RoofLESS Radio in West Oakland talking to the houseless people the REAL revolutionary the ones braving it out in the hard cold of the streets. Take in some of their knowledge and watch the RoofLESS Radio.

We walk back and forth in a jail-cel everyday -its called your doorways
tent cities
Bus benches
and Metal chairs in the emergency room
waiting to be seen…excerpt from the PoorHouse to the JailHouse by tiny

“Prison abolition is different than penal abolition- we don’t just want to get rid of the structures- we want to get rid of the whole system that functions to destroy people, said Ashanti Alston, Black Panther and penal abolitionist.

POOR Magazine had the blessing of listening to Ashanti and so many more freedom fighters at the 17th International Conference on Penal Abolition held in New Bedford, Mass, aka stolen Wampanoag territory home to some of the first undocumented immigrants (pilgrims) and the ancestors of many stolen bodies. from enslaved peoples to Northern European medicine women. Suffice it to say the cries from the ancestors can be heard here. Loudly. And I laid down prayers everyday.

The conference, bumpered with the healing work of Black-led healing circle, Harriet’s Apothecary and the prayer of 1st Nations Wampanoag elder, was filled to the brim with theory seminars such as Exorcising White Supremacy Abolitionist Horizons and Failed Encounters with Solidarity alongside voices from the other side of the plantation walls being read by poets and community organizers form across Turtle Island with liberation voices like Ashanti’s calling for deep inclusion from plantation prison scholars in our movements.

At POOR Magazine we call the work to make sure our incarcerated, unhoused and criminalized voices are not only included but leading movements we are impacted by poverty scholarship and this theme began at the opening plenary with Janetta Johnson who called for incarcerated peoples to be included as life coaches and leaders in this penal abolishment movement

“We need to support Trans and non-trans incarcerated peoples inside and outside with all the support we can give them. They have deep lived knowledge, they could act as life coaches for people on the outside,” said Black Trans justice revolutionary Janetta Johnson in the opening plenary with Monica James and Woods Ervin speaking together in a beautiful circle.

Ashanti continued, “This is why its so important to include people inside in the building of a movement - to help us stay focused on this side.Today there is so much potential to take this movement to another level. My challenge is for you to take on the work of the freedom of people who have been inside for 30, 40 or 50 years,” he concluded.

“We need to help Anna Belen Montez, a Puerta Rican political prisoner,” Jose Soler, a union organizer from Boston who brought up Anna Belen as a call to action for the audience. PNN spoke to him later and he explained that Anna needs our support to get the same kind of attention as Oscar Lopez Rivera and like him now has Jan Sassier as a lawyer to fight her case.

As well, the conference highlighted the struggle of Trans peoples of color across Mama Earth. From Argentina to the United Snakkkes, Trans peoples of color in and outside the plantation walls are harassed, criminalized and killed. Many of the letters from folks inside that were read throughout the conference articulated this abuse and the need for more support. 

Unhoused Peoples as political prisoners in the jailhouse outside the razor wire plantation
“11,794 citations were issued to unhoused folks for the sole act of being unhoused in 2014 alone,” Black Panther, POOR Magazine reporter, poverty scholar and organizer with Coalition on Homelessness Bilal Ali who with revolutionary organizer Dayton Andrews, spoke to the ICOPA audience, “ They spend more money criminalizing us than housing us,” he concluded. Bilal went on to list the endless white supremacist, anti-poor people-laws put in place since the colonizers stole this land.

As Bilal and Dayton laid out the facts of the constant criminalization of us poor folks from the powerful Punishing the Poorest report by the Coalition on Homelessness I reflected on my ideas (that i presented in my workshop) that us unhoused peoples are political prisoners outside the razor wire plantation walls. As the daughter of a disabled, unhoused single, Afro-Boricua mama raised and tortured in foster homes and orphanages, trying to survive in the amerikkklan hamster wheel, trying to overcome, heal, live until she couldn’t handle one more little murder of the soul, us ending up years on the street unhoused and criminalized for the sole act of not having access to a roof, eventually landing me in jail for three months for the sole act of being unhoused. Personal is political she would say. Our political is personal. Our Imprisonment is political. Houselessness isn’t a crime. Being so tortured in your heart and soul that you can barely function, that you can barely stop from screaming, that you can’t work, pay rent, hold down plantation jobs, or sell your body, your soul or your mind, isn’t a crime, it’s the result of the violence and sickness of life in this post-colonized babylon. On either side of the razor wire fences.

“The underground cels were the same size and functioned the same as the current Secured Housing Units, one of the powerful organizers of ICOPA, Viviane Saleh - Hanna showed us imagery of a frightening place called Patience, Ghana where enslaved peoples were incarcerated, while she spoke at one of the workshops laying out the deep architectural and actual connections to the  multi-billion- dollar industry of chattel slavery and the current multi-billion dollar industry of plantation prisons. 

The Closing
After these power-FULL four days of penal abolition and resistance in this Wampanoag territory that was home to Frederick Douglass’ home and one of the sites of the underground railroad a closing speech was spoken by beautiful, fabulous sis-STAR Monica James who articulated some of the tensions felt by poverty, incarceration youth scholars who along with a few poverty scholar adults like myself and Leroy were at the conference speaking our truths. This was a testimony to the work of the penal abolition movement away from only an academic exercise into a truly impacted people-led movement, that Monica's words were felt and our stories were uplifted and exactly why the voices of us poverty scholars must not only be included but lead the work to destroy the institutions built to incarcerate and profit off us that is about us, and usually without us.

We walk back and forth in a jailhouse everyday -its called your doorways
tent cities
Bus benches
Metal chairs in the emergency room
waiting to be seen…
 
its main street outside the razor wire plantation in a cel called houselessness and poverty
Teetering on a colonized definition of safety
from scofflaws to stop and risk laws
we can barely survive one day without the violence of hate and poLice brutality

me daughter of a houseless, single mama -
sleeping on street corners, cars and not really public parks in this stolen indigenous territory
its enough to drive anyone completely craz-eee
it took my mama -
unable to unhinge from that deep well of trauma

So whats the answer -
you don’t want to see me
You would like to walk down the street cloaked in your amerikkklan lie that doesn’t include me

Yes we are political prisoners -
outside the razor wire plantations
us po folks are NEVER free
not free from our mind demons
the abuse we can’t get out our mind no matter the quantity of psycho-pharma-cology

I hold my mama in this space
rolling over her torture
daily
“My life is political
my prison is personal,” she would always say

My struggle/ our struggle is poetry
and i can’t escape these walls inside my mind
I can’t ever be free
No Matter what
i can’t ever be free

PNN-KEXU: ICOPA 17 Harriets Apothecary

PNN-KEXU: ICOPA 17 Black Panther Revolutionaries

PNN-KEXU: ICOPA 17 Black Trans Justice

PNN-KEXU: Wampanoag Herstory

PNN-KEXU: ICOPA 17 Black trans prison abolitionist leader's speak

PNN-KEXU: ICOPA 17 Wampanoag elder Opens

PNN-KEXU -the reading of incarcerated skolaz

PNN-KEXU-Free Anna Belen Montez #ICOPA17

All of Kindrerd's Nursing Homes (there are 8 in the City they all will be sold for the land..Including their Rehabilitation Centers. Non only Kindrerd, but other groups. The Federal Government (Medicare) only pays for the first 100 days, The State of California still pays on the 1970 level. The haven't increased payments since the 1970's. Let me bring you back to the 1970's. Muni was 25 cents and Minimum Wage was $2.75. The average PG&E cost for a house (a family of 3) was $35.00. This is a 5 room 2 bedroom house.One dozen eggs cost less than $1.00. An average tv was $45.00 and a family car was $2,000. Now, lets go to modern days.  At today's prices  a bus ride is $2.75. The average PG&E cost for a house (a family of 3) is  $250.00 per 5 bedroom house. A dozen Extra Large Eggs is $2.00. The average tv cost $1,000.00, and a family car is now $40,000.00.

With photo and video journalism from ‘Washington Rise with Standing Rock’ in Olympia, WA 

Earth-Feather Sovereign and her five year-old daughter Rainbow visited my home on March 6, 2017, so I could learn more about Earth-Feather’s life’s work, and about the Washington Rise with Standing Rock event in Olympia, organized by the LOK CHANTE Legal Fund.  Rainbow played with toys while her mom and I had this conversation (transcribed below).  The talk is followed by photos and video clips of the Washington Rise with Standing Rock gathering that took place Saturday, March 11, 2017.  There are links with some of the photos to learn more about Water Protecting and Indigenous Resistance happening in Washington State.

Earth-Feather Sovereign smiles walking through a mall parking lot, while holding a yellow hand-painted sign that says, “THE DRUMS BEAT FOR MOTHER EARTH.”  She is participating in a march, and her sister Morningstar is just behind her, with other community members behind them.  In the distance a sign is held up that says “soil, not oil.”

Earth-Feather:  My name is Earth-Feather Sovereign. I’m a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes here in Washington State. Traditionally when Native people introduce ourselves, we usually introduce our parents. My father is Ernest Clark, he was a former Councilman for our Tribe.  My Mother is Deanna Marcellay, she passed away a couple years ago. I am also a descendant of Chiefs and Matriarchs. The Colville Tribe is made up of thirteen Bands, and of those Bands, I am a member of the Okanogan Band, the Sanpoil Band and Nespelem Band.  Originally the Nespelem and the Sanpoil Band were part of the Okanogan Band of the Northern and Southern regions. I say Northern and Southern regions because when the government divided the United States and Canada, they put their border between our People.  So, on my Mother’s side, I’m a descendant of Chief Antoine, he’s one of the last Chiefs of our tribe.  On my paternal side, I’m a descendant of Chief James and Chief Nespelem.  Nespelem George, his Mother was one of the last Matriarchs.  Because our Tribe, we were Matriarchal before the Europeans came, we really didn’t have Chiefs, we had Spokes Peoples, Spokesmen.  But when the Europeans came they just pretty much considered them (the men) chiefs and leaders of our People when it was actually the Women who led.

When some people think of Matriarchs they get it confused with patriarchal power.  Matriarchs are like Mother clans.  They think of the best interest of their People, with Love and Compassion, not power.  One of the last Matriarchs of our people was Que-Petsa, and she also helped to advocate between our People with some of the first settlers who came through, Lewis & Clark.  So, in saying all that, that history that I have, it’s always been my passion to advocate for the best interest of my People.

Lisa:  What’s your history with activism, and is that a word you are comfortable with?  May I call you an activist?  (in conversation after this interview, Earth-Feather identified as an Awakener, see video clip #4)  

Earth-Feather:  When I think of activism, I think of Love in Action. Because I love my Indigenous People, I love all People, all People of all the four colors.  Cuz, you know, we all have Indigenous roots somewhere.  Even the Europeans have Indigenous roots, where they used to be able to use their plants and their medicines and be close to Mother Earth.  One of the things my mom told me is that “Love is work in action.”  I grew up with my Mother.  She was a single Mother with just me and my sister, Morningstar.  When I think of starting my story I usually start with my Mother’s story or even her Mother’s Mother’s story.  

My Mother, she grew up in a dysfunctional home with drugs and alcohol, and domestic violence.  She had fourteen brothers and sisters. She spent ten years at the Tribal boarding school, where she was raised by Catholic nuns and priests.  And she endured abuse while attending the boarding school. That is some of the reason why our people are struggling today. Because a lot of our people grew up in the boarding schools. They learned a lot of toxic behaviors, and they didn’t have their parents around to teach them our traditional ways of how a family should be.  So, they took some of those behaviors of being physically abused and being sexually abused, and they either brought that home and became perpetrators themselves or ended up in relationships where there was abuse because it felt normal for them. My mom, after boarding school, she was able to go to New Mexico, where she went to art school. That was during her high school years. And then when she came back home, she met a young man and she became pregnant at a young age of 18 and she had a son. His name was Sean. She was a young Mother and was struggling to make ends meet. Unfortunately, he only lived to be five years old. He was hit by a car. That was really hard for my Mom. She didn’t really know how to be a Mother, because her biological Mother passed away when she was like, two.  And her stepmother wasn’t really a Mother to her. And then part of her life was in the boarding school, so, she didn’t really know how to be a Mother. She said to me that she didn’t know what real Love was until she had me and my Sister.

A photo taken of a newspaper with 2 photos of Native Women and children, on the lower left is Lucy George, wife of Chief Nespelem George and the photo dates to the 1930s.  The photo above on the right has a caption that reads “Deanna M Clark, an opponent of the mining agreement, with her children MorningStar, 5, left and Earth-Feather, 2, in front of their home.  The words “COLVILLE DEAL” top the newsprint.

Around the time my Mom was grieving over the death of her son, she decided to go back to school. She went to Evergreen, to get her BA in Native American studies. And she learned about the American Indian Movement. So her and her sister decided to go that way. I would say this was maybe 1975. And my Mom, she met Leonard Crowdog. And my Mom wanted to vision quest, because she felt pretty lost. She heard that people were going up in the mountain and getting ready to sundance, and preparing for other ceremonies. So, she decided to go up on the mountain. She decided to go for four days and four nights. Leonard said that usually only the men would go four days and four nights.

