Welfare Mothers Voice Resistance

Cuba's President Fidel Castro is offering 6 years of free medical training to poor US. students who cannot afford medical school. This is the first time US. students are being admitted into the program. The only condition is that the student commit to serving poor communities in the US after receiving their license.

3,400 students from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are already enrolled in Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine--for free. On average medical school in the US. costs about $200,000. Kareema Mosi, who was just accepted into the program, says, "It'd be extremely hard to work in an under-served community if you're worried about all those debts." Room and board will also be provided for free by the Cuban government.

info from Workers World

55 West 17 Street; New York, NY, 10011

People Before Gas Profits!

Skyrocketing prices of gas and electricity are affecting all Americans, especially the poor. On March 17, over 100 angry Baltimore Gas & Electric Company customers held a lunch time protest at BG&E Co. Over 500 people signed petitions demanding a rollback on rates and a moratorium on utility shutoffs.

Many protesters used their bills to illustrate how rates have doubled and tripled. One protester was charged $2,100 for one month. Renee Washington chaired the rally and stated, "Do we want more families to burn to death because they are forced to light with candles? How can working families, the poor, and seniors on fixed incomes pay these outrageous bills?" The general theme of the rally was people must come before profits.

info from Workers World

WorkFirst Puts Children Last in Washington State

On February 19 over 2000 advocates rallied at Washington state's capitol steps to urge legislators to restore funding to human services programs. Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition (WROC) members carried signs and banners to the Capitol proclaiming that, "WorkFirst puts children last." They chanted, "What shall we end? Time Limits. When do we end them? NOW!" The chanters interrupted Governor Locke telling the crowd he was doing everything he could for human services. Protesters and a few legislators, held a banner that said, "GOvernor Locke's budget hurts low-income families."

WROC member, Raven Hutchinson, stated that child care co-paymnents were too high and welfare time limits unnecessary. She demanded education and living wage jobs as real welfare reform. Before the rally, Adrienne Newland explained the legislative bills WROC is watching. Later parents met with their legislators to demand an end to time limits and education to be counted as work for moms on welfare.

Info from WROC

1802 E. Pine; Seattle, WA 98122

Native American Smashes Statue of Columbus

Justice Activist James Cosner used a sledge hammer to smash a life-size statue of Christopher Columbus in San Jose's City Hall. In front of dozens of witnesses he broke off the arm, both legs, and cracked his face. Cosner smashed and shouted "Genocide" "This man rode our backs," and "This man murdered us!" Cosner is a Native American.

The Columbus statue, prominently displayed in San Jose's City Hall has been reviled by native Americans. They see it as a sick reminder of the ruthless slaughter and conquest of the peoples in the Americas.

When Columbus's arrived to the New World there were 1.1 million Arawaks in Haiti (not counting children). Columbus kidnapped, enslaved, and murdered the Arawak people. He punished them by cutting off their noses or ears for minor crimes. When the Arawaks fought back, Columbus waged war. He and his men tore them up with dogs, mowed them down with bullets, and ran them over with horses. Columbus reported all this to Queen Isable of Spain "In the name of the Holy Trinity." The Spaniards hunted the Indians for sport and murdered them for dog food.

Columbus enslaved the remaining Arawak nation to mine for gold. If they refused he had their hands cut off. Conditions were so unbearable that as many as 100 would commit suicide at a time. Women would kill their newborn babies to keep them from suffering. Columbus rewarded his men by letting them rape women and girls, especially girls who were between 10 and 12 . When Columbus died in 1505, his son took over. By 1516 only 12,000 Arawaks remained. By 1555 the entire Arawak nation was gone.

[1]James Cosner is active in protests against the injustice of the homeless in Santa Cruz, and in the struggle to free Mumia Abu Jamal.

The mayor of San Jose vows to restore the statue and move it to the new City Hall when it opens.

Info from Becky Johnson

wmnosftl@cruzio.com

Jaywalking for Justice

On December 21, 2000, outraged Los Angeles activists participated in a Jay-Walk-A-Thon. The purpose was to stop police harassment and abuse of Skid Row homeless and residents. The Jay-Walk-A-Thon challenged the excessive jaywalking citations issued to the poorest people in LA.

Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN) and Los Angeles Coalition Against Hunger & Homelessness (LACEH&H) were joined by Catholic Workers, ACORN, and V.O.A. (Volunteers of America). Bob Erlenbusch led a round of testimony with hard-hitting facts about the LAPD's policing. He questioned the motives for giving homeless people citations after 2:00 AM.

The protesters led the Jay-Walk-A-Thon in massive defiance. They walked from 6th. and Wall to 6th and Crocker. The LAPD followed on bikes. No one was issued a ticket.

Info from The Bottom Line

548 S. Spring St. Suite 339; Los Angeles CA 90013

Philadelphia March Against Welfare Reform

On March 3, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) led a march from North Philadelphia to a rally at the State Office Building. The march was to mark the fourth year of welfare reform in Pennsylvania.

KWRU brought to light the suffering of the people most under attack. In Philadelphia only about 40 percent of the people who face work requirements under welfare reform have been able to find jobs. Those jobs that do exist pay nowhere near enough for people to provide the basic necessities.

from People's Tribune

P.O. Box 3524; Chicago IL 60654

The Father of Reparations

Mainstream media has ignored Imari Obadele's work on reparations. The Republic of New Africa (RNA), organized by Imari Obadele and his Malcolm X Society associates in 1968, demanded payment of $400 billion in "slavery damages." (Bishop Henry M. Turner was the first African American leader to call for reparations near the Reconstruction era.)

But the modern movement for reparations did not take organizational form until 1988. In 1988 Obadele and his associates formed the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in American (NCOBRA). The coalition demanded that a billion dollars be given to ten Black colleges, a billion dollars be placed in a Black economic development fund, $20,000 be awarded to each Black family, a billion dollars be given to Black farmers, and that all "political prisoners" be released.

As of late, reparations have received increased attention. Local and state legislative bodies have taken up the issue. Articles have appeared in leading newspaper and magazines. And it has been a lively topic on the Internet, local and national television, and radio programs.

from Lee Hubbard

superle@pacbell.net

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