[http://www.racialjusticeallies.org]
2013-03-19 "Towards Collective Liberation" by Chris Crass, a book launch and panel discussion
Tuesday, 6:30pm until 9:00pm
The Arlene Francis Center [99 Sixth Street, Santa Rosa, California 95401]
$5-$15 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds). Books will also be for sale.
This event is wheelchair accessible.
The Racial Justice Allies is excited to announce this one-time event
with author and activist Chris Crass, who will be coming all the way
from Knoxville, TN to speak about his new book, Towards Collective
Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement
Building.
We are also delighted to have a panel discussion with
local community organizers who are on the forefront of some of the
struggles and movements that are discussed in Towards Collective
Liberation.
Co-Sponsored by: the Racial Justice Allies, the Black Student Union (SRJC), and the California Student Union (SRJC chapter).
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Black Berets of San Jose
A Walk for Peace and Unity
Saturday, March 23 2013 @ 6 AM- 2 PM
Lincoln High School, 555 Dana Ave, San Jose
This is an event to create solidarity among community organizers & to send a message for peace to the streets.
We will begin with a sunrise ceremony (6 a.m.) at Lincoln High School site of the first Barrios Unidos conference during which we will have an opening prayer by a youth and an elder, a woman and man. The purpose of the sunrise ceremony is to focus our intent and prayer for peace, following the ceremony we will gather up for the walk. We plan on arriving at Mexican Heritage Plaza around noon where we will end the walk with a sacred pipe ceremony and some Mexica (Aztec) dance performed by Calpulli Tonalequeh. We will end the event with some speakers and performers during which we will provide food and refreshments; we hope to finish by 2 p.m.
Start 6 a.m. Lincoln High School: 555 Dana Ave. San Jose, CA 95126
End 12 noon Mexican Heritage Plaza: 1700 Alum Rock Ave San Jose, CA 95116
This event is sponsored by The Black Berets por la Justicia
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Eastbay Solidarity Network
Boss or Landlord problems?
We are a mutual support organization of workers and tenants. Together we stand up to unjust bosses and landlords. We win through strategy, struggle, support and solidarity.
[http://eastbaysol.wordpress.com/] [evictionfreeoakland@gmail.com]
2012-03-07 "EAST BAY SOLIDARITY NETWORK AND OCCUPY OAKLAND HOUSING NETWORK FORESTALL FORECLOSURE FOR TWO OAKLAND FAMILIES"
by Jesse from "Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette" [http://occupyoakland.org/2012/03/oscar-grant-plaza-gazette-3712/]:
The stories of these two families run parallel to those of many Oaklanders these days: working people thrust by an economic crisis caused by the 1% have been denied loan modifications by the very same institutions bailed out by the federal government with billion dollar sums. Then these institutions did their best to foreclose and evict, “losing” reams of financial documentation that proved the families’ abilities to continue to pay on their mortgages at lower monthly rates.
After two account managers and a year of unreturned phone calls, Siaka Cisse turned to the East Bay Solidarity Network to keep his family of six in their Oakland home. Three days before the public auction of the house, Siaka and EBSol targeted the executive officers of Siaka’s lender with a concentrated blast of phone calls demanding that the auction be postponed and that every option be explored to avoid eviction. The next day, EBSol confirmed that the auction had been postponed until April 16th, and that Siaka had received a fresh loan modification package.
Ms. Katie, an Oakland grandmother who has lived in her North Oakland home for 35 years, fought Chase Bank for five years after financial hardship hit. Thanks to two well-attended and public actions organized by the Occupy Oakland Housing Network and Ms. Katie’s family, she is now negotiating a loan modification that will allow her to hold on to her home.
In the absence of ongoing pressure, the banks are likely to change their minds or offer unfavorable terms to the borrowers, terms that could land them in the same situation two years down the road. Both of these victories occurred last week, and both Siaka and Ms. Katie will need our support in the coming weeks to ensure a fair outcome in their negotiations. To get involved, email the East Bay Solidarity Network at Eastbaysol@gmail.com and the Occupy Oakland Housing Network at foreclosure@occupyoakland.org.
We are a mutual support organization of workers and tenants. Together we stand up to unjust bosses and landlords. We win through strategy, struggle, support and solidarity.
[http://eastbaysol.wordpress.com/] [evictionfreeoakland@gmail.com]
2012-03-07 "EAST BAY SOLIDARITY NETWORK AND OCCUPY OAKLAND HOUSING NETWORK FORESTALL FORECLOSURE FOR TWO OAKLAND FAMILIES"
by Jesse from "Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette" [http://occupyoakland.org/2012/03/oscar-grant-plaza-gazette-3712/]:
The stories of these two families run parallel to those of many Oaklanders these days: working people thrust by an economic crisis caused by the 1% have been denied loan modifications by the very same institutions bailed out by the federal government with billion dollar sums. Then these institutions did their best to foreclose and evict, “losing” reams of financial documentation that proved the families’ abilities to continue to pay on their mortgages at lower monthly rates.
After two account managers and a year of unreturned phone calls, Siaka Cisse turned to the East Bay Solidarity Network to keep his family of six in their Oakland home. Three days before the public auction of the house, Siaka and EBSol targeted the executive officers of Siaka’s lender with a concentrated blast of phone calls demanding that the auction be postponed and that every option be explored to avoid eviction. The next day, EBSol confirmed that the auction had been postponed until April 16th, and that Siaka had received a fresh loan modification package.
Ms. Katie, an Oakland grandmother who has lived in her North Oakland home for 35 years, fought Chase Bank for five years after financial hardship hit. Thanks to two well-attended and public actions organized by the Occupy Oakland Housing Network and Ms. Katie’s family, she is now negotiating a loan modification that will allow her to hold on to her home.
In the absence of ongoing pressure, the banks are likely to change their minds or offer unfavorable terms to the borrowers, terms that could land them in the same situation two years down the road. Both of these victories occurred last week, and both Siaka and Ms. Katie will need our support in the coming weeks to ensure a fair outcome in their negotiations. To get involved, email the East Bay Solidarity Network at Eastbaysol@gmail.com and the Occupy Oakland Housing Network at foreclosure@occupyoakland.org.
Young Workers United
[http://www.youngworkersunited.org] [415-621-4155] [youngworkersunited@gmail.com]
P.O. Box 420963 San Francisco, CA 94142
Young Workers United, formed in 2002, is a multi-racial and bilingual membership organization dedicated to improving the quality of jobs for young and immigrant workers. We raise standards in the low-wage service sector in San Francisco through worker and student organizing, grass-roots advocacy, leadership development, and public education.
P.O. Box 420963 San Francisco, CA 94142
Young Workers United, formed in 2002, is a multi-racial and bilingual membership organization dedicated to improving the quality of jobs for young and immigrant workers. We raise standards in the low-wage service sector in San Francisco through worker and student organizing, grass-roots advocacy, leadership development, and public education.
People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights (PODER)
[http://www.podersf.org]
474 Valencia Street Suite #125 San Francisco, CA 94103
[415-431-4210] [info @ podersf.org]
PODER is a grassroots, environmental justice organization based in San Francisco’s Mission District. PODER’s mission is to organize with Mission [San Francisco] residents to work on local solutions to issues facing low income communities and communities of color. PODER believes that the solutions to community problems depend on the active participation of all people in decision-making processes. Improvements to our neighborhood must be made through collective social action to bring about social, economic and environmental justice.
474 Valencia Street Suite #125 San Francisco, CA 94103
[415-431-4210] [info @ podersf.org]
PODER is a grassroots, environmental justice organization based in San Francisco’s Mission District. PODER’s mission is to organize with Mission [San Francisco] residents to work on local solutions to issues facing low income communities and communities of color. PODER believes that the solutions to community problems depend on the active participation of all people in decision-making processes. Improvements to our neighborhood must be made through collective social action to bring about social, economic and environmental justice.
Modesto Solidarity
[http://modestosolidarity.blogspot.com]
[209-690-7319] [modestosolidarity@gmail.com]
Unpaid wages? Denied deposit? Unsafe workplace? Refused repairs? Don’t let bosses and landlords use and abuse you! We are a network of working people and tenants who work to defend ourselves through direct action and mutual support. Modesto Solidarity will help you get back stolen wages and deposits, get repairs made, and stop evictions. To become involved or to let us know of a problem at your work or with a landlord, contact us!
[209-690-7319] [modestosolidarity@gmail.com]
Unpaid wages? Denied deposit? Unsafe workplace? Refused repairs? Don’t let bosses and landlords use and abuse you! We are a network of working people and tenants who work to defend ourselves through direct action and mutual support. Modesto Solidarity will help you get back stolen wages and deposits, get repairs made, and stop evictions. To become involved or to let us know of a problem at your work or with a landlord, contact us!
Santa Cruz Solidarity
[http://scsolidarity.blogspot.com] [831-216-6321] [scsolidarity@gmail.com]
Santa Cruz Solidarity is a collective response to a common problem.
We are a network of people fighting against mistreatment by bosses and landlords. We are tired of being taken advantage of silently and constantly dealing with every form of disrespect.
We solve our problems through direct action, putting economic and social pressure on bosses and landlords to get what's ours. We use our power as a group to find solutions, instead of using lawyers or police to help us.
We are a solidarity group. We've got each others backs, and we make it known that renter and worker abuse will not be tolerated. We aren't a legal group or social service.
There is no leader of Santa Cruz Solidarity and we make decisions as a group. We are not funded.
And our work doesn’t end here! We envision a world where power comes from within communities rather than being imposed from without. To this end we hope to unite people to become better at getting what we need.
Santa Cruz Solidarity is a collective response to a common problem.
We are a network of people fighting against mistreatment by bosses and landlords. We are tired of being taken advantage of silently and constantly dealing with every form of disrespect.
We solve our problems through direct action, putting economic and social pressure on bosses and landlords to get what's ours. We use our power as a group to find solutions, instead of using lawyers or police to help us.
We are a solidarity group. We've got each others backs, and we make it known that renter and worker abuse will not be tolerated. We aren't a legal group or social service.
There is no leader of Santa Cruz Solidarity and we make decisions as a group. We are not funded.
And our work doesn’t end here! We envision a world where power comes from within communities rather than being imposed from without. To this end we hope to unite people to become better at getting what we need.
Prisoners Literature Project
Volunteer
With Us! We are currently holding Sunday volunteering sessions 2-5 at
the grassroots house. Lets send books to prisoners!
Address: "The Grassroots House", 2022 Blake Street, Berkeley, CA
Please share with friends! [http://www.prisonersliteratureproject.com/donate]
Who are we? The Prisoners Literature Project is a grassroots organization that sends free books to prisoners in the United States. The project started in the early 1980’s in the back of Bound Together Books. PLP is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations.
Why send free books? Most prisons do not allow prisoners to receive books directly from individuals. Instead, books must be sent through "pre-approved vendors" such as publishers or expensive bookstores like Barnes & Noble. In many cases, prisoners do not have anyone on the outside who is willing or able to send books via this route. And what about prison libraries, you ask? Some consist of mostly suspense or western novels, and even then, library access may be treated as more of a privilege than a right.
This is where PLP steps in. We believe that everyone deserves access to literature and educational materials, including people trying to work towards social change, self-empowerment or rehabilitation within the incarceration system. Through our affiliation with Bound Together Books, PLP is able to send free books to those inside.
Address: "The Grassroots House", 2022 Blake Street, Berkeley, CA
Please share with friends! [http://www.prisonersliteratureproject.com/donate]
Who are we? The Prisoners Literature Project is a grassroots organization that sends free books to prisoners in the United States. The project started in the early 1980’s in the back of Bound Together Books. PLP is run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations.
Why send free books? Most prisons do not allow prisoners to receive books directly from individuals. Instead, books must be sent through "pre-approved vendors" such as publishers or expensive bookstores like Barnes & Noble. In many cases, prisoners do not have anyone on the outside who is willing or able to send books via this route. And what about prison libraries, you ask? Some consist of mostly suspense or western novels, and even then, library access may be treated as more of a privilege than a right.
This is where PLP steps in. We believe that everyone deserves access to literature and educational materials, including people trying to work towards social change, self-empowerment or rehabilitation within the incarceration system. Through our affiliation with Bound Together Books, PLP is able to send free books to those inside.
Oakland "Stop the Injunction!" coalition
2012-03-07 "AGAINST STAY-AWAY ORDERS AND GANG INJUNCTIONS" from "Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette" [http://occupyoakland.org/2012/03/oscar-grant-plaza-gazette-3712/]:
A collaborative document written by Occupy Oakland Anti-Repression Committee and Stop the Injunctions Coalition
The City of Oakland and Alameda County are actively trying to circumvent Constitutional due process protections in the established criminal “justice” system to target activists and communities of color. They are using the courts to impose “gang injunctions” against those they call “gang members”, and more recently against “occupy protesters” via “stay-away orders”. Both types of court orders are police state practices, which misuse the court system for political purposes to criminalize individuals and communities, without actually proving any criminal violations.
Gang injunctions and stay away orders are being used against a person or a group suspected of being involved in a gang, protest, or other state identified “nuisance”. While the gang injunctions and the stay-away orders are different in many aspects, they both serve to punish our community members and violate our rights to assemble without actually convicting anyone of any violation of the law. Gang injunctions use the civil courts and stay-away orders use criminal courts; both expand upon what is considered criminal, thus giving a corrupt police force further discretion and more power to arrest and harass people who have been enjoined or ordered to not be in certain areas or with certain people at certain hours. Because of the civil nature of gang injunctions, there is no attorney (such as the Public Defender) appointed on the defendant’s behalf, thus legal fees are placed on the defendant. If a civil gang injunction defendant lacks resources to hire an attorney, they risk a “default” and the injunction will take effect without allowing the defendant to legally defend themselves.