Usually the Women only went up for one day and one night. But my Mom, she had a desire to be up there as long as the men. Every day Leonard would see her, or bring her down from the mountain. She’d be in a sweat lodge and he would ask her, “Well, what did you see?” And my Mom said that she seen a lot of Mother Earth’s creatures, the insects, the animals. She seen the deer, she said she seen a male and female cougar. She said she seen eagles, that would always come to visit her. I think it was towards her 3rd or 4th night, there was a thunderstorm.  The thunder beings were coming to visit her. It rained, it thundered. And my Mom said she seen a vision in the clouds. Then, when Leonard came to see her, he was grateful that she was still standing strong. He said a lot of the men, they got chased down that mountain, from a warrior spirit. (Laughter)

My Mom managed to stay up there!  She said she didn’t see the warrior spirit, but she seen the thunder beings. Before that, Leonard said there used to be a heaviness in that area. Cuz that area was closeby to where they had Wounded Knee. So there was a heaviness. A sadness. He said after she was up there like that, and the thunder beings came, Leonard said it was like there was a Lightness.  To everything.  Like, her being up there helped Heal the place.  My Mom said that while she was up there that she prayed to have more children, and she prayed to the morningstar because she felt good every morning when she’d see the morningstar.  That’s why my sister, her name is Morningstar.  She remembers how close she felt to the Mother Earth, and that’s why my name is Earth.  That represents the Mother Earth, and Feather that represents the eagle.  We call Mother Earth our mother because she takes care of us like a Mother would.  She provides the food for us.  Even the animals, they eat the plants she provides, and we eat the animals.  You know?  She has the water through her veins, and we drink the water.  And most of our body is made of water. Even when we’re inside our own mothers, we are surrounded by a water substance.  

And so when we come into this world, it’s the Mother Earth that takes care of us, with our own Mothers. My Mom said she named me after the eagle, and the eagle is significant to our people because they bring our prayers up to the creator. And so that’s why when we have our ceremonies, we use the eagle feathers when we smudge. Cuz even when we Smudge, we Pray. My Mom says the eagle is really significant too because it flies the highest and sees the farthest of all the birds. So, I think that’s really neat.

Shortly after my Mom’s vision quest, she went from jumping into a sweat to going into a peyote ceremony, then going into a sundance.  So she was really spiritually strong around that time.  During her sundance is where she met Russell Means, and I’d say about maybe 12 months later, my sister was born. (laughter). My mom was with him during the AIM (American Indian Movement) trials. There was a lot going on back then. I believe that some things come full circle, sometimes we have to relive things to help us learn something we didn’t learn before. Like with the Sacred Stone camp, everything was beautiful at the beginning. Everybody seemed united. But towards the end, there was a lot of rumors going around, a lot of distrust. And, even, they were saying that the government was trying to come into the camp and look for bodies. That was scary, that reminded me of AIM with Anna Mae, and all of the distrust. So, my Mom, she had to get away from that. Her Baby was more important than dealing with all that. My Mom, she wanted a different life, you know, for her Daughter.

Lisa:  How much older is Morningstar than you?

Earth-Feather:  She’s 2 ½ years older. And so, when Morningstar was a baby, my mom met my father. My father was the youngest man on Tribal Council. They got married, and they had me. Their relationship didn’t last that long. I think it takes a really strong man to be compatible with a really strong Woman. (laughter) My Mom had too much strength for the both of them. (laughter).  But my Mom would tell me stories about Our People. My Great Grandma Christine, she lived to be 104, and she passed away when I was 14. We went to visit her quite a bit. I went from living on my reservation til i was almost four, then we moved to Portland, OR, then we came up to Olympia. So I was able to go to school at WaHeLut (Indian School) when I was an elementary school student. Then we went back to my reservation, even spent some time in Yakama. Then back down to Portland. Then to Spokane. I even travelled down to California and Arizona. And now I’m back up here to Olympia. When we lived in Portland my mom was part of the Big Mountain movement with, I believe it was the Hopi Tribe. They were trying to mine their sacred Mountain. So, my Mom, she would always bring us to meetings about that. When she went to a rally or a march, she usually kept us home, then we would see it on the news. But then when my Mom would go speak with senators, she would bring me along. I was my Mom’s baby.  I shadowed her everywhere. I was able to see her in action. See how she talked with people.  

Lisa:  I’m really liking learning about you, learning about your mom, she sounds amazing! I want to learn more about the Big Mountain resistance, I don’t know anything about that. (Read about the history of Big Mountain/Black Mesa and Peabody Coal here http://www.aics.org/BM/bm.html)

So, thank you!  So, what brought you back to Olympia? Is your mom and sister around?

Earth-Feather:  My sister is around.  My Mom, in about 2010, she developed breast cancer.  She was in remission, and when she was in remission I spent time in Arizona.  Then I came back, and cancer came back, in her blood.  And then in her bones.  So, she passed away in 2015.  We buried her back on our reservation.

Lisa:  Where is the Reservation?

Earth-Feather:  Colville Reservation.  It’s like the middle, Northeastern part of Washington state.  It’s the second biggest Tribe in Washington state.  The largest Tribe is Yakama Nation.  

Lisa:  Thank you for sharing all this with me.  I’m learning so much!  And you are pointing me in directions to learn more about the history of where I live.  So, thank you.

Earth-Feather:  Yeah, Washington state, it has 29 federally recognized Tribes and about 32, so about 3 of them, they are not recognized. They were either never recognized, like the Duwamish, or they lost their federal recognition. WE recognize them, just the government doesn’t want to recognize them. Our Tribe was one of the Tribes who almost lost their federal recognition. The government offered to pay us a lot of money if we would fully assimilate.

But, my Mom, and some of her friends, that I still look up to today, like Yvonne Swan-Wanrow, along with a few other strong Women, they were telling our people, NO - we can’t give up our sovereignty. And around that time too, they were trying to mine. When I was younger they were trying to mine on our land. I think the mount was called Mount Tolman, my mom tried to spearhead that with our Tribe to help educate others. The funniest thing is, my dad, he was on Tribal Council, and he was FOR mining. And my mom was against it. She campaigned against him. (laughter)

Lisa:  Wow. Your mom’s awesome.

Earth-Feather:  That shows how much she was AGAINST mining and FOR our People.  Now that I think back and I look at it, I mean… How can he be for mining when his own Daughter was named after the Mother Earth? Right? (laughter) I think that’s comical. (laughter)

Lisa:  And so, when did you start doing organizing?

Earth-Feather:  Well. Before my Mom passed away, she had a vision of all these programs that she wanted to start. She was on her way of beginning all these programs, that would help Heal the Women and Children. So, when she passed away, I wanted to continue my education, and pick up where she left off. And get her programs started. So, I started going back to school.  

Since I was 5 years old, I’ve wanted to be an attorney. I’m a libra and I remember my Mom told me libras make good attorneys, she sat down and explained to me what they do, and I was like, “Oh. Well I want to be an attorney!” Then I remember being 16 and sitting down with Russell Means, and he was asking me and my sister, “So what do you guys want to do with your lives?” And I told him, “well, ever since I was little I’ve wanted to be an attorney.” He was like, “an attorney?!? Oh. Well. If you were an attorney I would never hire you.” And I was like, “Oh. And why is that?” He’s like, “Attorneys are almost like the military. You go against your People.” I told him I’m not trying to go against my People. I’m trying to advocate for my People. I’m trying to HELP my People. And then, come to find out, that his Daughter who is about my age, she’s an attorney.  (laughter)  I think she heads the Lakota Law Project. So I’m hoping I had some influence there. (laughter).  

But my Mom, she moved over this way because she wanted to get her masters in Tribal governance.  Because she wanted to start all these programs.  But then she got sick and she wasn’t able to complete the program.  And so, now I’m attending college.  I’m trying to get that Tribal governance degree, and then onto law school.

Lisa:  Nice! And, you are a Mom.

Earth-Feather:  Yes.  I’m a Mom of four children.  My oldest, his name is Aztec, and he’s 17.  People say the word “Aztec” means “of the People,” or “for the People.”  I have a son, Sky, he’s 15.  His real name is Sky-Lu.  Sky-Lu (Sk’ae_L’oo) in the Okanogan language, that means “for the People.”  And my daughter Katiri, she’s 9, and she’s named after Saint Kateri, she was a(n Indigenous) healer, in the Catholic faith.  She really helped the People.  I spell my daughter’s name a little bit differently than the Saint Kateri.  Because my daughter, she’s her own saint.  

And then my youngest daughter, her name is Rainbow. And my Great Grandma, part of her medicine was the rainbow; that’s like all nature’s powers together.  So that’s my way of naming my daughter after her Great, Great Grandma.  Also, when I think of the rainbow, I’ve always heard prophecies.  And I believe that our prophecies are true, that one day, our People of four colors and of all Nations could come together and Heal.

Lisa:  That’s hopeful, I love it.

Earth-Feather: I have one child for every season. Aztec, he was born in the summer.  Sky was born in the fall. Kateri was born in the spring and then, my Rainbow was born in the winter.  

Some people too, they wonder about my last name. Because my last name is not my father’s name, and I’m not married. Recently, I became divorced, August of last year. I’ve learned that I can change my last name, on my documents, on the court documents. And so, I made up my own last name. Sovereign. I wrote an article about it, and Last Real Indians, they published it.  (Please read that article at http://lastrealindians.com/whats-in-a-last-name-by-earth-feather-sovereign/)   

Back during the Idle No More movement, my Mom was still here, we were still talking about the programs that we wanted to start. We thought that we should start one of the programs of getting our Indigenous Women together. And from there we would be able to help bring awareness of all the things that are going on with our people. It came to mind to start a group called the Indigenous Women’s Warrior Society. I started this group because, being Women, I believe that we are at the bottom of the totem pole, so to speak. But by being at the bottom, we are able to uplift others. And because our Women, statistically 2 out of 3 Indigenous Women are victims of sexual assault. That could be my mother, my sister, my daughter. And those are only the reported cases. Our Women who know they were sexually assaulted. I was sexually active at a young age. People would consider that maybe I was promiscuous, when in reality, I was being raped. Cuz I was underage. Also one out of three Native American Women experiences domestic violence. And again, those are only the Women who realize they are being abused.  I didn’t know I was being abused, because I didn’t get the crap knocked outta me. But I was being abused. There is abuse that happens physically, emotionally, mentally. Even spiritually and financially.  

And our Women are becoming, you know, MISSING. In Canada there are over a thousand missing and murdered Indigenous Women, cases that are unsolved. And in the United States, there’s no number. There’s no number yet. I believe the University of Washington is trying to gather statistics on that. Also, statistically, our People are being murdered by the police more than any other race. We just don’t hear about it as much. I believe all this is active continued genocide. Because, if there’s no more Indigenous Women, then there’s no way to continue our lineage. If there is no lineage then the government could get rid of our Tribes and kick us off our reservations. All of this is related. Some of our Women are missing because some of them are growing up in foster care. When those girls turn 18, they don’t really have nowhere to go. So a part of their survival is, that they go and sell their bodies. Or, somebody steals them and sells their bodies to some of these man camps, these oil men camps. So I believe, if you were to follow the trail of all these men camps, that you might be able to find some of our Women.  That’s why I believe our Women are at the bottom of the totem pole, and I believe that once the healing comes to our Indigenous Women, that when we start to heal from the bottom… Then the healing will work it’s way up. It’s like, when We rise, all People rise.

So I started reaching out to Women for the Indigenous Women’s Warrior Society. We have Women from North America, South America. We have Women from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and - I forgot the European Tribe… But yeah! (laughter) Women from all over.  It’s not only Women who have their own grassroots, it’s Women who are trying to get back to their Indigenous roots. Women who are trying to bring Healing to other People and to their families. One of my first actions was a flash mob Round Dance at the (Olympia) mall and a march downtown. I collaborated with Idle No More Olympia.  It’s not only an issue at Standing Rock, of No DAPL or the XL pipeline… We have our own issues here in Washington state. We have coal trains coming through, coal going out in the ships, toward China, polluting our oceans. They want to start fracking in our oceans and on our land. They not only want to run oil pipelines but gas pipelines, through and by our Tribes. If you look up that map (of WA), we have A LOT of little reservations everywhere. And it doesn’t only affect the Indigenous people here in Washington state, it’ll affect all of Us. Because, living in the Northwest, you know, we cherish our Water. The environment we have here is different than in a lot of areas. We have beautiful greenery of trees and plants, our wild animals that everybody here loves, doing outdoor activities... It will affect everything around here, and our territory is so beautiful.

So, that brings me to another event that is happening, Saturday March 11th(2017), because there is a global call to action on March 10th.  I’m collaborating with some of the people from the Seattle No DAPL, including Matt Remle (Lakota), Millie Kennedy (Tsimshian) and Rachel Heaton (Muckleshoot), and they requested that we do a march here in Olympia.  Their event is on the 10th, and the Olympia event is on the 11th.

As I was putting the event together, I didn’t want it to just stand for Olympia. I think I made that mistake the last time I was doing my march. Because it kind of does disappoint me that everybody likes to gather in Seattle, and I see why, the community is very large. Not many people have transportation to come down here to Olympia. I feel like Olympia represents the whole state of Washington. This is where our government leaders are, this is where they make and change laws. And we can’t only be out there, yelling around, saying “we don’t agree with this.” Or just stand there saying “I’m here to protect Mother Earth.” We need to follow up by changing the laws. And making people be held accountable for their disregard of Indigenous environmental rights.  And thinking they could just throw a few thousand dollars down after they destroy our sacred sites.  You know, they need to be held accountable, and that can’t happen anymore.  And it’s really sad that president trump could just sign an executive order and try to abolish the EPA, with just the swipe of a pen.  Putting pipelines, approving the DAPL, the keystone pipeline again…  So like I said, there’s all these other companies, that are trying to come in here to Washington state.  So we need to stand up to the government.  Because what happened over in North Dakota could just as easily happen here.  So I am gathering Tribal leaders from the different Tribes, because Arvol Looking Horse said that the 7th fires were lit.  Now it’s time for us to bring that flame and reignite it in our own home territories.  We need to bring awareness. So at my event, I’m hoping that these Tribal Leaders will let us know what’s going on in their home territories.  And let us know how We could Help. And I really hope the event turns out well. We’ll also have my friend Star Nayea, she will be performing two of her new songs she just wrote about Standing Rock.  

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Description: It is raining, and after the water blessing, prayers and songs at Heritage Park, grassroots and Indigenous community members lead a march toward the legislative building.  It is raining, and a de-escalation safety team (in orange vests) support the taking of the streets.

