“They have a date next month for the movers to come and take us somewhere, but we don’t  even know where that somewhere is,” I was on the phone with a disabled elder resident of 939 Eddy, one of 14 San Francisco buildings recently non-profitized ( aka Privatized) under the new HUD public housing dismantlement program called RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration). RAD is the newest in a long line of multi-billion dollar poverty industry ponzee schemes aimed at gentrifying public housing and leaving the poorest of the poor with nowhere to live.

In San Francisco like almost every city in the US- the pyramid scheme of public to private housing which has been happening since the 1990's with (No) Hope VI and has culminated in the final solution of RAD, has been enabled by the perfect storm aka "excuse" of Public Housing Authority's intentional neglect causing broken elevators, bedbugs, broken toilets, doors, windows, hinges, no plumbing, electrical, etc, while at the same time, discovered by fellow poverty skolaz at Western Regional Advocacy Project, HUD and the endless stream of poor people bating poltricksters leeches and strips public housing budgets and section 8 programs by the millions every year. 

Yet through-out the multiple hand-throwing up sessions by HUD and public Housing Authority departments across the nation, always resulting in statements like, "We have no money to make repairs"  no-one ever questions the ways in which these “problems” are all exactly alike- how from city to city, from State to state the very low-income, no-income, poorest of the poor families, elders and youth whose families have lived in these buildings for generations, whose lives and bodies have been used, exploited and enslaved to build this stolen indigenous land I call amerikkklan, who have crossed false borders and endured US fueled wars across mama earth only to arrive here to work for the rich and wealthy and whose lives and struggles caused by the centuries of exploitation  end up being used for grant applications and philathro-pimps to launch more jobs in the poverty industry, are the ones left to struggle with extremely dangerous habitability issues in buildings that were supposedly set up to safely house us.

“There is big money to be made off non-profit housing contracts, thats why the non-profits and the politicians came together to dream this RAD scheme up together in 2000,” An elder, disabled poverty skola at POOR Magazine who is living in poor people, non-profiteered housing said shaking his head, “Everyone gets paid and we poor folks get less housing or no housing at all,”

From New Orleans to New Hampshire we are losing our last acre and our one remaining mule..
 

Low-income, Displaced, Youth and Families of Color Debate Donald Trump, Obama, Hilary Clinton, Ed Lee and Marco Rubio on San Francisco Propositions I, F & A

"Poor Peoples Politricksters Debate": The Demicans Vs the Republicrats

"They are bringing drugs, they are bringing crime, they are rapists and killers." Donald Trump said in one of his many hate-filled, racist comments about Mexican immigrants.

On Election night, November 3rd 2015, youth and families who are targets, victims and/or supposed beneficiaries of political legislations held their own herstoric debate on local San Francisco housing propositions I, F & A which will directly impact their lives.

"We are tired of being talked about by poltricksters, we the homeless, the poor and the children and families, we have a voice.." said Queenandi XSheba, POOR Magazine reporter and mama scholar

This historic debate was held at Francisco Herrerra's Mayoral celebration party at the Answer Coalition headquarters.

Editors Note: Mr. Jose Villarreal is one of several power-FUL PNNPlantation prison correspondents. As currently and formerly incarcerated poor and indigenous peoples in struggle and resistance with all plantation systems in Amerikkka, POOR Magazine stands in solidarity with all folks on the other side of the razor wire plantation.

The Ant trudged on with the tiny white speck in its hands, walking what appears at first glance to be aimlessly, but in all actuality is to a destination.

I once despised ants, as a child I would visit my grandmother in Central California. Me and my father riding in a Greyhound bus for hours to get down there. I would stand in my abuela’s yard mid summer when I would be bitten by Red ants. From this point on I would find ways to combat and rid my residences of ants.

Here in prison and particularly in SHU where one is housed in without a living roommate and ANY living things is sought and wished for one’s company, the ant takes on a new importance. I have actively sought the ant in prison and rarely see this hard worker, perhaps even the ant can’t stand the food! But on those rare occasions when I find the ant I find joy and relaxation in seeing her or him marching on.

A couple of weeks ago I saw this “pest”, it was a multitude of ants who were walking in front of my doors’ threshold. I kneeled down and peered out at this formation which was a well coordinated endeavor and no longer able to control myself I reached out and grabbed one of these ants and careful not to crush it’s tiny squirming black body, I looked closely at the ant and marveled at its energy and thought of the miles it must have traveled in its short life, and what it must do in order to survive and thrive. It is at this point where I realize that humans and ants at their core have so much in common.

Jose H. Villarreal

Pelican Bay SHU 10-27-13

One Wednesday

I was walking home from a 

Rehearsal with Vukani, at First Congo—

Or was it Capt. Crossman’s for John Brown’s Truth

Or an UpSurge! production meeting with Ruth?

Anyway, I thought I’d brave a security experience

And quench my thirst—I checked my wallet and

Prepared for sticker-shock—first!

I fixed my mental coat of mail and chain,

Slid the visor down on my brain

For the battlefield, shopping while black

Though this day my bassist friend, Henry

Had my back…

I was taken by the scents emanating from a former

Cadillac dealership across from the sanctuary, it was

African-American History Month, the shortest month

Of the year: February

I thirsted for a Kombucha or Reed’s Ginger Beer,

My internal clock told me I wouldn’t have long to

shop without fear…

After rehearsing, practicing or meeting I’m usually

hungry, too, so I headed for prepared foods, like a

bolt out of the blue

With my appetite growing, while foraging for a

Reasonably-priced nosh—my black uniformed

shadow, mirroring my movements, applied the

kibosh!

disrupting my simple pleasures with profit 

preservation PTSD masked by symptoms of 

‘white’ supremacy measures—maybe he thought

He was antioxidant, and I was a free radical to frame?

Or, just some dumb darkie he could bluff and shame?

I’d just seen some Bogey, Brando and Gable

So, I decided to Chekhov in turning the table

Stopping short in the middle of the floor—

As if I just couldn’t take any more, questioning

My shadow in my most moral, authoritative, voice

As if offering him freedom of choice:

“May I help you?”

What I really wanted to say was, “Look, MrMuthafukkka, you need to find

 some real work to do around here today, and not try to use my shopping to

 pimp a paycheck under the ruse of profit preservation, the pretension of 

‘loss prevention’— ‘cause if you’d been paying attention, the ‘white’ girl

in the black business suit just slipped a lipstick down her boot… the ‘white’

boy yappin’ on his phone just conned a Black family with a sub-prime

‘Loan’—effectively stealing their home!”

My shadow in black uniform turned red as an ember—

Before the loudspeaker shrieked from a Team Member: 

“Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Comin’ in 

Not ‘white’ hued!

There were old one, young ones,

Rich ones, poor ones, passive ones

Lame ones, wanna act the same ones

Standing watching the Staten Island massage

Like it’s Shangri-La, and all a mirage…

Brought to them by Korporate Kings of

The Lone Star state: Old Foods pickled in

Hate! It was like returning to school in

September nails on chalkboard voice of

A Team Member:

“Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Spill some blood—

Choke this dude!

Say amen

Gertrude!

By then I’d lost my taste for a Kombucha drink—

Before I saw the big sign written invisible ink:

WE RESEVERE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE 

SERVICE TO POOR FOLKS AND CROWS!

That’s why I shop Lakeshore Natural and Trader Joe’s…

Raymond Nat Turner © 2015 All Rights Reserved

Mr. Charles Chatman is a Plantation Prison Correspondent for POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE. 

Editor's Note: As currently and formerly incarcerated poor and indigenous peoples in struggle and resistance with all plantation systems in Amerikkka, POOR Magazine stands in solidarity with all folks on the other side of the razor wire plantation.  For more information about Mr. Chatman’s organizations, please write to him at

#P99062

P.O. Box 4490

Lancaster, CA 93539

Lady P

My name is Lady P

Better known as Pectoral

My third eye is what you see

I am the opposite of pandora

Through insight in every light

I diagnose breast cancer

From tears of fright to delight

I seek out the best answer

Prevention and remedy is the key

To eradicating the malignant disease

Our spirit have to be free

To keep our minds at ease

As the body mature in age

Gene mutation take on different forms

We must think like a sage

And transcend all cancer related norms

Now is the moment to seriously act

For tomorrow may be too late

Let screening prove whatever fact

That can revolutionize our nobly fate

Time to Timeless

Mission Statement

            We are a creative company of ideas and inventions that transcend the norm.  Our pursuit is the awakening and upliftment of humanity.  Our products and services are presented to enhance the human spirit.  We welcome everyone in our journey from a state of time to timeless. 

