Story Archives 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, I did "brand" them Young Kings!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit Santiago Mejía via El Tecolote

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Did Practically All Media Ignore the Opposition Candidates?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Money Talks in San Francisco Politics

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

Why Does It Matter That The Media Ignored The Opposition?

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

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

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

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

"Young Folks, I'm speaking from the Belly of the Beast. I did 14 years in solitary confinement, hell and isolation. Not only ostracized from the G.P., general population of prisoners behind enemy lines but I'm ostracized from society itself and all my grassroots writing is under the watch eyes of the boogey man agents. The boogey man system of capitalistic greed and imperialism is real and we the people's on the bottom of this well organized, criminal, pyramid structure system must know and understand we are dealing with a monster I call boogey man. People's power and power to the peoples is a reality we must create or we ass out. Because, no matter what color you are, damn near everybody selling their souls for a jelly roll to survive. Example, you have so called slave negrows enforcing the racist laws of this racist system to warehouse black man and the poor population. Check out that fool slave negrow Clarance Uncle Tom Tomas who now sit on the united snakes supreme court. That negrow slave ain't my brother and good to the struggling poor masses. I'm an Afrikan soul brother and I don't give a damn what color you are it's what you stand for the makes us kinfolks to give power to the peoples. Draconian, bias, racist laws is passed every year to warehouse the poor population, and the one's who's enforcing these bias laws have a green light to kill us or incarcerate us with impunity because it's the poor on the bottom that's being gundown and terrorized by these agent criminal thugs of all colors. The pigs and the court system are hired guns to enforce the boogey man rule, to keep us in check to start a revolution. The boogey man system don't give a damn if you Black or white, Asian or Latin, radical, green peace activist etc. Because these agents will kill yo ass or put you behind bars if one continues to go against the grain, and believe me, they do not give a damn if you young or old. Read the book "Agents of Oppression", that terrorist J. Edgar Hoover spied and used CO-INTELPRO counter intelligence program as a tool to crush the grass roots liberation struggles of the 60's. And what that boogey man created under CO-IINTELPRO is still being used today to spy on you young folks because you grass roots conscious. Yes this boogey man is spying on you all now as we write and speak to each other. And please don't get it twisted, this beast boogey man is watching you all and got you under the gun now. Truth be told we the masses on the bottom have nothing to lose anyway but your chains, and you wouldn't believe how evil these draconian courts is persecuting the poor population. California is the worst in the nation. Capitalism and greed is like Dracula. It's designed to suck the blood and drain the resources out of everything. This boogey man monster system use and buy other countries and peoples like slaves. So it's hard to fight the beast, but we have no choice but to organize, unify, struggle and fight the good fight. I'd rather stand and fight with the peoples and die before I side up with this boogey man. Young folks don't sell yo soul for a jelly roll, because it's a good feeling when you no know you on the side of the righteous and yo heart will be at peace. I've been down for 22 years and my heart at peace because I'm writing to inspire yo spirit to struggle and bring into existence peoples power to determine our own destiny. Peace. Harmony. Unity. Love. Balance. Mathematics."

Dr. Voodoo, Author of the upcoming Book "The Boogey Man", is the medicine man of universal knowledge, leading grassroots consciousness to see this Beast-Boogey -Man-System for what it is: against the people's struggle.

Contact:

Voodoo S/N Keller John #H-52472

P.O. Box 290066, B-5-115

Represa, CA. 95671

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

I want you to have a future! Please read and share this information with law enforcement officers worldwide with ranks of corporals, sergeants, lieutenants and captains.

Please see Weather Modification in World Book Encyclopedia www.worldbook.com for rainmaking, defense news Sep 26 1994. For space shuttle weather engineering and associated Press article in Evansville Courier Sep 10 1994. U.S. Space Shuttles utilized for weather engineering. Global Warming and Climate Change is a myth. The elites learned to clone. They also learned to manipulate the weather. Weather modification is big business for the elites. The elites own the weather control technology. Lockdown working class people. See link below on prisonplanet.com for related information. The U.S. laws and U.S policies are on this website. Much more info later.

