Fund Alagie: Brave LGBTQ Supporter

Please help Alagie!

link to gofund me: http://www.gofundme.com/zzc9s24

Below is a re posted message from his gofund me.

My name is Alagie Jammeh and I support LGBTQ equality.
As a 25-year old International student studying Global Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I feel so lucky to be able to think freely and be myself in the United States. I am one of 17 children, and the first to ever graduate high school, and now to attend college.

However, Growing up in the Republic of The Gambia in West Africa, I was raised very differently. I was taught, specifically, that LGBTQ people are terrible, evil and should be condemned.

Living in the United States has shown me that this is not the case.  Earlier this year, I showed open support on Facebook for LGBTQ people, who I have come to love and respect dearly. Due to this, the scholarship I received to attend UCSB from my home country  was revoked, and I was told by the government of the Republic of the Gambia, that if I returned I would face life in prison.

Since then, my mother has had to leave the country, I have been alienated by my home government, family and friends, and have suffered financial burdens- leaving me in debt to my University, unstable food sources and housing, and daily stress, anxiety and depression from losing everything I hold dear.

But, I have been able to keep going from the support I have found at my school; the resources, friends and professors, my local church and a new family I am beginning to create. The opportunity to graduate and achieve my goals is keeping me going.

Living in the United States, I am not scared to do what I know is right. But what awaits me in my home country is shame and persecution. Even though I have been suffering, I still have my freedom. I want to express myself without fear of losing my life.

I realize that my actions were punished by those who do not understand, are frightened of what they do not understand, and will likely never understand the importance of freedom, unbiased education, and embracing people for who they are.

Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which one could use to change the world.” Your help would allow me to continue my education and my journey of expanding my horizons, and would allow me to be an example of standing up for what is right even against controlling and limiting entities.

I have a belief that when one door is closed, another one can be opened. Please support me as I walk through this next journey of my life.

Five Tips to Get More Than Clicks: Consciousness Raising on Facebook

If you know me personally, follow my blog and/or twitter, you know that I post a lot of potentially divisive, contentious and depressing topics (politics, death, war). The goal for me in postings these is twofold: (1) sharing content I have read in the hopes that someone in my social network finds them interesting and (2) consciousness raising. Consciousness raising, popularized by feminist scholars, basically means making other more aware of a certain issue or conditions, I.E. #BlackLivesMatter.

Using my Facebook as a template, I’ve created this guide to share some tips on how to get people to actually pay attention to those things that matter to you, the reader. These tips are based mainly on anecdotal evidence but also things I have read along the way. Obviously this won’t work for everyone--you have to tailor it to your personal networks--and I don’t always follow these rules myself, but I think this may help more than it will hurt. Additionally, people have to some opinion on your opinion. Whether they agree or disagree, they need to feel like your content is worth engaging with.

When posting an article/content on Facebook:

1) Busy, bored, and disengaged; “I didn’t logon to get an education”


Simply put: a lot of people won’t like or notice a lot of what you post, so make it interesting. Keep in mind that outside of your personal relationships with those in your networks, social media is also affected by how much you interact with other people and how much they interact with you. Practically that looks like liking their photos, commenting on statuses, etc. So if you’re not very active, even with these tips you won’t be popping up in people’s feeds as often.

2) Choose a reliable source; ain’t nobody got time for false information.


Can the content be found on another [verifiable] source? If it’s a not a news source, like a blog, does it have a history of great content (like Black Girl Dangerous) ? Does it contain references for the information it cites? This may seem obvious, but it’s important because if you have a reputation for posting from unreliable sources, people are less likely to engage with your content. Examples of sources I often cite include Al Jazeera News, The New York Times, The Root, etc.

3) Framing is important; context is key.


Think about your own use on Facebook. What would make you as likely to click on a Buzzfeed article as an NPR article? Outside of the thumbnail used, interest level in the content is a huge factor for many people. Considering #1--people often avoid talking about socially conscious issues--expect that people will only read the headlines of what you post, at best.In order to properly frame an article, see below.

4) Include a comment or quote; make the reader’s job easier.


People will scroll past links, even when you do caption the articles but these people know you through familial, business, or school connections, giving you an in. But chances are, they may not click the link but may skim your comment. For this reason I usually will usually include 2-4 sentences (if it’s too long, people will often scroll past) of a mix of:

a: My thoughts/reaction (taking into account my own bias or the bias of the author)

b: Thesis statement from the article

c: A short quote that spoke to me

5) Monitor posting frequency; be strategic


There are better resources than I to tell you when to post (to achieve peak times for traffic), but I can tell you that Facebook has algorithms and people have limits. Posting too often will mean that your posts won’t show up. Additionally, think of how you “reserve” your likes for a post on instagram. If a friend posts six amazing photos within one minute, many people won’t like all six. But if she spread them out throughout the day or the course of a few days, she gets the most exposure and maximum likes, if you will.

Anthony is a member of Cal BSU. He also is a Mellon Mays fellow. 

When Tolerance Becomes Cowardice

When Tolerance becomes Cowardice

Another week concluded, full of the mistreatment, misrepresentation, and the outright murder of Black people in America. In Texas, we witnessed the repetition of an old story - the unconscionable political assassination of Sandra Bland. Ms. Bland, a young activist supposedly arrested for law breaking, was found murdered in police custody. #BlackTwitter responded with a range of rage, epitomized by #IfIDieinPoliceCustody Hashtags. For the record, #IfIDieinPoliceCustody, make sure that I at LEAST attempted resistance or don’t come for me.

We also witnessed the seemingly traditional mis-journalism, utilized to skew the public in support of White Supremacist terrorist, Dylan Roof. In a poor excuse for journalism, Francis Robles and Nikita Stewart begin their article, “The young man accused of the terrible crime was a bug-eyed boy with a bowl haircut who came from a broken home and attended at least seven schools in nine years. Many afternoons, he would sit silently on the curb in front of his roomy yard and, when he tired of it, move to a different curb. He helped neighbors with their yard work, but they still found him strange.” Why exactly is this relevant? I’ll let you decide.