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Description: The rain has stopped and the march continues through downtown Olympia, past banks and businesses, on their way to the state capitol’s legislative building.

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Description: The sun breaks from the clouds as The People marching arrive at the capitol.

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Description: Activator, Earth-Feather Sovereign, shares at the microphone to the many people gathered on the steps of the legislative building. She is joined by her daughters Rainbow and Katiri.

Description:

Marles Black Bird and Morningstar Means are marching on the wet streets of downtown Olympia, right in front of the “Bank of America,” holding the light blue Tribal flag of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.  Marles holds a blow horn and Earth-Feather is behind her and many other marchers. Please watch this video statement of Marles Black Bird https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGrrnADBPM

Description:

The march continues past the “Bank of America,” front and center are Nisqually Canoe Youth, smiling and drumming behind them are Matt Remle of Last Real Indians and other Indigenous Water Protectors and community members.  There is a tall person wearing a hat with their fist in the air.  Signs in the background read “Water is Life” and DIVEST.  Please read http://lastrealindians.com/divest-now-joint-statement-regarding-the-next-stage-in-the-fight-against-dakota-access-pipeline-by-gyasi-ross-matt-remle/ and http://lastrealindians.com/guide-to-divestment-by-rachel-heaton/ by Rachel Heaton to learn about the Divestment Movement and the success in Seattle.  

Description:

As the march arrives to the Washington state capitol grounds, Indigenous Elders Shelly Boyd (Colville Confederate Tribes) and Larry Kenoras (Okanogan BC) greet the crowd.  Larry Kenoras wears long braids, holds a blue hat in his hand with his right fist raised powerfully.  The sun is shining on their faces.  Read more and about Shelly Boyd’s life’s work dedicated to the revitalisation of Salish languages and support the The Inchelium Language House here http://www.incheliumlanguagehouse.com/our-home

Description:

People circle the state capitol grounds, making their way to the front of the legislative building, at the center of their walk is a huge Teepee that has been raised on the grass prominently next to the US flag and the state of Washington flag.  There is a blue construction crane in the background.  There are at least 150 people that have marched.  

Description:

The People make their way onto the steps of the legislative building, with Indigenous community members at the top of the steps, and many People on each side.  This is a huge building, with massive Roman style columns.  At the top of the stairs are outstretched arms in gratitude and prayer, including those of Earth-Feather Sovereign, who is wearing a black sweater with blue on the front.  There are many raised fists and hands.  To the left is a huge red Salmon that was created and carried during the entire march, it is several feet long. Learn more about the history of the Broken Medicine Creek Treaty and the Struggle to fish salmon by watching the movie As Long as the Rivers Run by Carol Burns 1971 here https://archive.org/details/AsLongAsTheRiversRun

Description:

Indigenous Elder, Elaine Sutterlict-McCloud (Chehalis) is wearing a clear rain jacket and a maroon sash that says “WATER PROTECTOR” on it, she’s holding a microphone.  She is wearing sunglasses and addressing the crowd.  Read Honoring Our Elders:  Elaine Sutterlict McCloud in the Chehalis Tribal Newspaper here https://www.chehalistribe.org/newsletter/pdf/2009-12.pdf  

Description:

Puyallup Tribal Elder, and long time activist for Indian fishing rights, Ramona Bennett is standing with James Rideout and Jesse Nightwalker, and she has just passed the microphone to Water Protector, Roxy Murray, who says, “there are seagulls falling from the sky in the port of Tacoma…”  Learn more about Ramona Bennett at http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/bennett.htm

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The sun is going down, and ten members of the Quinalt Indian Nation are standing before the crowd, Five youth and five adults. Two Spirit and Quinalt Nation Vice President, Tyson Elliot, stands to the far right, with their right hand to their chest, and left hand holding the microphone.  Please read “Shared Waters, Shared Values” Quinault Nation Battles Proposed Oil Facilities in Last Real Indians at  http://lastrealindians.com/shared-waters-shared-values-quinault-nation-battles-proposed-oil-facilities/  

Description:

With dusk, the event is coming to a close, the crowd is dispersing, and clean up is happening.  The Teepee rests in front of the huge legislative building, with its Western/Roman pillars of corinthean order, and huge domed top.  The Teepee, especially at this place, like the event that just happened, is a symbol of Indigenous Resistance, Decolonization, Love.  It is Work is Action, this is Hope.

Lisa Ganser is a white Disabled genderqueer artist and activist living in Olympia, WA on stolen and colonized Squaxin, Nisqually, Chehalis, First Nations land.  They are a copwatcher, a sidewalk chalker and a dog walker, and the daughter of a momma named Sam.

Youth Poverty Scholars Investigative Team #100 - Sahara, Seven, Zosia & Sasha Findings

In Deecolonize Academy/POOR Magazine summer camp, we researched food from a local liquor store in our black and brown community. We broke into two investigative youth groups and we looked at, the healthy and unhealthy benefits in the food.

The food that my group researched was Tampico, Lunchables, Onions, and Black beans. Tampico and Lunchables were the unhealthy food group and the onion and beans were the healthy food group. By far the most unhealthy of the unhealthy food group was the Tampico, researched by youth poverty Scholars.

We found that Tampico contains  Potassium Citrate: A potassium salt of citric acid with the molecular formula K₃C₆H₅O₇. It is a white, hygroscopic crystalline powder. It is odorless with a saline taste. It contains 38.28% potassium by mass.

Antimony: Is a toxic and poisonous metal that can cause irritation of the eyes, skin, and lungs. In a longer time, it causes lung diseases, heart problems, diarrhea, severe vomiting and stomach ulcers. The list goes on and honestly, there is more high fructose corn syrup in it than actual juice.

Lunchables are high in sodium. We know from personal experience seeing kids all around me eating Lunchables every day. The American Heart Association recommends that the average kid mg 1500 mg of sodium a day, but many kids who eat Lunchables in jest 260000 mg in one sitting. We didn't know this until we researched it, but once sodium enters your bloodstream. it draws water from outside of your blood vessels into it which gives you higher blood pressure. that is not healthy especially for little kids.

We also found that Parade’s dry black beans are about $1.50 for 16oz, they contain total carbs 31 dietary fiber 8g protein 11g. Black beans are prized for their high protein and fiber content. Black beans may help strengthen bones and Black beans contain quercetin and saponins which can protect the heart.

Team #101 (Tibu, Kimo, Amir and Ziair) Findings

Food Worse than Calibers

We are reporting for 96.1 KEXU Youth Poverty Skolaz Radio and we are going to present a list of healthy and unhealthy foods. We found all of these foods at the grocery store across the street. That grocery store contains mostly unhealthy foods and our job was to find healthy and unhealthy foods in that store and compare them to each other. Here is our list of foods.

Healthy Foods

Berkeley Farms Whole Milk

Krinkle Cut Kettle potato chips

Unhealthy Foods

Oatmeal Cream Pie

Bone-In Chicken Wings

Mrs. Freshley's Chocolate Mini-Donuts

Food is an important thing in our society but most of the time it is poisoning us as we eat. Especially in the poorest neighborhoods we are surrounded by liquor stores and grocery stores filled with nothing but unhealthy foods

The daily intake of sodium that an average person should have a day is 2.3 grams. If you don’t want to get high cholesterol which means having to control your blood pressure constantly you have to intake less than 200 grams a day.

The thing is these chicken wings have 720 milligrams of sodium. Now imagine having about three of these chicken wing meals a day. This is something that many of us struggle with. We live off of food stamps and WIC.

We can’t afford to go to whole foods and get a pre-cooked chicken for $14.99 We have to get these microwaveable chicken wings for 3.00 at the nearest grocery. After eating these meals and meals even worse every day nonstop our body has no break from the abuse that it’s being put under and your blood gets really hot and your blood pressure starts to rise. If you don’t catch it in time you eventually die.

This is the reality that most of us live with except it’s even worse because they don’t know. Almost everyone in these neighborhoods living under these conditions has no idea that they are killing themselves. But see, that is the plan.

The government takes their former enemy’s so powerful once, and put them in these confined neighborhoods and give them only this to eat and only give them this amount of money to spend it and when they can’t they become houseless. This is what is also happening in the Indian Reservations.

Food is important it is one of the things that make us human and the say what you eat is what you are if you’re living a diet full processed food, sugar in almost everything you eat I'm sorry to say this you're on the road to diabetes, Heart Problems, Cancer unfortunately if you’re a resident of an area of poverty you might not be able to access the better foods that markets like rainbow or Trader Joe’s  provide natural and healthy food’s.

 In 2006, a comprehensive review of a large number of TFA related studies indicated a strong association between consumption of TFA and CHD, concluding “On a per-calorie basis, trans fats appear to increase the risk of CHD more than any other micronutrient.11 A more conclusive evidence came from the Nurses’ Health Study in which CHD risk roughly doubled for each 2% increase in trans fat calories consumed instead of carbohydrate calories.

Today in this pandemic of obesity, Diabetes, and cancer. All these are connected, to what you might ask. Let me explain that the food you eat today is garbage filled Genetic Modified organisms, Preservations, Chemicals and a whole lot of stuff you can't even Pronounce.

But why is the question I would ask the corporations why would we pay for GMO foods if they’re just gonna damage us? It's to control the population and milking us out of our money and getting conscious to get used to putting garbage in our body.

But, I have found some alternatives that are less toxic. Knowing how to cook is essential to making your own food one recipe is beans tortillas cheese are good for a little pick me up it's also cheap. Gardening also a really good way to know what you're eating while maintaining your own and it's so much healthier because it doesn't have any chemicals preservatives.

“We are stopping you because some of the residents feel like they were targeted because you didn’t go to their doors, so they called the police,” The Connecticut poLice officers flanked our rental van at a stoplight in the wealth-hoarding neighborhood known as West Hartford, Ct, filled with acre-long lawns and plantation-like mansions and more stolen land than the wealth-hoarders even knew what to do with . As the kkkops circled the van all of us Black, Brown, unhoused, formerly unhoused and always criminalized youth and elders seized up in an admixture of terror and anger. Visions of Sandra Bland and Trayvon Martin filled our traumatized brains. We tried to stay cool. It was the last of an extremely hard, long and powerful Stolen Land /Hoarded Resources Tour Through Eastern Turtle Island. “You mean we should have knocked on more rich peoples doors?” we all said incredulously. This was a new one. The poor little rich people felt targeted. Wow, we’re sorry. LOL.

Tiny at one of the lucky mansions included in the tour

Originally launched last year on (Mama) Earth Day 2016 in the stolen village of Yelamu, Ohlone Land aka the Pacific Heights and Nob Hill areas of San Francisco, two neighborhoods with a concentration of extreme wealth hoarders (millionaires and billionaires) each tour consists of a group of us Black, Brown indigenous, disabled and homeless youth and adults from POOR Magazine, Sogorea Te Land Trust, Krip Hop Nation and Deecolonize Academy knocking on doors in “rich” neighborhoods to share the medicine of redistribution and Community reparations with the residents who live there.

At every door we knock on we present the Proposal for Healing Reparations and Redistribution which includes beginning a dialogue on redistribution of stolen and hoarded wealth and/or attending a Decolonization/DegentriFUkation seminar at PeopleSkool,and/or manifesting redistribution and reparations to the launching of more Homefulness and Sogorea Te Land Trusts, two poor and indigenous peoples models of self-determined solutions to land use, homelessness, poverty and gentrification made possible because of redistributed wealth and resources.

Aunti Frances Moore launching the Stolen Land Tour in Pequot Mohegan Territory - Leroy & Melissa Moore and her family look on

“Hello, we are representing Black, Brown, 1st Nations and Homeless peoples on a Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour to share the medicine of redistribution and Community reparations,” Aunti Frances Moore, Black Panther, founder of the Self-help Hunger Program of North Oakland and poverty, houseless scholar with POOR Magazine and Homefulness spoke into the security intercom on 745 Park Ave- the first tour stop of the first tour in Lenape Lands of Eastern turtle Island aka Manhattan.

“I’m sorry you can’t come in, you need to step away from the front of the building,” was the response. Cloaked in old school butler gear replete with white gloves, little hat and gold buttons, the gate-keepers of the extreme wealth-hoarders stopped us at every door to the billion dollar condominium high-rises that line the Upper East side of Manhattan aka stolen Lenape Territory. One after the other, some of them literally ran from the front door and hid behind the grating or locked the internal locks or just boldly came out with attitude and told us, No, you won’t be able to distribute your Proposal for Healing Reparations and Redistribution  to my “residents” and no we couldn’t come in the building. Our only highlights on this gut-wrenching 1st tour was our encountering the occasional door-person of color, or domestic worker who would answer the door and smile at the concept and promise to distribute our material to their bosses, supervisors or residents.

“This kind of wealth hoarding was and is only possible because they stole our indigenous peoples territory, in this case the Lenape peoples to name one of the nations,” said Corrina Gould to one of the videographers who were filming our tour. Ohlone 1st Nations land liberator with the Sogorea Te Land Trust, Corrina joined us on the 1st leg of the tour in NYC.

“I can’t go on, its too much,” Aunti Frances stopped an hour and half in and began to break down. It was too much hate, disdain, disrespect and triggers for those of us who are already racially profiled, hated, walked by,silenced, whose bodies are already criminalized, whose struggles, already used and abused for profit, to be studied, incarcerated, tested and arrested but never compensated, never reparated. Whose ancestors bodies were used, chained, beaten and discarded so this project called amerikkklan could be built. This was a journey into our internal and external oppression which we walked into eyes wide open and yet we had landed smack dab into the pit of our ancestral trauma.

Stolen Land Tour in Manhattan - From left, Aunti Frances, Queena, Queenandi, Leroy Moore, Laure McElroy, Corrina Gould

At then, thanks to Creator, there is always Halal beef hot dogs.

