You saved our community from those Who would slay our community with impunity
Above us, you all love us. Down below you, we all love you!
In the land of displacement, the e victors are no longer victors
In the lens of racism, you made evil see itself
On a desk of a caseworker holding a pen you scripted lifetime benefits........to every single mom.......her child........anyone poor
Voices to Voiceless Villages. Punishment to every pillage of every village
Above us, you all love us. Down below you, we all love you!
Images of broken communities, slain bodies, cultural thefts, and environmental injustice. Inhumanity displaced with humanity
Above us, you all love us. Down below you, we all love you!
Out of your struggles came one death. For all of us to have, to successfully and collectively share the one life.
With these very words from us........ to you...........you to us: The Revolution began with I...................ended, and.................. continued with we!
Ancestorship, more practice needed from all towards perfection.
Discuss about Krip-Hop Nation and discrimination in Hip-Hop, Entirely Through My Experience.
Welcome back to my second edition.
Hip Hop-
The roots of hip hop were founded in African-American music and ultimately African music. A major proponent of the fusion of hip-hop was the Jamaican-born , who emigrated to the United States in 1967. Dub music had become popular in Jamaica due to the influence of American sailors and rhythm & blues.
Hip Hop was created to bring all kinds of talents, race, creed, sexuality, religious and disability however most of what hip hop stands for seems have been lost. Many rap battles can be entertaining and clever however i don't feel personally it is clever to be personal about ones appearances, with this in mind, it wouldn't be right for a rapper to disrespect a disabled individual, you must remember that by doing so would be against the law, internationally.
Hip Hop was mostly built by the very people who have been persecuted, forced in to slavery for centuries who built this culture for people who had suffered the same. Then we started to introduce a vast amount of middle class white boys into the beautiful culture which did of course come from SOUL and JAZZ and reggae, both are peaceful genres which promotes peace and love.
The middle class have infested the culture with imperial antagonistic vulgar minds where by they replace intellect some what arrogant attitudes to the game.
This is where hip hop has changed.
I am from a deep working class background from the north east of England, right back to the miners days, we know what struggle is, edition to that i am half Irish and my family came here when they was starving so to be in hip-hop is a blessed thing it's not something to make money out of, and its not something that i want to take advantage of.
Many people who have come in to the game, mostly white people after the eminem sager have ruined this game. Smart comments, witty and pathetic attitudes where by they believe they are better than anyone.
The people who i have personally have witnessed discriminative attitudes the most,in my own race, the Caucasians. A majority of middle classed who are helt bent with an imperialist capitalist attitude who will go to any lengths to implode their propaganda and filth on every section of society including the most treasured of cultures, hip hop.
There are some great white artists who have been around a long time who respect the black culture and respect their rights and love. Those who are arrogant and disrespect the very ethical makeup of hip-hop are not welcome here.
My mission is to bring theses cowards from the caves and stomp on their heads until they are screaming to run within the ground forever.
Money grabbing hoes are not needed in our society, i seen comments from some rappers who are not even up there charging people verse's and beats from $200 upwards.
They argue that they do this as a job, they argue they have to do this as a job, they argue that its been going on for centuries to be paid for music.
However, hip-hop, is not music. rap is and the very building foundations of rap its self has been going on since back in Africa, a place where people were around a fire, played drums made of wood and skin from a animal mostly goat.
Dancing around a fire and making quite fast toned voices is what rap is. Its a ritual, its a spiritual enlightenment its not a game its not to make money out of, however they are those who will debate otherwise, they will, they are imperialists.
Imperialism unfortunately has spread to our most beautiful race that earth has made, the African man.
Africans are made of love, they are love, however some of their traits have been spoiled by the white imperialist, some to name are for example Jay Z, P Diddy, Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, Young Buck, and Craig David. When you sign a big contract you go into a corporate rich class society and you seem to become like a imperialist man. Cars, homes and girls are what theses corporate bastards exploit while taking away what really matters. Love, family and community by selling out, the word means selling your soul and selling what your race means.
So, were dose disability discrimination come in to this? Well, imperialism like anywhere has destroyed our society and they have belittled, humiliated people with disabilities. Imperialism doesn't stop with money it goes further with eugenics and this is happening still today which was influenced by the Nazi's.
Picking your own child to make sure there are no deficiencies this is the same with arrogant and selfish people in hip hop, you don't fit the game you ain't apart of it we don't want people like you, you are, by a underlined metaphorical underbelly, helping to create the perfect hip- hop artist, the best gear, the best clothes the best girls the best cars the cool drugs can you not see that you are been raped? You talk about conspiracies but your charging people thousands of pounds $$$ for a verse?
Your giving privileges to people you feel need to be privileged do you not see the Nazi's are still in power and you my friend have been taken in weather you talk about conspiracies or not, the game is, you are taken in.
so i am going to call this hip-hop eugenics, your apart of it if you want that lifestyle don't steep low.
So please remember this quote from a disabled man. The man at the bottom is the man that seeks to break the ground and Krip-Hop is what this is all about, breaking the foundation and bringing back to love.
I have recently been interviewed by the BBC and you can see my article here. My friend, tafka,l are going to hopefully get national exposure to spread awareness, please do show your support.
Like many things that ultimately impact all poor folks, some of the first guinea pigs/victims for negative policy ideas in the bloody herstory of Amerikkka, were poor white people. Indentured servitude and the Orphan Train were two huge examples. After the bugs were beaten out of indentured servitude, modern slavery was invented, polished, and tweaked.
