FForward Movement

is an International, Multicultural, Interdisciplinary, Multimedia Digital Arts Compilation featuring

2.5 Hours of Music
60 minutes of Video
Visual Art, Poetry, Photography,
Essays, Short Stories, and MORE!

FForward Movement was created to raise funds and awareness for the

United States Social Forum 2010 in Detroit, Michigan.

Featured artists include:

Invincible

Amp Fiddler

Olmeca

Head-Roc

Nadir

Agents of Change

The Unapologetic Mexican

Dubasaurus

Adrienne Maree Brown, AJ Viola, Al Jagiello, Allie Moreno, Bagwis, Big A, Chinonye Nsofor, Diskarte Namin, Erin Cramer and Zeke Williams, Fausto A. Lopez, Halima Cassels, Heather L. G. Bella, Iayaalis, Jhonathan F. Gómez, Jhuelz, Jim Perkinson, John Lyons, Just One, Kevin Valentine, Khary WAE Frazier, Kiko, Len Beste, Los Nadies, Mars, Mary Simmerling, Matthis Chiroux, Michele Crimi, Nashville Session Players, Nic Notion, Niko Marks, Paul J. Miles, Phillip Morris, Ramah Jihan, Sabrina Nelson, Sails of Whydah, Sim-One, Stephan Said, Steve Falconer, Stryfe, TaRee, Tha Truth, The Pachamama Band, Tom Neilson, Treble Army, Urbanized Music, Vanessa Huang, Zeina C. Washington

changethemusic.net

$10.00 US

Proceeds from the sale of this compilation go to the United States Social Forum.

This project is a collaboration of artists and activists, individuals and groups who work every day in our communities to create a better world. Artists from Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas are represented. Though we are different colors, cultures, creeds and religions, individually and collectively we express our common belief that Another World is Possible.

The completion of this project is the realization that by our action we advance the vision of the USSF from possibility to reality.

Another World Is Here. This is only a beginning.

FForward Ever! Backward Never!!

The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and changes history.

For more info [or if any of the links here did not work properly] visit USSF2010.org.

THE ARIZONA BOYCOTT situation is an interesting one. I’d warn against thinking this is gonna fade away. There is a reason that progressive alliances, black leadership and organizations and others are referencing civil rights struggles. There is a reason today that aspiring conservative politicians like Rand Paul and pundits like Glenn Beck are openly arguing against the Civil Rights Era’s gains. This is one of those moments in time.

This is much bigger than one law in Arizona, and these times require our energy and hands, should we have them to lend.

Around the nation, the signs are encouraging. The boycott against SB 1070 grows stronger every day. So stay strong, gente. Many people refused to ride the bus that would not permit Rosa Parks  to sit where she wanted. They did it in solidarity, not because they needed a jog; not because they wanted the inconvenience; not because they did not want a ride! Many others rallied around Rosa Parks—and all others throughout time who stood against injustice—because they knew the sacrifice was worth fighting for what is right.

The Diamondbacks games continues to function as a bullhorn for the boycott:

Politics and sports came together Monday evening when several hundred demonstrators used the opener of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks to protest that state’s new immigration bill.

Holding placards that read, among other things, “Arizona Shame on You” and chanting “Boycott Arizona!” demonstrators marched up Elysian Park Avenue toward Stadium Way and assembled on the four corners outside the entrance to the stadium, walking back and forth across the streets. …

“We’re not going to stop them from attending the game,” said John Morales, one of the organizers of the protest. “They’ve already bought their tickets. We’re trying to make a connection between sports and politics…. The Diamondback team is not just from Arizona; the ownership has contributed to the Republican Party that has spearheaded the legislation.”

The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada may soon come on board:

Several cities around the country are already boycotting Arizona in response to the law. Now, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, or PLAN, wants city councils in Reno and Las Vegas to do the same. “We want to send a message to Arizona that this type of police state tactic is not welcome in our country,” said PLAN’s Communications Director Launce Rake. “Let’s not do business with Arizona businesses and let’s definitely not send any government people there to conventions.”

Pablo Alvarado, President of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network joined thousands of protestors and concerned humans in Phoenix on Saturday to protest SB 1070. He talks about how there will soon be a way to keep supporting companies who are oppose SB 1070, and leave the others in the cold:

Alvarado said the National Day Laborer Organizing Network — who organized the rally and march along with Puente Arizona, a human rights organization spear-heading the anti-SB 1070 movement — is working on a method for companies that oppose the immigration law to be identified by shoppers who participate in the boycott.

“We are creating a ‘human rights zone,’ and all of those [sympathetic] businesses are going to be hit in the next few weeks,” Alvarado said. “And those businesses are going to have a sticker that says … ‘This is a human rights zone, come and sponsor this business.’”

Kanye West, Zach de la Rocha, Cypress Hill, and other musicians are on board with the boycott:

“Fans of our music, our stories, our films and our words can be pulled over and harassed every day because they are brown or black, or for the way they speak, or for the music that they listen to,” said de la Rocha, who has been outspoken about the law since2 the bill was first introduced earlier this year. “We are asking artists the world over to stand with us, and now allow our collective economic power to be used to aid and abet civil and human rights violations that will be caused by Arizona’s odious law.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors may soon join the Los Angeles City Council in boycotting Arizona:

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider adding their opposition to the law. The school district is considering a resolution condemning the law and exploring ways of curtailing support for Arizona and companies based there.

The resolution, proposed by board President Monica Garcia and members Nury Martinez and Yolie Flores, would call for LAUSD civics and history classes to include a discussion of the Arizona law “in the context of unity, diversity and equal protection for all.” …

Last month, the Los Angeles City Council approved an economic boycott of Arizona.

Minnesota Native Americans and others gathered this past weekend to support the boycott:

May 29, Forth Snelling, Minnesota. Minnesotans of many ethnicities gathered to support the Arizona Boycott in protest of new immigration law (SB170) and to prevent introduction of similar laws here.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., America’s oldest African American college fraternity, has decided to move their national convention from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada in solidarity with the boycott against Arizona, and in opposition to the recent passage of SB 1070. The decision is “an expensive one,” according to The Root:

The decision to boycott Arizona is not without a cost for Alpha Phi Alpha. Breaking contracts with Phoenix area hotels, catering, and meeting rooms means the fraternity is now in litigation with contractors. And while Mason can’t give an exact amount on how much the boycott will cost the fraternity, he estimates that Alpha is looking at over $300,000 in penalties. That doesn’t include over 3,000 Alphas who will have to change their flight and hotel reservations as soon as possible.

“I’m ecstatic that our dear fraternity took a hard-line stance with a state known for attempting to block our Brother Martin Luther King Jr.’s national holiday,” said Terry Calhoun, a financial planner and Alpha Phi Alpha member from Illinois. Calhoun purchased his discount airline tickets to Phoenix months ago, and will now be paying extra for the trip to Las Vegas. But he’s fine with it.

“I would be willing to go to a campfire to hold the national convention as opposed to going to the oppressive state of Arizona,” Calhoun said.

Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey and chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is urging major league baseball players to boycott the 2011 All-Star game, which is scheduled to take place in Phoenix, to protest SB 1070:

In every century and generation, immigrants have contributed to the progress, prosperity and vitality of this nation. This law undermines that shared history by promoting discrimination against one group of people. As someone who has and continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, I believe the Arizona law is a call to action for reform of our nation’s broken immigration system. However, while I understand the frustration about the failures of our current system, states should not be permitted to enact their own discriminatory immigration laws while the federal government works to reform our laws. The Arizona law is an embarrassment to our country and a call to action to our communities to stand up against injustice.

For these reasons, I ask that you consider boycotting the All-Star Game in Arizona until SB1070 is repealed or the League decides to move the game to an alternate location.

