Prison-based gerrymandering brings in power & extra money to towns housing prisons

black male incarceration
Source: blackcommentator.com via americantribune.org
The political aspect of prison-based gerrymandering is often presented as being the only aspect of the phenomenon worth discussing. It’s important, of course, but so is the net financial and services gain to a community housing a prison when compared against the net financial and services loss to an inmate’s pre-incarceration community – the community where his children and other family members may still live. The direct negative financial and social impact of prison-based gerrymandering on an inmate’s true “home community” merits attention and discussion as much as the political aspect does. read more

The Whitney Plantation, a special place carefully designed to teach about slavery

John Cummings at the Whitney Plantation
Source: The Atlantic video about the Whitney Foundation
John Cummings founded the Whitney Plantation to educate the country about our national legacy of slavery and has spent $8 million over 15 years on this project. He says, “This isn’t black history, this is American history .. it was very shocking to me that I didn’t know about slavery … I had no idea of how deprived they were, not by force of circumstance, but by deliberate planning … We’re not finished.”

Ibrahima Seck
Source: The Atlantic’s video about the Whitney Foundation

The museum and memorial’s Director of Research, Ibrahima Seck, says today, “People need to understand what happened on these plantations … why so many people are in jail, so much poverty, black people being shot and killed like game. All that is rooted in slavery.” read more

A very well delivered lesson about who the real immigrants are

photoEscudo_Tianguis_de_Tlacolula_Tlacolula_Header-830x379
Woman selling produce in Juarez Market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Image courtesy of Visit Mexico.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/12/visit-these-small-towns-in-mexico/#ixzz3xFD3kiQX
I was on my way to a gathering with a friend, but before we arrived there, I pulled over to the side of the road where a woman and her daughter were selling cherries.

I wasn’t craving cherries much, but I just wanted to support my people.

“Hold on, I’m gonna’ go get me some cherries.” I said to my friend, and then approached the cherry-stand, and in Spanish said to the woman, “4 Crates, please.”

The woman looked down to face her daughter, which was when I realized that the woman didn’t speak Spanish, so her daughter was her translator. read more

Women: if you want to be a strong civic leader, attend Ready to Run

Ready to Run 2016Ready to Run is a bipartisan campaign and civic leadership training for women held in states across the country and here in New Jersey, it’s an initiative of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). The information and networking are first class, so attend if you can.

Ready to Run
Fri & Sat 18-19 March 2016
Douglass Student Center
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ

Get more information and register at cawp.rutgers.edu/ReadytoRun. If you need a partial scholarship, look for the link to apply – the earlier, the better as limited funds are available and awards are made on a rolling basis. read more

ICE agents are out in huge numbers all over the US and in New Jersey, detaining immigrants

women protest immigration policies
Source: Michael Democker/Times-Picayune/Landov
It’s like a page out of Donald Trump’s agenda: US officials began harassing and detaining immigrants under the guise of protecting US citizens from foreign criminals. This week, ICE (Federal immigration service) agents have detained undocumented immigrants all over the country and arrests have been made in New Jersey, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and other places. Personal reports have surfaced of agents entering homes and even churches to seize women and children away from their families. Constructions vans that may contain undocumented day laborers are being stopped on highways and ICE agents have been spotted patrolling in front of downtown restaurants. read more

Racist Coke ad meant to shame indigenous Mexicans pulled & sanctions sought against company

Coke ad
Screen shot of coke commercial by Coca-Cola Mexico. Posted by Latino Rebels on YouTube
Coca-Cola Mexico has not only been motivated to pull an ad promotiong colonialism and their unhealthy soft drinks, but indigenous rights and health activists in one of the most obese nations in the world also want the Mexican government to sanction the company for promoting the racist concept that indigenous culture is something shameful and outmoded that needs to be replaced. The ad’s activity takes place in the Totontepec Villa of Morelos, a Mixe community in Oaxaca, México. Nation of Change writes: read more

23 yo is handcuffed, shot, sat on by police until he becomes late


Sad day for the United States as a young Los Angeles man is shamefully murdered by two police who shoot him repeatedly after handcuffing him, then sit on him while he writhes in pain crying for help until he ascends to meet his ancestors. In his lust to kill 23 year old Noel Aguilar, one of the policeman shoots his partner.

