Monday, August 5, 2013
Stop-and-Frisk: The High School Senior
Kasiem Walters, a high school senior in Flatbush, Brooklyn, speaks about the countless stop-and-frisk experiences he and his friends have had over the years. From waiting outside a friend’s house on the walk to school, to giving high-fives and being mistaken for selling drugs, Kasiem dreams of a time when he and his community can look around and feel like citizens of New York, not criminals.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Kids React to Controversial Cheerios Commercial
And the Bible says: A little child shall lead them . . . .,
Friday, July 19, 2013
WHO ARE THE ANGOLA 3 (2/2)
Background idnformation on the history of the Angola 3 who were previously Black Panthers. Hence there is an association with the lifestyle and philosophy of the Black Panther Party. Learn the reality of this political group and reject the paintbrush misrepresentation by the general public and media. This is an important history lesson to learn.
After 40 Years in Solitary, Angola 3 Prisoner Albert Woodfox Ordered Fre...
This is the voice of the second one of the Angola 3. This is a man who is a strong brothe who is to be admired. Amy Goodwin and Juan Gonzalez of Democracy Now publicize this human tragedy. Unbelievable that a 3-time overturned case can be ignored and this man remains in prison. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?>!?!?!?!?!??????? What must be DONE!!!!!!!!!
Slavery still reigns in US prisons
Would you believe that actual SLAVERY exists today in the United States? It does in the guise of the prison system. Listen and learn with this video. Then follow up and join any movement to abolish slavery in all forms isn the United States today. Our ancestors require this.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Jill Scott - Family Reunion
"Family Reunion" by Jill Scott which is new to me and beautifully described. Relaxing music and wonderfully words of fantastic memories we will all long cherish. We got to play this at our family reunion too. Hey, Music Guys, get on this right away -- for sure !!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal (official tr...
Mumia Abu-Jamal And Filmmaker Stephen Vittoria Talk American Imperialism
Prison Radio / Nolan Edmonston
Mumia Abu-Jamal has been serving a life sentence (he was formerly Death Row) for the murder of a white policeman in Philadelphia since 1981. In that time, he's been heralded as a revolutionary and condemned as a killer, written hundreds of books and essays, sparked a massive Free Mumia movement and lent support to contemporary calls for change like Occupy Wall Street. He's also the subject of director Stephen Vittoria's (One Bright Shining Moment) newest documentary, Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal, which follows Mumia—who has always insisted he's innocent—from his early involvement with the Black Panthers to his career as a radio journalist in Philadelphia, through his current period of incarceration and his published works.
We recently spoke with Mumia and Vittoria about the film, the media, and what it means to fight for change in a modern world.
Steve, what made you want to document Mumia's life? And Mumia, how did you get involved in the project?
SV: You wake up in a country that's run by mass murderers, economic rapists, and general run-of-the-mill racists and misogynist psychopaths, and you start to look for some sanity. And for me the sanity and inspiration came from a gentleman writing from a dark, dank hole on death row in Pennsylvania. I wanted to focus on a very unfortunate but remarkable life as a journalist a writer, a historian, an author, and a revolutionary from day one. There needs to be another narrative told about the life of Mumia, because the narrative that's been told for 30 years has been an utter lie.
MAJ: We started with a little project, a book, and it migrated to a film. But as all projects, they have a life of their own. And they sometimes are greater than the imagination of either or both of the parties involved. We were going to do a work called 'Murder Incorporated.' The title does not refer to a mafia movie. It refers to LBJ who when he took over as president of the United States, looked at what was happening in the Caribbean, and told someone: "Whoa, we're running, like, Murder Incorporated down here." And it seemed like a perfect title.
But it's really a study of imperialism. And, as ever, imperialism never remains overseas. It creeps back home. It creeps back home through torture. It creeps back home through repression. It creeps back home through secret prisons. And it creeps back home through corruption of the legal system. And what we see is what we've done.
Mumia, do you consider yourself more of a writer than a revolutionary, or do the two go hand-in-hand?