Eightball Black Presidents

Mission Statement

            Our pronouncement of the Eightball Black Presidents of the United States is not in celebration of them.  Matter of fact, it is a reflection of who they were in contrast to what historians made them to be.  The seven black presidents before Obama were Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Hannibal Hamlin, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Dwight Eisenhower.  Some of these presidents acknowledged their black heritage, whereas others denied it.  The images surrounding the eight black presidents are facts that blacks endured at the hands of the American system.  Most of history is unknown to the ublic but once revealed it becomes an eye opener to other mysteries clothed in lies. 

            The struggle and freedom of black people in America is ongoing and strong.  We are a beacon to the world.  Our light and voices can never be extinguished through the passage of time, for wisdom is at the root of our existence. 

History Tree

Mission Statement

            The tree itself is symbolic to black people’s strong rooted history in self-preservation throughout America.  Governmental obstacles designed to keep us subservient to the capitalist few has always been our reality.  Like the tree in all seasons, we give life and nourishment under all conditions.

            Our perpetual growth in spirituality and creativity is the soil that gives substance to the world.  The image of Africa dripping blood symbolizes the death and genocidal conditions of her people by imperialistic, domestic and foreign powers.  As our ranks tighten around freedom and independence, so will our fight for them by any means necessary.

Bald Eagle

Mission Statement

            The bald eagle represents the United States government.  Its breastplate make the bulging prison industry with people of color being the majority in attendance.  In its talons are victims of a racist judicial system that is blind to equality.  The ribbon in its mouth reads in Latin UNUS VOX/DIFFERENS MENS.  The english version is ONE VOICE/DIFFERENT MINDS, which translate as the seat of the presidency having one voice independent of the individual that sits upon it.  The different minds refer to the individuality and personality of each president that lives in the shadow during his reign in office.

            To overcome the victimization of the eagle is to see its true purpose in our lives as a predator.  The understanding of the realization has its own action, whose voice is the battlecry of transformation unconditionally.

Scale of Injustice

Mission Statement

            The scale has always been tilted to represent inequality on all levels since its inception.  At the hands of the government, we are targeted and being murdered at an alarming rate.  Grand scale cover-ups in the system from state liability maes the practice an open season for such cruel activity.  This scale is known as justice in America.  Its existence is rooted in deception, where stereo type views are the first reaction to a situation.

            There need to be realiment of the scale for balance to emerge, for without it systematic genocide will continue to reign dominate among our ranks.  Rhetoric that justify such savagery is totally absurd.  It is like the villain being perceived as the victim.

Mission Statement

            Among women, breast cancer is the most common solid tumor and is second only to lung cancer in terms of cancer-related mortality.  The risk of breast cancer correlates with socioeconomic status.  The lifetime risk in the United States for developing invasive breast cancer is approximately 1 in 8 women and is among the highest in the world.

            There is not enough information being circulated in the public that reveal remedies and preventions to breast cancer.  As for the younger generation, they are not taught on their level the significance of learning about breast cancer in all its manifestations.  As well, a large percentage of people with breast cancer are homeless, without medication, drug depended, victims of domestic violence, unaware of their disease, eating foods that make their condition worst and suffering from psychological breakdowns lasting a lifetime.

            Time to Timeless, LLC has created Pectoral, which is a breast cancer ribbon game that can be played by children and adults.  Also, she can be played in association with other forms of cancer.  She have encyclopedia knowledge and speaks multiple languages.  She is magical in other ways that has yet to be revealed.  Her endeavors are threefold: enlightenment, motivation and remedy.  Most of her proceeds will go towards assisting individuals stricken with breast related cancer, donating to cancer related organizations and movements, research, health education and domestic violence establishments.

            Education, awareness and sharing is the key to understanding.  Come join us and help us become an instrument of salvation for those inflicted with cancer and victims of domestic violence.  Your assistance, involvement and donations provides a means for a cancer free tomorrow and light on what causes it.    

Editors Note: Mr. Jose Villarreal is one of several power-FUL PNNPlantation prison correspondents. As currently and formerly incarcerated poor and indigenous peoples in struggle and resistance with all plantation systems in Amerikkka, POOR Magazine stands in solidarity with all folks on the other side of the razor wire plantation.

Mass incarceration in the U.S. is multi-faceted. Of course it results in poor people being locked in cages, sometimes for life. But often times our mutual oppressor uses an elaborate array of methods in order to accomplish having populations moored to oppression. As the saying goes there is more than one way to skin a cat, and the use of enhancements is one such way.

In my personal experience of being locked in these cages the state’s methods were ambiguous for the most part. Sure I knew that overbearing laws were enacted, the most infamous of which was the California Three strikes law. I have watched the Three-strikes-you’re-out law steal lives for decades. The reasons as absurd as the law itself: stealing a pair of pliers; giving someone a ride who had just stole a 12-pack of beer; being in possession of a single seed of Marijuana. If any other country gave people life for these actions they would be called “barbaric” and other critically descriptive words. Although California has now slightly reformed this oppressive law, it continues with other less known, but just as harsh legal methods.

One of the ways the injustice system keeps populations firmly planted in these cages is through the use of “enhancements”. There are many types of enhancements that arrive with a sentence handed out attached to whatever crime a court finds you guilty of. Here in California we have a lot of enhancements where we receive a number of years for the enhancements on top of the years for the actual crimes. People have grown accustomed to the institutional oppression meted out by the courts to the point where it is considered normal by so many today to get decades attached to one’s sentence just for enhancements alone.

There are enhancements for everything from prison prior sentences to theft. But many people here in SHU that I have been able to speak to have received Gang enhancements or gun enhancements which often meant receiving MORE time for the enhancements rather than the crime itself – even when the crime is Murder!

One prisoner I spoke to was convicted of Murder, but he received 25 to life for the Murder and then another 30 years for enhancements. So he actually received more time for gang and gun enhancements than for the actual Murder.

Most people do not know that the gun enhancements can get someone 10, 20 years or life. 10 years for being an ex- felon in possession of a gun, 20 years for shooting a gun and life for shooting someone but not killing a person. This is all on top of the time you will get for the theft or other aspect of the crime.

A gang enhancement can and does get folks more time than a Murder in many cases. Most do not know this. So in many ways these enhancements are far worse than the oppressive laws for crimes in general.

I spoke to another prisoner in researching this story. This man received a sentence of 89 to life for attempted Murder on a prison guard, which he caught in prison. 25 to life was given for the actual assault and 63 years to life were given in enhancements. So once more the enhancements were much more than the actual crime. And the enhancements that he received for this non-Murder were more years than he would have received from an actual Murder. As this prisoner told the judge at sentencing “this shit makes no sense,” I agree.

When I began researching enhancements I saw that it is a crises and it is one which is often overlooked. People out in society who work for prisoners’ rights and prison reform would find a ready-made receptive audience to their work by addressing the issue of enhancements.

Fortunately, my current prison sentence does not have any enhancements, besides the enhancement for prison priors, but so many prisoners that I come across do have large enhancements, and for some they will not outlive these enhancements. Without having exact numbers in front of me I know that enhancements are a plague to todays’ prisoners. Most of my previous cellmates have had them, most of my neighbors as well.

There are many wonderful groups which focus on large segments of the prison population. Groups like Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity (PHSS), California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), Families United for Prison Reform (FU4PR), California Families against Solitary Confinement (CFSC), Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), and Families Against California Three Strikes (FACTS) to name a few. These are grassroots organizations which work to struggle for reforming specific oppressive aspects of incarceration. But more importantly they work to mobilize prisoners and their families/communities to struggle for themselves to fight the oppression that they face.

There are of course many more such groups, but from my own experience in California prisons I have found these groups at the forefront in the prisoners’ rights movement. And yet when it comes to enhancements, the thousands who are affected, and who do not benefit from other reforms are left to the wayside.

It is time for a Families Against California Enhancements (FACE) or some such group which works to focus on a lesser known method of oppression which the kourts are using. Enhancements have sentenced as many prisoners to life in the can as perhaps the Three strikes law has. It has broken up as much family units and disenfranchised as many people as mandatory minimums. It is the silent killer, the neglected step child of the prisoners’ rights movements.

If there was such a group as FACE or some other such construct, I see it mobilizing much more prisoners and their families on the scene. It would inject new blood into veins of the prison reform arena and add to our momentum of bringing a small piece of justice to these cages.

It’s amazing, even to myself how enhancements are not even in the conversation when it comes to prison struggles. Especially when we take into account that we get more time for enhancements than for Murder! It is such an important issue that in any future hunger strike I would even suggest supplementing the 5 core demands with an end to California’s enhancements, along with an end to the Death penalty, end deportations of prisoners in the ICE detention kamps…These are forms of oppression which affect prisoners in California prisons, and in our struggles we should cast our net as wide as possible.