Of course, as FOX news and others love to broadcast whenever possible, a MSNBC/TELEMUNDO poll taken at one point showed that a majority of whites support SB 1070, even while a majority of Latinos did not. (Do you think this is accurate, or being used by media branches to divide us? If it is a real divide, do you wonder why this might be? Why racial profiling consequences intensifying does not affect whites’ peace of mind?) And you can easily find many op-eds, articles, pundits and even politicians who run the gamut from baffled as to why the boycott even exists and keeps growing, to enraged that it does. There are people doing their best, even, to organize spending sprees in Arizona! They seem to love the idea of SB 1070 that much. As if they personally need there to be increased scrutiny and policing and Your-Papers-Please checkpoints in the nation.

The faultlines between whites and non-whites in perceptions, feelings, realities of jail, social repercussions of state violence—it all becomes clear, now. Of course that faultline has been there all along, though we’ve all become zoned out, used to dealing, adapted in our own ways. Either blinded by comfort and privilege, or just dealing with the imbalances wherever they exist. Or some mix of both?

Either way, something has happened in America. Something inexorable, no doubt. We are living in important times, just as every other person on Earth did. And here we live through an unveiling. Of our own natures. How we deal with that will define us, no doubt. In my wildest dreams I hope we all come together. I don’t see that we are there yet, as a People. Those in power are mostly holding on tighter. Which means status quo, more suffering, worse division, more racism, more prisons, more death, more poor people, more disease, more environmental disaster, more war. Those are all kindred to increased racial profiling, greater numbers of people in prison, more divided families, greater police powers, greater state power, further persecution of people of color as well as vulnerable families, men, women, and children.

This is much bigger than one law in Arizona.

But the big battle is the little battle, too. Which is why when I see factions of people or people baffled at the boycott, or in support of SB 1070; when I see them clamp down harder on views that support the corrupt status quo, I see there is a lot of fighting left to do.

Last week, Ohio radio station WTVN-AM (owned by Clear Channel, the station quick to act against errant curse words or bared breasts) actually had a nifty little contest in support of SB 1070:

610 WTVN would like to send you where Americans are proud and illegals are scared, sunny Phoenix, Arizona! You’ll spend a weekend chasing aliens and spending cash in the desert, just make sure you’ve got your green card! Win round trip airfare to Phoenix, hotel accommodations, and a few pesos in spending cash – just register below!”

This weird (not-racist) contest was a reaction to Columbus mayor Michael Coleman’s decision to join the boycott and ban city employees from visiting Arizona in any official capacity (they are of course free to go on their own time and dollar if they like). You’ll note that article has Mister Coleman’s somber and poignant and personal thoughts on the Civil Rights struggle that affected his family. His great-great-great Grandmother was a slave, and she lived to 105. And he was infused with her memory and her experience when he made the decision he did.

And what was Clear Channel’s little radio station Dj’s response to this? To give away a weekend trip “chasing aliens”; where “illegals are scared” and as the winner of the contest, you are free to sun and hunt, and spend cash.

This is much bigger than one law in Arizona.

NCLR’s Janet Murguia reacted to the station’s contest:

“The passage of SB 1070 has provoked a lot of reprehensible anti-Latino and anti-immigrant rhetoric but a radio station bankrolling someone to ‘hunt’ human beings for sport represents a new low,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.  “The owners and directors of WTVN might think that this is all in good fun but what is happening to Latinos – citizen, legal, and undocumented alike – in Arizona is no joke.  We are asking for an immediate and unequivocal apology from the station and its parent company.”

Noting that the station’s contest has triggered considerable outrage in Latino communities in Ohio, Arizona, and nationwide, Murguia concluded, “It is important to keep in mind that the American people own the airwaves over which WTVN broadcasts.  As such, we will ask FCC Commissioners to ensure that threats against American citizens — such as the one encouraged and promoted by WTVN  – are not taken lightly and dealt with in an appropriate manner as soon as possible.”

(By the way, if you feel that contest was an unacceptable use of OUR airwaves, voice your feelings about that contest directly:)

WTVN Mailing Address:
2323 W. Fifth Ave.
Suite 200
Columbus, OH 43204

Telephone:
Main Office: 614-486-6101
Main Fax: 614-487-2559

Mike Elliott:
Executive Producer – Program Director

mikeelliott@wtvn.com

So we fight on.

You cannot help but look over to the White House every now and then to see if the Bipartisan Bubble that shields the DOJ and the Oval Office from further Fierce Urgency of Nows being afflicted upon them has weakened, or lifted. But whether it’s lukewarm statements on flotillas, hazy afternoon beer summits, or impassioned (but later rescinded or ignored) bankster-scoldings or denunciations of ICE and in favor  of swift immigration reform, the Obama administration has made clear its shape and method. This is no fire in the belly leadership. This is a loud sound, stall-em-off, change the subject, do-just-enough-to-quell-the-outcry, make no fast or dramatic moves administration.

That means we really do have to push our “representatives” hard. Even harder. And keep waking up the nation. More writing, more talking. More calls. More art, more videos. More letters. More boycott actions, more people, more towns. We must make the chronically comfortable feel that the situation for others is exactly as uncomfortable, untenable, and unlivable as the rest of us know it to be already.

Keep on, and we can make change. Think back to all those who sacrificed to bring us where we are today. True, there have always been sneery, bloated defenders of the status quo like Glenn Beck, but social change that changes the lives of many for the better began not with millionaire puppets with vapo-rub under the eyes and book tours under the arm, but with regular people. Every day people. Who made a stand. That’s what we can do. We don’t have the Beck bullhorn or the Rupert riches, but we are many more, and we stand on the shoulders of many regular people who discovered they could be giants, given the right cause.

This is the right cause. This is much bigger than just one law in Arizona.

MY FIRST THOUGHTS when I read about the boycott on Arizona as a reaction to their passing SB 1070 were, yeah! Let’s do it. Make them feel the pain. Nobody pays too much attention to anyone or anything in this nation unless it either costs a lot or makes a lot of cash.

But then I thought about how POC are always going to suffer more when an economy dips…and that the boycott might be a sort of double punishment on those already suffering greatly in AZ.

And then I thought some more, and a Twitter amigo added the thought that it’s gonna be rough on gente in AZ no matter what. That made sense. And not just now. After all, this is the state that fought against an MLK holiday!

So I think AZ should feel the pain from the rest of the Union. Because this state has decided that it wants to return to an era that the rest of the Union—the other states in the US—has left behind. A boycott by the rest of the states, or as many as possible, says “Okay. You want to go in a whole different direction than the country? Then do without the rest of the country’s support for a while. Think that over.”

Arizona needs to think this over. And a whole lot of us say so.

—

update: and counting…
update2: ouch.
update3: whoa.

BACK IN MY FIERY TAKE-NO-PRISONERS DAYS of writing this blog, I began referring to the “Long War” on the indigenous of this continent. It is a war of weapons, of lies, of law, of land, and a billion micro-aggressions against both the idea and the reality that this land—if land can really be said to belong to anyone—belongs to and has been nurtured and nourished and tended by peoples who have been systematically hindered, harassed, hounded and hunted by outside forces and their descendants. Those who know what I mean, know what I mean. Those who do not will not, for they have been brainwashed by the poison that the televisionation spews out daily to maintain an illusion that exacts a cost of blood, bad dreams, and the pain of millions. We call it The American Dream. And yeah, today I’m a bit angry. Today, we see not yet another micro-aggression through our oversensitive racial lens but a very tangible, very dangerous bill (Senate Bill 1070)  signed into Arizona law by Governor Jan Brewer.

In February of this year, I tried to communicate my feelings and thoughts on this bill.

This bill makes the racists happy. Just dig the comment threads on any videos on this topic. Sweet lord, these vile, selfish, thoughtless creeps who cluster to threads on immigration oughtta be shipped out to their very own island as far as I’m concerned. Judging by 90% of the noise they make, they simply are not fit to share a community or society with other people. They should be airlifted to an island and stuck there with a library of history books and made to work their own land and wait on their own damn tables and watch their own kids and chop up their own steers and otherwise bootstrap their asses to their own private, ridiculous destiny and leave the rest of us out.