Elsewhere, Donald Trump, Old-fashioned American business man, emerged as a primary contender for the Republican Party 2016 Election. As blatantly and extremely racist as Trump presents himself, I must admit, I like that he’s honest. I wonder what the elections would be like if every candidate just gave their honest opinion? Unlike Presidential Candidate Hillary who went from saying All Lives Matter to Black Lives Matter in less than a month. Is she serious? Again, I’ll let you decide how serious she is.

This week demonstrates yet again, the merciless nature of our opponents AND the willingness of some of our people to resist. That brings me to our main point: there comes a moment in the (r)evolutionary development of a people, when tolerance becomes cowardice; when silence becomes betrayal; when laziness because treason. We can no longer TOLERATE these conditions; rather, we must actively resist, fight back. Tweeting is appreciated but not sufficient.

The fastest way to destroy White Supremacy is through the excellence of Black Nation Building and Organizational Productivity. We’ve received justice neither under the confederate NOR the American Flag. An alternative approach, may be to unite under a singular flag, independent of both. To acquire land and resources for us, by us. Our liberation will require ALL of us to be united or NONE of us will truly reach the apex of Freedom.

What is my role? Love is the essence of creativity. From our love, we must find new, innovative methods to build sustainable institutions and programmatic thrust for our people. Find a way to make your skill, gift, talent, or education beneficial for the entirety of our people. Then work on it.
Lastly, I’ve decided I’m willing to draw my line in the sand. I’ll be in Washington, D.C. for the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March under the banner #JusticeOrElse. I hope to see us there.

-Salih Muhammad

Reclaiming Blackness through #MelaninMondays, #MelaninOnFleek, #MelaninPoppin, and #MelaninCrushMondays.

Minkah Smith

There is a social media trend that has been circulating that is one of the best hashtag categories around and it surrounds an extremely important topic: melanin. The most common hashtags include: #IsYourMelaninOnFleek, #MelaninMondays,  #MelaninCrushMondays, #MelaninPoppin, and #MelaninOnFleek. There are two reasons why it is different from other fads: 1) it recognizes melanin in a positive light, and 2) it is one of the popular trends that cannot be claimed by white people. So much of Black culture has been appropriated by white folks.

On Melanin #MelaninMondays #MelaninOnFleek #MelaninPoppin #MelaninCrushMondays

3 things: melanin, cultural appropriation, why they are important and what that means with these hashtags

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements of one culture by members of a different cultural group, especially if the adoption is of an oppressed people's cultural elements by members of the dominant culture. This phenomenon has a history that stems back to the toxic elements of colonization and imperialism that have essentially corrupted the entirety of the world. The historic atrocities that follow the thievery and consequent annihilation of cultures and peoples around the world have been perpetuated through cultural appropriation in the modern age of the United States. Through the monster that is capitalism, cultural appropriation is an effective tool in carrying out the oppressor’s goal of removing elements (people, cultures, etc.) through excessive dilution in order to control the masses of its population. This has been seen in so much of popular culture from hairstyles to language to natural remedies, there has been a trend of primary condemnation, subsequent intense shaming, and finally a marketable and diluted version of the original. The goal of cultural appropriation is still basically the same as colonization in the core idea of what both concepts strive to achieve.

As a Black woman in the U.S., it’s so hard to not see and be angry or peeved about the aspects of my culture that have been compromised by the “Culture Vultures.” I appreciate this hashtag theme so much because unlike many of the other parts of my culture, this choice of lingo can not be compromised without creating a dangerous position for those who identify as White.

What is melanin? The common dictionary definition of melanin states that: Melanin is the pigment that gives human skin, hair, and eyes their color. Dark-skinned people have more melanin in their skin than light-skinned people have. Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes. Not only is melanin an important factor in the extraneous characteristics of humans, it’s an essential component of the inner workings of the human body. Each of the major organs including the brain and the heart contain melanin which allows those parts to function. Melanin is such an important element in the body because it allows humans to absorb sunlight and produce a natural source of vitamin D while also serving as a natural barrier towards harmful UV rays. Vitamin D is a vital vitamin for every type of tissue in our bodies which means that it is required for optimal bodily function. As mentioned in the dictionary definition, people with darker skin have more melanin, thus they are naturally able to absorb more sunlight, which means that their bodies can create more natural vitamin D.

Understanding the scientific importance of melanin is key to breaking down the ways that it has been strategically demonized and underrepresented in most areas of society. Part of the belittling of melanin is a tactic to underplay the fact that it is not only a biologically vital ingredient, but it also has historically spiritual qualities as well. Many cultures credit melanin as being the spice that aids in reaching higher levels of enlightenment. (Quotes from the Bible repeatedly mention the “burnished bronze” color of Jesus’ skin.)

Blackness and darkness have been demonized for so long as being the root of evil as well as a multitude of other negative qualities. In reality, all things are born out of darkness thus it truly is the birthplace of life itself. This hatred of Blackness permeates all races, religions, ethnicities, and creeds and has shamed so many people into finding any way possible to deny and rebuke that which makes them who they are. Many have said that this generation doesn’t use our tools wisely, but I this hashtag shows that there is a claiming of Black Pride especially in response to the horrible grievances that have been committed on the Black Nation. Unlike many trends like, “on fleek” and “twerking” that were popularized by white media, if #MelaninPoppin had the chance of not only being on the hipster radar but also being co-opted by it, it would destroy the subtle yet entrenched and veiled role that racism plays in perpetuating systemic racism.

Recognizing and appreciating the qualities of melanin is a major component in creating a culture of self-love and awareness as a people. The reclaiming of Blackness in a positive light needs to be a top priority. We must debunk white supremacies myth of us being inferior.

-Minkah Smith, student at UC Berkeley.

The Dangers of Removing the Confederate Flag, and not Institutional Racism

The Dangers of Removing the Confederate Flag, and not Institutional Racism

A white terrorist murdered nine Black people, and the media immediately set the agenda to removing the confederate flag. By the confederate flag coming down, it won't change institutional racism. It won't stop racist pigs from murdering us in the streets. It won’t dismantle the 13th amendment, which allows for slavery if one commits a crime. It won't bridge the gap between educational inequalities by race. It won't stop voting ID laws from restricting the Black vote. And it won't stop white terrorists from executing terrorist attacks on Black people praying.

