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Oakland In Blue Listening Experience Series Promo // produced by Vernell Harbin from FreshVibe Media ® on Vimeo.
This sunrise ceremony was especially meaningful because it was the 40th year anniversary of theTakeover. The experience was very spiritual. Like all Pan Indian movements all tribes were welcome and non-native folks, to the beat of a drum and the burning of sage and tobacco. Although in the original takeover demands were not met, it was succesful in the sense that it raised awareness to native rights issues, and led to many other non violent protests through out the nation led by native people. More info Pictures and interviews coming soon from Youth Radio writer Bianca Butler coming soon...
I'm gonna hold on to the times we had, tonight.
You know I'll always love you. So tonight. Hold on.
My work explores issues in contemporary family structure. My experiences growing up as an only child of a single parent mother provide the foundation for the development of my ideas. I look to analyze the sociological impact that the lack of a father figure has in a boy's 'coming of age' years. Within this investigation lie multiple related bodies of work. One body involves aspects that reside in the household itself such as mother / son relationships that include shared feelings of bitterness and abandonment brought on by my father's leaving. Other times I aim to pay homage to my mother for her fulfillment of both parental roles. Related are works that explore the reasons, impact, and dynamics of neighborhood street gang acceptance and involvement: such as the allure of the 'extended family' to a fatherless, only child, and its accompanying values that addressed issues of respect, pride, protection, and loyalty; all of which seemed to instill a certain level of manhood and masculinity beyond a mother's capability. Michael Vasquez paints some really amazing pieces. His use of color and style is ridiculous.
I build my paintings through a unique set of marks that seem to mirror those of graffiti and territorial 'tagging,' striving for a seamless marriage of content and execution. These marks are often made of broken color that when viewed up close seem as foreign as the figures' hand gestures; yet optically assemble themselves from afar. Many of these marks aim to capture the atmosphere of the figure's environment and are neither a part of the figure nor the background; yet somehow inform them both. I aim to be able to slip in any color with any type of mark, anywhere on any painting and have it accepted and functioning.
Richmond High Responds to Homecoming Rape from New America Media on Vimeo.
WRENAGADE: Never been afraid to speak on it, Never would stand by and not protect a sister getting assaulted, forever working hoping and praying that this world is safer, better for the next generation, especially for young girls and my future daughter...any women who has been assaulted, harassed, raped, through out history, whether by a soldier, or someone that's supposed to protect you, a preacher, or a stranger, you are not invisible. We are all victims unless we speak out. First off I am filled with a lot of emotion about this incident that happened in the near by Bay Area city Richmond, California, to a young 15 year old girl. Especially, but not just because of the fact that, it is reported that there were by standers that did nothing and even cheered on the attacker. My first reaction is just that this is one act of horrible violence, that is one of way too many. I have too many friends who have confided that they too were raped. I have heard too many stories through out history of soldiers raping women, not just in some foreign land, but also right here, the American Holocaust. Too many in history that is not what you read in the books, too many in my life time, and too many who have felt invisible, and stayed silent. Too many communities with out unity. Too many young people exposed to violence. Too Many young girls staying silent. Too Many victims who feel they can never heal that there power is taken from them, and they wish to hide to never reveal. Too Many women have been assaulted, and felt it was there fault, or known that people would look down on them, as if they brought it upon themselves. Too many have kept silent, held back pain, supressed the crimes done to them. Its 2009 and its time for any hidden crimes to shine so that justice can be reached. Rapist have no face, n they are definitely not 1 color (although statistically in the U.S white male rapists are the highest percent) I dont know the whole stoy of went down in Richmond but ive already heard ignorant voices about Richmond and Race and the crime that went down and people assuming. All i know is what i heard that 2O something people stood by while a young girl was raped, i dont have words to describe how out of pocket that is.Bay Area girl gang raped at school while witnesses watch but do nothing October 26, 2009| 5:41 pm A 15-year-old girl who went to her homecoming dance was repeatedly gang raped and beaten at Richmond High School for at least two hours while more than a dozen witnesses saw the assault but failed to call police, authorities said today.The attack occurred Saturday around 9:30 p.m. after the girl had left the dance and was waiting for a ride from her father. She saw a male student she knew, who took her to a dark alley behind one of the school buildings, Richmond police said.Police said alcohol was consumed but were awaiting toxicology tests.The male student and about six others began raping and beating the girl. As she struggled, more than a dozen witnesses passed by or watched what was going on. The ordeal lasted 2 to 2 1/2 hours, police said."The victim was beaten, sexually assaulted and robbed," said Lt. Mark Gagan. "What's equally disturbing is that other people saw what was going on and did nothing."Police were finally called after a female student overhead people talking about the rape. She called 911 and told dispatchers what she had heard, according to Gagan.The girl was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.A former student, Manuel Ortega, 19, was arrested a few blocks away Saturday night and booked on charges of rape, robbery and kidnapping, Gagan said. Ortega was being held Monday on $800,000 bail.
SIAIRA SHAWN:I wrote this awhile ago, it was sparked by an incident that happened to a young women who went to Mills and she was attending school in New York. She was living with roommates and they discovered her dead body in the room days later; she had been beaten to death by her former boyfriend and left for dead.
Around this time other violent crimes against Black women were happening as they have for centuries and there was no or little media coverage or outcry. It seems that when something happens to women of color we are supposed to take it and be silenced, we are not valued or respected and that is why things like this young girl in Richmond getting beaten and gang raped while people watched can occur. What are we teaching our men, our women, ourselves? These things must not be allowed to go on!
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After posting a note about this incident I was outraged to find out that based on a law that diferentiates between victims that are 14 vs 15 (the age of the victim) those people people that stood by and laughed while this crime was commited will not be charged with anything: via Catherine-Mercedes Brillantes Judge
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