The Child Protective Services (CPS) version came after the Amerikkkan Civil War.
The Southern states needed workers in the farm fields (where have we heard that before...?). Christian social reformers of the time--not anti-slavery Abolitionists, a less wonderful group {you need to be helped whether you want it or not...}--went out to try to help the urban poor. They "adopted" (kidnapped) poor children, or convinced their parents {to give them up so} they'd have a "better life" in the country.
My maternal grandfather was playing one day, as a child should, in the Irish ghetto of Philadelphia. A social worker convinced his parents he would be healthier and wiser if he was taken to the country. One moment having fun, the next he was put on a train with other children. They were exhibited like cattle, or slaves, at train stations across Pennsylvania, the social workers imploring farmers to take the children so they would no longer be exposed to evil influences in the urban squalor that spawned them.
In one town the Reed family took in my grandfather. He was given space in a barn to live in--"This is your new home, brat! You'll make a wonderful worker for me", he was told.
Mr. Reed was an alcoholic. My grandfather couldn't go into the farmhouse because he wasn't a Reed. My grandfather was beaten every day, worked 12 hours a day for one meal a day--heavy farm labor. At age 14 he ran away from the farm, joined the military, lied about his age.
Later, my father asked him about this. The military physically punished soldiers too, but my grandfather said they only did it if you made mistakes. Plus, he had ways of getting revenge. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) couldn't give any old punishment they wanted just because they were drunk and acting crazy.
A new group of Orphan Train folks, known as Child Protective Services (CPS), rose, early in the 20th Century, to convince legislators to pass laws to "help" poor parents and children, saying that people of color are not smart enough to decide for themselves. Only people with over-priced sheep-skins, PHd's (something piled higher and deeper than ever), could be trusted to solve their problems.
These modern evangelists go to colleges and universities where they are taught how children should be raised. Poor Magazine Poverty Skolah Gioioia Von Disterlo has been struggling, in Seattle at the University of Washington, with some of the intellectual soldiers in the trenches of the War on Poverty (the term coined in the 60's to supposedly label the federal government's desire to fight poverty and pull poor people up to, at least, the Middle Class), professors who believe, as Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan did, that poor people of color were to blame for the cycles of poverty in which they were embedded like journalists in the wars of Shock and Awe in Afghanistan and Iraq.
These priests of hatred of the poor have told Gioioia often that poor people are not smart enough to tie their own shoes. One of their weapons is the so-called Bell Curve, a long-discredited statistical tool they are addicted to.
Today, instead of farms, children of poor mothers are sent to foster homes. Another friend of poor magazine was put into one and forced to clean house like a maid. Foster parents are paid $4000 a month! Our friend and the person using her then are people of color. She would have become a college professor, an expert in land-use policy, without this massive detour in her personal road. This poverty skolah has never seen anyone else rapidly inhale the entire San Francisco Eastern Neighborhoods Plan documents, cover to cover--with a 10th Grade education--and point out the flaws in it!
Thursday, December 9th, 2010, Poor Magazine hosted Global Women's Strike and Every Mother Is A Working Mother Network, showing an 18-minute documentary exposing the struggles that poor mothers and their children go through in Philadelphia, dealing with CPS and a legal/"justice" system allied against them. In "DHS--Give Us Back Our Children", one foster parent asked the question--if they can give her $4000 a month to raise someone else's child, why can't they give that money to the parent(s)? She adopted a foster son and made it easy for his blood family to visit him--CPS workers often abuse and torture parents and grandparents, telling them they will never see their children again.
"DHS--Give Us Back Our Children" is the best recent documentary about poverty, abuse of the poor and abuse of anyone who gets in the way of authority that these poverty scholars have yet seen. It deserves to be longer than 18 minutes!
My grandfather never would have joined the military if he wasn't forced to, and believed he would have made it through college without the interference of the do-gooders. He was very resourceful, later building his own house without the need to steal materials for it. Instead, he was forcibly part of the process of beating the bugs out of a system designed to make it seem reasonable to take children away from their parents.
In his day the slogan was "For their safety." That hasn't changed. What has changed is that people are fighting back. The folks in Philadelphia believe they have succeeded in saving 10% of the children that would ordinarily be swallowed up by the real monster under the bed--CPS. More people need to see the documentary and take its lessons to heart. Fight back. It works.
Krip-Hop Nation celebrates Black Disabled Artists/Authors/Activists & Friends for a weekend (February 18-20) of readings, music, discussions and a panel all highlighting the artistic contributions of Black disabled artists/authors/activists and those who support them of yesterday and today focusing on music and literary. Author panel includes Toni Hickman of TX, , Adarro Minton of New York, Allen Jones of San Francisco and friends of Krip-Hop Nation, DC Curtis & Bones Kendall of LA. Performances will include poetry and songs by Bay Area Black disabled artists/activists, Lee Williams and Avotcja. Hip-Hop disabled artist, Roxx Da Foxx will sing from her new CD and more artists will shine up the Bay Area. Also Krip-Hop artist, activist, actor from Boston, MA, Keith Jones will talk about his new documentary and why his new Hip-Hop CD will be his last. Toni Hickman of Houston TX will perform from her Hip-Hop CD, Cripple Pretty and more. We will remember the lives and music of Bay Area Black disabled musicians/activists who passed away like Brigardo Groves, Malcolm Samuel and Joe Capers to name a few with their own music and PowerPoint program. Special surprise guests from South Africa & Uganda, DeeJay Kabia of South Africa who is disabled and has his own campaign to reach other disabled musicians and Ronnie Ronnie of Uganda who is a professional musician and is a key member of Krip-Hop Nation and more. We hope to have DeeJay Kabia in present or both will be on skype (we hope). All sponsor by Krip-Hop Nation, San Francisco Main Library, The San Francisco Bay View Newspaper, Poor Magazine & I.D.E.A.L Magazine. Events will take place at San Francisco Main Library, Modern Times Bookstore and First Christian Church, 259 29th St., Oakland and more look back for update info.
