Story Archives 2020

Decolonize Academy is a school led by the community and we do reports, and stories on the homeless people getting kicked out of their homes because nobody seems to care about these people on the streets. 

Decolonize Academy is different from the man's school because this school cares about you and this school doesn't tell you lies about your culture and the american dream, which is gentrifiction taking homes.

We went to a homeless encampment that was getting pushed out of their homes for a bio research lab. These people would say homeless people stuff is garbage to the society, but you know that a lie from the corporation. Our government and the research bio lab and the sheriff might pull up and move  them out of there,

This one lady lived there for 4 years. They have their own garden to help each other. This encampment is under a bridge and a freeway, and it's really loud. When I went to this encampment I could hear cars going by and i could see RV’S around parked. This is their home, they have nowhere else to go.

This encampment wasn’t here before. but it is now here and they are trying to get rid off the homeless people out of this encampment. That is not the solution. They should get the homeless people homes to get some rest. Also for the children and elerdly people who shoudn't be on the streets.

With election day rapidly approaching, there are many ads, commercials and flyers circulating around advertising potential candidates with the pitch of vowing to make change. Some of the politicians held true to their word for a few minutes, while others revealed their cruel intentions once they were elected into office. Whether it be a good outcome or a not so good outcome, when it comes down to voting no one should pass up the opportunity to “Rock the Vote.”

The road to the right to vote was within itself a very tough and trying battle especially for black people, who had been allowed to vote a mere 55 years ago, after president Lyndon B Johnson signed the voting rights act into law on August 6, 1965. The fight to have this law signed into effect indeed came with a bloody and terrifying price tag, from the brutal attacks on the protesters who were marching from Selma to Montgomery, to the KKK and police intimidation, violence and murder. To the cross, house and church burnings and the almost century old “Jim Crow” laws- all of these cruel and inhumane obstacles were not enough to deter Black folks from fighting for their voices of change, not only for themselves but for us- the future generations to come. They fought so we would not have to take a “literacy test”, a questionnaire that used the lack of education as a discriminating tool against many Black people, who often had failed “the test” and then they were denied the right to vote by election officials working the polls. 

There were laws put into place that prohibit ex-felons from voting. That was challenged by the voices of the people, with one of the arguments being that taking away the voices of those who are a part of the mass incarceration complex went hand-in-hand with the powers-that-be opposing any resistance to the racist agenda of the “preschool-to-prison” cycle and the systematic mistreatment that came along with it.

With all that said, it is important that we acknowledge and utilize our voting rights that so many people had suffered and died for. We must educate the generations to come not to no longer become complacent with the lie of the “my vote won’t count” way of thinking and to understand that being proactive is the way to help create change, not just sitting back complaining about the injustices of a nation.

We cannot gripe and groan about how we are all being mistreated and led astray by the current powers-that-be who has shown us that even during a worldwide pandemic that we are not worthy to give sufficient aid to preserve our livelihoods to prevent famine, or led astray by a president that downplayed Covid-19, while arrogantly parading around without wearing a mask thus exposing all those around him, including his own family to the disease. We must “Rock the Vote” and our voices to get these perpetrators of idiocy out of office that’s sinking this nation.

Sick and tired of poverty and the lack of proper resources?? VOTE! Sick of the hell of police brutality running rampant?? VOTE! Sick of inequality, sexism, children being separated from families and incarcerated, homophobia, homelessphobia, (the discrimination of homeless folks due to economic status and/or the stigma of all houseless folks being crazy, lazy or drug induced- keep in mind children and elders are homeless, too!) VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

If you are a registered voter- Rock it! If you have not yet registered to vote- Do it! Due to Covid-19 polling places will be limited but residents can also vote by mail so make your voice count and be the change that we’ve been waiting for, just like the “warriors of rights” before us.

CR Queennandi Xsheba

In the early 1900’s David Wark Griffith’s film “A Birth of A Nation” was dubbed one of Hollywood’s most influential films. Although the title he received came with controversy, the silent movie still grew to be very popular amongst the MAGA supporters of that particular time.

The movie had depicted Black people, men for the most part, to be these savage-like raving beasts destroying the “good ole boys” way of life and raping white women only to be “defeated” by the “heroic” KKK.