Even if our struggle today means being released from solitary confinement there is not going to be a straight away direct path to this victory. The trail to our destination is often a winding path which entails a whole slew of twists and turns. But tackling issues like enhancements should be seen as a piece to the larger puzzle in which we draw strength and which helps us move forward as prisoners of the state and more importantly as people.

We know that the small victories obtained in getting the three strikes revised recently only means that the state will tighten up its grip in other ways, but they will find a way to keep filling up these cages. This oppression will continue and we will continue to find ways to counter their ability to oppress.

wrinkles and cellulite
rats and roaches
a boring Saturday night
downsizing and outsourcing
muggers and rapists
bad hair
bad breath
acne
underarm hair
My terror is as real as yours.

It keeps me much to busy
to consider
poverty famine war
sickness old age and death.

It justifies whatever measures necessary
to sanitize
eradicate
decry and deny.

My house is a war zone.
How can I care about anything else!
My kitchen a bombed-out hell
awaiting new marble countertops
and a Subzero freezer.
Living on take-out for months
has been no picnic,
let me tell you.

I don't have time
to read the news any more.
I don't have time to care
about Syria and Sudan
or even another body
found on Potrero Hill.
Anonymous brown skin
in a too-tight leather outfit
breasts spilled out
like golden apples.
Nappy head wrapped
in an African scarf.

She went down to Capp St
to sell her body for money to feed her kids.
My husband goes to the whore zone—
to get away from me.

Editors Note: Yafeu is one of several power-FUL PNNPlantation prison correspondents. As currently and formerly incarcerated poor and indigenous peoples in struggle and resistance with all plantation systems in Amerikkka, POOR Magazine stands in solidarity with all folks on the other side of the razor wire plantation. 

The Pelican Bay Human Rights Movement and the PBHRM's First Amendment Campaign Presents:

Part One:

In The Spirit of Proverbs 29:18

The Art of Resistance Movement

(Sub-Title: An Open Call to Action! To the multi-million numbers of our Ecumenical Christian Church Communities/and all of our other Faith-based communities).

         And Behold: As it was written, from the Eternal Foundation- stones of creation. In the sacred Book of Proverbs, Chapter 29:

         At Key Verse 18: “...Where there is no vision the people perish”

         “...But he that keepeth the Law, happy is he...” -Amen (True)-

Our Mission: From 1975 thru 2013 many of our most common family, social, and economic survival problems have not been solved in a fully sustainable manner. In large part because our captive and non-captive men, women, youths, elected legal advocates, indymedia activists, students, professors, church ministers, and faith based memebers, and her adopted kindred spirits- are not being mentored to correctly self-master “The Basic A-B-C-based methods of True Economic Freedom and Social Justice” as a divinely instructed way of life which is clearly established in our most sacred books of self-knowledge, books of lifebooks of law and books of biblical economics and the social gospels-based collective problem solving strategies. Plus, the Universal Declaration of Religious Rights.

As such, one of the vital tasks of the Pelican Bay Human Rights movement and the PBHRM's First Amendment Campaign is to labor daily to help rebuild a stable mutual support network of human bridges to and from each still captive NCTT members and our elected A.R.M. Project coordinators whom have been privately trained by some of the greatest captive think tank minds that our present generation has been able to produce. To help passion, the five below essential self-help methods of:

1.            Ujima

2.            Ujamaa

3.            Economic freedom/and social justice

4.            Biblical economics/and the social gospels.

5.            Other DIY/or do-it-yourself models of collective self-empowerment/and effective economics self-employment based problem solving strategies.

For more info about why/and how our outside men, women, youth, Art related muses/and patrons, and other Adopted kindred spirits can begin to help rebuild or complete a current plans of self-Liberating, self-Healing, self-Empowering, and self-Regenerating endeavors.  In behalf of 1,2,3, or more of our below initial examples of Art related self-Help projects

1.   Help us, to help ourselves

2.   The return of “The visible man/woman.”

3.   Are you ready to join??? Our poster boys for Justice campaign??? Free our poster boys!!!

4.   The we are the Survivors!!! Of American Torture Collection!!!! Please feel free to contact either

a.    One of our Elected A.R.M. project coordinators or

b.   One of our new Art students at the below contact address:

                  The Art of Resistance Movement, our captive Elected Project Coordinator:

                           Attn: Yafeu Iyapo-I

                           S/N Alexander, B.- 72288

                           Address: D3-118 P.O. Box 7500

                           Crescent City, CA 95532

         Web (1): http://fapenpalstripod.com/yiart.html

         Web (2): http://solitarywatch.com/sentenced-architecture-and-human-rights/

Closing:The A.R.M. is dedicated to the still living legacies of the once-invisible legions of:

1.   Brother Name-less

2.   Brother Face-less

3.   Brother Voice-less

4.   Brother Economically Power-Less

As well as our never-ending domestic Human Rights struggles.  For True Economic Freedom, Social Justice, and our stop Torture in American Prisons campaign.  And the Time has come for the Ecumenical Body of Jesus Christ/ and all of our other Faith-based believers to participate in an open/ and Honest discussions.  In regards to the Greatly Evil history, purpose, and a clearly identifiable lists of openly Anti-Christian Human Conditions.  That has been Revealed under the below Bible-based working title: “…Welcome to Crescent City, CA.  Home of, …The Judds (snitch) Factory…”

Series C., No. #0001.

The Pelican Bay Human Rights Movement and the PBHRM's First Amendment Campaign Presents:

Part Two:

In The Spirit of Proverbs 29:18

The Art of Resistance Movement

(Sub-Title: An Open Call to Action! To the multi-million numbers of our Ecumenical Christian Church Communities/and all of our other Faith-based communities).

Greetings my Sisters and Brothers: My name is minister Baba Yafeu Iyapo-I. I am a captive Nazarite Christian Learned Elder. Whom has spent over 23 years being falsely imprisoned inside of the openly Anti-Christian Human Torture Chambers of both PBSP (SHU-Units). Plus, a new police state Networks of Domestic (CMU-Units). And if we pause to critically analyze and compare the below faith-based working title; Welcome to Crescent City, CA. Home of...”The Judas (Snitch) Factory...” To the Four below strategies of our collective:

1.            Secular and political work.

2.            Religious and faith-based work

3.            Economic freedom and social justice work

4.            Our Stop Torture in American Prisons campaign work.

We will find that from 1989 to 2013 a mass number of both captive and non-captive men, women, youth, and elected legal advocates have never ever been correctly provided either hands on nor online access to the previously missing master keys of our most effective bodies of sacred laws, words, and biblical economics-based collective problem solving strategies.

As such pursuant to the vital unity of purpose of part one of the A-R-M's mission statement- The goal of our open call to action is to actively invite the multi-million numbers of our faith-based communities to utilize the below Bible-based blueprints to help achieve each of the four key above examples of our captive and non-captive domestic human rights movement activist solutions.

“The Universal Declaration of Religious Rights”

The church in each place must be free to define the mission it believes it has received from God. Likewise, individual Christians and other Believers must be free to practice their faith in whatever manner they deem necessarily commensurate with their not violating the same freedom of others. In addition, we affirm the understanding of Religious Freedom, embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and other International covenants. While some actions taken in the name of religious rights may be ambiguous and will have to be addressed on a case by case basis. We believe that Religious Rights include the following:

1.            Every person has the right to determine his/her own faith and creed according to conscience.

2.            Every person has the right to his beliefs to express his religious beliefs in worship, teaching, and practice: and to proclaim the implications of his beliefs  for relationships in a social and productive community.

3.            Every religious organization formed and maintained has the right to determine its policies and practices for the accomplishment of its chosen purpose. Which implies the right:

a. To assemble for the unhindered private and public worship.

b. To formulate your own creed.

c. To give religious instruction to its youth: including preparation for ministry.

d. To preach its message publicly.

e. To receive into its membership those who destine to join it.

f. To carry on social services and to engage in missionary activity both at home and abroad.

g. To organize local congregation.

h. To publish and circulate religious infrastructure.

i. To control the means necessary to its mission and to secure support for its work at home and abroad.

j. To cooperate and unite with other believers at home and abroad.

k. To determine freely the qualifications for professional leadership of religious communities, freely naming their leaders at all levels and designating their work assignments.

Closing: If you are mutually interested in re-learning  “What Would Jesus Do?” To help self-remedy our most common family, social, and economic survival problems in general and each of the four key examples ofo ur collective activist work in particular- Please feel free to contact us at our enclosed prison letter mail contact address.