A bystander captured the whole episode on video but be warned: it is graphic, sad and extremely disturbing.

May the blessings of God cover us all in holy light and peace. Please Lord, bring comfort to the soul and family of Noel and enfold them in your loving embrace. With God’s help, let us act to end the violence raging out of control in the beautiful world that is His gift to us. read more

Obama has done so much to get conservatives angry with him. Go Prez!

Yes We Can
Source: cfishy on Flickr
Here’s Jay Bazzinotti’s answer to the question: What has Barack Obama done that gets so many people angry? It’s such a great answer, I love it :-).

(Obama) had the un-mitigated gall to be a Black man who beat two Republican candidates. Furthermore, he had the bad sense to be articulate, a faithful husband and good father. Moreover, he unpatriotically was able to stop our soldiers from being killed in the Middle East while saving us $30 – 50 billion dollars a month.

It was bad form for him to kill Osama bin Laden seeing as how the previous Administration was unable to do it. read more

Release of video showing 17 yo Laquan being killed have Chicago police all jittery

Chi police on high alert pending shooting video release
Facebook post by Cynthia OneDay Flood
Facebook wouldn’t let me share Cynthia Flood‘s post about Chicago police gearing up for a high-alert, increased police presence in readiness for today’s release of the patrol car dashboard cam video footage of 17 year old Laquan McDonald being fatally shot 16 times by a police officer on 20 October 2014. A judge ordered the video to be released by Wednesday.

Poor boy. He was apparently high on PCP but exhibited no violent behaviour.

The officer who mercilessly and without provocation executed Laquan is being charged with murder. I wish for Laquan’s mother, family, friends and community – peace, comfort and healing. read more

Ben Carson is after white approval & votes, not for #blacklivesmatter

Ben Carson dinosaur wrangler
Photo source: DonkeyHotey on Flickr
Ben Carson’s not trying to win over the black vote. He has his eye set on courting conservative white people. US News quotes university professor David Lublin:

When he argues that the black community needs to reject government handouts and the Democratic Party’s “welfare state,” Carson offers “validation for positions held by [white] Republicans” that structural racism doesn’t exist, or are uncomfortable with a black president insisting it does … He’s a Republican. He speaks at conservative forums, which are mainly forums for white people. Certainly black Twitter isn’t rushing to gush about Ben Carson. read more

Uganda Jews sing Shalom Mirembe with joy, a peace song

Shalom Mirembe songThere are not only Jews in Uganda, but they dance, sing, are farmers and land stewards.

The Abayudaya Jewish Community of Uganda and Israeli artist Irene Orleansky partnered to create “Shalom, Mirembe!” as part of a music collection from Israelites and Jews of Africa and Asia. For more information and to purchase the CD visit ireneorleansky.com. The participating Jewish communities receive all proceeds from CD sales.

Christie vetoed bill requiring police & firemen to live in NJ communities they serve

Newark police
Photo source: unknown photo of Newark Police found via Patch
It’s a sad state of affairs when community servants are “vehemently opposed” to living in the communities they serve. That is nevertheless the case for policemen and firefighters, who consider it a huge win that Christie vetoed the residency requirement bill A4265 that passed both State Senate and Assembly this summer. The bill calls for new hires to live in the town they serve, “for the first 5 years on the job.” The NJ Fraternal Order of Police website states: read more

Many stories in play behind U Missouri protests, football team boycott threat & president resignation

U Missouri Race Issues
Source: found at local8now.com
ABC provides good framing for Pres. Wolfe’s resignation from University of Missouri: The Concerned Student 1950 campus group named for the year “the first black student was admitted” began a month-long series of protests that culminated in a list of demands calling for Wolfe’s removal…

.. as a part of a protest over the way the university handles racial harassment … (including a request) for a comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum, and an increase of black faculty and staff. read more