SB1070 makes nativist groups like FAIR happy. It makes proven racists like Mark Krikorian happy. It does not make those who must enforce this new law happy. It makes millions of the rest of us very unhappy. For very good reasons.

[Cardinal] Mahony, a nationally influential figure who heads the nation’s largest Roman Catholic archdiocese with 4.3 million members, lambasted Pearce’s bill on his blog this week, likening it to “German Nazi and Russian Communist techniques” that compelled people to turn each other in.

“The Arizona Legislature just passed the country’s most retrogressive, mean-spirited, and useless anti-immigrant law,” the cardinal wrote on his blog. “The tragedy of the law is its totally false reasoning: that immigrants come to our country to rob, plunder, and consume public resources. That is not only false, the premise is nonsense.”

—source

“First and foremost, we are concerned with public safety, and we don’t know that this will be of benefit to public safety.”

“This is a federal issue, that obviously needs some addressing on the federal level.”

– Josh Copley, deputy chief, Arizona Flagstaff police department

“Unfortunately, the governor is afraid to stand left of the radical politics of (Arizona Rep.) Russell Pearce. The issue has divided Arizona and divided the nation, and only in Arizona have we chosen to embarrass ourselves in proclaiming some sort of radical resolution to this issue when there isn’t an easy solution at all.”

“The real solution belongs in comprehensive immigration reform that John McCain outlined three years ago when he was running for president. Until we get that, and this law repealed, we’re simply going to have community division and chaos within the command of police departments.”

– Tom Chabin, AZ state representative, D-Flagstaff

“I believe that it’s bad legislation … I have a concern about putting my officers in a position to have them profile people based on the color of their skin and the language they speak.”

– Bill Pribil, Arizona Coconino County sheriff

“This really is a massive expansion of police power, promoted by a Legislature that claims to be in favor of small government.”

– Joel Olson, NAU political science professor [source]

Aside from driving a vicious wedge between the police and most of the community, there are the myriad legal problems that occur when you let fringey racist elements start trying to flesh their murky animosity into standing and practicable law:

Imagine the following scenario:

A Tucson police officer pulls over a white person driving alone for a cracked windshield. By what standard or metric will the officer use to determine “reasonable suspicion” that the white person in the vehicle is in the country illegally?

You can’t tell by just looking. Right? So there must be some other behavior that an officer must cue on in order to develop a reasonable suspicion. What would that be? Nervousness? Most people are nervous when they’re pulled over? Not in possession of driver’s license? Thousands of citizens are stopped every year and cited for driving without a license.

There is no way to determine citizenship status by just looking at someone. So the officer must ask. And, in order not to run afoul of the equal protection clause, police will have to ask everyone.

So now what if our white driver, who does not speak with a foreign accent, refuses to answer the question? What will the officer do? The law says an Arizona’s driver’s license or state-issued ID card suffice as proof of citizenship. But what if the driver doesn’t have a driver’s license in his or her possession?

Can you imagine any scenario in which the officer would develop a “reasonable suspicion” that the white driver is in the country illegally? I can’t (if this was Vermont, I could).

Now change the white driver to a Hispanic driver. Is refusing to answer the question “reasonable suspicion?” Or is failure to have a driver’s license?

In a state with several hundred thousand illegal immigrants entering it every year, and several hundred thousand more living here, a reasonable person would have to argue that it is “reasonable suspicion.” But it’s reasonable suspicion based on race and that’s just not Constitutionally viable.

If the officer arrests the unlicensed Hispanic driver based on that failure to answer the citizenship question and being unlicensed (which is a civil offense that doesn’t require arrest as long as the person signs a promise to appear) under this law the city, county or state could conceivably hold that person until citizenship or legal immigrant status is proved. That flies in the face of presumption of innocence.

I can’t see how this portion of the law can possibly be equitably enforced. As I’ve stated, it has enormous 4^th, 5^th and 14^th Amendment problems, as well as a near repudiation of presumption of innocence, which has been part of English and American common law for at least 200 years.

The only way to make it equitable is to ask everyone their citizenship status. But citizens are under no obligation to tell the police anything or to carry any proof of their citizenship.

The police can be sued if they fail to enforce the law but if they start rounding up citizens who refuse to provide proof of their citizenship, they’ll get sued for that too (though the law protects officers who wrongly arrest citizens or those in the country legally).

—Key part of SB 1070 not likely to be a law for long

And then for some of us, this move has horrific resonances to it.

What can we do?

• Post about it. Talk about it. Tweet about it, yes. All these things. Keep this alive in the dialogue. This move is WAY too big to let it be subsumed into the everchurning news trash compost heap. Yes, it is part of the small but powerful and noisy faction of the populace that shrieks against change, fears a black president, fears a brown nation, changes textbooks to reflect right wing fantasy, elevates scumbags like rush limbaugh and glenn beck. But the uproar is massive—and plenty of it from white folks—because they understand that this is, ahem, beyond the pale. This law will creep like infection and twist the nation into a very chaotic, destructive, and divided state.

What else can you do?

• Join this Facebook group.

• Boycott Arizona. Make them feel the pain of taking our country “back” to our uglier eras. These lawyers are.

• Raise hell.

• Sign this petition to the governor. Or contact her yourself directly.

The Honorable Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Telephone (602) 542-4331
Toll Free 1-(800) 253-0883
Fax (602) 542-1381

• See these sites for further resources.

I know there are other actions planned and things to do, groups to join, numbers to call. I don’t have anymore time today to hunt those down. But please do add your thoughts and info in the comments. And hang tuff, gente. Good will prevail. But it will be stank and bloody in the meantime, for the hard climb. That’s just life.

See you on May 1.

Moratorium on Employer Sanctions If No Reform Now

From the Mexican American Political Association:

CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM IMMIGRANT WORKERS

President Barack Obama could not have been clearer than the statement he made at the close of the two-day summit meeting with the presidents of Mexico and Canada on August 10, 2009, that immigration reform legislation will have to wait until 2010 and indicated that even then will prove a major political test (as reported in the Los Angeles Times). Immigrant advocates and proponents in favor of fair immigration reform and legalization should now have no illusions about the timetable for the change that we hoped for and the change that our people want and need. However, the demand for an immediate moratorium of the Obama enforcement policy becomes more apparent and pressing. There is no other alternative. If we can’t have reform this year, we absolutely require relief in the form of a moratorium of the enforcement of employer sanctions, raids, deportations, e-Verify, and prolonged detention for immigration related offenses, which are civil in nature. All non-violent tactics need to be put on the table.

Worker Councils from a growing number of companies that have been targeted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the direction of Secretary Janet Napolitano, directed by the policy of President Barack Obama, are forming and fighting back under extremely adverse conditions the enforcement of employer sanctions sweeping the country. These companies bear the names of Overhill Farms, American Apparel, Farmer Johns, Micro Solutions, and many others. In fact, some 650 have been profiled by this administration. The initial mass terminations have only just begun.

We are organizing ourselves to openly oppose these policies and practices, which are devastating our families during the worst economic times since the 1930s. We call on workers, employers, unions, churches, immigrants’ rights coalitions and advocacy organizations, human rights groups, and worker centers to unite and respect our broad call to mobilize urgently and demand an immediate moratorium of the aggressive unprecedented enforcement of employer sanctions with the I-9 audits of profiled companies that hire immigrants, the expanded use of eVerify, the federal system of employment verification, and the expansion of police-ICE collaboration through the 287g program. Enforcement heavy and legalization light is now the order of the day for President Obama.

We call on all unions of the labor movement, that has a responsibility to defend us, to clearly articulate their open opposition to employer sanctions and the I-9 audits, defend their members and all workers targeted for termination due to no-match discrepancies with the Social Security Administration, and openly oppose contract-worker programs as modern indentured servitude no matter by what name they are titled.