MAJ: Well, I mean, it could be separated, but I think any separation is a false separation. One of the things Howard Zinn—probably one of the greatest historians of the 20th century—said, was, he feared professionalism, because professionalism was just another straitjacket. And it was the peers of his profession which tried to police the profession, so as not to offend the imperial forces in power. So, yeah, I'm a writer, but I'm a revolutionary too. And because I was part of a revolutionary organization in my youth, and part of the Ministry of Information of that organization, they taught me how to write. And they helped point me in a direction that has lasted for quite a long distance.
Courtesy Lou Jones
So how do you feel about the mainstream media?
MAJ: I am quite honestly profoundly depressed. Profoundly depressed. When I look at—it's hard for me, to look at TV news. I find myself looking at BBC, and NHK, you know, overseas news. It's more palatable in many ways. But when I look at American news, man, wow, they're pretty, they're beautiful, their teeth are sparkling like stars, and they're so nice to you. And they wanna be your friend. They're trying so hard to be your friends, they forget to tell you the news. They want to tell you how to, you know, lose inches on your butt, or to buy the latest fashion, or to see the latest movie. But damn it, they're ain't talking about what's happening in the country. And it infuriates me to watch local news these days. I find myself turning away from it more and more and more.
You've talked a lot about of the power of organization and if people organize they can make change. Over the past year or so, we've seen people focus on organization, like with Occupy Wall Street. But it seems like the small change they effect isn't really enough to have an effect on a larger scale. Do you think that change, real change is possible?
MAJ: Well, I think history has proven that when people organize, they are the only forces that can change history. I talked about media earlier, but I guess I should give a prize, instead of a bat, to PBS, who recently did a series called The Abolitionists. These were a tiny group of people, but they were extraordinary, they were deeply committed. Like Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Angelica Grimke, and people like that. These were white and black, rich and poor, slave and free, and they created one of the most incredible movements in world history. And they changed history.
Filmmaker Stephen Vittoria, courtesy Sharon Vittoria.
Steve, now, Mumia is no longer on death row, but faces a lifetime in prison. Do you think that the "Free Mumia" movement will die down now?
SV: I think it has ramped up. Mumia had a tremendous arc in popularity and exposure in the late 90s and into the early 2000s and quite frankly it definitely receded throughout the first decade of the 21st century. I think the opposition who has been trying to silence Mumia, the fact that the DA decided not to pursue the death penalty again—I think they thought that Mumia was just going to go away. The unintended consequences have been that Mumia is writing more now than he ever has. He's been louder and tougher in his critique of the American empire and what's going on.
I think the Mumia movement has been really been ramping up now because they believe that now that they can't kill him on death row, and they can't murder Mumia, they believe they have a fairly decent chance to try to get some new people to look at this old case and realize the impropriety and the miscarriage of justice that this man has gone through. I can sense that they have new life. I don't think it's going the way the opposition thought it was going to go.
Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal, a First Run Features film, opens this Friday at Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street between Fifth Ave and University Pl (212-924-3363, cinemavillage.com).
Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Please take time to read and become inspired by this message today from Dr. William Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP. It is truly amazing that a new movement is underway today and that history is being made before our very eyes once again.
|
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Salif Keita - "Africa"
Salif Keita 's music called "Africa." Rotating and pulsing rhythms that peak the interest and tickle the feet in springing to dance or at least dancing at heart and soul. Listen and soar to flights of joy!
Mali - Salif Keita - Tekere
One of my favorite pieces of African music by musician Salita Kieta from Mali. Very rhymical and graceful to dance by.
Salif Keita - Mandjou
Beautiful video and lovely African music. This type almost seems to have merged with American jazz but still retains the African elements and rhythm. It is beautiful and soothing to the very soul. Sit back and relax and just picture the fluid, lazy, warm, inviting and inspiring African scene of our imagination -- forget the reality. Enjoy!
Friday, June 7, 2013
"We Will Not Stop!" | June 3rd 5th Wave Moral Monday
I was quite PROUD to have been in the CROWD! And it is my PLAN to attend ALL MORAL MONDAYS for as long as I CAN. Keep all NC Activists THERE , deeply and constantly IN PRAYER!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