Contact:

Andre Rosemond

386 Redemption Way 353806

McCormick, SC 29899-9000 USA

Modern Times Bookstor

2919 24th st, san francisco, ca 94110

Saturday, January 30, 2016 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Raymond Eacret, 34 yrs old, a proud Yurok Tribal Member from Trinidad Rancheria, of Eureka, CA, died “in custody” in the Humboldt County Correctional Center (Jail) on Friday, June 26, 2015.  Raymond was being held on a misdemeanor charge and was due to be released that evening. Something went horribly wrong just hours after his mother, Sheila Eacret, received the message telling her 'not to worry and charges were dropped,' that her son was being released around dinner time, 4pm in fact, that very day.  Relief turned to deep sorrow, grief and outrage. The next time Sheila would see her son it would be after his death, framed as a “suicide” by Humboldt County officials, his lifeless body bludgeoned.

[image description:  An earlier days school photograph of Raymond Eacret, he is wearing a white shirt and there is a standard blue school-photo background.  Raymond is fair-skinned with his long hair pulled back with a cool, pronounced hairline.  He does not smile, looks very sweet, and has a thin mustache.]

“I was refused to see my son until after the autopsy which was against all Native rights, I had every right to prepare him spiritually due to his being Native American with a roll number. Denied that right, I was angry and confused,” said Sheila Eacret, Raymond's mother.

A number of conflicting reports have surfaced, including the police narrative, which has been amplified via most news outlets, so it is the most accessible information.  Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey said in a press release that Raymond was found by an (unnamed) Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Correctional Deputy (CD) “hanging from a makeshift noose that was wrapped around his neck” while being housed in the medical section of the Humboldt County Jail.  There is already a conflicting report that another officer had said Raymond was laying in his bed when he was discovered dead.  Another person who was in the medical department at the time Raymond was brought there told Sheila Eacret that there is “no way someone could take their own life in medical.”  That person also said that when Raymond was brought to medical he had been horribly beaten, and that he was unconscious.  The Sheriff's press release says that “life saving efforts were immediately initiated,” and basically that Humboldt County is investigating itself on this matter.  “This incident is currently under joint investigation by the HCSO and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office (HCDAO),” the press release reads.  

When Sheila Eacret was finally able to see her son Raymond, she was horrified.  Raymond was covered in bruises, he had two black eyes and his nose was broken.  His torso appeared as if it had been kicked multiple times.  Raymond's body appeared to be broken, his back broken, Sheila described ribs that stuck out with swelling around the wounds the “size of a watermelon.”  There was a cut about three inches deep in the neck of Raymond Eacret, and whatever it was that caused this deep cut, that was used to strangle him, did not go all the way around his neck.  Raymond's ear was bleeding and bruised.  Raymond was clearly the victim of a horrible, violent assault.

[image description:  Raymond Eacret in the comfort zone of Home, wears a wide brimmed baseball hat with a skull on it, he has a mustache.  He is looking at the camera and has a land line telephone at his ear, with his arm around a beautiful baby.  The baby leans slightly back and looks curiously at Raymond.]

“Our Humboldt County Sheriff's Department, the County Jail and Coroner's office are one in the same, they run all three, they are in it together,” said Shelia Eacret.  She continues, “So to get any kind of justice or truth you have to get at least one (entity) away from here.”  

Sheila took pictures of her son's injuries and demanded for an independent autopsy and secured a lawyer.  She is fighting for justice so that no other mother has to go through what she is experiencing.  She doesn't believe the Humboldt County system should be investigating itself.

“My son wasn't the first young Native American to mysteriously be hung in this jail and die, there was a 25 yr old Native American from Hoopa that was also killed in there on a misdemeanor and was going to get out.  Our system is flawed and allows authorities and deputies to kill anyone in that jail and get away with it. I think officers should have to obey the same laws they are suppose to uphold and should be held accountable for Murder like anyone else. A badge and key does not give them the right to take someone's life. They will be held accountable for this crime.”