Black disabled artists, authors, and activists have always been apart of the Black community from blind blues musicians to the recent growth of Black disabled authors like Allen Jones, Adarro Minton, Gary Norris Gray, and Milan Mitchell etc.. The San Francisco Bay View newspaper is the most popular Black newspaper in the Bay Area and they’ve been committed to listening to and writing the news and stories of the Black community including the Black disabled community in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere. Poor Magazine has been a strong supporter of the writings, art, music, activism of Black disabled people and the column Illin-N-Chillin was one of the first online column on race & disability. These are some of the reasons why, in conjunction with Krip-Hop Nation, we are sponsoring / organizing Black Disabled Artists, Authors & Activists for 2011 Black History Month at the San Francisco main library, Modern Times Bookstore and First Christian Church and more. Like back in the day, Black disabled musicians like Toni Hickman (with her Hip-Hop cd, Crippled Pretty), Bay Area musician and DJ, Avotcja and Modupue, (with their world music CD, Live @ Yoshi's') and Lee Williams (with his spoken word/soul CD, Phase V), to name a few, are creating their own styles.
Right here in the San Francisco Bay Area we have a rich history of Black disabled activists/musicians who have helped change the lives of local Black and disabled people. For example, men like the late Malcolm Samuel, a Black Panther poet, and the late Brigardo Groves who helped put KPOO radio station on the air and taught music to area youth. Black disabled artists, authors, and activists like the ones above and more will be coming from as far as Africa to US East Coast, Houston, TX. to here in the San Francisco Bay Area to participate in this event.
Where San Francisco Main Library, Modern Times Bookstore and First Christian Church, 259 29th St., Oakland and more.
When: Weekend of February 18th. Modern Times Bookstore on February 18t, SF Main Library February 19th
and First Christian Church, 259 29th St., Oakland on February 20th & more
Contact info: Leroy Moore (510) 649-8438 email kriphopproject@yahoo.com. Sponsors: Krip-Hop Nation San Francisco Bay Newspaper, Poor Magazine San Francisco Main Library and I.D.E.A.L. Magazine
Just got back from KPFA Studio with Anita Johnson of Hard Knock Radio. Thank u Anita. The show will air in a week or so.
Krip-Hop Nation will be on Hard Knock Radio on KPFA 94.1 FM Berkeley, CA in late December .. check out the site http://www.kpfa.org/hard-knock-radio for the right date.
Much love goes out to Anita Johnson of Hard Knock Radio for being a strong supporter of Krip-Hop Nation and another project I'm involved in Sins Invalid. I'm very sad on what is happening at KPFA! I used to be deeply involved in KPFA from the late 90's up to 2003 and have friends there who were laid off. With all of that I & Krip-Hop Nation is excite to be asked to come on Hard Knock Radio. Krip-Hop Nation will talk about some of the following:
*What & Why Krip-Hop Nation
*Its bigger than a label/contract
*Krip-Hop Nation events/projects
1) Krip-Hop Homo-Hop
2) Mcees With Disabilities
3) Joe Capers Project
4) Krip-Hop columns
5) Black Disabled Artists/Authors/Activist in Black History Month
*Why Krip-Hop Nation is international/Some of our members
*DADA Festival in Liverpool UK 1ST time Krip-Hop/MWD perform together
*Krip-Hop Book in the making
Hopefully the music during the show will be Krip-Hop Artists like:
Dark Shades is from Lady MJ UK
Krip-Hop Across the World from friends of Brown Buffalo Oakland CS
Stop Discrimination from PJ UK
MWD from Leroy Moroe Berkeley, CA.
As the year winds down to the holiday season, I look forward to the compassion and cheer that I get from the people who don't forget vendors who work hard to sell Real Change paper. They show appreciation by giving gifts, holiday cards,and bigger tips. I am thankful for their action to help.
But to be frank, most of the year, I feel like an invisible man, as people walk pass me like I am not there. Some people walk right up to me and ask for directions, the time, or what is Real Change paper is all about. If I don't answer their question in a hurry, they yell out rude comments, showing disrespect to me and my job.
One of the worst things that makes me feel like a play-toy-clown is when a person walk up to me like they are pulling out money to buy a Real Change paper, instead they are pulling out a cell phone, comb, watch,cigarettes or anything to play a joke on me.
Through the rain, sleet, snow or sunshine, I'll be there because the same person , one day will have a change of heart. That change usually comes around during the holiday season. Like a good street paper believer, I'll be there when they feel they giving spirit.
I want to wish all the street paper vendors a prosperous and happy holiday season. A time the homeless and poor are visible to the world has come once again. You know how I feel.
(Note: Stanley Roberts is the host of a TV segment called "People Behaving Badly" on San Francisco TV outlet KRON 4..."The News Station". The segment includes footage of people deemed to be behaving badly in real time. It includes the "Bad Behavior" of many, excluding the bad behavior of Stanley Roberts because it is assumed--by this writer anyway--that Mr. Stanley Roberts never behaves badly...ever. Enjoy)
Bird on a wire: The Raven speaks out on Stanley Roberts
By Revolutionary Worker Scholar
Q: What’s new in the life of the raven?