         Respectfully Yours,

         Attn: Yafeu Iyapo-I

         S/N Alexander, B.- 72288

         Address: D3-118 P.O. Box 7500

                      Crescent City, CA 95532

         Web (1): http://fapenpalstripod.com/yiart.html

         Web (2): http://solitarywatch.com/sentenced-architecture-and-human-rights/

Series C. No. #0002

STATEMENT: For Mario Woods and all crimes of displacement and police terror against our poor, Black, Brown and disabled bodies we, the most impacted, are calling for the resignations of the San Francisco Mayor and Police Chief

As a Black activist with a disability I have seen/read in 2015 alone three high-profile cases of police brutality against Black disabled men on the streets of San Francisco including the recent killing of Mario Woods,Today in 2015 we realize that more promises of training is not the only answer, it’s time for institutional changes in the police department and on the police commission board..” said Leroy Moore, Race and Disability writer for POOR Magazine and founder of Krip Hop Nation.

In response to San Francisco Police murders of Mario Woods, a disabled, African-American resident of the Bayview Hunters Point district of San Francisco, Amilcar Lopez earlier this year and Alex Nieto last year, a group of poor, disabled, Black, Brown, homeless and poor residents, advocates and youth who have personally dealt with eviction, displacement and police terror are demanding the immediate resignation of police chief Greg Suhr and his overseer SF Mayor, Ed Lee.  This latest tragedy involving a young man of color murdered by police is directly connected to Mayor Lee’s prioritization of wealthy development over people. As well, we are putting forth and demanding an urgent solution; to elect a community member to the Police Review Commission and the San Francisco Planning Commission.

…In the beginning of the year we saw Bo Frierson of the Filmore almost tipped over from his wheelchair by an officer, in August we have seen seventeen cops take down Musa Fudge, a  Black homeless man with a prosthetic leg in downtown and now a deadly shooting of Mario Woods, a Black man with a history of mental health disabilities in the Bayview district.  Back in 2001 the community fought for the police crisis training after the shooting of another Black man with mental health disabilities, Idriss Stelley however more than ten years later, less than half of the department has undergone the training,and the watered down version of the training and funding snatched away and the recent shooting, all points to the effectiveness of the training has always been questionable and now have been seen as a band-aide that has never been the purpose to heal it is the purpose to keep the public quiet as the institutional culture of police continues to be hidden from the community .  Leroy Moore.

“As the mother of a mentally disabled young African Sun who was murdered by San Francisco police department after a 911 call for help and who was involved in training police for years, iI don’t believe training can stop the police culture of murder against black, brown and disabled people," said Mesha Irizarry, mother of Po’Lice murder victim Idriss Stelley. She continued, “They should defund the police and give the money to mental health providers, expecting police to respond to a mental health crisis is like expecting a mortician to deliver your baby.”

“Mayor Lee and Chief Suhr have shown a lack of leadership in this crisis.  The Mayor in particular has shown no leadership at all levels and his reaction to the murder indicates how out of touch he is with the community.  Mayor Lee and Chief Suhr need to resign”, said Tony Robles, Board president of the Manilatown Heritage Foundation.

The brutality of San Francisco police and housing policies against San Francisco's low-income, African-American and communities of color are so flagrant that our collaboration of very grassroots, poor and impacted people-led organizations have no choice but to come forward with this demand before we are no longer here, said Lisa "Tiny" Gray-Garcia, Poverty Scholar and co-author of this statement and author of Criminal of Poverty, Growing Up Homeless in America. She continued, "Police policies put in place by Mayor Lee's administration have increased our homelessness, have increased our arrests and incarceration and have led to our eventual removal as poor people, as disabled people, as people of color."

The co-authors of this statement represent the most impacted residents of San Francisco, a city with less than 3% of its African-American population left,down from over 20%, a city with a police chief who enables the extra-judicial killing of its young Black , Brown and poor residents and a City run by a Mayor who because of his investment in luxury development and displacement, makes it impossible for its Black, Brown and Low-income elders and families to remain here.

This media release is co-authored by disabled, homeless, poor, Black and Brown leaders at  POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE, the Idriss Stelley Foundation, Krip Hop Nation and The Manilatown Heritage Foundation, Coalition on Homelessness #######

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Un Dia en El Salvador
Por Tere

Migrante/Poverty Skola

Un dia en el salvador era una noche con luna llena venia yo caminando por la calle de repente senti que ,alguien se me aserco pero era un hombre de repente senti que agararon y fue que ese hombre me agarro de mis manos y me jaloneo me quito mi ropa y me hizo sexualmente ala fuerza yo tenia como 15 anos ese fue muy duro y triste por yo era una persona ignorante yo siento que ese dia me marco para .toda mi vida.

Pues mi vida fue muy diferente en todo sentido por que desde pequena tube que trabajar y seguir adelante por que despues de la violacion yore mucho y no pude confiarle ami madre pero se lo confie a una senora pero no me gusta acordarme de eso por que me da mucha coraje y impotencia no poder defenderme de ese perro animal su cara nunca la puedo olvidar noche mustrosa y mucho miedo y no puedo ser feliz con ningun otro hombre por eso que me hiso ese perro cuando me veo que sangraba sin para me sentia morir de tristeza y soledad de mi vida lloraba sin parar por que sola botada en esa calle y noche oscura lo que me iso ese perro yo gritaba y gritaba desesperadamente pidiendo ayuda y nadie pudo ayudarme solo lloraba y caminaba sola en la calle caminaba y ycaminaba y no allaba para donde caminar sentia y sentia muy sola sola llegue donde mama y me fui acostar despcionada de lo que me paso ,

Hola soy una madre soltera de el salvador y tengo 4 hijos son ninos y nesesito contarles una parte de mi.historia sali de mi pais el salvador un 30 de mayo del ano 2000 un dia antes de salir de mi casa me dolio mi corazon un dia antes en la madrugada me dolio mucho mi corazon yore mucho por tristeza en mi corazon y en mi vida ese momento solo pensaba en que iba a dejar amis dos primeros hijos que tube en mi pais el salvador al dia siguiente hera 30 de mayo en manana me levante arregle a mis ninos para . Ir al quinder es la escuela pre escolar aqui usa los lleve a su grado alos dos ninos los deje y luego me regrese otro momento para verlos la ultima vez sali de ai llorando mucho con un gran dolor en mi corazon .

A Day in El Salvador

By Tere/ Migrant/ Poverty Skola

One day in El Salvador, it was night and the moon was full. I was walking on the street and all of a sudden, I felt someone get close; it was a man. He grabbed my arms and began to push me around. He tore my clothes off and raped me. I was 15 years old. It was very hard and sad for me. I was ignorant and that day has marked me for the rest of my life.

My life was very different in all respects because since I was a child, I had to work to get ahead. After I was raped, I cried a lot and I couldn’t speak to my mother about it. I told another woman. I don’t like to remember because it makes me feel rage and impotence because I couldn’t defend myself from that dog, that animal. I could never forget his face, my fear and that monstrous night. Today, I cannot be happy with any man because of what that dog did to me. He saw when I was bleeding non-stop, and I felt that I was dying from sadness and solitude. I cried without stopping, kicked to the side on the street and the night was dark; I screamed and screamed desperately calling for help and no one came to my rescue. I cried and cried and then I walked alone. I walked and walked. I didn’t know where to go; I just walked and felt very alone. I went to where my mother was. I went to bed disappointed.

Today, I am a single mother from El Salvador. I have 4 children; they’re boys and I need to tell them a part of my history. I left my country May 30th, in the year 2000. A day before I left my home, my heart pained me. In the early morning it hurt a lot and I cried a lot from the sadness in my heart. At that moment, the only thought I had was that I was going to leave my first two sons. The following day on the 30^th of May in the morning, I got my children ready for Kinder’ and preschool and dropped them off. I left them in their grade and then I returned once more to see them one last time. I left there crying with a large pain in my heart.

Translated and co-edited by Laura Cedillo

As people mourn the horrific bombings all over Mama earth it is disgusting to note that due to White Supremacy ruling the world even global mourning is racialized. More prayers seem to be sent "Up" for European (Paris) folks just like more people seem to mourn school shootings with white students while black babies, children and elders are profiled, violated and shot by empire armies (Po'Lice) in this already stolen land (United Snakkkes) while hundreds of Syrian, Iraqi, Afghani and Beirut children, mothers and elders have been killed over the last year under the lie of Isis.

Yes i said lie of Isis, it is an empire crafted concept befitting a Star Wars sequel and yet millions of people seem to believe it. The maasive perceived belief isn't a testament to its realness, its a testament to its successful multi-layered, CIA scarmbled, kkkorporate and Hollywood media crafted cocktail of pay-offs, pay-rolls, Halliburton "re-devil-opment"  re-building contracts, security teams and complex, billion dollar propaganda supporting it so completely that it seems so real it must be real. Right?

