August 2014 Newsletter

August 2014 World CulturalCenter  Newsletter
August 2014 Calendar of Events:


 

  • 2nd Saturday @9 am"Workers/Labor Union"Egg & Waffle Breakfast @ Fruit of Labor"World Cultural CAFE" 4200 LakeRidge Drive in Raleigh, NC      Come out and lets talk bout what's happening in your workplace.
  • 4th & 5th Tues.-Weds. FRUIT OF LABOR PERFORMS at the Retail,Wholesale,Distribution,Service Workers(RWDSU) National Union Convention in Orlando, FLA.  Look out for our photo/video updates on our website    www.fruitoflabor.org
  • 9th,Saturday, FOL singers will be at the SOLIDARITY CITY assembly of workers and allies in Goldsboro, NC   JOIN OUR CAR POOL and solidarity caravan from the FOLWCC. Call 919-876-7187 if you need a ride!
  • 10th, Sunday 2pm   film showing at"World Cultural Cinema""Palestinian-Israeli Situation BASIC 101"   Come out to view ,discuss this exciting and enlightening video film. Food & Fellowship always !!!!
  • 17th Sunday 3pm"Special Reception"film/music/fellowship & food  for participants of Freedom Summer Youth doing voter registration. COME OUT & LEARN WHAT OUR ACTIVE YOUTH have been doing to support the social justice effort.





 

Dear Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center friend,,

Thousands of children fleeing violence from their home countries have come to the United States—sometimes traveling long distances without their parents—seeking refuge. This humanitarian crisis has overwhelmed the existing support the United States provides for children who have been victimized by violence and wars.

These children—some just barely older than toddlers—are crowded into temporary shelters, detention centers, and even facilities on military bases.

United States immigration law guarantees all children from certain Central American countries due process, including an asylum hearing in front of an immigration judge. These hearings are crucial to protecting refugee children. Sending some of these kids back could be, in the words of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, "to send them back to certain death."1

During the hearings, an immigration judge hears from each child and determines if that child is eligible for refugee status or humanitarian protection. But these children aren't guaranteed legal representation when they face the court and could find themselves alone in the hearing that will determine the rest of their lives.

That's why we're educating working people about the need for a national progressive "HUMAN RIGHTS IMMIGRATION" policy in the United States TODAY. Since 2012, the number of children seeking refuge in the United States has soared from three Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Stories of the violence these children are fleeing are chilling. This region, known as the Northern Triangle, has some of the highest murder rates in the world, and children may come to the United States having witnessed family members and friends hurt, raped, or killed in rampant outbreaks of gang violence.2

For many of these children, what happens during these immigration hearings could be the difference between life or death. No child should be forced to appear in court alone.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that nearly two-thirds of the children and families from Central America may be eligible for humanitarian protection under international guidelines3—but U.S government, racists and conservativeswe are treating them like criminals.

SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN RIGHTS ! CALL YOUR REPRESENATIVES IN CONGRESS! SPEAK UP !

Thanks for all you do for SOCIAL JUSTICE ....HUMAN RIGHTS....

THE FRUIT OF LABOR WORLD CULTURAL CENTER.

FAMILY

Sources:

1. "O'Malley: U.S. shouldn't send immigrant children back to 'certain death,'" CNN, July 11, 2014 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299998&id=98878-25827585-Ke8%3DZRx&t=4

2. "Why are so many minors fleeing Central America for the U.S. border?" KSHB, July 16, 2014 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299999&id=98878-25827585-Ke8%3DZRx&t=6

3. "Children on the Run," United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, March 12, 2014 http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300000&id=98878-25827585-Ke8%3DZRx&t=8

FRUIT OF LABOR @

PROTEST AGAINST ART POPE

DURHAM — A informational picket and protest against NC's State budget director Art Pope’s legislative and corporate policies took place on Saturday July19th , but organizers said there’s still a long fight ahead to resist and challenge the extreme right wing corporate agenda of conservative elected officials.

Pope is the CEO for Variety Wholesalers, which operates Maxway, Roses and other discount stores.

The Fruit of Labor singers and union members Nathanette Mayo, Darrion Smith and Angaza Laughinghouse added their voices and  joined about sixty workers, allies and  NC Public Service Workers Union-UE Local 150 members  for the protestSaturday at the Maxway store at 1000 N. Miami Blvd They held up sign and banners to demand fair pay and better conditions for workers across the state. Most came by bus from the N.C. Public Service Workers Union’s eighth Bi- annual delegates convention this weekend at nearby N.C. Central University.