We call on the churches of all denominations, which have a responsibility to safe-guard our spiritual well- being, to express vocal opposition to the policies and practices that are tearing up our families and destroying the prospect of us remaining in the U.S. You have a duty to hold the line against any assault on the integrity and unity of the family.

We call on the immigrants’ rights coalitions and national networks of different names, that represent that they work on behalf of immigrants and advocate in favor of fair and humane immigration reform, to not fear mass mobilizations of workers and immigrants openly demanding an end to the Obama enforcement strategy, but instead to join us. We want you to demand a full and generous legalization of undocumented immigrants without accepting a horrific deal of “smart enforcement” as a trade-off.

We call on the state and federal legislators to have courage and fight for humane immigration reform and to not be sold on the idea that by demonstrating more enforcement they will be able to win over more moderate and even Republican politicians in favor of legalization. How much more does President Obama want to push us down in order to demonstrate his “tough on immigrants” façade to the American people? We can only stand for so much.

We call on all honest employers that depend on immigrant labor to join the broad movement to oppose employer sanctions and all its discriminatory implications as government heavy invasive intrusions and interruptions of the work-place. You have a moral duty to pay an honorable wage for a good day’s work.

We are taking the brunt of the attacks and suffering the immediate consequences of this misguided policy, therefore, our call is urgent to take to the streets on September 5th, the Labor Day weekend, and October 12th, not to ask but demand that President Obama stop the attacks on immigrants and that he fulfill his promise of immigration reform, that which we heard during the presidential campaign, but has recently been forgotten.

We are convening all organizations, unions, churches, and all those who support fair and humane immigration reform to march in the streets and let our voices be heard as one – all at the same level and force – that WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH MR. PRESIDENT. We declare that just as you politicians we also are human beings and we also need to eat and live with dignity. We are honorable workers and we deserve respect. The same as is demanded of us to pay taxes, we demand to be blanketed by the very programs that exist thanks to our contributions, especially during these distressful times.

We represent a blessing for America and the solution to the economic crisis. We demand a fair and humane immigration reform for all NOW. We demand that Obama LEGALIZE AMERICA NOW!

All out on Labor Day September 5th and October 12th!!!

Worker’s Council of Overhill Farms
Worker’s Council of American Apparel
Worker’s Council of Farmer Johns
Worker’s Council of Micro Solution
Hermandad General de Trabajadores Union International
Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana
Mexican American Political Association
Chicago Community and Workers Rights
CONLAMIC (The National Coalition Of Latino Clergy And Christian Leaders)
People’s Assembly for Popular Education & Liberation (PAPEL)
Chicano-Latino Artists for Social Equality (CLASE)
Congreso Internacional de Mujeres Activistas de las Americas (CIMA)

Source

UNFORTUNATELY, all- or mostly-white juries and in mostly-white towns aided by white lawmen who institute their own type of justice disproportionately against people of color have a long history in the US. From Rubin Carter to Luis Ramirez; from Amadou Diallo to Billey Joe Johnson, the names change, but the stain of a dark refrain refuses to fade.

Publicly paid and celebrated cirrhotic-souled ghouls do their part to broadcast the message that whites are superior and the rest hardly human (tho perhaps hot-blooded or able-ballers), and the rest of the institionalized hatemachine roars into action. The only good thing about the tide of race-based violence that has sprung up since the immigration debates sprawled through this political era, ungainly and littered with slur and a smoked-over lens half the time, is that the mainstream dialogue is beginning to accept some of the factuality of bias, of institutionalized racism and consequent violence and injustice that is evidencing itself rather baldly, and especially so since President Obama was elected. That means those of us already aware of this embedded racism can spend less time fighting “allied forces” over the fundamental ideas upon which these particular battles for justice must spring from, and spend more energy in the actual battle.

I was asked by Efrén Paredes, Jr.’s mamá Velia to try and raise awareness for Efrén’s case. And I am. Because 21 years in prison with a lifetime to go is a long time to be shut away from justice. And there are far too many of us there already. There’s a couple things listed after this post that you can do to  help. If you do nothing else, please read through and consider at the least, writing Efren a letter of support or just to say hi. These things mean a lot on the inside. His address is at the bottom, and his story begins with the headline—15-YEAR-OLD LATINO HONOR STUDENT SERVING THREE LIFE SENTENCES FOR CRIME HE DID NOT COMMIT

“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is exercised under cover of law, and with the colors of justice.” —U.S. v. Jannottie, 673 F.2d 578, 614 (3d Cir. 1982)

Learn about innocent 15-year-old Latino former high school honor student named Efren Paredes, Jr. who was wrongly convicted in 1989 for a murder and armed robbery he did not commit; a crime to which others plead guilty. The crime occurred in St. Joseph, Michigan (Berrien County), USA. Efren was tried and convicted only three months after his arrest on March 15, 1989 and convicted by 11 White jurors and one Black juror in a city whose racial composition was 95% White.  The judge, prosecutor, and all the investigating police were also all White.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Berrien County ranks among the top 25 most segregated metropolitan areas in the country.   It is also important to note that all the youth in Berrien County who have received life without parole (LWOP) sentences have been children of color. Efren is also the only Latino youth in Berrien County history to receive a LWOP sentence. The case against Efren was entirely circumstantial and based primarily on the statements of other youth who received reduced charges and sentences from the prosecutor in exchange for their incentivized testimony.

Asst. Prosecuting Attorney Michael Sepic knowingly committed professional misconduct when he allowed a man, who would later become the jury foreman, to be seated on the jury who worked with the aunt of the victim’s widow in Efren’s case. The information about the juror’s connection to the aunt was brought to Sepic’s attention on two occasions, once before the trial began and once after it began by the victim’s widow.  Sepic has openly acknowledged that he knew this information, most recently at Efren’s December 4, 2008 public hearing. Appellate courts have held these acts of unprofessional and conspiracy by Sepic were “harmless error.” There was no physical evidence linking Efren to the crime, no eyewitnesses to the crime, and Efren was home with his parents and two brothers when the crime occurred. Despite all this Efren was sentenced to two life without parole sentences and one parolable life sentence. He is now 36-years-old.

The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office and police investigating the crime provided false and erroneous information to the media in an attempt to convict Efren in the media before trial. Their unethical conduct and betrayal of the public trust infected every level of the legal process and contributed to Efren’s unlawful conviction. Efren has the support of several notable scholars and activists across the country including Dr. Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez, Director, Institute for MultiRacial Justice, author, and activist; Dr. Carlos Munoz, Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, author and activist; Dr. Rodolfo Acuña, historian, educator and Chicano studies scholar; Dr. Jorge Chinea, Director of Chicano-Boricua Studies Department, Wayne State University, author and activist; Juana Alicia, muralist, printmaker, educator, and activist; Favianna Rodriguez, political printmaker, digital artist, activist; Dr. Martha Grace Duncan, Professor of Law, Emory University, and author; Dr. Walter Garcia-Kawamoto, Journal of Adolescent Research, Manuscript Consulting Editor; Elena Herrada, Director of Centro Obrero, activist, and writer;Elisha Miranda aka E-Fierce, filmmaker, writer, and activist; and others.

Efren also enjoys the support of world renowned wrongful convictions expert Paul Ciolino, a veteran private investigator. Ciolino is the author of numerous articles in professional publications and the book “In the Company of Giants: The Ultimate Investigation Guide for Legal Professionals, Activists, Journalists & the Wrongfully Convicted”. In addition he co-wrote the best-selling and critically acclaimed textbooks “Advanced Forensic Criminal Defense Investigations” and “Advanced Forensic Civil Investigations”. Ciolino is chief investigative advisor to Northwestern University Law School’s Center on Wrongful Convictions, the Medill School of Journalism, and DePaul University Center for Justice in Capital Cases. In 2003, when former Illinois governor George Ryan granted clemency and pardons to 167 death row inmates, he cited Ciolino’s investigative work, which helped free five innocent men, as one of the reasons for the en masse commutations. According to Ciolino, “There is not one shred of credible evidence to suggest that Efren was involved in the murder. No weapon, no eyewitnesses, no physical evidence, no motive, no prior conduct to suggest that a 15-year-old student athlete, and honor role student with zero criminal background, would have planned, participated or committed this murder. The community and jury were sold a bill of goods based on the words of drug dealers and thieves.”