In the case of occupy protesters, Mayor Jean Quan’s “stay-away orders” are issued without factual findings and before many people have an attorney. The “stay-away orders” are being given as a condition of bail or release on “own recognizance” to restrict where people can be- in this case prohibiting them from being within 100 or 300 yards of Oakland City Hall. In the case of the North Oakland and Fruitvale gang injunctions, those named cannot be in large “safety zones” at certain times, nor can they be with other individuals named in the injunctions, among other restrictions. Both stay-away orders and gang injunctions unconstitutionally deprive our community members of liberty to engage in basic life activities, like associating with friends and family. Gang injunction curfews restrict defendants’ ability to work, and stay-away orders restrict defendants from airing grievances at city hall, taking BART from the 12th street station, or participating in civic life in the central public plaza.
In response to the Oakland gang injunctions, a large coalition developed to oppose the injunctions proposed by the City Attorney. Due to the massive campaign launched against the injunctions, only two of the eleven proposed have been able to be put into effect. The campaign also caused the City Attorney to reduce the number of people named by the injunctions, and make the injunctions somewhat less restrictive, though we see any “gang injunction” as a gross abuse of state power and a sanctioning of police abuse. The coalition has made clear that these injunctions are based entirely on the word of police/parole/probation officer intelligence, which is tainted by racist assumptions of Black and Brown “gang” culture and also specifically targets men who have won lawsuits against OPD for harassment. Also, numerous men targeted by gang injunctions have been incarcerated in the past, and this fact is used against them in court to prove that they need to be enjoined. Thus, the gang injunctions employ a type of double jeopardy, using past crimes as justification for limiting civil liberties when many of the targeted men are trying to get work and live healthy and sustainable lives in their respective communities.
Mayor Quan’s “Stay-Away Orders” are another gang injunction-like tool used to repress and punish those expressing dissent. The stay-away orders have specifically targeted more than twelve people who have been arrested at Occupy Oakland protests and are based purely on the word of OPD and the DA. These individuals have not been convicted of any “crime”, yet a judge has imposed orders that take away their First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights. These orders represent the ongoing political persecution of people who are protesting against extreme economic inequality, corporate control of the government, and police state practices used to uphold this oligarchy. The stay-away orders and other political attacks on our communities show that instead of working to provide real solutions to economic disparity, racism and police brutality, the City uses fear tactics and repression to eliminate political dissent. City officials continue to talk out of both sides of their mouths, saying they sympathize with the occupy wall street movement’s goals of challenging corruption and economic inequality, while sicking riot cops and cruel weaponry on local occupy wall street protesters. City officials often speak in favor of alternatives to incarceration and repression such as “restorative justice”, while concurrently using the court and prison system to instill fear amongst protesters. It is clear however where their cards lie. We must learn from the fight against gang injunctions that the only way to stop stay-away orders in their tracks is to pack the courts and target those officials that are pushing for them for public shame. We cannot let the police, city and DA impose anymore gang injunctions or stay-away orders, and we must fight to eliminate ALL the existing gang injunctions and stay-away orders.
For More Information or to get involved:
[http://occupyoakland.org/generalassembly/committees/antirepression-committee] [antirepression@occupyoakland.org]
[http://stoptheinjunction.wordpress.com] [stoptheinjunction@gmail.com]
Oscar Grant Committee against Police Brutality and State Repression
[510-239-3570]
[www.oscargrantcommittee.weebly.com]
The Oscar Grant Committee(OGC) provides political support to community members and victims of police brutality. In so doing, we seek to stimulate the community and workers, particularly the most oppressed and most conscious sectors, to build organization, mass-movements, and political power!
MISSION: The OGC's primary focus and activity centers on the struggle against police brutality and state repression. The mission of the OGC is to mobilize all concerned people, regardless of race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or legal status against all manifestations of police brutality and misconduct. Therefore, we believe that the road to the mass-struggle is the only effective and meaningful road to victory in the struggle against police brutality, such as mass marches, demonstrations, forums, etc. Maintaining a multi-racial organization and base is paramount. The ruling class has a history of staging racial provocations that polarize working people along race lines. This is why we raise the slogan: not black against white, but class against class. Our natural allies and base are composed of the black and brown communities, the labor movement, and social justice activists. The OGC emerged from the struggle to organize with the International Longshoremen's Union (ILWU) labor black protest and work stoppage (10-23—2010) in support of justice for Oscar Grant. This was the first time that labor in the US went on strike in response to the murder of a young black man by the police.
The current American capitalist state and administration is an organ for maintaining the class rule of the bosses against the workers and oppressed. Both the Democratic and Republican Parties are agents for capital and run the current American state. Thus, the Democratic Party has proven time and again to be a graveyard for social movements. Groups who have collaborated with this party have been housebroken and diverted from their goals, ending up in the scrapheap of history. In essence, that is the designed role of the Democratic Party, namely, to corrupt, destroy or tame all protests against the system. The necessary conclusion to be drawn from such historic lessons is that the OGC does not engage in class collaboration and does not rely on capitalist politicians.
STRATEGY: The OGC undertakes principled united fronts: we are prepared to work with any group, individual, or organization insofar as they do genuine grass roots' work against police brutality and state repression. For instance, there may be anarchists or liberals who will work with us on a case where a particular individual has been the victim of police brutality without necessarily agreeing with our position that the state is a tool for maintaining the rule of the capitalist class. The OGC firmly holds that photographing police in action is not a crime. It is a right and duty that we have as U.S. citizens. We pay very close attention to the police restricting citizens from observing and filming them. This is the essence of the Oscar Grant Case. The latter is certainly a case of police misconduct and state repression and we will defend those individuals whose right to observe and photograph police have been denied.
[www.oscargrantcommittee.weebly.com]
The Oscar Grant Committee(OGC) provides political support to community members and victims of police brutality. In so doing, we seek to stimulate the community and workers, particularly the most oppressed and most conscious sectors, to build organization, mass-movements, and political power!
MISSION: The OGC's primary focus and activity centers on the struggle against police brutality and state repression. The mission of the OGC is to mobilize all concerned people, regardless of race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or legal status against all manifestations of police brutality and misconduct. Therefore, we believe that the road to the mass-struggle is the only effective and meaningful road to victory in the struggle against police brutality, such as mass marches, demonstrations, forums, etc. Maintaining a multi-racial organization and base is paramount. The ruling class has a history of staging racial provocations that polarize working people along race lines. This is why we raise the slogan: not black against white, but class against class. Our natural allies and base are composed of the black and brown communities, the labor movement, and social justice activists. The OGC emerged from the struggle to organize with the International Longshoremen's Union (ILWU) labor black protest and work stoppage (10-23—2010) in support of justice for Oscar Grant. This was the first time that labor in the US went on strike in response to the murder of a young black man by the police.
The current American capitalist state and administration is an organ for maintaining the class rule of the bosses against the workers and oppressed. Both the Democratic and Republican Parties are agents for capital and run the current American state. Thus, the Democratic Party has proven time and again to be a graveyard for social movements. Groups who have collaborated with this party have been housebroken and diverted from their goals, ending up in the scrapheap of history. In essence, that is the designed role of the Democratic Party, namely, to corrupt, destroy or tame all protests against the system. The necessary conclusion to be drawn from such historic lessons is that the OGC does not engage in class collaboration and does not rely on capitalist politicians.
STRATEGY: The OGC undertakes principled united fronts: we are prepared to work with any group, individual, or organization insofar as they do genuine grass roots' work against police brutality and state repression. For instance, there may be anarchists or liberals who will work with us on a case where a particular individual has been the victim of police brutality without necessarily agreeing with our position that the state is a tool for maintaining the rule of the capitalist class. The OGC firmly holds that photographing police in action is not a crime. It is a right and duty that we have as U.S. citizens. We pay very close attention to the police restricting citizens from observing and filming them. This is the essence of the Oscar Grant Case. The latter is certainly a case of police misconduct and state repression and we will defend those individuals whose right to observe and photograph police have been denied.
Friday, March 15, 2013
People’s Community Medics (PCM)
The People's Community Medics can be reached at [510-239-7720], [PeoplesCommunityMedics@gmail.com], [www.PeoplesCommunityMedics.org], and can be heard on
the radio most Saturday afternoons from 2 to 4 on Berkeley Liberation
Radio, 104.1 fm and live streaming on the internet at
[www.berkeleyliberationradio.net].
The
People’s Community Medics (PCM) was founded in the summer of 2011 by
Sharena Thomas and Lesley Phillips. While members of the Oscar Grant
Committee we learned that the BART police refused to call an ambulance
for 20 minutes for fatally wounded Oscar Grant, despite the passionate
pleas for medical help from his friends who were detained at the
Fruitvale station by the police. That experience as well as our
knowledge that 911 calls often do not result in an ambulance arriving in
a timely manner to Black neighborhoods largely inspired us to teach our
people basic emergency first aid so that we can help one another until
an ambulance arrives.
We reached out to a fellow activist who is a healthcare worker and together we developed a training curriculum and learned how to treat seizures and bleeding traumas like gunshot wounds and stabbings. The PCM launched in March 2012; since then we have been giving free trainings on treating seizures, bleeding traumas and gunshot wounds to folks in Oakland, San Francisco and Richmond.
The People’s Community Medics is a collective of volunteers. Our members include a neurology nurse, students, a construction worker, parents and a retiree, among others. Sharena has previous medial training as a medical assistant. Lesley has no formal medical training, however, we are both Red Cross certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid for urban environments. We are both mothers, Lesley is a grandmother and we both have been active in our communities for many years.
The People’s Community Medics’ trainings immediately resonate with people. We hope that one day every child will be taught basic first aid in school. We have been invited to present our training at various events and for different organizations. A few days before May Day 2012, a young man from Occupy Oakland came to the aid of a shooting victim and he utilized the first aid training he had learned from the PCM; the ambulance did not arrive for 47 minutes; unfortunately the woman succumbed to her injuries.
At our trainings, we hand out free first aid packets that have gloves, gauze, an instruction sheet in English and Spanish, Emergen C (for diabetics) and a “know your rights” pocket card from Berkeley CopWatch. At some of our trainings we serve free, hot cooked food. Sometimes we have grocery bags full of food, free for the people. Much of the food is donated but plates and utensils, etc. are paid for out of pocket. Everything we give the people is free of charge; we are an all volunteer organization. We also have open mic speak-outs at some of our trainings.
"The People's Paramedics: Slow response times from first responders in Oakland have prompted a pair of activists to teach residents how to save lives — and perhaps unite against violence at the same time"
2013-02-13 by Joaquin Palomino from "Eastbay Express" [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-peoples-paramedics/Content?oid=3462253]:
The first sixty minutes after someone is shot is commonly known as the "golden hour." The name refers to the fact that irreversible damage can occur in the first hour after someone suffers a profound shock. If a person is shot in the head or chest, or if a blood vessel is struck, the window for treatment can become much shorter. But gunshot victims in Oakland don't always receive prompt medical care. In fact, first responders can be dangerously slow to arrive on scene. As a result, some activists have started to teach local residents how to save lives.
According to data obtained from the Oakland Police Department, there were 36,236 high-priority 911 calls made in 2012 — most of which were for violent crimes. But it took the understaffed police department between ten and thirty minutes to arrive at 36 percent of those calls. In 13 percent of the cases, OPD showed up more than thirty minutes after the initial call for service.
Alameda County paramedics can almost always arrive at urban crime scenes in less than nine minutes, but for safety reasons they're prohibited from treating victims until police clear the scene. As a result, they must stage their ambulances blocks away from critically injured people as they wait for OPD to allow them in. "Paramedics can't just rush into a shooting scene," explained Fred Claridge, director of Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services. "They park a few blocks away and wait — and that's to preserve their own safety."
This makes police officers the first medical responders to most violent crimes in Oakland, and while they're required by state law to know how to treat gunshot wounds, they don't always make it a top priority. Sometimes officers will focus on gathering evidence and securing the scene before they help someone who's injured. "The officer has to weigh up between protecting the crime scene, protecting the victim, and protecting the integrity of what's going on around them," Oakland police union President Barry Donelan said in an interview last year. He added that "an officer's job is to take care of the victim, but to do that they have to stabilize the scene first."
OPD's poor response times, paired with officers' decisions to not treat injured citizens quickly, prompted East Oakland residents Sharena Thomas and Lesley Phillips to found the group The People's Community Medics last year. Both Thomas and Phillips have some medical training, and they teach citizens how to administer basic first aid to gunshot victims when police are slow to arrive and when paramedics are prohibited from providing help.
Since last March, The People's Community Medics have held workshops throughout Oakland, as well as in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Seattle. "At every training we've done someone says they've seen someone being shot, and they didn't know what to do — they just stood around and watched the person bleed out," said Thomas. "If those people knew how to treat a gunshot wound, maybe they could have saved a life."
At a first-aid training I attended in January, Phillips began by sharing the golden rule of medical care: "First and foremost, do no harm! I can't say it enough. If you don't know what to do, then don't do anything at all." She and Thomas then covered the legal and moral issues that arise when assisting crime victims. They finished with a skit detailing how exactly to treat and dress a gunshot wound.
"You have to find the entrance and the exit wounds," said Thomas. "Once you've located them apply firm pressure to both holes. If possible, wear rubber gloves and use a barrier, such as gauze, to stop the bleeding." Phillips handed out packets containing both of these items, along with medical instructions.