Larsene Taylor, the union’s vice president, said it’s been 12 years since she joined the union to

improve workers rights, safe conditions and the struggle for better wages and general working conditions. The Goldsboro , NC  State mental hospital worker and Goldsboro resident said she also participated in broader  “Moral Monday” social justice  protests against the current conservative legislature’s anti-worker/people policies. She along with many union activists from the NC Southern Workers Assembly and NC Cultural Singers and Artists were all arrested for civil disobedience in the lobby of the NC General Assembly in 2013 after many promises by legislative leaders to meet and talk with their organization.NC Gen. Assembly Senator Burger and Rep. Thom Tillis refused their several  efforts to speak with them on legislative bills, policies  and direction..

NC Budget Director Art Pope’s goal, Taylor and others said Saturday, is to take North Carolina back to the Jim Crow/Anti-Worker  days before civil rights. The company opens stores in poor neighborhoods and employs local residents in undesirable conditions for low wages, she said.

“What he’s done with all his profit money is give it to right wing extremist organizations like Americans for Prosperity and extreme right wing politicians ....in effect this buys political influence  into the political policy making, and that, in turn, is making policies that hurt workers,” Taylor said.

Pope, a financier of conservative causes, and his retail chain have been the focus of protests against the conservative policies enacted by the NC Governor ....McCrory administration and the GOP Republican and Conservative dominated NC State  legislature.

Fruit of Labor singers and UE150 union activists  Nathanette Mayo, Darrion Smith and  Angaza Laughinghouse lead the crowd in several freedom songs and chants as a group delegation went inside the store to deliver a written message..

Protest UE Local 150 union activist  Kevin Yancey said he tried to give the Maxway store manager at the site a letter outlining the groups concerns. Yancey requested that he  fax it to Art Pope’s corporate office. The manager told him he’s not allowed to do that, but they had a good conversation with the group 's in store delegation before he left,

Yancey said “It was a good educational picket that informed the community and consumers "

He stated that the protest was not against the employment of workers , but in support of their right as workers to join unions and have living wages ...better working conditions" he said. “We understand. It’s not against the workers. It’s the corporation.

World Cultural Cinema Opens Summer

Season: "Kock Bros Exposed

Sunday, June 29th The Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center  summer series opened with good attendance and active participation at the viewing of an informative film “Koch Brothers Exposed....Billionaires Buying Elections” at the Fruit of Labor World Cultural Cinema/Center (FOL WCC) . The next film and discussion will be presented at 3pm Sunday August 10th

About 40 people gathered along with more than 700 other movie parties around the country to view this film and learn how big corporations and billionaires are buying elected officials with their wealth. The corporations & wealthy are initiating and winning “retrogressive” public policies that are hurting everyday working people like us.

At the center's cinema , participants were all building relationships at this unique event. Hosts Sisters Nathanette Mayo (Durham City Workers Union- UE Local 150) and Taisha Williams (NC Raise Up - fast food & minimum wage workers) shared the present" workers on the ground fight back struggles" resist these rightwingforces by organizing working people to  gain workers power in the place of their  employment, as well as struggle for environmental justice, women's rights, heath care, old age security, etc. as human rights.

 The participants discussed  raising up their demands with workplace strikes, petitions, informational pickets,voting  and visits to the offices of elected officials.

  FOL Cultural Center, Host Angaza Laughinghouse (Pres. of the NC Public Service Workers Union-UE Local 150) suggested that those present come out to an informational picket of Multi-millionaire conservative activist Art Pope's Maxway Store in Durham on July19th. The audience also along with others highlighted the importance of the growing broad and unifying “Moral Monday/Forward Together Protest Movement”.

We used the “go-around” participation method" to introduce one another, share our reviews of the film, thoughts about this political period and developed an action plan to challenge the Koch Brothers, N.C.’s Art Pope and big corporations "War on Working People".

We all agreed upon taking collective and individual actions like:

1.      1) Voter Education (secure public television showing of said films/ lunch & learn at our workplaces/etc.), agitation, voter registration, mobilization to polls    

2.      2) Support the Saturday, July 19th informational picket about the Koch Brothers/N.C.'s Art Pope in Durham at one of Pope's stores (all details of place, time, etc. will be announced next weekend)

3.      3) Use of public media

4.      4) Speak with public interest lawyers about legally challenging these billionaires and big corporations

5.      5) Circulate NC Raise Up and NC Public Service Workers Union-UE 150 educational & campaign materials

Please visit www.fruitoflabor.org for future FOL World Cultural Center programs, films and events.

We are looking forward to working with one another in the months ahead  on several of these proposed action plans. Stay tuned !