Letters of support from these individuals can be viewed in the “General Information” tab on the above-left-hand-side of this page. The National Lawyers Guild has also endorsed our efforts to free Efren. The National Lawyers Guild is a membership of progressive civil rights attorneys.  It is dedicated to the need for basic and progressive change in the structure of our political and economic system.  Through its members — lawyers, law students, jailhouse lawyers and legal workers united in chapters and committees — the Guild works locally, nationally and internationally as an effective political and social force in the service of the people. Tuesday, February 10, 2009, the Berkeley City Council  (California) voted to condemn the life without parole sentences imposed on Efren as human rights violations in contravention with several international treaties. They join the 192 nations in the world who have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and universally condemned the imposition of life without parole sentences for children.  City councils in other municipalities will now begin following the model set in Berkeley.  Click here to read more about this historic resolution and read our press release. Efren appeared in the 2004 study released by the ACLU of Michigan  about life without parole sentences for youth in Michigan titled, “Second Chances,” p. 16 and appeared on the cover of the 2005 national life without parole sentences for youth study released by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International titled, “The Rest of Their Lives.”  His case was also presented to the United Nations Human Rights Commission twice. Once by the University of San Francisco School of Law Human Rights Advocates and once by the ACLU of Michigan. This site is maintained by the The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee who is working to exonerate Efren and working to generate support for his campaign for justice. Efren can not access the Internet.

If you would like to send him a message you can do so by sending us an e-mail at info@4Efren.com which we will print and forward to him for a response, or you can write him directly at:

Efren Paredes, Jr. #203116 3510 N. Elm Road Jackson MI 49201

Efrén’s family asks everyone to visit this link first and foremost if they want to help. There, you can learn how you can write a letter to Michigan Governor Granholm expressing support for Efrén’s release.

** Also, join the Facebook effort to petition the Governor to support the release of Efrén Paredes, Jr. Note: Sharing this Facebook group or this post (see widget at end of post) is appreciated.

Finally, I leave you with a poem by Efrén, himself:

“Brush Strokes” by Efrén Paredes, Jr./Tlecoz Huitzil

The world is my canvas vast and serene
I evoke pleasant memories paint indescribable scenes.
My pallette of colors an ocean of words
Some capsize in their depths never again to be heard.
Create brilliant pigments with magical names
Their presence is vibrant like portraits in frames.
Poetry is soothing it can vanish your woes
Manifesting as gifts wrapped in ribbons and bows.
Like an orchestra conductor leads beautiful choirs
My words ring like symphonies they can quench your desires.
Manifested thoughts and verbalized dreams
Carefully selected each held high in esteem.
My lyrics magnetic their compositions abound
Capture imaginations create marvelous sounds.
This is an artist’s rendition of the way I see life
A gaze through my window where possibilities are rife.

Copyright © 2007 by Efrén Paredes, Jr./Tlecoz Huitzil

—————————-

UPDATE: From here, an extract of the 2008 Public Hearing for Efrén:

A public hearing was held for Efrén Paredes, Jr. at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility on Thursday, December 4, 2008, to consider his commutation request. The hearing began at 11:00 a.m. and lasted nine hours. We were told it was the longest such hearing. …

…Five members of the Parole Board were present and two employees from the Attorney General’s Office. (In most hearings one Parole Board member and an Asst. Attorney General (AAG) preside over the hearings.)

The building was filled to capacity with members of the public. Every chair was filled and several people stood along the back and sides of the room. Efrén was brought into the hearing room and seated in front of the Parole Board chairperson and the Asst. Attorney General (AAG).

There were several members of the media present, as were prison administrators and staff that were not part of the security detail. They came to observe what many predicted would be the largest public hearing in Michigan history.

That prediction was transformed into reality. Most public hearings for prisoner commutations attract less than 10 people and last less than two hours.

Over 150 people were present to express their support for Efrén. Many of them wore “Free Efrén” T-shirts or “Free Efrén” stickers on their clothing. People traveled from Berrien County, Lansing, Detroit and various other cities, including some who came from Illinois and Indiana. Over 40 of the supporters were from the Berrien County area alone.

A contingent of Michigan State University (MSU) students arrived at the hearing in an MSU bus to support Efrén. Students from the University of Michigan and other universities were present as well.

Before Efrén entered the hearing room everyone was instructed to not communicate with him or attempt to touch him. Efrén sat with his back to the public during most of the hearing.

The Asst. Attorney General (AAG) grilled Efrén for more than four hours. The AAG made disparaging and rude remarks towards Efrén and constantly interrupted him when he was responding to questions.

The AAG’s unprofessional and unethical conduct was offensive and disturbing to many citizens present. His actions as a civil servant were worse than those of any television show attorney. Certainly not behaviors that would be tolerated in a courtroom.

There were several exchanges between Efrén and the AAG about the facts in the case. Efrén calmly and politely corrected the AAG several times about inaccuracies and information that the AAG discussed. He also asked the AAG on more than one occasion to be honest with the public about issues the AAG was misrepresenting.

The information the Asst. Attorney General (AAG) used to oppose Efrén’s release was received from the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office in summary form. The AAG admitted to not having read the court transcripts or police reports, and that he was taking all his cues from the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office.

The AAG used fragments of statements to illustrate his points, often not knowing what the rest of the statements were which he received his information from, or the context they were pulled from.

At one point the AAG admitted he also did not understand the court appellate process, yet unsuccessfully attempted to argue that Efrén’s appeals being denied were evidence of guilt.

The AAG stated that U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan judge who denied Efrén’s habeas corpus petition, Gerald Rosen, was not a “prosecutor’s judge.”

Efrén informed the AAG that in his 20 years of imprisonment he has spoken to many attorneys, and done extensive legal research, and he has never read a single prisoner appeal that Judge Rosen granted.

The AAG stated he was not aware of this information. It was one of several moments the AAG admitted his lack of knowledge about matters he was arguing.

The AAG asked Efrén why he did not raise certain issues on appeal. Efrén conveyed to him that he was only 15-years-old at the time of his arrest and had to rely on his attorney to file appellate issues. Efrén also stated he did not know how to navigate through the criminal justice system. Unfortunately for Efrén, he received ineffective assistance of counsel.

Despite the rigorous interrogation-style tactics launched against him, Efrén remained poised during the entire hearing. He never allowed the AAG to evoke anger or hostility in him at any time. Efrén responded to all questions posed to him and presented compelling arguments to support his defense.

No members of the community where the crime was originally tried were present opposing Efrén’s release, other than the victim’s family members, police officers or members of the prosecutor’s office. There were, however, dozens of members of many communities present in support of Efrén’s commutation request being granted.

Twelve people spoke in opposition to Efrén’s release. They included family members of the victim, one friend of the victim, three Berrien County Sherriff, three city police chiefs, the Berrien County Prosecutor and his Chief Asst. Prosecutor.

The prosecutor’s office argued that there was public outrage opposing Efrén’s release. (Efrén was tried and convicted amid a barrage of adverse media publicity which disseminated false, misleading and erroneous information about his case. Police, prosecutorial and judicial misconduct were in large part the reason he was wrongly convicted.) Besides victim family members, a few friends of the family, and the police and prosecutors, no other members of the community were present to validate the claim of opposition. In total those opposing Efrén’s release present numbered fewer than 20 people.