As us broken, unhoused and criminalized peoples stood, huddled together in front of Central Park, munching our comfort street food,trying to shake off the multiple triggers, we watched fellow poverty, migrant and colonized border scholars rush around walking the children, animals and elders of the neighborhoods extreme wealth hoarders. One by one Caribbean, Puerta Rican, Columbian, Bangldeshi Mexican,  and African women and men led leashes and strollers and walkers, so that the parents, adult children and pet owners didn’t have to. Yet year after year our housing, our wages and our lives remain unimportant, un-important except in terms of how much work, profit or rent we provide to the wealth -hoarders or land-stealers. This is why we tour.

Community Reparations Are real. Homefulness in Philadelphia!!!

Stolen Land Tour - POOR Magazine & Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campain in North Philly

As poor, unhoused, bordered, colonized and disabled people we have all dealt personally with the lie of hellfare(welfare) crumbs, not really affordable housing, houselessness, eviction and incarceration. Everything we teach is what we live, lived through, or barely survived. It is why we conceived, launched and are slowly manifesting Homefulness in Deep East Huchuin (Oakland). It is also why we launched the tours. The concept of Community Reparations, not be confused with African peoples or Japanese peoples reparations, is rooted in interdependence, the very thing they teach out of humans in Amerikkklan. And it is what we have taught some conscious young folks who then acted to redistribute their stolen, hoarded and/or inherited wealth to us poor folks to manifest a homeless peoples solution to homelessness.  This is not a pipe dream or a good idea - we are currently doing it and so as poverty skolaz from the struggle we are also dedicated to sharing this medicine, this idea and this manifestation with as many poor folks as we can. In almost every city we visit we have a young person read their own statement of reparations. It is why we Tour.

POOR & PPHRC on Stolen Land Tour in Philly. From left, Cheri Honkala, Queenandi Xsheba, Pablo and Gaylan

Stolen Land/Hoardes Resources Tour sharing Medicine with Wealth Hoarders in the Main Line - Philly

“Making reparations as a white, class-privileged person was scary, but it was not hard. Once I was on the phone with Fidelity Mutual getting that $50,000 out of the bank, it was easy, and it never got hard. As they say, “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.” Every time I have given money away, I have turned around to have more money appear. - POOR Magazine's PeopleSkool has taught me to think long-term, to live as a spiritually whole person and recognize how capitalism destroys my humanity by making me forget all the poor, indigenous people whose backs wealth is built on. As a person with privilege, it can definitely be easier to forget. But remembering is the commitment, the recognition that is reparations. When I remember whose land this is, when I remember whose backs this is built on, that is the more painful seeing and remembering that is my spiritual obligation. Reparations is the material manifestation of recognizing that I only earned this ease, this way of moving through the world, this option to forget, on the backs of others who I may never meet”.

Excerpt of a statement read by Lizzie on Park Ave at the Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour through Lenape Territory.

Trump and Ben Carson’s Plan to Destroy HUD

“They are proposing 6 Billion Dollars in cuts to HUD’s budget, this will mean all of New York’s public housing will either be demolished or privatized,”  said Louiie from Picture the Homeless, who like POOR Magazine is a poor and homeless people-led organization and also co-sponsored the NYC tour and sat down with me and Leroy Moore in their Harlem offices the next day. Louie went on to describe the exact same situation that already hit San Francisco in 2013 (reported on exclusively by POOR Magazine and the Bay View Newspaper  This while thousands of dollars get funneled into the hands of non-profit and for profit developers to manage our meager bits of truly affordable housing, that is increasingly hard to even attain because the housing developers, both non-profit and for-profit make the application and credit check process impossibly hard and rigorous. Many of whose long-time poor people housing is demolished take “pay-out” a useless section 8 voucher that most landlords won’t accept and which is also on the Trump-HUD chopping block. This is another reason we tour.

Shinneock Territory aka The Hamptons

“Bring us back our stolen land, Bring us back our stolen land…..” In Shinnecock Territory we linked up with Ahna Red Fox and Cholena Smith from the Shinnecock Nation, the 1st peoples of that land whose reservation sits on the shore alongside some of the most extreme wealth-hoarders in the US whose homes are valued in the multi-millions and even billions and who not only hoard blood-stained dollars but way more homes, indigenous land and possessions than they or their families could ever need. this is why we tour.

From left - Laure, Ahna Red Fox, Aunti Frances, Tiny, Queena and Leroy in front of the colonizer museum - Shinnecock

“Most of the members of our nation are living below the poverty line and yet our people were the first people of this land and most of the people who come here to live or vacation have no idea of our existence, “said Cholena Smith, a youth land liberator with the Shinnecock Nation who we had the blessing to meet when we arrived in this terrifying town of extreme wealth.  

“Watch out, we are driving into Get-Out territory,” I warned my fellow poverty skolaz in our rented van as we rolled deeper and deeper into the winding roads of Upstate New York on our way to the Hamptons. We were already wary of what kind of PoLice engagement would await us here. Would it be like Beverly Hills and try to stop us from touring within 5 seconds of our arrival, or would we actually face arrest.

“In the last two years we have experienced a terrifying spike in suicides among young people as well as a rise in serious substance use, this is one of the problems we deal with here, it is what my organization is working to heal,“ Anna Red Fox, who works with  Blossom Sustainable Development explained to fellow tour guide and poverty skola and POOR Magazine reporter Laure McElroy in an interview.

Leroy Moore speaking with Ahna Red Fox in the Greenhouse of the Shinnecock Nation (Hamptons)

“Bring us back Our Stolen Land, Bring us back our Stolen land,” we shouted into the bullhorn in unison as we entered the Zoning and Building Department located in the Town Hall of Shinnecock.

“This is a calling in - not a calling out, Laure added. We only stood there for 3 minutes repeating our song verse and our tour manifesto which was a demand for land reclamation to the first peoples of this land. Within seconds several poLice officers materialized. While they gathered downstairs we proceeded to march upstairs, still singing, until we arrived at the office of the head poltricksters in charge. While we sang, the poLice ascended, a door opened and we were invited in to meet with two city managers of the Town.

Meeting with Hampton Town Council. Click picture to view video

“You got our attention,” they said in unison, “now tell us what you want.”

After we stated what our tour was about and that we were there to support the Shinneock Nation in their rights to equity and land reclamation, Ahna took over and the we got the bureaucrats to listen to our demands for a real conversation on land use for 1st peoples of the “Hamptons”.

Our meeting lasted 30 minutes and the town council representatives committed to a meeting and a re-framing of the use of land for 1st peoples. We committed to staying involved to hold them to their commitments with ongoing involvement and media watch-dogging. This is another reason we Tour.

The Zoning department shake-down was my personal highlight of the entire trip as we Poor, indigenous and unhoused folks at POOR Magazine have struggled for the last 4 years with the insane costs of building permits and Politrickster sanctioned hustles to get permits to build our landless peoples self-determined movement we call Homefulness. Suffice it to say, street hustlers don’t got nothing on the white collar hustlers, with their permits to build, their endless requirements for more paper and licenses and their crazy things like “an expeditor fee” to move up the “line” in the building permit process. As poor folks who are always moved out of anything we take back, we made a decision to do it within the settler colonizer laws so it can’t/won’t be taken from us. Another hard lesson we have had to learn through this process is why it’s so hard for poor people to launch building projects and why corporations have it on lock. This is why we tour.

In addition to the Town Hall, we challenged and demanded change, equity sharing curatorial leadership, land use and reparations when we were shown the blatant exclusion in spaces like the Chamber of Commerce and the “Whaling Exhibit” in the local museum, which included none of the original peoples who taught the settlers about whaling and then whose bodies were ultimately stolen and enslaved by the colonizers so they could capture their whaling knowledge.  

Shinnecock Nation Reservation - the Hamptons

Philadelphia - Lenape Territory- Mama Dee’s GentriFUKed hood

Whenever i drive down the streets of North Philly, i realize clearly why my ghetto fabulous Afro-Boricua Mama Dee was the proud, angry, beautiful poverty skola-survivor she was. Poverty there isn’t like it is in California. Not to say poverty isn’t real in California, but the entrenched sorrow, scarcity, and desperation is older, deep and terrifying. This kind of Gangsta struggle and survival is what helped give my my mama her fighting spirit to stay alive through so much trauma and hate. This trauma is also what raised me and i tried to hold on to no matter how hard it was.

POOR Magazine/Homefulness at the site of the MOVE Africa bombing

Being one of the poorest areas in the nation, North Philadelphia is also one of the most beautiful, sad and real. North Philly, an African-Puerto Rican barrio, is also facing some of the most blatant gentrification in the US. on every other block, entire blocks are boarded up and gated over. One or two doors down developers have put up signs for the future condominiums, luxury apartments and/or “art” spaces. Hipster cafes and mono-syllabic bars and gourmet restaurants line every other block. This is another reason why we Tour.

“The so-called progressives were involved in the stealing of an election here, so for the stolen land tour we also want to highlight a stolen election,” said Cheri Honkala, organizer, superbabymama with Poor Peoples Economic Human rights Campaign from Philly.

Before we launched the Philadelphia Stolen Land Tour through the part of the stolen Lenape Territory called the Main Line POOR Magazine and Edgardo, Pablo, Gaylen and Cheri from the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign sat down together to share poverty scholarship, solutions and struggles.

“They came up with this great-sounding idea called a “Land Bank” we found out later it wasn’t really what it was being represented as.” she concluded.

We went on to explain to PPHRC comrades the idea of Homefulness, They shared their recent acquisition of an abandoned building which needs a build-out and how they would love to make that possible and build their own version of Homefulness in North Philly.

From left - Laure from POOR, Cheri & Gaylen from PPHRC

The next day we gathered in the Main Line.

I knew there was such a place as the Main Line because my mama used to talk about it. A place, she used to say, where the rich people live and where people like us go to be their servants. Her mama, my grandma, a Roma/Irish immigrant worked as a domestic worker, washing the floors and only being allowed to enter from the servants quarters in the back. My abuelito, an Afro-Puerta Rican man would work to sweep their streets, if he was lucky.

Stolen Land Tour in the Main Line

“Most of the people who are homeless in Philly are women and children  I was homeless with my children, so i know how hard it is to care for children when you are struggling to keep a home,” Gaylan from PPHRC spoke at the opening press conference on a street corner in a neighborhood called Bryn Mawr which barely had sidewalks, cause I guess who needs sidewalks when you never have to walk?

POOR Magazine spreading the medicine of decolonization and community reparations

“Who are you,” The white man dressed in dockers answered the door, looking our powerful group of Black, Brown, Youth, elder and disabled bodies of tour up and down and gulping nervously  After the press conference we moved through the neighborhood, delicately moving aside the wrought iron gates, walking up what seemed like block long driveways, knocking on huge glass, wooden doors and harry potter-like door knockers.

Unlike a lot of the previous tours, in Philly we encountered the user-friendly liberal haters. They would open the door, listen politely to us and then when we left their doors, call the poLice. By the time we got to the third block of this stolen Lenape Territory, they arrived.

“What are you doing here?” One poLice car pulled in front of us at an angle so we couldn’t walk any further, another one parked behind us.. As is happened in almost every tour, they asked us what we were doing and what we were selling. We told them we were sharing the medicine of redistribution and community reparations and they explained that someone called because we said they, “stole their land,”

After several minutes they “let us go” explaining that we only one of us would be allowed to approach each door and that we needed to make sure we weren’t soliciting for money, which we explained we never did.

Commitment to the Bank of Reparations and a Philly Homefulness!!

“This prayer goes out to all of my ancestors who were stolen to build neighborhoods like these”…excerpt of QueennandiX Sheba, POOR Magazine poverty skola, teacher and welfareQUEEN leading us in closing prayer at the Main Line.  

As we huddled together back at the sidewalk-less corners in the Main Line to do a closing prayer for justice and open-heartedness of all the peoples we had just spoken to we made a direct ask for Community Reparations to some of the conscious young folks with race, class and/or formal education privilege who had toured with us for two families who worked with PPHRC and were on the brink of losing their apartments due to a rise in rent in the gentrification-ridden North Philly. As well one of our young folks involved in POOR Magazine’s Solidarity Family made a commitment to the Bank of Reparations and to helping to launch a Homefulness with PPHRC’s abandoned building, which needed to raise approximately $35,000 to do the build-out. This is why we Tour.

Stolen Land Tour with PPHRC - from left - Cheri Honkols, Pablo and Edgardo Gonzalez

PeopleSkool at every tour stop.

“Sad, exhausting, mind  blowing,crucial, and very important, connecting dots getting the word and education not not only to the rich but to the people, our people.” Aunti Frances Moore

In addition to the tours we presented poverty scholarship and the Decolonization/DegentriFUKation seminar at Wesleyan and Vassar Colleges, two huge institutions that have huge swaths of stolen Mohegan, Pequot, Lenape territory to name a few of the nations colonized and stolen from and entire degree programs built around the studying of poor peoples and indigenous peoples struggles with never so much as sharing a slice of their privilege and access. This is another reason we Tour.

POOR Magazine at Vassar

“In my activism from police brutality to budget cuts, I always felt that people in power could escape our activism by retreating to their wealthy neighborhoods.  I and other activists spent countless hours at City Hall or police stations shouting at buildings.  Poor Magazine with their Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour have taken our request to the front doors of the most wealthy and powerful from Beverley Hills in LA to Park Avenue in New York City with not to blame and shame but to offer medicine to heal what capitalism teaches us for example that we need to cumulate wealth like many houses, condos, summer homes, cars and such for oneself and at the same time walk pass a family on the street and not only do nothing but feel nothing,” - Leroy Moore, founder of Krip Hop Nation. columnist with POOR Magazine and Stolen Land Tour co-leader.