Thanks again,

FRUIT OF LABOR WORLD CULTURAL CENTER Volunteers
  " Tribute to Gil ScottHeron...An Orginal

Revolutionary

Hip

Hop Artist & Poet"

  • All progressive , socially conscious and revolutionary cultural artists and The Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble should study the works
  • of  cultural artist legends.....Original Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron & The Midnight Band. Their music and works were a product of their
  • times and their relationships to social movements. Here please honor Brother Gil Scott Heron by learning about his contributions ,,,, sample
  • some of this great and enduring music and poetry !    We artists and cultural workers have a n important role to play......Lets learn from
  • Gil Scott Heron http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Scott-Heron
"Youn​g Fast Food Workers attendConvention​! Declares: We Will Win

$15 and a Union!"

The FOLWCC uses progressive conscious culture,music,film, poetry,song, RAP and art to educate , inspire engage working people, especially youth  to participate in the struggle for social justice and workers' rights. We strongly believe that one of the most dynamic developing movements today has involved our community's youth and young workers in the fight to raise the minimum wage.
These young workers are building a movement to defend their right to collectively  assembly, speak out and join unions ! Many young N.C. and southern fast food workers recently returned back here to their local communities revitalized to continue to build a movement for a $15 per hour minimum raise. In fact, they have had several victories in several communities with a  tremendous impact on pushing up hourly  wages for many federal goverment and city contract employees and school district workers in some local regions. How can we support this organizing ?
All workers, young & old , employed , underemployed and unemployed or retired must study the importance of how this growing social ecomic movement will impact all wages at a time when their is a quick growing income  gap between the super wealthy and us as working people. Please read the report below and come out to our......9am Saturday "Workers' Waffle and Eggs Brunch and Talk at the FOL World Cultural Cafe  at 4200 Lake Ridge Drive in Raleigh...... to learn how you can join in this important history making struggle lead by NC RAISE UP $15 !
RSVP if you will attend !!!!!
For more information about out 9am Saturday August 2nd  Brunch and Talk at the FOL World Cultural Center/ 4200 Lake Ridge Dr, Raleigh, e-mail
fruitoflaborwcc@netscape.com  or call us at 919-876-7187. Donation $5 !
" What's at the Root of the Palestine/Gaza and Israeli Political Conflict?

Why does the U.S. government pump so much of our taxpayers money to support Israel?" Isn't working peoples' real war right here at home and in our " hoods"  fighting for quality jobs, living wage , social justice, democractic peoples power and world peace?
This short educational video will get to the root of what's really behind the "Lies , Myths and White washed  U.S. corporate media news because
 a lot of us young bloods and older cats don't have a clue about the Palestinian People's  struggle for self-determination  and
 
World Cultural Center Events: Pillow Talk on the Relationship  between the Sexes

The“Pillow Talk” Brunch took place on Saturday, June 21st at The World Cultural Center. It provided a comfortable environment to discuss different views on relationships, male and female “roles” and the barriers/challenges to dating in this present time. This discussion was complimented with a delicious and hearty brunch. It was very informative to get the perspectives of different generations,.... social , political  & spiritual....and share how we all view dating and marriage in todays quickly changing social,economic and political context . We had views from people who were happily married, politically engaged in the social justice movement, those who were divorced, the newly engaged and those trying to meet someone. It was a healthy , insightful and much needed discussion, especially with how the backward views that the corporate media and  this sexist class-bias society  promotes and influences us.. We must continue to examine and explore how our relationships should make us better and more socially conscious in building stronger relationships, families, better society and better world!

Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble

Workers Right and World Peace:

On July 25th -27th, The Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble  had a lively performance at the Veterans for Peace Convention in Asheville, North Carolina. We had a BWFJ , Hip Hop 4 Justice delegation of nine members.We all viewed educational films and participated in workshops and plenary sessions on organizing social justice, anti-war and peace work, The FOL performed on Saturday Morning,at the Banquet and closed out the convention with all standing and singing a song written by FOL "Ain't No Turning Back"! Late Saturday night at the Banquet,Cynthia McKinney gave a powerful presentation showing how the U.S. government "Bambozzles " the U.S. people with lies, myths, white washed corporate media to trick the U.S. people into unjust wars. The FOL gave a wonderful mini concert bringing three hundred folks to their feet. We sold out of  our CDs  at the Veterans for Peace Banquet. 
See photos on our website     www.fruitoflabor.org

  

RWDSU National Convention:
The Fruit of Labor will be performing in Orlando, Florida, before 1,600 union members and guests at the Retail, Wholesale, Distribution Service Workers (RWDSU) National Convention. The dates of the FOL Performance is August 4-5. Come join us as we travel and bring messages in song about workers rights, social justice and  world peace. Contact us for your performances, rallies, fundraisers, workshops and lectures  at  fruitoflaborwcc@netscape.com .CALL US @ 919-876-7187
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