The Berrien County Prosecutor, Art Cotter, spoke to the Parole Board and recited lyrics from a rap song found in Efrén’s school locker at the time of his arrest. The lyrics were from a rap song by multi-platinum artists NWA from their album “Straight Outta Compton.” Cotter contended that possession of the lyrics was reflection of Efrén’s mindset — implying he had a propensity for violence.

Efrén’s youngest brother, Hans Koppenhoefer, Jr., later spoke and countered by stating that when he was in high school he knew someone who had a steno book full of rap lyrics much worse than the ones that Cotter read.

Hans went on to state that the same person is now employed as a police officer in Berrien County.

Dozens of people requested to speak on Efrén’s behalf at the hearing. Efrén limited the number to twenty people which included three immediate family members, clergy, community leaders, organization board members, a psychologist, MSU students, two of his employment supervisors at Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund, 1320 AM Lansing radio show host Jack Ebling, and wrongful convictions expert, Paul Ciolino.

Efrén’s supporters presented compelling reasons why he should be released besides the fact of his innocence. They talked about all the positive things he has done while imprisoned for himself and others, how he could be a productive member of society if released, his employment opportunities, available home placement, and overwhelming support.

They also argued why Efrén’s sentence is a violation of the Convention On the Rights of the Child (CRC) and constitutes a human rights violation. The CRC prohibits the imposition of the death penalty or life without parole sentences for children.

Paul Ciolino, world-renowned wrongful convictions expert and Chicago-based private investigator, told the Parole Board that Efrén’s case is a classic wrongful conviction case. He reaffirmed the AAG’s position that criminals change their mind all the time. Ciolino told the Parole Board that the criminals who accused Efrén of being the perpetrator of the crime have changed their stories many times.

Efrén’s defense has remained consistent for 20 years and he has maintained his innocence. Ciolino told the Parole Board he has reviewed hundreds of wrongful conviction cases and exonerated 20 innocent men, including cases with much more alleged evidence than in Efrén’s case.

The previous day at a press conference Ciolino told the media that the conduct of the criminals in Efrén’s case is consistent with the actions of criminals — they pursue deals with the police and prosecutor and do anything they can to escape punishment. Efrén, however, has never done that or wavered about his innocence.

The AAG also argued that Efrén has only served 20 years and “20 years is not a lot of time.” Efrén responded that he totally disagreed. He went on to say that he was arrested at age 15 and is now 35-years-old. Efrén has spent more time in prison than he did a free boy in society. (In a post-hearing conversation with members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee Efrén stated, “20 years is a lot of time by anyone’s standard — I have no idea what the AAG’s concept of time is.”)

Once Efrén’s supporters concluded speaking the Parole Board chairperson, Barbara Sampson, told Efrén what some of the terms of his parole would be, if he is released. She also told him that if the Parole Board does not release him she urged him to continue on the path he has been on, doing the same positive work he has been doing.

Ms. Sampson commended Efrén for all his accomplishments and the large amount of support he had present at the hearing. She told him, however, if the Parole Board releases him, it will not be because of all the support he had present at the hearing.

Efrén was informed, if he is released it would occur because of his accomplishments, that he has served sufficient time, and he is not a danger to society. It was stated that the Parole Board could not take into consideration Efrén’s innocence because he has been convicted and is guilty under the eyes of the law.

According to Ms. Sampson, the purpose of the public hearing was not to examine guilt or innocence, though the AAG spent several hours extensively discussing Efrén’s case. Ms. Sampson stated that the purpose of the hearing was to determine Efrén’s readiness to return to society.

The AAG then opposed Efrén’s release and added that because Efrén has been convicted and he refuses to admit to the crime it makes him a SOCIOPATH, and he would pose a DANGER TO SOCIETY if released.

Efrén was subsequently allowed to make concluding remarks to the Parole Board stating why he feels he is deserving of release. He delivered a powerful and moving appeal to the Parole Board for the opportunity to reclaim his life and experience life as a free citizen for the first time in his adult life.

He assured the Parole Board he would comply with all conditions of parole and do whatever was asked of him, including not returning to Berrien County for any reason. Efrén also told the Parole Board he harbored no ill feelings toward the people who put him in prison. He said he understood that anger and bitterness are destructive to the human spirit and he did not wish to live like that.

Efrén said he was focused on the future and moving forward with his life. He stated that every moment he spends thinking about the past is a moment he cannot think looking to the future. Efrén added that he rejects the notion that people are inherently incorrigible and that he engenders the concept of redemption. He asked the Parole Board to consider this as well.

Finally, Efrén told the Parole Board that he has accomplished more than many prisoners that have been paroled, and feels he is equally deserving of the opportunity for release in the interest of fairness and equality.

MOST READERS HERE know by now of The Sanctuary. Maybe you’ve seen the graphics around the ‘Net, or read my posts on it. The Sanctuary is a group of human rights activists and pro-migrant bloggers and we came together to create a space where a sane (non-mainstream, non-apologetic, non-wavering) voice might be reinforced and amplified, and not be muted by the normal confusion or concessions that too often litter any post or page on the topics we center our writing around. Depending on who you ask, you might get different answers on this, or ones that vary slightly. My thoughts are that the dominant culture’s eye (which is great at erasing the margins and pretending no erasure has occurred) is pretty much useless at doing a few things, one of which is telling the stories of the Brown@. This becomes incredibly detrimental when an issue like immigration is involved. Which is why migration and all it involves is one of our flagship issues. Of course, we are not satisfied to simply write, and we have many plans for the future that involve more action on these matters we care so much about (more than those we’ve already taken). But even properly establishing or realigning the context of what is going on today is very important which is why there are awards for blogging in ethnic media. It’s the viewpoint.

Our recent article on the murder of Luis Ramirez was chosen by La Voz de Esperanza, a publication of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, Texas, to be printed in their June 2009 issue, as they feels it best contextualizes the event as well as the climate in our nation today that leads to such hate crimes. This particular accolade is very satisfying to me.

Here’s something else that makes ya feel what you are doing is having an effect:

Best Blogger on Ethnic Perspectives

Winner: The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary, a collective blog launched just a year ago at promigrant.org, has quickly emerged as a leading online voice for meaningful immigration reform and immigrant rights.

Declaring itself a “right-wing-noise-free zone,” it unapologetically positions itself as a foil to the immigrant-bashing practiced by some elected officials and mainstream pundits, such as Lou Dobbs. “The Sanctuary makes it sound like this peaceful, passive place, but we’re not passive people,” says Nezua, a founding editor who also blogs for The Media Consortium’s Immigrant Wire. [sic] Posts last year included topics like the Postville raids, U.S. citizens being treated as illegal aliens, Obama’s “illegal aunt” and how the topic of immigration was absent in the presidential debates. The Sanctuary even had a questionnaire on immigration for the presidential candidates. For example, it asked candidates, “Do you support the switch from family-based immigration standards to the merit based system?” What about “touchback” requirements?

The Sanctuary’s tagline, “building bridges and breaking down walls,” emphasizes its dual mission. It exists to link immigrant rights activists to media outlets, NGOs and human rights organizations, but also to challenge stereotypes and injustices, wherever these might appear. It’s affiliated with no political party but supports efforts for meaningful immigration reform. To do their work, The Sanctuary’s bloggers leverage the full arsenal of Web 2.0 tools, including social networking, feeds, cross-posts, and viral video.

Please see the page to read the full writeup.

FINALLY, I am going to appeal to any who have a few bucks to throw something in the guitar case for Nez, cuz I’m leaving on this trip with slim means, and I wouldnt even be making it if not for an amig@ or two who has helped in certain ways. Life is funny. You can help make things happen that win you awards and are reprinted in magazines and such, but still be broke as a joke. So if you have anything and want to show support, please Paypal to dolaresATxolagrafikDcom, or click the button lower on the page that says “feed the starving artist” and when I tell you that even five dollars will help, I mean it!