A: Same stuff as the last time
Q: Nothing new?
A: I’m still trying to avoid you, why do you keep following me?
Q: Because I think your voice is important…you got something to say.
A: I think you’re full of shit
Q: That’s ok. But seriously, what's happening with you my brother?
A: I’m trying to survive, trying to get food—its rough out here—competition from owls, pigeons, seagulls, squirrels—not to mention those pain in the ass artists who pretend to be poor, stealing my bread scraps when I’m not looking.
Q: Which artists?
A: Never mind…we’ll save that for a future interview
Q: I understand you ran into Stanley Roberts the other day. What do you think of him?
A: You mean that big guy from KRON 4 News?
Q: Yes…where did you see him?
A: Downtown. I saw this orbicular figure coming out of the bushes with another guy holding a TV camera.
Q: What did he do?
A: I’m not sure but I landed on the windowsill of a bar the next day. They had one of those flat screen TV’s. I thought it was 3 dimensional because I could’ve swore I saw Stanley’s belly pop right out of the screen. Anyway, I was watching Stanley’s segment. It was called People Behaving Badly. What a crybaby that guy is.
Q: Crybaby?
A: Yeah, a whiner. Everything out of this mouth sounded like nanny nanny nah nah. He looks like a man…with that flannel shirt and all…kind of like the guy on the paper towel package but when he opens his mouth, man, what a crybaby. Reminds me of when i used to hover around various schools. I'd see those kids that were designated hall monitors. Stanley must have been one of those kids.
Q: What was he crying about?
A: Everything. Complaining whining and crying about people recycling, crying about illegal left turns, right turns, cyclists, homeless people in the park, people walking their dogs, people tossing paper cups on the street, bus drivers. But I didn’t hear him crying and complaining about CEO's behaving badly or heavyset voyeurs with accompanying cameramen. I thought: How’d this guy ever get a job? Then I figured he must have cried for it.
Q: So, you think he’s a voyeur?
A: What else can you call him, hiding behind a camera spying on people, waiting for them to do wrong and broadcast it to the world with crybaby commentary. What kind of goofy Mickey Mouse brother is this, I thought--being black myself.
A: Do you have anything positive to say about Dear Stanley?
Q: He obviously eats well, much better than I do. I think I used the word orbicular to describe him (I like that word). Stanley ought to stick with what he does best—eating. He shouldn’t stray too far from the dinner plate. But it’s unlikely he ever does.
Q: Any last words?
A: Let’s hope brother Stanley doesn’t get caught behaving badly. I’m a raven up here on a wire and my comrades are up here too. We see it all. Yes…let’s hope Stanley doesn’t behave badly. If there’s one thing I can’t stand is a crybaby. Nanny Nanny Nah Nah.
Kripmas Karols from Around the World by artists, poets & musicians with disabilities and allies.Throughout 2011 I’ll be asking for more poets, writers and musicians with disabilities to send their poems, songs lyrics, jingles etc to me to make a small pamphlet for the 2011 Holiday season.This is why, how it will work and what I’m looking for:
Why:Every Holiday season (December) mainstream media uses a charity frame to make people give and most of the times it is people who are poor, elderly and people with disabilities that are caught up in this frame with no voice.We have all seen it:“Serving the Homeless!” or “Toys for the Disabled!”And the list\framing goes on.So Poor Magazine & I wants to help in taking back that frame with our own Christmas carols what I call Kripmas Karols.You don’t have to be a person with a disability to be involved with this project but u do need to spit/write some activist lyrics, poems, jingles ect.
What to submit: Original poems, songs, jingles, short stories with an hardcore activist message about the ways we are used as pity and charity during the holiday season.The goal is to flip the pity/charity message with our own Christmas carol, song, poem, story and whatever.Email them to Leroy Moore at kriphopproject@yahoo.com.Although this project will be ongoing there are two deadlines:1) The end of Jan. 2011 to promote through the Internet to get more artists and (2) September 2011 to go to print for the 2011 Holidays.I will try to send each artist a copy of the small pamphlet. The pamphlet will be used for educating purposes and not for sale.Your rights to your piece stays with you and you can publish your piece elsewhere.I only ask if you do publish your piece elsewhere just to mention it was printed for Krip-Hop Kripmas pamphlet of 2011. With your permission I would like to also post your Krip-Hop Kristmas Karols on social network sites like Face book and MySpace etc.
If you’re down then drop me an email at kriphopproject@yahoo.com Include your name, title of the piece, your email address and date when the piece was written and where are you located.Krip-Hop Kipmas Karol will be an international project and that means artists, writers, poets and musicians with disabilities and allies from around the world are welcome the send in their pieces.To make it simple please only send text no pics.
1 Krip-Hop Nation (KHN):When did you meet Joe Capers?
Terry Greene: I was introduced to Joe Capers at J-Jams Recording studio by a young lady by the name of Tonya she was doing some recording with Joe Capers at that time, later on in our friendship I met D'wayne Wiggins of the now famous group Tony, Toni, Tone, he laid down some guitar tracks on a song that I was recording in J-Jams recording studio Joe asked D'wayne to record for us.
2) KHN: What kind of music did you do with Joe?
