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Mamis Are the Movements : The New Mythos Tour

16 Mar 2010

Mami is a core part of my identity, my life. It seeps into every letter, every post, everything I breath out and take back in. I am proud to announce that we are a part of The New Mythos Tour that is jumping off next week and ask all VL readers and supporters to extend their love and support as well.

Gloria Anzaldua says: “By creating a new mythos – that is, a change in the way we perceive reality, the way we see ourselves, and the ways we behave – la mestiza creates a new consciousness. The work of mestiza consciousness is to break down the subject/object duality that keeps her prisoner and to show in the flesh and through the images in her work how duality is transcended. The answer to the problem between the white race and the colored, between males and females, lies in healing the split that originates in the very foundation of our lives, our culture, our languages, our thoughts. A massive uprooting of dualistic thinking in the individual and collective consciousness is the beginning of a long struggle, but one that could, in our best hopes, bring us to the end of rape, of violence, of war.”

March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education

12:34 pm By la Macha · Activism| California| Education · Comments Off

16 Feb 2010

California remains at the forefront of the Defend Public Education movement–or, for those not aware of what that movement is–the movement to keep the price of a university degree affordable for working class families. If you are in California, please join the protest! If you are outside of California and working at a university, see if there is some way to show solidarity with your fellow student/worker!!!

Please Invite Your Friends To This Event!

Want to receive updates? Contact us at: march4strikeanddayofaction@gmail.com

MySpace: http://tinyurl.com/yeugu4b
www.defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com
************************************************

March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education

On October 24, 2009 more than 800 students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education. This massive meeting brought together representatives from over 100 different schools, unions, and organizations from all across California and from all sectors of public education – Pre K-12, Adult Education, CC, CSU and UC – to “decide on a statewide action plan capable of winning this struggle, which will define the future of public education in this state, particularly for the working class and communities of color.”

After hours of open collective discussion, the conference democratically voted, as its principal decision, to call for a statewide Strike and Day of Action on March 4, 2010. The conference decided that all schools, unions and organizations are free to choose their specific demands and tactics – such as strikes, walkouts, march to Sacramento, rallies, occupations, sit-ins, teach-ins, etc. – for March 4, as well as the duration of such actions.

We refuse to let those in power continue to pit us against each other. If we unite, we have the power to shut down business-as-usual and to force those in power to grant our demands. Building a powerful movement to defend public education will, in turn, advance the struggle in defense of all public-sector workers and services.

We call on all students, workers, teachers, parents, and their organizations across the state to endorse this call and massively mobilize and organize for the Strike and Day of Action on March 4.

Let’s make this an historic turning point in the struggle against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes, and educational segregation in California.

To endorse this call and to receive more information, please contact march4strikeanddayofaction@gmail.com and consult
www.defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com

_____________________________________
Endorsers:
Oct. 24th Mobilizing Conference to Defend Public Education
Statewide Coalition of University Employees
Statewide UPTE
Solidarity Alliance at UCB
General Assembly at UCB
CFT: CA Federation of Teachers
United Teachers Los Angeles: the largest teachers local in CA
AFSCME Local 444: East Bay Municipal Utility District
AFT 1021: part of United Teachers LA, represents over 10,000
California Labor Federation, which has over 2 million workers in unions
California Faculty Association [CFA]: CSU Faculty Union,representing the 23,000 professors, librarians, etc.
Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC) – the SSCCC endorses a march 4th day of action
Carpenters Local 713 passed AFSCME Local 444’s
CDPH Inter Union Organizing Committee: SEIU 1000, Stationary Engineers 39, CAPS, PEGS, and others have joined the March 4th Strike Call
Oakland Education Association- 2,800 teachers,counselors and librarians
Association of Raza Educators
San Francisco Labor Council
California State University Employees Union
California Teachers Association
Coalition for Equal Quality Education, Boston, MA
United Educators of San Francisco
Third World Assembly at UCB
SWAT at UCB

DOZENS OF U.S. CITIZENS BLOCK STREETS OUTSIDE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROTESTING FEDERAL INACTION ON IMMIGRATION REFORM

6:04 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Immigration| Washington DC · 9 Comments

26 Jan 2010

Official Press Release

Obama Can Act Now and Must

(Washington, DC) – At a protest outside the national headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security today, dozens blocked streets and hundreds more participated in a protest to call attention to the suffering of immigrant families across the country. The willingness of people, which included representatives of major immigrant organizations and faith leaders to get arrested, underscored the growing disenchantment with the administration’s inaction on immigration reform.

The protest was held to call for an immediate suspension of deportations of immigrants with U.S. citizen family members and action on passage of comprehensive immigration reform. Held on the eve of the President’s State of the Union address, it highlights the growing frustration of immigrants and their families regarding the administration’s failure to deliver on basic commitments made during the 2008 presidential race.

Dozens Risk Arrest demanding Immigration Reform from VivirLatino on Vimeo.