And if you’re in Atlanta, or close, please get in touch! Maybe we can meet up for coffee or something. Either way, send me all the good flying vibes you can. They aren’t as good as Xanax, but they’ll have to do!

Seeya on the other side.

UPDATE: I’d love to preface this with a request for anyone reading who thinks their own readers might benefit from or enjoy having this info, please link to it or tweet it (premade tweets after post), thanks!

OVER AND OVER we hear about The Hispanic Vote™ and The Latino/a Vote® and it is a real thing we are talking about in all of this. Our people—nuestra gente—have long been a force in this land, be it under the golden sun harvesting the corn that has for thousands of years fed our antepasados (ancestors) or away from the sun and working hard in US places of business or doing so much to build strong familias together, as las mujeres—the women—among us are known for historically. We are a beautiful and long enduring people, and responsible for so much creation here that sustains us today: Art, Literature, Food, Clothing, Song.

And yet, our voices have yet to be utilized and enjoined in a way that can efficiently organize around the issues that affect our communities. Don’t mistake what I say: the Latina/o (or “Hispanic”) community is famous for its ability to organize on the local level, and we are proud of this. And that is why it is time to continue to tie this ability and history together and bring it to an even higher level.

It’s true that while so much joins us, we do come from many different backgrounds and hold varying views on the issues that affect us. We will not always agree, nor should we. What we can agree on, though, is that we should have a way to centralize and engage the politics that affect us on so many levels.

I am involved in launching a site, Presente.Org, that is determined to achieve this very goal. Please stop over and check it out. If what I have written above interests you, please sign up.

Hasta luego!

• One note: On my own blog I do tend to speak more to Mexican@s and Latin Americans, because that’s the point at my place. But Presente.org has a much wider focus as “Latinos” and “Hispanics” can come from a wide range of origins. As far as some of my words above, not all of us have come from farming families, or the hot climates! Though many traditions and struggles do overlap. I just wanted to make clear that while I am involved in the organizing of this effort, there is a variance between my readership and presente.org’s intended audience.

And here is Presente.Org’s formal intro:

Dear Friends,

On May 1st, thousands of us will take to the streets to demand an end to immigration policies that marginalize and dehumanize millions of our people. Our presence will be historic and important, but we must not stop there. Latinos have long been a driving force behind the economy of the United States, but we have yet to speak with a unified political voice that forces our government to do right by all of us. We can—and starting today, with your help, we will.

That’s why we’re launching Presente.org. Our goal is to create a broad-based online community of Latinos and our allies strong enough to make the United States honor its promises and protect our people. We’re starting with immigration, but we won’t stop there—we’ll provide you with ongoing opportunities to make change on the issues that most affect our communities.

The only thing we need now is you. Our power is in our voices and our numbers. It starts by affirming a simple pledge: to stand up and speak out for the interests of Latino communities. Please join us, and just as important, invite your friends and family to do the same:

President Obama has pledged to push for immigration reform, and other politicians are also with us. For the first time in a generation, we have a real chance to drastically change our country’s immigration policy, impacting the lives of millions of friends, family members, and coworkers. But we can’t rely on politicians to pass real and just reforms. There are strong forces who stand against us, and they’ve made it clear that they will fight true reform at every step of the way.

We know that real change will only happen if everyday people speak with a strong, unified voice. That’s what Presente.org seeks to make possible. On immigration and beyond, we’ll use the Internet and national media to hold our leaders accountable, making our political presence accurately reflect our importance to this country. Click here to stand up and be counted, and show the world how large our movement really is:

Thank you,
The Presente.org team

To direct people to Presente.org Please TWEET:
Stand and be counted, Latinas, Latinos, Hispanos, Gente, Amigos and Amigas! Join http://presente.org today. #latino #hispanic #immigration

Or TWEET:
Stand and be counted. Empower the Hispanic/Latin@ Community. Join http://presente.org today. #latino #hispanic #immigration

To direct people to this post
TWEET:
The Unapologetic Mexican: Presenting ¡PRESENTE! http://tinyurl.com/cw6fyp #immigration #latinas #latinos #hispanic

Para dirigir personas a Presente.org Por favor
TWEETEA:
Ponte de pie y seas contado, Latinas, Latinos, Hispanos, Gente, Amigos y Amigas! Unete Hoy! http://presente.org #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes

O TWEETEA:
Ponte de pie y seas contado. Apodera a la comunidad Hispana/Latin@. Unete Hoy! http://presente.org #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes

Para dirigir personas a este post,
TWEETEA:
El Unapologetic Mexican: Presentando a ¡PRESENTE! http://tinyurl.com/cw6fyp #latino #hispano #inmigración #migrantes

Queridos amigos:

El 1 de mayo miles de nosotros tomaremos las calles para exigir el fin de las políticas de inmigración que han marginado a millones de los nuestros. Nuestra presencia será histórica e importante, pero no debemos detenernos ahí. Los latinos somos una fuerza importante para la economía de los Estados Unidos; sin embargo, aún es necesario que nos hagamos escuchar con una voz política unida que obligué a nuestro gobierno a hacer lo correcto en favor de todos nosotros. Lo podemos hacer – y desde hoy, con tu ayuda, lo haremos.

Es por ello que estamos lanzando Presente.org. Nuestro objetivo es crear una comunidad amplia de latinos y aliados de nuestras causas en el internet; una comunidad que tenga la fuerza suficiente para lograr que este pais honre sus promesas y proteja a nuestra gente. Estamos comenzando con la inmigración, pero no nos detendremos ahí –nosotros les proveeremos oportunidades para lograr cambios en los asuntos que mas afectan a nuestras comunidades.

Tú eres lo único que necesitamos en este momento. Todo comienza con la afirmación de un simple compromiso: ponernos de pie y hacernos oír por los intereses de las comunidades Latinas. Por favor, únete a nosotros, e invita a tus amigos y familiares a hacer lo mismo.

Haz click aquí: http://presente.org/es

El presidente Obama ha prometido apoyar la reforma migratoria, y otros políticos también están con nosotros. Por primera vez, nos encontramos frente a la real oportunidad de lograr un cambio drástico en la política de inmigración de nuestro país, produciendo un gran impacto en las vidas de millones de amigos, familiares y compañeros de trabajo. Sin embargo, no podemos confiar en los políticos para que aprueben reformas justas y reales. Existen fuerzas poderosas que se levantan en nuestra contra.

Sabemos que el verdadero cambio solo ocurrirá cuando la gente se haga escuchar cada día con una voz fuerte y unida. Eso es precisamente lo que Presente.org busca lograr. Usaremos el Internet para hacer a nuestros líderes responsables en el campo de la inmigración y más allá; de esta manera, haremos de nuestra presencia política un reflejo exacto de nuestra importancia para el país. Haz clic en el vínculo de abajo para ponerte de pie y mostrarle al mundo cuan grande nuestro movimiento realmente es:

http://presente.org/es

Muchas gracias y Adelante!

Mobilize for May 1

March 5:00 PM from Union Square, NYC
Assemble Broadway and 15th
Defend Workers’ Right to Fight Back

Legalization for all! No limits on the right to strike and organize

Workers can’t fight layoffs, cutbacks and wage cuts if they fear deportation and detention and if laws block their rights to form unions and to strike.

Make the Rich Pay: Decent Jobs For ALL

Tax the rich and corporations to pay for a massive direct government jobs program—expanding housing, education, health services.

Budget cuts, concessions by workers, layoffs all deepen the crisis by cutting demand for goods and services. No budget cuts! Instead we need to create jobs and expand demand by taking money from the rich, who created the crisis.

Democratic Control of Finance

Permanent government ownership and control of all banks and other financial institutions– run by democratically-elected boards.

Trillions for bank bailouts just gives money to the same bankers whose policies are gutting the economy. WE need to control the financial system, not leave it in the hands of a pack of billionaires. The people must vote on where we put our own tax dollars.