If anything, it might make America appear as if it is "post racial". I already imagine someone saying, "but the confederate flag is down, racism is over, all lives matter now!” This is the danger of removing a symbol for racism, but not eradicating the structural causes of institutional racism. Structural racism kills us everyday, not symbolic.

Why did the first piece of legislation passed by lawmakers in South Carolina address taking down the confederate flag from state grounds? This does nothing to address the white terrorism that happened at the AME church in South Carolina. Nor does nothing to protect the nine Black churches that since have been burnt down post the Charleston shooting. And guess what? The removal of the Confederate flag will not stop the cops or white terroists from killing us.

Once again, this is the danger of the media and the power they have to set the agenda on what’s important. It is important to focus the narrative on the systems of structural racism that affects Black lives each and every day. Let us focus on dismantling institutional racism, but hey, it’s healing to burn a confederate flag every now and then too.

In struggle and love,

-Blake Simons

A Reasonable Sacrifice

Salih Muhammad 

July 7, 2015

A Reasonable Sacrifice

Blessed are those who struggle,  oppression is worse than the grave, it is better to die for a noble cause, than to live and die as a slave.

Today in America, it has again become exceedingly clear, that Black life has NO value. As our churches are burned, our women abused, our children shot, little is left to the imagination as to how valueless we’ve become.


Deep into the still of the night, many of us have wondered, just when will it end? When will our babies stop dying from senseless murders - from both police and each other? Four-hundred sixty years of suffering, violence, and death. When will it cease!?


After the Charleston Shootings, I gave remarks at a Vigil hosted by the Black Student Union at UC Berkeley. At the time, filled with vigor, zeal, and confidence in our unalterable ultimate liberation, I remarked that these murders will stop - WHEN WE STOP THEM. The reality of the situation is that White America has made it abundantly clear that is has no moral conscious. The only way to put a cease to this madness, is to be so fed up, that we would give our lives for OUR Freedom.


The great White American liberator Patrick Henry infamously captured the spirit of White America and declared, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” The racist state of New Hampshire declared as its motto “Live Free or Die.” When the Greeks declared independence in 1830, they memorialized it with the statement “Freedom or Death.” In Macedonia, Liberty or Death. In Turkey, Independence or Death. In France after the French Revolution, the War cry was “Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood, or Death.” In Nepal, they found “it is Better to die than to be a coward.” In Yugoslavia, “Better the grave than a slave, better a war than the pact.” Here in the good ol’ US of A, Benjamin Franklin published a magazine, “JOIN, or DIE.”


All over the World, any Free and Independent Nation came to the ultimate and final conclusion, Either we will be Free or we will DIE. Not get rich or die trying, we must get RIGHT or Die Tryin! We must get FREE or die Tryin!


The house of Freedom is built on SACRIFICES, not DREAMS. Anyone unwilling to pay the price for Freedom is not deserving of the Freedom we ultimately will earn. There will be no cowards nor work-escapist in the post-revolutionary world.


What do I mean by Freedom or Death? Any true struggle for freedom comes at the expense of Individualism. We must sacrifice what we may WANT for what our people NEED. We must be willing to sacrifice that extra hour, extra dollar, extra tweet, or extra time! To give one’s life for our people, means that you commit the essence of self for a cause bigger than self! This is the choice that we all must face today!


Be willing to give your life for our people, or stop TALKING (and tweeting) about Freedom. The choice today, as it has always been, Freedom or Death. When we realize that, we will be free.

What choice will you make?

More next time…

Being Black During June in America

AG

July 2, 2015


It’s amazing that June didn’t break us. The headlines surrounding race in America literally seemed like something scripted, too extreme to believe especially considering they were happening one thing after another.

A white woman who lied about being Black to the point that her story involved her “doing hair”, massacres against Black churches and it’s congregations, Black suicide, and as the clock continues to tick there are still countless deaths of unarmed Black men that have not been accounted for.

How. Why. I didn’t write one word all month. After I read about Kalief Browder, I lost it. Soon after that 9 members of a church welcomed in a domestic terrorist with a helping hand and he in turn killed them. There are only so many times I can express that I don’t have anything to express due to the exhaustion.

Exhaustion from watching, hearing, and reading about the mistreatment of the Black community. Exhaustion from watching, hearing, and reading as systemic racism and oppression are discounted and the country looks for other motives that support the narrative of a post-racial society. Exhaustion from watching, hearing, and seeing as the Black community is stripped of it’s identity once again and told to be quiet about it.

It’s amazing that June didn’t break us.

I watched activist tear each other down revealing ulterior motives. I watched two different poems about “Black Privilege” and the rules that come with melanin. I watched as people continued to “not understand why they can’t say the N-Word”.

Through all this, what I didn’t see though, was the wavering of Black Power. Not once, and for that I am proud and through that I found my own strength. Because that’s part of what Black Power is—lifting each other when we can’t lift ourselves.

As difficult as I found June to be, I found it harder to keep completely silent. I found it harder to step away from playing my part in the community because I refuse to be on the wrong side of history.

There is a literal War on Blackness happening now and the Black Community needs as many soldiers as we can get, armed and unarmed.

June showed me that we have the power to change things for the betterment of all people when I watched Bree Newsome take down the Confederate Flag. June taught me that it is our job to not only to steer but dominate conversations in and about Blackness, no exceptions and no excuses.

If you have yet to step up to the plate that your community needs you to step up to, I suggest you do it quickly and I suggest you enlist others in your community to do so too. Find your job. Lead and join discussions. Don’t be on the wrong side of history when your children are learning about how our community changed the nation.

It’s amazing that June didn’t break us, but I am not the least bit surprised by our strength.

AG describes herself as a Panther with a pen. Her background in organizing and passion for writing helped her recognize the importance in telling stories for and about all individuals in the Black Community because that in itself is a form of activism. She hopes to use her platform to provide a record and insight on today's Movement and to inspire others to find their role and participate to move the Community closer to justice. 