While the information the group provides is basic, The People's Community Medics is filling a growing gap in Oakland. The police department, which has two hundred fewer officers today than it had three years ago, has become increasingly unreliable during times of crisis. And technical mistakes made by the department over the years have further hampered first responders. An auditor's report released last August showed that the OPD's Computer Aided Dispatching system is inefficient and outdated. If it were replaced, officers could more effectively be routed to crime scenes. Last year, $1.2 million was available to replace the system, however, OPD squandered the money due to poor communication with the Department of Information Technology. According to Sergeant Christopher Bolton, chief of staff to Police Chief Howard Jordan, the department is preparing to roll out a new deployment system, but it's unclear when it will be up and running.
"We don't want to always be complaining about resources," Bolton said. "It's incumbent on us to come up with ways to deploy the officers and meet the community's expectations, and response time, especially in the most urgent of matters, is probably the most fundamental expectation that people require of their police department."
The gunshot tracking system ShotSpotter also has the potential to quicken OPD's response to gun crimes, but for the past five years it's been underutilized. ShotSpotter can give an officer the exact location of gunfire within 45 seconds. Last year, the system recorded about 3,000 gunshots in Oakland, or roughly eight a day. While some cities have used ShotSpotter to significantly reduce gunfire, budget problems have prevented OPD from making good use of the technology — less than half the city is serviced by ShotSpotter, and the majority of recorded gunshots aren't investigated. However, in a few months the city will expand the ShotSpotter service area to cover about 80 percent of Oakland, which Sergeant Bolton contends will help OPD combat gun crime. "It's extremely valuable for response time, evidence collections, determining where scenes are," he said. "It's just an amazing system."
Thomas and Phillips, meanwhile, are not only hoping to empower citizens to help injured people in need, but they also hope their work will unite community members against violence.
At a first-aid training put on by the group last September, a young woman shared her experience helping a gunshot victim near Arroyo Viejo Park in East Oakland. "I was sitting in the park when I heard rapid gunfire and I saw smoke clearing just at the other end of the field," she said. The woman knew basic first aid and CPR, so she did something courageous: She ran to the scene. She found a man with four gunshot wounds. "He was shot once in the head, once in the arm, once in the stomach, and once in the leg." The woman covered three of the four wounds, and held the man firmly for what she estimated to be 25 minutes, until the paramedics arrived. The man was seriously injured, but he survived. "I thank God that I knew what to do, and was able to help. ... Most people, when they hear shots, their instinct is to go running, but when something like that happens, we've got to come together as a community."
The People's Community Medics believe they can inspire more people to act similarly. They've already received reports back from people who've used their training in Oakland and San Francisco. And over the longterm, they want to change the way people think about violence. "I feel that if people start to know these skills, and they know how to save a life, they might not be so quick to take a life," said Phillips. "If you're teaching how to save life, that's love."
Special message from the People's Community Medics, 2014-03:
The People's Community Medics are proud to announce that we are a recipient of the 2014 People’s Life Fund from the Northern California War Tax Resistance. Grants of resisted war taxes will be given out on the Sunday before Tax Day, April 13th, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1606 Bonita Ave. Berkeley. We encourage folks to bring a potluck dish to share. Everyone is welcome. Please join us; we look forward to seeing you there! For more information about War Tax Resistance, check out [http://www.nwtrcc.org].
WED. MARCH 5, 2014 - People's Community Medics will be at One Fam Political Education Night
People’s Community Medics presents...
Free Emergency First Aid Training at Co-OP
Monday, September 9, 2013
5:00-6:30pm
At the Family Paths’ Main Office, at The Grove Building [1727 MLK Jr. Way, Oakland, Ca. 94612]
The Consortium of Oakland Providers (Co-OP) is featuring a free emergency first aid training by the People’s Community Medics at their monthly gathering. All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP (see below). Looking forward to seeing you there.
Arrive at 5pm for snacks and bring your organization’s printed materials for our Community Resource table. Or simply represent by showing up. Park in our lot off 18th St. or walk 3 blocks west from 19th Street BART.
EACH ONE, TEACH ONE. Please RSVP! Contact Kim Cohn Wilks, MFT, RDT/BCT [kcohnwilks@familypaths.org] [510-893-9230 X 262]. The Consortium of Oakland Providers (“the Co-OP”) creates opportunities for neighborhood and community-based entities to convene, share information and establish working relationships with each other as allies on the frontlines of direct community service
2013-01-27 message from Shareena, member of the People's Community Medics:
TODAY PEOPLES COMMUNITY MEDICS WENT TO CHOWCHILLA TO SHOW TOTAL SOLIDARITY TO THE WOMEN WHO ARE INSLAVED THERE..
2013-01-19 "People's Community Medics - Free Emergency First Aid Training"
SATURDAY, 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Phat Beets Produce and The Crossroads Cafe is hosting the People’s Community Medics as part of the Food N' Justice Workshop Series.
[peoplescommunitymedics (@gmail.com]
We will give our emergency first aid workshop at 942 Stanford Street @ Lowell in North Oakland (near Market St.) at the North Oakland farmers market. (http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/events/)
Learn what to do before 911 arrives in communities that experience injuries, street and/or domestic violence and are neglected by thesystem. You will learn how to treat seizures and bleeding traumas like stabbings and gunshots.
Knowing that 911 calls often do not result in an ambulance arriving in a timely manner to Black, Brown and poor neighborhoods largely inspired us to teach our people basic emergency first aid so that we can help one another until an ambulance arrives.
This is a free event.
2012-11-24 Benefit Fundraiser for the People’s Community Medics"
Saturday, 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
@ the Eastbay Jazz Workshop [6604 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, CA 94608]
MUSIC – FOOD – VIDEO CLIPS – RAFFLE
The People’s Community Medics can be heard on Berkeley Liberation Radio, 104.1 fm [www.BerkeleyLiberationRadio.net] Saturday from 2 to 4.
2012-11-25 message from "People's Community Medics" [peoplescommunitymedics (@gmail.com]:
Many thanks and much gratitude to everyone who came out (physically and on-line via WePay) and supported the People’s Community Medics at our first fundraising party yesterday, Saturday, November 24. We raised a few hundred dollars, but most importantly we were able to spend time with family, friends and comrades sharing and spreading love.
At 3:05 p.m. (the party officially started at 3:00 p.m.) Sharena got a call from a sista, who was on her way, that a shooting had happened just 6 blocks from us. Four of us grabbed gloves and gauze and jumped in Sharena’s car. The police were there and OFD paramedics were attending to the young man who was shot before getting on his bicycle. The ambulance arrived about 2 minutes after we had (about 30 minutes from the time of the shooting).
At least 30 people were watching from a distance on the sidewalk leaving enough space for the paramedics. While the victim was in the street, the police made us back down the sidewalk as they began to put up yellow tape. We asked the people around if they knew who the young man was but no one knew.
We had to go back to our party but we felt stunned and shook up, it made us cry thinking of what that teenager’s fate might be. It was suggested that we go back to the spot and do a training. We would have wanted to go after the party but it was too dark so we decided to go the next morning.
On Sunday morning on the way to the shooting location we learned that the 19 year old young man had died and was the 113th killing in Oakland; a little over 12 hours later the number of killings rose to 115. His name was not released. When we arrived at the spot we talked to people, passed out some of our flyers, got a sista’s phone number, talked to a store owner and bought some candles from him to place near the spot we saw the teenager dying. A reporter from KTVU arrived and asked to interview us. We did the interview but we need to tell our story and don't think a Fox affiliate can even get anywhere near telling our story competently.
These past 24 hours have been filled with trauma and intense emotions. We’ve shed tears for another young black male who died from violence on the street; a young man who should have died of old age. None of the people who saw him with gunshot wounds administered emergency first aid; not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t know basic emergency first aid.
Maybe if one knows how to save a life they won’t want to take a life. Our goal is for everyone to know how to treat a gunshot wound and know basic first aid.
Towards justice,
2012-09-09 People's Community Medics presents "FREE EMERGENCY FIRST AID TRAINING
Sunday, 1:00 pm
Arroyo Viejo Park located at 7701 Krause Street in East Oakland (near Bancroft and 77th Avenue).
Please join us for a FREE event! We will have a free training in honor of Dionne Smith-Downs, the mother of James Rivera, Jr. who was assassinated by Stockton Police and County Sheriffs in June of 2010
The day will include:
* Emergency First Aid training for Seizures & Gun Shot Wounds & Other Bleeding Trauma
* Free Emergency First Aid Packets
* SPEAKOUT - say what's on your mind and get involved
* Free Food
Justice for James Rivera, Jr.! Justice for Alan Blueford! Justice for all victims of police violence!!
---
"People's Community Medics" giving presentation on providing emergency care to stroke and gunshot victims.
"People's Community Medics" members Anita Wills and Lesley Tiyesha Phillips stand behind free groceries for community members. Also chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, corn and black bean lasagna free to the public, food provided by Angel and Jabari Shaw.
2012-07-22: The People's Community Medics writes -
Up early, just heard a round of gun fire exchanged...
putting my shoes on about to take a walk someone my need me...
*applypressuretotheentrynexitwound*
2012-04-30 message from "People's Community Medics"
Greetings Friends,
“Brandi, a transwoman, was murdered Saturday night, shot at 13th and Franklin in Downtown Oakland after an altercation with a man who became enraged and shot her when he realized she was trans. An amazing #oo comrade tried to keep her alive with training learned from the People’s Community Medics, but the cops walked away and the ambulance came too late” (from Occupy Patriarchy)
The young man who aided this young trans-woman is from Occupy Oakland and he learned the basic first aid for treating gunshot wounds from the People's Community Medics at one of the #OO Barbeques. Evidently the police were there and were doing nothing but letting him provide first aid (police are not trained in first aid). In fact there is an OPD policy that permits the police to stop a civilian from providing first aid, however, in this instance they did not follow that policy. Yet it took the ambulance 30 minutes to arrive; the young comrade stayed with her applying pressure to the gun shot wound; she was alive still when the ambulance finally arrived, however, she succumbed to her wounds after the ambulance was on the scene.
Each one teach one.
One love,
The People's Community Medics
The PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY MEDICS will be giving a free emergency first aid training on Saturday, March 31 at 3:30 p.m. at the Oakland Occupy BBQ at 52nd and MLK Blvd.
The Occupy Oakland BBQ will last from 2pm to 6pm and is in support of the North Oakland Neighborhood Assembly & the fight to save Santa Fe Elementary. HEPAC will be providing free HIV tests on site and passing out condoms and safe sex kits! + Workshops from the Foreclosure Defense Committee and more.
Hope to see you there!
2012-03-17 FREE EVENT - SATURDAY, MARCH 17 - ARROYO PARK - PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY MEDICS
Please join us for a FREE event Saturday, March 17th at 12pm at Arroyo Viejo Park located at 7701 Krause Street in East Oakland (near Bancroft and 77th street). The day will include invaluable:
Emergency First Aid training
Know Your Rights workshop
SPEAKOUT - this is our opportunity to say what's on our minds and get involved
FREE - MUSIC - FOOD - BBQ - CHILDREN'S VILLAGE - ARTS & CRAFTS
(provided by Occupy Oakland)
Hope to see you there!
2012-03-01 "Introducing..." message from "People's Community Medics": Greetings Friends and Community, We are emailing to introduce a new network: The People’s Community Medics.
This project was partially inspired by the revelations of an Oakland Paramedic investigator who blew the whistle on the medical mistreatment of Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station.
Oscar, like many victims of police violence, did not receive proper medical treatment after he was shot by BART police. The 911 responders did not adequately cover the exit wound from the bullet that punctured Oscar's back and he suffered for over 4 hours before succumbing to his injuries. Perhaps Oscar’s life could have been saved if paramedics had properly cared for the bleeding trauma he experienced. . . we will never know.
Unfortunately, in low-income and communities of color--calling 911 does not guarantee an ambulance nor adequate health care when paramedics arrive. Because of this inequality, we have lost numerous loved ones unnecessarily. We know that 911 is a joke (as the rap group Public Enemy said so long ago) and that our people have been suffering from a lack of proper medical treatment.
The People’s Community Medics is starting a project to work with the larger community in taking what's most important into our hands – matters of our health and safety.
You can reach us at 510-239-7720 or PeoplesCommunityMedics@gmail.com.
The People’s Community Medics are on the air every Saturday from 2 to 4 on Berkeley Liberation Radio, 104.1 fm or [www.BerkeleyLiberationRadio.net].
We reached out to a fellow activist who is a healthcare worker and together we developed a training curriculum and learned how to treat seizures and bleeding traumas like gunshot wounds and stabbings. The PCM launched in March 2012; since then we have been giving free trainings on treating seizures, bleeding traumas and gunshot wounds to folks in Oakland, San Francisco and Richmond.
The People’s Community Medics is a collective of volunteers. Our members include a neurology nurse, students, a construction worker, parents and a retiree, among others. Sharena has previous medial training as a medical assistant. Lesley has no formal medical training, however, we are both Red Cross certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid for urban environments. We are both mothers, Lesley is a grandmother and we both have been active in our communities for many years.
The People’s Community Medics’ trainings immediately resonate with people. We hope that one day every child will be taught basic first aid in school. We have been invited to present our training at various events and for different organizations. A few days before May Day 2012, a young man from Occupy Oakland came to the aid of a shooting victim and he utilized the first aid training he had learned from the PCM; the ambulance did not arrive for 47 minutes; unfortunately the woman succumbed to her injuries.
