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...
*applypressuretotheen​trynexitwound*


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].

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.

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.

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.

Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee

[facebook.com/intercommunalsolidarity]

“Turning the Tide: Journal of Anti-Racist Action, Research & Education” is produced by the  "Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee" [tideturning.org] and the "Anti-Racist Action network" [antiracist.org].


BREAK THE LOCK: Prison Communication, Education and Transportation -
 Break the Lock applies the spirit of the “serve the people” survival programs of the original Black Panther Party for Self Defense to the 21st Century conditions of oppression faced by Black, Brown and other oppressed communities, in which mass incarceration — the new Jim Crow – is a key phenomenon.
 Mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex took off in the wake of the COINTELPRO attacks that killed, exiled or imprisoned key freedom fighters of the Black, Chicano-Mexicano, Puerto Rican, indigenous, Asian and European-descent anti-imperialist movements. The long sentences, torture and isolation techniques developed against political prisoners have become extended throughout the prison system. They are being used on a preemptive basis against masses of Black, Brown and other youth, who represent a potential threat of social and political unrest in times of economic deprivation. Mass incarceration has also been used to disrupt families and whole communities. Break the Lock will help blunt the impact of these state strategies.
 The Prisoner Communications project is archiving and publishing on the Internet prisoner letters to the Black Riders Liberation Party and Turning the Tide. The Prisoners Revolutionary Education project provides reading and educational materials and is in the process of digitizing many crucial works from the Black liberation struggle and other critical social, political, historical and economic analysis for subsequent distribution to prisoners.
 The Family Transport to Prisoners (FTP) project will help incarcerated parents maintain contact with their kids, and family members to keep in communication with incarcerated children, spouses, partners and siblings. This will improve communication for the prisoners, as well as be a mechanism for communities to overcome the conditions the state had imposed and begin to organize for liberation and against the prison-industrial complex.
 We seek involvement from kindred organizations. We are also oriented toward building a self-sustaining base within the community itself, so that the project is one of empowerment for self-liberation, not a charity operation. The families and prisoners needing transport would also be involved in fundraising, driving, obtaining vehicles, promotion and publicity, and the organizational tasks involved in coordinating the trips among families, prisoners, and volunteers. As the program grows, we look towards arranging transportation to more distant facilities in the Central Valley and North Coast areas of California.
 Join us!
 THURSDAYS AT 6PM ROOM 401 AT LANEY COLLEGE 900 FALLON ST. OAKLAND, CA
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT [2servethapeople@riseup.net][intercommunalsolidarity@gmail.com]


"Unitary Conduct: Building the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee" by Shango Abiola from BRLP Oakland [http://tideturning.org/shangoabiola/unitary-conduct/]:
Author’s note: The Black Riders Liberation Party (BRLP) launched the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee in Los Angeles, CA with a gathering at the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research on Saturday, November 10, 2012. At this event, numerous activist and community members from different races, philosophies and ideological lines came together to form the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee. The idea to form this committee comes from our study of the Black Panther Party’s (BPP) forming the National Committee to Combat Fascism (NCCF), which would later become the Inter-communal Committee to Combat Fascism (ICCF). This paper is a historical analysis of our theoretical framework for this development.
---
“Unitary Conduct implies a ‘search’ for those elements in our present situation which can become the basis for joint action. It involves a conscious reaching for the relevant, the entente, and especially, in our case the reconcilable. Throughout the centralizing authoritarian process of Amerikan history, the ruling classes have found it necessary to discourage and punish any genuine opposition to hierarchy. But there have always been individuals and groups who rejected the ideal of two unequal societies, existing one on top of the other.” - George Jackson, Blood in My Eye