Stay Tuned For the release of Poverty Scholarship- Poor People-led Theory, Art, Words and Tears Across Mama Earth- A PeoplesTextBook which will be released this Summer The Next tour will be in the Bay Area - if you would like to join us please email poormag@gmail.com. The next PeopleSkool decolonization/degentrification seminar is in black August. If you would like to learn more, redistribute or learn anymore information about any of these projects or seminars please email deeandtiny@poormagazine.org

Back in the late 90's I and Lisa Tiny Gray-Garcia​ had the honor to present our work in San Bruno jail.  In July of 2017 I had another opportunity to present  my work, this time, Krip-Hop Nation under Poetry For the People's teacher Amalia Alvarez​. The men responded great to the videos, songs and talk all about Black disabled issues from Hip-Hop to police brutality but the spark was the song by Keith Jones​ and I entitled SSI Dollarz.  We ended the class by writing what they thought of the presentation and a cypher.  Click on the link to read the writings of the men responding to the song, SSI DOLLARZ.  I want to thank them for sharing their words and the teacher, Amalia Alvarez for inviting me. Read & Learn:
 

Greetings sisters and brothers!



    As man of you know South-East Texas was bombarded by Hurricane Harvey recently, and 500 prisoners located in Rosharon Texas were displaced because of flooding.  C.T Terrell is very similar to Wallace Pack Unit in that they house prisoners who are predominantly elderly, infirm, and disabled.

    Eastham Unit located in Lovelady, Texas was chosen to house the displaced prisoners.  Many prisoners have read about or heard of the ongoing problems with Eastham’s water supply, but on Wednesday, August 30, 2017, they got a first hand look at what many Eastham prisoners have suffered through for years!  Contaminated water!

    It started out as strange debris floating in the water - then without warning, we were told the water was being shut off and the pumps had broke!  The water pressure had dropped and historically when water pressure drops, high levels of bacteria enter the system and boil notices are issues!  Shut off time was 12:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Aug 30, 2017.  Turned back on Wednesday night, 10:30 p.m. I am sending out a call for help and action!  We need phone calls to be made to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality employees:

Brian Buster - (936) 437-7285

Frank Inmon - (936) 437-7200 / (cell) (936) 577-4035



We need you to inquire and find out exactly what the problem is with the water system at Eastham Unit and demand answers (unit # is 936-636-7321)  Safe and clean water is a Humyn Right!  All power to the people!



-Comrade Malik

I travel for gigs, Krip-Hop Nation and other projects however at this time facing a lawsuit against my landlord and helping another Black disabled friend who is facing illegal eviction. So being deeply involved in POOR magàzine's East Coast Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour was more than just a project. Plus being back in cities that I grew up in like Manhattan and West Hartford, CT was hard and beautiful.

In my activism from police brutality to budget cuts, I always felt that people in power could escape our activism by retreating to their wealthy neighborhoods.  I and other activists spent countless hours at City Hall or police stations shouting at buildings.  Poor Magazine with their Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour have taken our request to the front doors of the most wealthy and powerful, from Beverly Hills in LA to Park Avenue in New York City, not to blame and shame but to offer medicine to heal what capitalism teaches us. For example, that we need to cumulate wealth like many houses, condos, summer homes, cars and such for oneself and at the same time walk past a family on the street and not only do nothing but feel nothing.

Leroy Moore with Jean Rice, one of the original board members of Picture the Homeless

New York is a different city compared to the days of the 70's & 80's when I was growing up there.  I say all the time these days and that is, gentrification have killed the notion of home!  Now a days you can't go home cause the home i.e. City you grew up in is now too expensive and looks totally different almost like it is dead with city policies that makes it hard to live in your old neighborhood.  I‘ve seen cities i.e. San Francisco and New York become cities unrecognizable with so much wealth, a whole new landscape and local laws that profile you if you are like me poor, Black and disabled man living in section eight apartment.

When I was a teenager I lived on Greyhound going from CT. to NY and the landmarks were the tall public housing brick buildings when I saw those buildings/housing complex where my friends were creating what we know today as Hip-Hop I knew I was in NY..  On the East CoastStolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour, we stopped by the new office of Picture Of The Homeless in Harlem and interviewed the new executive director and long time member Luie who told us that privatization is hitting New York hard.  He went on to say that all of those tall public housing buildings are slatted for privatization.  My heart dropped!

One of Krip-Hop Nation co/founder, Rob 'Da Noize Temple who has been living in Brooklyn all of his live and opened up a music studio is facing eviction cause the landlord wants to privatize the building.

Poverty skolaz offering the medicine of redistribution

Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour like in San Francisco, Beverly Hills now New York, Philly  to West Hartford, CT., the common factor was that the wealthy were and are protected by layers upon layers of barriers from isolation and gated off communities to security guards to police to even other poor people who are their nannies, gardeners or dog walkers and this was the reality on Park Avenue in New York and other cities on the East Coast!

As universities get bigger taking over cities in CT, NY, Philly and Berkeley and public housing from CA to NY become privatize, the question remains, where can we live, pee etc.  The Poor Magazine's Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour from West to East also have been invited into colleges and universities like Weselyn University, U.C. Berkeley, Vassar College to name a few to tell real everyday struggles through poetry, plays, songs and lectures that touches on the way that the capitalist society police us on where we can pee, where we live, who is acceptable to receive services and what we have to do to keep those services, public housing, food stamps and more.

Queenandi Xshena of POOR Magazine in North Philly

From San Francisco to Beverly Hills, LA to Philly to West Hartford, CT the police were called and came out to protect wealthy neighborhoods from what we call our medicine from the disease of wealth hoarding. From police to the media the main assumption of touring wealthy areas was nothing more than just begging and pouring on the pity.

However once people, like reporters, professors, wealthy college students and even some police officers listen and read what Poor Magazine is teaching they nine times out of ten agree and realize that Poor Magazine have taught a few wealthy people that the wealth that they do have came from the backs of others and needed to be brought back for community good, what Poor Magazine calls community  reparations.  It is powerful to listen to Poor Magazine's People School graduates who are now spreading the teachings of Poor Magazine with us on these tours in their own wealthy neighborhoods.

On this East Coast Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour, Poor Magazine went up face to face with East Coast  wealth that is different from West Coast wealth!  East Coast wealth is very intrench, cold and has no liberal costume on.  The only city that showed us any love was Philly where we got some media and some wealthy folks gave up some dollars to local poverty scholars to meet extreme housing emergency.

Our East Coast Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour hit three states knocking on doors of the wealthy and for me the South Hamptons, upstate New York was really tough and beautiful at the same time!  Being from the East Coast, I grew up hearing how the wealthy escape to the Hamptons for vacation but I never been there. I heard New York rappers boast about the bling bling of the Hamptons but I didn't know about how the South Hamptons was originally Native American land.  Now Native Americans, Shinnecock tribe has been pushed to a tiny reservation, away from the big houses with front yards that don't end.

Poor Magazine connected to the Shinnecock tribe in South Hamptons way before the tour so when we told them about the tour, they were down for it and took us around to the wealthy neighborhoods.  Poor magazine really loved the tour and teachings of the tribe in South Hamptons!

In South Hamptons, we went into a museum, the Chamber of Commerce and City Hall and in all of these places we were met with White faces professing that they are working very closely with the tribe.  This White guilt was corrected by Ahna Red Fox who was from the Shinnecock tribe .  The only place that agreed to do better collaborating with the Shinnecock tribe was the museum in which Poor Magazine agree to follow up.  Once again the cops were called on us this time at South Hamptons' City Hall.

From left - Laure, Ahna Red Fox, Aunti Frances, Tiny, Queena and Leroy in front of the Colonizer Museum - Shinnecock

In West Hartford, CT., my sister, Melissa Moore and my nephews and nieces came on the tour with us.  Ace, my niece, who is eight years old was all into going up to front doors, knocking and saying her two cents.  I was glad that Tiny's son, Tibu and Sasha had a chance to hang out again.  Sasha knew Tibu when my sister lived in West Oakland before she was force to move back to CT cause of the expensive housing market in the Bay Area.

As we head back to the gentrify Bay Area all of us of Poor Magazine are worried about our own housing situation as many of us are fighting illegal evictions, cuts in our benefits like SSI and separation of our family and friends as more and more love ones in the Bay have to move to different states like my sister in search for cheaper housing. The struggle and Stolen Land/Hoarded Resources Tour continues.  Look out for Poor Magazine Poverty Scholar textbook, out Summer 2017!

“Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are already dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done; discover your humanity and your love in revolution.”

― George L. Jackson

Unlike the so-called Black History Month, a month that celebrates commercialism and a sanitized version of the history of decedents of the Afrikan holocaust, the month of Black August acknowledges the fallen comrades that die, sacrifice and struggle for the self-determination and liberation of the kkkaptive Black colony.

Resistance: The Meaning of Black August

Black August originated in the California penal system to honor fallen Freedom

Fighters, Jonathan Jackson, George Jackson, William Christmas, James McClain

and Khatari Gaulden. Jonathan Jackson was gunned down outside the Marin County

California courthouse on August 7, 1970 as he attempted to liberate three

imprisoned Black Liberation Fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and

Ruchell Magee. Ruchell Magee is the sole survivor of that armed liberation

attempt. He is the former co-defendant of Angela Davis and has been locked down

for 47 years, most of it in solitary confinement. George Jackson was

assassinated by prison guards during a Black prison rebellion at San Quentin on

August 21, 1971. Three prison guards were also killed during that rebellion and

prison officials charged six Black and Latino prisoners with the death of those

guards. These six brothers became known as the San Quentin Six. Upon his

release from 43 years in solitary confinement, San Quentin Six member Hugo Yogi

Panell was murdered on the yard of New Folsom prison.

In the late 1970's the observance and practice of Black August left the prisons of

California and began being practiced by Black/New Afrikan revolutionaries

throughout the country. Members of the New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM)

began practicing and spreading Black August during this period. The Malcolm X

Grassroots Movement (MXGM) inherited knowledge and practice of Black August

from its parent organization, the New Afrikan People's Organization (NAPO).

MXGM through the Black August Collective (now defunct) began introducing the

Hip-Hop community to Black August in the late 1990's after being inspired by

New Afrikan political exile Nehanda Abiodun.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BLACK AUGUST

Traditionally, Black August is a time to study history, particularly our history in the North

American Empire.

The first Afrikans were brought to Jamestown as slaves in August of 1619.Underground

Railroad was started on August 2, 1850.

The March on Washington occurred in August of 1963.

Gabriel Prosser's 1800 slave rebellion occurred on August 30.

Nat Turner planned and executed a slave rebellion that commenced on August 21,

1831.

The Watts rebellions were in August of 1965.

On August 18, 1971 the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika (RNA)

was raided by Mississippi police and FBI agents.

The MOVE family was bombed by Philadelphia police on August 8, 1978.

Further, August is a time of birth. Dr. Mutulu Shakur (political prisoner & prisoner

of war).

Pan-Africanist Black Nationalist Leader Marcus Garvey, Maroon Russell Shoatz (political

prisoner) and Chicago BPP Chairman Fred Hampton were born in August. August is

also a time of rebirth, W.E.B. Dubois died in Ghana on August 27, 1963.

The tradition of fasting during Black August teaches self-discipline. A conscious fast is in effect from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Some other personal sacrifice can be made as well. The sundown meal is traditionally shared whenever possible among comrades. On August 31, a People's

feast is held and the fast is broken. Black August fasting should serve as a

constant reminder of the conditions our people have faced and still confront.

Fasting is uncomfortable at times, but it is helpful to remember all those who

have come and gone before us.

Black August exemplifies the need for the continuous struggle self-determination and resistance against amerikkka empire and how our fallen hero’s and sheo’s, have paved the road to achieve and fulfilled our destinies.  It is now up to us to build a vehicle to travel down that road.  We will need to build a bus so everyone has a seat toward their liberation, and this bus will not have any back seats.  Everyone will be riding upfront, even if we have to build this bus sideways!  

LONG LIVE BLACK AUGUST!

VITA WA WATU!

[transcript of upcoming YouTube video]

Revolutionary Greetings,

It is I, Justin Adkins, and I have a very serious and urgent message to delivery to you. Malik and I support and defend many causes, but there are certain struggles and fights that have a higher priority to us than others.

One such struggle is the fight to save our planet from imperialist multinational corporations which exclusively deal in the extraction of fossil fuels from the Earth.  Comrade Malik and I are both Environmentalists.  I personally introduced Malik to this struggle.

A couple of years ago, I ordered Malik a subscription to the Earth First! Journal.  That was before he was transferred to the Wallace Pack unit.  Pack is the Texas prison where Malik helped expose the presence of high levels of arsenic in the water supply.

Professor Victor Wallis Ph.D. showed Malik the connection between capitalism and the destruction of our environment and in the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.  Malik and I believe all of us got an up-front and personal look at what Environmental Racism looks like in Amerika - It’s Real!!

Now Malik performs his own studies and in depth analysis, and, as always, he has something to say to you.  I hope you will listen to the words of my comrade and friend.  

Comrade Malik says:

Revolutionary Greetings Comrades!

Energy Transfer Partners!! Yes, let’s say it together, Energy Transfer Partners!! The name tastes like a fat piece of cow dung in my mouth.

This Imperialist Corporation is the chief developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, and they have filed a federal lawsuit against many of the groups here in Amerika who are fighting hard to save our planet and ensure safe and clean water supplies for future generations of humyn beings and animals, as well as plants and trees.  

Energy Transfer Partners of Dallas, Texas, filed the complaint and it seeks damages of no less than one billion dollars!!  I will briefly give you a list of some of the defendants who have been cited in the complaint: Earth First!, the Sierra Club, Greenpeace International, Bank Track, Bold Iowa, and Mississippi Stand.

The lawsuit alleges environmental protection groups initiated campaigns of misinformation to target legitimate companies and industries with fabricated environmental claims and other purported misconduct, inflicting billions of dollars in damage - Now this is a direct quote from the USA Today - August 24th, 2017.  

Now STOP! Let’s listen very carefully to the language these Earth defilers are using - they are saying that WE are initiating campaigns of misinformation to target legitimate companies and industries with fabricated environmental claims.  Ok, first of all, they are lying!! And I can prove it! But first we need to fully expose their hidden agenda, because there is much more going on here than meets the eye!!