“Last year on January 21st, we stood in front of DHS with faith leaders and 800 allies to urge a moratorium on the raids and press for immigration reform. We stand here again with our partners a year later to again make the case that in the absence of federal action to fix the broken immigration system, this nation will continue to see the devastation of thousands of families and neighborhoods,” stated EunSook Lee, executive director of NAKASEC.

Tuesday’s action was held to draw attention to The Trail of DREAMs-a journey through the U.S. south, from Florida to Washington, to demand immediate relief for suffering immigrant communities. Drawing inspiration from the civil rights movement, four students are walking to bring public attention to a failed immigration system that tears families apart and halts the progress of students studying to contribute to their communities. The Trail of DREAMs, together with several other actions across the country, including the 17-day Fast for Our Families in South Florida, and a march of tens of thousands in Phoenix, Arizona to protest local enforcement of immigration law, have focused on the capacity – and the moral obligation – of the Obama
Administration to use its executive power to stop separating families and criminalizing immigrant communities. While local in nature, these actions have received nationwide support from activists frustrated by federal inaction.

“The administration’s missteps in conceding advantage to a wildly
unrepresentative far-right fringe is producing real anger among many people that heralded the 2008 election,” said Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of CASA de Maryland. “We are here to mark one year of inaction and remind the administration that immigrants and people who love them are suffering every day that it refuses to take action,” said Mr. Torres.

Participating in today’s actions were representatives of a broad group of organizations including CASA de Maryland, the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), Jobs With Justice, the Miami Worker Center, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), the South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice Center, and We Count!.Community Worker Center as well as hundreds of immigrant workers, faith leaders, labor activists, and community leaders.

The White Professional Anti-Racist

21 Dec 2009

The latest episode of News with Nezua is one I had to link to because it was about a figure that unfortunately I have come into contact with in my years as an activist and blogger, the white professional anti-racist. This person may come across as being on your side and having your back pero eventually will try and create/promote divisions and create conflict to support his/her own career growth. Not to mention the tokenization. While Nez’s video is male-centric, there are plenty of women who play the role as well. Additionally, as a women who has sat in conferences and been brought to events, the way that tokenizing and divide and conquer politics plays out against women of color is especially problematic.

Dennis deLeon, Founder of Latino Commission on AIDS, Passes On

6:44 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Health · Comments Off

15 Dec 2009

9bf653fd106b6f010cbe5088e32b7fca From the official press release:

The Latino Commission on AIDS mourns the passing of its founder, Dennis de Leon, a tireless advocate for social justice and one of the first openly HIV-positive Latino leaders in the country. He was a pioneer and a visionary, and in his lifetime he sought to curb and eliminate health disparities among marginalized communities. As a lawyer and later a non-profit executive, deLeon believed in bridging cultural differences to effect progressive social change.

For 15 years, de Leon was the President of the Latino Commission on AIDS, a national service and advocacy organization addressing HIV/AIDS and health disparities in the Latino community nationwide.

deLeon, 61, was one of the first city officials to announce that he was infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The cause of death was heart failure.

VIGIL/VIEWING

WHEN
Wednesday, December 16th
4:00pm – 9:00pm

WHERE
Redden’s Funeral Home
325 West 14th Street
(between 8th and 9th)
New York, NY 10011
Map Link

FUNERAL

WHEN
Thursday, December 17th
10:00am

WHERE
Parish of St. Joseph
371 Avenue of the Americas
(between Washington and Waverly Place)
New York, NY 10011
Map Link

(*) Post the Funeral there will be a gathering to celebrate the life of Dennis de Leon at a near by Parish – details to follow.

Puerto Rican Community Leader Left to Die & Robbed in Philly ER Remembered

9:27 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Philly| Puerto Rico · Comments Off

5 Dec 2009

20091201_dn_g1rive01o

WHAT: Press conference and vigil demanding
justice for Joaquin Rivera
WHEN: Sunday, December 6, 2009, 10 a.m.
WHERE: In front of Aria Health Center , 4900 Frankford Avenue

On Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 10 am , in front of Aria Health’s Frankford Campus
4900 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia, members of the National Congress for Puerto
Rican Rights (NCPRR), a civil and human rights group, will join the family of
Joaquin Rivera , other local activists, politicians and organizations in demanding
justice while also calling for the systematic overhaul of a inept healthcare system
that would allow for such a tragedy.
Rivera, a beloved father, school counselor, musician and activist was left to die
in the Aria Health emergency room last Saturday. Adding to this indignity, Rivera
was also robbed while hospital staff continued to ignore his lifeless body. This
indignity has been fully captured on videotape that has been broadcast nationally,
to compound the pain and humiliation that Mr. Rivera’s family and friends will
endure through this loss.

Full disclosure : I credit my experience working within the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights in NYC as critical in my political development.

