September 2014 Newsletter
September 2014 World Cultural Center Newsletter
September 2014 Calendar of Event
-4th, Thursday @ 12:00 noon: NC Raise up 4 $15 Join the Fight to up the minimum wage @ 102 Morgan St. McDonalds in Durham.
-13th Saturday @10 am: Planning Meeting for the upcoming event "Stop by the Police????" @ Fruit of Labor Cultural Center
-20th Saturday at noon, CLEAN WATER FOR NC 30th Anniversary Celebration
-27th,Saturday@ 10:00a-12:00p, Hip Hop 4 Justice Event "Stop by the Police & Brunch" ; detail discussion on what to do when stop by the police, @ Fruit of Labor Cultural Center
Call 919-876-7187 if you need a ride!
-28th, Sunday 2pm BLACK WORKERS FOR JUSTICE MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY Enlightening discussion, planning & more!. Food & Fellowship as always : Call Nathanette or Angaza at 919-876-7187
LEARN WHAT OUR ACTIVE YOUTH have been doing to support the social justice effort.
Actor Danny Glover Supports the workers' struggles for Workers Rights and Human Rights !
On Wednesday August 6th,Workers at the Smithfield Foods Manufacturing plant had the opportunity to join acclaimed television and film actor Danny Glover as he met with union members and several progressive Democratic leaders at the" United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1208" Union Hall in Tar Heel.
Mr. Glover shared memories of growing up in a family that was active in the labor movement (mother a union school teacher and dad a union postal worker), and provided inspiring words to worker activists who are fighting to organize their union at the Mountaire poultry facility. It was an inspiring day, and left many union activists feeling more resolved than ever to UNIONIZE as they ORGANIZE N.C & THE SOUTH !
The challenges facing the "Mountaire Poultry " plant workers can be described as difficult work in unsanitary conditions with supervisors who look the other way. There are photos of devastating injuries, some which permanently disabled workers. The movement to unionize Mountaire is about the right of every worker to exercise their fundamental human righ to speak out, assemble into their own workers ran union organizations to struggle for a their collective dignity, a good quality livelyhood for all and to work in a safe environment
Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union(RWDSU) and United Food Commercial Workers(UFCW) National Convention
On August 4, 2014, The Fruit Of Labor Singing Ensemble ( Angaza Laughinghouse, Nathanette Mayo , Rick Scott, Darrion Smith and Hip Hop For Justice's Mari Caldwell (one of our youth organizers)) converged on Orlando, Florida for a performance at the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union(RWDSU) AND United Food Commercial Workers National Convention(UFCW). This was their 22nd Quadrennial Convention which ttook on the many challenges that all unions and workers on facing today.
We were greeted with a warm welcome and sincere thanks by our rank and file union sisters and brothers, especially the Southern region workers wanted to learn about our role in Moral Monday Protests and arrests. We as the Fruit of Labor intermingled and held meetings with the brothers and sisters of the RWDSU(UFCW) at a cocktail party on Monday Night. During the cocktail party we were able to learn more about the causes and struggles that our fellow unionists are facing across the country.We were also able to enjoy the smooth sounds of an excellent
unionized jazz band from the Orlando area. The guests at the cocktail were treated to an impromptu performance from the Fruit of Labors own Rick Scott along with Orlando's own jazz Band.
On August 5, 2014, The Fruit of Labor opened up the convention with a stellar perfromance. The Fruit of Labor performed 3 songs.... We Want Justice, Endangered Species, and Ain't No Turning Back Baby. The convention of more than 800 people were on their feet dancing and enjoying the Working Class and Social Justice sounds of The Fruit of Labor. They enjoyed our political prologues , songs and music so much ,the President of the RWDSU(UFCW) Mr. Stuart Applebaum came out of his seat on the dias and personally asked us for an encore ( we were told this is the first time in convention history, any group was asked to perform an encore.). With the approval of the rest of the convention of members, we shared a South African Freedom Song as a tribute to the Moral Monday Movement and all other peoples' resistance and fight back developing across the U.S... The song that was requested is Asikatali (Freedom). Asikatali is an acapella song which we performed and received another standing ovation. After our performance , we stayed and enjoyed the convention. We made new worker contacts for the Southern Workers Assembly, renewed old ones and became more aware of the many new struggles of other fellow union activists around the country. A very special thank you to our youth Hip Hop For Justice organizer sister Mari Caldwell who shot video, sold merchandise, and posted on social media as the event was taking place.