How can we win these demands?

The same way people in the last Great Depression won Social Security, unemployment compensation, huge government jobs programs like WPA—by mass demonstrations, by General Strikes like those in San Francisco, Minneapolis and Toledo, by sit-down strikes (plant occupations) and by organizing everyone—fellow workers, neighbors, and friends. “Make the Rich Pay” Coalition

taxtherichnyc@gmail.com, NJ May 1 Coalition info@njmay1.org, NY-NJ Rapid Response Network

Info: 504-520-9521

Movilízate Para el Primero de Mayo

Reunete a las 5 PM

en Broadway y 15th St. Union Square

Defiende los Derechos de Obrero

Legalización para todos! Sin Limites en el derecho de organizar y hacer huelgas

Obreros no pueden resistir los despidos, ajustes y cortes de salarios si temen deportación y si las leyes bloquean sus derechos de formar sindicatos y hacer huelgas.

Exigir que los Ricos Paguen por Trabajos para Todos

Impuestos para las Corporaciones y Los Ricos, para financiar un programa masivo. De obras publicas – expandiendo vivienda, educación, y salud

Cortes del presupuesto gubernativo, concesiones de los obreros, y despidos, todos profundizan la crisis, cortando demanda por bienes y servicios. No más cortes del presupuesto gubernativo. En vez de cortes necesitamos crear puestos de trabajos y expandir demanda, tomando el dinero de los ricos, quienes crearon la crisis.

Control Democrático de Finanzas

Propiedad permanente gubernativo y control de los bancos y otras instituciones financieras–dirigidos por consejos elegidos democráticamente

Billones y Trillones  de Dólares Para Salvar a Los Bancos, solamente devuelve dinero a los Banqueros Corruptos cuyas políticas están destruyendo la economía. Necesitamos controlar el sistema financiero, no dejarlo en las manos de una banda de millonarios. El Pueblos debe decidir en que se utilizan los impuestos que pagamos. Esto seria  Democracia!!!

Como podamos ganar estas demandas?

De la misma manera que el pueblo en la última gran Depresión gano seguridad social, seguro por los desempleados, y grandes programas de obras públicas como el WPA—Por medio de grandes manifestaciones, por medio de huelgas generales como las de San Francisco, Minneapolis y Toledo, Por medio de ocupaciones de fabricas. Y organizando a todos—obreros, estudiantes, vecinos, y amigos.

La Coalición de Exigir que los Ricos Paguen, NY-NJ Red de Respuesta Rapida, NJ May 1 Coalición info@njmay1.org

Info: 504-520-9521

I PROMISED YOU a film review yesterday and you can now find it here, at the XOLAGRAFIK Theater.

The still below is an image from that same film, Made in L.A. (Hecho en Los Angeles). I’d love it if you could check out that trailer and review before you read the press release below, which asks for your help in a little organizing that is going on between The Media Consortium and the makers of this film to spread the word about the film for the May Day screenings that are planned.

Full disclosure: I blog for the Media Consortium on Thursdays and I, too, was Made in L.A..

The Media Consortium and  the Emmy-winning documentary Made in L.A. have an exciting new partnership in the form of a very cool new widget with up to the minute news on immigration and grassroots events.

For those that haven’t heard about Made in L.A. , the movie tells the story of three Latina immigrants finding their way in the U.S. It’s a very personal, human story that puts a face on the immigrant experience and draws parallels between today’s immigrants and those whose families came to the U.S. generations ago. We just kicked-off a  grassroots community screening campaign in honor of May Day using the film’s content and web videos as tools to educate and build support for humane immigration reform. You can check-out these efforts here:http://www.madeinla.com/mayday – and Rep Luis Gutierrez’ recommendation of the film here.

To help get the word out, we’re partnering with The Media Consortium’s MediaWires project. Made in LA is co-sponsoring an immigration headline widget, [You can see this in my sidebar to the right --Nezua] which features top immigration-related content produced by Media Consortium members along with information about the May Day screenings. You can see the widget here: http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/the-latest-news-on-immigration-policy-us-immig

The Immigration Wire (immigration.newsladder.net) is a one-stop shop for the best independent reporting about immigration rights and policy reform. We believe that the more people have access to strong, independent reporting, the more we can positively impact the public and political dialogue. This project is highly beneficial to organizations looking to inform, engage and activate their constituencies.

Using the stories posted to Immigration.Newsladder.net, we’ve created a series of new media tools to help get the word out about this critical issue, listed below. Contact Erin Polgreen, erin@themediaconsortium.com to learn how you can become a part of this dynamic project.

• Widgets: Our simple headline widgets allow you carry up-to-the minute news about immigration on your website. These widgets are very easy to install (only copy/paste the code) and update 24/7. To see the Made in LA widget, visit: http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/the-latest-news-on-immigration-policy-us-immig
• Blogs: Every Thursday, The Media Consortium publishes a free, open source blog reviewing the week’s top news about immigration. It’s a great way to help inform and engage your audience! These blogs are free for anyone to repost on their own sites–we’ll even email them to you fully coded, so that all you have to do is copy/paste. Click here for samples: http://www.themediaconsortium.org/author/nezua/
• Twitter: Follow ImmigrationLadr on Twitter to get the latest headlines as they are submitted to the Immigration Wire.

If you are interested in hosting an immigration widget on your site, I’ve included the HTML coding below.

JAVASCRIPT:

<mce:script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://cdn.widgetserver.com/syndication/subscriber/InsertWidget.js” mce_src=”http://cdn.widgetserver.com/syndication/subscriber/InsertWidget.js”></mce:script>< script>if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget(‘ b5d91b35-477e-40c2-b6db-f5d50ab3ee3e’);</script><noscript>Get the <a href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/the-latest-news-on-immigration-policy-us-immig” mce_href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/the-latest-news-on-immigration-policy-us-immig”>The latest news on immigration policy, U.S. immig</a> widget and many other <a href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/” mce_href=”http://www.widgetbox.com/”>great free widgets</a> at <a href=”http://www.widgetbox.com” mce_href=”http://www.widgetbox.com”>Widgetbox</a>!</noscript>

FLASH:

<span class=”mceItemObject” classid=”clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”170px” height=”423px” id=”InsertWidget_9cb24367-4c7d-4c9a-9a06-7ecfd0f738e0″ align=”middle”><br /> <span name=”movie” value=”http://widgetserver.com/syndication/flash/wrapper/InsertWidget.swf”class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”quality” value=”high” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”wmode” value=”transparent” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”menu” value=”false” class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span name=”flashvars” value=”r=2&appId=9cb24367-4c7d-4c9a-9a06-7ecfd0f738e0″ class=”mceItemParam”></span> <span class=”mceItemEmbed” src=”http://widgetserver.com/syndication/flash/wrapper/InsertWidget.swf” mce_src=”http://widgetserver.com/syndication/flash/wrapper/InsertWidget.swf” name=”InsertWidget_9cb24367-4c7d-4c9a-9a06-7ecfd0f738e0″ width=”170px” height=”423px” quality=”high” menu=”false” pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” wmode=”transparent” align=”middle” flashvars=”r=2&appId=9cb24367-4c7d-4c9a-9a06-7ecfd0f738e0″ /></span></span>

May Day is the perfect time to provide your audience with more information about immigration reform and to think about sharing . All you have to do is copy/paste the below HTML wherever you’d like to place the widget on your site. This widget is a great way to push independent reporting to new audiences–and by hosting it, you are also supporting the work of your fellow Media Consortium members. You can also click here to see the widget and get coding to place it in a blog or on a Facebook page. Please contact Erin Polgreen,erin@themediaconsortium.com, with any tech-related questions.

If you have questions about the film, want to host an event or talk to me or the filmmakers, just let me know.

all best,
Tracy
–
Tracy Fleischman
(323) 424.3010 office
(310) 916.7977 cell
tfleisch@gmail.com