Yoel Haile Delivers Powerful Speech at UCSB Black Grad

Yoel Haile, political director for the Afrikan Black Coalition delivered a powerful speech at UCSB's Black Grad:

What a beautiful and joyous moment this is!

I want to begin by congratulating the families and friends that are in our presence today. I want to congratulate the mothers and the fathers, the sisters and the brothers, the uncles and aunties, and the teachers and the coaches who have supported these graduates and showed them UNDYING LOVE in order to get them to this point! These graduates are only here because of your undying love and the endless sacrifices of the masses of our people! Therefore, we must begin by saying these degrees belong to YOU as part and parcel of the masses of our people! (Not the graduates)

However, as the old African saying goes, "you can only take the horse to well...". And even though you have showed them undying love and made for them endless sacrifices, these graduates had to endure a great deal to get these degrees that they are getting today. And for that, we must be very proud of them!

Graduates,
I am so proud of you!

I am so proud of you because you have persevered countless hours of studying to get to this day right here.

I am so proud of you because you have held down 1 or 2 part time jobs or were student athletes on top being full time students to get to this day.
I am so proud of you because I've seen you battle hard times and depression to get to this day.
I am so proud of you because you have proved wrong every naysayer who told you that you'd never make it, that you're not good enough, that you don't belong here - and got this degree through sheer determination and will power.

I am so proud of you because in the process of getting your degrees, you've become fearless leaders, excellent community organizers, and responsible Black men and women. (And you know some of yall was wildin' when you first got here but we ain’t gonna name no names and embarrass you today).

I'm so proud of you because you have witnessed the daily murders of our people by the brutal occupation army, that some of you call the police, and in the midst of the rebellion that you're helping lead, you have managed to pass all your classes. (I know some of you were tempted to drop out and pick up guns to protect our people but we ain't there yet so we're gonna put that on hold. For now.)

I am so proud of you because you have CARRIED OUT our people's tradition of Black Excellence, Resilience, and Resistance with the honor and dignity it deserves.

I am so proud of you because you have come to represent what is BEST in us as a people. That you have become some of the BEST that we got. And because of that, the struggle for the freedom of our people now resides in your hands and in your leadership.

Now, having established how deeply proud we are of each and every single one of you, and that the future of our people resides in your leadership, it is our duty to tell you the true magnitude of what our people are facing today.

My people, we are at war. The United States and Europe have been at war with our Mother Africa, and us, as Africa's children, wherever we have gone in the world!


To prove this statement, we take you to Azania South Africa, where the white population there barely makes up 8.5% but owns 80% of the land and 90% of the total economy today! While the Black majority, our African masses suffer in poverty, live in shantytowns and have an unemployment rate of 40%! We’re talking about a country that is the world’s largest producer of platinum and manganese, and the world’s third largest producer of coal.

We take you to Ethiopia, where 60% of its national budget comes from the West, Europe and the U.S. As a result, that country is under effective control of its white puppet masters who pull its strings however they please from Washington DC. We’re talking about a country that has massive wealth in the form of fertile agricultural land that can feed all of East Africa.


We take you to Congo, the heart of Africa, where, ever since the Belgians and the CIA assassinated the first democratically elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, this country has done EVERYTHING under the sun to keep that country divided and fighting. We’re talking about a country that has the largest reserves of cobalt, and is one of the largest producers of copper and diamonds.


We take you to Haiti, the first independent nation in Latin America AND the Caribbean. Haiti was the first nation in the Western hemisphere to defeat THREE European superpower (Britain, France, and Spain), AND the ONLY nation in the world to be established as a result of a successful slave revolt! This act of independence was so revolutionary that the slave owning U.S President Thomas Jefferson refused to acknowledge the republic until after the American Civil War! Because of its Black revolutionary impulse, Haiti was never forgiven by Western powers who did and continue to do EVERYTHING in their power to keep that country divided, unstable, and under heavy economic control of the U.S. Today, Haiti is the playground of western so called “non-profit” organizations who do very little for the Haitian people but take in large sums of donation money for themselves. These organizations are nothing but modern day international poverty pimps, the scum of the earth! Nothing else! Nothing else!


Last but not least, we bring you to these United States of AmeriKKKa, the Babylon of our people, and the belly of the beast. Here is a country that was founded on the GENOCIDE of the indigenous people and the ENSLAVEMENT of Africans. We’re talking about chattel slavery here, a condition of human bondage so HORRIBLE that it is unmatched by anything else in human history! 250 years of SLAVERY, 90 years of Jim Crow, 60 years of Separate AND UnEqual, And more than 35 years of continued racist housing policy! We’re talking about a country that in 1921 in Tulsa Oklahoma, where there was a thriving Black community affectionately known as “Little Africa”, white people in all of their racist and murderous rage and envy, decided to have a race riot that murdered over 300 Black people, and looted and burned down 40 square blocks of 1,265 Black homes including hospitals, schools, churches and over 150 Black businesses. We’re talking about a country that has ASSASINATED some of our best leaders; Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, Dr. Martin Luther King, Lil Bobby Hutton, John Huggins and Bunche Carter; and framed and incarcerated the rest, Angela Davis, Sundiata Acoli, Jalil Muntaqim and the courageous sister they could not keep in prison, Assata Shakur!

We bring you to the ‘80s, where the CIA DUMPED crack cocaine in Black communities all over the country so that the devil President you call Ronald Reagan can fund reactionary and capitalist forces in Central and South America. The CIA admitted to doing this intentionally in a report they issued in 1996, and as soon as Black people started to get organized to demand answers, within weeks, the so-called Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky affair broke out and became the national news for the next two years. Think about that.

We bring you to today, June 13th of 2015! Today America has the most prisoners per capita in the WORLD! This is a country where 1 in 3 Black men can expect to go to jail over their lifetime and where Black women are the fastest growing prison population today. Of course this has nothing to do with preventing crime but with making prisons a profitable business by incarcerating Black and Brown people at astronomical rates for non-violent minor drug offenses. We live in a time where our families are being pushed out of our neighborhoods through gentrification because rent is increasing too much and too fast. And most importantly, we live in a time where a Black person is MURDERED every 28 hours by the police and vigilantes! Rekia Boyd, Michael Brown, Ayana Stanley-Jones, Eric Garner, Miriam Carey, Freddie Gray. And countless others whose names we may not know.