Hegenomy as History
The lie, action and reality of Isis is now even "believed" and carried out by many of the peoples themselves, and perhaps like all identification with the oppressor acts such as poor  folks and people of color working as security guards to arrest, incarcerate, tase and kill our own people for a $10 dollar an hour salary, Isis now becomes a "real" threat. So deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of us all that we react to it rather than the roots of it.

This is hard when people are dying, everywhere. But it really isn't that different from amerikkklan po'Lice lies of sekkkurity that even those of us who risk being killed, maimed or perpetrated still call the po"lice to solve our problems, because we have all been so consistently taught to believe it is real.

What can we do?
First of all connect the dots to EVERYONE you speak to. Blog about it- Face-crak post about it , tweet about it.  Follow the money of corporate contracts in these "war-torn" places that we tore up and write old school letters to your poltricksters to not keep funding these fascist money-hungry "wars". Believe it or not they have to clock your letters and although the new plan of having people seemingly kill "themselves"  seems to scramble the truth, we can continue to connect the dots. And blood-stained dollar boycotts do matter so do them of the thousands of multi-national companies that are making money off everyone everywhere- big props to the Boycott, DIvest and Sanction (BDS)movement of Israel.

Finally, I hope that  BlackLivesMatter leaders would consider a global messaging perspective- like #BlackLivesMatterAcrossMotherEarth, to help connect these killing and liberating dots for all of the victims of these Empire killing machines

*A comprehensive un-packing of ISIS can be found at this link

Editors Note: Mr. Jose Villarreal is one of several power-FUL PNNPlantation prison correspondents. As currently and formerly incarcerated poor and indigenous peoples in struggle and resistance with all plantation systems in Amerikkka, POOR Magazine stands in solidarity with all folks on the other side of the razor wire plantation.

I was watching the Bay Area news, because we get it up here in Pelican Bay SHU, and I saw a short mention of the mural depicting Queer people that was on the Galeria de la Raza vandalized. Shortly thereafter a friend sent me some newspaper clippings which included two on this vandalism. After reading them and deciding to write something on this incident the one thing that kept coming to my mind was the words that I heard Galeria de la Raza’s executive director Ani Rivera say on the news, that we should “call it what it is…Homophobia”.

This mural that was done by a Chicano artist was vandalized four times, with the fourth time being burned. The person or persons who destroyed the mural also damaged the Galeria itself, not to mention what damage was done in the process to the barrio itself. The KKK hystorically used fire to inflict fear in the oppressed communities, so this really took a page from the oppressor’s playbook.

I was surprised that the Galeria was targeted in this way. I have been reading about the Galeria for decades. It has served the Chican@ nation since 1970 in the San Francisco barrio know as the Mission as a cultural center for all Raza in the area. The Galeria has always promoted social issues via their art and work hard about oppression of all sorts. When the state of Arizona created the law SB1070 the Galeria addressed it through art and racistas vandalized that mural as well. They continue their tradition at the Galeria of using Art in la lucha against oppression.

Homophobia is not just about someone who is uncertain about their own sexuality; it is also a component of gender oppression. Gender oppression along with class and nation are the three forms of oppression which keep the people thoroughly cut off from attaining liberation within U.S. borders today.

Of course it’s important to struggle over gender oppression, but we should understand that gender oppression will not be totally uprooted in a capitalist society. This is because the three forms of oppression noted above work to uphold capitalist society. The colonized mind plays a role in gender oppression as well. White supremacy and gender oppression will not end until capitalism is toppled. National liberation is what will bring socialism to the Chican@ nation and as a result people will no longer be oppressed or terrorized because of their gender.

Patriarchy exists within the Chican@ nation and it expresses itself in many ways. But much of this learned behavior of the dominant male or machismo is a colonized behavior. The settler has left an imprint on the minds of many Raza and it will take time to heal the nation of these affects. But a revolution will take more than simply hetero-sexual bio-males. National liberation will need to include more people than just those over five-foot nine, or just those with a brocha and clack hair. The liberation of Aztlan will need to include more than those over 30 named Pancho. Freedom will have to include the whole nation.

Male supremacy works twofold on the gender oppressed because they face white supremacy within their national oppression and this is mainly deriving from white males, but then they face hetero-male supremacy within their own oppressed nation.

The future of the Chican@ nation will depend on how we decide the gender issue. It will depend on how we understand the inequality in sexual relations in this society and study its impact on our nation. If our perceptual knowledge cannot develop into something more conceptual it will adversely affect our mobilization as a nation. Perhaps we need a cultural revolution to address gender oppression in the ideological realm within Aztlan. To those who vandalize the Galeria, I would say stop doing the oppressor’s jalé.

There are three arenas that I’m focusing my demands to

In The Home

In The Community and

In The Political arena 

You notice I didn’t mention police because since the 80’s when I first began advocacy about police brutality against people with disabilities I and other activists have been making recommending and/or demanding repeatedly to three stakeholders: 1) The police, 2) the media and 3) lawmakers and we have seen some changes but not enough to secure justice and safety for Black disabled people. 

I want to bypass this group and speak directly to you, not with blame about the incident outside of the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. However, after reading/listening to this, I want each one of us to imagine that Mr. Musa Fudge (the Black homeless man with a prosthetic leg that was brutalize thy SFPD in Aug of 2015) was in your family and in your community and imagine that he is a little Black boy with one leg, how would you raise him, how would the community hold him as a child and now as a grown man with a disability?  Would he be an important part of the family and community?  Would his voice be heard?  Would he see himself in the community?  Would he be taught about his history as a Black disabled boy and now as a man? We, in the home and in the community must answer these questions for not only for him but for future generations. Long before the wounds from police brutality, Mr. Fudge and many other disabled Black people have deep pain with open wounds and those wounds might have come from the home and community.

So today my demands go further than a quick band-aid, a toothless policy or another four year grant cycle or begging corporations like Twitter to do some sensitivity training or more money to train police, it goes to the heart of the places we all treasure, the home and community.  As we grow older, a place that becomes our second home, institutions from schools to non-profits to political arenas aka our jobs.  In all of these areas from home to community to institutions all need a heavy dose of how to not only live but strive together. I know it sounds lofty but we are not going anywhere so we must learn, we must not leave it up to institutions to teach us about everything.  We must teach in our homes, opening our doors to the knowledge of community scholars. We must hold institutions accountable by using the political and legal arenas to ensure that they follow through on what we, the community, propose. Lawmakers must write and implement laws that reflect the needs and issues as described by affected communities and the courts must uphold the laws.  When this does not happen we must use our family/community power in the courts and in the vote on the people we put in the positions of power and decision making.

Many times activists think that there is only one way for sweeping change and that is new policy.  We have become a country of laws, even laws for common sense.  What we see is that initially many laws leave people out and there is need for amendments.  If we are going to commit to this notion of unity for change, then communities and families should have success by demanding the law is followed. In bringing justice for Musa and other people with disabilities who are abused by police, especially homeless folks, The Homeless Bill of Rights, and the new AB 953 which is written to halt racial profiling by law enforcement, and was amended to include people with disabilities, are the tools for justice. 

Knowing that many of our services and advocacy now comes from non-profits.  We must fight to make certain that services and empowering space for Musa and me be inclusive to all Black/Brown people with disabilities.  That includes the good work that has been happening for Black/Brown men and women from the NAACP, to local incentives for Black/Brown youth to adults. These organizations and initiative must open their doors to their disabled brothers and sisters. And we must ask why Black national organizations and political leaders haven’t reached out to the National Black Disability Coalition (the only national Black disability organization) and recognized Black disabled activists?  This question is even more staggering knowing that Black disabled youth and adults are highly at risk to experience violence.  However, at the same time we must not only work in the non-profit sector but we need to be critical and call non-profits out when they are not doing anything but collecting a paycheck on our backs of poor Black/Brown people with disabilities.  We can start locally here in the Bay by asking these programs how we can help them be more inclusive or from economic justice, start our own group.  

We must break the usual cycle when it comes to the one size fits all solution toward the issue of police brutality against people with disabilities. That is more funding to the police for training and we must switch our conversations form police to our community groups like Idriss Stelley Foundation and more.  We can demand more non-grant money, media and awareness to go to cultural projects like Krip-Hop Nation who have a record doing cultural work around police brutality against people with disabilities and many others.  We can support the National Black Disability Coalition’s work around implementing Black Disability Studies at colleges and universities and their work in the community creating advocacy and cultural outlets to Black families and Black disabled people.  Can you imagine if Musa and other Black disabled victims of police brutality grew up with Black disability courses, books, movies, art and music on a local and national level in popular media?  As street activists in this fight against police brutality can start and continue to ask, are our rallies accessible, is the disabled community represented not only in your rallies but on the stage, on your media, in your talking points and are the politics of disability justice practice implemented in social justice left and their work before and during a movement?