At our trainings, we hand out free first aid packets that have gloves, gauze, an instruction sheet in English and Spanish, Emergen C (for diabetics) and a “know your rights” pocket card from Berkeley CopWatch. At some of our trainings we serve free, hot cooked food. Sometimes we have grocery bags full of food, free for the people. Much of the food is donated but plates and utensils, etc. are paid for out of pocket. Everything we give the people is free of charge; we are an all volunteer organization. We also have open mic speak-outs at some of our trainings.
"The People's Paramedics: Slow response times from first responders in Oakland have prompted a pair of activists to teach residents how to save lives — and perhaps unite against violence at the same time"
2013-02-13 by Joaquin Palomino from "Eastbay Express" [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-peoples-paramedics/Content?oid=3462253]:
The first sixty minutes after someone is shot is commonly known as the "golden hour." The name refers to the fact that irreversible damage can occur in the first hour after someone suffers a profound shock. If a person is shot in the head or chest, or if a blood vessel is struck, the window for treatment can become much shorter. But gunshot victims in Oakland don't always receive prompt medical care. In fact, first responders can be dangerously slow to arrive on scene. As a result, some activists have started to teach local residents how to save lives.
According to data obtained from the Oakland Police Department, there were 36,236 high-priority 911 calls made in 2012 — most of which were for violent crimes. But it took the understaffed police department between ten and thirty minutes to arrive at 36 percent of those calls. In 13 percent of the cases, OPD showed up more than thirty minutes after the initial call for service.
Alameda County paramedics can almost always arrive at urban crime scenes in less than nine minutes, but for safety reasons they're prohibited from treating victims until police clear the scene. As a result, they must stage their ambulances blocks away from critically injured people as they wait for OPD to allow them in. "Paramedics can't just rush into a shooting scene," explained Fred Claridge, director of Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services. "They park a few blocks away and wait — and that's to preserve their own safety."
This makes police officers the first medical responders to most violent crimes in Oakland, and while they're required by state law to know how to treat gunshot wounds, they don't always make it a top priority. Sometimes officers will focus on gathering evidence and securing the scene before they help someone who's injured. "The officer has to weigh up between protecting the crime scene, protecting the victim, and protecting the integrity of what's going on around them," Oakland police union President Barry Donelan said in an interview last year. He added that "an officer's job is to take care of the victim, but to do that they have to stabilize the scene first."
OPD's poor response times, paired with officers' decisions to not treat injured citizens quickly, prompted East Oakland residents Sharena Thomas and Lesley Phillips to found the group The People's Community Medics last year. Both Thomas and Phillips have some medical training, and they teach citizens how to administer basic first aid to gunshot victims when police are slow to arrive and when paramedics are prohibited from providing help.
Since last March, The People's Community Medics have held workshops throughout Oakland, as well as in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Seattle. "At every training we've done someone says they've seen someone being shot, and they didn't know what to do — they just stood around and watched the person bleed out," said Thomas. "If those people knew how to treat a gunshot wound, maybe they could have saved a life."
At a first-aid training I attended in January, Phillips began by sharing the golden rule of medical care: "First and foremost, do no harm! I can't say it enough. If you don't know what to do, then don't do anything at all." She and Thomas then covered the legal and moral issues that arise when assisting crime victims. They finished with a skit detailing how exactly to treat and dress a gunshot wound.
"You have to find the entrance and the exit wounds," said Thomas. "Once you've located them apply firm pressure to both holes. If possible, wear rubber gloves and use a barrier, such as gauze, to stop the bleeding." Phillips handed out packets containing both of these items, along with medical instructions.
While the information the group provides is basic, The People's Community Medics is filling a growing gap in Oakland. The police department, which has two hundred fewer officers today than it had three years ago, has become increasingly unreliable during times of crisis. And technical mistakes made by the department over the years have further hampered first responders. An auditor's report released last August showed that the OPD's Computer Aided Dispatching system is inefficient and outdated. If it were replaced, officers could more effectively be routed to crime scenes. Last year, $1.2 million was available to replace the system, however, OPD squandered the money due to poor communication with the Department of Information Technology. According to Sergeant Christopher Bolton, chief of staff to Police Chief Howard Jordan, the department is preparing to roll out a new deployment system, but it's unclear when it will be up and running.
"We don't want to always be complaining about resources," Bolton said. "It's incumbent on us to come up with ways to deploy the officers and meet the community's expectations, and response time, especially in the most urgent of matters, is probably the most fundamental expectation that people require of their police department."
The gunshot tracking system ShotSpotter also has the potential to quicken OPD's response to gun crimes, but for the past five years it's been underutilized. ShotSpotter can give an officer the exact location of gunfire within 45 seconds. Last year, the system recorded about 3,000 gunshots in Oakland, or roughly eight a day. While some cities have used ShotSpotter to significantly reduce gunfire, budget problems have prevented OPD from making good use of the technology — less than half the city is serviced by ShotSpotter, and the majority of recorded gunshots aren't investigated. However, in a few months the city will expand the ShotSpotter service area to cover about 80 percent of Oakland, which Sergeant Bolton contends will help OPD combat gun crime. "It's extremely valuable for response time, evidence collections, determining where scenes are," he said. "It's just an amazing system."
Thomas and Phillips, meanwhile, are not only hoping to empower citizens to help injured people in need, but they also hope their work will unite community members against violence.
At a first-aid training put on by the group last September, a young woman shared her experience helping a gunshot victim near Arroyo Viejo Park in East Oakland. "I was sitting in the park when I heard rapid gunfire and I saw smoke clearing just at the other end of the field," she said. The woman knew basic first aid and CPR, so she did something courageous: She ran to the scene. She found a man with four gunshot wounds. "He was shot once in the head, once in the arm, once in the stomach, and once in the leg." The woman covered three of the four wounds, and held the man firmly for what she estimated to be 25 minutes, until the paramedics arrived. The man was seriously injured, but he survived. "I thank God that I knew what to do, and was able to help. ... Most people, when they hear shots, their instinct is to go running, but when something like that happens, we've got to come together as a community."
The People's Community Medics believe they can inspire more people to act similarly. They've already received reports back from people who've used their training in Oakland and San Francisco. And over the longterm, they want to change the way people think about violence. "I feel that if people start to know these skills, and they know how to save a life, they might not be so quick to take a life," said Phillips. "If you're teaching how to save life, that's love."
Special message from the People's Community Medics, 2014-03:
The People's Community Medics are proud to announce that we are a recipient of the 2014 People’s Life Fund from the Northern California War Tax Resistance. Grants of resisted war taxes will be given out on the Sunday before Tax Day, April 13th, 5:30-7:30 pm at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1606 Bonita Ave. Berkeley. We encourage folks to bring a potluck dish to share. Everyone is welcome. Please join us; we look forward to seeing you there! For more information about War Tax Resistance, check out [http://www.nwtrcc.org].
WED. MARCH 5, 2014 - People's Community Medics will be at One Fam Political Education Night
People’s Community Medics presents...
Free Emergency First Aid Training at Co-OP
Monday, September 9, 2013
5:00-6:30pm
At the Family Paths’ Main Office, at The Grove Building [1727 MLK Jr. Way, Oakland, Ca. 94612]
The Consortium of Oakland Providers (Co-OP) is featuring a free emergency first aid training by the People’s Community Medics at their monthly gathering. All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP (see below). Looking forward to seeing you there.
Arrive at 5pm for snacks and bring your organization’s printed materials for our Community Resource table. Or simply represent by showing up. Park in our lot off 18th St. or walk 3 blocks west from 19th Street BART.
EACH ONE, TEACH ONE. Please RSVP! Contact Kim Cohn Wilks, MFT, RDT/BCT [kcohnwilks@familypaths.org] [510-893-9230 X 262]. The Consortium of Oakland Providers (“the Co-OP”) creates opportunities for neighborhood and community-based entities to convene, share information and establish working relationships with each other as allies on the frontlines of direct community service
2013-01-27 message from Shareena, member of the People's Community Medics:
TODAY PEOPLES COMMUNITY MEDICS WENT TO CHOWCHILLA TO SHOW TOTAL SOLIDARITY TO THE WOMEN WHO ARE INSLAVED THERE..
2013-01-19 "People's Community Medics - Free Emergency First Aid Training"
SATURDAY, 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Phat Beets Produce and The Crossroads Cafe is hosting the People’s Community Medics as part of the Food N' Justice Workshop Series.
[peoplescommunitymedics (@gmail.com]
We will give our emergency first aid workshop at 942 Stanford Street @ Lowell in North Oakland (near Market St.) at the North Oakland farmers market. (http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/events/)
Learn what to do before 911 arrives in communities that experience injuries, street and/or domestic violence and are neglected by thesystem. You will learn how to treat seizures and bleeding traumas like stabbings and gunshots.
Knowing that 911 calls often do not result in an ambulance arriving in a timely manner to Black, Brown and poor neighborhoods largely inspired us to teach our people basic emergency first aid so that we can help one another until an ambulance arrives.
This is a free event.
2012-11-24 Benefit Fundraiser for the People’s Community Medics"
Saturday, 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
@ the Eastbay Jazz Workshop [6604 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, CA 94608]
MUSIC – FOOD – VIDEO CLIPS – RAFFLE
The People’s Community Medics can be heard on Berkeley Liberation Radio, 104.1 fm [www.BerkeleyLiberationRadio.net] Saturday from 2 to 4.
2012-11-25 message from "People's Community Medics" [peoplescommunitymedics (@gmail.com]:
Many thanks and much gratitude to everyone who came out (physically and on-line via WePay) and supported the People’s Community Medics at our first fundraising party yesterday, Saturday, November 24. We raised a few hundred dollars, but most importantly we were able to spend time with family, friends and comrades sharing and spreading love.
At 3:05 p.m. (the party officially started at 3:00 p.m.) Sharena got a call from a sista, who was on her way, that a shooting had happened just 6 blocks from us. Four of us grabbed gloves and gauze and jumped in Sharena’s car. The police were there and OFD paramedics were attending to the young man who was shot before getting on his bicycle. The ambulance arrived about 2 minutes after we had (about 30 minutes from the time of the shooting).
At least 30 people were watching from a distance on the sidewalk leaving enough space for the paramedics. While the victim was in the street, the police made us back down the sidewalk as they began to put up yellow tape. We asked the people around if they knew who the young man was but no one knew.
We had to go back to our party but we felt stunned and shook up, it made us cry thinking of what that teenager’s fate might be. It was suggested that we go back to the spot and do a training. We would have wanted to go after the party but it was too dark so we decided to go the next morning.
On Sunday morning on the way to the shooting location we learned that the 19 year old young man had died and was the 113th killing in Oakland; a little over 12 hours later the number of killings rose to 115. His name was not released. When we arrived at the spot we talked to people, passed out some of our flyers, got a sista’s phone number, talked to a store owner and bought some candles from him to place near the spot we saw the teenager dying. A reporter from KTVU arrived and asked to interview us. We did the interview but we need to tell our story and don't think a Fox affiliate can even get anywhere near telling our story competently.
These past 24 hours have been filled with trauma and intense emotions. We’ve shed tears for another young black male who died from violence on the street; a young man who should have died of old age. None of the people who saw him with gunshot wounds administered emergency first aid; not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t know basic emergency first aid.
Maybe if one knows how to save a life they won’t want to take a life. Our goal is for everyone to know how to treat a gunshot wound and know basic first aid.
Towards justice,
2012-09-09 People's Community Medics presents "FREE EMERGENCY FIRST AID TRAINING
Sunday, 1:00 pm
Arroyo Viejo Park located at 7701 Krause Street in East Oakland (near Bancroft and 77th Avenue).
Please join us for a FREE event! We will have a free training in honor of Dionne Smith-Downs, the mother of James Rivera, Jr. who was assassinated by Stockton Police and County Sheriffs in June of 2010
The day will include:
* Emergency First Aid training for Seizures & Gun Shot Wounds & Other Bleeding Trauma
* Free Emergency First Aid Packets
* SPEAKOUT - say what's on your mind and get involved
* Free Food
Justice for James Rivera, Jr.! Justice for Alan Blueford! Justice for all victims of police violence!!
---
"People's Community Medics" giving presentation on providing emergency care to stroke and gunshot victims.
"People's Community Medics" members Anita Wills and Lesley Tiyesha Phillips stand behind free groceries for community members. Also chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, corn and black bean lasagna free to the public, food provided by Angel and Jabari Shaw.
2012-07-22: The People's Community Medics writes -
Up early, just heard a round of gun fire exchanged...
putting my shoes on about to take a walk someone my need me...
*applypressuretotheentrynexitwound*
2012-04-30 message from "People's Community Medics"
Greetings Friends,
“Brandi, a transwoman, was murdered Saturday night, shot at 13th and Franklin in Downtown Oakland after an altercation with a man who became enraged and shot her when he realized she was trans. An amazing #oo comrade tried to keep her alive with training learned from the People’s Community Medics, but the cops walked away and the ambulance came too late” (from Occupy Patriarchy)
The young man who aided this young trans-woman is from Occupy Oakland and he learned the basic first aid for treating gunshot wounds from the People's Community Medics at one of the #OO Barbeques. Evidently the police were there and were doing nothing but letting him provide first aid (police are not trained in first aid). In fact there is an OPD policy that permits the police to stop a civilian from providing first aid, however, in this instance they did not follow that policy. Yet it took the ambulance 30 minutes to arrive; the young comrade stayed with her applying pressure to the gun shot wound; she was alive still when the ambulance finally arrived, however, she succumbed to her wounds after the ambulance was on the scene.
Each one teach one.
One love,
The People's Community Medics
The PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY MEDICS will be giving a free emergency first aid training on Saturday, March 31 at 3:30 p.m. at the Oakland Occupy BBQ at 52nd and MLK Blvd.