NYC Street Vendor Protest Tomorrow

9:28 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Justice| Labor| New York City · Comments Off

25 Oct 2009

311430_height370_width560 In my hood street vendors are part of the landscape. I love that I can buy and eat elotes, tacos, ice cream, tamales, puerco, tacos and buy socks and flowers all on the same block. Pero the harassment of these vendors is also part of the landscape. I know when there are undercover police nearby when the mujer that sells water and the mujer that sells churros all cover their wares under garbage bags in an effort to make themselves look like normal shoppers and avoid being ticketed. I don’t have statistics but most of the street vendors I know and see are immigrants trying to survive. Tomorrow there will be a protest in the Bronx in support of street vendors, demanding that the city finally move on increasing the current caps and to temporarily stop the outrageous fines.

Date & Time: Monday, October 26, 2009 at 11:30 am

Location: Supreme Court House, 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY (Corner of 161st Street and Grand Concourse on the steps of the Court House)

Street Vendors From Across NYC Demand an Increase of the Caps and a Temporary Stop to Cruel Fines

Bronx, New York – Hundreds of Street Vendors will be gathering in the Steps of the Supreme Court House in the Bronx to demand that the city finally move on increasing the current caps and to temporarily stop the outrageous fines. Street vendors in the Fordham Road area in the Bronx have almost disappeared temporarily as the 46th and the 52 precinct increased their raids and fines. Relationships with both precinct deteriorated this summer as constant raids and absurdly high fines began being imposed on the street vendor community in the recent months.

The lack of permits has forced many vendors to sell without cart licenses which in turn causes arrests and summons of up to $3,000.00. With the upsurge of job losses in the past year, an increasing number of people have turned to street vending as a means of work. The result has been an intensified crackdown of street vendors that cannot access the cart permits by police and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Street vendors have had to face an upsurge of arrests, fines, and confiscations of merchandise.

“Street vendors are working families, we have been asking the Bloomberg administration to increase the current caps and to decrease the current fines for the past 3 years to no avail,” states Rafael Samanez, Director of VAMOS Unidos. “Their enforcement only solutions further criminalize working families trying to survive,” he added.

Street vendors organizations have began meeting with the offices of Melissa Mark Viveritto, Senator Serrano, Assemblyman Nelson Castro, Senator Squadron, and other high profile political figures in New York to begin addressing the current dire situation that street vendors have to face in a daily manner.

VAMOS Unidos, Street Vendor Project and Esperanza del Barrio, three street vendor organizations in New York City will be holding a succession of events to bring attention to this grave situation street vendors face.

Image Via/ MetroMix

Latino Events in NYC Today: Por la Justicia. Maximo Pueguero Presente.

7:09 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Justice| New York City| Violence · Comments Off

24 Oct 2009

Maximo Pueguero Is Gunned Down by NYPD! Family, Friends and Community Demand Justice!

Family and friends have worked in conjunction with lawyers and eyewitnesses to gather information that points to the unjust fatal shooting of a non-documented young man in Washington Heights.

What: On July 22nd 2009, Maximo Peguero was killed by members of the NYPD.

*
There was never a robbery, as the NYPD has stated
*
He never stepped out of the car
*
There were no weapons found in the car
*
There were no illegal substances present in the car
*
There were no charges made
*
The other car passengers are all free of charges We are going to have a vigil and a march on 3rd month of his death

Who: Alianza Dominicana Inc., Democratic council member nominee Ydanis Rodriguez, Family and Friends of Maximo Peguero Movement, witnesses of the murder, outraged coummunity.

When: Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 188th street between Amsterdam and Audubon at 3pm. In front of the altar where his life was taken away.

Press confrence to be held after march at the 34th Pct. @ 4pm.
If you have any information that could help our cases please call:

Ambrose Wotorson, PC Attorney at Law at 718-797-4861

Congratulations Are In Order: Alexis Pauline Gumbs: Media Activist , Utne Visionary Changing the World

12:20 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Media| Women| media justice · 3 Comments

18 Oct 2009

Radical women media activist don’t do what they do for the props, that’s for sure. Pero it’s always nice when they get some and it’s always nice when the peeps getting props are close to my heart. Utne Reader has done it again, releasing their annual 50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World list. I am happy to see the name of Alexis Pauline Gumbs aka just Lex, for her work on the Mobile Homecoming Project and the million and one other projects she always seems to be working on.

Felicidades.

MobileHomeComing: Here We Go! from Alexis Gumbs on Vimeo.

NYC Events in Solidarity With Puerto Rican General Strike

6:50 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Labor| New York City| Puerto Rico · Comments Off

15 Oct 2009

NYC LCLAA

JOIN!

UNITY LABOR RALLY!
&
PRESS EVENT!

STAND UP IN SOLIDARITY!
TO STOP THE MASSIVE LAYOFFS
OF OUR UNION BROTHERS & SISTERS
IN PUERTO RICO!

DEFEND PUERTO RICAN WORKERS RIGHTS!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
12 NOON
CITY HALL STEPS

For more information – NYC LCLAA – 212-701-9400

NCPRR NYC CHAPTER SPONSORED EVENT

Thursday October 15, 2009

TIME

5:00 PM

LOCATION

Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration

135 W 50Th St.

New York City

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