Culture of Resistance

socialismartnature: (Photo) “The Lynching of Trayvon Martin: The Truth About Racism in America Today” TRAYVON MARTIN is dead because he was a young Black man walking where someone thought he shouldn’t be. His devastating story is as old as the United States—and it proves that racism is alive and well in 2012, while the first African American president sits in the White House. The widespread shock and anger over what happened to Trayvon — and the massive protest that has already emerged around this travesty — tell us something else, too: That large numbers of people are outraged by racist injustice in this and other forms and are increasingly willing to fight back.Please join an important meeting being hosted by the International Socialist Organization at various locations around Boston to discuss where we go from here: 7pm, Thursday, March 29th CODMAN HEALTH CENTER (BASEMENT) 637 WASHINGTON STREET, DORCHESTER (Take red line to shawmut station, or 23 Bus to Washington & Southern Ave.)AND 7pm, Thursday, March 29th HAYMARKET PEOPLE’S FUND 42 SEAVERNS AVE, JAMAICA PLAIN (Take orange line to green street station, or 39 Bus to centre st & seaverns.)

socialismartnature:

(Photo) “The Lynching of Trayvon Martin: The Truth About Racism in America Today”

TRAYVON MARTIN is dead because he was a young Black man walking where someone thought he shouldn’t be. His devastating story is as old as the United States—and it proves that racism is alive and well in 2012, while the first African American president sits in the White House.

The widespread shock and anger over what happened to Trayvon — and the massive protest that has already emerged around this travesty — tell us something else, too: That large numbers of people are outraged by racist injustice in this and other forms and are increasingly willing to fight back.

Please join an important meeting being hosted by the International Socialist Organization at various locations around Boston to discuss where we go from here:
7pm, Thursday, March 29th
CODMAN HEALTH CENTER (BASEMENT)
637 WASHINGTON STREET, DORCHESTER
(Take red line to shawmut station, or 23 Bus to Washington & Southern Ave.)


AND

7pm, Thursday, March 29th
HAYMARKET PEOPLE’S FUND
42 SEAVERNS AVE, JAMAICA PLAIN
(Take orange line to green street station, or 39 Bus to centre st & seaverns.)

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Reblogged from Socialism Art Nature

Updates in the Trayvon Martin Murder Case (3/23/12)

thepoliticalfreakshow:

Here’s the latest…

  1. President Obama finally addresses the Trayvon Martin controversy in a speech today at the White House Rose Garden. The President identified himself with Trayvon and stated that if he had a son, he would “look like Trayvon.” President Obama took gracious care to not discuss the shooter, George Zimmerman, or any legal aspect of the case, except that he wants a thorough investigation of the murder. [Los Angeles Times]
  2. Frank Taeffe, friend of George Zimmerman, says that if he was in Zimmerman’s shoes, he would have shot Trayvon as well.Taeffe was a fellow neighborhood watchman with Zimmerman, likely sharing the same obsession of vigilante justice. Taeffe owns a .9mm weapon, and claims that zimmerman is not a racist, even though voicemail recordings tell a different story. [CBS News]
  3. Three of the four main GOP candidates made statements regarding the case of Trayvon Martin, with only Ron Paul not making a statement. Newt Gingrich was the only presidential hopeful to speak before President Obama’s statement today in the Rose Garden. Gingrich said, “Well my view is that the local district attorney’s doing exactly the right thing,” Gingrich told CNN’s Piers Morgan on Thursday night, pointing out that the alleged shooter, George Zimmerman, apparently had a history of repeated calls to 911 over the last year. “This is why you have a balance between the police and the district attorney…I think that Americans can recognize that while this is a tragedy, and it is a tragedy, that we’re going to” pursue justice.” Santorum said, “It’s a horrible case. It’s chilling to hear what happened and of course the fact that law enforcement didn’t immediately go after and prosecute this case is another chilling example of, you know, obviously horrible decisions made by people in this process.” Romney, in a move of obviously not caring about the situation, made the shortest statement I have ever seen after an event like this. It was 28 words! He said, “What happened to Trayvon Martin is a tragedy,” Romney said. “There needs to be a thorough investigation that reassures the public that justice is carried out with impartiality and integrity.” The lucidity of the GOP candidates only lasted for a few seconds, because Newt Gingrich accused President Obama of injecting himself into the controversy and making his race a talking point. Ironically, Gingirch inserted himself into the controversy by twisting President Obama’s words around. [Politico]
  4. Friends of Trayvon Martin stated that he never picked fights on anyone, and that he was not a confrontational kid. Jerome Horton, one of Trayvon’s former football coaches and family friend since Trayvon was 5, had this to say about Trayvon, “There’s no way I can believe that, because he’s not a confrontational kid,” said Jerome Horton, who was one of Martin’s former football coaches and knew him since he was about 5. “It just wouldn’t happen. That’s just not that kid.” Also, Trayvon was a laid-back kid who enjoyed watching sports with his dad, and had never been in any trouble with the law. Zimmerman, on the other hand, has! [Eyewitness News 9]
  5. There have been some myths and misunderstandings about the Trayvon Martin case and George Zimmerman. However, the crime is still heinous. Here’s some of the myths and misunderstandings explained. [Orlando Sentinel]
  6. Geraldo Rivera, in an interview with Fox & Friendsthis morning, blamed Trayvon Martin’s death on him wearing a hoodie. SERIOUSLY, HE SAID THAT!!He also urged African-American and Latino parents to dress their kids in things other than hoodies. In the same frame of demented logic, he probably believes that a woman deserves rape for wearing a low cut blouse and a short skirt. [Seattle PI]