[image description:  A long banner celebrating the Yurok People, with beautiful water in the background. On the left is a round emblem of the Yurok, fishing is championed with a boat and fish. The words THE YUROK TRIBE are in all caps.]

That 25 year old Native brother from Hoopa is a Yurok man named James "Hans" Peters, who was brought in to Humboldt County Jail in late June 2007.  Sheriffs say in August 2007, James Hans Peters was being held in a solitary cell, that he had “assaulted a correctional officer” and that he was waiting to be transferred to Napa State Hospital for a court ordered psych eval. Sheriffs say that on August 29, 2007 James Hans Peters “hung himself with torn bed sheets” from a vent in the ceiling. Officers did not inform Hans’ (he was called Hans by those close with him) family of his death. Later, after hearing the news from an anonymous hospital employee, the family went to the Humboldt County Jail in search of their son and demanding answers.  Sheriffs responded sternly and threatened to have the family arrested.  Hans’ mother and relatives were not allowed to see Hans' body for over 20 hours.  James “Hans” Peters was killed/died in custody in Humboldt County Jail within three months of two other victims, Peter Stewart and Martin Cotton.  All three men Disabled, all with diagnosed mental illness.

Raymond Eacret is one of many Loved Ones to die to in the United States to police terror in this way, to die violently and “in custody.” On July 13, 2015 a 24 year old pregnant Lakota Woman and mother of two named Sarah Lee Circle Bear was being held in Brown County Jail in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and was complaining of excrutiating pain.  She was denied medical care, told “quit faking,” and her body was dragged to a holding cell so officers and other inmates would not hear her screams.  She died shortly after.  In November 2015 it was released that, so far, in 2015, there have been at least 550 in custody deaths in Texas alone.  Five hundred and fifty human being people, just in the state of Texas.  One of those 550 people managed to make it to the forefront of national media.  Just one, and she was a woman.  She died the same day as Sarah Lee Circle Bear, on July 13, 2015.  And she was Black.  Her name is Sandra Bland.  

Raymond Eacret's violent death also happens within a greater context of in-custody deaths caused by law enforcement in the state of California.  Deaths like 23 year old Victoria Arellano, an HIV-positive Transgender woman and migrant from Mexico, who had been detained at a mens Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in May of 2007 in South Los Angeles.  Victoria started showing signs of illness and pleaded (along with other male detainees) that she receive medical care.  That much needed medical care was denied, and Victoria died on July 20, 2007.  There's also the recent mysterious in-custody deaths of Kristen Hamilton, 51, of Antioch who died in West County Jail in April 2015 and Elizabeth Gaunt, 56, of Santa Rosa who died at Lake County Jail in August of 2015.

Almost every single victim of in-custody deaths in California, and nationwide, have at least one of these things in common:  being Indigenous, Black, Disabled and/or Poor.  Recently the Idriss Stelley Foundation organized an action called #IdidDIEinSanFranciscoCustody which included formal demands for the treatment of Disabled detainees and demanded transparency regarding recent in-custody deaths, mostly bringing to light cases at San Francisco County Jail.  One of many demands being NO MORE IN CUSTODY DEATHS.  Within the past two years (mid 2013-mid 2015), the ISF has advocated for the families of and investigated into the violent wrongful in custody deaths of five men, Alvin Hayes, Alberto Petrolino, Antolin Marenco, Brette Robinson and Darnell Benson.  All five are Disabled, and each are Indigenous, Black and or Poor.  These violent deaths are far from isolated, and they are all related.  

[Loved Ones lost to police violence are chalked on the steps of San Francisco City Hall in October 2015 as a part of a national call to action to end police brutality.  A dog's black paw rests on the top of a blue heart that reads RAYMOND EACRET.  To the right is a pink heart that reads Yuvette Henderson.  Below that a green heart that says Ohlone People.]

Since the death of her son Raymond Eacret, Sheila Eacret has been grieving.  She has also taken a stand, she is demanding justice so that no other Mother has to experience what she is going through.  In being vocal in a rural area, Sheila is being harassed and terrorized by members of law enforcement in and around Eureka, CA.  She is being profiled, singled out and threatened for fighting for justice for her son.  The press and police in it together, villianizing her family.  One of the officers acknowledged knowing her son, Raymond, as a scare tactic.  Raymond's Mother, Sheila Eacret, who is grieving the loss of her son, fears for her life.  She does not feel safe.