Terry Greene: My style of music at that time was an over sea's market my vision was music that the world wanted to hear but different from the norm, it was R&B, Pop, Funk, Soul, Jazz, and international mix.As a matter of fact I was the first Artist producer to release a record out of J-Jams Recording Studio at that time the name of the Record that we worked on was called Automatic Dripp from my group Lickke we performed all around the bay area.
3) KHN:What was your best memory of Joe Capers?
Terry Greene:My best memory of Joe was he never let his disability stand in the way I mean that I would always ask Joe do you need any help while we were recording he would always say no Terry I know were every thing is in my studio shut up and he would just laugh he always was a jokester and a lovable person I will never forget Joe he was my mentor he taught me things in the studio that I didn't know in the recording and mixing areas even though I had been in the studio sessions in Hollywood, CA working with superstars in the music biz.
4)KHN: Tell us about your project you’re doing for Joe
Terry Greene: Joe Capers and I recorded a lot of my music that was never released I plan on going back in the recording studio to update some of those recordings in his honor.
5)KHN: What do you want the public to know about Joe Capers?
Terry Greene: Joe Capers was one of the most multitalented produces, songwriters, musician, and engineers, that I have ever met. I have been in this music business now for thirty years he will never be forgotten by me I love Joe.
6) KHN:If Joe was alive today do you think he would still be in music?
Terry Greene: The answer to your question is yes music was his Life.Joe was a peoples person he loved every one around him this is what I saw.
7)KHN: Why do you think Joe didn’t get the recognition that he deserved at that time?
Terry Greene: The reason why is because Joe didn't to much care about himself he just wanted to help us all with our music because he knew that we all were shopping for a deal with major record labels he wanted to see all of us make it we all had his support.
8) KHN:Do you think Joe Capers shaped early Oakland Hip-Hop/R & B sound?
Terry Greene: Yes very much so a lot of those Artist that make it out of Oakland were recording out of J-Jams Recording Studio I was one of them along with the famous Artist that made it back in the eighties.
9) KHN: How can the public and we keep Joe Capers’ music and other contributions alive?
Terry Greene: By continuing on each and every year to having the event that took place on October 2010 of this year this will keep Joe's memory and music and his accomplishments alive.
10)KHN: What are you doing now?
Terry Greene: As you all might not know I'm now working in the Gospel arena my company, P. G. E. G. / Fa7ith Music Ministries, was nominated for a Gospel Soul Train Award in 2005 and has been on the Bill Board Music Charts over 12 times for Top Gospel Albums and the Hip-Hop R&B Chart from 2002-2006.We are currently working with muti-talented singer, songwriter, producer, musician, Mizz Futcha, out of Rochester, NY her C/D was released by Fa7ith Urban Music on November 15, 2010 on all of the major retailers and is receiving airplay in the northern and southern region and is taking off worldwide as we speak her song, One Word, was listed on the Gospel USA Top thirty National Artist ChartDebuting at number 13 on Fa7ith Urban Music.I'm also working on songs for my long awaited C/D that has been in the making since 2002 you will hear new music from me soon I promise you that.We are looking for Artist to work with thatare serious about careers.
11)KHN:How can people get in contact with you?
Terry Greene:
P.G. E. G. / Fa7ith Music Ministries
Primus {Terry} Greene, Jr.
Prophet/CEO/Music Executive
Office: 877-856-4103
Fax: 206-376-0784
pgreene@pgentertainmentgroup.info
fa7ithurbanmusic@gmail.com
www.fa7ithmusicministries.yolasite.com
KHN:Leave us with a saying or a funny story of Joe Capers.
Terry Greene:I can't think of any at the moment but I can tell you that Joe was full of Life he was a jokester and was always funny he loved to laugh.
Pacquiao: A Security Guard’s Perspective
By Revolutionary Worker Scholar
(Note: I am co-editor of POOR Magazine (www.poormagazine.org), an indigenous led, poor people led organization based in San Francisco that produces revolutionary media. Our writers re-port and sup-port people struggling with poverty globally and locally—people whose voices are silenced by corporate media. My day job is security guard. The following is an interview I conducted with a fellow guard, a Filipino elder (Manong). We spoke at our post amidst stacks of Filipino newspapers adorned with pictures of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. My fellow security officer gives his impressions of Manny Pacquiao after his victory over Antonio Margarito).
