In response to the Trayvon Martin shooting, around 80 men and 20 women gathered at Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) this past week to discuss police brutality and strategic action in the Black community. “We wanted to meet and figure out what people can do individually to change their communities,” says Blake Dye, organizer of the …
New Article: Trayvon Martin: Portland Men, Women Gather for ‘The Conversation’ Read More »
When law enforcement cleared Occupy Portland demonstrators out of their downtown camps last fall, many worried that the movement would falter. This spring in North and Northeast Portland, a handful of new activist movements against racism, homelessness and foreclosure have been joined by Decolonize PDX — which is placing the prison industrial complex front and …
New Article: Decolonize PDX Focuses on Prison System Read More »
By now you’ve probably seen the Trayvon Martin killing analyzed from every possible angle. Instead of offering up another piece comparing my own experiences in a gated community or stating the all too obvious reasons why George Zimmerman should be arrested and Chief Bill Lee should be fired, here are a series of raw, frustrated …
Check out the new article on my interview with Civil Rights veteran Hollis Watkins. He’ll be speaking in Portland the week of Feb. 6-11. Times and dates are listed in the article.
The Notorious B.I.G. once said, “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Kills You.” Look no further than Gary Webb. Although he had won a Pulitzer Prize, he didn’t achieve national acclaim until he stumbled upon a story connecting the Nicaraguan Contras to the Los Angeles crack trade. The series and the book titled “Dark Alliance: The CIA, …
Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion Read More »
A recurring theme in my talks with Occupy Portland participants has been the “media war”. Consider Jason Parker collateral damage. Parker was arrested a couple of weeks ago at the encampment for allegedly pulling a gun on protesters during an argument. According to the news reports, he pulled the gun after protesters challenged him for …
Check out the new article. Supporters Want Occupy Movement to Address Racial Issues.
Author’s note: I originally wrote this following the killing of Osama bin Laden. Since, we’ve seen the assassinations of many others, including Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16 year old son and most recently Muammar Gaddafi. I find it interesting that so many in the US cheered on the images of Gaddafi’s bloody corpse not even a …
One image that stuck with me from Occupy Portland was a man burning a dollar bill. There couldn’t be a more apt protest technique than destroying the tool which allows bankers to control the people. It says “In God We Trust” on the dollar (The phrase has been on coins since 1864 and paper money …
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwMknGllKaw&w=420&h=315] Andy Rooney left “60 Minutes” this past Sunday. The nation is in need of a seasoned journalist to provide a weekly dose of context. What an opportune time to free award winning journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, the most famous death row inmate in the world. Abu-Jamal symbolizes the struggle of the under served in …