In analyzing this war we are engaged in today, we can see a lot of political strikes being launched against the most fascist arm of this kkkapitalist government, the Prison Industrial Complex. These are coming mostly from the prisoners themselves, in a series of hunger and labor strikes from Georgia to Ohio, North Carolina, California and more. Many warriors from behind enemy lines have given a much-needed spark of intensity to the Left. Or at least this has happened to the organizations with enough analysis to pay attention.
The ideological swords have been swung! From the belly of the beast we have received marching orders to pick up the pace and be a better reflection of what our comrades are doing in the concentration camps of the enemy! What alternative do we have, when we consider the call put out in September by the Short Corridor Collective in the Pelican Bay SHU?
“Beginning on Oct. 10, 2012, all hostilities between our racial groups in SHU, ad-seg, general population and county jails will officially cease.”
Thanks to the courage of the short corridor collective and all the prisoners who have been unifying and working to dismantle the beast across the country, the stage has been set for unitary conduct for the purpose of creating and sustaining Inter-Communal Solidarity.
We need only look below the corporate media surface to see that ALL working class people are subjected to the treacherous exploitation of the kkkapitalist system. At the same time Black and Brown folks (mostly lumpen) are targeted and super-exploited economically and racially, directly and indirectly. Whether they have been to prison themselves, or if their family or community has been ripped apart by prison, we see the PIC today as not much different from the chattel slavery this country was built on. When we see that every 36 hours a Black person in this country is murdered by law enforcement, we know slavery hasn’t gone anywhere.
When we see there are more Black people in prison today than were held in chattel slavery in 1850, we know slavery hasn’t gone anywhere. When we see the country in a depression (not recession), but continuing wars of imperialism in Afghanistan and other places, we know that slavery hasn’t gone anywhere. The fact is we are all slaves to the system and the different levels of exploitation separated by race mainly serve the purpose of keeping the MASSES of us divided. These contradictions of race and class must be addressed as scientifically as possible for the purpose of building a Revolutionary Inter-Communal Movement, principally to unify the Left into action. Doing this will allow us to more effectively cause indigestion from within the belly of the beast, and defend each other from continuous repression by the fascist state. The Black Riders Liberation Party has faced tanks, raids, gang enhancement charges, imprisonment, harassment, threatening letters from police chiefs and constant arrests. This has made our Party familiar with this part of the revolutionary process. The Black Panther Party knew this when they formed the National Committee to Combat Fascism, which would later become the Inter-communal Committee to Combat Fascism. And so the BRLP, who are students of the Black Panther Party, believe that this tactic must be dialectically applied to the present day. So we launched the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee as a vehicle for the people to use to defeat our common enemy, the Kkkapitalist Empire.
Real unity and solidarity recognize and overcome real differences. For the revolution to survive and accomplish its goal of destroying a common enemy, unity and solidarity must be based on addressing difference in an egalitarian manner, thereby countering the divide and conquer tactics of the Fascist state. To not do so, while claiming to want unity, is Liberalism. Moreover, to do so in a way that does not redirect the source of any conflict over difference back to the system is unprincipled and counterproductive.

“…We must understand their presence (white racists) as an effect of the system. It is the system that must be crushed, for it continues to manufacture new and deeper contradictions of both class and race. Once it is destroyed, we may address the problems of racism at an even more basic level. But we must also combat racism while we are in the process of destroying the system.” - George Jackson, Blood in My Eye