Poor Magazine: What do you think of Manny Pacquiao? Manong: What is there to think? He won…that is all. Poor Magazine: Did you see the fight? Manong: I want to but it is too expensive. It is…pay to do? Poor Magazine: Pay per view Manong: Yes…they were charging fifty-five dollars. TV is too confusing now. I do not have a digital TV, just my old one and I couldn’t figure out how to install that converter box so I just forget it. Poor Magazine: That’s expensive Manong: I could by a lot of chow mein with that Poor Magazine: So, you don’t watch TV? Manong: Not anymore. I just read thenewspapers. Poor Magazine: I see you got all the Filipino newspapers. Looks like Manny Pacquaio is on the front page of all of them. Manong: Yes…Pacquaio…he is the best. Poor Magazine: Of all time? Manong: I don’t know about all time. There were many great ones. I was in the Philippines in the time of Ali and Frazier. I was there. Poor Magazine: The Thrilla in Manila? Manong: Yes, I was there. I was an engineer back in the Philippines. I work on bridges. I was in the audience when Ali and Frazier fight. It was hot in the arena, like an oven. They fight hard. In the 13th round Ali hit Frazier and his mouthpiece fly out. It landed in my lap. I was sweating very hard. I lose 10 pounds and I wasn’t even fighting. Poor Magazine: Really? Manong: Yes, the mouthpiece is in a jar at home Poor Magazine: So manong, do you rank Pacquaio as one of the greatest of all time? Manong: Has to be. You cannot deny him Poor Magazine: He has won 8 world titles in 8 different divisions. Nobody’s ever done that. Manong: I come close to doing it Poor Magazine: Close, how? Manong: Back home when I was younger I have 8 kids. It was hard but I carry all of them…on my back, my shoulders, arms…all 8 at the same time. One of my kids even looked like Pacquaio. It was a hard life. Poor Magazine: Can anyone beat Pacquaio? Manong: Mayflower is the only one that can test him. Poor Magazine: You mean Mayweather? Manong: Mayflower, Mayweather…it’s all the same. He has the speed to give Pacquaio trouble. That would be a great fight. In my heart I would want Pacquaio but my brain says that Mayweather is very dangerous. He is a slick boxer who can punch too. We can only know when the bell rings. Poor Magazine: What do you think of Pacquaio’s singing? Manong: He is good. I saw him on that show at my friend’s house, the Kibble show. Poor Magazine: You mean, Jimmy Kimmel? Manong: Yes, Jimmy Kibble. His voice is ok. I think he does it to be around the pretty girls. Poor Magazine: Manong, you still didn’t answer my question. Manong: What question? Poor Magazine: Is Pacquaio the best boxer of all time? Manong: It is hard to say. Who is the best or the greatest changes every day, every month and every year. If you asked Ali who was the greatest, he would say Joe Louis. If you asked Joe Louis, he would say Sugar Ray Robinson. Poor Magazine: Who do you say Manong? Manong: I think Roberto Duran. If he fought Pacquaio it would be a true battle. It would be like Pacquaio fighting against himself. What I mean to say is that Pacquaio is the best right now…the best of his time. This is his time. Poor Magazine: And in politics, wasn’t he elected to the Philippine House of Representatives? Manong: I pray for him
(Our interview abruptly ended when our supervisor Riley J. Tipsy (not his real name) arrived)
No thanx to the man
on this day
a lie crafted by uncle sam
no thx to the myths of
supposed pilgrims gifts
no thx to the killin
caused by so many under the lie of thx giving
No - the thx i have
is the thx for the land,
for creator-
our ancestors,
our corazons
our love....
So i have a new list-
not defined by pilgrims myths
coming from our collective lips
the thx i have is for the spirit of uncle al, mama dee
tony's love, tiburcio's heart, marlon's mind, jewnbug's rhymes, bruce's words, muteado's eyes, thorntons' time, charles designs, joes climbs, corazon de ingrid, voce de teresa and all of our lives...
the beauty of of our unending work & struggle
as uncles. mamas, sons and bruddahs...
i give thx for the, care, silence, truth, pain, change, art , poetry, words, resistace and all with the deepest humility-
Green waste-bins, green grass, green bottles, green jobs, green futures, green gentrification?As I walked past the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood recycling center (HANC), I noticed there were multi-colored micro-business people carefully recycling their multi-colored bottles and cans into bright green recycling bins debris boxes. They were green like everyone’s elses’ recycling bins, but somehow the HANC bins weren’t green enough to fight the lies of green nimby-ism, green displacement, green classism and yes, even, green racism, from an onslaught of hate from housed members of the Haight Ashbury neighborhood and beyond who want to get rid of the truly green center of activism and micro-business that is HANC
In 1999, POOR Magazine released Volume 3 of the hard copy version of our magazine
(when we still had funding to publish a paper issue) It was entitled simply: WORKand we focused on unrecognized work and workers engaged in low and no wage work and micro-business like recycling, street vending, panhandling, mothering, sex-work, workfare, day labor and prison labor.
This was an extremely controversial issue of POOR Magazine because people get very angry at the idea of panhandlers and recyclers who don’t work for corporate trash companies ( sunset scavenger, etc) and corporate solicitors (politicians, PACS and sales=people who practice so-called “legal” panhandling) being workers or micro-business people at all. We surveyed over 300 workers engaged in thousands of different industries from corporate to non-profit to underground business folk and discoveredwhat we already knew and few fail to recognize, there waslittle difference in the schedules, workloads, hours, breaks and focus of a full-time recylcler and a corner store-owner,of a street newspapervendor and a full-time restaurant worker. Our main finding, workers and business-people are those that work hard and long and take pride in their workmanship and business, just like the workers and micro-business people at HANC.
CW Nevius from the SF Chroniclehas written what equates to a multi-year hate campaign against the workers at HANC and houseless folks in general by publishing columns filled with an endless stream of stereotypes and hypocracies about people without a roof who live and work near the park versus the peaceful yuppies and hipsters who live and work near the park.
He paints the houseless residents of the Haight district as dirty, lazy and aggressive even going so far as to equate houseless folks with the coyotes in Golden Gate park, versus his characteristic of the “peaceful” hipsters who sit in the park at concerts, picnics, parties, bars, and events, who recycle in the “right” way,never litter, get drunk, or act aggressive. Unfortunately the main difference between these two communities is one is constantly spoken for in the corporate news and the other ones never get access to a voice in the SF Chronicle or any corporate media channels,
So as we march towards the implementation of the newly voted in civil sidewalks law which not only criminalizes public space but metes out a clearly defined attack on people in poverty sitting and standing in public spaces and differently privileges those who don’t’ look houseless or poor sitting and standing in public spaces, coupled with an eviction notice servedon the HANC folks to make way for a “community garden” I wonder how did gentrification, removal, hate and racism suddenly get cloaked in green? And why can’tpeople see that offering poor people a community centered space to redeem their recyclables, while working to clean mother earth, is one of the most beautifully, truly green projects ever created.