And it is out of these conditions TODAY that this generation made its declaration of resistance, BLACK LIVES MATTER!

Graduates, and my dear comrades,

This is the historical moment to which you belong. And it is because we love you that we must tell you the true historical conditions of our people. For if the struggle for our freedom is going to reside in your hands and your leadership, you MUST have a correct historical analysis of white supremacy and capitalism, and how these two forces have joined hands to oppress us. But we, we are a resilient people. We are a courageous people. And we are a people who can survive ANYTHING, because we have survived EVERYTHING that I have just described! Because we have just established beyond any reasonable doubt, that Amerikkka has been at war with us from its very inception, the question for you is simple? What are you going to do about it? How are you going to unite us and lead us to Freedom? Your job is difficult but simple! And you have but one responsibility to the masses of our people!  Your job is to organize yourselves in whatever profession that you go into in order to SERVE our people! Your job is to organize the masses of our people under one uncompromising objective! Black Liberation! As the Ferguson and Baltimore generation, you must recognize that what we need is not token Black representation in a white power structure. What we need is Black Liberation under Black Power! And the great Black Radical Tradition ain’t never been Capitalist! And when people ask you what do you want? You ought to tell them BLACK POWER! WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO YOU WANT?

BLACK POWER!

Thank you and Congratulations to the class of 2015!

All Power to the People!!

#MoreThanMarriage - Why Same-Sex Marriage Legalization Represents Privilege

Anthony Williams

June 28, 2015

Fact #1: The supreme court ruled same-sex marriage legal in all 50 U.S. states.

Fact #2: Less than 50% of our 50 states have employer non-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Fact #3: At least 80% of Black gay men have experiences with racism in the gay community.

The Human Rights Campaign and other advocates fighting for marriage equality needs to realize that “equal rights” are about #MoreThanMarriage. We should celebrate the wins when and where we can, but, as a 25-year-old cisgender Black gay man living in the Bay Area, marriage “equality” is not my top priority. My queerness comes second in both my eyes and the eyes of society. Sure, who I sleep with can get me into trouble, but this beautiful, Black skin of mine presents a higher and more visible risk, and therefore a higher priority.

Marriage benefits include as tax breaks, hospital visitation, and child custody laws, but let’s not forget that people can still be fired for their non-hetero sexuality(ies). There are currently 28 states without laws to protect LGBT folks from employment discrimination based on their gender and/or sexual identity. These states give employers the authority to legally fire a person on the basis of their sexual orientation alone. This does not automatically affect some men because we have the privilege of “passing.” We can pass as heterosexual because we present in traditionally “masculine” ways through our speech patterns, mannerisms, and overall appearance. This a privilege that many--like men with “effeminate” traits--do not have. Passing is also a choice, the alternative is to disclose their sexual orientation despite the fact that it is nobody’s business.

The conversation shifts when the circle of human concern is expanded to consider the lived experiences of trans folks. More so than discrimination on sexual orientation, trans folks are even more heavily discriminated against at work, home, and even within the supposedly inclusive gay community. Keep in mind that a person can be both trans and non-heterosexual, and therefore the marginalization intersects and the risk multiplies.

Take, for example,  the recent “White House heckler” whose comments didn’t make it to many mainstream media narratives. This transgender activist, Jennicet Gutiérrez, spoke up at an LGBTQ event at the White House and received criticism about her methods. Her message was obscured, but let’s be clear: immigrants who identify as trans are misgendered in detention centers and face physical and sexual abuse as a result. As a man marginalized for my Blackness and my queerness, I personally stand with Jennicet in saying #Not1More.

The case of trans detainees highlight the fact that same-sex marriage does not destroy homophobia, transphobia, racism, or racism within the gay community. The notion of marriage itself resides in a very privileged space. While there are many queer people of color who are patiently waiting to marry, this Supreme Court ruling benefits middle-class white gay men in ways that it may never benefit someone like me. I dislike comparing struggles, but I have never heard of anyone dying from not having the right to marry who they wish.

On the other hand we, as Black people, are being systematically targeted and killed daily for merely being Black. This racial targeting is nothing new, because Black people have never been seen as human to the institution of whiteness (read: by many / most white people). But since the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, mobilization took a new form through the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The movement--started by three womxn, two of them queer--is maintained by those same womxn and a Black queer man.

Don’t let silence hide the queer people who led movements for Black freedom. Don’t forget that the fight is not about Black liberation before LGBTQ liberation, but instead liberation for all people of African descent, including those who do not identify in the same ways as ourselves. Think about much further would we be in these intersectional struggles if we abandoned our collective tunnel vision earlier in the battle for liberation?

When the police are killing more of us--primarily Black folks--in a few days than other countries kill in an entire year, it is hard for me to focus on the potential bragging rights of marriage. In fact, this wave of state-sanctioned police brutality keeps me up at night and has many Black people too angry, scared and questioning to even consider marriage. So while I am happy to see colorful Facebook flags, my most pressing question boils down to:

What are you doing to get them to stop fucking killing us?

*meaning that my gender identity matches my biological sex and the gender I was assigned at birth. In practice this means I was assigned male based on my male genitalia and I identify as a man.

Anthony is a member of Cal BSU. He also is a Mellon Mays fellow. 

Why I'm Black, Queer, and I'm Unafraid and Unapologetic to Celebrate Gay Marriage Today

Alana Banks

June 28, 2015

Why I'm Black, Queer, and I'm Unafraid and Unapologetic to Celebrate Gay Marriage Today

I am Black, Salvadoran, and Gender fluid all at once. I don’t get to chose to be something different on a different day. I am me and all of me at every moment, every single second of the day .