A memorial service is set for Raymond Eacret in Eureka, CA on December 5, 2015 and is open to the public.

Justice for Raymond Eacret

REST IN POWER RAYMOND EACRET

Raymond Eacret, Loved One lost to police violence.

#Justice4RaymondEacret  #JusticeforRaymondEacret  #NativeLivesMatter

#IdidDIEinCustody   #iDidDIEinSanFranciscoCustody  #nomoreincustodydeaths

#IdrissStelleyFoundation  #DisabilitySolidarity  #DisabilityJustice

#PoorMagazine

Update: Raymond Eacret's memorial service is being held at 1 Marina Way in the Wharfinger Building at the Eureka Public Marina in Eureka, CA from 1:00 to 5:00 on Saturday December 5th, 2015 and all are welcome to attend.

Lisa Ganser is a white Disabled genderqueer artist living in the Mission District of San Francisco.  They are the daughter of a momma named Sam and this is their first story as a writer for Poor Magazine.

This book is one of the first books I have read that tells raw experiences from a Black disabled male  viewpoint who have experienced discrimination and went on to achieve from Africa to America and doesn’t wrapped it up in a Hollywood ending because life is an ongoing struggle especailly for a Black disabled individual...

Blew me away and I thought as a Black disabled scholar that I was updated about books by Black disabled authors finally seeing Black disabled writers getting published most of the times writing about their lives however Chibike Ifechinelo Nwabude blew me away with his book, The Sad And Painful Journey of a Struggling Disabled Black Man..  Can you believe this is the first book i have the opportunity to received by the author and sat down to swallow it by a Black disabled author who has roots in Africa?

The Sad And Painful Journey of a Struggling Disabled Black Man starts in Chibike’s villages to cities in Nigeria describing his disability, Polio and how schools were not accessible to his college years and his continue struggling and discrimination in Seattle, USA before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.  Although Chibike’s struggles goes all through the book,  he came from a supportive middle class family where his mom and dad seems to me embraced him as a Black disabled boy to a young man.    His struggles began very early not only in school facing inaccessible environment i.e. stairs, long distances to classes and kids attitudes but at home when his parents hired a home supporter that started to sexually abuse him.  Although in the book he described himself as a city boy and explained that the city is more accessible, the way he described the sense of community that sounded like family in the villages made me long for what he experienced.

Chibike tells us about the Nigerian civil war, the worst periods of his life.  In the three year period till today Chibike can’t tell us why the war broke out.  I can’t imagine being physically disabled teenage in a middle of a war!  At this part of the book, I went to youtbue  to learn about the war and was not surprise that it goes back to the British “empire” aka the government  benefited a lot from the war as we know the British was colonial master before Nigeria independence of October 1st/ 1960 all because the British wanted Nigeria’s oil.  His family's plan for their escape when they heard that the attacks were getting closer included Chibike going ahead in a family member's car cause they knew that he couldn’t run because of his disability.   My heart was on a roller-coster when he described waiting for his family in a refugee camp seeing people come but noticing it wasn’t his family.  Finally his family showed up.  I can’t imagine starting all over again, like housing, school and the physical state of the city especially for a young boy with a physical disability after a war.  He was lucky to come from a middle class family.  I can’t imagine being poor disabled after a war!  Just like the beginning of the war the end of the war was blunt like turning on a light switch.   My mind was like how can you go though that and the next day go to school but he did.

Of course being an American I thought at a point in the book where he is thinking about going to college in the US where his brother was that everything would be like a utopia even in back in the 80’s but damn I was totally wrong.  The amount  of discrimination that he faced from institutions college to employment made me reread the title again.  At the same time I could relate with his experiences in college where teachers were blunt by telling him he would never be a mathematician although he was passing his classes.