Yes these demands can’t be answered in a day, week, month or year and I know I might be long gone before seeing these demands becoming a part of our everyday lives.  We can not only begin, but for many of us we are continuing the work.   All I’m saying is to make sure that we don’t feel alone in this work and think and come up with solutions that are outside of the box...

By Leroy F. Moore Jr.

Poor Magazine Columnist and Founding Member of The National Black Disability Coalition

Friday, August 28, 15

"One of the main issues in life I think we should be paying attention to is the mental destruction of Black (so-called African American) culture. Life itself is a whole different experience in the eyes of the inner city Black youth. The problem is not money, nor is the problem "education". The problem is the lack of culture. Now in these times the majority of Black people adapt to life, making their own culture. These cultures deprive from the mental progression of Black youth, leaving them in a state of immaturity. This immature state leaves a mental blockage in Black men and females alike. These youth grow up in hostile areas with no fathers. These actions produce a product of the environment. Some ask how these events unfolded. Many people have different theories for how such a detrimental act could happen. The answer is that the "founding fathers" of this country put such a harsh footprint into the African American race as a whole. For hundreds of years these acts have continued."

The beautiful statement was from Yalani Chinyamurindi, 19, who was murdered on January 9th of this year along with Manuel O'Neal 22, David Saucier 20, and Harith Atchan 21. The case has not been solved although one clue was that a rental car was allegedly used in the shooting, but even with that piece of information, the case grew cold. The media and those with stolen privilege in the community made it a definite point to focus on the 2 guns that were allegedly found on the scene thus automatically branding the young men with the stigma of "criminal" and with that stamp, their black lives did not matter. There were fliers placed on nearby cars saying that the 4 men were "dead criminals" and one caucasian woman coldly stated that "There is always something with you people" during the vigil honoring their lives.

Consuela, the strong Mama of victim Manuel O'Neal described how the po'lice at the crime scene treated her with disrespect, treated her like it was wrong to have heart-wrenching reaction ANY mother would have when her child is murdered. The cold-blooded contempt against our people, regardless of a "criminal" or "skolar" stamp is what makes it easier for this racist "Sssystem" to quickly sweep the murders of people of color under the rug. Let's just judge based upon "criminal" background!

At the same exact time, we are told to honor criminals like Christopher Columbus and to celebrate a holiday in his name. We are manipulated and brainwashed into honoring our enslavers, culture-vultures and colonizers, and to turn an blind eye in this kkkiller kkkountry to why our children, under mental and spiritual slavery need guns in the first place.

From Chicago, New York and the Bay Area, the pain of the surviving heartbroken Mama plagues our poor communities and communities of color all across the country and abroad. Our young men's lives are especially overlooked because it is more convenient to criminalize them for political gain, prison profit and gentrifukation (Let's be honest here!) 

My brother Marcus Nellon's death was first ruled "suspicious", then ruled a suicide because young men in "Da hood" often take 357 magnums and shoot themselves right between the eyes! (except, NO!) but by growing up a kid in deep struggle and railroaded into the juvenile injustice Sssystem, Marcus, unfortunately was a perfect candidate for the "one less nigger" project. My family was intimidated by the woman who last saw my brother alive, she and her mother tried to sue me for Marcus's urn and for the final blow to the soul is that this woman boasted of her ability to "snake" people and of her acquaintance to then District Attorney Kamala Harris. That's the reason why she did not have to follow protocol in my brother's investigation and she was able to go to the victim witness program and fill out an application, posing as if she was the next of kin to my brother and almost gotten away with it had I not shown up to the VW office. Marcus' death was swept under the rug, like so many before him because anytime we live in a world that we have to convince other so-called human beings that BLACK hueman beings lives matter is the same world that knew us, but did not include us from the gate.

"I would rather go to the war overseas than to continue to fight the "ghetto" war with the police getting away with doing whatever, and saying whatever they want against you." -Marcus Nellon

"If your child was beaten then raped then hung, you as a person would be mentally "fucked" for being the parent of a child that was put into a position in such a manner. This is just one major act of several major acts that left black people as a culture in the state of mind that they are at today. This act is one of the most (if not the most) devastating act of mankind."-Yalani Chinyamurindi

You say "one less nigger", I say "Two more young Kings with potential that were stolen from us"

Yes, I did "brand" them Young Kings!

The cry for tolerance in speech has become echoing for sometime now, especially when that speech is aimed at those already marginalized in society. What some refer to as “minority” people or social issues have continued to take on an onslaught of attacks from right wing conservatives - as well as some pseudo-leftists who now plead for “diversity” in the guise of “speech”. Often this “speech” is nothing more than oppressor speech which is a continuous attack by other means on THOSE HISTORICALLY OPPRESSED IN U.S. BORDERS. Jonathan Rauch’s article “in Defense of Prejudice: Why incendiary speech must be protected” (Harpers 1995) attempts to show why we should allow or “protect” oppressive speech, I of course strongly disagree.

In his article Rauch gives a few examples of how opposing “hate speech” has come to be used by the other side and lists Ralph Reed, executive director of a conservative Christian coalition having cried about “religious bigotry” having been used against him or a christian student at a California State University who filed a sexual harassment suit in the millions on his Lesbian Teacher. And he lists this as if to say “gosh people look what happens when we don’t protect any hate speech”. So we should back off of “oppressor” speech because someone on the right holds a press conference or files a lawsuit?

Rauch calls those peace loving people who want an end to racism “crusaders for sweetness and light” and he says this in the second paragraph of his article, he wastes no time in revealing where he stands in the battle of the oppressors and oppressed. In this very same paragraph he states “the very last thing society should do is seek to utterly eradicate racism and other forms of prejudice”. And in the very next paragraph he states “I am not a racist and that is not an article favoring racism”. Okay which one is it, he wants racism to continue in the ideological realm but then he’s not favoring racism in the next sentence.

Flip flopping is a common trait of those not being truthful of their beliefs. You cannot fill the stray cat’s milk bowl every morning and then say that you really don’t want the stray cat to stay hanging out around the house. What does Rauch think will happen to “racism” or to be specific to national oppression if he “protects” it? The word “protect” implies to safeguard something, his arguments are really bizarre.

What Rauch refers to as “intellectual pluralism” is a poor attempt to gloss over sympathy for oppressors. Perhaps we should not expect more from a racist apologist, after all he IS speaking from a place of privilege in U.S. society.

Rauch again attempts to distort history - as racists or Amerikkkan chauvinists often do - in order to pigeon hole or make his “logic” fit. At one point in his article he describes how he feels racism will always exist because according to him “Homo sapiens is a tribal species for whom ‘us versus them’ comes naturally”. He says this as if this is the explanation of why racism exists. He is wrong and here’s why…

First Rauch’s distorted view of “Tribal” does not match up to material reality. If one were to cast even a casual eye to history one would learn that tribes never believed in racism, on the contrary they regularly adopted and accepted peoples of other nationalities into their tribes i.e. the white squaw, or the escaped slaves - which Mardi Gras in New Orleans still commemorates.

Tribal societies have often allowed non-native peoples to enter their lands i.e. the Aztecs, the Mohawk etc, and this openness has often led to devastation to the tribal peoples. Rauch like so many others before him attempts to blame a long legacy of oppression on Tribal cultures, blaming anyone but the people who physically commit this racism - but oh, wait a minute we can’t blame them according to Rauch because we have to “protect” them.

In case Rauch did not know the tribal society of the Taino welcomed Columbus in 1492 to their Island and they were repaid - as in Veracruz, Mexico or the Andes - with genocide and colonization.

Rauch writes his article in the 1990’s Amerikkka where whether Jewish or homosexual he is still seen and treated in many ways as Euro-Amerikkkan thus he was born into a privileged caste compared to most Brown, Black or Native folks. His experience with oppressor speech is thus likewise tainted and watered down, it thus is no surprise that he would be nonchalant with oppressor speech.

I think to allow or “protect” as Rauch described it - oppressor speech allows it to concentrate and anytime we facilitate racists and protect their distorted views only strengthens them and allows casual thoughts to become organized distilleries of hate. The freedom to speak and think in certain ways is something we all strive for but when it comes to such foulness as preying on children or rape, these beliefs or erroneous thoughts should not be “protected” and neither should racism in any form. National oppression is in the same category to me as a rapist speech or a child molestation ideas, it should be challenged and combated by all means wherever we find it.

(Photo by Al Osorio for PNN)

The canonization of the murderer Junipero Serra by Pope Francis, which happened on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015, was resisted by Indigenous Peoples of the West Coast of Turtle Island, and all peoples of conscious who refust to believe the Doctrine of Discovery. 