The spirit of “A Birth of A Nation” continues to live on to this day as seen in the influx of police shootings involving Blacks and other folks of color with the latest cop-related killing of Jonathan Price. On October 3,, Price was tased then shot and killed by officer Shaun Lucas while trying to break up an altercation at a gas station in downtown Wolfe City, Texas. 

Witnesses state that Jonathan Price was not acting in a threatening manner nor was he armed but that he was trying to clarify the situation to police before he was tased then shot dead. Video recovered of the shooting had left Wolfe City police chief Matthew Martin “not happy” with what he saw. Officer Shaun Lucas was arrested and charged with the murder of Price and has since posted the 1 million dollar bail that was set in the case.  According to the loved ones of Jonathan Price, he was once a football player for Hardin-Simmons university in Texas and prior to his passing he had worked two jobs and was a well known, well loved active member of the community.

The murder of Price comes right on the heels of the “acquittal” of the police officers in the Breonna Taylor case and several other police related killings of people of color in which very few cops were held accountable for their actions. With Amerikkka’s history of the “ill-legal lynchings” of Black folks it is safe to say that this country will alway perpetuate its MAGA ways and continue to support the worldwide false propaganda that DW Griffith had displayed on film.

Many social media critics have posted very hateful comments about Black folks in general, saying how we “deserve” the treatment we have endured- from being stolen, enslaved, murdered, exploited, robbed of our language, culture and complete knowledge of self because we are “bad people who loot and commit crimes”

But to these same critics it is OK for the president of this “free” country to send a “shout out” to groups such as the “proud boys” who are supposed to be affiliated with the agenda of white supremacy. It was OK to murder Black men, women and children in the community of Rosewood, Florida, OK that many children were snuffed out in Atlanta in the mid-to- late 1970’s for no reason other than being African-descendant and that we are not worthy of reparations to compensate for the deliberate genocide that has taken place for centuries and still continues to this day because of the stigma of US being “bad people”- with dark skin.

“Bad people” cannot blame the “bad people” that were “created” in the name of hate, for “hate” itself is a bad deed no matter where it comes from. Low-key racists that are full of hypocrisy have been coming out in full force especially since they have a “grand dragon” for a president that openly supports the white supremacists’ ideology. And Trump doesn’t even wear a “mask” to hide it.

CR Queennandi Xsheba 2020

By Queennandi Xsheba PNN KEXU

I remember as a child, my Mama would always play the song “Earth Crisis” by Steel Pulse, a decades-old popular Reggae song that delivered a powerful “cause and effect” message that referred to the consequences “mankind” will face for the exploitation, theft (for settlement and profit) disrespect and destruction of Mama Earth. As my mother would sway to the song, she had me sit down, listen to the message behind the beat and “mentally marinate” off what the group was talking about. Being a kid, I wasn’t interested in “mentally marinating” lyrics to a song- I just wanted to dance to it like everyone else. I recall asking her- “Mama, are the things in the song really gonna happen?” She said “They are happening now and when you grow up, it will be much worse!” And she was right…

Here in California, many people have lost their homes due to the wildfires that have ravaged through at least seven counties including Alameda, Contra Costa and Stanislaus. Every year it seems as if the fires have become more treacherous and more difficult to contain, with the casualty rate rising steadily. It is heartbreaking enough to lose all of your possessions and years worth of memories but when life is lost it just adds to the pain and the struggle of trying to rebuild lives after surviving such devastation. If it’s not the wildlife that was nearly wiped out in the Australian fires it’s people and acres of land being wiped out everywhere a wildfire rear its ugly head, burning through Mother Earth like flammable paper. This indeed is an Earth Crisis.

Across the nation, millions of people are still at risk of displacement when massive flooding tore through parts of southern Louisiana, Missouri and Arkansas, breaking a levy there. Images of people fleeing their homes in boats while some had to be rescued by helicopter was all over mainstream media and the internet haunting all of the heartfelt sympathy from readers.