Tafkal first showed an interest in music when he was 16 years old and trying find a way to express his emotions. He has always been a big fan of genres such as UK hip-hop and Grime.
College was a place where there was always hip-hop playing . Tafkals Racial officers were talking to him about music and he did noticed that Tafkal`s real passion and love was for music, They suggested that he should put it into practice so he did and started writing his own music at tender age of 16. He was first heavily interested in commercial side but as he got older he progressed too more to underground real life hip-hop, only a very few have ever influenced him i.e. SkinnyMan (Mud Family),L.Man (N-Double-A),Lowkey,Mike Glc, Genesis Elijah & Jaja Soze (PDC),KRS ONE. Tafkal brings a new lease to the table, Paths the way for more Disabled people to follow in his footsteps. The UK has never had a huge hip hop seen so makes it that little bit hard get into but Tafkal has been doing it on and off for last 8 years and is finally getting supporters, Tafkal now is concentrating on his own solo project as well as having few up projects and working with MWD, Mcees With Disabilities, members.
Tafkal was born on September 6th 1985 in Banbury . Tafkal has a rare genetic disorder known as TAR syndrome (Thrombocytopenia with Absent radius). TAR syndrome effects the limbs (arms and legs), hips and blood. In the blood a lowered platelet count leads to brussing and potentially life threatening haemorrhaging.Tafkal had to grow up quickly at a young age. He had to mature quicker than his peer group due to ignorance and bullying he had to endure from peers and strangers. From a very young age Tafkal has been fighting a constant battle with himself and other people who couldn't accept he was different.Tafkal was a victim of bullying and people would spit at him on the streets. He was verbally abused by people who would say hateful things about how he was different and didnt physically appear like everyone else. This played hard on Tafkal because he couldn't understand why he was different and didnt want to accept it.
Tafkal now tours UK with his group talking to young people about his life and what they can achieve,Hes also now the Founder of an up and coming organization by the name of Express Freedom Empire Ltd & Rhymikal Records. I you want to listen to one Tafkals talks please send all information to the email address provided and someone will get back to you asap,Also please join the "Express Freedom Empire Ltd" Group aswell and support Tafakal`s new project.
“I want the community in general to wear their rights (laminated “Know Your Rights” cards) on their chest. I want mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, nephews, nieces, and children. I don’t want anyone left out!”
This is the mission statement from Jamal James Modica, founder of the “Tough House Project.” It was in reference to his idealistic goal for the community of San Francisco Bay view Hunter’s Point to combat numerous issues in his neighborhood, including po-lice terrorism.
Community can mean unity for us all, on local and global levels. It begins with the “I” voice, ending with we as a community.
An example is the voices of the Race, Media, and Poverty Scholars (and this Revolutionary Legal Scholar) of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network. Every voice from us empowered our writings in our articles. Art and poetry is fighting, resisting, and healing. Our own self-scholarship developments to challenge "academia courses" and "formal institutions for learning."
Self-empowerment from the workforce apartheid here in AmeriKKKa, via entrepreneurship. Our re-port for, and sup-port of community actions against injustices. Our lives heard, undetermined and deterred by corporate mainstream media.
We hear it within ourselves, then shared with and educated to the world:
“P-O-O-R, scholars till we die! The revolution begins with I!”
(And it ends with we!)
A young man of African Descent origin, by the name of Jamal James Modica exemplifies this as a living testament of sorts stemming from organizing, caring, safeguarding, and loving his community of Bay View Hunter’s Point. A community, non-exempt from poverty, violence, racism, po-lice terrorism, gentrification, institutionalized ignorance, displacement, and demonizing media coverage.
Jamal, however, deeply expresses and displays numerous ideas he has for his community to implement change from the said above. One of them is called “The Tough House Project,” a non-profit grassroots organization he founded in 2001. It is based here in San Francisco Bayview Hunter’s Point. “The Tough House, because there is nothing tougher than growing up in the projects.” Jamal says, wittingly. He grew up in “West Point Projects” in Bay view Hunter’s Point.
Currently, it is under “redevelopment” codified as “gentrification” from Lennar Corporation.
On December 7th, Jamal attended our Indigenous News-Making Circle, the Community Newsroom to share with everyone about the goal for his project. He was accompanied with his comrade and management assistant of The Tough House Project, Tanya Joseph. Jamal was referred to us by my comrade, mesha Monge-Irizarry, founder/director of the Idriss Stelley Foundation, a week prior.
I followed up with Jamal and Tanya on December 21st to get a more in depth detailed overview of the Tough House Project, and about Jamal James Modica, himself. While working on this project he founded in 2001, Jamal also worked full-time as a staff member at the San Francisco Society of Prevention to Animal Cruelty. (SF/SPCA) He loves animals, which prompted him for this position.
Jamal especially loves pit bulls, in which he stated are called “Bully Breeds.” Members of the SF/SPCA often refer this nickname to rottweilers, dobermans, and bull terriers.
Jamal recalled how he was viewed by his co-workers as someone who could “handle the dogs” because most of them were taken from the street. Jamal, himself, is from the neighborhood. “I came from the same streets that the dogs came from. If you don’t know what he (the dog) has gone through, then how can you rehabilitate that dog?” He would sometimes work overtime if necessary.