In building an Inter-communal Solidarity Committee it is essential that we develop what George Jackson calls “Unitary Conduct.” This will happen through us collectively focusing on issues common to the Afrikan, Native American, Mexicano/indigenous, Asian and anti-imperialist white masses. The main obstacle preventing this necessary step in Revolutionary development is the inability or unwillingness of the “white Left” to challenge the racial component of class warfare. Basically, not enough white people are working to abolish racism and white supremacy.
In 1969 at the United Front Against Fascism Conference in Berkeley, CA, the Black Panther Party and many allied communities and organizations helped form the National Committee to Combat Fascism, which would later become the Inter-Communal Committee to Combat Fascism. This initiative developed partly out of Cec and Saul Levinson, a married white couple from Berkeley who worked with and supported the Berkeley branch of the Black Panther Party. This was done to build support from the white Left for the BPP, suffering under COINTELPRO’s Fascist repression. The ICCF also served as a screening mechanism for the BPP itself and its allied organizations of other races. This helped the BPP weed out the reactionary elements. The ICCF’s history ranges from shoot-outs in Detroit and New Orleans, the framing of the Omaha 2 (Ed Poindexter and Mondo We Langa fka David Rice), free medical treatment for Walla Walla penitentiary inmates by the Seattle, WA chapter, and more. It gives many examples of and reasons for needing “Unitary Conduct” in fighting against fascism.
When analyzing this historical development in hindsight we can infer that, if the Black Panther Party had implemented the ICCF as a screening organization earlier, prior to the rapid growth that followed the state capitol Mulford Bill action, the BPP might have prevented some of the heavy infiltration and reactionary elements that helped crush the Party. Assata Shakur talks in her book of how easily after joining the BPP she had access to records and many other important files relatively quickly. The widespread interest was spreading beyond the original Panthers’ control. Everyone wanted to be a Panther, some people without permission from the BPP. For example in 1967 in Washington, DC when a group called the “Black Defenders” led by Robert Rippey had been calling themselves Panthers, they were told by the BPP headquarters that there were certain qualifications you had to meet to be an officially recognized BPP chapter. They were later refused recognition by the BPP for refusing to work with white people and lacking serious political education. Had the ICCF already been set up, the BPP might not have had to wait until 1970 to have an official chapter in Washington DC (Chocolate City).
Today’s climate for the radical Left has some similarities to that of the 60’s and 70’s when the BPP and its allies under repressive attack from the Fascist state came together to form an inter-communal front against the state. The BRLP and many other community organizations and antikkkapitalist movements have been feeling the legal and military arm of the State because of our efforts to destroy it. There have been systemic attacks on our party including Pig Chief Beck’s slanderous letter attempting to keep our General under a GPS tracking device (on parole). We’ve
 seen numerous raids and infiltration attempts launched against the Occupy movement, and many other covert and overt attacks against anti-kkkapitalist forces in this country and around the world (South Africa, Afghanistan, Palestine, etc.). We have been under attack not only by local occupying armed forces (police) but also by the much more dangerous Homeland Security, the NDAA, etc. which is legalized COINTELPRO. With this understanding, we should see the need not only to intensify our propaganda campaign to expose the repression, but also to build “Unitary Conduct” across ideological lines.
One priority is amnesty for Political Prisoners/Prisoners of War (PP/POW) and defending freedom fighters against the legal and military arm of the state. It is far too easy in these times of division for organizations to justify elitist sectarian behavior under the subjective belief that only they have the correct ideology. Of course one should only practice a theory if one believes it to be true. But we see the marriage of theory and practice not only in the context of when the theory was created but also the present day conditions and purposes to which it can or can’t be applied.
 In other words, a theory should be specific in its ideals but flexible in its adaptability to an environment (conditions). This way it can evolve into the best form of serving the people.
The BRLP, though very critical of the inability or unwillingness of the “white Left” to effectively hold their weight in abolishing racism in the class struggle, we have always pushed for Unitary Conduct. The corporate media, as well as people’s assumptions, have allowed for an incorrect understanding of the BRLP’s ideology, “Revolutionary African Inter-Communalism.” A conflict has arisen with some people’s lack of understanding of the “African” component, which is one of the primary dialectical updates from Huey Newton’s theory of “Revolutionary Intercommunalism.”
 It is NOT an excuse to hate white people. You can find a more in-depth analysis in “African Intercommunalism I”, but in short this development grew out of studying the BPP’s COINTELPRO-created beef with Ron Karenga’s US organization and other reactionary Cultural Nationalists. By the end of it, the BPP went from drawing a line of demarcation between philosophies to having a bad taste in its mouth for anything that even sounded cultural nationalist. This eventually led to tribalism and Black Panther on Black Panther violence that would factionalize and destroy the ranks.
We agree that “pork-chop cultural nationalism” is counterproductive to revolutionary theory, but such nationalism doesn’t have a monopoly on applying Afrikan culture (philosophies and actions) to their theory. Of course if not properly applied, this method can do as much harm as good. If it’s not framed into the proper class-war context, it can lead to the belief that eliminating Europeans is all that’s necessary for Black people and people of color to be liberated. Or that going “back to Africa” and simply leaving the U.S. prior to dismantling the fascist nervous center here is the answer to ending Black people’s problems. This is a reactionary and under-developed analysis. What is true is that for Black people a practical and healthy study of Afrikan culture helps reverse the psychosis of racism and white supremacy which is the main conductor of Black people’s self-hatred and inferiority complex. It dispels the myth of white superiority little by little with every new fact learned and brings the Black person coming into consciousness that much more confident in our ability to WIN!
Since this analysis provided here is about winning a WAR for liberation and not about being RIGHT OR WRONG, we must see this (Afrikan Culture) as a natural part of the development for the Black revolutionary. This must happen, not to gloat or to put down others, but to constantly counter the psychosis of post traumatic slave disorder with empirical research and evidence about the culture(s) that were STOLEN from us.
Our commitment to practically studying and applying Afrikan culture has put us in the line of fire with people who have yet to analyze and address these contradictions.