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Reblogged from The Political Freakshow

i-am-septima:

allimmaturityandallcaps:

jaybellavitta:

“I am TIRED OF burying little black boys” 

Congresswoman Wilson’s House floor speech on the

shooting death of Trayvon Martin

God bless Florida Representative Frederica Wilson.

Transcript:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the time.

Mr. Speaker? I am tired of burying young black boys.

I am tired of watching them suffer at the hands of those who fear them and despise them. I’m tired of comforting mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, and brothers after such unnecessary, heinous crimes of violence.

In Florida, almost 3 years ago, as I served in the Florida senate, a young black boy, Martin Lee Anderson, was beaten to death at a Florida bootcamp. It was all captured on a State of Florida Corrections video and shown all over the world. Martin Lee Anderson was beaten and tortured until his lifeless body couldn’t take anymore, and then Martin Lee Anderson was dead, at the hands of several bootcamp guards. A young boy, who wanted to be somebody! A young boy who was trying to turn his life around.

After they beat him to death on international TV as the world watched, over and over again—not one guard was sent to prison. Not one was even reprimanded. In fact, after we closed down every bootcamp in Florida, many of the accused received promotions.

Well, guess what? In Florida, we have another Martin—Trayvon Martin. Trayvon Martin was shot to death by a renegade wannabe policeman neighborhood watchman.

Trayvon Martin lived in Miami, Florida, in District 17—my congressional district. Trayvon, a 140-pound young black boy, 17 years old, was just trying to live and reach 18. In spite of that, the accused killer, George Zimmerman, has not been charged, and is using the term of “self-defense.”

The 911 audio tapes tell it all. They tell the story of the last moments of Trayvon Martin’s life, just as the videotapes told so visibly the story of Martin Lee Anderson’s last moments.

Trayvon was running for his life. He was screaming for help, fighting for his life, and then he was murdered—shot dead.

Today, I applaud the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the FBI, and the Federal Department of Justice for their intervention. I encourage the citizens of Florida and the citizens from around the world to continue to fight for justice for Trayvon Martin. Justice must be served. No more racial profiling.

I’m tired of fighting when the evidence is so clear, so transparent.

Twenty years ago, while serving as a school board member, I founded the Five Thousand Role Models of Excellence project: A million-dollar nationally recognized and honored foundation that specifically addresses the trials and tribulations of young black boys, and sends them to college. It impacts almost 20,000 young men throughout Florida.

In spite of that, we still have to march, and demonstrate, and write letters, and protest, and fight, and have prayer vigils, and sue, and sit in, just to be heard.

No more! No more, Florida. No more, America! No more hiding your criminal racial profiling by using self-defense to get away with murder. Stand up for Trayvon Martin! Stand up for justice! Stand up for our children!

I’m tired, tired, tired of burying young black boys.

Thank you, and I turn back the balance of my time.

She said it all.

(via thepoliticalfreakshow)

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Source jaybellavitta

Reblogged from I GIVE IT TO YOU straight No Chaser