How Black actors help audiences understand the links

Activist Radio has the following guest on this week:

GUEST: Jen Marlowe, award-winning author, documentary filmmaker and playwright, talks about her most recent film, "There Is a Field," and how Black actors help audiences understand the links between Black Lives Matter and Palestinian liberation.

https://www.thereisafield.movie

Activist Radio is broadcast: Thursdays 5-6 pm from WVKR 91.3 FM at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY; Sundays 4-5 pm from WIOF 104.1 FM in Woodstock, NY; and Sundays 5-6 pm from the Progressive Radio Network at PRN.FM. It will also be posted on the ClassWars website for the next ten weeks. Simply click on the date to hear it.

ENJAN's petition for police reform

In conjunction with ENJAN's petition for police reform in the City of Poughkeepsie, I'm attaching the two documents released by the Poughkeepsie Community Action Collaborative (PCAC) to which many ENJAN members contributed:

• Findings and Recommendations for the City of Poughkeepsie in Response to New York State Executive Order 203 on Police Reform and Reinvention (2/28/2021)
• Report Addendum #1: Arrest and Crime Data (3/9/2021)

Bill 

Please sign this petition

With the Poughkeepsie Common Council scheduled to vote on the Police Reform Plan for EO 203 on Monday, 29 March, we are releasing ENJAN's petition for police reform in the City of Poughkeepsie, which will go to the Mayor Rolison and Common Council. Please sign it and then ask ALL your Poughkeepsie friends and activists to sign it as well! You can do that from the petition after you sign it or you can send them the link below.

Here is the petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-on-the-mayor-and-common-council-for-police-reform-now/ 

Thanks,

Jeff

[Ideally, those signing would have some connection to the city of Poughkeepsie (live, work, play, worship, frequent visitor, etc). There is a space for people to explain their connection to the city.]

Women’s History Month Kingston

Who Is Claudia Jones? Lessons To Be Learned From a Black Woman Communist  Saturday, March 20 | 4p – 5:30p Claudia Jones (February 21, 1915 – December 24, 1964) has been recognized as one of the most influential women in the United States Communist Party. Her life demonstrates the importance of and need for a Black international revolutionary movement.  Presented by Ethan Scott Barnett as part of Women’s History Month Kingston. 43 Gill St | Kingston Read more about the program and register here.

Justice for Breonna Rally

The Breonna Taylor Albany Solidarity Rally for this Saturday location has CHANGED due to a conflict with another event held in East Capitol Park. Please see the flyer below. 

 The rally will be held at Washington Park's Playhouse on Saturday at 1 PM EST. Please share this email widely and ask others to reshare. Please also call any of those you know who are coming to make sure they know the location has been changed due to conflicting events at the mutual location.

**Please fill out this google form link if you are attending: RSVP HERE

For any questions, email: EO203NYNetwork@gmail.com

 

Ending solitary confinement

END THE TORTURE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT 

Every year, tens of thousands of people are locked in solitary confinement for months, years, and

even decades. Recognized by the United Nations as torture, solitary confinement causes immense physical and psychological harm and has led to the deaths of Kalief Browder, Layleen Polanco and other loved ones. 

But New York can end this torture. Will you take urgent action today to help win the passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act?

Three ways to take action TODAY:

• Contact your legislators: Take 2 minutes to contact your legislator and demand they pass the HALT Solitary Confinement Act. This digital tool will allow you to call, email and tweet at your representatives - please contact your legislator now!

• Rally at 12pm: Join us at 12pm for statewide rallies demanding the immediate passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act. Join us on Zoom here or in person. For exact locations or to join digitally, RSVP here.

• Organize at 6pm: Join us at 6pm for our Statewide Organizing Meeting. Get inside updates on our campaigns and take action to end the torture of solitary confinement. RSVP here.

TODAY: CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS. RALLY AT 12PM. ORGANIZE AT 6PM.

GUEST: Felicia Eaves, long time human rights advocate

Activist Radio has the following guest on this week:

GUEST: Felicia Eaves, long time human rights advocate, co-chair of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Coordinator for American Muslims for Palestine, talks about her latest series of presentations focused on the longstanding solidarity between Black Lives Matter and Palestinian liberation. 

https://www.ampalestine.org/events/premiere-yalla-y-all-series-episode-1-w-prof-alex-lubin

Activist Radio is broadcast: Thursdays 5-6 pm from WVKR 91.3 FM at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY; Sundays 4-5 pm from WIOF 104.1 FM in Woodstock, NY; and Sundays 5-6 pm from the Progressive Radio Network at PRN.FM. It will also be posted on the ClassWars website for the next ten weeks. Simply click on the date to hear it.

Hardcore discrimination against the black and African American population of Poughkeepsie

 As most of you know, a small task force of the Poughkeepsie Community Action Collaborative (PCAC) has been engaged in a months-long investigation regarding policies, practices, and operations of the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department (CPPD). Part of this investigation includes an ongoing lawsuit by one of our members against the city to obtain CPPD records. 

In the attached report we used accepted methods of demonstrating disparate impact in analysis of these records and found that the CPPD has engaged in a clear pattern of unconstitutional and hardcore discrimination against the black and African American population of Poughkeepsie. It is further demonstrated that these practices have been ramped up since the mayor, city administrator, and chief of police settled into their offices. In the final stages of the investigation we consulted with civil rights attorney Michael Sussman, who joined Isis Benitez and I for a presentation of the report today, which can be viewed here.

As the report states, we have referred this matter to the NYS Attorney General's Office, and this morning they referred it to their Civil Rights Bureau. We are also referring it to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Attorney's Office of the Southern District of NY. As what we demonstrate in our investigation is comparable, if not in excess of, discrimination cases the DOJ has pursued against other police departments, we fully expect investigations to commence.

If you do not have our full report that was released March 1, please contact Isis at PCAC@equitablefuture.org for a copy of it.

Here is the video:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXuRgWO7wME

Sincerely,
Brian Robinson
CEO
Equitable Future, Inc.
(518) 331-4059
EquitableFuture.org

On March 13, one year after

On March 13, one year after three white police officers killed Breonna Taylor in her home, there will be a rally in Albany to bring attention to the broad failures of all levels of government in their duty to address systemic racism in policing. Grassroots organizations across NY are expressing utter dissatisfaction with their localities’ handling of Executive Order 203 and Gov. Cuomo’s determination that the aspirational words contained therein amount to nothing more than meaningless rhetoric.

Please make your way to East Capitol Park in Albany at 1pm on March 13 to remember Breonna Taylor and to ensure that EO 203 isn’t another in a long line of false promises to the millions in NY directly affected by these inequities and injustices.