Into the Fire writes, "Into The Fire is a film with a difference. Besides being a hard hitting documentary which shows the plight of refugees and migrants amidst a collapsing Greek economy, it's also an experiment in new film production and distribution techniques. A year ago, we made a first, crowd-funded trip to Athens. We filmed shocking levels of racism, police brutality, and right-wing extremism - as well as the courageous and inspiring people who are organising against it.
"Into the Fire will be released on 21st April on the internet. We crowd-funded the film and crowd-sourced the subtitles: it's been translated into eight languages using the open subtitler Amara. We are also using crowd-sourcing as the release and distribution strategy for the documentary: anyone who signs up to participate will receive embedding details ahead of time, and the film will be released on various websites simultaneously. The audience becomes the distribution network."
In this video from CPAC, a black man seems like he sincerely interested in helping find a way for conservatives to appeal to other African Americans, but then he suddenly gets screamed on by a white guy who insists that "race doesn't matter." Which in short, summarizes why the Republicans continually lose the vote of any group that doesn't have white skin. Here is a partial transcript:
Black guy: "Recruit us."
White guy: "So?"
Black guy: "What's wrong with the message?"
White guy: "Why didn't you go out and look?"
Black guy: "What's wrong with the message? How many?" (Holding up five fingers on one hand)
White guy: "I don't count?!?!"
Black guy: "It matters."
White guy: "I don't ask people what their . . ?"
Black guy: "It matters because."
White guy: ((unintelligible))
Black guy: "I do. Cause race matters."
White guy: "No it doesn't!!! You're an American! You're not a black person! You're an American! I didn't go in and count all the Jews?"
The white guy continues to scream at the black guy, and doesn't get asked to leave. The black guy gets asked to leave. There's a shocker.
Then, perhaps realizing what a racist ass he has revealed himself to be, the white guy accuses the black guy of trying to divide the country by acknowledging that he is, in fact, a black guy in a failed effort to hide the fact that he's a racist.
Near the end of the video, the man who was asked to leave goes on to say:
"I'm trying to understand how come there's no black people here. I'm trying to figure out why the outreach of the GOP and especially CPAC is not working with black citizens and I have yet to find an answer, only I get, all I've gotten is abrasive attitudes and people yelling because I guess I ask the tough question, just ask the simple question, where's the inclusion? Where are the black people? I don't know why that is so offensive?"
Perhaps this man hasn't yet caught on that the Republican Party is a broken flop. Republicans telling white Republicans that race no longer matters only works on white Republicans, and they exclude everyone who isn't white and wealthy.
First, Donald Trump demanded that President Obama show his birth certificate, repeating a racist conspiracy theory that Obama isn't really American. Then Trump wanted to see his academic transcripts, implying that he got into Harvard because he's black. And on Election Night, Trump accused President Obama of essentially stealing the election and called for a "revolution."
So why does Macy's have a special deal to promote Donald Trump's line of clothes, including a major holiday season TV ad campaign? Macy's should not continue to allow this kind of racism by association with their family brand.
It's time for Macy's to tell Donald Trump: "You're fired."
On October 25 of last year, the Oakland Commune at Oscar Grant Plaza was raided with enough brutal force to gain international attention. Since then, continuous state repression and police brutality have sought to divide Oakland and keep its residents from reclaiming public space in a time of local, national and global austerity.
The Oakland Commune served as a socio/political refuge for Oakland residents. It was open and free to all and provided a space where people could traverse race and class divides in order to share food, discussion and visions of a more just world. During this time, it was reported that crime within the beat that contained Oscar Grant Plaza went down 19 percent, which highlights the social efficacy of the community when allowed to come together and care for itself.
This Thursday October 25, Occupy Oakland will take back Oscar Grant Plaza with the intention of reclaiming the commons and the right of the people to organize in City Centers. This is a call out to all those who either experienced or were intrigued by the power of the Oakland Commune to come and contribute to the evening’s planned discussions on racism, patriarchy, state repression, and bridges to building a mass movement. A pot luck, community forum and general assembly are scheduled to begin at 4:00pm, followed by a march at 7:00pm. Films will be shown in the evening.