Darrion Smith for
the Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble
OUR PEOPLE WANT JUSTICE!
STOP THE MILITARIZATION OF POLICE IN OUR COMMUNITY ! SPEAKS OUTS AND PEOPLES ASSEMBLIES ARE NEEDED !.....
JUSTICE FOR MIKE BROWN!
The tragic death of 18 year old Michael Brown at the hands of the Ferguson,MO police is a reminder that the upsurge in UNJUST Murders and GOVERNMENT (state) violence is not just restricted to GAZA / Palestine & the Middle East or any one place. It’s right here in our own AFRICAN-AMERICAN communities here in the U.S. !
Like the Trayvon Martin killing two years ago, the problems of racism, national oppression, a militarized police in our Black and Brown communitiescontinues to be an assault on our human and civil rights.One would suspect by now, we don’t have to explain why everyday working people and community activists are taking action, mostly in support of African -American people and activists of color who are leading the organized response to this latest perversion of justice. The need for PEOPLES POWER is at the very heart of our struggle here.
As these police/ Vigilante murders of our people and the "war on Blacks,Latino/a and working people" intensifies , we must convene speak outs, protests and a political PEOPLES ASSEMBLY to develope a plan of action that transforms our anger and outrage into local and national power. We will need to build local PEOPLES ASSEMBLIES that become the building blocks for a needed national social movement to address this . A movement that will shift our collective power into new
calls for" PEOPLES' COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARDS "were we everyday people have a major role in investigating, making findings, prosecuting, and delivering justice. This time we must be resolved to do the needed organizing !
We can not count on either U.S. political party, including democrats( have you heard them speak up yet?). During all local ,statewide national elections, we the people need to hold all candidates accountable to our peoples needs and demands for justice. Please take time to remember City of Jackson, Mississippi 's effort to develope and hold PEOPLES ASSEMBLIES and elect officials like Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Valuable lessons will be found here.
Even Tea Party and right wing extremists are now gearing up with their LAW & ORDER MILITARY RESPONSE to the Furguson, MO and African-American communities response to the lastest police murder on August 9, 2014. This should be raising an alarm alert for all of us.
How much military hardware has been transferred to local jurisdictions? It’s not easy to know as the Pentagon makes the trail difficult to track. Most of the data available comes from local and state officials – like the State of Missouri which CNN reports has received some $17 million worth in transfers from the Pentagon.
The images of police in full military gear aiming assault rifles at unarmed protesters is upsetting. We can expect to see more and more of this in the future too,
if we don’t begin to organize speakouts, actions and PEOPLES ASSEMBLIES ...TO do something about the economic and POLICE terrorism visited upon us in our low wage communities, workers, unemployed , the working poor in our community will continue to be unjustly murdered like our Palestinian Sisters and Brothers in GAZA/ Palestine at the racist hands of the 1 percent that rule.
Since the 1980’s the US government has enabled the militarization of the police force as part of its so-called War on Drugs, Post 9/11 politics and now the growing resistance and fightback by our African-American,& Latino/a communities,workers and oppressed peoples.Just like the U.S. support of the racist aparthied occupied state of ISREAL , the the U.S. Pentagon is literally giving battlefield hardware away.
Brother Mike Browns murder and the murder of Eric Gardner are no more than the CONTINUED militarism of policing – both in terms of weaponry and tactics – is a threat to our HUMAN RIGHTS and our struggle for real freedom from our racist nationa oppression and our struggle for transformative PEOPLES POWER. It’s time to put an end to this system of murders .... LET'S ORGANIZE !
Please forward this message to your friends.
Humbly....POWER TO THE PEOPLE !
Take Action:
Organize A SPEAK OUT and invite
members of your house of worship, union, community, youth, women organizations, workplace,school etc. Call us or stop by at the BWFJ's HIP HOP FOR JUSTICE events /FRUIT OF LABOR WORLD CULTURAL CENTER
919-876-7187 IF YOU NEED HELP.
JOIN US IN organizing
SPEAK OUTS !
Let's get our community BUILDING A "POLITICAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY"
to stop militarizing the police and unjustly murdering our youth like Brother Mike Brown and your children.