Across the world in India, over 2000 people lost their homes when they became submerged under water with one home being pushed off a cliffside after being leveled by a large wall. Several residents were swept away in the powerful tides and many fear a high death toll is iminent due to the magnitude of the flood and the lack of necessities. In the western region of Cambodia over 2000 people had to be evacuated with the help of authorities impacted by flooding that was waist-high in most parts. Food and water was distributed to residents in local and isolated communities and there were no reports of fatalities recorded. Central Vietnam was not as fortunate with hundreds of thousands of homes underwater, up to a million people have been affected and it is listed to have the most casualties- with another tropical storm on the way. Earth Crisis.

Research showed that climate change is a huge part of why we are living in the era of constant “mega storms” and “hellfire blazes” The thievery of Mama Earth by drilling holes in the ocean in search for natural gas for profit, along with the poisoning of the soil to create “frankenfood” while hoarding organic (natural) food behind expensive price tags and the gluttony of consuming living things not meant to be on any menu and calling it a “delicacy”- These are universal laws that are being violated by everyone on one level or another and that is why it is very important to “know thyself” so we can “heal thyself” to gain a better understanding of those who walked this earth before us and the universal laws that were followed in order to leave us with the magnificent “wonders” that we have yet to decipher.   

“Man and his ignorant state, signed and sealed his own fate”- “Earth Crisis” by Steel Pulse

By Queennandi Xsheba PNN KEXU

President Trump is out- and Biden is the newly elected president of the United States along with Kamala Harris making history as the first woman of color to become the vice president of this nation. Before Kamala, Shirley Chisholm became the first African descendant woman to serve in New York’s 12th congressional district and did so successfully for seven terms. These historical accomplishments would probably be still a dream without the people’s voting voice. 

There were a lot of mixed feelings from the community regarding the new president and vice president with some folks saying that the Biden-Harris combo may turn out to be worse than Trump and Pence. One voter even said that with Kamala Harris district attorney background and infamous lockup rate she fears that “The whole country will get locked up.” 

Another voter from the community stated that Biden was “just as racist” as Trump and the fact that a woman of color is vice president doesn’t mean that the change the people anticipate will come to fruition. 

When we go down the list of past presidents it would be very difficult to name one “perfect” president regardless of cultural background or religion because there never was one, however it was the common thread of thinking amongst the voters that felt the need to put into office the politician that doesn’t “whip the people as hard” rather than to have a tyrant for a president who continues on with the agenda of oppression.

According to “Community WeSearch”, former president Donald Trump not only was a “Tyrant” but a boastful criminal who separated families fleeing famine and other life-threatening danger. He turned a blind eye to the uptick of police terror running rampant in Black and Brown communities enabling “law enforcement” to kill at will with impunity, he failed at providing aid to the people to help sustain themselves during a deadly pandemic. Trump had also downplayed COVID with idiotic tweets and parading around the nation maskless eventually contracting COVID-19 himself, putting all those around him at great risk and had the gall to send “shout outs” to White supremacists groups during a presidential debate. With all that said, there was no wonder why there was such a huge voter turnout to get him out of office because he was “a beast who lacked presidential integrity.”

Even with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris preparing to run the “free world” folks still have the “nail-biting” vibe that change will still continue to progress slowly, or stagnate altogether once again. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as “perfection” and what this country really needs is “progress, equality, consciousness and loyalty” to the people without holding “votes” regarding our fate. And if the two newly-elect are to fail at the agenda of “humanity” it would be up to US to utilize our voting voice and continue on with our uphill battle for real change.

By Queennandi Xsheba Shabazz, PNN KEXU

There are always mixed feelings when people walk past one of our folks who is homeless, sitting on a sleeping bag or a donated mattress sifting through food given to them by a stranger. There are feelings of helplessness, cluelessness or pity towards individuals going through such hardships in life.

With limited resources coming from the city or state, compassionate folks from all walks of life would take to the streets and distribute food, clothing and other necessities to help alleviate some of the burden of struggle. Even with the dark cloud of Covid hovering above us there are kind souls who try to lend a helping hand to those in need.