Poor Magazine would love the ways that Chibike continued his higher education and also providing for his family back in Nigeria and flipping the college system of pay first then take the class on its head.  When he was poor and used to signed up for the classes and at the last minute ask to take it for no credit so he could stay in the class.  After doing this many times to get credit to graduate he took all his classes with a written note from professors to the president of the college.  After a long back and forth he was granted his right to graduate.  Also many at Poor Magazine can relate to his shame of being on welfare but I just wish that Chibike could be in a Poor Magazine workshop that flip the script about this shame and the American’s capitalist thinking of pull yourself up by your boots strings.  I think he would benefit from Poor Magazine philosophy and so much more. 

Once again I thought the tides were turn for Chibike but no.  Like many Black/Brown people with disabilities in the US find themselves unemployed but if they do find employment they continue to face discrimination.  I was cheering for him when he got his fist job but the pattern of just raw discrimination on the job from White and Black managers was heartbreaking and some brought me back to some of my 9 to 5 experiences.  I can’t tell you how many times he filed an EOC complaint and he would win and then go on to another job to face the something.  Once again I looked at the title of the book and said ok it has to get better, right?  

The discrimination was not only in the workplace, as most of disabled folks find out that relationships are hard too and other things.  I can’t tell you what happened but the title of the book says it all.   What gave me hope is one he has wrote his story and two his strong family bond that really help him stay the course and his belief in God and his thrist not only to continue but to see that it is others that need to change and meet him where he achieve to be at.   

As a Black disabled activist born and raised in America one of my hopes before Chibike and I pass away is that we come together as Black disabled people not only in the US but worldwide and say hi, get to know each other that I hope would lead into supporting each other.  I know that is a big want but what the hell you live only once on this earth.  It might be hard but we, like Chibike Ifechinelo Nwabude, must write and publish our truths!

Go buy his book here   http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478752196

His Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009880215742

By Leroy F Moore Jr.

There have been at least two "frets" in San Francisco in the past few months. A fret is where police go out in the poor neighborhoods – SOMA, the Tenderloin – and stop anyone who looks poor and/or houseless. 

The police run peoples’ names in their system and if anyone has an outstanding warrant, like for a failure to appear in the court the previous time this happened, they get booked at the jail.  This creates a huge influx of people into the jail and requires increased staffing, for which jail staff are compensated generously.  (People don’t want to work in County Jail 1, which is the intake jail, because it’s hectic and chaotic). 

The frets happen when someone important is coming to town or an event is happening and the city is trying to appear “cleaner” or like it actually doesn’t have a housing crisis created by greed.  Frets probably happen at other times too. 

I know that I don’t understand what this experience is like for people.  I have never been forcibly removed from my home or my business, plucked away from my family and friends and belongings.  I have never been detained against my will. 

And what a money-making cycle for those who profit from it.  The police officers who meet their quotas, people who work at San Francisco County Jail who get extra days off for working these particularly busy shifts, all the other billing and compensation, the court fees, and on and on.  We don’t talk about the costs of the lives disrupted, the possessions forever lost, the business transactions missed, the trauma of experiencing police power. 

A social worker told me, trying to justify the routine violent dis-locating of poor people “at least they get three hots and a cot and the chance to be de-liced.”  “Yeah, some chance,” I thought. 

photo by Michael Stoll/ SF Public Press 

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

Three Strikes

California's shameful legacy holding it's poor hostage,

locked in a fascist visegrip without a conscience. 

Don't touch that bread for your hunger may cost you your head,

a caste-like systemthat wold leave confederates in awe and withot all the dead. 

When stealing a burger gets you more time than a murder, the 

pulic decieved whent eh vehicles a pervert.

Using Amerika's pass time to steal oppressed lives,

The people's vicotry will be triple runs not fly's. 

Modern day slavery -  a new plantation,

lady liberty a waitress, and our bodies the concession.

500 years of their regurgitated scheme,

America' air conditioned nightmare was never a dream. 

By Jose H. Villarreal

5-1-12

Jose Villarreal's stage play "Worst of the Worst" has been accpeted by  Dell'arte International  Theatre and is set to showcase next fall.