Often people want me to choose though. Am I Black? Am I Salvadoran? Or am I gay today? They want me to compartmentalize my identity. Pick the piece they like out of me and leave the rest behind - like trail mix. Today this victory doesn’t stretch across all of my identities. Today we are celebrating gay marriage while my Black brothers and sisters are still dying, so now you ask me, today, am I Black or Gay? As if I don’t hold both my identities in my heart, so fragile, but still together. As if I wasn’t shouting  “Black lives matter” at every march with my Black people while my Black fist was in the air. As if I don’t know the names well: Mike Brown, Kayla Moore, Oscar Grant, Blake Brockington, Mya Hall. As if I didn’t lead chants, marches, and lost broken people. As if I don’t fight for Black liberation. As if i don’t weep for my people. As if I don’t fight every day just as much as the next Black person. As if I didn’t know it was Cash money record takin over from the ‘99 to the 2000’s and also I will survive and YMCA! But who am I today, you ask? I am both Black, Queer and here, with the right to hold both my identities in this celebration, don't worry I will never get complacent. Black and Queer folx will never be complacent, how when we can’t even celebrate freely without our straight counterparts reminding us “Black is still illegal”. As if this victory isn’t a victory for all of us. Why are you reminding me, do you think I need to be reminded? I should be reminding you to fight for me too. Because when you say Black Lives Matter are you including me? Black and Queer me? The founders of Black Lives Matter were! But are YOU including me? Queer Black people fight for Black lives Matter every single damn day just like you, so do us all a favor and uplift us on this one day, during this one small victory, JUST ONCE! Please, because the day before yesterday my marriage would not have been recognized, and today it is..a right straight people been having for a cool minute now.. So please excuse me if I’m excited!

And please find a different place to direct your anger, because directing it towards another marginalized group is called divide and conquer. We should all stick together and be happy that now that racist, homophobic, and conservative people are so sad about the week that SCOTUS is having that they will cry us a river all the way to California and end this drought.


But on a serious note: Tomorrow I will continue to fight this battle of Black Live Matter and Trans Lives Matter and all the other fucked up shit in the world but today I will take time to celebrate, because Love has won. Love will always win. It hasn’t failed me yet.

Peace, Love and Light,

Alana Banks

Alana Banks is a member of the Black Student Union at UC Berkeley. They are also the newly elected Black and Queer Senator. 

Ten Reasons Why Saying All Lives Matter Is Intellectually Immature.

Here are 10 reasons why the “all lives matter” argument intellectually does not make sense:
1. Were all lives stolen from their native land in shackles in chains?
2. Are all lives enslaved?
3. Are all lives robbed of their native language?
4. Do white terrorists execute all lives in places of worship?
5. Are all lives subjected to Jim Crow racial terror?
6. Are all lives taught to hate themselves?
7. Do the cops murder all lives disproportionately?
8. Do all lives have access to equal educational opportunities?
9. Are all lives discriminated in housing policies?
10. Are all lives working against 500 years of past and current racial hostility and violence?

All lives will truly matter when Black Lives Matter. And if you continue to say all lives matter, you are either intellectually immature or intellectually dishonest.

Oakland Family Needs Help to Avoid Eviction

A message from Wazi Davis:

Hey fam,
If there were ever a time I needed the hive to come through, it is right now. Two of the students I work with at Life Academy High School are at risk of being evicted from their home. Their landlord threatened to evict them if they don't raise at least $1000 by tomorrow. Mom has been struggling with unemployment and has reached out to several places for help but hasn't heard back much.

I've seen us work miracles before with raising money for jail support and travel for conferences so I have high hopes that we can help this Oakland family. Please help however you can by donating and/or sharing this fundraiser with your networks today!
Additionally, any resources you have for jobs or help for families in this sort of situation would be much appreciated as well. I am connecting more with the mother today and will share with her any resources/support you have.

http://www.gofundme.com/xnev2k

BSU at UC Berkeley is Holding a Vigil for Lives Stolen by Charleston Shooting

Today, June 17th, 2015 the Black Student Union at UC Berkeley is holding a vigil for lives stolen by the terrorist attack that took nine lives at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. We will gather to mourn both the lives taken on the night of June 17th, as well as the daily attacks on the Black community by white terrorists, the cops, and the many manifestations of white supremacy. We are reminded that as Black people, we are not safe in this country, and why the Black Panther Party advocated for armed self-defense, because America has, and never will protect us. We must protect each other.

The terrorist attack is reminiscent of 1963, when four little girls were murdered at 16th street Baptist Church in Alabama when Ku Klux Klan members bombed the Black church. We are reminded that we still live in Jim Crow racial terror. Nine people were killed at Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina, including Senator Clementa Pinckney. This is nothing short of an assassination. We urge for people to stand up, take the streets, and deplore these acts of racial hatred. Silence is violence. As Black students, we have a duty to our community on campus, and off campus. We will keep fighting, and we will win.

In Struggle and Revolution,

The Black Student Union at UC Berkeley.

"The Standard of Excellence" a speech by Kadijah Means.

Kadijah Means, the Pharaoh of the Black Student Union at Berkeley High delivered a powerful speech at Berkeley High's graduation. Here is a transcript of her message to the graduates.

"The Standard of Excellence"

By: Kadijah Means
twitter: @SpecialKay00

I want to talk about the city of Berkeley today. We’ve spent a lot of time here and I want to makes sure we talk about the good the bad and the uncomfortable.
The illusion of equity is continually perpetuated in Berkeley. Many believe discrimination is scarce in the Bay Area and issues of race are the rest of the country’s problem, but I can assure you this is not the reality. Segregation, micro aggressions, and implicit bias are abundant here, so yes, it is true our racism may not always be explicit, but it is no less insidious.

You may be wondering why I'm choosing to speak to you about racism on your graduation day. Or maybe you know me pretty well and are not surprised at all but in any case I am here to speak about this sometimes uncomfortable topic because racism taints our society's potential to be exceptional. I don't want any Berkeley high graduates to continue being active or even passive racist.

So what is a being a passive racist? Essentially, it is being a bystander. You are making no overt effort to help or hurt the cause, you are just letting the world pass you by. Sounds harsh but it's true. When you hear someone make an offensive jokes for example Ebola, or when you hear racial slurs and ignore them. This includes, but is not limited to the n-word you are a bystander.
These are all examples passive racism.