Words from 1st Nations Ohlone Warrior Corrina Gould:"The canonization of Serra is not complicated or complex. Its fairly simple, as I explained to CBS news in front of the Mission Delores in SF today. My ancestors were enslaved at this concentration camp created by Serra for his own ego, for the Spanish crown and for the Catholic Empire. Serra didn't save us. We already had our own religion! In fact, we were the ones that were civilized and it was Serra that introduced us to HELL.

Click here to watch Power-FUL Queer Clergy of Color resist the canonization

The current struggle between Israel and Palestine has been going on since 1897, close to 70 years before Israel was established or even recognized as a nation. Since early this summer nearly 70 Palestinians have been murdered in cold blood by the Israeli occupiers. 40 of them allegedly were carried out in the attempt to thwart Palestinians from committing violence against Israelis. In comparison a mere 10 Israelis have been allegedly killed by Palestinians in knife attacks and other acts of violence.

Israel has repeatedly broken promises of returning land to Palestine that was commandeered by Zionist "settlers" as well as broken promises to prevent such settlements in the future. Recently Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the outlandish claim that the extermination of Jews by the Nazis was the soul idea of Palestinians at the time, when in fact it is a well documented and historical fact that Hitler got the idea for death camps from the U.S. treatment of American Indians.

Several cities in Italy have posted supportive messages towards Palestinians on public transportation. Also a group of British writers and artist have begun to petition to free Palestine. All is still not well in all of Europe unfortunately France has made it a criminal offence to speak out against the Israeli occupation.  Of course United snakkkes president Barack Obama continues to pussyfooting foot around in the same way he did last year during the horrific massacre and bombing campaign Israel waged against Palestine on the one hand pretending to admonish Israel for these actions and granting them $100 million to continue to do the same.

Editor's Note: Original Artwork, "Los Muertos" by Jose H. Villarreal, 2013. Pen & pastel on paper.

Many Chican@s understand the concept of Aztlan in a variety of ways, some for its indigenous historical root and others for its contemporary symbolic meaning of unity and our national territory. Either way Aztlan draws the line of demarcation between Chican@s and our oppressor and provides an anti-imperialist thrust. To abandon Aztlan ultimately declaws Chican@s and attempts to assimilate the nation into Amerikkka which results in weakening Chican@s and strengthening our oppressor.

When it comes to the Left in U.S. borders, many within the non-Raza strain work hard at attempting to lump together all Brown people, just like Amerikkka did in the days of the old “Greaser Laws”, only today it is in the name of “progress”. The idea is to better control Brown people and get Raza to attempt to assimilate under a mostly white Left-wing leadership. These “Progressives” work hard to co-opt Raza struggles and are quick to downplay the Chican@ nation and its distinct leadership. Some of them even capture the minds of Raza who unwittingly push their agenda, but real anti-imperialism understands that nationalism of the oppressed is a positive thing.

The truth is Raza have lots in common and will always have that strong bond and close collaboration. Our common hystories on this continent ensure this. However the fact remains that we come from distinct nations and for Chican@s our national territory (commonly referred to as Aztlan) defines the Chican@ nation. Many different Raza have come to identify as Chican@ and thus Aztlan has continued the tradition of being inclusive of many diverse peoples. Raza have arrived from various nations and moved into Chican@ barrios and made them their home. Acknowledging the concept of Aztlan does not turn anyone away. But what denying Aztlan’s existence DOES do is it denies the existence of the Chican@ nation because without a land base, a national territory, there is no nation. This is what these “Progressives” do not explain.

Undermining an oppressed nation is done in many ways. One more obvious way is of course implanting the idea that their nation does not exist or that they should attempt to assimilate with Amerikkka. But another more subtle way of doing this is how those pushing the Prisons imprisoning prisoners simply for profit. They say that the only reason that people are imprisoned is for corporate profits from prison labor that is mostly free to them. On the surface this may sound cool. Even many well intentioned revolutionaries may promote this. The problem is that if prison booms are profit driven it alludes to there being no national oppression within the use of prisons and thus no need for national liberation struggles.

The prison boom is about social control and it is a form of NATIONAL OPPRESSION first and foremost. Profit is a secondary result. Mass imprisonment proves that national liberation struggles within U.S. borders are still very much relevant.

As Chican@s our LAND IS OCCUPIED as you read this, so why would we ever seek to negate our existence as an oppressed nation? Can one be any more oppressed than having one’s land stolen? And should we react by refusing to call our national territory by its hystorical name? I say NO.

We are anti-imperialists because we are against land grabs and the exportation of oppression. We are not stuck on just our nation, we know that we are inter-connected to the world’s people and we fight oppression everywhere. At the same time we know that we can’t free the world’s people until we free our own people both physically and psychologically.

Imperialism is strengthened when large swaths of oppressed people are hoodwinked into not taking the right path to free themselves. By attempting to bury the concept of Aztlan, it not only sets back the Chican@ Movement, but it also sets back the anti-imperialist movement. Rather than attempting to smother what may be the most essential social forces in the U.S. borders, real progressives need to find ways to support and help unleash them. Such actions would be real anti-imperialism.

Poor, Houseless, Disabled and Criminalized Mamaz, Daddys, Elders and Youth Release Findings on the Racist , Classist Broken Windows Theory

“Welcome to the 2015 WeSearch Policy Group 2015 report. Today we, the houseless, criminalized, displaced, elders and youth will present our well documented findings on the abuse, violence and criminality of the ‘Broken Windows Theory’ and European settler colonizers who steal and hoard indigenous resources and land and then create laws to incarcerate us,” said Dee Allen, WeSearchPolicyGroup Data Investigator to passerbys outside the Marriot Marquis Hotel in San Francisco, the location of the 2015 International Downtown Association(IDA) . 

A 2015 WeSearch report (poor people-led, not Academic-ethnographed, research project of POOR Magazine) was released outside the Marriot Marquis Hotel because the IDA is the epicenter of all private , anti-homeless policing and this year was hosting a workshop by none other than Kelling, the co-author of the anti-poor people theory, Broken Windows implemented by mayors of cities across the US and the world.( because we are exporting private policing and hater laws across the world as a “new” business model) .  
 
The broken windows model of policing was first described in 1982 in an article by Wilson and Kelling. Using code words like “disorder” and the metaphor of “broken windows”  the model focuses on the importance of “fixing” , aka policing, getting rid of, cleaning out  broken windows as a way of “preventing” more “serious crime”.

The poor, disabled and houseless scholars from POOR Magazine, who have experienced the violence of this private policing through programs like the “ambassador” programs in San Francisco and Berkeley, launched the WeSearch Policy Group(WPG) in 2013, because as our tag-line reads, “the ruling class only honors acronyms” to use the same paper trails, numbers, “data”, laws and confusing tactics that the gentry uses against us poor people all the time to evict, test, arrest and incarcerate us.

“In my Afrikan neighborhood since 2012, over 2,500 children and youth under 18 have been abused, profiled and threatened by policies inspired by Kellings Broken Windows theory. In addition, I as a poor Afrikan mama, have been abused, profiled and harassed by private police for walking, living and shopping while black stemming from those same racist theories,” said QueenandiXSheba, WPG Data investigator.

“Broken Windows is broken,” chanted a crowd who marched around the corner to join us. The fake corporate-quiet of the Marriot Marquis, colored a burgundy marble-esque, meant to lull the housed, jobbed, and oblivious into a relaxed feeling of “cleanliness”  a corporate settler -colonial wallpaper over the world, was beautifully disturbed by over 50 private policing resistors from across this stolen land. We resist these racist, classist laws and we are not broken windows,” said Bilal Ali, powerful revolutionary organizer with the Coalition on Homelessness. In addition to the COH, we were joined by Los Angeles Community Action Network and Western Regional Advocacy Project( WRAP), all of whom, like POOR have been conducting powerful research on the ways these laws force thousands of poor people into jails and increased poverty, often resulting in our death at the hands of the state. 

“As a young Black male child, if I stand together in my neighborhood with other youth of color I am automatically at risk of criminalization and arrest due to laws inspired by the Broken Windows theory, said 13 year old Tyray Taylor from Deecolonize Academy, a revolutionary school on the land at Homefulness. Three of his fellow students ranging in age from 12-14 also added their WeSearch Findings on the ongoing abuse to their communities caused by Broken Windows theories.

“As the child of a houseless mama – my family and I were harassed multiple times by private police for being houseless – this did nothing to solve our homelessness – but instead made our life more difficult,” said my sun Tiburcio, 12 years old, a student at Deecolonize Academy. 