CONNECT WITH US:
www.fruitofjustice.org
919-876-7187
Ask for Hip Hop 4 Justice
Fruit of Labor Performs Sept. 20th
at
"Clean Water For
NC members 30 Anniversary
Celebration",
The Fruit of Labor(FOL) will perform at the 30th Clean Water For NC "Anniversary 12 noon to 7 pm on, Sat. September 20th, 2014 in Black Mountain,NC
(15-20 minutes from Asheville ). Please call if you are interested in participating in this gathering of communities
struggling for clean safe water. Let us know if you are interested in carpooling by this Sat. Sept.16 th at noon. The FOL will open up for a noon celebration with
a lively set and then around 3pm do another set. We will also perform at the reception from 6- to 7:30 pm.
On August 9th , Fruit of Labor Singers , "hip hop 4 justice" activists ( Tiffany Debnam, Mari Caldwell- Robinson, Donnae Ward and Angaza Samora Laughinghouse),BWFJ and UE150 activists attended the Goldsboro " Solidarity City" assembly of workers.
This was a powerful educational and important political experience for all workers present( especially our young workers crew). Its character was a spirited educational and rally type workers assembly. Very productive in all us workers building relationships with one another . The "Rank and File frontline leaders shared powerful insights on their day to day struggles for dignity, respect, safety, workers rights and the need for pay raises !
You could observe & sense the growing leadership skills and potential of many of the RAISE UP/fast food and other front line workers participating in this assembly. Over the past 6 months we all have been building relationships with these workers that work and live in our communities. Many had came out to our FOLWCC Sat. morning workers brunch/discussion, Hip Hop $ Justice Events, Fastfood workers Strikes,Moral Monday Protests, etc.
At NC Raise Up $15 /Fast Food Workers invitation , HH4J & BWFJ activists sat in on " NC Raise Up Training" at the FOLWCC w/ Syene Jasmin's Raleigh-Durham developing organization committee . Also, many of these young workers come out to many of HH4J cultural and social events.
All of the youth at the Solidarity City Assembly, stated that they, and workers "during that morning session workshop, had a great opportunity to discuss and engage in focusing on (their) particular workplace problems. ... asking and answering questions that helped us respond by organizing ". These sessions asked that each of us as a worker had to do an analysis of exploring the root problems of their workplace problems, ...low wages, lack of respect and dignity ....discrimination....unsafe conditions....wage theft and poor conditions as well as think through resolutions or actual actions they took collectively or individually to challenge and correct these workplace problems.
HH4J will be showing a video film and having a discussion about this Assembly of mostly young workers , NC Raise Up's fight for a living minimum wage of $15/hr, Public Service and Food workers' right to organize unions and the systematic roots of workers exploitation and oppression. They distributed HH4J flyers inviting many of the N.C. young workers to future events. They also are using the FOLWCC newsletter to educate our cultural workers, center participants and youth network on these two important issues and the growing resistant/fightback struggles.
Hip Hop 4 Justice Youth
From our HH4J Friends at the Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center...
Waffle & Eggs Brunch-Discussion" Police Murder of Brother Mike Brown/ What to do when stopped or abused by Police?"
The FOL World Cultural Center has a new look. Come see the Center’s latest upgrades and experience our Center's 10 am Saturday September 27th Waffle & Eggs Brunch and Discussion " What You Should Do When the POLICE STOP YOU?" Join us to learn how the BWFJ's young HH4J members can help ! Community Attorneys will be in attendance listening quietly and on hand to support our youth with advise.
Also, make sure you plan your next special event (ie. baby shower, club meeting, old school party, recital, reunion, graduation party, cards /game night) at the Center. It will be your BEST event ever.
HH4J Waffle & Eggs Brunch/ Discussion" Ferguson Police Murder of Brother Mike Brown and Workshop on "WHAT TO DO WHEN STOPPED or ABUSED BY THE POLICE?" 10 am sharp- Saturday September 27th @ the
FRUIT OF LABOR WORLD CULTURAL CENTER
4200 Lake Ridge Drive
Raleigh, NC 27604
– Video films/Discussion / Brunch Breakfast Food for $5 donation / Door Prizes –
RSVP to fruitoflaborwcc@netcape.org or 919-876-7187 For larger groups, please include the total number attending.
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