Regardless of the label: implicit bias or micro aggressions are all ingredients that make up the poison that is racism. This applies to some of the other isms whether it's sexism, classism or able-bodyism we have to make an effort to walk away from them to make a difference. You can support feminism though that's an excellent ism. I am here to encourage you to end systematic oppression.

We have privilege. Each and everyone of us. All in varying ways. I want to do a short demonstration that I think helps people grasp the rather abstract idea of privilege. Raise your hand if you're right-handed. Let's think about some privileges us right-handed people have:

Writing from left to right no ink smudges
School desks are made for right-handed people
Stick shift
Scissors
Guitars

It's crazy how right-handed people don't even have to think about those privileges because they are the majority. To my Left handed people I'm sure there's something everyday that reminds left-handed people that they're the minority. That's just something to think about as we go out into the world. We're from the Bay Area-- a place with very rich ethnic, income, and gender diversity, so it's important for us to remember that not everyone's life parallels our own. We must celebrate our differences while recognizing our privilege.

I know Privilege has a generally negative connotation, especially after that demonstration, but I think the privilege that unites us is pretty great. We've all had the opportunity to learn in a tolerant and progressive environment. We went to Berkeley high!! And although we aren't perfect which I'm sure you gathered from the first half this speech, we are still a dynamic and radiant community.

We can do it. We will do it. Many of us have already started. This year we have proven we our dedication to making a difference. Student leadership summits, starting radical clubs, advocating for sexual harassment assemblies which all challenge you to engage.

We have the ability to change the world. We have been afforded an excellent education at Berkeley High, believe it or not.

I know you care. You've proven you are dedicated to change. Student led community service projects, organizing impactful leadership summits, advocating for sexual harassment assemblies-- look at us one five we're impressive. We can be more. I challenge you to engage in the hard conversations and be your best selves.

It's time for us to take our quirky, radical, and avant garde experiences and teach the world to be a little more like us.

Black Student Union at UC Berkeley Responds to Police Lies

Black students are greatly affected by the actions of the Berkeley Police Department. In fact, last May 2014 we held a town hall to address Berkeley police brutality against some of our community members. Today however, we are here to speak on the misinformation the police are spreading in their report and articulate our our stance on parts of the report.

First and foremost, the police have never had a meeting with Cal BSU leadership when conducting this report, any remarks made counter to this are untrue. Second, we do not believe the police in any circumstance should use less lethal devices such as tear gas and rubber bullets and baton strikes in crowd control instances. We believe the police should not have access to any military grade weaponry at all. Lastly, we are opposed to increasing city resources toward the police department, and even more opposed to increased staffing of police officers.

Sincerely,
Cori McGowens, Chair 2015-2016
Myles Santifer, Chair 2014-2015

Cal Day protest reflects barriers experienced by Black students

As seen in the Daily Cal:

By:

Blake Simons and Gabrielle Shuman, Black Student Union at UC Berkeley

Nearly three months ago, the Black Student Union, or BSU, presented Chancellor Nicholas Dirks with 10 demands aimed at making institutional changes to improve the condition of Black students on campus. Ten weeks later and nearing the end of the academic year, Dirks has only agreed to three of the demands — one of which the university already had in progress, and the other two of which have no commitment to implementation in the near future. This response was a very frustrating one to receive, as it was only issued after Dirks was all but forced by fellow administrators to follow­ up from his first response, which simply outlined the campus status quo and dismissed all but one of the demands.

Frustrated and disappointed with Dirks’ lack of action, we decided to take our concerns to the public in a new way. On Saturday, UC Berkeley’s annual Cal Day, BSU members and our allies held a demonstration on Mario Savio Steps and shut down Sather Gate for about two hours. We shut down the gate to draw attention to our demands and highlight our struggles on campus in the larger context of the Black Lives Matter movement and struggle for Black humanity in America. In addition to helping our demands retain momentum in the public sphere, this action (just as all of our actions) provided a space in which the Black people participating could feel a sense of community across different identities, united through a common mission. Local community members also came to speak out at the action, such as Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson, the uncle of Oscar Grant. In addition to discussing struggles shared by Black students at universities across the globe, community members discussed the effect of various forms of state­ sanctioned violence on our lives, be it police brutality, poverty, the war on drugs, miseducation in the Eurocentric public school system, mental health struggles, violence against queer and trans folks or any of the multitude of battles Black folks in America must fight at a disproportionately high rate. Today and every day, we denounce all forms of state-sanctioned violence against oppressed peoples.

Choosing Cal Day was of particular significance to us, as it is a day in which tens of thousands of people come to campus to celebrate school spirit and what it means to be a UC Berkeley Golden Bear. As Black students at UC Berkeley, we are embedded in a racially hostile and academically unsupportive environment, and we felt that Cal Day was a perfect platform with which to express this. How can we be proud Golden Bears at an institution that devalues Blackness and Black lives while simultaneously profiting off of them via avenues such as Cal Athletics? (In 2014, the campus made more than $29 million in revenue from intercollegiate athletics , the year after the NCAA and SF Gate exposed that Black male athletes at UC Berkeley have a 40 percent graduation rate.) The barrier we formed at Sather Gate was representative of the barriers to our education and well-being that we are forced to exist within every day at this campus. Too often, Black students are featured on UC Berkeley brochures in an attempt to highlight the importance of diversity to the campus, yet behind closed doors, we face endless bureaucracy and excuses as to why our priorities need to be delayed. The small inconvenience the barrier posed to Cal Day participants is nowhere near comparable to the effects state-sanctioned violence has had on Black people in the education system and in America. Today and every day, we fight back against the painful reality within which Black folks exist in this country.

Dirks, we urge you to sign on and agree to our demands and to be on the right side of history. You recently wrote an op­-ed in which you discussed Ferguson, Missouri, and the Black Lives Matter movement. If Black lives truly matter to you, then the Black educational experiences at your institution of work need to matter as well. If Black folks matter to you, you will aid us in reversing the anti­-black infrastructure that this university finds in its foundation. We do not wish to be a spectacle on your diversity flyers if our educational experiences are not going to be valued here. We ask you to please not engage in the blatant hypocrisy of naming a building after Martin Luther King Jr., when other buildings are permitted to remain named after racist colonizers or slave masters — for example, Barrows Hall and LeConte Hall. If you truly want to begin acting as an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement, you will replace rhetoric with action and sign on to the Black Student Union’s demands.