“I deny the existence of Black racism outright, by fiat, I deny it. Too much Black blood has flowed between the chasm that separates the races. It’s
 fundamentally unfair to expect the Black man to differentiate at a glance between the various kinds of white racists. What apologists term Black racism is either a healthy defense reflex on the part of the sincere Black partisan who is attempting to deal with the realistic problems of survival and elevation, or the racism of the government stooge goons.” - George Jackson, Blood in My Eye

The class struggle within the belly of the beast here will never show enough “Unitary Conduct” to ACTUALLY take state power until the issue of race is addressed scientifically by both People of Color and European descendants from their respective experience with it. This means white people taking responsibility for not only supporting the autonomous efforts by people of color to destroy racism, but also working to destroy racism
 within themselves and the ENTIRE white community. This also means people of color not only pointing out racist behavior but providing the best alternatives to support our self-determined struggle without co-opting it. This is one of the things we plan to do with the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee.
Another issue that is pivotal in building “unitary conduct” and advancing the Left is the Inter-Communal working relationship between people of color. The divide and conquer tactic of kkkapitalism has kept 4/5th’s of the world’s population disconnected from one of its main POWER sources, unity. Like crabs in a barrel we have been led to believe that our differences could not be addressed in an egalitarian and anti-authoritarian manner. In the 1960s and ’70s the Imperialist war in Vietnam was a rallying point for Unitary Conduct. Today because of our neo-colonial white power in Black face, many socalled progressives have not pushed a hard enough line to unify against the imperialist wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, etc. More specifically we have not drawn enough connections between the proxy wars overseas and the proxy war created by the U.S. here between the Black and Brown communities (especially in California). Only when this happens will a larger portion of the white Left have to take notice and fall in line. When the Black, Brown, Red and Yellow communities build stronger ties, the WHOLE LEFT (“white Left” included) will be advancing the struggle. Only when the victims of ALL the kkkapitalist dirty tricks (class AND race) unify, will the example for ALL victims of ruling class exploitation have a pace to march to, that can bring about the results we all need — VICTORY!
The Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee will provide a mechanism to bridge the gap between ideological and cultural differences to build a united Left capable of defending against and smashing on Fascism. The Committee invites revolutionary-minded people from all communities, seriously committed to revolutionary change, to be a part of the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee. We are launching initiatives to put such unitary action into practice. These are not service or charitable efforts but campaigns aimed at organizing and empowering the Commune. The Hood Health campaign will focus on healthy food, medical services including free HIV and AIDS testing and more. The Break the Lock prisoner solidarity campaign will provide revolutionary educational literature and access to publication to prisoners and transportation for people whose loved ones are in prison. The George Jackson Freedom School will provide mental, physical and cultural education to school-age youth. We are fighting for amnesty for political prisoners and prisoners of war (PP/POWs); and many other campaigns as well.
The BRLP calls on all organizations and community members dedicated to building a united front to destroy kkkapitalism to join us in building the Inter-Communal Solidarity Committee.

“There must be a collective redirection of the old guard the factory and union agitator-with the campus activist who can counter the ill-effects of fascism at its training site, and the lumpenproletariat intellectuals who possess revolutionary scientific socialist attitudes to deal with the masses of street people living outside the system. They must work toward developing the unity of the pamphlet and the silenced pistol. Black, brown and white are all victims together. At the end of this massive collective struggle, we will uncover our new man, the unpredictable culmination of the revolutionary process. He will be better equipped to wage the real struggle, the permanent struggle after the revolution- the one for new relationships between men.” - George Jackson, Blood In My Eye

Black Power to Black people, Brown power to Brown people, Red power to Red people, Yellow power to Yellow people and ALL POWER TO ALL PEOPLE WHO DON’T FEAR FREEDOM!
FREE ED POINDEXTER, MONDO WE LANGA, LEONARD PELTIER, AND ALL PP/POWs!
[signed] B.R.L.P. MTUMISHI WA WATU (SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE)

Citations:
* The Black Panthers Speak – Philip S. Foner
* Blood in My Eye-George Jackson
* Press release from the Detroit, MI N.C.C.F. October 25, 1970-N.C.C.F.
* Ministry of Information Detroit, MI
* Unflinching Antagonisms “The Incomprehensible Black Anarchist Position” -Hanibal Balagoon Shakur
* [www.Itsaboutimebpp.com/our_stories/chapter1/the_iccf.html]
* [www.Workers.org/2009/bpp1224/]
* [www.Negroartist.com/writings.black%panther%newspapers/6%20no%206.html]
* [www.Opednews.com/articles/3/j-edgar-hoover-used-omaha-by-Michael-Richardson-090218-454.html]
* [www.assatashakur.org/forum/liberation-strategy/15104-malik-rahimblack-panthers-black-resistance-new-orleans.html]
* [http://sfbayview.com/2012/california-rises-to-prisoners-challenge-toend-racial-hostilities/]


2012-12-01

Commemoration Committee for the Black Panther Party

Website: [http://commemorator.net/Commemorator_II_Black_Panther_Party.html]

Commemorator Newspaper storefront placard:







2009-08-26 CC-BPP forum