The Energy Transfer Partners of Dallas, Texas, seek to label us and eco-terrorists in an effort to criminalize and silence our Free Speech activities.

In other words, they was us to allow them to destroy our planet, poison our water supplies, pollute our air, and be quiet and watch while they do it!!

And I say Hell NO! I’m not going to do THAT! What do you say?

Now, I am a socialist/communist - I lean hard to the left and I am deeply sympathetic to the Green Anarchist cause.  I’ve been trained to apply a scientific analysis when I encounter a problem.  I seek out facts!! I shut down my emotions in order to perform a concrete analysis of the conditions around me.  The timing of the lawsuit is very interesting and I smell a RAT!

Yes! On its face, this complaint seeks to bully and intimidate environmentalists.  It seeks to cower us into silence.  But I firmly believe there is a SNAKE lurking in the background, and that dirty, rotten, scoundrel has emboldened Energy Transfer Partners.

I state today that Department of Energy Secretary, Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, is secretly promoting this attack on our free speech rights!!

In Rick Perry’s failed presidential bid, guess who was his number one donor? Really, I want you to take a guess.  I’ll wait.  

Give up? Ok, I’ll tell you; it was Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners! Are you Surprised?

Would you like to know how much Mr. Warren donated to good old honest Rick Perry? Six million dollars!! Now listen to me, Mr. Warren got $4.5 million back after Rick Perry pulled out of the Presidential Race, but that is not the only questionable connection our buddy Rick Perry has with Energy Transfer Partners - there is more, much more!!

In a financial disclosure form Perry filed in July 2015, Perry indicated that his wife owned up to $15,000 in Energy Transfer Partners stock, and about the same amount of stock in another pipeline company, Sunco Logistics.  Sunco Logistics is supposed to be the operator of the pipeline that was being protested against at Standing Rock.  

And I have some very interesting information about Sunco Logistics.  According to Reuters, Sunco Logistics leads all of its competitors in spilled crude!!

And if anyone would to fact check any of my reporting, please read the article to the incredible news website truthout.org and find the article entitled: “Rick Perry, Tapped for Energy Department, Has Multiple Ties to CEO of Controversial Pipeline Project”, posted December 16, 2016 at Truth Out!!

Comrades, who was it that said, “If you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book,”? Who the hell made up that saying? Whoever it was, they hadn’t met me! Comrade Malik, the servant of the people!!

Comrades, as I wrap up this YouTube video with my good friend, Justin, I must encourage you to be more aggressive in the expose of these unsavory relationships between fossil fuel corporations and highly placed members of the Trump Administration.

Furthermore, please be more mindful that the U.S. Federal Government is waging a war against those who seek to protect and preserve our planet.  But more urgently the Legislative Branch is overtly and covertly crafting laws which criminalize our right to protest.  

We need lawyers on our team!

We need environmental scientists on our team.

We need computer information specialists and technologists on our team!

Sisters and brothers, one of the reasons I am so passionate about this fight is that poor people, and people of color like me, are being exploited and abused by Rick Perry and his cronies in Dallas, Texas at Energy Transfer Partners!  

When you get time, I encourage you to read a brief article by David J. Krajicek on Alternet (January 23, 2016) entitled, “7 Toxic Assaults on Communities of Color Besides Flint: The Dirty Racial Politics of Pollution”.  The lead poisoning of the children in Flint is only the latest example of environmental racism in the U.S.

Remember, comrades, there is strength in diversity.  We must encourage and allow more persyns of color inside our environmentalist ranks.  Justin invited me to the table, who will you invite?  

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win,

All Power to the People!

Every year during MLK month I reread two books, The King & His Unsung Heroes & Sheroes & Why We Can't Wait.  I wrote this poem years ago.

-After skimming through Deric Gilliard's book, Unsung Heroes and Sheroes who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King and internet research this poem was written

The King & His Unsung Heroes & Sheroes

"Tho' I'm blind I can see the injustice here"

Al Hibbler

Happy birthday 

Not only you but to the movement

To the Unsung Heroes & Sheroes 

Who marched with the King

Ordinary people with extraordinary faith and talents

Over shadowed by names like Jackson and Young

No time to fight for the spotlight

Like then today’s police dogs don’t care about a name

Deric Gilliard’s pen erased the shadow over the masses

Penned them onto paper and into a book

Kept mothers, union workers, musicians and community activists alive

For us to read today

Oh what I found in those pages

My Black disabled elders

Key in organizing and implementing 

Demonstrations all over the south

Hard choices for Black musicians

From Ray Charles, Nina Simone Stevie Wonder to Al Hibbler

Some protest on stage others marched in demonstrations

All felt the sting and bullets of racism

Hard to be an artist\activist in the 60’s

Not IMPOSSIBE Paul Robeson gave an example a decade earlier

Read about the dual life of Al Hibbler

A blind jazz singer turned civil rights activist

Blacklisted by record labels

Kept on singing on protest lines

Arrested in New Jersey and Alabama

Kept on coming back to the frontlines along side of MLK

Al use to say “Thou I’m Blind I Can See the Injustice Here!”

The name Hosea Williams stirred up fires

Of freedom and equality throughout the South

“A man without fear because God was his armor”

His motto “unboss and unbought”

A son of Blind parents and was a caretaker

Disabled in WW11

Almost died in a racist attack

Jumped back to fight for the Civil Rights Act

Masses surrounded the King

On Bloody Sunday

Many lives gone

MLK answered the question 

Why We Can’t Wait
Hate in the face of Non-violence

Didn’t crack under pleasure

Made the people stronger

MLK preached to turn the other cheek

“You shall reek what you sew!”

His answer to police brutality

Another Black Blind Brother

One of MLK key organizer

In Birmingham

Pulled all the strings behind the scenes

The youth filled up the streets

Elders boycotted the stores, buses and the workplace

The Black Masses halted everything to a stand still

Study the terms Black Masses and Black Revolution 

They are inclusive one leader but many stories

January Black Hero and Sheros Month

Before MLK’s birthday is Rev. Hosea William B.day

After is the birth of a sister who lead us to freedom 

I’m talking about Harriet Tubman

The Civil Rights era lasted more than a month

Look down to your hands

Black people we built this land

The next Generation of Unsung Heroes & Sheroes

Standing on MLK’s foundation that many helped built

By Leroy F. Moore Jr.

For the Unsung Heroes & Sheroes of the Civil Rights Movement Era

by Lisa Ganser

On January 28, 2016, 19 year old Black Loved One, Christopher Kalonji, was in a mental health crisis and needed help.  His PTSD was in a flare up, and he became so anxious and distraught that he called 911 himself, requesting medical assistance.  Instead of getting help, police arrived and separated his family and friends from him, escalating the situation, and even called in a SWAT team.  Instead of providing help, police killed Christopher in his own home, where he had lived with his parents for 15 years.  Christopher Kalonji did not commit suicide, as was stated on the coroner’s report and on his death certificate.  Christopher was murdered by Sgt. Tony Killinger and Deputy Lon Steinhauer of Clackamas County sheriff’s office, with impunity.

[Christopher Kalonji has a big brown afro and a sweet baby face, he is seated in a blue camping chair and is wearing a green jacket.  Photo courtesy Irene Kalonji]

Christopher Kalonji was born in Israel, in the city of Nahariya, to loving parents, his mother Irene, and his father Antoine, also called Tony.  Irene and Tony were both born in Ukraine, which was then the Soviet Union.  Tony’s father was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and his mother is Jewish and from Ukraine.  Irene’s father is from Tanzania, and her mother is from Ukraine.  

[Irene Kalonji, the mother of Christopher Kalonji is standing at the one year anniversary gathering of the death of her son, at the elementary school he attended.  She is wearing her son’s Justice pin and a t-shirt with his photo with angelic wings stretching out . She is holding a Love & Disability Justice for Christopher Kalonji protest sign, she is surrounded by people.]

Christopher was the youngest child, with one older brother named Joe.  The family migrated to the U.S. when Christopher was 6, they settled into a modest apartment in Oak Grove, Oregon, where Christopher lived out the rest of his life.  Christopher went to elementary school right across the street from their home, at Concord Elementary School.  Everyone in the neighborhood knew Christopher.  Christopher was really proud of his ancestry, of his name, he was proud to be born in Israel, and to be Jewish.  He wore his hair in a big, natural afro.  He was well-liked, he liked himself, he had a lot of friends, and this carried him into high school.

“I had a memory with Chris, my junior year at Putnim,” says Ben E. Miller, at the one year memorial for Christopher, held at Concord Elementary School on January 27, 2017.  “He came into school, English 11 class, a little late, but that’s okay, I’ve done that.  Several times,” says Ben, and there is laughter from the crowd gathered remembering Christopher.  

Ben continues, “He (Christopher) sits down, he only sat a couple of seats from me, and he starts going through his backpack.  And he just yells ‘Oh my G-d, there’s a spider in there!’ And he’s shaking his backpack out, he gets the spider out and Jarmar, our English teacher at the time, grabbed some paper, ya know, getting it out.  And as soon as the teacher leaves the room to go throw the spider out,  Chris says, ‘Arachnids are the biggest pain in the ass!”

The group listening to the story laughs. “That’s the first time I ever heard Chris use a scientific word like that.  Just Sayin!” the crowd laughs again and then Ben gets very serious.

“When people go into a mental health crisis, I know, from me having a lot of hurt in my life and depression, where I wanted to just give up; when people from, like my church, showed me love…  I feel like if people would have shown the same kind of love toward Chris, the events that took place on January 28, 2016 probably wouldn’t have happened.” Ben has become emotional, and Irene puts her arm around him.

[Black & white drawing/protest poster of Christopher Kalonji that says “Love & Justice for Christopher Kalonji.  19 years old forever, February 19, 1996 - January 28, 2016, REST IN POWER.”  There are hearts around Christopher’s face and it says “Mental Illness is not a Crime!!!  DISABILITY JUSTICE NOW #blacklivesmatter drawing by Lisa Ganser]

Christopher was intuitive.  He was intelligent, charismatic and he had an open and full heart.  He told jokes, he was incredibly funny.  Christopher was a smooth talker.  He could bullshit.  He was down to help anyone.  He was kind.  He had fun.  He made mistakes.  He was a good listener.  He took time for people, for anyone.  He helped people.  

[a sweet snapshot of 9 year old Christopher Kalonji looking over his shoulder fondly to the camera.  Chris is fair skinned with reddish brown curly hair and a small soft smile.  Photo from 2005 courtesy Irene Kalonji.]

Christopher was especially informed when it came to his rights, he knew the law.

“Chris was my best friend,” says Grace Michael, who goes by “Misha.”  Christopher was one of the first kids at Putnim High School to talk to Misha.  “He came up to me in gym class, in P.E. class and he said, “Hey, are you Russian?” He spoke in Russian to me.  And I said, “Yeah, how did you know?”  Because Chris had this big afro, he didn’t look like a Russian guy at all.  It was pretty cool.”  The two exchanged names and became fast friends.  Christopher took Misha under his wing and introduced him to many people.  He would translate for him, helping Misha to become fluent in English.

[photo of Christopher Kalonji and Grace “Misha” Michael walking in the hallway at school together.  Misha says that Chris was his closest friend, they were together often.  This is the only photo Misha has of them together.  Christopher has a big natural afro and is wearing a backpack, Misha’s hair is short and he’s wearing sunglasses on his head.  Photo courtesy of Misha Michael.]

“Christopher gave me my confidence.  I would not be the person I am today without him,” said Misha.  The two were confidants.  Christopher was very skilled in knowing the law and his rights, and supported Misha through traffic court.  Christopher could recite the first 10 amendments by heart.  Misha tells a story of when Christopher had a run in with the law.

Chris had been hanging out with friends, in Portland, and they were drinking in public.  Some cops came up and asked for their IDs and Chris asked ‘am I being detained?’  The police didn’t respond right away, so Chris, who knew his rights, said ‘well i guess not’ and started walking away.  The police then responded ‘Yes, you are being detained.’  

According to Irene, the police got mad that Christopher knew his rights, and they threatened him with a gun. His friends were there watching, and the police singled Chris out for knowing his rights, for not being properly subservient, not passing the “attitude test.” The police escalated the situation, and wouldn’t show their badges, so Chris took out his cell phone and called 911 and said  “There are police here not showing their badges, they won’t tell me their badge numbers.  They won’t identify themselves and they are scaring me, I am fearing for my life.”

While Christopher was calling 911, the police radioed in, saying “it’s us, it’s us!”

The police were not amused and said to Christopher, “you think you’re smart, huh?” They forcefully grabbed him and put handcuffs on him, and said they were arresting him for “unlawful calling of 911.”  They then seized and searched his backpack.  They found a knife in Christopher’s backpack, but in the police report they said that it was in Christopher’s pocket, beefing up his bogus charges to include carrying a concealed weapon.  

“The police are lying, Chris knew the rules.  That knife was in his backpack, not in his pocket,” says Irene.

Before those Portland police officers forced Christopher Kalonji into the squad car, they slammed his head onto the car.  It was at that moment that everything changed for Christopher.

Chris knew he was being wrongfully arrested, that he had been profiled. He knew his rights, and he thought that would protect him.  He had even called 911 himself to report the police who were violating his rights.  He wasn’t prepared to be assaulted.  

Chris didn’t confide in his mother about the police terror he experienced until a week before his court appearance, but she could tell something was wrong.  He had been withdrawn and acting strangely for the month leading up to his death, isolating in his room, his parents said. 

“The last month of his life, Chris barely left the house.  He wouldn’t leave the house by himself,” says Irene.  “I tried to talk to him.  It was a nightmare.  He was so scared.”  Irene did not know that he was so triggered about an upcoming court date, and she didn’t yet know about the assault.

In retrospect, Irene thinks Christopher was doing a good job taking care of himself, he was riding out being triggered while alone in his room, away from people, reducing the risk of harm.  He was removing environments that might be triggering for him.  He was newly Disabled and without tools, and he was taking down time in the safety of his home, in his room.