As supporters of Mitt Romney lined up outside Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, the site of a Monday night rally, ProgressNow Action wanted to hear what those Romney supporters had to say as they strolled past the group’s cardboard cut-out of President Barack Obama. A Video camera caught every word:
“Go back to Kenya!” one person says.
“Strangle him!” says another.
Some of the comments were directed at the ProgressNow staffers holding up the cut-out and the video camera.
“Is that your Muslim communist buddy?” one person asks.
“Why are you supporting an Islamist, Marxist idiot?” asks another.
“He looks real good standing on a street corner,” one passerby says. “In about three months, he’ll be doing that all the time.”
The Obama cut-out was also wearing a button that said, “Thanks, Obamacare.”
When asked what they want people who watch the video to see, Joanne Schwartz, executive director of Progress Now had this to say:
“It’s clear that not all, but many within Romney’s base of support dislike the President for irrational and often hateful reasons. Comments like ‘go back to Kenya,’ and asserting Obama is ‘black and used up’ reflect a much uglier prejudice than most Americans would identify with.
“Others continue to repeat discredited race-baiting falsehoods about the President’s religion and nationality,” Schwartz continued.
“Everyone we videotaped yesterday has a right to free expression, but others have the right to publicly reject intolerance. In a free society, we have an obligation to call this out.”
I was a bit surprised that the hate speak was coming from all age groups, and virtually all of the Romney supporters. And they were all fully aware that they were being filmed! This video really confirmed for me what I've already suspected; that Mitt Romney has run the nastiest and most hate-filled political campaign that I've ever witnessed in my lifetime.
A new video released by Occupy High has announced a May 1st "Walkout" as they stand in solidarity with the Occupy movement and workers everywhere.
Here is the text of a letter addressed to the city of New York that was read aloud in the video:
Dear New York City,
We, the students of public education, are here to inform you about the injustice that is taking place in our school system:
* The privatization of our school system
* The budget cuts
* Lack of appropriate leadership
* Malicious closings/phasing out of schools against the communities’ wishes.
* Cell phone policies
* Overcrowded classes & abuse of SAFE rooms
* Over policing of our schools and the criminalization of our youth
We feel that these issues are setting our students up for failure, and we DEMAND a change! We believe that trying to control our schools is just another symptom of the blatant racism in our country similar to the government’s response to the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin.
Because of this, our first action will be a mass student walkout on May 1st at 12pm to Fort Greene Park. We will be holding teach-ins, teen summits & other peaceful events.
Please add your name to our letter and support us in our struggle for our education.
There has been much discussion as to whether people of color have been adequately involved and represented in the Occupy Wall Street movement. However, the discussion needs to be not just focusing on if there is enough diversity in Occupy Wall Street, but also on if that diversity is leading to a shift toward racial justice and equity in the agenda and politics embraced by the movement.
This is the first in a two-part series from Colorlines. Read the full report here.
An occupy protester loudly shouts a question at Mitt Romney, What does he plan to do for the 99 percent, since he’s part of the one percent? Romney's reply?
Let me tell you something. America is a great nation, because we’re a united nation. And those who are trying to divide the nation, as you’re trying to do here, and as our president is doing, are hurting this country seriously. The right course for America is not to try to divide America, and try and divide us between one and another. It’s to come together as a nation.
And if you’ve got a better model, if you think China’s better, or Russia’s better, or Cuba’s better, or North Korea’s better... I’m glad to hear all about it.
But you know what? America’s right, and you’re wrong.
The barely under the surface racism coming from the GOP presidential contenders during this primary season is quite disturbing. 'Go back to Russia, or wherever you came from and take your Kenyan president with you?' Really, Mitt Romney? Really?