The Occupy Oakland BBQ will last from 2pm to 6pm and is in support of the North Oakland Neighborhood Assembly & the fight to save Santa Fe Elementary. HEPAC will be providing free HIV tests on site and passing out condoms and safe sex kits! + Workshops from the Foreclosure Defense Committee and more.
Hope to see you there!
2012-03-17 FREE EVENT - SATURDAY, MARCH 17 - ARROYO PARK - PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY MEDICS
Please join us for a FREE event Saturday, March 17th at 12pm at Arroyo Viejo Park located at 7701 Krause Street in East Oakland (near Bancroft and 77th street). The day will include invaluable:
Emergency First Aid training
Know Your Rights workshop
SPEAKOUT - this is our opportunity to say what's on our minds and get involved
FREE - MUSIC - FOOD - BBQ - CHILDREN'S VILLAGE - ARTS & CRAFTS
(provided by Occupy Oakland)
Hope to see you there!
2012-03-01 "Introducing..." message from "People's Community Medics": Greetings Friends and Community, We are emailing to introduce a new network: The People’s Community Medics.
This project was partially inspired by the revelations of an Oakland Paramedic investigator who blew the whistle on the medical mistreatment of Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station.
Oscar, like many victims of police violence, did not receive proper medical treatment after he was shot by BART police. The 911 responders did not adequately cover the exit wound from the bullet that punctured Oscar's back and he suffered for over 4 hours before succumbing to his injuries. Perhaps Oscar’s life could have been saved if paramedics had properly cared for the bleeding trauma he experienced. . . we will never know.
Unfortunately, in low-income and communities of color--calling 911 does not guarantee an ambulance nor adequate health care when paramedics arrive. Because of this inequality, we have lost numerous loved ones unnecessarily. We know that 911 is a joke (as the rap group Public Enemy said so long ago) and that our people have been suffering from a lack of proper medical treatment.
The People’s Community Medics is starting a project to work with the larger community in taking what's most important into our hands – matters of our health and safety.
You can reach us at 510-239-7720 or PeoplesCommunityMedics@gmail.com.
The People’s Community Medics are on the air every Saturday from 2 to 4 on Berkeley Liberation Radio, 104.1 fm or [www.BerkeleyLiberationRadio.net].
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
D-Q University
"THE CREATION OF D-Q UNIVERSITY" transcribed by Steven Payan
"THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIVE AMERICAN INTELLIGENTSIA AND THE CREATION OF D-Q UNIVERSITY" by JACK D. FORBES (D-Q U Founder)
PUBLISHED IN HARTMUT LUTZ, ED., D-Q UNIVERSITY: NATIVE AMERICAN SELF-DETERMINATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
(DAVIS: TECUMSEH CENTER, 1980)
PP 75-88
*Disclaimer: This Document was retyped and condensed because the original was 28 pages typed and had many words were cut off. For access of or for more Info regarding Original Documents of D-Q University visit [http://nas.ucdavis.edu/Forbes/resources.html]
The Creation of D-Q University
It was within this context that the concept of an Indian-controlled university was conceived by this writer and others in 1961-1962. From the very beginning the university (called at first "The Indo-American University," then "The Native American University," and finally, in 1970-1971, D-Q University) was conceived as an integral part of a national liberation struggle for the Indian race.
Needless to state this is also a key reason why D-Q U has been vigorously opposed by white agencies and by the colonialized Indian intelligentsia. D-Q is the only Native college openly dedicated to pan-Indian liberation.
What does this mean? From 1970-71 onward the university described itself as pan-Indian, that is, as embracing (in theory) the entire Native race from Alaska and Greenland to the very tip of South America. This concept must have upset those people who wanted Native people to think of themselves as "United States Indians" whose very identity is dependent upon the BIA colonial system.
For years Native Americans have been told to forget their Canadian, Mexican, Peruvian, Guatemalan, Bolivian and Paraguayan Native brothers and sisters! Not only that, but they have been told to forget about eastern Indians ("State" Indians), "terminated" Indians, and landless (unrecognized) Indians. They have been told to forget about Indians who are part-Black, and Indians who speak Spanish. They have been taught to accept white-looking persons of fractional Indian blood who speak only English (so long as they are good BIA recognized people) while at the same to reject full-blood Mexican Indians who can speak an Indian tongue!
And, of course, white racism has programmed most Indians to accept white mixture and to reject Black mixture even though traditional African tribal cultures are closer to our own heritages than are most European cultures. All of this, of course, has been a clever colonial strategy designed to split the Native race into as many factions as possible and to persuade us to accept as permanent the armed conquest of the Native nations. D-Q U, by embracing pan-Indianism and by ignoring so-called international boundaries, broke the ground-rules laid down by U.S. colonialism. Of course, D-Q U had to break those ground-rules. A patriotic native intelligentsia cannot be developed at all unless someone breaks the rules set by the oppressors. Colonialists fear and despise native patriotism and their rules are designed to destroy the self-identity of the conquered people.
In any case, the originators of the D-Q U concept were extremely aware of the need to do two things: (1) to empower and strengthen the traditionalist intelligentsia already existing at the grassroots level, and (2) to train younger people in such a way so that they would be able to return to their communities and lead the intellectual and creative struggle for liberation, always in conjunction with the traditional elders.
Naturally, this philosophy, so necessary for a national reawakening, can be expected to arouse the wrath of Indians who are elitists and “assimilationists” or of those who continue to be loyal to the colonial system. Still further, it can be expected to antagonize the white churches, the white government agencies, and the white foundations controlled by corporate executives.
In short, the idea of creating a university dedicated to a national reawakening within territory controlled by powerful groups opposed to such a reawakening is, to say the very least, a radical concept and one sure to arouse continued and obstinate opposition.
Such has, indeed, been the case.
Before proceeding it is necessary, however, to note that not all Indians have seen the wisdom of establishing such a university. In fact, most Indians in leadership positions do not even see the need for an independent Native intelligentsia.
Since the late 1960’s the vast majority of Indians, guided perhaps by the funding policies of white government agencies and foundations, have concentrated upon the development of a series of "tribally-controlled" junior colleges or "Native American Studies" programs in white universities. Admirable as these developments may be (when compared with earlier conditions) they do not in themselves guarantee the creation of an intellectually 1iberated Native intelligentsia.
Junior (two-year) colleges are ordinarily concerned primarily with "vocational" and remedial training, especially in many rural parts of the country. Most Indian junior colleges have courses in Native Studies of some sort or in the social sciences or humanities but, of necessity, these classes have to be operated at a very elementary level. In junior colleges teachers usually have a heavy class load, do not do research, and, in general, do not have any opportunity to write or otherwise sharpen their own intellectual insights. Rural colleges, especially, will tend to attract instructors either desperately seeking any kind of a teaching job (however temporary) or ones who are interested primarily in such rural amenities as hunting and fishing. Any ‘higher” intellectual interests will tend, in any case, to become blunted over the years by isolation, poor libraries, and hostile administrators.
In any case, the first two years of college will not normally be the place to develop an Indian intelligentsia unless traditional elders are given a free hand at building the curriculum. Other pressures (for “transfer” credits, vocational skills, etc.) will usually minimize such developments.
Native Studies programs in white universities are few and far between and they are limited, with few exceptions, to only a few western states. In most (or all) instances they are limited in size and must meet criteria set by the ruling white administrators and faculty. In many cases such programs are being forced to admit large percentages of non-Indian students in order to “stay alive” and are changing the internal content of courses to respond to the majority audience.
Indian faculty teaching in white colleges are also forced to write what their white peers consider to be acceptable scholarly or creative works, in order to obtain tenure or promotion. This means that purely Indian works intended for Indian audiences will not be produced, will have to be seriously altered, or will have to be produced “on the side”
Most white universities, still further, will never develop a "critical mass” of Indian faculty. There will usually be one artist, one historian, one political scientist, and so on, so that even if a program has four to six faculty they will always be in different fields. Many colleges, of course, will hire only one or two Indians who will, in turn, be isolated in separate departments.
In many respects, the development of a multitude of separate, isolated two-year Indian colleges is a disservice to the Indian people. Only one or two such colleges can ever develop the size necessary to hire outstanding faculty or to develop a complex program. The tribally-controlled junior colleges can, however, be viewed as an asset if we think of them as meeting strictly vocational-remedial-preparatory needs and if we do not fall under the illusion that they are meeting all of the higher education needs of Indian people.
D-Q University was designed as a four-year school with a graduate program, that is, as a university, precisely because of the above considerations. It was designed to bring together a diverse mix of Native students and scholars in order to facilitate the full-scale evolution of a modern Indian intelligentsia independent of white control.
Unfortunately certain concrete conditions have forced D-Q U to largely concentrate on junior college-level offerings and to neglect formal upper division or graduate training. What are these conditions?
First, the Federal government has forced D-Q U to become "accredited" which means securing at least minimal acceptance by a white-controlled accreditation association. Because of financial constraints D-Q U had to seek junior college accreditation. This, in turn, led to the abandonment of any higher-level work (at the insistence of the junior college accreditation people).
Secondly, the large white foundations have proven to be singularly hostile to the creation of an independent Indian-controlled university. They have withheld funding and thereby have forced D-Q U to seek federal funds primarily.
Thirdly, the large white religious denominations have refused to fund D-Q U for reasons which probably need little explanation. Clearly the "liberalism" of some of the major denominations does not extend so far as to support an independent, non-Christian, educational institution. (Many, of course, support their own Christian colleges for Indians or Blacks.)
Fourthly, the Federal government since Nixon's 1972 electoral victory has turned away from the support of grassroots-controlled programs of all kinds. D-Q U has, in addition, suffered as a specific target of anti-"militant" policies directed at the American Indian Movement. It seems very likely that D-Q U has been "black-balled" by most Federal agencies.
Fifthly, most powerful Indians are themselves linked to the colonial system and are very much afraid of D-Q U. It is clear that some of them have used their positions to block grants to the university.
Nonetheless, D-Q U has had considerable success at stimulating the growth of an Indian intelligentsia but primarily by means of conferences, workshops, meetings, and publications. Since 1972 numerous events at D-Q U have brought together large numbers of Indians and Chicanos to discuss significant topics and especially noteworthy has been the bringing together of traditional elders, college professors, community people, and public school teachers. Truly "advanced" and deep dialogues have occurred in such settings and that may yet prove to be D-Q U's greatest contribution. If there is to be a Native intelligentsia, if it is to grow, and if its products are to be of any value to this generation of Indians we must seriously Insider changing a few things.
First, we must all support D-Q University in its efforts to go beyond junior college programming. The trustees of D-Q U have approved the incorporation of a D-Q U Center for Advanced Studies, a separate school offering graduate degrees. This program will, however, fail unless additional funding located and unless established Indian scholars are willing to work with D-Q graduate students.
Additionally, we should do everything we can to help D-Q develop advance programs in such areas as film-making and television production, creative writing, and Native language literacy. (D-Q U formerly had an excellent Papago literacy program but it lost federal funding at a critical point. D-Q U also helped Zuni get a literacy project established).
Secondly, whether at D-Q U or elsewhere, we need to stimulate the creation of a new style of Native film, one which directly serves the goals of Indian liberation and which uses Native languages as much as possible.
Thirdly, we need to encourage writing in Native languages (unless we’ve decided to become monolingual English-speakers). All of our languages will die if they exist only at the oral level. Many will disappear within the next five to ten years unless massive efforts are made to stimulate learning. Languages which are not used will die unless there is something to be read. People will not learn to read unless there is something to be read.
Fourthly, we need to find ways to bring Native writers, artists, et cetera, together at Indian gatherings (not at white-dominated conferences) i… ___ (original Doc Cut Off a few words) er to stimulate an internal Indian dialogue. More groups need to use the facilities for this purpose.
Fifthly, we need to support the D-Q U University Press and other Indian controlled publishing programs. Moreover we need to develop a national Indian dissemination program that will make Indian books, pamphlets, tapes, records, films, videotapes, et cetera, available on a national basis, reaching every Indian community.
A catalogue of such materials would be a beginning. But beyond that we need to consider ways of developing local programs, such as a "mobile store" owned and operated by a family which reaches all of the pow-wows, conferences, and communities in a given area. Perhaps such mobile stores could provide a family with a livelihood and also result in thorough dissemination.
It is clear that we cannot break into the average white bookstore (most of which are now chain-owned and operated), except under very rare circumstances.
Finally, we must make sure that all BIA schools, Indian-controlled schools, and Title IV education centers purchase Indian-authored materials. This is clearly not the case at present, since the buying power of such agencies, alone, could have made "best-sellers" out of many of our books, pamphlets, cassettes and films.
We still dream of a D-Q University where Indian films are made, where bright young Indians share dialogue with great Indian minds, where books in Native languages are published, where Indian novelists get together to discuss Indian literature, and where the Native intelligentsia has a home-base, secure from white control.
This dream has not been realized yet. A start has been made, but only a start. Will the national Indian community realize before it is too late that the struggle to create D-Q U is central to the Native movement for self determination?
Tribally-controlled junior colleges are popular because they can be operated locally and can fit into the needs of the reservation tribal bureaucracy. Each tribe wants jobs and money flowing into its reservation. A national Indian university is more difficult to create, especially if it tries to meet the needs of grassroots and traditional people as well as those of the emerging Indian middle-class.
Is there an Indian constituency to support a pan-Indian university? Is there an Indian constituency to encourage the development of an independent Indian intelligentsia? What happens with D-Q U will help to answer both of these questions.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Caravan of Resistance against Police Brutality
2nd Annual Caravan of Resistance against Police Brutality
in the Central Valley, Saturday October 20th, 2012. Mass Rally and March @ 3PM Stockton, Ca. March Lane and Pacific Ave.