Jamal would then tell me what it was like for him, within the aura of the atmosphere inside his occupation. He was practically the only young man of African descent origin in this occupational setting. None of his co-workers lived in his neighborhood.“I was the only black kennel attendant there (SF/SPCA).”
He recalls. “It was more or less a cultural shock to me. It was hard to identify with everyone there. They had a negative outlook of the community I call home.” Despite those barriers, Jamal loved his position, and gained numerous skills from this overlooked profession.
Jamal felt that his co-workers had a very negative outlook on his community. He explained to me that there seemed to be a nexus of sorts regarding comparisons: The behaviors, characteristics, and the nature of dogs to young black men. Jamal remembered an issue that arose in 2001 regarding pit bulls attacking people on the street.
The media quickly demonized neighborhoods like Jamal’s by equipping their "news coverages" of negative stereotypes such as “dog fighting” and “bad breeding” by gang members, drug dealers, etc, etc. "The reality is that dog fighting has been taking place for generations" Jamal said.
I personally concur to his statement.
It’s amazing to me of how it seems to be a metaphorized implant into the minds of many as to how "wild animal behavior" and their characteristics are so swiftly associated with people. Particularly to the eye and mind of the ignorant and racist a black person plus an ape, plus a gorilla and a coon equals imminent danger.
I also feel pitting all animals against another for purposes of profit, and sport is flat out cruel, but not unusual.
Entertainment enslavement: Zoos, circuses, rodeos, cockfighting among others are really no different than slavery for sport in my eyes.
Jamal talked about the importance of protection among the youth by means of having a dog by their side, even at the age of 13. A defense mechanism from harm.
“Because of reported dog attacks, guns are their only option.” He explained. “If you can’t even carry a pit bull for protection, how else do you think people are going to protect themselves?” he asked, rhetorically.
The Tough House Project effectively tackled “dog fighting” issues in his neighborhood. His full-time position as a kennel attendant at S.F/SPCA, however, would end abruptly. The reason, according to Jamal was his refusal to an offer proposed to him by S.F/SPCA of $80,000 in exchange for their ownership of The Tough House Project.
Jamal would later go on to be elected to the San Francisco Commission of Animal Control and Welfare in 2002. In an ironic twist of events, the SF/SPCA sought support from him. “Instead of me asking for a paycheck from them, they were now asking me for a vote for funding.” He said to me, jokingly.
His project has received media attention from outlets such as Dog Fantasy Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, was featured on Kron-TV Channel 4 and KTVU Channel 2.
The painful reality of classism would clash with cultural fashion, as he was sworn in for his elected chair of the commission. Jamal remembers just how the Board of Supervisors was rather “displeased” with the attire he wore. “I was wearing a football jersey bearing my neighborhood name, while they were dressed to impress.”
For me, image says a lot about someone, but it doesn’t say everything about someone and/or everyone.
Undesired images often conclude with unfair immediate judgments, assumption, profiling, and even death. All I know all too well as a victim of racial profiling by members of the San Francisco Police Department, five years ago.
Jamal also wore a “choke chain” (dog leash) to honor all of the pitbulls that were either locked up or “put to sleep.”(Death)
The main objective for the Tough House Project is to give the community a voice. “How do we teach the children in our community about being able to live through violence?” is Jamal’s rhetorical question to the world.
At POOR, we believe that there is more than one way to teach and educate to the masses of people. All youths are scholars.
“There is more than one way to teach political consciousness. The revolution can also come through Hollywood bling, performances, storytelling, poetry, film, and art.” Late great poverty hero, Mama Dee Gray once said.
We heed and feed off of her words each day.
One idea, Jamal presented is through poster art that speaks to violence that undoubtedly will come their way. On the poster are steps he’s implemented for these goals to be successful in ultimately ending violence:
“Rule#1 Stop Right Away! Rule#2 Hands up, Never Touch It! (anything harmful) Rule#3 Walk Away From the Area!” Rule#4 Get Mom or Dad for Help!”
“The Tough Talk Neighborhood Newsletter” is another formulative step of The Tough House Project to give young people a voice they seldom receive in schools and media. “The Team Skills Challenge” is to teach them how to be creative in entrepreneurship and self-dependency. There is also a project in collaboration of “The Tough House Project” by his manager assistant and comrade, Tanya Joseph for relationship counseling.
It is meant to help all young women, and to empower themselves from all sorts of abuse. It was started by Tonya in 2008. “Let go, Let God. Instead of listening to what men tell them, let God lead their heart.” Is the message from Tonya in her words of encouragement from discouragement she offers them.
Jamal is currently in the early stages of steps to combating po-lice terrorism in his neighborhood from the San Francisco Police Department. One is for community members to wear laminated “Know Your Rights Cards” on their chests for every encounter with an S.F.P.D. Po-lice Officer or officers.
Another is the use of armor (bullet-proof vests) to greatly reduce the deaths in Bayview Hunter’s Point from gun violence and unjustified po-lice killings. Far too long now, “Stolen Lives” has devastated poor communities locally and whereas globally. He is optimistic and hopeful that his project can be a model for us all as a community.
Most recently, Jamal released "Abandoned by Hope, Survived by Faith." It is a three-sectioned film documentary that features the testimonies of community members of Bayview Hunter's Point, and others within the Bay Area. His motivation for the film:
"It is because of all of the broken promises of change for people in poverty in San Francisco and Bayview Hunter's Point."
Bird on a wire: The Raven speaks out on Stanley Roberts
