Story Archives 2009

by Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia, co-teacher, poverty scholar and daughter of Dee

My name is Vinnie and I make a living with this," his hands were small and Columbian--coffee brown, each finger rippled with the struggle of homelessness, racism and poverty as he carefully unfolded a 12-inch cardboard sign upon which was meticulously printed black letters stating Starvin Like Marvin. (A reference to one of the famous sayings of middleweight boxing champion Marvin Hagler.)

The indigenous circle of multi-lingual, multi-generational and multi-racial, youth, adults and elders in poverty who produce news rooted in community struggle, art and resistance known as Community Newsroom at POOR Magazine busted into laughter of joy and appreciation at the sight of his sign. Vinnie stayed quiet as his sharp, chocolate eyes scanned the room. Then slowly, tentatively, the corners of his mouth seemingly frozen in a serious stillness lifted to reveal a broad and beautiful smile. He shook his head in tandem with the laughter, and just for a miraculous second, almost unseen, barely caught, Vinnie seemed carefree.

In a powerful collaboration between The Race, Poverty Media Justice Institute (RPMJ) at POOR Magazine, Intersection for the Arts and the Mission Community Council, I and other poverty scholars in residence at POOR Magazine were blessed to meet Vinnie H, Carmen C, Jennalyn S, Rhonda C, Jon T, Carlos L, Raymundo S and many more folks that we at POOR consider poverty, race, migrant, gender, elder and/or youth scholars engaged in different forms of unrecognized micro-business (panhandling, recycling, day laborers, sex work, mothering) and survival.

Through this collaboration, entitled Mission Resistance as it focused specifically on mission based organizations and communities, folks like Vinnie were exposed to the revolutionary concept of poverty scholarship itself, launched by POOR's RPMJ, which honors and recognizes the scholarship of youth, adults and elders in poverty for the knowledge they hold, have earned and continually learn from lives of struggle.

Starting with the first magical day in March, POOR's RPMJ led over 35 scholars from several non-profit organizations such as Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, Delores Street Community Services, La Raza Centro Legal, the Iris Center and St Joseph's Center through an intensive bi-lingual media, arts and organizing workshop in creative writing basics, media literacy, media justice, journalism and poverty scholarship called The Revolution Begins with I.

Your 'I' stories of struggle and survival, to stay housed, to stay employed, to feed your children, to fight systems that are in place to support you and often do the opposite, to find shelter, to keep your families safe and your children educated are valid and significant stories, important community media, and what we at POOR/PoorNewsNetwork consider revolutionary truth media, RPMJ co-teacher and co-editor, Tony Robles explained to the Mission Resistance class on the first day.

I have struggled to be housed with no help from most of the services supposedly in place to help homeless people,Jon T, began his RPMJ I am exercise tentatively, wondering out loud if his story of struggle was valid, or was in fact even media...By the graduation ceremony of Mission Resistance 8 weeks later, he presented his story to get housed, fight eviction and eventually become permanently housed as a story of resistance and triumph.

Your stories of struggle can cause change, can be tools of change, my experience of struggle with the welfare system has helped to change legislation that works against poor parents like me,� co-teacher, poverty scholar and welfareQUEEN Vivien Hain inspired the class with her own poverty scholarship and media resistance.

�I was profiled, stopped and questioned just for being a brown man on my way to get a job,� David M, a soft-spoken young man spoke at the third class of Mission Resistance, barely looking up from his small cup of hot tea. Working three jobs just to save money for housing, David was silently dealing with homelessness and racism while receiving services from Dolores Street Community Services. In addition to the actual struggle related to poverty, David was dealing with a silent and more brutal conflict, the shame associated with poverty, a shame that inhibits dreams, destroys hope and kills spirit. By the last class, a confident and focused David addressed the Newsroom with the subject of his investigative journalism project: �I want to write about the impact of budget cuts on mental health services for poor people of color in the Bay Area,� he concluded without looking down.

Los Viajes/The Journeys - the Mission media of migration

�La revolucion comienza con migo!� (The revolution Begins with �I�) called out Guillermo Gonzalez, co-teacher of the Voces de inmigrantes en resistencia program at POOR Magazine and coordinator of the Los Viajes project at POOR Magazine, a literary and audio anthology of peoples migration/immigration across borders all over the world.

Los Viajes was the concurrent project of Mission Resistance led by POOR Magazine migrant scholars. Taught in Spanish to migrant & poverty scholars from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Laos, the Carribean and beyond, this project incorporated the revolutionary �I� curriculum as well as beautiful stories of peoples' journeys across borders and lands to help support their families and folks. Through literary and visual art, this project also introduces the UN declaration on Indigenous Peoples � a new lens on migration to migrant communities in the Bay Area and will continue with several workshops and performances until a formal release in September in tandem with the anniversary of the signing of the UN declaration on Indigenous Peoples.

�Yo soy madre inmigrante de tres hijos,� (I am an immigrant mother of three children) Carmen, one of the members of Colectiva de Mujer of La Raza Centro Legal read an excerpt of her journey to the audience at the Mission Resistance graduation ceremony on April 8th. Carmen, who is struggling to feed her children as a working poor migrant mama, added with pride after reading her work of literary art and media resistance. �And, I, am a Poverty Scholar.�

Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia, poet, revolutionary journalist, poverty scholar, welfareQUEEN, co-founder and executive Director of POOR Magazine/PoorNewsNetwork and daughter of Dee, is the author of Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in America published by City Lights. She is also the Communications Director for Justice Matters.

POOR Magazine is a non-profit grassroots, arts, organization that provides media access, art and advocacy to youth, adults and elders in poverty in the Bay Area as well as on-site child care and arts education for children through the Family Project For more information about POOR Magazine�s ongoing media, arts and organizing project go on-line to www.poormagazine.org and for more information about our education program for educators, professionals and community members at the Race, Poverty Media Justice Institute go on-line to www.racepovertymediajustice.org.

by From the Belfast Telegraph

The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.

"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine.

"Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well."

Mr. Sahu lives in a district that recorded 206 farmer suicides last year. Police records for the district add that many deaths occur due to debt and economic distress.

In another village nearby, Beturam Sahu, who owned two acres of land was among those who committed suicide. His crop is yet to be harvested, but his son Lakhnu left to take up a job as a manual labourer.

His family must repay a debt of £400 and the crop this year is poor.

"The crop is so bad this year that we will not even be able to save any seeds," said Lakhnu's friend Santosh. "There were no rains at all."

"That's why Lakhnu left even before harvesting the crop. There is nothing left to harvest in his land this time. He is worried how he will repay these loans."

Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, told the Press Association: "Farmers' suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death."

Mr. Prakash added that the government ought to take up the cause of the poor farmers just as they fight for a strong economy.

"Development should be for all. The government blames us for being against development. Forest area is depleting and dams are constructed without proper planning.

All this contributes to dipping water levels. Farmers should be taken into consideration when planning policies," he said.

This article is from The Belfast Telegraph.

http://digg.com/d1om3A

by Bruce Allison and Thorton Kimes/PNN

Readers know I go to many meetings. There are buildings being planned, 2 of them on 7th Street near Mission; one of them will be on the Eastern side in the middle of the block next to the Izabel Hotel, which houses people with chemical and mental illness challenges. Two years of construction would not help any of them with recovery and might make anger management difficult as well as generating the unintended consequence of increased police presence and surveillance.

The main problem with these 2 units is the violation of height restrictions and the percentage of required "affordable housing" units included in the construction. Poor families live in the neighborhood and not only will they not be able to avail themselves of this new housing but also the mainstream tourist trade will experience a loss of housing for the population of folks that drop millions of dollars (and hotel tax monies) into San Francisco's economy every year.

Mission and 7th Street's Western side is at risk too. By tearing down another 50-unit tourist hotel (which also happens to be where locals regularly catch buses to out-of-town casinos--T.K.) and a local pizza parlour, local tax receipts will continue to shrink. This will hurt even more because of property taxes assessed by the city and sent to the state return to the community,but there will be less of that for the 2 years this project will take to be completed.

This project is not deep enough in the pipeline for public comment and outrage to be ignored the A/Z-SF Hotels, LLC has only gotten to the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement study of the impact of their project on the neighborhood) level of activity. If you are a resident of San Francisco and want to stop this project from going forward, write to the staff contact person (Irene Nishimura) of the San Francisco Planning Department at her e-mail address (irene.nishimura@sfgov.org) or by mail mail to 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, SF CA 94103-2479. The phone number is 415-575-9041.

One more reason for concern/outrage: no resident of the affected block of Mission Street has yet been informed that change is coming to the neighborhood. It would be very helpful if this was mentioned in inquiries or comments by mail, e-mail, or phone calls.

If you want to contact A/Z-SF Hotels, LLC, call Andrew Junius at Reuben and Junius, LLP at 415-567-9000 to ask that Ò114-7th Street construction not happen at all. We donÕt need more housing for the gentry.

This building contractor would be wise to retrieve its investment by making the housing units affordable to 50% of AMI (Area Median Income), with proper tax assistance A/Z-SF Hotels could make a profit and help the blue collar community that really could use more housing. A few units for people making 0-30% of AMI wouldn't hurt! This would also help the city by lowering taxes and getting more folks out of the shelters and off the streets.

The tax money saved by not pursuing this project could be used more creatively to help people get the education and services they need. For more information on this and other housing issues e-mail me at bruce94103@gmail.com.

by Anonymous

I never thought I would be here again. I promised myself, that I would never ever ever let this happen again. Here I was another “victim of violence”, or so I thought.

I remember the first time I saw violence. It wasn’t on TV, or a movie my parents wouldn’t let me watch, it was in my family. I remember the feelings of sadness, violence, and anger hanging in the air of our house as if a permanent fog of violence had settled inside. It was if you could breathe it. I started to breathe it in, as if it were a daily dose of prescription that was given to me every day. “Must experience violence, sadness, or anger at least twice a day. Do not take on an empty stomach”, the prescription would read.

I breathe in that violence many ways, and would breathe it out in ways very opposite. Breathe in... Screams, yelling, door slamming, name calling, hitting… Breathe out… Crying, trying to be the best kid so my parents wouldn’t fight, turning on the TV so I didn’t have to hear the yelling… Ahhhhhh… these breaths of air were not toxic to anyone except me…

As I started getting older, the violence wasn’t just between my parents anymore. Smack… Pow… Thunk… all became sounds that were too familiar to my body. I now had become the object of parents’ hatred about themselves. The colors of black, blue, and red were an everyday occurrence. I would breathe in the violence, and breathe out bad grades, skipping class, and detention.

As I got older, the relationships I would be attracted to were not ever healthy. Lucky for me, they never lasted more than a week. I would remember to myself that I have to find someone who was not like the father I grew up with. I wanted someone who was traditional, kind, and loving.

I thought I found those qualities in someone I was dating. I remember we would go for these drives just to go to his family’s sweat lodge. I remember him talking about how he was so proud to be Native, and how this land used to be ours. I remember the violence he would lash out on me, instead of himself. I know that somewhere down in his soul he believed those boarding school lies and used those same abusive punishments on my body.

I remember how he would yell at me on the way driving to sweat lodge, and then he would make tobacco ties by the fire, and say how sorry he was. I remember on the way back from sweat lodge how he would spit and beat on my body to his heart’s content.

One day, I told a friend of mines and made a decision to talk about it. I thought telling his family would be helpful. I mean one of his relatives was a well-respected medicine man, and he would listen to me. Right? Well, I was wrong. I came out and told my story and got laughed out of their circle. I was told if it was that way then to not be with him. I left.

It took awhile to trust anyone again. I used to joke with my friend, and blame all men as the problem. She told me, "Women can hit too.” I didn’t understand what she was telling me. She then told me of a girlfriend she had, who would beat her, yell at her, and call her names. I couldn’t believe my friend had experienced violence too.

I noticed the more women I told my story too, the more they told me their stories. I started to tell some men my story too, and they would open up how they were abused and when got older abused their partner. One even told me how his girlfriend abused him.

I could not believe how many people experienced violence that I knew and respected. I started to think how could I erase violence at least from my own life?

I knew prayer was the first place to start. So I prayed everyday to God, asking for me to find the partner that was created for me. That we would have a healthy relationship, and our love would last for a lifetime.

Then I met him. I had dreams about him. I would spend hours talking to him. I would love how he held me. I would love those beautiful moments when we kissed. He had to be the one I prayed about. I thought to myself this is the man I want to spend my life with.

I wish I could say that all of the sudden violence entered our relationship, but in looking back it was there before I knew it. The abuse would go on and on, and even some of his family members noticed. One told me to call a hotline to get help. One of his family members told me to leave him. I remember being called bitch way before I got a black eye.

So here I was again, in a place I promised myself I would never be in. I thought I was too old to have abusive relationships. I proved myself wrong, abuse happens at any age. So I left him for a while. Of course, he came back crying and saying how he changed. He was going to go to Anger management, and he wanted to start a family that he never had. I bought it all… hook, line, and sinker.

It happened again except I had two black eyes this time. I cried so much, and he just kept saying sorry. He tried to heal the wounds he created. Those wounds were deeper than my eyes to heal them he would have to start with his soul. He promised to never do that again, and stated how he is an abuser and that he needs help. He held me in his arms that night.

The abuse didn’t stop. I would be blamed for something, called a bitch, or be accused of cheating on him. He even accused me of cheating with someone in his family. He was right I was being cheated. I was being cheated out of a healthy relationship that I prayed all the time for.

One day after beating me, I couldn’t take the lies anymore. The day before I told him I was pregnant, and this beating was the worst one. I know that the baby felt it. I woke up. I stopped lying to myself in thinking that we would be that happy, loving couple. He threatened my life and my unborn child, and I decided to tell someone my story.

I started with the police. It was the first time I had ever told anyone about the abuse I had suffered with him. I cried, and was very nervous about what the future held. Would his family hate me or retaliate against me? Would he try to get revenge on me for telling my story? What would I do after I told my story?

The next time I got a call from Victim Services and then from the prosecutor telling me they were going to press charges on him. They issued a warrant, and days later he was in jail. The courts during that time established a no contact order between us. It was during this time I started to see how his family treated me.

Different members of his family harassed me during this time. I was even ignored and snubbed by the relative who told me to call a hotline months before. He and members of his family were blaming me for his jail time. For one moment in time, I actually believed they were right. Then I snapped back into reality, and realized violence is a choice. He chose to become violent and take it out on me.

Finally, the trial came. He pleaded guilty. He was mandated to probation and DV counseling. He had more jail time to come as well.

During this whole time I was pregnant, I tried to be positive for the baby. It was hard with the constant harassment and stress coming from some of his relatives. I cried so much, and promised the baby that even if I have to be single for the rest of my life I will not let my child experience violence inside our home.

I was scared for my unborn child, and was suffering greatly from post-traumatic stress. Then that call came, “Mamm’ he will be released from jail in thirty minutes.” It all started coming back, but I tried to remember to be positive. So I went about my day, and cleaned up my house. Then that evening came, he wasn’t in jail anymore. Would he come to my house? Would he beat me up because he was in jail? Would he get a family member to do it? I started to have cramps, and then I started to bleed.

I freaked out. I called the hospital and talked to a labor nurse for advice. She said, “If it gets worse then come to emergency or just wait till morning to see your OBGYN.” I calmed down, and tried to go to sleep.

The cramps got worse. It was some of the worst pain I have experienced in my life. Then it happened, my unborn child was in my hands. Just like that my baby was gone. I cried harder than I ever have in my life. I still cry about the baby to this day. It is a pain that I know will never go away.

Growing up, I was taught that silence is sacred. Silence spoke volumes when my grandmother used it. I was taught that silence could also oppress others. In matters of abuse and violence, silence only helps to continue killing our communities, Nations, and societies.

A Pastor by the name of Martin Niemöller saw how dangerous silence surrounding violence is, and how it could lead to genocide. He stated:

“After Hitler came to power in Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

This Pastor saw how silence allowed genocide to kill millions of people. There is a genocide happening right now with our people, particularly our women. In what ways have you been silent about violence?

You may think this story includes you, that you may know me, or that you are the abuser, I consider that is how well you connected to this story. In the end this story is the story of many women and some men. It is a story that started on this land when the colonizers first came. I wrote it for all those survivors out there… who choose to not be a victim. I wrote it for all those abusers, so that you may realize violence is a choice. Violence is learned, and that it can be unlearned.

It is by writing this story I refuse to be silent any longer, and maybe one day if our society refuses to silent as well then I can republish this story with my name and have no fear.

(If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence or abuse, please feel free to call Alternative Horizons 24-hour hotline at 970-247-9619 (English and Spanish) or Our Sister’s Keeper Coalition 24-hour hotline at 970-247-7888.)

by Lisa Gray-Garcia

"My name is Vinnie and I make a living with this," his hands were small and Columbian--coffee brown, each finger rippled with the struggle of homelessness, racism and poverty as he carefully unfolded a 12-inch cardboard sign upon which was meticulously printed black letters stating "Starvin Like Marvin." (A reference to one of the famous sayings of middleweight boxing champion Marvin Hagler.)

The indigenous circle of multi-lingual, multi-generational and multi-racial, youth, adults and elders in poverty who produce news rooted in community struggle, art and resistance known as Community Newsroom at POOR Magazine busted into laughter of joy and appreciation at the sight of his sign. Vinnie stayed quiet as his sharp, chocolate eyes scanned the room. Then slowly, tentatively, the corners of his mouth seemingly frozen in a serious stillness lifted to reveal a broad and beautiful smile. He shook his head in tandem with the laughter, and just for a miraculous second, almost unseen, barely caught, Vinnie seemed carefree.

In a powerful collaboration between The Race, Poverty Media Justice Institute (RPMJ) at POOR Magazine, Intersection for the Arts and the Mission Community Council, I and other poverty scholars in residence at POOR Magazine were blessed to meet Vinnie H, Carmen C, Jennalyn S, Rhonda C, Jon T, Carlos L, Raymundo S and many more folks that we at POOR consider poverty, race, migrant, gender, elder and/or youth scholars engaged in different forms of unrecognized micro-business (panhandling, recycling, day laborers, sex work, mothering) and survival.

Through this collaboration, entitled Mission Resistance as it focused specifically on mission based organizations and communities, folks like Vinnie were exposed to the revolutionary concept of poverty scholarship itself, launched by POOR's RPMJ, which honors and recognizes the scholarship of youth, adults and elders in poverty for the knowledge they hold, have earned and continually learn from lives of struggle.

Starting with the first magical day in March, POOR's RPMJ led over 35 scholars from several non-profit organizations such as Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, Delores Street Community Services, La Raza Centro Legal, the Iris Center and St. Joseph's Center through an intensive bi-lingual media, arts and organizing workshop in creative writing basics, media literacy, media justice, journalism and poverty scholarship called The Revolution Begins with "I".

"Your 'I' stories of struggle and survival, to stay housed, to stay employed, to feed your children, to fight systems that are in place to support you and often do the opposite, to find shelter, to keep your families safe and your children educated are valid and significant stories, important community media, and what we at POOR/PoorNewsNetwork consider revolutionary truth media," RPMJ co-teacher and co-editor, Tony Robles explained to the Mission Resistance class on the first day.

"I have struggled to be housed with no help from most of the services supposedly in place to help homeless people," Jon T, began his RPMJ "I am" exercise tentatively, wondering out loud if his story of struggle was valid, or was in fact even media...By the graduation ceremony of Mission Resistance 8 weeks later, he presented his story to get housed, fight eviction and eventually become permanently housed as a story of resistance and triumph.

"Your stories of struggle can cause change, can be tools of change, my experience of struggle with the welfare system has helped to change legislation that works against poor parents like me," co-teacher, poverty scholar and welfareQUEEN Vivien Hain inspired the class with her own poverty scholarship and media resistance.

"I was profiled, stopped and questioned just for being a brown man on my way to get a job," David M, a soft-spoken young man spoke at the third class of Mission Resistance, barely looking up from his small cup of hot tea. Working three jobs just to save money for housing, David was silently dealing with homelessness and racism while receiving services from Dolores Street Community Services. In addition to the actual struggle related to poverty, David was dealing with a silent and more brutal conflict, the shame associated with poverty, a shame that inhibits dreams, destroys hope and kills spirit. By the last class, a confident and focused David addressed the Newsroom with the subject of his investigative journalism project: "I want to write about the impact of budget cuts on mental health services for poor people of color in the Bay Area," he concluded without looking down.

Los Viajes/The Journeys - the Mission media of migration

"La revolucion comienza con migo!" (The revolution Begins with "I") called out Guillermo Gonzalez, co-teacher of the Voces de inmigrantes en resistencia program at POOR Magazine and coordinator of the Los Viajes project at POOR Magazine, a literary and audio anthology of peoples migration/immigration across borders all over the world.

Los Viajes was the concurrent project of Mission Resistance led by POOR Magazine migrant scholars. Taught in Spanish to migrant & poverty scholars from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Laos, the Carribean and beyond, this project incorporated the revolutionary "I" curriculum as well as beautiful stories of peoples' journeys across borders and lands to help support their families and folks. Through literary and visual art, this project also introduces the UN declaration on Indigenous Peoples; a new lens on migration to migrant communities in the Bay Area and will continue with several workshops and performances until a formal release in September in tandem with the anniversary of the signing of the UN declaration on Indigenous Peoples.

"Yo soy madre inmigrante de tres hijos," (I am an immigrant mother of three children) Carmen, one of the members of Colectiva de Mujer of La Raza Centro Legal read an excerpt of her journey to the audience at the Mission Resistance graduation ceremony on April 8th. Carmen, who is struggling to feed her children as a working poor migrant mama, added with pride after reading her work of literary art and media resistance. "And, I, am a Poverty Scholar."

Tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia, poet, revolutionary journalist, poverty scholar, welfareQUEEN, co-founder and executive Director of POOR Magazine/PoorNewsNetwork and daughter of Dee, is the author of Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in America published by City Lights. She is also the Communications Director for Justice Matters.

POOR Magazine is a non-profit grassroots, arts, organization that provides media access, art and advocacy to youth, adults and elders in poverty in the Bay Area as well as on-site child care and arts education for children through the Family Project For more information about POOR Magazine's ongoing media, arts and organizing project go on-line to www.poormagazine.org and for more information about our education program for educators, professionals and community members at the Race, Poverty Media Justice Institute go on-line to www.racepovertymediajustice.org.

by Chloe Auletta-Young/Race, Povery and Media Justice Intern

Scroll down for English

“No estamos pidiendo algo enorme,” comento Sagnicthe Salazar, “estamos exigiendo nada menos de lo qué nos merecemos.” Salazar es Coordinadora Líder de Huaxtec, una organización de base para la juventud de la Raza y una organización miembra de Oakland Sin Fronteras. Huaxtec es también una de las muchas organizaciones que patrocinan la marcha y la reunión del 1ero de Mayo contra las violaciones de los derechos humanos sufridos por los migrantes indocumentados que viven y que trabajan en los E.E.U.U.

El programa comenzará a las 3:30 p.m. el viernes 1ero de Mayo en la Plaza de Fruitvale. A las 4:30 p.m. comenzará la marcha hacia la plaza de Frank Ogawa, en el ayuntamiento de Oakland, terminando aproximadamente a las 6:00 p.m. El tema del acontecimiento será derechos humanos para cada uno, moratoria a las detenciones y las deportaciones, y vivienda, cuidado médico, y educación para todos.

Salazar tomaba el liderazgo en una de las reuniones de planeamiento que hubo el lunes 20 de abril en la Clinica De La Raza en Fruitvale. Los líderes de una pequeña cantidad de otras organizaciones que patrocinaban vinieron juntos para discutir la programación, alcance, seguridad, limpieza, hospitalidad, etc. Toda la conversación era bilingüe, en español y el inglés y las ideas de todo/as fueron escuchadas. Nunca he tenido la experiencia de tal unión de las organizaciones de base que se juntaron para planear un acontecimiento singular. “Para mí como adulto joven y migrante, es mi obligación de participar en esto y de comenzar a organizar nuestras comunidades,” dijo Muteado Silencio, un escritor migrante, y miembro del personal de la organización patrocinadora TIGRA, y escritor del personal para la revista POOR, “necesitamos forzar la nueva administración a tomar nuevas acciones, para reconocer a los trabajadores indocumentados.”

Salazar tenía otro propósito sobre la marcha, “en el pasado las demandas legislativas fueron concretas, pero los cambios no han significado mucho. Oakland ha sido una ciudad santuaria anteriormente, nada cambia… No estámos hablando de amnistía porque no hemos hecho nada para que seamos perdonados, nosotros apenas queremos los derechos que la O.N.U nos da, la libertad del movimiento, que hace que la gente pare de verse como inmigrantes y comienza verse como migrantes.” La marcha en Oakland es así una llamada de adentro para afuera, uniendo la comunidad internamente para llamar la atención a la hipocresía de la política de los E.E.U.U. “Durante los años no importa lo qué este sucediendo, sea la economía o lo que sea, los trabajadores indocumentados son el chivo expiatorio, los accusados.” Muteado dijo, “a excepción de los nativos americanos y los Afro-Americanos, que fueron traídos aquí por fuerza, somos todos migrantes. Puede ser que hayamos cruzado la frontera, pero los europeos cruzaron un océano.”

El evento está haciendo una conexión con la comunidad Afro-Americana al acentuar la ejecución de Óscar Grant como ejemplo de la militarización cada vez incrementando dentro de vecindades, reflejando la militarización de la frontera. “Oakland Sin Fronteras conecta la lucha de migrantes con las luchas de todas las comunidades de la clase obrera en todo el mundo, con la guerra, las prisiones, y la militarización de nuestros hogares y vecindades,” Salazar indico.

El programa comenzará con los altavoces de la comunidad y de los funcionamientos artísticos, tales como Danza Azteca y Poetas Pobres de la revista POOR. La marcha no va ser corta, son tres millas para llegar al ayuntamiento desde Fruitvale. Sin embargo, es corto cuando está comparado a la importancia de los mensajes, 3 millas en una lucha contra injusticia. “Es necesario que nuestra gente esté allí,” dijo Salazar, “ello/as sufren la parte más recia de los ataques pero nunca tienen el poder dentro de las discusiones. En este caso, sus cuerpos son su voz.”

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Demanding Nothing Less Than What Is Deserved: Preparation For The May 1st Rally For Migrant Rights In Oakland

By Chloe Auletta-Young

“We are not asking for something huge,” commented Sagnicthe Salazar, “we are demanding nothing less than what we deserve.” Salazar is Lead Coordinator of Huaxtec, a grassroots organization for Raza youth and a member organization of Oakland Sin Fronteras. Huaxtec is also one of the many organizations sponsoring the May 1st march and rally against the human rights violations suffered by undocumented migrants living and working in the U.S. The program will start at 3:30pm on Friday, May 1st at Fruitvale Plaze. At 4:30pm the march to Frank Ogawa Plaza at the Oakland City Hall will begin, ending at approximately 6:00pm. The theme of the event will be human rights for everyone, moratorium on detentions and deportations, and housing, health care, and education for all.

Salazar was taking the lead on one of the planning meetings held Monday, April 20th at Clinica De La Raza in Fruitvale. Leaders from a handful of the other sponsoring organizations came together to discuss programming, outreach, security, clean-up, entertainment, etc. All conversation was bilingual, in both Spanish and English and everyones input was heard. I have never experienced such a uniting of grassroots organizations coming together to plan a singular event. “For me as a migrant young adult, it's my obligation to take part in this and start organizing our communities,” said Muteado Silencio, a migrant scholar, staff member of sponsoring organization TIGRA, and staff-writer for POOR Magazine, “we need to force the new administration to take new action, to recognize the undocumented workers.”

Salazar had another purpose behind the march, “in the past their have been concrete legislative demands, but the changes haven't meant much. Oakland has been a sanctuary city before, nothing changes...We are not talking about amnesty because we have done nothing to be forgiven for, we just want the rights that the UN gives us, the freedom of movement, that takes people to stop seeing themselves as immigrants and start seeing themselves as migrants.” The march in Oakland is thus a call from the inside out, uniting the community internally in order to call attention to the hypocrisy in U.S. Policy. “Over the years no matter what is going on, be it the economy or whatever, undocumented workers are the scapegoat,” stated Muteado, “with the exception of Native Americans and African-Americans, who were brought here by force, we are all migrants. We might have crossed the border, but Europeans crossed an Ocean.”

The event is making a connection to the African-American community by emphasizing the execution of Oscar Grant as an example of the increasing militarization within neighborhoods, mirroring the militarization of the border. “Oakland Sin Fronteras connects the struggle of migrants to the struggles of all working class communities around the world, to war, prisons, and militarization of our homes and neighborhoods,” stated Salazar.

The program will begin with speakers from the community and artistic performances, such as Danza Azteca and Poetas Pobres of POOR Magazine. The following march is not a short one, it is three miles from Fruitvale to City Hall. However, it is short when compared to the importance of the messages, 3 miles in a fight against injustice. “It is necessary for our folks to be out there,” said Salazar, “they bear the brunt of the attacks but they never have the power within the debates. In this case, their bodies are their voice.”

by From JusticeInNigeriaNow.org

San Francisco, CA - Judge Susan Illston, on Wednesday, denied Chevron Corp’s request to recoup over $485,000 in costs associated with a human rights case filed by Nigerian villagers. The corporation said the plaintiffs owed them the costs - including the cost of photocopies and deposition fees - after they were found not liable last fall. However, the judge disagreed.

“The economic disparity between plaintiffs, who are Nigerian villagers, and defendants, international oil companies, cannot be more stark,” Illston stated in her brief.

Illston compared Chevron’s 2008 earnings of $23.93 billion to the income of the villagers who were plaintiffs in the case citing their respective jobs at a gas station – (earning as much as $100 per month), operating a kerosene business ($867 per month), and odd jobs that involve cutting or selling firewood, fishing, and construction ($60 per month), among other low paying jobs, and stated that ten of the plaintiffs were minors who have no income.

The judge also cautioned against Chevron’s efforts to use the threat of a cost order such as the one requested by Chevron to deter future human rights litigation.

“At root, this case was an attempt by impoverished citizens of Nigeria to increase accountability for the activities of American companies in their country. Plaintiffs’ ultimate failure at trial does not detract from the fact that this was a civil rights case. The threat of deterring future litigants from prosecuting human rights claims in the future is especially present in a case such as this, where plaintiffs have paltry resources and defendants are large and powerful economic actors,” she continued in the brief.

The lawsuit was filed 10 years ago by Nigerian villagers who were peacefully protesting Chevron for the lack of jobs and environmental damage caused by the company in their communities. To quell the protest, Chevron paid for and transported the notoriously ruthless Nigerian military to remove the protesters from an oil platform where the villagers had staged a sit-in. As a result, two villagers were killed and several others were injured and tortured.

On December 1, 2008 a San Francisco jury found Chevron not liable. The plaintiffs have since appealed the decision in the 9th circuit court of appeals.

JusticeInNigeriaNow.org

CONTACT:
Sarah Dotlich
415-575-5521

by Leroy Moore and Chloe Auletta-Young/PNN-ReVieWsFoRtheReVoLuTion

Well finally Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop happened at University of California at Berkeley on April 11th-- a reality and can be looked upon now as we go forward. Now I’m looking back to write and reflect about the history, process and what hope our communities have learned and what could be next.

The whole history of Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop is not only the event but it is deep not only in myself but in my communities, Black & disabled, and my upbringing. Being Black, disabled and an activist I’ve always questioned how race and disability affects all institutions and public arenas we live in. My parents were deep into Black music from Blues, Soul, Disco, Jazz and yes, early Hip-Hop with a record collection that would blow your mind. No wonder after many years, I found myself in the shoes of my parents as an activist and a cultural worker pushing not only my identities but politics, history as a Black disabled man in the arts world including music. As a poet, journalist and cultural worker I’ve learned that activism comes in all forms not only on protest lines but also in the arts, media and writing.

So lets make one thing clear: we all learn from each other and many movements and communities. The disability rights movement had learned techniques from the Black Civil Rights Movement and so on so its not surprising that Krip-Hop Nation (Hip-Hop by artists with disabilities) has studied what Gay & Lesbians & Transgender Hip-Hop artists had formed in Hip-Hop locally and internationally. I’m getting ahead of myself but if you have followed my work and writings through out the years on Poor Magazine and other places you might have some background on what I just jumped into.

Lets continue with the history behind Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event. I can’t leave out the brief history of the creation of Krip-Hop and although I’m not gay I’ll try to barrow the language from Juba Kalamka who is a Black out Gay man that started the first Gay Hip-Hop Festival, The PeaceOut Festival, in Oakland, CA. Beyond my love of music and my continue quest for information on race and disability, the ideal of Krip-Hop came to life in 2006 at KPFA 94.1 FM when a collective took on my ideal to put a series on Hip-Hop artists with disabilities. After the three part series in 2006 I wanted to do more so I put out a call to do a mixtape series. It has grown into a network of Hip-Hop musicians with disabilities from around the world providing workshops and now our first public event, Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop.

Many people asked why Krip-Hop teamed up with Homo-Hop. The complete history of Peaceout Festival at www.peaceoutfestival.com/history.html can explain some of the reasons from queer point of view. I’ll expand the Krip-Hop side of the history. In 2006 I attended The Peaceout Festival and talked to the creator of the festival, Juba Kalamka. After witnessing PeaceOut and listening Juba, it hit me the similarities between queer and disabled Hip-Hop artists. The vision/mission of Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop was to bring the margins front and center, to expose the struggle of difference, as has always been the legacy of hip-hop, to link the stories, struggles and future work of both movements and to challenge Hip-Hop community, media and academia on what is Hip-Hop. This vision/mission of this event took almost four years to come to reality because education for myself had to happen on both movements. Many people think I, Leroy Moore, founded Krip-Hop Nation but Hip-Hop artists have always been out there like queer artists have been in Hip-Hop from the beginning. I think what Juba and I saw was a lack of platform so all the artists can come together to not only share their talents but also push our communities, the music industry and media around our identities, history, rights and stories as queer and disabled Hip-Hop artists.

Although the PeaceOut Festival was great, at that time there were no books on the issue of Homo-Hop but on the internet there was and still is a growing independent musicians/artists movement going on and that is where I met many Hip-Hop artists who are queer. This same avenue, the internet, was how I met almost all Hip-Hop artists with disabilities from all over the world and recently, through the same avenue, I met the Hip-Hop Gay Spiritual Advisor, Khalil Amani. Khalil Amani wrote one of the first books on Homo-Hop movement, Hip-Hop Homophobes. Amani’s MySpace page was very interesting. He was and is not Gay but a real outspoken voice of the Homo-Hop movement. Amani has been attacked for his support of the Homo-Hop movement and his very activist writings on this topic. Amani’s story reminded me of myself, a straight Black man and a strong supporter of issues facing the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender community. The work of many people like Amani and Kalamka and many others have helped form the vision of Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event and made me strong to the attitudes and discriminating commitments that I received during the process of organizing and publicizing this event.

So the process and ugliness behind of Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event has been full of both support and surprising attitudes. Usually, I don’t like to spend time with the negativity but sometimes to shed a spotlight on it teaches the public on what to do in the future. Many people especially some Hip-Hop artists with disabilities thought that Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event was not my ideal and thought Homo-Hoppers just jumped on the wagon. The shocking thing is some male disabled Hip-Hop artists just could not deal with Homo-Hop movement and some dropped out in the beginning stages. They didn’t know that Homo-Hop is a movement and has collected a lot of media attention and has almost the same story of being rejected from today’s Hip-Hop industry and popular culture as Krip-Hop does. However some of the artists dropped out and others didn’t even want to hear anything about the combination of Krip-Hop and Homo-Hop. One artists thought I was threatening his manhood! No joke! On the other end Homo-Hop artists and their media were supportive of the event from the start. OutHipHop was one of the first media outlets to be a media sponsor with of course Poor Magazine then later KPFA’s Hard Knock Radio show. Knowing that there are many kinds of artists some are activists, organizers and some are just artists, this reality created some hurdles when it comes to event planning with a heavy political vision but all turned out good in Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event. I also realized that the artists who came and supported the cause had traveled all over on their own dime to be apart of this and stayed in contact throughout this process.

It is hard when you find out one of your favorite musicians you have listened to for a long time can’t support your work. Being a journalist and radio DJ, I have a good fortune to interview some of the musicians I like. I’m not saying any names but I had the opportunity to interview one of the fathers of Hip-Hop (Hint: He has a church in LA) and to my surprise he was down for Krip-Hop but was silent when I mentioned Homo-Hop and the mission of the event. This is only one story of being smacked with people politics, thoughts, comments and complete silence around the event. Like I said in many Facebook postings, the event drew out pity toward the notion of Hip-Hop artists with disabilities and on the other side fear around queer artists in Hip-Hop. Through emails, face to face communication and phone calls around Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event, people had stripped off the liberal costumes to let out some surprising hatred views about the combination of Homo-Hop and Krip-Hop. I can go deeper into these attitudes or emails I received but I won’t. These attitudes were surprising for me to be in the Bay Area, the home of the Disability Rights Movement and the Gay Mecca.

Let's go on to key friends and institutions that really stepped up to make the ideal of Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event a reality. The long supportive history of getting my writings on Krip-Hop Nation that led to the paper foundation of the politics of this event is Poor Magazine under my column Illin-N-Chillin. Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop event has really opened my activist eyes and heart to finally realize that I do have a supportive community, individuals and institutions here in the Bay Area. In today’s economy putting on an event like Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop with artists coming from all over the country, gaining an accessible place and all the materials and equipment is almost impossible to do it alone. Sue Schweik, Katherine Sherwood, Kevin Radley and all the student coordinators of University of California at Berkeley showed how universities can collaborate with community advocates to put on a historical event as equal partners.

Like any other big event, I think the real work comes before and after the event. As some know there is so much work to plan an event but there is work after an event especially if the event has roots in community organizing, changing institutional activities, policies and attitudes and long term education goal that Krip-Hop and Homo-Hop is grounded in. So the future goals are bigger then another conference, another documentary, a record label what is even deeper is to continue the work as a collective to change our society and laying down a framework for our communities, for the entertainment industry, for other disabled and queer Hip-Hop artists, for the media and more important for ourselves. We still have work to do knowing that some will do it in the studios others will do on protest lines other will do it in journalism but as a collective it all adds up to change.

Yes it would be great if Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop Homo-Hop can go on as an annual or every other year event or any other formation of what was created in the future. We will see, the seed has been planted. Thank you everybody for a wonderful experience. Look forward to the growth.

Leroy F. Moore Jr.

Krip-Hop Nation Founder

Krip-Hop.com

Krip-Hop on Facebook

Krip-Hop on Myspace

Contact: kriphopproject@yahoo.com

by Leroy Moore and Chloe Auletta-Young/PNN-ReVieWsFoRtheReVoLuTion

“It’s like the CEO’s at Chevron,” hip-hop artist Miss Money said in response to a question from the audience, “they are all white.” She was referring to the record executives that control what is popular in the world of hip-hop, what is centralized in society’s perspective on hip-hop culture. On Saturday, April 11th, I learned there is much more than meets the eye. I attended, “Diversifying Hip-Hop: Krip-Hop and Homo-Hop,” at the Worth Ryder Art Gallery on the CAL campus, the first symposia ever dedicated to the two movements of hip-hop artists with disabilities and hip-hop artists who are queer. I came to the event carrying my own perspective. I gazed upon the artwork with my own eyes and listened to the panelists with my own ears, processing it all with my own mind. It was a room full of varying and distinctive viewpoints. Some folks were able-bodied, some were not, some were gay, some were not, some were black, white, Asian, Latino, and some were somewhere in between, outside, or a combination. The common thread that wove between the audience and panelists, artists and organizers, was difference, the desire for artistic creation and human connection to supersede difference. The two smallest minority groups within hip-hop uniting to inform, discuss, perform and inspire. “We are individuals,” said Great Scott, disabled rapper and panelist, “but we all do Hip-hop. It’s not a monolith, it’s diverse, a community of unlike minds.”

The event was hosted and coordinated by Leroy R. Moore Jr., writer, poet, hip-hop music lover, disability and race scholar, and founder of Krip-hop, an organization aiming, “to get the musical talents of hip-hop artists with disabilities into the hands of media outlets, educators, hip-hop, disability, and race scholars, youth, and hip-hop conference coordinators, with the goal of raising awareness and disseminating the latest news on musicians with disabilities.” Added to the bill was Homo-hop, a broad movement of Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgendered rappers, DJ’s, and hip-hop artists who have grown in the public eye through the PeaceOUT World Homo-hop Festival and the powerful documentary Pick Up The Mic: The Homo-Hop Revolution. “I found out that the stories of rejection to Hip-Hop artists with disabilities was shared by another group of talented Hip-Hop artists,” explained Moore, “they had been speaking out since 2001 and had formed their own movement…It feels so good when you know that there are people that can relate, and have provided a path of support, knowing that we have our differences but share the same goal.” Bringing the two movements together for this event was an effort to “bring the margins front and center,” as it was explained on the press release, “to expose the struggle of difference, as has always been the legacy of Hip-Hop.”

I brought the Krip-hop mix CD home with me. It’s good music, and it can be for everyone. The lyrics are pulled from everywhere, founded in the realities of the artists. “Music is a reflection of society,” said panelist and hip-hop artist Tru Bloo, “you can’t talk about it as if it was created in a bubble.” Hip-hop can be angry because society is angry. Disabled and homosexual artists are creating from their own unique perspectives, inspired by their own experiences, viewpoints which are just as valid and important as any other ‘mainstream’ creator. “We are beginning this dialogue now,” said Tru Bloo, “eventually we will be able to recognize the power in difference.”

As the symposia began, the audience, in all our diversity, slowly began to crowd the small space, spilling out into the hallway, and negotiating spacing with one another, encouraged to yell and clap as loud as we could. There was a contact and honesty about the event that opened up the room and allowed for the revealing of the raw, the roots of the subject matter. I felt this most powerfully during the open discussion with the panelists, as the pleasantries were unwrapped and the multitude of complexities embedded within these communities were revealed. Are you a gay rapper, or a rapper who is gay? A disabled MC or an MC who happens to be disabled? Is hip-hop negative or positive? Do hip-hop artists have a responsibility to make it positive?

Moderated by the incredible Anita Johnson of Hard Knock Radio on KPFA, all of the guests spoke from their own viewpoints, their own lives. The panelists were Miss Money; a singer, DJ, producer, and rapper from Houston, Texas, who happens to be both gay and disabled, Great Scott; an underground MC from Atlanta, partially paralyzed from a gunshot wound, B-sick; a rapper from Las Vegas rendered blind from a degenerative eye disease, Nyla Moujaes (Tru Bloo); is a public interest attorney, community organizer poet, musician, and MC, hailing from Lebanon and Las Vegas who happens to be lesbian, and Juba Kalamka; a recording artist from Chicago, founder of Deep Dickollective and the label Sugartruck Recordings, Director/Curator of PeaceOUT from 2002-2007, and pioneer of the Homo-hop movement in the bay area, who happens to be bisexual. They truly were a representation of the diversity within Hip-hop. “Part of the function of mainstream media is to distill people into little boxes,” said Kalamka, “we are more complex than that.”

The conversation opened the boxes and revealed these some fascinating complexities. “Hip-hop, at its root, is kind of a culture of angry young men,” says hip-hop artist Dutchboy in Pick Up The Mic, “it’s also a culture of people saying what’s on their mind regardless of whether it’s appropriate or not. In one sense there’s something very beautiful about that, because our society is really afraid of our angry young men, and what they have to say.” That’s also what the industry pays for, what society promotes. “We live in a society that rewards petty tyranny,” commented Kalamka, “mainstream gay culture is racist and classist, at every level of society there is racism and classism. Hip-hop didn’t create homophobia and misogyny, but the industry will allow you these crumbs of privilege with you sign-on and perpetuate it. It’s rewarded and then reflected in hip-hop culture.”

So how do you deconstruct this ideology and reclaim an art form that is being repackaged and fed to the masses? By making great music. “I’m not reclaiming it, I’m making it mine,” Miss Money powerfully responded, “If it doesn’t want me, fine...It’s about ability…Nobody wants gay great, or disabled great. You have to be extraordinary.” Great Scott followed with commenting, “I grew up listening to Elton John, George Michael, never knowing they were gay. When I found out, I didn’t care.” “That always has the most impact,” responded Tru Bloo, “when you make the human connection first.”

It was this theme of the human connection between all of us, able-bodied or otherwise, that kept recycling throughout. Hip-hop is a rope that ties and tangles diverse communities together with the common goal of creating great music. These two communities had a second goal, uniting on April 11th to make the rope a little more flexible and inclusive of all the minority communities. “We need to create a context where people don’t feel tyrannized for who they are,” stated Juba. All too often the voices coming from the angles are silenced by the center. As soon as internalized this, I wanted everyone to start yelling and crowding and spilling and touching far more. Turn the music up, turn the mic up. This is revolutionary. The event was revolutionary. The movements are revolutionary.

by Mike Rhodes/Special to PNN

From Loves and Fishes - advocates for Poverty Scholars in Sacramento

What is this “Tent City” I’ve heard about?

You may have heard about the Sacramento tent city on The Oprah Show or other news media. The encampment that has received the most attention was the largest in the City, but not the only encampment. The “Tent City” has now been shut down by the City of Sacramento. Most of the campers have dispersed to other less visible areas. All of the encampments in Sacramento are informal gatherings of people sleeping in tents or under tarps. They are considered illegal by the City of Sacramento.

What is this “Safe Ground” you keep mentioning?

Safe Ground is a proposed location where the homeless can camp legally with access to basic needs such as running water, toilets, and trash cans. Safe Ground does not yet exist.

What’s the difference between the “Tent City” and Safe Ground?

The “Tent City” was an illegal and informal gathering of homeless campers on an unsafe and unsanitary site. Safe Ground is an organized location where the homeless can camp legally with access to basic needs such as running water, toilets, and trash cans.
A successful Safe Ground incorporates four things:

1. It is self governed. The campers are responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the rules they choose for themselves.

2. It must be sanctioned by the City and County government. The City and County must give permission for the Safe Ground to exist.

3. It has access to basic sanitation – running water, toilets, and trash.

4. It has a non-profit sponsor.

Why do we need a Safe Ground?

There are over 1200 homeless sleeping on the streets each night. All of the emergency shelters are full to overflowing.. The city of Sacramento has an anti-camping ordinance which makes it illegal for anyone to sleep anywhere but designated camp sites. This leaves over 1200 people with nowhere to go at night. Sacramento needs a legalized Safe Ground with running water, restrooms, and trash cans where people have a safe place to sleep at night.

What is the City doing to help?

The city has shut down “Tent City” and forced everyone to relocate. The city has provided the funds to keep the Overflow shelter open until June and added 50 more beds bringing total capacity to 200. The city is also providing funding for 40 more permanent housing solutions which will be available at a future date. While we applaud the city for moving forward and giving more people the shelter and housing they need, we are also appalled that this accounts for only a small percentage of the 1200 people who are homeless and on the streets.

How Can I Help?

Contact Mayor Johnson and let him know you want a legalized safe ground/tent city. His email address is mayor [at] cityofsacramento.org or phone him at 916-808-5300.
Bring donations of Tents, Tarps, Sleeping bags, and backpacks to Loaves & Fishes or other local nonprofits.
Volunteer at Loaves & Fishes or one of the other local nonprofits already serving the homeless.
Join our Action Alert E-mail list to get timely news on how to help.Click Here to go to the sign up form.

Where is Tent City?

Sacramento has had many tent cities over the years. Because they are considered illegal by the city they typically only last for a few months before being shut down by the authorities. The Tent City featured on most media channels has been shut down by the City of Sacramento. Most of the campers have dispersed to other less visible locations.

Can I bring things to Tent City?

The large Tent City has been shut down, and the campers dispersed. Until a legal safe ground with the proper water, trash, and sewer facilities is established bringing food and other items to tent encampments typically results in loads of trash causing health and safety issues. We recommend not bringing things directly to tent encampments but instead to a local nonprofit who is serving the homeless population. Loaves & Fishes, The Salvation Army, The Union Gospel Mission, and Volunteers of America are all serving the homeless population and are well prepared to give out supplies in a safe, organized, and fair manner.

What is Loaves & Fishes doing to help?

Loaves & Fishes has been providing survival services to the homeless since 1982. Because of the proximity of Loaves & Fishes to many tent encampments many of the campers come to us for basic survival services. We serve 400-700 people a hot lunch everyday, provide over 100 showers each day, and have clean fully stocked restrooms available. On our campus are a dozen programs to help homeless people including a school for homeless children, a daytime resource center for homeless women, a medical clinic, mental health program, recovery program , legal clinic and shelter for mentally ill homeless women.

We are a part of the Safe Ground task force, which is actively exploring how and where to set up a Safe Ground. We are also holding a Safe Ground rally on the Capital Steps on April 21 at 2pm.
Loaves & Fishes also advocates on behalf of the homeless by attending city council and county board of supervisors meetings, alerting the public to urgent issues through our Action Alert Email List, fighting for the rights of the homeless, and by organizing marches and rallies when needed.
To Join the Action Alert List Click Here.

Won’t a sanctioned tent city turn Sacramento into a homeless magnet?

Numerous studies of homeless people in Sacramento have shown that overwhelming majority have lived here 5 years or longer. People become homeless in the same community where they once had an income and a home.

Is safe ground the solution to homelessness?

No, the solution is to recognize that housing is a basic human right and commit ourselves to ensuring that all Sacramentans of all income levels can afford a simple home of their own. However, until we reach that goal, we should provide safe ground for those forced to live outside for lack of a better alternative.
For more info go to:http://www.sacloaves.org/safeground/