has had six cars towed during the past eight years that she has been living in Oakland. One of the policemen that pulled her over held a gun in his hand and did not allow her to get any things out of her van before it was taken away.

A married couple that also attended the meeting told us that they have had their vehicles impounded twice now. They had begged one of the officers that pulled them over not to remove their daughter from the car because it was very cold out and she has health problems. The officer did not listen, and when the family was finally able to reach the hospital, they found that their daughter already had pneumonia. Their car is vital to the health of their daughter, who is sensitive to harsh environmental conditions and falls sick with pneumonia every year. Now they face a $10,000 medical bill on top of the towing fine that they cannot afford. “Even today I paid $800 for the car, but they still won’t give it to us,” said the man.

The San Francisco Tegsco Llc Auto Return company makes an annual amount of $3.7 million by towing and impoundments, and POWER is rallying against this injustice. On September 7th, the group held a protest of over 50 people in front of the towing company to present them with an award in the form of a big rat with a crown for “The Most Corrupt Business of 2009”. Unfortunately, no one from the company was present to accept the honor. Yet POWER continues to call for a halt to the removal of any vehicle for a 30 day period, and that the cost of fines is reduced. Though the group has not yet been able to contact the current San Francisco Chief of Police, they have spoken with former Chief of Police, Heather Fong. “One thing that is inspiring is she found the San Francisco community very organized and wants to face this issue,” exclaimed Esteva.

Thus, the campaign to stand up against racial discrimination is in progress, and Esteva encourages everyone and anyone to join the weekly POWER meetings held every Wednesday at 335 South Van Ness St. “We must mobilize to stop this,” she said.

As the Newsroom came to an end, Tiny thanked all the souls in the room that have felt the impact of racial prejudice, and the last few words she spoke sent shivers of truth up my spine, “One of the things that saved my life was getting involved with the fight because this stuff kills us.”

by Staff Writer