From New York to Berkeley, poltricksters work with corporations to create new codes like the Business Improvement District’s  and Downtown Business Associations to hire private police whose sole purpose is to arrest, harass and move out poor people. But lest you think these are new, these same laws were already written throughout history to harass poor people. These are the same theories that were used in the anti-Black Sundown Towns, anti-Disabled Ugly Laws and now underscore laws like Sit-lie and Stop and Frisk.
 
I am Philip Standing Bear, an indigenous single, teen father. I am releasing WeSearch Findings today on the criminalization of poor youth and families. Since 2012 Over 350 families like mine were separated because they were sleeping in their cars. In my families case this crimialization never got us housing, but rather caused us to become more traumatized. As a Lakota Sioux person my family and myself has already suffered generations of ancestral trauma from the abuse of settler colonial land and resource theft

Sadly , often times even activists and revolutionaries don’t care about the struggles and resistance of houseless people, and don’t realize our incarceration as well as our liberation is all linked, as witnessed on Sept 21st with the I Did Die in SF County Jail” action led by Idriss Stelley Foundation, Krip Hop Nation and POOR Magazine.

“Hello Everyone, I am Bruce Allison, with a Phd in Shelter Studies from Shelter University, As a houseless, disabled elder since 2013 i have been profiled , harassed, incarcerated and arrested over 230 times.”

One of many “controlled” studies conducted by the WPG in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco,, our WeSearch Policy Group discovered that due to the racist and classist nature of the Broken Windows theory – the law only applied to people who looked “homeless” - you could be of any race but if you appeared to be poor- ie old clothes or living with a disablity the police would harass and arrest you . Another powerful study was just released by the Coalition on Homelessness, called Punishing the Poorest, also corroborated these findings.

The WPG conducted the same controlled study in San Francisco with the Downtown Associations crafted Sit-le Law. Over a period of six months if you appeared disabled or poor you were cited and arrested –of you were a Black man you were twice as likely to get cited and arrested. if you were disabled and an elder – this also increased your chances of arrest and citation.

From day laborers standing on corners to houseless people sitting on the street, our struggles might seem different but they are frighteningly similar.

“Hello Everyone, this is Muted Silence- A migrant, indigenous,poverty scholar with a Doctorate in Border Jumping and I have the following WeSearch Findings to present: In my intentionally blighted, poor black and brown neighborhood since 2012 over 6,700 black and brown youth and adults have been abused and profiled by the Broken Windows Theory

“Mr Kelling would you please come out and join us, and stop making theory about us without us,” I screamed one last time into the lobby of the hotel as I did many times throughout the day. “Mr Kelling would you please come out…”



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On November 3rd, the people of San Francisco voted to elect a Mayor. A number of candidates stood to oppose the incumbent Mayor Ed Lee. In the weeks preceding the vote Bay Area publications such as the San Francisco Chronicle and the SF Examiner, and international publications like the New York Times, largely ignored campaigns run by opposition candidates.

Early on in the campaign, on December 8th last year, Heather Knight wrote in the SF Chronicle that “Mayor Ed Lee may have no challengers”, this misrepresentation of the campaign continued throughout the election campaign and even post-election.

On June 24, Business Insider wrote that Ed Lee faces a cakewalk to an ‘easy reelection’; the Editor of Mother Jones, tweeted:

In response, local community activist Alyse Ceirante penned a letter to Editor of the SF Examiner explaining how headlines such as this keep voters away from polls. 

International media borrowed from the local playbook and repeated the same inaccuracies. In an unbalanced article titled “Battles in San Francisco, but not in Mayoral Race”, the New York Times claimed Ed Lee “is by every account gliding to re-election.” ‘Every account’ is a real stretch.   Similarly, the LA Times reported that Ed Lee was “expected to coast to victory”.  When these articles were published the streets of San Francisco were full of posters on the windows of independent shops supporting Francisco and the 1-2-3 platform. It may not have been a high profile candidacy but it was one supported by the local community and whose presence was wholly denied.

When lies are repeated often enough, the electorate begin to believe them.

Many would go on to say that the lack of media coverage wasn’t an intentional bias, that the  “no contest” headlines were merely a play of words, but what of the coverage post-election? Following decades of working at the grassroots level, Francisco Herrera, a community organizer and leader of the “People’s Campaign” to reclaim City Hall for the people of San Francisco, came second in the election. 

Photo credit Santiago Mejía via El Tecolote

He received over 15% of first choice votes on the first count and 32% when the #2 votes are included from the 1-2-3 voting platform; which he and other candidates, Stuart Schuffman and Amy Farah Weiss, ran on. Altogether, the 1-2-3 election alliance that the 3 candidates stood on received over 44% of the votes. This result was made possible because of San Francisco’s ranked choice voting system and the 1-2-3 to Replace Ed Lee election pact the candidates stood behind.

With no media coverage, receiving 44% of the votes in an election is a far cry from a “cakewalk”.

If we take this result and consider how the mainstream media totally ignored the opposition campaigns, it goes without saying that the results would have been very different if the media provided the same coverage to the opposition candidates as they did for the incumbent. A fair media coverage is integral to a fair election.

Francisco Herrera and the 1-2-3 electoral platform actually defeated Ed Lee in a number of neighborhoods, including Bernal Heights, Haight Ashbury, Western Addition, the Mission District and many others.

Image sourced from Vote 1-2-3 to Replace Ed Lee Facebook page.

Even after the election, when Francisco had been voted for by 44% of the electorate, a SF Chronicle columnist wrote another unsubstantiated and audacious conspiracy theory, claiming that the reason Francisco received so many votes was because he shared the surname as City Attorney, Dennis Herrera.

However, Dennis Herrera’s name was on the same ballot running for City Attorney. How could people think he was running for Mayor as well? The reality is they couldn’t and didn’t. 

This final, cutting dig further demonstrates the inability of the so called ‘intelligentsia’ from understanding what the people of San Francisco are going through or seek to better manage their city. The commentators are so far removed from what’s going on in the neighborhoods and in our streets they need to invent unsubstantiated and farcical lies to make sense of these results.  

Why Did Practically All Media Ignore the Opposition Candidates?

It was accurate and fair to say Mayor Ed Lee wasn’t running against any household names, but in the run up to the election when the streets of San Francisco were lined with 1-2-3 posters, the candidates were speaking regularly on independent radio stations, performing better than Ed Lee at a campaign debate, and active on social media, it’s not easy to excuse how media ignored candidates like Francisco Herrera.

Poor Magazine caught up with Francisco, a well respected community organizer and musician from San Francisco. For over two decades Francisco has been heavily involved in the community, setting up homeless shelters, fighting gentrification and standing up for the rights of the working people. Francisco’s platform stood to make San Francisco a working family friendly city again, he supported the Poor People’s Network Homefulness policy and was endorsed by large a number of leading rights groups in the city, including the SF Green Party, SF Tenants’ Union, Tom Ammiano, SEIU Local 1021, AFT 2121, who are amongst the strongest unions in the city.

We asked Francisco about why he thought mainstream media ignored his campaign:

“I called and tweeted to many reporters. I asked them to sit down with me to discuss why I was running for Mayor of San Francisco. I wanted to explain to them that I may not be a household name but that there is a large number of people living in this city who don’t like how the city is being run. I stood for these people. However, they refused to cover our campaign.

It's been a very interesting race to see the level of corruption that exists in the press. I spent time as a human rights worker in El Salvador during the war and knew a young reporter called Phil Bronstien, who would fact check his stories. Phil later went on to become editor of the SF Chronicle. During the Mayor’s race, I didn’t see any fact checking nor integrity in the reporting of the election.”

With little to no coverage, Francisco ranked second in this election. It was solely the credibility of two decades of community work that got these votes for Francisco, not media coverage. Other candidates, such as Ed Lee, depend on and need a complicit media to be elected.

Money Talks in San Francisco Politics

An interesting aspect of the election was campaign finances. With support from city elites, Ed Lee’s campaign fund raised over $1m USD, in comparison to his opposition whose supporters weren’t able to contribute nearly as much. That being said, each vote cost Ed Lee $19.78, while for each vote Francisco received, he spent on $0.75 campaigning. One can only imagine what the result would have been if big money wasn’t allowed to interfere in our electoral process.

Why Does It Matter That The Media Ignored The Opposition?

It matters because by ignoring the opposition candidates existence the vast majority of voters were not aware of all the candidates positions or what they stood for. Elections cannot be considered “fair” if some candidates are completely ignored and written off by the media for no particular reason. Oftentimes mainstream US media and the US government criticize what they call ‘dictatorships’ and authoritarian governments when incumbent candidates run for election without challengers. They criticize countries such as China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and others who typically elect the candidate the powers that be want to be re-elected.

What difference do you see here in the San Francisco mayor election?

Sana Saleem is a writer and activist, based in the Bay Area.