Tag Archives: Civil rights movement

2016: The year of voting rights, public defenders, sentencing reform, and Albert Woodfox

 The Epicenter of Race, Voting, and Mass Incarceration New Orleans has always been a national news story. Northern parts of America probably understood the Free People of Color, prior to the Civil War, as much as they could understand contemporary … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Innocence, Legislation, Political Prisoners, Politics, Race, Reentry, Uncategorized, VOTE, Voting Rights | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HUD’s new rules may have major impact on affordable housing for people with criminal records

Last week was celebrated for President Obama’s encouragement for America to reduce employment discrimination against people with past records, and his own executive action to ban the box on federal job applications. The heart of that story is how directly … Continue reading

Posted in Drug Policy, Housing, Movement Building, Politics, Reentry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are you in a job or a Movement?

In the world of social justice there is a frequent reference to “The Movement.”  For those weary of being characterized as a “Lefty,” they may still refer to “a movement” or “movements” in recognition of ideas taking hold at a … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Movement Building | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Out of L.A.- FICPM Will Register 1 Million Voters Opposed to Mass Incarceration

When a young woman from Arizona asked how she could get her voting rights restored, she heard a blunt reply:  “We don’t need you to get your rights restored.  We need you to get together with other folks and work … Continue reading

Posted in Actions, Drug Policy, Prison Conditions, prison economics, Voting Rights | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An Open Letter to Our Allies

To Our Friends, Comrades, Families, and Allies: No matter how you refer to yourselves, you are the ones who kept us going when we needed support.  Although you may not have stood before the judge and had your name called … Continue reading

Posted in Actions, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Registration Now Open for FICPM National Conference- Nov. 2nd

The Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People’s Movement (FICPM) will host its inaugural national conference on November 2nd, 2011 in Los Angeles, with the primary task of ratifying a national agenda that illustrates the Full Restoration of Civil and Human Rights … Continue reading

Posted in Actions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uppity Advocates vs. Those Who Have Taken a Physical Beating?

This weekend I was in a public discussion about Movement Building, held at the Launchpad gallery in Brooklyn.  A man asked a classic question within the world of activism, experts, and nonprofit organizations: “What do you say to the organizations … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From Brooklyn to Oakland: April 23rd Events Stoke the Movement

Across the nation, activists and organizations are coordinating The Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People’s Movement.  This Saturday, April 23rd, there will be evenings of testimony, artistry, solidarity and movement building. Women on the Rise Telling HerStory (WORTH) is collaborating with … Continue reading

Posted in Actions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

65 Million “Need Not Apply” – Is it Time for Boycotts?

A report released yesterday by National Employment Law Project (NELP) confirms that many companies are instituting blanket bans on hiring people with criminal records, including those with misdemeanors.  Creating what is an public safety issue and, if reforms are not … Continue reading

Posted in prison economics, Rehabilitation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Georgia D.O.C. Wages Retaliation Campaign In Wake of 2010 Strike

  Correspondence between Atlanta Attorney Mario Williams of Williams Oinonen LLC, (representing several brutalized inmates) and the Georgia Department of Corrections, along with documents from Open Records Requests, reveal disturbing patterns and unanswered questions as to the DOC’s actions and … Continue reading

Posted in Prison Conditions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments