Story Archives 2011

(Photo Credit: Toby Kramer, Andy Kreamer and PNN staff)

URGENT UPDATE: April 19,2011: Devil-Opers & Po'LICE At Sogorea TE HAVE BEEN STOPPED - NO REMOVAL FOR NOW- NOW BACK TO THE REAL WORK OF STOPPING PLANS TO BUILD PARK ON OUR ANCESTORS LANDS... KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THE CITY OF VALLEJO AND KEEP UP THE SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN RESISTANCE !

Indigenous leaders and community members resist the theft of Sogorea (Glen Cove) Sacred Ancestral Land on Turtle Island

“is there any land the “white man” hasn’t stolen from us,” My 7 year old son’s words sailed through the POOR Magazine van as our family of indigenous, poverty scholars drove up 1-80 to join the resistance at Sogorea Te (Glen Cove) a place of commerce, culture and life for indigenous peoples for the last 3,500 years. Sacred land for our ancestors which has been under attack from the City of Vallejo and developers for years who have plans to redevelop this ancestral land into a “park”. 

“Thank-you brothers and sisters for coming here, for joining us in this fight to save this sacred space for Creator, for our ancestors, for our children,” said Wounded Knee Deocampo, a Miwok elder who has been at the forefront of the battle to keep Glen Cove, un-harmed, de-anthropologised, and safe from the looming jaws of redevelopment administered by The Greater Vallejo Recreational District (GVRD). Deocampo spoke to a group of community members, indigenous leaders, legal supporters who gathered to begin a prayer ceremony Thursday night to resist an impending threat of bulldozers by GVRD on Friday morning.

“The history and cultural use of the site has never been disputed. Native Americans continue to hold ceremonies at Sogorea Te just as they have for thousands of years,” said Mark Anquoe, Indigenous organizer with Indian Treaty Council who has been one of the groups organizing the media, legal and community work for this Sacred Site resistance.

The Glen Cove Shell Mound (Segorea Te) spans fifteen acres along the Carquinez Strait.  It is the final resting place of many Indigenous People dating back more than 3,500 years, and has served as a traditional meeting place for dozens of California Indian tribes.  The site continues to be spiritually important to California tribes. The Glen Cove site is acknowledged by GVRD and the City to have many burials and to be an important cultural site, yet as of Thursday night they were still were planning to move forward with plans to build a toilet and parking lot on this sacred site.

“We filed a civil complaint which had a powerful impact,” said Bradly Angel, with GreenAction, another organization which has been working with indigenous leaders to halt this desecration. “We even got a call from the Mayor of Vallejo, saying he might join our resistance.”

On Wednesday, April 13th, Sacred Site Protection and Rights of Indigenous Tribes (SSP&RIT), a Vallejo-based community organization, filed an administrative civil rights complaint to the State of California alleging that the City and GVRD are discriminating on the basis of race in threatening to destroy and desecrate significant parts of the Glen Cove Shellmound and burial site, for harming Native Americans’ religious and spiritual well-being, and effectively excluding Native Americans from their right to full participation in decision-making regarding the site.

“It’s a beautiful morning, and so far no bulldozers,” I got a call this morning (Friday) from Poverty and disability scholar Bruce Allison, who along with other members of POOR’s family and many other indigenous leaders and supporters camped out over-nite with plans to hold a prayer-ful  and peaceful resistance ceremony if the bulldozers came as planned this morning.

Andy Kreamer, another POOR Magazine extended family member who camped out over-night to re-port and sup-port, explained that they were going to march to City Hall in Vallejo and also go by the offices of GVRD.

“The Department of Justice got involved and have committed to mediating a discussion between indigenous organizers and the GVRD on Monday,” said Mark Anquo by cel phone from Sogorea Te this morning. He went on to explain that people will remain camped out over the weekend and so they need as much support from ALL community members to keep up this effort  and stave off the omni-present threat of GVRD, but that so far they are safe and it is because of our community-wide resistance and the pressure of media and legal action.

As father moon rose above the soft grass and elder trees of Sogorea Te, I walked quietly with my son and fellow poverty, youth and indigenous scholars from POOR’s family, Vivian Thorp, Queenandi Iris, Queena, Zosia and Janina  to a place where we held a quiet prayer circle for all of our ancestor spirits, Creator and Pachamama before we had to leave on Thursday night.  After our prayer, I remembered my sons conscious plea and the desecration by developers of sacred sites in Emeryville and the Presidio, just to name two, and we asked for the strength to resist yet another theft of our land by the “Man”.

Editors Note: Your support is STILL Needed to keep the pressure on - Food, Money and Prayers for Indigenous resistors on site and/or make calls to Vallejo City leaders - go to www.protectglencove.org for directions and information.

Watch the PNN-TV video of Sogorea Te Resistance by clicking on this link:

Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project is a living proof of indigenous people bringing back their almost lost languages by any means and the resistance of linguistic domination.

1) Krip-Hop Nation (KHP) – Tell us the underground Hip-Hop in Vancouver 

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu- to be quite honest, I do not know of many underground Hip Hop artists in Vancouver besides the artists that are in my group/label Virus Tower Entertainment. We as a group are trying to make underground Hip Hop a place to express true emotion and as other rappers say “keep it real.” Elias Sade, a member of Virus Tower Entertainment is a great rapper, and in my opinion, better than me you can check him out at www.youtube.com/eliassademusic. I’ve honestly pay more attention to the mainstream hip hop artists, studying their strategies and techniques for success which is a good thing to do as an underground artist to get where you need to be. 

2) KHN- You and Chin Injet both have Cerebral Palsy and doing Hip-Hop.  Tell us the time you met Chin Injeti

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu:  Chin Injeti is a wonderful man and truly an amazing talent in the hip hop world. For me, seeing a man with the same disability as me working with artists such as Eminem and Drake is just mind blowing and he showed me that if you have a dream then you have to go for it, there is no such thing as impossible. When I met him, I was just in shock that I was in an actual recording studio where all the magic happens. I record with my laptop and a studio microphone in my bedroom so to be in an actual studio was definitely a memorable experience. I know he’s real busy, but I do hope I can come visit him again like he told me I could when I met him, haha.  He is so down to earth and normal and showed me that a disability doesn’t have to hold you back from achieving success.

3) KHN – You had a chance to perform at the Olympics tell us about that experience

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: The Olympic performance is by far the greatest memory in my career as an underground hip-hop artist. I started rapping by writing rhymes in a journal and recording them on a tape recorder and then to end up on stage in front of 12 000 people, words can’t even describe how I felt. It was like a fantasy and I couldn’t believe I can actually say I have performed my own music for the 2010 Olympics. I was so nervous before the show, I couldn’t even speak but as soon as I got on stage I knew I had to put on a great performance for this is the OLYMPICS! I will never forget that experience, and when the crowd started to chant my group’s name I felt like such a superstar and I will be thinking back to that exact moment time and time again.

4) KHN -You are Philipino have you rap about both your race & disability?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: Yes my parents are both from the Philippines so even though I was born here in Vancouver, British Columbia I am very much a Filipino. I am unable to speak Tagalog, which is what my parents speak at home, but I can understand it and reply to what my parents say in English. I did a mixtape back in 2007 called “The Kalvonix Take Over” which featured many Filipino Hip Hop artists from Vancouver and California. It was a great experience working with those artists for that was my first album using the studio microphone. As for my disability, I have many songs that surround my disability. Going through school I had to deal with many bullies who always tried to bring me down which is why I started rapping in the first place. I figured that maybe if people saw that I made music, they would accept me more for not only the music I make but for who I am as a person. I was right; through music I have made many friends, some of them who I know will be with me for a very long time.

5) KHN – tell us about Access Denied

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: Access Denied is a school rap group put together by High School English teacher Shane Begg. When I first got Mr.Begg as a teacher he let the class know that he used to have a rap group and if we wanted to know more about it to ask him. After class, I went up to him and told him that I make rap music myself, he then asked me right then and there to freestyle for him. I did exactly that and after spitting rhymes off the top of my head for a good 2 minutes he told me to stop and asked me if I was interested in being the new face of his group Access Denied. Prior to working with me, Access Denied has had 2 albums and then I asked my group to drop the name Virus Tower Entertainment for a while and make music under Access Denied. Access Denied is a rap group that caters to the students going through High School. We have done songs about bullying, homework, video game addiction, war, marriage, love, languages, music and more. Once I graduated high school though, it was time to hang up Access Denied for me and so did my group. Now we are back doing our own thing under my label Virus Tower Entertainment. I do thank Shane Begg for including my crew and I in Access Denied and also giving us the interview with Shaw TV and recognition from the Surrey School Board. You can check out Access Denied at www.accessdenied.me

6:  KHN - You have many mixtapes out tell us the themes of your mixtapes and how can we download them?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: To this day, I have recorded over 1000 songs. I have been making music for 6 years now and I can’t go a week without recording at least 2 songs. Because of this, I have managed to create countless mixtapes and albums. The difference between a mixtape and an album to me is, on a mixtape you can just have fun and do remixes, this then can allow to create the direction you want to go for an album. When it comes down to working on an album, there are no remixes all original beats and it basically the sounds that you want and intend to be known for. For me, because I have not yet learned to professionally create my own beats, I do use beats that my fellow crew members create and I also use beats from www.shadowville.com for no profit. Due to the fact that I have so much material on CDs, I do not put many of them online for download, I usually give my CDs on disc to friends or when I am at the mall I go around selling them. I do put a lot of my material on Facebook and You Tube for people to listen there. I also do have some albums up for download at www.mediafire.com. Check out my youtube page for songs and videos at www.youtube.com/kalvonixoftrapboyz

7) KHN - Tell us about your group and you told me that you did a Rock album tells us about that.

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: My group “The Vonix Virus” aka “Virus Tower Entertainment” is basically my own little label I put together for my friends and I to create our music and have fun while we all put our ideas and creativity together. Musically, we all sound different so that is why it’s so interesting and fun to create songs with all of us adding our own individual flavor. I don’t like to consider us just a rap group, yes that is our main musical style but we like to break boundaries ad go further than just a rap verse and a chorus. This is why I created a rock album called “Redemption” and an R&B album called “A Simple Melody.” It was a fun process to quit writing rap for awhile and focus more on actual song writing, with bridges in between choruses and things like that, my crew members were all for it and we all respect all genres of music. We have many members involved in “Virus Tower Entertainment” but the main members who also were the ones involved in “Access Denied” are Kalvonix (Me), Ohwell (cousin Rowell Torres), Tiffany Santiaguel (cousin), Elias Sade (close friend), and Eesa (Teresa Icasiano, close friend, singer). 

8) KHN - You r still in schools what r u studying?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: I was a high school graduate in 2010 and now I am in my first year university. I am an English major in the aim of becoming an English teacher in the future. That is of course, if the whole rap star thing does not work out. My parents always told me, music is a competitive game and because of that you must have a back up plan. An English teacher is Kalvonix’s back up plan baby! Remember kids, school comes first! 

9) KHN -  Do you think the Hip-Hop industry is ready for Krip-Hop Nation/ Disabled Hip-Hop artists like yourself?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: I believe that in the age of Youtube and the ability to put so much of your own material online, the world should be prepared for many new artists that are going to try and take over the world. The beauty with Hip Hop is I believe that it’s an art that can be practiced by anyone, yes,  some will be stronger than others but everyone can do it. The part that separates one hip hop artist from another is the ability to flow on a track, and the ability to create punchlines and story telling throughout songs. Also, freestyling in my opinion is a major skill a hip hop artist must have to be classified as a true emcee. It’s about damn time that people with disabilities start to display the musical talent we have! Hip Hop is just the beginning.

10)  KHN – I really love the song and video, This Is Me.  Please explain this song for us?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: This Is Me is an R&B song I did about my personal struggle with Cerebral Palsy. When my parents first heard the song, they both were crying so much and couldn’t believe what they were hearing. To this day, it has become one of my most popular and most preformed songs because of the intense emotion in the song and the song’s lyrics. I mention in the song the bad days where sometimes I feel like no one cares about me, and how sometimes I want to die. I do not have many of those days anymore because I have learned to be thankful for everything that I am. I have such a wonderful family and loyal friends that are around me all the time who make me feel unstoppable. Music is just my way of proving that.

11) KHN- What is you next move in the music field?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: My next movie would be to just keep on doing what I am doing. Record as much material as possible and not forget that this has to be fun if this is the profession that I want to go into. Also, Elias and I are planning to send some of our CD’s to radio stations to hopefully get some air play. As well I am hoping to keep in touch with Chin Injeti and keep on doing shows and praying to God to hopefully catch my break one day.

12)  KHN – If u had a chance to talk to Russell Simmons or other Hip-Hop agents/artists what would you say?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: I would ask them for advice and what I should do to get where I need to be. Then, knowing me I would probably show off and start rapping on the spot for them and hand them a CD to see what they think of me.  Just like how Justin Bieber ran up to Usher to sing for him, I would probably do the same thing, we all got to start somewhere.

13)  KHN-How do you give back to your community and people with disabilities?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: I give back to my community by respecting everyone for their individual talents and trying my best to understand the world for what it really is. If you understand the world, the better chance you are to find success. As for people with disabilities, I believe that I can stand as an individual to show others who are disabled like me that you should follow your dreams and do not let a disability hold you back and get the better of you. I do realize that I am lucky and I have so much, but to everyone out there, please do not lose hope! Anyone can find success if effort is put into it. 

14)  KHN -How can people reach u?

Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu: You can reach me through email at kalvonix_booboo@live.ca or email me through youtube at www.youtube.com/kalvonixoftrapboyz

15)  KHN -Any last words?

Calvin :Kalvonix” Tiu: Please check out my You tube page and subscribe!!! Support Krip Hop Nation and people with disabilities we gonna take over the world baby!! I guess the only thing left to say is, follow your dreams! KKKKKKK KALV-V-V-ONIX!

The music market has changed drastically in what seems like over night. Many of the mom and pop record stores have closed. Even many of the chains such as the The Wherehouse, Tower Records and FYE's have closed. Many of the chains allowed independent artists to sell their Cd’s on consignment in these chains along side the mainstream artists and mainstream labels. Even many of the events that were happening on the Navajo and Hopi rez's are not happening as frequently as they were a few years ago and so the ability to move volumes of Cd’s is no longer there outside of the swap meets and flea markets.

Being a fairly successful independent record label owner and artist, I have seen and felt the affects of these happening first hand. My name is Gabriel Yaiva but known simply as Yaiva in music circles. I'm a hip-hop artist (rapper) and a traditional hand drum singer, but foremost a father and a active participant in my community for positive change.

I'm an activist and have instrumental in many successful campaigns to protect mother Earth and the five fingered who walk upon her. My background is one of harsh beginnings at the hands of my own decisions as a young man and have since pulled myself up by my boot straps. I've graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2006 with a B.S. In Applied Indigenous Studies and have a minor in Economic Development. I run a non-profit program called Peace and Balance in which we address issues of violence and substance abuse in communities of color and work toward gaining self determination in the media and arts.

As an artist I’ve fortunate to live a life that all artists' dream of, that which is to live humbly from the gifts the Creator has blessed me with. In doing so I’ve travel the United States and Canada several times over, toured with artists I grew up listening to and admire, done over 500 shows, released over 10 albums, received several awards and gained support and recognition from my peers and counterparts and am considered a professional in my line of work as an artist and as a manager, promoter, graphic artist, marketer, advertising specialist and record industry knowledgeable label owner.

With the closing of these outlets, another resource for independent artists has been taken too. But in this happening so has the reigns been given to the independent and do-it-yourself artists. This is in the form of online marketing and distribution. I get asked all the time how I've been able to get my music on i-Tunes, Rhapsody, Amazon Music, Napster etc... it is actually easier than you would think. Here are a couple services that I utilize and hopefully this info will be helpful to you.

I use CDBaby.com. They have a couple options. You can send them hard copies of your release or hi-def wave files. I've done both options but for radio singles I generally only release the hi-def files.

Artists; when sending your music be sure to send in hi-def at the sites recommended settings because the file will be compressed to an mp3 and the compression of mp3's is a whole topic in itself because of the loss of full sound and artifacts in the compression.

With CDBaby you can choose what other music download sites you can have your music provided to. The set up cost is $55 for full albums and $9.95 for single songs. For digital distribution you will need a bar code and ISRC code for each song. If you don’t have a bar code, don't worry you can buy one directly from the site for $20 and they will assign you a ISRC code.

If you're planning on selling your music through digital retailers (i.e. iTunes, Napster, Sony Connect), then having the ability to assign ISRC codes is absolutely necessary. The ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique international identifier for tracks on sound and music-video recordings. Comprised of a 12 character alpha-numeric code, the ISRC functions as a digital "fingerprint" for each track. Unlike a UPC code (a.k.a. bar code) the ISRC is assigned to individual tracks and not the carrier of the tracks (CD, cassette). In addition, the ISRC remains allocated to a track regardless of changes in ownership. It is an extremely powerful tool for royalty collection, administration, and anti-piracy safeguards in the digital arena. Info from http://www.recordlabelresource.com

I recently also started using tunecore.com their prices are roughly the same for singles and about a $10 difference for full albums. They also do ring-tones. The one thing that is unique about tunecore.com is you can create general CD covers/inserts right there on the site which is good for single songs but I wouldn't recommend for full releases.

The one downside I've found with CDBaby is that is generally takes them about 4 to 6 weeks to get your music to all the other download sites. Tunecore had my new single up on i-Tunes and the other sites within three days. But CDBaby was initially intended to distribute hard-copy Cd’s of independent artists which they are very good at and this is what I utilize their services for also.

The one downside of tunecore.com however is that you've got to pay yearly for the service whereas CDBaby I've paid once for each album/single for nearly three years of service.

As for payments CDBaby has been great about depositing funds directly into my Paypal account every two weeks for music and Cd’s sold and I've been using their services for about 3 years to this point. Like I mentioned I recently started using tunecore.com and have yet to receive a pay out so we will see how they work out but seem to be a good service to this point.

Both sites do take a percentage of your sales which I feel is more than a reasonable amount for the services they offer.

Both sites offer replication and duplication services.

Replication is the process of making professional grade Cd’s that are produced from an actual glass master and the info is press into the disc not burnt. This is the preferred way of producing Cd’s for the sound quality to match the closest to what was recorded in the studios.

Duplication is the process that most of us are familiar with which is the ability to burn music using computer software for your desktop or laptop.

An easy way to know weather the disc your listening to is duplicated or replicated is to flip the disc over and if you can see circles of where the info was burnt into the CD than most likely it is duplicated.

I figure I’d write this to answer the many inquiries I've gotten in bulk and so to hopefully try and help all you up and coming artists and even established artists who may not be computer and technically savvy.

I  hope it is helpful. Yaiva

When the Gilgamesh epic's clay tablets were drying in the sun, the first Egyptian pyramids were being built (4,500 years ago), and the first Ohlone (or Water People) buried the first generation of their ancestors on the west coast of Turtle Island (what was later labeled America), the Ohlone shell mounds were begun.   

When King Solomon's Temple was built the shell mounds were still in use, and the people of Mt. Shasta traded with the Ohlone, the Sacramento River connecting the communities.  When Caesar took the reins of power in the Roman Empire, and fought this poverty skolah's Celtic ancestors (and the son of a carpenter, known as Jesus, started getting famous), the shell mound had grown to two acres in diameter.   

When Constantine was Emperor in Rome, rewriting the Christian Bible, the Ohlone traded with everyone who called the Pacific Coast home.  When Rome fell to the Visigoths, Glen Cove/Sogorea Te was still going strong.  William the Conquerer forced my ancestors to learn some French.  The Vikings visited Turtle Island, unsuccessfully, getting on the bad side of the native people via lactose poisoning in their favorite alcoholic beverage.   

When Christopher Columbus was looking for a job, and got one with a little help from his friends (and Queen Isabella), and arrived in the "New World", the Ohlone's shell mound was much, much bigger.  This poverty skolah wouldn't be surprised if the Inca, the Maya, and the seven nations of the Iroquois knew of them.

As the barbarian Conquistadores were forcing Turtle Islanders to join the carpenter's religion, the peaceful Ohlone must have been working hard to broker some kind of settlement with them.   

By the time the ink was dry on the Declaration of Independence, the holy site of the Ohlone was doomed.  As my home country tries to figure out what it really is (Democracy?  Republic?  Empire?  Bankrupt, economically and spiritually?),

Vallejo, a city that is technically bankrupt, cutting their last public infrastructure (Fire and Po'Lice Departments) to pieces, wants to create a parking lot and an out-house, paving over all that spiritual and community history.

Editor's Note: See other PNN-TV and PNN- on-line indigenous peoples media rep-ports on the resistance to the desecration of Sogorea Te by clicking here:

My remake poem of ,Lil Wayne’s song  If I Die Today feat Rick Rose who was supposed to be Drake  (that got his break on TV as playing a student who uses a wheelchair.  Pimping people with disabilities!  Read my poem!)

Lil Wayne has a lil brain

What did Rick Ross say

Both gave me a headache

Hip-Hop stuck in kindergarten

Playing on a playground

Can’t seem to get off your knees

Nothing but a baby

If I Die Today

The noise u call music

Would be buried with you quick

Did you kill Hip-Hop

Or sent it back to the 2^nd grade

ABC 123 lyrics

But your incomplete sentences

don’t make sense

You, dirty put u in a rinse

Around and around

"Big Black Nigger..." on the ground

No Nikes on your feet too big for a quickie

Rick Ross, take a stand

Krip-Hop ran u over with our pimp out electric wheelchairs

Leaving skid marks up & down your Big Black ass

Go back to jail

No one will pay your bail

Doing time so u can build up vocabulary

Maybe then you can finish writing a story

Did you sang “remember me like John Lennon”

Who are you, nothing but a dried up lemon

Your songs are sour please let this be your finally hour

Going back when Hip-Hop was saying something

“Got a chopper in the car..” what r you saying

I rather hear my nephew’s baby talk

Then seeing grown Black men beat their chest

Give em a banana swinging from trees cause they're hunch back can’t walk

Now they are on youtube and TV

Labels birthing Black male imagines

From Flavor Flav, Lil Jon to Lil Wayne

From Black Eye Peas to Hyphy

Naz is right Hip-Hop is dead

So If You Die Today apologize to 2pac

For what you did

Stripped the politics

Left us to scrape off your bubble gum

It's ok cause your flavor

Won’t last

Chew u up and spite you out

Like your record deal

If I Die Today

Please for once let your words be real

By Leroy F M.

PS.

If you want to see this useless video here is the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_454676&v=WKD3JIE4gE0

 Black Kripple love story

Porgy singing to his lady

Love against all odds

Black kripple beggar

Took care of business

Made sure that they were together

Bess u is my woman

I loves you Porgy

Dealt with the public’s pressure

Today’s Porgy & Bess

Have to play chess

Filling out government boxes

Porgy was strong as an ox

Now beat down by Uncle Sam

Bess doing her best to love her man

They pass by singin',

They pass by cryin',

Always lookin'.

And they keep on movin'!

When God make cripple,

He mean him to be lonely.

Night time, daytime, He got to travel that lonesome road.

Night time, day time, He gotta travel that lonesome road. 

Summer Time and The Living is not easy

Baby is crying because she is hungry

Porgy picked up on sit & lie city policy

Can’t make his money

Can’t provide for his family

Existing & fighting in poverty

Bess singing and crying

My man is gone now

The Po po took him some how

Got him bowing down

Three strikes bail so high

Bess, back to the oldest occupation, selling her body

Just to get her man out of the penitentiary

I Got Plenty O’ Nothin’

Don’t need anything

Just give me my Porgy

Gentrification sweeping

Closed down Catfish Row

Here come those buzzards

Man & woman just working

Troubles are coming

Buzzards pack your things & fly from here

Porgy is young again look out all you politicians

It Ain’t Necessarily so

What is in the Bible It Ain’t Necessarily so

Everybody, queers kripples, all races

Jump over the broom get marry be happy

Darla, my Strawberry Woman with her red hair

Was wrapped up in Porgy’s chocolate skin

Oh Bess Where’s My Bess

Bess I want her now

Tell me the truth

Where is my girl

Where is my Bess

The state can’t get in my way

Dragging my feet across this country

Oh Lord I’m on my way

Illegal love

Some say

Porgy & Bess came a long way

Living but not like Romeo & Juliet

Being Black Kripple & poor real day image

From 1912 to the end of time

Surviving in the saying of Fredrick Douglas

“no struggle no progress”

That is today’s Porgy & Bess

By Leroy Moore

4/23/11