A couple days before the scheduled court appearance, Christopher’s new psychiatric disability, caused by the police, flared up even more.  He was becoming paranoid, and things were not making sense.  “They are going to kill me,” he told his parents.  Christopher feared that the police were going to take him into custody and kill him, and that his mom would never know how he died.   

Christopher told his mom he was afraid to go to the upcoming court date on January 28, 2016.  “They beat me on the head,” he told Irene.  “I have PTSD.”  He was having a hard time telling what was real, he kept clicking back to that moment the police smashed his head against the police car.  “I don’t know what’s going on with me.  They are watching me, mom.  They are coming to kill me.”

Christopher Kalonji was afraid of the police and afraid of going to court, and for good reason.  He had been profiled for loving how he looked and being proud of who he was, for being mixed race and Black.  He was assaulted and detained by police for knowing and exercising his rights.  He was falling deeper into the trauma, in his fear and distrust of The System.  He told his mother he could not go.

On the day of the court appearance, January 28, 2016, Irene told Christopher, “You know Son, let’s go together.  I want to go with you, I want to be with you.”

And Christopher said “No. No, Mom.  If I go to court they will put me in handcuffs and put me in jail and kill me, and you will not know the truth about my death.”  It was on this morning that his flare up was in a full blown mental health crisis.  His mind was spinning, he was so scared, he wasn’t making sense and he was yelling.

“This fear Chris had, it was unbreakable,” says Irene, with tears in her eyes.  “It’s so hard to tell this story again.  They’ve told so many lies in the media.”

Irene needed help to de-escalate Christopher, so she called Tony, her husband, Christopher’s father, who was at work.  The two tried to talk with Chris, but there was no calming him.  He was convinced the police would kill him.  Irene and Tony called a number of people, friends and mentors of Christopher’s, people who loved him.  They were trying to get support for their son as quick as they could.  One of the people who came over was Christopher’s martial arts instructor, who Chris admired very much.  

The 911 timeline is unclear, and ultimately, it was Christopher Kalonji who called 911 on the day he was killed.  He called for medical help. He knew he was in trouble, he was panicked, and he requested medical help for his mental health crisis.  

Just as Christopher agreed he would talk to his martial arts instructor, police arrived.  The police instructed all family and friends away from the home.  The police narrative, which was amplified in the corporate press, conflicts directly with the experience of those who were there.  The police narrative says that “his family retreated to a safe location.”  The truth is that the police made the family and friends of Christopher leave.  They would not let Tony, Christopher’s father, stay to de-escalate.  They also made Christopher’s martial arts instructor leave.  The family was whisked away by police.  While they were being forced away from Christopher, Irene told the police “Please do not kill my Son.”

The police narrative says that a mental health unit was called in and were there talking with Christopher, and because that didn’t work, a fully armed militarized SWAT team was called in.

“We were not hostages, we were never threatened, as was in the media,” says Irene.  Christopher’s family had been doing everything to de-escalate and now they were separated from him, and Chris’ life was in the hands of those he feared most, the police.

At about 11:20am shots were fired, and this panicked Irene.  She was told not to worry, that it was just tear gas.  It was at 11:20am that Christopher was in fact shot in the chest and arm by police gunfire.  The police narrative says shots were fired because they saw that Christopher had a weapon.  The family disputes this claim.

“I don’t believe he had the gun out.  And even if he did have a gun in his hand, which I do not believe, he was no threat.  We told the police we have guns.  My son knew his rights, he was smart, he would not harm anyone and he did not want to die,” said Irene.  “He was so afraid.”

The police used their knowledge that this family owns guns to work against Christopher.  It informed their Use of Force while there, and it justifies their abuse of force after the fact.  It is still unclear if Christopher handled a gun while he was in his room.  It’s also unclear what happened because all civilians were ordered away from the Kalonji home.  The police narrative is suspect in the same way the Portland police searched and found a knife in Christopher’s backpack and reported that it was on his person.  There were guns in the Kalonji home.  None of those guns were fired.  

While the bullets that killed Christopher came from the weapons of two police, Sgt. Tony Killinger and Deputy Lon Steinhauer of Clackamas County sheriff’s office, the police still leaked to the media that they were not sure if Chris had shot himself.  They inferred that he did, when he did not.  None of the weapons inside the Kalonji home had been fired, but the lies in the mainstream media can never be erased.

[green sidewalk chalk says “Christopher Kalonji” with a heart lovingly drawn around his name.  Under the heart it says Clackamas County and Oak Grove, OR]

Timeline of January 28, 2016

• 7:35am CCS Clackamas County Sheriff Department respond to 911 calls to the Holly Acres Apartment complex and claim they called in a behavioral health unit

• Police narrative says a 2.5 hour conversation with the BHU does no good, and a SWAT team is called in

• 11:20am Police narrative  says Christopher is “brandishing a rifle” and shots are fired by police.  It is at this time that Christopher sustained two bullet wounds, one to the arm and one to the chest.  After this, for over four hours, police say that Christopher Kalonji is “not complying with orders” to come out of his home.  They are still yelling for him to get out.  They use tear gas, they break windows, they use explosives on a door.  Police are destroying the Kalonji’s home while Christopher is not being subservient and is bleeding to death. There is an ambulance on site.

• 3:45pm Christopher is “taken into custody” and transported to the hospital.

• 4:30pm At the hospital Irene pleads with doctors to tell her how her son is doing, and they confide in her that Christopher is dead.  They tell her they were able to revive him three times.  They tell her that he had no chance because he had lost too much blood before arriving to the hospital.

• 7:30pm CCS department updates their initial press release to say that Christopher is dead.

While Christopher had been shot by police, in both an arm and in the chest, at 11:20, it was not until 3:45pm that he was transported to the hospital.  He was allowed to bleed out for over four hours.

At Christopher Kalonji’s funeral, it was raining, and Rabbi Rachel Joseph presided.  There was an open casket, and Irene and Tony stood in a tight embrace for much of the gathering honoring Christopher’s life.

“Jews don’t grieve silently or privately,” said Rabbi Joseph.  “We grieve outwardly and publicly.  Our tears are important…  Blessed be the Judge of Truth.  Stories are what keeps (Christopher’s) memory alive…  to share stories...  Grief is for the living.  Everybody here is a piece of the puzzle.  That’s all of our job.  To keep Christopher’s memory alive and to do his life Justice and to carry it on.  To keep telling people how important he was and how amazing he was,” she said.

“Chris was really good at talking to people, he had this gift. He was so persuasive. He was so smart. I was always telling him, man, I have a feeling I’m going to read about you some day, like in an encyclopedia or somewhere,” says Misha, pausing to reflect. “I only had one picture of me and Chris together, just that one time… I wish I had taken more pictures with him.”

[a sweet photo of Christopher Kalonji and his older brother Joe.  They are smiling and holding each other tightly arm in arm.  Joe’s hair is short and he wears an Oregon Youth Challenge jacket, while Chris has a big natural afro.  Photo courtesy Irene Kalonji.]

The death of Christopher was not the end of the Kalonji family’s struggle.  The damage the police caused to their home, including their child’s spilled blood, initially sent the family staying with a friend.  “If our friends had not helped us, we would have been without a place to stay,” says Irene. The community also offered financial support for the funeral via a crowd sourced fundraiser.

The police ransacked the apartment after Christopher’s death.  They confiscated computers, searching for any piece of evidence they could find so they could blame Christopher for his death.  The temporary stay away from the Kalonji’s home of fifteen years became permanent, when the management company (the very office that the corporate media suggested was the “safe place” for the family to be while Christopher was being killed) served an eviction notice.

To add insult to injury - the death of their youngest child and being displaced from their home - the Kalonjis were then served a $15,000 bill from the management company for the damage the police caused to their apartment.

Irene went to the Clackamas County Sheriffs with that bill, who refused to pay.  She was told that it “wasn’t in their budget.”

When the Kalonjis got copies of the coroner’s report, it said that Christopher died because of police gunshot, and it also said that the cause of death was “suicide.”  Christopher’s death certificate also says that his cause of death was “suicide.”

Christopher Kalonji was targeted for police terror because he was a smart, mixed race, young, Black man with a big natural afro.  Christopher Kalonji was killed because he knew his rights and he exercised them.  He could recite amendments from heart, and he practiced the second amendment, the right to bear arms.  Christopher Kalonji did not want to die on January 28, 2016.  He was experiencing psychosis and in a PTSD mental health crisis, a Disability caused by police.  Christopher was self aware, he knew he wasn’t well, and he stayed in his home, where he felt the most safe.  Even in the safest of places, with an impending court date, Christopher was not safe from those he feared most.  He was deathly afraid of the police, and for good reason.  Christopher needed love, he needed de-escalating, compassion and a conversation.  Christopher Kalonji did not get help that day, instead he was murdered by police.   

You can support the Kalonji family’s Justice struggle by signing and sharing this petition “Justice for Christopher Kalonji” at https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justice4CK

This article is dedicated with love & hope to Joe Kalonji, Christopher’s older brother.  

Joe writes, “One thing I never imagined, is losing my little brother before getting out of prison.  Chris was a person of knowledge, always looking things up and learning.  He was never the one to swing first in a fight that would be me, but him, he was always the one trying to help people, take care of people, leave people knowing something new everyday.  He wasn’t perfect as a person - no one is perfect, but to me he was the perfect brother.  One thing I feared the most in prison, is growing old without my little brother.  The love & joy we had shared will always be in my heart and thoughts.

I love you, Chris.  And what you thought will always be with me.”

Lisa Ganser is a white Disabled genderqueer artist and activist living in Olympia, WA on stolen Squaxin and Nisqually land.  They are a sidewalk chalker, a dog walker, a copwatcher and the daughter of a momma named Sam.

My dream is.................. by queena, 11years old

My dream is that I want to be a dancer.

When i'm a good dancer I will go around the world and teach other kids to dance. I will also be helping other kids to stay out of trouble. Dance, Choreography is the act of designing dance. That is why I dance and I want to teach the world.

When my dream come true I will be starting my business and becoming a choreographer and teaching kids in the community. If people say “i don't like your business'', I will just say ''okay it don't bother me'', Most people will not like it but some people will. At least I will love teaching kids.

Dancing helps you relax when you have a bad energy out of your body and if you don't have anything to do you dance.

The Magical Negro is a trope created by white people; the character is typically but not always "in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint", often a janitor or prisoner.The character often has no past but simply appears one day to help the white protagonist. Now we have Black movie makers doing horror movies like the recent, Get Out by Jordan Peele (which I love) and back in 2001 Spike Lee had this to say about The Magic Negro he said the he was dismayed at Hollywood's decision to continue using the premise; he noted that the films The Green Mile and The Legend of Bagger Vance used the "super-duper magical Negro”. In which I agree and to take it one step futher as a Black disabled artist/activist why in many movies (all kinds) when there is a Black disbled character he or she is in the role of evil like Unbreakable or drug dealer like Training Day or homeless like Cavenman’s Valentine? It is interesting the usage of disability in Get Out. I leave with review of The Green Mile that I wrote when the movie came out in for Poor Magazine and connetion of disability in the movie Get Out

I grew up reading Stephen King and was a big fan, but after high school I put down Mr. King until the recent story; The Green Mile. What attracted me to The Green Mile, the movie, was King’s character, John Coffey; a Black giant with some type of developmental disability. As a researcher and writer on disabled people of color I was very interested in the representation of John Coffey. The main issue of John Coffey was his size and the reason why he was at the Green Mile, a prison in Louisiana waiting for his execution. John Coffey was found in the woods with two White girls in his big arms with their skulls crushed. Throughout the movie you find out John Coffey has a power to heal people from their illness. The basis of the movie is that John Coffey is on death row for the murders of the two girls. But in reality John Coffey was trying to heal the girls, only Paul Edgecombe, a guard in The Green Mile and the rest of the guards know about John Coffey powers but can't stop the excution.

The story of John Coffey is what really happened to people withdevelopmental disability especially African Americans in the 1930's. Many disabled scholars and historians have established that people with mental disabilities were viewed as deviants and criminals. Poor, and people with mental health disabilities back then especially down south were out in the the streets trying to make a living cause with Jim Crow they didn’t have access too schools, jobs or any other institutions, so they were link to or seen as waste and someone to be shunned away or locked up. One hot issue was the problem of caring for America's mental retarded population (what they called feeble-minded). According to Steven Noll, author of Feeble-Minded in Our Midst: Institution for the Mentally Retarded in the South, 1900-1940, “the South learned from the North about institutionalizing the mentally disabled but did not look at the striking racial and economic separation in the South that altered the way institutions were established.”

In the words of Mr. Noll, “as the southern color line solidified in the first two decades of the twentienth century, white southerners ignored the needs and concerns of their black brethren. In a region where spending for social services was low to begin with, money for the care of black feeble-minded individuals simply was not available. Feeble-minded black people involved in antisocial or criminal behavior were often adjudicated through the criminal justice system.”

Many people might call The Green Mile a racist stereotype, but if you put the pieces together i.e. the time, and place of the movie and put a Black giant with some type of developmental disability you’ll see that you're not far off from the life of Black developmental disabled in the south back then. Other people thought his speech was stereotypical, but if John Coffey did have a developmental disability in reality he would not have access to a formal education. My God it was 1932 down South!

I was shocked that John Coffey was the only Black character in the movie. This is not realistic, and because of this it was hard to see the full representation of African Americans in the 30's, and to see if his mental disability played a big part of his character. The hidden theme that I received from The Green Mile was mind-blowing! If you concentrate on John Coffey's character alone, you'll realize that Stephen King has put a Black giant with a developmental disability in the shoes of an angel with powers to heal, a person sent from God in 1932. This blows the notion of the usual image of an angel or an agent from God. Nobody would believe that a Black giant with a developmental disability was an agent of good, as Paul found out years later in a nursing home telling the story for the first time to a friend.