Modesto -- Downtown Jail 12th and I Street @ 12pm
Manteca -- Manteca Police Department 1001 W Center Street @1:30pm
Stockton -- March Lane and Pacific Ave @ 3:00pm
2012-11-04 "Caravan of Resistance against Police Brutality in the Central Valley"
by E. Philip Black [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncQhXnSNrW4]
2012-12-08 "Caravan of Resistance"
post from [http://peopleshearing.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/caravan-of-resistence/]:
The annual Caravan of Resistance was started in 2011 by mothers in Modesto, Manteca and Stockton, California, who seek justice for the crimes perpetrated against their sons, in recent years, by local police and sheriff department officers—officers who continue to terrorize their communities today, as evidenced by the testimonial of one young woman appearing in E. Philip Black’s video linked below.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr. and his Ministry
Looking for a place to Worship? Come join us at New Light For New Life Church of God 1106 W.Woodward Fresno, Ca 93706 for our powerful Praise & Worship services Sunday morning at 11:30am. God is doing great things in this season including blessing you and your family, so Bring the whole family including the kids.
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr. is known to many in the Southwest Fresno area as a community and political Civil Rights Activist. In 1982 as a teenager, Floyd started cutting lawns with his father. In 1989, due to a family crisis he declined a 4-year college basketball scholarship and then went on to take up another trade, joining the Cement Mason's Union where he received an apprenticeship certificate. Within that same year, he volunteered his services in the community and became a designated School Bus Driver and Instructor for the West Fresno School District, EOC, the Orange Center, Pacific Union and Washington Union High School. In 1990, Floyd and his father founded the Harris Lawn Manicuring Service. For nine years Floyd held the position as Superintendent of Operations, getting weed abatement contracts from several different agencies such as the Cities of Fresno & Clovis, Union Pacific & Santa Fe Railroads, PG& E and other companies throughout the state of California. In 1998, Floyd started his own business, C & H. Landscaping Maintenance Service, which was named after his daughter Chynell Harris. Floyd got married and added two more of his children’s names to his business, Jeremy Perry and Floyd D. Harris III calling it CJF Harris Disposal & Vendor Services (CJF).
Reverend Harris was appointed by his community and Council Members to the Edison Southwest Advisory Committee, as Chairperson of Southwest Fresno Neighborhood Watch. He currently serves on different boards and committees; Member Fresno NAACP; Former Board of Trustee member for the West Fresno School District; Former Board Member of the Californians for Justice; Former Board Member of the Fresno Community Alliance; Former Board Member of the ACLU; Former President of the West Fresno Democratic Club, and the National President of the National Network in Action. He also has received high recognition Awards, in 2006 the African American Heritage Award, by Assembly member Juan Arambula; 2006 Way of Peace Award of Fresno Center For Nonviolence; 2008 Risk Takers. Dream Makers Award; Southwest Fresno Community Leader Award from Fresno West Coalition; 2008 Southwest Fresno Community Leader Congressional Recognition from Congressman Jim Costa ; 2009 Superstars of Justice Award from Californians for Justice; 2009 Outstanding Leadership and Devotion from The Committee of a United Community; Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Recognition for Participation on the Civil Rights Commission, 2000; Fresno City Students’ Service for Participation, and Recognition, 2001; Former Board Member Fresno County Democratic Central Committee; Freedom and Justice For Justin Acknowledgment, 2004; and Fresno County Charter Democratic Central Committee in 2007 and 2006.
Reverend Harris could see the injustices going on in his community and knew that he needed help from someone on a national level. Reverend Harris contacted Reverend Al Sharpton in New York and from this conversation in December 2002, was granted a charter. In May of 2003 the National Action Network (NAN) Chapter in California was formed. Reverend Harris opened the local chapter in Fresno and a year later was appointed to be the California State President. Reverend Harris has traveled across the country educating and empowering people to take a stand for justice. He is actively working with the Central California Criminal Justice Committee to reassure that the Fresno community gets an independent Police Auditor. Focusing on the Southwest Fresno area as well as being an advisor to the department, Reverend Harris was approached by his community to represent them on the Fresno Police Department Advisory Board.
In 2006 Reverend Harris founded a civil rights organization called National Network In Action (NNIA) in which Reverend Harris has appointed Field Marshalls to the NNIA in different cities and states: Elder Norris Kemp, Bakersfield CA; Dyronnica Harible, Antioch, CA; Grantrina Davis, Visalia CA; Sconny Scroggins, Kansas City KS; Reverend Tim Malone, Sacramento, CA; Rhonda Erwin, West Sacramento CA; Nathaniel Lipscomb Madera City; Gloria Velyines, Pixley, CA; Mother Teresa Robinson, Madera County; Yvette Smith, Antioch CA; Dr. Liz Swearengin, Boise Idaho.
Reverend Harris has been asked to travel into different states to hold rallies and to speak to truth to power. Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development; Fresno Black Men and Boys; Fresno Know Your Rights When Confronted by Police Officers, Kansas City; California State University, Craig School of Business; Fresno City College, African American Studies Department; Fresno Unitarian Universalist Church, Panel Discussion; California State University Fresno, Women’s Studies Department; California Central Valley Journey for Justice; Madera National Boycott of Whirl Pool; Benton Harbor, Michigan; The California Prison Moratorium Project; Southwest Fresno Neighborhood Watch; Fresno May Day Immigration March/Rally; Peace Fresno Rally In The Valley; Fresno Death Penalty Focus; Worlds Aids Day, Fresno; Kansas City Kansas. Know Your Rights When Confronted By Police Officers; Shreveport Louisiana Police Abuse Training; New York City National Convention of Civil Rights Organizations, and the Portland Oregon Rape Case.
In 2009, Rev. Harris received his California State contractor's license D63 - Construction Clean-up & D49 - Tree Service Contractor. Reverend Harris is one of the top African American Construction Contractors in the San Joaquin Valley. Reverend Harris was very concerned about African American people not being employed in his community, thus he, aggressively sought the following contracts: Fresno Housing Authority, The City of Fresno Weed Abatement, City of Clovis Fire Department Weed Abatement Brown Construction, Madera County Fire Department and many private jobs. CJF implemented a training program to provide skills to help teach every employee to become successful and confident in his job. CJF hired 49 employees in this community who had been unemployed. While working in his business, Reverend Harris began donating food and services to senior citizens in his community. From his experience with the City of Fresno concerning weed abatement, he spearheaded a task force to revitalize the community he lives in. He began by establishing the Walnut Garden Neighborhood Watch. Some targeted projects for the Neighborhood Watch were cleaning of the alleyways behind residential homes, cleaning yards of abandoned homes, tree trimming and maintenance of gutters & drains. Reverend Harris is taking his business to another level while he is processing his application for the 8A program to receive Federal Contracts.
On August 29, 2003, Reverend Harris was involved in a civil disobedience rally with Fresno's SEIU and 10,000 Home care Workers. Reverend Harris spoke at the rally in support of a better contract for better wages, medical insurance, and access to job training. Reverend Harris took part in blocking the doorways of the County Hall of records so that no one could go in or out. The sheriff’s department arrested everyone but Reverend Harris. On June 24, 2004 after almost one year of difficult negotiations, the Board of Supervisors approved the SEIU's first contract.
In 2008 Reverend Harris stood in support of the Fresno Homeless Community against the City of Fresno regarding their consistent violations against the Homeless community. As a result of those violations the city was ordered to pay $2.3 million for their violations. Reverend Harris then organized a sleep over at the Fresno City Hall where over 100 people took part to bring more attention to Fresno’s homeless crisis. Reverend Harris has traveled across the country exposing racism and injustice. He is dedicated to educating his people about standing boldly and knowing their rights. Reverend Harris states, "We will teach our community how to use their own resources and empower their neighborhoods through education." Reverend Harris continues by saying that his Chapters will build membership on the same concept at the local and national level, based on visibility, support and speaking out against injustice when it occurs. In 2011-2012, Reverend Harris's National Network In Action. (www. Nationalinactionnetwork.org) and (www.west fresno.org) stands in solidarity, supporting the Occupy Fresno movement to deals with issues around homelessness, school board, financial institutions, and foreclosures.
On September 2, 2012 Reverend Harris happened to be in Vallejo California relaxing. While watching TV at his hotel he noticed a mother on TV crying, saying her son was murdered by the Vallejo Police Department. Mario Ramiro was shoot at 30 times while he and his brother-in-law sit in the car. Reverend Harris felt the urge to go pay his respects at the candle light vigil at 7:00 pm that evening. Reverend Harris felt that for two white police officers to shoot two African American males sitting in front of their house with no weapon was wrong. Reverend Harris organized and mobilized 300 residents of Vallejo Bay-Area to march to the Vallejo Police Department. This murder- lynching was brought to a national Level with National Radio Host, Dave D interviewing Reverend Harris about the killing. He put Vallejo on high alert organizing a Vallejo Cop Watch web site. Reverend Harris called in an experienced organizer, Andrea, from Berkley Cop Watch to train the Vallejo citizens how to video and document the police actions. Reverend Harris was not finished, he contacted Minister Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam Western Regional Minister, Christopher Muhammad of San Francisco, and Student Minister Keith Muhammad from Oakland, CA. Together, Reverend Harris and the Nation held a gathering in front of murder victim Mario Ramiro’s home and told the community that Vallejo is ran like a plantation. Andrea from Louisiana, who son was making a nonviolence video, was shot in the chest while holding a foam cup in his hand. Reverend Harris held a press conference with Andrea to file a class action lawsuit against the Vallejo Police Department.
Reverend Harris will earn his Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology and will be hooded with dozens of other graduates July 27, 2013 from the College of Ecclesia University of Divinity. Congresswoman Waters will be the main speaker for the graduation.
Reverend Harris has been featured on many talk shows across the country and has created three Blog Talk Radio Shows. He and Dr. Jean Kennedy from Atlanta, Georgia have teamed up to create the number one radio show in the Country,” Real talk” with the number one Doctors, on Blog Talk Radio featured every Monday through Friday, 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm, “National Network in Action,” every Saturday, 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm and the “New Light for New Life Church of God” every Sunday, 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm.
Reverend Harris currently serves as the Assistant Pastor for New Life for New Light with Senior Pastor, Reverend Paul McCoy. Reverend Harris’s preaching, has been described as a "liberated theology" preaching style because he always speaks to the social injustices within the communities. It's not unusual to attend his church and to see the congregation with a bible in one hand and a local newspaper in the other as they refer to the injustices taking place in their community.
Reverend Harris, is a dedicated father who role models a strong sense of empowerment to his young sons, Floyd Harris III, Jeremy, daughter Chynell Harris and 2 grand kids Jalaina & ja'marcus. Reverend Harris thanks his grandmother Bertha Harris for raising him to be passionate about his community, which he still is today. Reverend Harris’s demonstrations begin wherever injustice begins; whether it's in the form of a protest, a rally, or a meeting of minds. The National Network In Action will always Educate, Motivate, Energize, Mobilize and Organize to take our community to a higher level.
2013-04-20 "Civil Rights Groups & Pastors Rallies against Police Brutality"
[http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/04/21/18735625.php]:
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr., National President of The National Network in Action, a civil and human rights organization, with The Mexican-American Political Association, The Fresno Brown Berets, and New Light for New Life Church of God, together held a community rally against police brutality, harassment, racial profiling, excessive force & deadly force.
On a Sunday evening over 100 People gathered at the corner of Arthur & Strother where Mr. Jerel Stanfield was shot in the head, leg, and in the back, on Easter Sunday. The African America community came out to receive information on Cop Watch and Know Your Rights When Confronted by Police. Civil Right leader Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr. said, "when Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer can laugh in a press conference while former city council member Jerry Duncan who was planning to run for Mayor of Fresno who said, “ Make no mistake about they are Terrorist (making reference to “ Black People “). They are much like terrorist like those people in Iraq who are blowing up innocent people". On August 29, 2007 Chief Jerry Dyer said he was launching Operation West Side with a simple approach to eliminate black gangs which means to MURDER them (http://www.youtube.com/watchv=nhnR8zlCjDM).
Rev. Harris said it’s business as usually with Fresno Police Department giving our kids a hot dog and a bounce house, pat them on head at the age of 5 years old, and then shoot them in the head or back when they get older. Rev. Harris said the black community has a constitutional right and human right to protest against police brutality, harassment, racial profiling, excessive force & deadly force. Pastor Paul Mc Coy from New Light for New Life Church of God said the solution is not just for our community but we must set the example for all community so we can hold each other accountable. We as a community and a neighborhood must understand what goes on, has a direct relationship with our daily behavior. The bible tells us “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4v6). Where there is an absent of knowledge, destruction will fill the void. We destroy ourselves as well as those who live outside our neighborhoods, will destroy us.
Gloria Hernandez educated those gathered on the amounts of money we are losing as tax payers defending Chief Dyer while many city jobs are being lost or contracted out to private industries. The discrimination complaint filed by two deputy chiefs was settled prior to going to trial. The two deputy chiefs and their attorney won $100,000 while we the taxpayer paid Dyer’s Hollywood contracted attorney over $800.000 to quietly settle this case. If Dyer is not a racist or anti-woman or anti elderly cops then why did he not go to a jury trial? Gloria expressed concern that there are too many ongoing cases that the city quietly settles prior to going to court and the Department has 28 repeat shooters who feel free to kill because they carry a badge. (See Color lines online magazine April 2010.) Juan Avitia, National President of the Mexican-American Political Association (MAPA), supported the rally & made the point that police dressed up in ski masks & carrying military assault weapons descended into west Fresno armed with what appears to be a "tank" and ready for war. This is something never done in the more upscale parts of town. In addition, Avitia noted that the police continuously justify their actions with the defense that a suspect was "appearing to reach in his pants for what might have been a gun". Yet in the latest shooting the young black male was shot in the back. A young Mexican male also suffered on the east side of Fresno in 2012.