We will continue to fight collectively for our humanity on and off of this campus. As Assata Shakur said, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

We hope you join us on the right side of history, Chancellor Nicholas Dirks.

In struggle and revolution —

Blake Simons and Gabrielle Shuman, Black Student Union

Black students at UC Berkeley demand institutional changes

BERKELEY, Calif. – The Black Student Union and other key Black student organizations on UC Berkeley’s campus have demanded that Chancellor Nicholas Dirks implement institutional changes to address the conditions of Black students at the university.

“Black students, staff, and faculty on UC Berkeley’s campus are in a state of emergency requiring immediate attention,” said Gabrielle Shuman, co-chair of political affairs for the BSU. On Feb. 13, Black student leaders met with Chancellor Dirks and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele to demand changes. These demands of the Chancellor include increased space for Black students, increased staffing for recruitment and retention of Black students, mental health resources, support for Black student athletes, and recruitment of more Black graduate students and faculty.

Admissions and enrollment of Black undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley is abysmal. Black students also report high levels of disrespect, stereotypes and an anti-black campus climate. “The Chancellor told the campus he is working with the Black Student Union to improve campus climate,” said Spencer Pritchard, chair of the CalSERVE coalition. “We worked with multiple campus partners to bring the Chancellor tangible proposals that are ready to be implemented.”

We found both the February 13th and the March 6th meetings to be positive, and were looking forward to the next concrete steps Chancellor Dirks would take to address our demands. However, we were frustrated when Chancellor Dirks defaulted on the March 6th, 2015 deadline we gave him to respond to the Black Student Union Demands, and did not respond until Tuesday, March 10th. We were further frustrated when the response we received did not adequately address our concerns - rather Chancellor Dirks circumvented having to directly respond to each of our demands as we had requested. He instead removed his office from the responsibility to implement solutions to the issues we face, shifting the focus to other departments, and left several critical issues we raised unaddressed entirely. We understand this action to demonstrate disrespect to the Black Student Union and our efforts to better our conditions on this campus.

BSU member Alana Banks said, “Black people have been oppressed by this university since its creation. The fact that we have to come up with demands for long-overdue support, to us, is a testament of our condition.”

Students found the meeting to be positive and look forward to the next concrete steps Chancellor Dirks will take to address their demands. Nzingha Dugas, Director of African American Student Development, also attended the meeting.

“We hope the chancellor stays true to his word and works with us. We need leadership, not rhetoric, in order to improve campus climate,” Pritchard said. “He must follow up his words with action.”

Furthermore, if studnets do not receive a written response from Chancellor Dirks addressing in detail, each of the individual demands as they were presented, by 5:00PM on Tuesday, March 17th, students will understand that the Chancellor has not prioritized the dire needs of Black students on this campus. And as such, students and allies will proceed accordingly.

Rasheed Shabazz keynotes San Jose State Black History Month Showcase

Afrikan Black Coalition Communications Director Rasheed Shabazz delivered the keynote speech at San Jose State University’s Black History Month celebration on February 28. Shabazz was quoted by the Spartan Daily, SJSU’s student newspaper, discussing joining ABC and launching The ABC Movement.

“I’m just working on the foundation that others have built before me,” Shabazz said.

The article continues:

Shabazz joined the organization because he wanted to know what was happening with other campuses within the African-American community.

Shabazz spoke about important black figures who are often left out of the history books as well as the importance for all to remember their roots and to continue fighting for a positive future.

...

“This was impressive … I really appreciate the diversity of culture that was shown from dancing to singing to poetry to rapping,” Shabazz said.

Source: “Roots: African-American history showcased" Spartan Daily, March 4, 2015.

UC Merced Black Student Union Demands Resources for Black Students

“Even though UC Merced likes to promote itself as being diverse, the university does not provide adequate resources for Black students."
- Carli Bardier, UC Merced Black Student Union

MERCED, California – Over 40 Black students marched and rallied at UC Merced on February 26 to call attention to the lack of resources for Black students. Students marched from the dining commons through campus holding signs calling and chanting for better treatment and services for Black students.

“Even though UC Merced likes to promote itself as being diverse, the university does not provide adequate resources for Black students,” said Carli Bardier, president of the Black Student Union (BSU). Approximately 5.7 percent of UC Merced students identify as African American/Black, but that percentage is declining, according to the BSU.

The UC Merced BSU issued six demands for UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland to address systemic barriers for Black students. Students have demanded the creation and permanent funding of a Black Resource Center and a Black Studies Department. With the lack of targeted resources for Black students on our campus, the center can serve as a targeted resource for Black students. This Black Resource Center will serve as the “umbrella” for all support, resources, and programs for students from the African diaspora at UCM. The center will provide leadership training, collaborative meeting/study rooms, networking/scholarships, community service efforts, advisement, and advocacy for the diaspora community on campus.

"Providing resources for Black student success and eliminating the hostile, and anti-Black campus climate needs to be one of Chancellor Leland’s top priorities."
- Xavier Harris

The Black Studies Department would join the growing movement of research about Black people. Students believe that in order for change in the African-American community we must first be educated on our past. Black Studies units exist at most of the other UC campuses, many California State Universities, and many California Community Colleges. Students also demanded two-full time Black psychologists that could support students mental health needs, especially the stress dealing with racial discrimination. Black students frequently experience disrespect and exclusion from faculty and students on campus based on race, according to a recent campus climate study conducted by the University of California system.

Marches and rallies may be rare today on campus, but Black students experience racism every day, according to BSU members.

“Providing resources for Black student success and eliminating the hostile, and anti-Black campus climate needs to be one of Chancellor Leland’s top priorities,” Xavier Harris, secretary of the BSU said. “It’s a shame that we have to come up with demands on how the university can better serve us.”

The BSU’s other demands include access to contact information of new first year and Black transfer students, as well as Black alumni. The BSU demands implementation of the demands within the next 3-6 months.