It is interesting that it took a White non disabled famous author to bring to light how a Black giant with mental disablity, an agent from god was viewed and treated back then. And the notion that the White man is the savior yeah and no cause at the end it was the Gaint who healed people but on the other side the gaint's life was in the White prison guard.

Now that the movie, Get Out is out and people are again talking about the concept and reality of White movie makers using the Magical Negro practice in Hollywood, I wonder if we use a race and disability lens for both movies, The Green Mile & Get Out what do we get that shapes reality. It is interesting that in Get Out, there is a White blind character that is on the side of capturing Black people. Can we take off our Millennium‎'s glasses to watch The Green Mile again with a critical race & disability in that time period lens to come up like Get Out that it is more than a horror movie but a socal critic back then in tthe South? Is that to far a stretch?

So much to think about!.

More soon.

Leroy Moore Jr.

Press Release

January/2017

Krip-Hop Nation Tenth Anniversary CD Leroy F. Moore Jr.

www.Kriphopnation.com  email us at Kriphopnation@gmail.com

Krip-Hop Nation Kolumn on Poor Magazine

http://poormagazine.org/krip_hop  https://twitter.com/kriphopnation

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kriphop5thbattalion

From Legendary D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., "Krip-Hop is Hip-Hop!”

It’s 2017, Happy Birthday Krip-Hop Nation!  On our tenth anniversary, Krip-Hop Nation has grown and pushed itself by searching for more women with disabilities, like Kalyn Heffernan of Wheelchhair Sports Camp, Toni Hickman and Annjewelz, collaborating with DIP-HOP, Deaf Hip-Hop artists like Pinz-D and going deeper with our relationships with non-disabled Hip-Hop artists who have supported Krip-Hop from the beginning like C.R.I.$.I.$. from Zambia, Africa, Latino Hip-Hop Bay Area group, Brown Buffalo, Wonder Mike from Sugar Hill Gang and more. This CD has twenty-four songs some have been on Krip-Hop CDs but many are new members of Krip-Hop Nation or first time to be on a Krip-Hop project.  We also have the legendary D.M.C. from Run-D.M.C.!  And did a song with Wonder Mike of the Sugar Hill Gang.  As we all know Hip-Hop stripped down is poetry so this why we include Black Deaf  poet, Joy Elan.

I like to give thanks to DJ Quad of 5th Battalion in LA who co/produce this CD with me and all the artists who have stuck around and really supported Krip-Hop Nation and the original founders like Keith Jones, Rob Da’ Noize Temple, Binki Wio and Preechman. I hope Krip-Hop Nation live beyond me for the next generation. 

In 2007, Krip-Hop Nation was born with our Vol.1 Mixtape with Hip-Hop artists with disabilities all over the world. Since that day Krip-Hop Nation lived up to our tag line, 'Krip-Hop is more than music.' Krip-Hop Nation is an international network of Hip-Hop & other musicians with disabilities with a few chapters around the world what we call Mcees With Disabilities (MWD) in Germany, UK, Canada, & Africa. Krip-Hop is a community as well as style of music, an artistic space where people with disabilities can speak out and speak back to the social structures that exclude people based on disability, race, sexuality, and a host of other marginalized identities.

Why:  Krip-Hop Nation: Musicians with disabilities have always been here however there has been a lack of cultural activism especially in Hip-Hop with a disability justice to not only advocate but to continue to display the talents of musicians with disabilities & at the same time advocate & celebrate our history, intersectional cultures & to politically educate ourselves & our communities locally, nationally & internationally.

When: Leroy F. Moore Jr. first put a spotlight on disabled Hip-Hop artists in the early 2000s when he co-produced and co-hosted a three-part series on what he dubbed "Krip-Hop" for a Berkeley, California, radio station. The series appeared on KPFA's Pushing Limits program, which focuses on news, arts, and culture from the disabled community. The series was so well-received that Moore shortly thereafter founded the Krip-Hop Nation for disabled musicians.

Krip-Hop's Mission is to educate the music, media industries and general public about the talents, history, rights and marketability of Hip-Hop artists and other musicians with disabilities from Blues to Hip-Hop internationally. Our bi-line is Krip-Hop is More Than Music.

Krip-Hop Nation’s Main Objective is to spread awareness about the history, arts, the isms facing musicians with disabilities along with getting the musical talents of hip-hop artists with disabilities into the hands of media outlets, educators, and hip-hop, disabled and race scholars, youth, journalists and hip-hop conference coordinators. Krip-Hop Nation have put out CDs, held conferences and spoke on issues from police brutality against people with disabilities to ableism in Hip-Hop, media and in our communities.

COMPILED BY DJ Quad & Krip-Hop Nation              ENJOY! 

Artists & Their Songs

1) Intro Black Kripple                                                                                                                     

 Who Am I 

2)  Rinnessy

 Song: Talks About Krip-Hop Nation

3) DJ Quad

Song: Seeds Of Hip-Hop

4) D.M.C.

Song: Flames (Unnecessary Bullets)

5) C.R.I.$.I.$              

Song:  Good Foot

6) Annjewelz

Song: Good News

7) Preechman

Song: The Real

8) Georgetragic

Song: Industry Epidemic

9) Rob DA Noize Temple

Song: Tales of the Krip-Hop

10) Brown Buffalo 

  Song:  Accross The World  Music by Rob DA’ Noize Temple

11)  Wheelchair Sport Camp

Song:  Hard Out Here For A Gimp

12)  Toni Hickman

Song:  Cripple Pretty

13)  Ronnie Ronnie

Song: These Days

14) ft. BigFigg, Juako Wheels, Dr.Wahnsinn, Wondermike, Rob Da Noize Temple, Bowan, Zobibeat, Mat Fraser, Mr. Coronas, Undesirable, BlackMask Beat by Sicktunes, Mix by BinkiWoi w.a.c.h.-prod. Tanz: Dergin "Stix" Tokmak

Song: On The Grind

15) Kounterclockwise 

Song: Whip

16)  Proffessir x & Roxx Da Foxx

Song: Rollin High

17)  Leroy Moore & Fezo da MadOne

Song:  Eat My Disability

18) King Khazm

Song: disAbility

19)  King Kaution

Song: Every Day I Wake Up

20) Joy Elan 

Song:  Old Oakland vs New Oakland

21) Prinz-D The First Deaf Rapper

Song: This Can’t Be Life

22) JAM AKA Jachin Anthony Meeks

Song: World Go Round

23) JAKE

Song: Yo Puedo

24) Annjewelz, Binki, The Black Ktipple

    Song: Sugar Free King

BUY at CDBABY http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thebestofkriphopnation10

I’m everything but broke.

I’m trying to make it home too. Cause I’m riding around in the same car that the police pulled me over in and drawed guns on me and my children on March 3, 2017. I need someone to trail me home now and make sure I make it from East Oakland to West Oakland safe while I left my children’s school.

My name is Audrey Candy Corn. I’m the mother of Torian Dejure Hughes. He is 17 years of age, and I am a grieving mother. He was shot, killed and bullied one year ago. It’ll be 15 months actually exact on the 20^th of March. I have two living children, his brothers Amir, 13 years of age, and Ishy-Me, 8, who are still living.

It’s been a struggle every day of our lives. Outside of our everyday monetarial living, I have to deal with outside circumstances. So in a nutshell, Torian dies. Four months later, after he passes away, I get housing. And housing is around the corner from where my son is murdered. So I have to make a decision on if I stay homeless, living pillow to post with my children? Or do I take this residency that’s supposed to be stable and is in a poverty-stricken community called West Oakland?

So I took the apartment, being triggered, knowing that around the corner my son’s blood was shed.  Then shortly two months after I moved into this poverty-stricken project, housing police abused me, put their hands on me, tried to taze me, remove me out of my car illegally. Internal affairs got involved, and I currently have a lawsuit of misconduct and whatever else falls beneath that.

A few months after that, my house is surrounded by police ready to kick it in. They’re looking for someone. They’re looking for someone who previously lived there. But they didn’t care to go and check the paperwork to see if there had been new residents occupying that place cause they would have known me and my children was up in there.

I’m a single mother, 35 years of age, three male black children, law-abiding citizens, never been in jail. Never did drugs, don’t drink alcohol, not on probation, not on parole. I’m not on fucking welfare. I don’t accept your food stamps. I don’t have Medi-Cal so my teeth is rotting out my fucking mouth. I am totally independent. If I don’t work, I don’t eat.

My son is an author. He writes books. We sell them. My other son is the founder of an anti-bullying campaign for his brother. We are here in Deecolonize Academy because we could not be at the traditional schools because of discrimination against my children.

A woman such as myself that is bridging the gap for the community, between the police and the community, I – four times – have been stopped and guns pulled down on me and my children. I have anxiety, panic attacks, stress, depression, and any goddamn thing that you could think of.

Why? I don’t know.

I don’t know, but what I do know is that the police is out of control. They are not following protocol. Any time a woman comes from home, decides that she is going to go volunteer at her children’s school, to show them love and to show the staff and the teachers support, and show the other children whose parents ain’t here, that they got extended family. I came and I did that.

And I was here. I was in Church’s Chicken, up the street on Macarthur cause I was hungry. Then I made it here. And once I made it here, I didn’t leave. And once I left, I put my children in the car. I told the staff and the children that we would see them on Monday because it was Friday. And me and my children began to talk about our day and what we had planned because later on that day, Friday, we had T.A.Z. Apparel anti-bullying gear where we had to fit their models.

We almost didn’t make it because what transpired was: as I was coming from Macarthur from the school, there was an accident in front of us. And there was a bunch of police cars, so I decided I didn’t want to go through that. I make a right.

A white unmarked cop car gets behind me. Two more cop cars get behind me. I say to myself, “Ooh, I’m scared. Lord Jesus, oh Lord Jesus, the police is behind me.” The children is like, “It’s okay, Mom.” I’m like, yeah that’s right, it’s gonna be okay. I forgot, you know. I’m like, it’s gonna be okay.

It wasn’t okay.

These police officers followed me into the Eastmont Mall, turned on their sirens, and flung the doors open and said, “get out of the car,” with guns drawn on me and my children.

Could it be mistaken identity? Could it be my vehicle fit the description of another vehicle that did something? Could it be Donald Trump is in the office? Could it be that they’re practicing on us? Is it terrorism?

Terrorism is what it is. Cause I had on a dress. And again, they ran the license plates, didn’t they? They see that I was a woman and 98 pounds. I told them, this is what I did:

“Get out of the car.”

“My name is Audrey Candy Corn. I am a law-abiding citizen. I am not on probation or parole. I have 2 male children in the car that are minors, 13 and 8. Please sir, can you tell me what is your business with me and my children because we just came from school? I assure you this is a mistake. Please, put your guns down.”

They told me to put my ear on the ground to humiliate me, spread my legs, and don’t look at him.

My eight-year-old son Ishy-Me later remembered what he saw:

The cop said, “Get on the ground.” She was having anxiety. She couldn’t breathe. She called out my grandma’s number. A lady called my grandma. She said, “I am coming, baby.” And then called my Auntie. She was in San Francisco.

They put her in handcuffs. She said no. Both of them pushed her down. One of the cops had pointed a gun at her.

This lady knew us. She pulled us out of the car. Then they uncuffed her. One of the cops had a boiled-egg head. (Click here to watch the video of Ishy-me)

I’m done. I need some help.

The People Launched a Peoples Investigation

When I was a little boy growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, the mainstream media had just started talking about or admitting that pollution was a problem. But we barely heard anything about water pollution, mostly air pollution and littering.

Now there is hardly a day that goes by that we don’t hear about water being polluted or contaminated somehow. And it is always due to water being intentionally polluted or the gross negligence of government or some large corporation who have no regard for the health of poor and indigenous people.

This of course is known as environmental racism. But it is not just limited to poor people of color. Even rural areas where poor white people live are subject to these careless and hateful practices.

This environmental racism/terrorism goes beyond even those places . Literally from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli and anywhere else KKKapitalism rears its ugly head and dips its filthy fingers. And i is almost always backed up with the force of military might of the United SnaKKKes of AmeriKKKa.

India is an established nation and it is not exempt.

If these pigs are not contaminating water they are cutting off the water rights of poor and indigenous people such as the Zionist state of Israel cutting off the water rights of the Indigenous People Of Palestine [Israel] during “peace” time and even worse during an “official war” which occurs no fewer than every 5 years or so.

Most of us have heard about contamination of water in Flint , Michigan. But it was never mentioned in national news until those harmed by it reached epidemic proportions with a record number of birth defects, disease and other tragic events concentrated in one area.

The largest gathering of not only American Indian Tribes in history but of Indigenous tribes across the globe is taking place in Standing Rock , North Dakota due to a monstrously evil plan known Dakota Access Pipeline, or Dapl for short.

This plan had and has the intention of disregarding the water rights of the indigenous people of Standing Rock Sioux reservation that is ceded in both north and South Dakota

It was rerouted from Bismarck , North Dakota, a predominately white jurisdiction, when residents there complained that it would contaminate their water.

Without missing a beat they immediately rerouted it towards Standing Rock completely ignoring the treaties established with the local Sioux tribes and even continued to carry on with their efforts and ignoring protocol by not having the necessary work permits signed off by the Army Corp of Engineers.

And of course the Army did nothing to stop them in fact North Dakota invoked his powers to have National Guard storm in and attack the water protectors with everything from water cannons to tear gas and percussion grenades, causing multiple occurrences of maiming injuries.

Ultimately KKKapitalist pigs intend to contaminate many water sources across the globe making our most needed and abundant resource obsolete and denying it as a human right to further control the masses.

The CEO of Nestle, a known water hoarder and slave laborist , has gone on record as saying water should not be considered a human right.

Nestle owns S.Pellegrino , Arrowhead , Perrier Poland , Acqua Panna , Vittel , Contrex and many other brands .