During the event on Sunday, black men and community members walked up to the microphone and said they saw everything that happen yet the Fresno Bee and the TV Stations are not printing the truth because they never talk to us and there is two sides to a story. The citizens are outraged at the Fresno Police Department in how they brought danger and a hostile environment to a quiet community on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is a historical day for African Americans and many others, faiths and family to enjoy. However, on this particular Easter Sunday, people were placed in the middle of gun fire by the Fresno Police Department who tried to execute Mr. Jerel Stanfield by shooting him in the head, leg, and in the back. In addition, chief Jerry Dyer appears to have over-reacted to "threat" to his officers by "gang members" and has launched an all out war on the community, including arming his officers in a paramilitary manner & terrorizing black & brown people under the claim that his officers were threatened.
The Fresno Police Department has a history of shooting and killing many people of color who have been unarmed. As to the latest situation, there were children who were playing and witnessed the Fresno Police shoot Mr. Stanfield in the head and past out. There was no counseling services offered to the children and family who witnessed this plan of execute by the Fresno Police. This history includes the deliberate hunting & killing of Joaquin Figueroa in 2006, a disturbing assassination by Fresno police officers that haunts our community to this day. Why do Fresno Police Shoot at citizens who have not shot at them? Why did the Fresno Police and the local Fresno Government call Black males and the Black community in Fresno a "Terrorist"? The Fresno Police Department does not have the right to be the JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER
There will be a Copwatch and Know Your Right When Confronted By Police Officers April 20, 2013 at New Light For New Life Church of God 1106 W. Woodward Fresno, Ca 93706 Contact: Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr (559) 213-5886 or Juan Avitia ( 559 ) 977 - 42476
Fresno PD street tank
2013-04-14 "Community Rally Against Fresno Police Brutality"
Sunday, 7:00pm
Location: Corner of Arthur & Strother (West Fresno)
Contact: Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr (559) 213-5886, or Juan Avitia (559) 977-4247
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr., National President of The National Network in Action, a civil and human rights organization, with MAPA, and The Fresno Brown Berets, will be having a community rally against police brutality, harassment, racial profiling, excessive force & deadly force.
The citizens are outraged at the Fresno Police Department in how they brought danger and a hostile environment to a quiet community on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is a historical day for African Americans and many others, faiths and family to enjoy. However, on this particular Easter Sunday, people were placed
in the middle of gun fire by the Fresno Police Department who tried to execute Mr. Jerel Stanfield by shooting him in the head, leg, and in the back. In addition, chief Jerry Dyer appears to have over-reacted to "threat" to his officers by "gang members" and has launched an all out war on the community, including arming his officers in a paramilitary manner & terrorizing back & brown people under the claim that his officers were threatened.
The Fresno Police Department has a history of shooting and killing many people of color who have been unarmed. As to the latest situation, there were children who were playing and witnessed the Fresno Police shoot Mr. Stanfield in the head and past out. There was no counseling services offered to the children and family who witnessed this plan of execute by the Fresno Police. This history includes the deliberate hunting & killing of Joaquin Figueroa in 2006, a disturbing assassination by Fresno police officers that haunts our community to this day.
Why do Fresno Police Shoot at citizens who have not shot at them? Why did the Fresno Police and the local Fresno Government call Black males and the Black community in Fresno a "Terrorist"? The Fresno Police Department does not have the right to be the JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER!
[signed]
* National Network In Action
* The Mexican-American Political Association (MAPA)
* The Fresno Brown Berets
2013-04-15 "SW Fresno Community Rallies Against Police Brutality"
by KSEE News [http://www.ksee24.com/news/ARTHUR-OIS-RALLY-SUN-202963971.html]:
Members of the New Light For New Life Church of God, the Mexican American Political Association, and the Fresno Brown Berets stood together.
They expressed outrage over the actions of police on Easter Sunday.
Officers chased and shot Jerel Stanfield, who was suspected of murder.
He survived, but protesters say he suffered gunshot wounds to the head, back and leg.
They say the shooting was excessive and put several people in danger.
Fresno Police reacted to gang threats, after the shooting and conducted several raids...
Protesters are also upset about that, calling it harrassment.
Organizers are now planning a series of meetings for what they call "cop watch training."
Those meetings will begin next weekend at New Light For New Life Church.
2013-04-13 "Southwest Fresno residents protest police shooting"
by Angel Moreno from "The Fresno Bee" [http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/04/14/3258201/southwest-fresno-residents-protest.html]:
About 60 people gathered in southwest Fresno on Sunday to protest what they say was police brutality, racial profiling and excessive force by Fresno officers in the shooting of a gang member two weeks ago.
On March 31, officers crashed the SUV of Jerel Stanfield near Arthur and Strother avenues and shot him in his head and back when he began to run away, witnesses said.
A man who identified himself as the victim's cousin, but who declined to give his name, said Stanfield, 24, never was a threat to officers and didn't deserve to be shot.
Right after the shooting, Police Chief Jerry Dyer said officers opened fire when Stanfield, who was wanted in a recent homicide, appeared to arm himself while fleeing. Police said they found a gun on him.
In the wake of the shooting, the department said its officers were being threatened by gang members, and it doubled patrols in some neighborhoods.
Neighbors said officers engaged in racial profiling of southwest Fresno residents.
Community leaders, neighbors and Stanfield's mother and relatives, gathered near the scene of the Easter Sunday shooting to protest and tell their side of the story, said the Rev. Floyd Harris Jr., of the New Light for New Life Church of God.
Stanfield's mother, Chantal Lewis, was at the protest but did not speak.
Pastor Paul McCoy told the crowd that the solution to the area's problems isn't in the hands of Fresno police, but in the hands of the community. The community can end the violence that plagues it, he said.
"It starts with us and when it starts with us we have the power to finish it," McCoy said.
2013-04-14 "Fresno residents rally against Fresno PD"
by Mariana Jacob from "ABC-30; KFSN-TV/DT" [http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=9064822]:
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dozens of people are protesting what they call excessive force by the Fresno Police Department.
They rallied at the scene of an officer-involved shooting that injured Jerel Stanfield on Easter Sunday.
About 75 people gathered near the corner where an officer-involved shooting took place two weeks ago. Many who attended the rally came prepared with signs and angry words targeted at police. "This is a wakeup call to this community here to hold each other accountable," said Revered Floyd Harris Jr.
24 year old Jerel Stanfield's mother was at the rally but would not talk to us on camera following the advice of her attorney. Other family members did tell us Stanfield is now in the county jail but they believe he needs more medical care at a hospital following brain surgery. "He's in pain that's the only thing he does say when he does talk, it's murmured," said his sister Jasmin.
Witnesses who didn't want to appear on camera told us they say he was shot while running away in the back of the head on March 31st. Fresno police officers were not available for comment but hours after the shooting, Chief Jerry Dyer had this to say, "At some point the suspect according to the officers made some type of movement that officers believed he was arming himself. The officers did fire the weapons at the suspect and when they were detaining him they did locate a handgun on him."
Organizers say they're hoping to put an end to what they see as racial profiling and police brutality.
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr. is known to many in the Southwest Fresno area as a community and political Civil Rights Activist. In 1982 as a teenager, Floyd started cutting lawns with his father. In 1989, due to a family crisis he declined a 4-year college basketball scholarship and then went on to take up another trade, joining the Cement Mason's Union where he received an apprenticeship certificate. Within that same year, he volunteered his services in the community and became a designated School Bus Driver and Instructor for the West Fresno School District, EOC, the Orange Center, Pacific Union and Washington Union High School. In 1990, Floyd and his father founded the Harris Lawn Manicuring Service. For nine years Floyd held the position as Superintendent of Operations, getting weed abatement contracts from several different agencies such as the Cities of Fresno & Clovis, Union Pacific & Santa Fe Railroads, PG& E and other companies throughout the state of California. In 1998, Floyd started his own business, C & H. Landscaping Maintenance Service, which was named after his daughter Chynell Harris. Floyd got married and added two more of his children’s names to his business, Jeremy Perry and Floyd D. Harris III calling it CJF Harris Disposal & Vendor Services (CJF).
Reverend Harris was appointed by his community and Council Members to the Edison Southwest Advisory Committee, as Chairperson of Southwest Fresno Neighborhood Watch. He currently serves on different boards and committees; Member Fresno NAACP; Former Board of Trustee member for the West Fresno School District; Former Board Member of the Californians for Justice; Former Board Member of the Fresno Community Alliance; Former Board Member of the ACLU; Former President of the West Fresno Democratic Club, and the National President of the National Network in Action. He also has received high recognition Awards, in 2006 the African American Heritage Award, by Assembly member Juan Arambula; 2006 Way of Peace Award of Fresno Center For Nonviolence; 2008 Risk Takers. Dream Makers Award; Southwest Fresno Community Leader Award from Fresno West Coalition; 2008 Southwest Fresno Community Leader Congressional Recognition from Congressman Jim Costa ; 2009 Superstars of Justice Award from Californians for Justice; 2009 Outstanding Leadership and Devotion from The Committee of a United Community; Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, Recognition for Participation on the Civil Rights Commission, 2000; Fresno City Students’ Service for Participation, and Recognition, 2001; Former Board Member Fresno County Democratic Central Committee; Freedom and Justice For Justin Acknowledgment, 2004; and Fresno County Charter Democratic Central Committee in 2007 and 2006.
Reverend Harris could see the injustices going on in his community and knew that he needed help from someone on a national level. Reverend Harris contacted Reverend Al Sharpton in New York and from this conversation in December 2002, was granted a charter. In May of 2003 the National Action Network (NAN) Chapter in California was formed. Reverend Harris opened the local chapter in Fresno and a year later was appointed to be the California State President. Reverend Harris has traveled across the country educating and empowering people to take a stand for justice. He is actively working with the Central California Criminal Justice Committee to reassure that the Fresno community gets an independent Police Auditor. Focusing on the Southwest Fresno area as well as being an advisor to the department, Reverend Harris was approached by his community to represent them on the Fresno Police Department Advisory Board.
In 2006 Reverend Harris founded a civil rights organization called National Network In Action (NNIA) in which Reverend Harris has appointed Field Marshalls to the NNIA in different cities and states: Elder Norris Kemp, Bakersfield CA; Dyronnica Harible, Antioch, CA; Grantrina Davis, Visalia CA; Sconny Scroggins, Kansas City KS; Reverend Tim Malone, Sacramento, CA; Rhonda Erwin, West Sacramento CA; Nathaniel Lipscomb Madera City; Gloria Velyines, Pixley, CA; Mother Teresa Robinson, Madera County; Yvette Smith, Antioch CA; Dr. Liz Swearengin, Boise Idaho.
Reverend Harris has been asked to travel into different states to hold rallies and to speak to truth to power. Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development; Fresno Black Men and Boys; Fresno Know Your Rights When Confronted by Police Officers, Kansas City; California State University, Craig School of Business; Fresno City College, African American Studies Department; Fresno Unitarian Universalist Church, Panel Discussion; California State University Fresno, Women’s Studies Department; California Central Valley Journey for Justice; Madera National Boycott of Whirl Pool; Benton Harbor, Michigan; The California Prison Moratorium Project; Southwest Fresno Neighborhood Watch; Fresno May Day Immigration March/Rally; Peace Fresno Rally In The Valley; Fresno Death Penalty Focus; Worlds Aids Day, Fresno; Kansas City Kansas. Know Your Rights When Confronted By Police Officers; Shreveport Louisiana Police Abuse Training; New York City National Convention of Civil Rights Organizations, and the Portland Oregon Rape Case.
In 2009, Rev. Harris received his California State contractor's license D63 - Construction Clean-up & D49 - Tree Service Contractor. Reverend Harris is one of the top African American Construction Contractors in the San Joaquin Valley. Reverend Harris was very concerned about African American people not being employed in his community, thus he, aggressively sought the following contracts: Fresno Housing Authority, The City of Fresno Weed Abatement, City of Clovis Fire Department Weed Abatement Brown Construction, Madera County Fire Department and many private jobs. CJF implemented a training program to provide skills to help teach every employee to become successful and confident in his job. CJF hired 49 employees in this community who had been unemployed. While working in his business, Reverend Harris began donating food and services to senior citizens in his community. From his experience with the City of Fresno concerning weed abatement, he spearheaded a task force to revitalize the community he lives in. He began by establishing the Walnut Garden Neighborhood Watch. Some targeted projects for the Neighborhood Watch were cleaning of the alleyways behind residential homes, cleaning yards of abandoned homes, tree trimming and maintenance of gutters & drains. Reverend Harris is taking his business to another level while he is processing his application for the 8A program to receive Federal Contracts.
On August 29, 2003, Reverend Harris was involved in a civil disobedience rally with Fresno's SEIU and 10,000 Home care Workers. Reverend Harris spoke at the rally in support of a better contract for better wages, medical insurance, and access to job training. Reverend Harris took part in blocking the doorways of the County Hall of records so that no one could go in or out. The sheriff’s department arrested everyone but Reverend Harris. On June 24, 2004 after almost one year of difficult negotiations, the Board of Supervisors approved the SEIU's first contract.