On the other hand, there are many people who look down upon poor folks as a “blight” and nothing more than drug addicted mentally ill individuals with the agenda of “getting over on people” to buy a slice of the “devil’s pie” (drugs) and/or alcohol.  Harsh judgement spews from the mouth of passer-bys such as “you people need to be wiped off the face of the earth” or “get a job, you bum!” Saying these kinds of comments to someone that is facing spirit-breaking difficulties in their lives is like giving that final “kick in the face” to them and being “better off” is not an excuse to add on this extra layer of hatred onto an already lost soul.

Poor folks who are in struggle with substance or mental health issues living on the streets are not the only ones feeling the brunt of this burden. We have children who live in cars, hotels and tents who have to live with the experiences of poverty on a daily basis, along with elders with major health problems in which a high percentage of them die within a year of being homeless and vulnerable. In doing my WeSearch I have come across families who worked two jobs while raising children- all while living in a tent because of not only being economically impacted by Covid, but the nosebleed- high rent in the bay area makes it very difficult for folks to obtain decent and safe housing. With that being said, should innocent children and elders be “wiped off the face of the earth” also?

Being homeless is not just a “death sentence” for people dealing with substance or other life altering issues, this violation of human laws affects anyone all across the board regardless of age, gender or cultural background. However when it comes to looking at the injustice system as a whole it is people of color who had the most stones casted upon them. 

Instead of pointing the finger at someone who chose to self-medicate in (dis)order to cope with the systematic hell they have endured, let’s change the conversation to shaming the so-called leaders who always had a bad reputation of “shuckin’ and jivin” around with the issues surrounding poverty. Shame on the “leaders” for enabling “gentrifukation” and greed to push women, men, children, elders AND pets out onto the streets in the first place. Shame on “leaders” for issuing a “stimulate nothing” payment at the beginning of this year that wasn’t even enough for most folks to cover one months’ rent and still continue to “shuck and jive” around the negotiation table over the fate of this nation. It is also shameful that the “homelessphobia” attitude is tolerated to the point that poor folks have been criminalized, attacked and in some cases killed for no reason other than being poor. 

Hatred does not contribute to helping those who cannot help themselves nor does it heal the traumatized spirit, hatred is just another ingredient added to the already potent poison that has killed off the consciousness and morality of this country.

528 years, 22 years and all of our lives of endless struggle....Poor People built this with a poem- a poem that wound thru shelter beds and tents, poLice sweeps and the lie of rent....

Dear Loving Family/ComeUnity,

We are writing to you with love, gratitude and tears of unbelieving in our hearts that us poor, houseless, incarcerated, disabled and indigenous peoples got this far in building Homefulness. We need your help to make sure that 9 more houseless, indigenous families and disabled elders become homeful and we finish Phase #6. (Donate Here or poor-magazine on Venmo)

Herstory

A dream that started on a shelter bed, park bench, bus shelter and backseat of a car by two houseless indigenous women is made into a reality....now here we are....living into , breathing into Phase #6 and we are asking for support to finalize each unit- so more houseless families can move in and be HOMEFUL- WE NEED appliances, floors, light switches, etc- each family slated to move in is already helping to make this happen- from painting days to writing the Peoples Manifesto and working on healing from krapitalist violence that seems to never end.

Meanwhile since the ongoing violence of poverty, PoLice murder, poltricks and Covid19 rages on- POOR Magazine expanded our weekly Sliding Scale Cafe on BlackArthur to Mercadito de Cambio (Little Market of Change) and ongoing #RoofLESSRadio which has been sharing food and supplies since 2011 and is now sharing masks and hand sanitizers two days a week in addition to resources and food in encampments with our brothers and sisters in Oakland and San Francisco. All of this happens with the help of the Bank of ComeUnity Reparations which is supporting over 700 families a week with diapers, food, masks and love and have 120 families on the wait-list to receive diapers from the Po Mamaz Diaper Fund- We have published two powerful books and led PeopleSKool on Zoom, We have launched a Homefulness #2 liberation. 

This year there has been so much liberation and so much sorrow, prayer love and struggle. We hold all of you in hearts for standing with us, walking with us and changing/transforming with us... WE are still here! ....And none of this would have happened without your ongoing love and redistribution -

Lifting us all up in prayer for the next year to come!!!!!   

In Love and Struggle, POOR Magazine Family-