In 2008 Reverend Harris stood in support of the Fresno Homeless Community against the City of Fresno regarding their consistent violations against the Homeless community. As a result of those violations the city was ordered to pay $2.3 million for their violations. Reverend Harris then organized a sleep over at the Fresno City Hall where over 100 people took part to bring more attention to Fresno’s homeless crisis. Reverend Harris has traveled across the country exposing racism and injustice. He is dedicated to educating his people about standing boldly and knowing their rights. Reverend Harris states, "We will teach our community how to use their own resources and empower their neighborhoods through education." Reverend Harris continues by saying that his Chapters will build membership on the same concept at the local and national level, based on visibility, support and speaking out against injustice when it occurs. In 2011-2012, Reverend Harris's National Network In Action. (www. Nationalinactionnetwork.org) and (www.west fresno.org) stands in solidarity, supporting the Occupy Fresno movement to deals with issues around homelessness, school board, financial institutions, and foreclosures.
On September 2, 2012 Reverend Harris happened to be in Vallejo California relaxing. While watching TV at his hotel he noticed a mother on TV crying, saying her son was murdered by the Vallejo Police Department. Mario Ramiro was shoot at 30 times while he and his brother-in-law sit in the car. Reverend Harris felt the urge to go pay his respects at the candle light vigil at 7:00 pm that evening. Reverend Harris felt that for two white police officers to shoot two African American males sitting in front of their house with no weapon was wrong. Reverend Harris organized and mobilized 300 residents of Vallejo Bay-Area to march to the Vallejo Police Department. This murder- lynching was brought to a national Level with National Radio Host, Dave D interviewing Reverend Harris about the killing. He put Vallejo on high alert organizing a Vallejo Cop Watch web site. Reverend Harris called in an experienced organizer, Andrea, from Berkley Cop Watch to train the Vallejo citizens how to video and document the police actions. Reverend Harris was not finished, he contacted Minister Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam Western Regional Minister, Christopher Muhammad of San Francisco, and Student Minister Keith Muhammad from Oakland, CA. Together, Reverend Harris and the Nation held a gathering in front of murder victim Mario Ramiro’s home and told the community that Vallejo is ran like a plantation. Andrea from Louisiana, who son was making a nonviolence video, was shot in the chest while holding a foam cup in his hand. Reverend Harris held a press conference with Andrea to file a class action lawsuit against the Vallejo Police Department.
Reverend Harris will earn his Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology and will be hooded with dozens of other graduates July 27, 2013 from the College of Ecclesia University of Divinity. Congresswoman Waters will be the main speaker for the graduation.
Reverend Harris has been featured on many talk shows across the country and has created three Blog Talk Radio Shows. He and Dr. Jean Kennedy from Atlanta, Georgia have teamed up to create the number one radio show in the Country,” Real talk” with the number one Doctors, on Blog Talk Radio featured every Monday through Friday, 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm, “National Network in Action,” every Saturday, 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm and the “New Light for New Life Church of God” every Sunday, 8:00 pm to 8:45 pm.
Reverend Harris currently serves as the Assistant Pastor for New Life for New Light with Senior Pastor, Reverend Paul McCoy. Reverend Harris’s preaching, has been described as a "liberated theology" preaching style because he always speaks to the social injustices within the communities. It's not unusual to attend his church and to see the congregation with a bible in one hand and a local newspaper in the other as they refer to the injustices taking place in their community.
Reverend Harris, is a dedicated father who role models a strong sense of empowerment to his young sons, Floyd Harris III, Jeremy, daughter Chynell Harris and 2 grand kids Jalaina & ja'marcus. Reverend Harris thanks his grandmother Bertha Harris for raising him to be passionate about his community, which he still is today. Reverend Harris’s demonstrations begin wherever injustice begins; whether it's in the form of a protest, a rally, or a meeting of minds. The National Network In Action will always Educate, Motivate, Energize, Mobilize and Organize to take our community to a higher level.
[http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/04/21/18735625.php]:
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr., National President of The National Network in Action, a civil and human rights organization, with The Mexican-American Political Association, The Fresno Brown Berets, and New Light for New Life Church of God, together held a community rally against police brutality, harassment, racial profiling, excessive force & deadly force.
On a Sunday evening over 100 People gathered at the corner of Arthur & Strother where Mr. Jerel Stanfield was shot in the head, leg, and in the back, on Easter Sunday. The African America community came out to receive information on Cop Watch and Know Your Rights When Confronted by Police. Civil Right leader Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr. said, "when Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer can laugh in a press conference while former city council member Jerry Duncan who was planning to run for Mayor of Fresno who said, “ Make no mistake about they are Terrorist (making reference to “ Black People “). They are much like terrorist like those people in Iraq who are blowing up innocent people". On August 29, 2007 Chief Jerry Dyer said he was launching Operation West Side with a simple approach to eliminate black gangs which means to MURDER them (http://www.youtube.com/watchv=nhnR8zlCjDM).
Rev. Harris said it’s business as usually with Fresno Police Department giving our kids a hot dog and a bounce house, pat them on head at the age of 5 years old, and then shoot them in the head or back when they get older. Rev. Harris said the black community has a constitutional right and human right to protest against police brutality, harassment, racial profiling, excessive force & deadly force. Pastor Paul Mc Coy from New Light for New Life Church of God said the solution is not just for our community but we must set the example for all community so we can hold each other accountable. We as a community and a neighborhood must understand what goes on, has a direct relationship with our daily behavior. The bible tells us “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4v6). Where there is an absent of knowledge, destruction will fill the void. We destroy ourselves as well as those who live outside our neighborhoods, will destroy us.
Gloria Hernandez educated those gathered on the amounts of money we are losing as tax payers defending Chief Dyer while many city jobs are being lost or contracted out to private industries. The discrimination complaint filed by two deputy chiefs was settled prior to going to trial. The two deputy chiefs and their attorney won $100,000 while we the taxpayer paid Dyer’s Hollywood contracted attorney over $800.000 to quietly settle this case. If Dyer is not a racist or anti-woman or anti elderly cops then why did he not go to a jury trial? Gloria expressed concern that there are too many ongoing cases that the city quietly settles prior to going to court and the Department has 28 repeat shooters who feel free to kill because they carry a badge. (See Color lines online magazine April 2010.) Juan Avitia, National President of the Mexican-American Political Association (MAPA), supported the rally & made the point that police dressed up in ski masks & carrying military assault weapons descended into west Fresno armed with what appears to be a "tank" and ready for war. This is something never done in the more upscale parts of town. In addition, Avitia noted that the police continuously justify their actions with the defense that a suspect was "appearing to reach in his pants for what might have been a gun". Yet in the latest shooting the young black male was shot in the back. A young Mexican male also suffered on the east side of Fresno in 2012.
During the event on Sunday, black men and community members walked up to the microphone and said they saw everything that happen yet the Fresno Bee and the TV Stations are not printing the truth because they never talk to us and there is two sides to a story. The citizens are outraged at the Fresno Police Department in how they brought danger and a hostile environment to a quiet community on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is a historical day for African Americans and many others, faiths and family to enjoy. However, on this particular Easter Sunday, people were placed in the middle of gun fire by the Fresno Police Department who tried to execute Mr. Jerel Stanfield by shooting him in the head, leg, and in the back. In addition, chief Jerry Dyer appears to have over-reacted to "threat" to his officers by "gang members" and has launched an all out war on the community, including arming his officers in a paramilitary manner & terrorizing black & brown people under the claim that his officers were threatened.
The Fresno Police Department has a history of shooting and killing many people of color who have been unarmed. As to the latest situation, there were children who were playing and witnessed the Fresno Police shoot Mr. Stanfield in the head and past out. There was no counseling services offered to the children and family who witnessed this plan of execute by the Fresno Police. This history includes the deliberate hunting & killing of Joaquin Figueroa in 2006, a disturbing assassination by Fresno police officers that haunts our community to this day. Why do Fresno Police Shoot at citizens who have not shot at them? Why did the Fresno Police and the local Fresno Government call Black males and the Black community in Fresno a "Terrorist"? The Fresno Police Department does not have the right to be the JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER
There will be a Copwatch and Know Your Right When Confronted By Police Officers April 20, 2013 at New Light For New Life Church of God 1106 W. Woodward Fresno, Ca 93706 Contact: Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr (559) 213-5886 or Juan Avitia ( 559 ) 977 - 42476
Fresno PD street tank
2013-04-14 "Community Rally Against Fresno Police Brutality"
Sunday, 7:00pm
Location: Corner of Arthur & Strother (West Fresno)
Contact: Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr (559) 213-5886, or Juan Avitia (559) 977-4247
Reverend Floyd D. Harris Jr., National President of The National Network in Action, a civil and human rights organization, with MAPA, and The Fresno Brown Berets, will be having a community rally against police brutality, harassment, racial profiling, excessive force & deadly force.
The citizens are outraged at the Fresno Police Department in how they brought danger and a hostile environment to a quiet community on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is a historical day for African Americans and many others, faiths and family to enjoy. However, on this particular Easter Sunday, people were placed
in the middle of gun fire by the Fresno Police Department who tried to execute Mr. Jerel Stanfield by shooting him in the head, leg, and in the back. In addition, chief Jerry Dyer appears to have over-reacted to "threat" to his officers by "gang members" and has launched an all out war on the community, including arming his officers in a paramilitary manner & terrorizing back & brown people under the claim that his officers were threatened.
The Fresno Police Department has a history of shooting and killing many people of color who have been unarmed. As to the latest situation, there were children who were playing and witnessed the Fresno Police shoot Mr. Stanfield in the head and past out. There was no counseling services offered to the children and family who witnessed this plan of execute by the Fresno Police. This history includes the deliberate hunting & killing of Joaquin Figueroa in 2006, a disturbing assassination by Fresno police officers that haunts our community to this day.
Why do Fresno Police Shoot at citizens who have not shot at them? Why did the Fresno Police and the local Fresno Government call Black males and the Black community in Fresno a "Terrorist"? The Fresno Police Department does not have the right to be the JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER!
[signed]
* National Network In Action
* The Mexican-American Political Association (MAPA)
* The Fresno Brown Berets
2013-04-15 "SW Fresno Community Rallies Against Police Brutality"
by KSEE News [http://www.ksee24.com/news/ARTHUR-OIS-RALLY-SUN-202963971.html]:
Members of the New Light For New Life Church of God, the Mexican American Political Association, and the Fresno Brown Berets stood together.
They expressed outrage over the actions of police on Easter Sunday.
Officers chased and shot Jerel Stanfield, who was suspected of murder.
He survived, but protesters say he suffered gunshot wounds to the head, back and leg.
They say the shooting was excessive and put several people in danger.
Fresno Police reacted to gang threats, after the shooting and conducted several raids...
Protesters are also upset about that, calling it harrassment.
Organizers are now planning a series of meetings for what they call "cop watch training."
Those meetings will begin next weekend at New Light For New Life Church.
2013-04-13 "Southwest Fresno residents protest police shooting"
by Angel Moreno from "The Fresno Bee" [http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/04/14/3258201/southwest-fresno-residents-protest.html]:
About 60 people gathered in southwest Fresno on Sunday to protest what they say was police brutality, racial profiling and excessive force by Fresno officers in the shooting of a gang member two weeks ago.
On March 31, officers crashed the SUV of Jerel Stanfield near Arthur and Strother avenues and shot him in his head and back when he began to run away, witnesses said.
A man who identified himself as the victim's cousin, but who declined to give his name, said Stanfield, 24, never was a threat to officers and didn't deserve to be shot.
Right after the shooting, Police Chief Jerry Dyer said officers opened fire when Stanfield, who was wanted in a recent homicide, appeared to arm himself while fleeing. Police said they found a gun on him.
In the wake of the shooting, the department said its officers were being threatened by gang members, and it doubled patrols in some neighborhoods.
Neighbors said officers engaged in racial profiling of southwest Fresno residents.
Community leaders, neighbors and Stanfield's mother and relatives, gathered near the scene of the Easter Sunday shooting to protest and tell their side of the story, said the Rev. Floyd Harris Jr., of the New Light for New Life Church of God.
Stanfield's mother, Chantal Lewis, was at the protest but did not speak.
Pastor Paul McCoy told the crowd that the solution to the area's problems isn't in the hands of Fresno police, but in the hands of the community. The community can end the violence that plagues it, he said.
"It starts with us and when it starts with us we have the power to finish it," McCoy said.
2013-04-14 "Fresno residents rally against Fresno PD"
by Mariana Jacob from "ABC-30; KFSN-TV/DT" [http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=9064822]:
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Dozens of people are protesting what they call excessive force by the Fresno Police Department.
They rallied at the scene of an officer-involved shooting that injured Jerel Stanfield on Easter Sunday.
About 75 people gathered near the corner where an officer-involved shooting took place two weeks ago. Many who attended the rally came prepared with signs and angry words targeted at police. "This is a wakeup call to this community here to hold each other accountable," said Revered Floyd Harris Jr.
24 year old Jerel Stanfield's mother was at the rally but would not talk to us on camera following the advice of her attorney. Other family members did tell us Stanfield is now in the county jail but they believe he needs more medical care at a hospital following brain surgery. "He's in pain that's the only thing he does say when he does talk, it's murmured," said his sister Jasmin.
Witnesses who didn't want to appear on camera told us they say he was shot while running away in the back of the head on March 31st. Fresno police officers were not available for comment but hours after the shooting, Chief Jerry Dyer had this to say, "At some point the suspect according to the officers made some type of movement that officers believed he was arming himself. The officers did fire the weapons at the suspect and when they were detaining him they did locate a handgun on him."
Organizers say they're hoping to put an end to what they see as racial profiling and police brutality.
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