Influential Puerto Rican Activist Group the Young Lords Marks 40th Anniversary


This weekend marks the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the revolutionary community organizing group the Young Lords. The group called for self-determination for all Puerto Ricans, community control of institutions and land, freedom for all political prisoners and the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam, Puerto Rico and other areas. The Young Lords would also play a pivotal role in spreading awareness of Puerto Rican culture and history, leaving a legacy still felt today. We play excerpts of the documentary Palante, Siempre Palante!: The Young Lords and speak to three of the group’s original members: Luis Garden Acosta, Mickey Melendez, and Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez. [includes rush transcript]

To read, listen to, or watch the whole story:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/21/young_lords

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RBG Flag Raising - August 17

As part of the Boston Black August Celebration, Voices of Liberation, Blackstonian.com & the Young Gifted & Black Movement Present the Red Black and Green Flag Raising.

August 17, 2009
2:00-3:00 PM
Boston City Hall
Piemonte Room



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FTP II Postponed

Given Scheduling conflicts with the West Indian Festival and not wanting to make people choose between the conference and that, the Fight the Power II Youth Liberation Conference is officially postponed. Stay tuned for further notice.

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Young Gifted & Black VI

Young Gifted and Black - The 6th Revolution

Part of Boston's 2009 Black August Celebration

Saturday August 15, 2009
6:00-9:00 PM
Doors Open at 5:30 PM

@ Origination Culural Arts Center
11 Walnut Park, Roxbury, MA 02119

$5 Admission

With performances by:
KETCHUP, KYOMI, DESIREE "REAL EYEZ" RIVERA,
PREACH, ASHLEY ROSE, LARISA OSORIO, CATCH WRECK, SASHA SMITH, L.I.F.E. and more!
Hosted by ALLEGRA FLETCHER & J-ONES
For more info contact VCR at 617-480-7663 or bloodskinland@yahoo.com


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Fight the Power II

The Second Fight the Power Conference is jumping off Saturday August 29, 2009 at the Codman Square Tech. Center.

Come check out a day of Workshops, Chill & Build Sessions, Performances, Hip-Hop & Poetry Open Mic, A Panel Discussion and Much More. Stay tuned for a full list of speakers, performers & participants.

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Youth Demands

We demand an immediate stop to the killing. We can lose no more of our peers to street violence! Black, Latino, Cape Verdean, Caribbean, Asian, we have all lost someone and enough is enough. We cannot continue to kill each other.

We demand a stop to the flow of guns and drugs into our communities.

We are tired of being criminalized by the system. We demand a stop to Bill 4293 and an end to curfews and public loitering crackdowns.

We demand drastic reforms to the education in Boston. We demand education that is culturally relevant, accurate, adequate, and prepares us for college and economic empowerment. We demand adequate resources in the schools we attend. We demand support for undocumented youth wishing to attend higher education. We demand an end to the unfair MCAS test. We do not want our schools being patrolled by the Boston public schools police which is controlled by the Boston Police Department. We demand a stop to the school to prison pipeline. We want no more military recruiters in our schools and community centers. We demand more teachers of color.

We demand access to stable adequate employment. We demand an end to the unjust CORI laws. We demand more funding for job opportunities for all youth from all neighborhoods

We demand an end to police brutality. We are tired of being automatically targeted and harassed by the Boston Police. We demand an end to racial profiling. We demand an end to unprovoked physical and verbal assault from the Boston Police Department.

Platform

1 - Education
Education is essential to an individual’s development. Everyone deserves the right to a decent, balanced education that is culturally relevant, accurate, and preparatory for economic empowerment. The Public Education System in the United States fails miserably at providing us with those tools necessary for success and so it is up to us to educate ourselves. Voices of Liberation recognizes the difference between schooling and education. True education is not offered to us in the schools and institutions we attend, however, schooling is necessary for us to complete in order to gain access to the resources that will help us to better our communities.

2 - Media
Voices of Liberation is well aware of the media’s profound influence on the public in today’s society. Media is a tool. So far, the enemy has used this tool to stereotypically misrepresent our people and paint a false image of the real world. We must use this tool to tell the real story and raise the consciousness of our people.

3 - Police
The police are an occupying force in our communities. They are no friend to us and they are not to be trusted. The first police in the nation were trained to act as kidnappers and slave catchers and even today they specifically target people of color. Know your enemy.

4 - Immigration
No human being is illegal. Artificial borders and lines should not dictate where a person is designated to live. Voices of Liberation strongly opposes unjust immigration and deportation laws.

5 - Reparations / Social Justice
The United States was founded on injustice. We cannot forget that it was built on stolen land with stolen labor. There is no justice as long as we continue to live on stolen land. The United States owes the descendants of those stolen from Africa for their forced contribution to the development of this country.

6 - War and Imperialism
Voices of Liberation is against the use of war as a means to spread imperialism. Imperialism is an act by any neo-colonial power or structure that uses its military/economic/social/political force to exploit and profit at the expense of indigenous nations. We strongly oppose all wars created in the name of imperialism.

7 - Unity
The only way we are to survive and win is through unity. We need to remain united; division is our enemy’s greatest weapon against us.

8 - Youth Violence
We demand an immediate end to the self-destructive phenomenon of violence within our communities. We cannot afford to lose any more of our peers to street violence. Black, Latino, Cape Verdean, Caribbean, Asian, we have all lost someone and enough is enough. We cannot continue to kill each other if we are to survive and thrive.

9 - Self Defense
Everyone has a right to defend themselves, our people are no exception. If we are attacked, we react. There is no other way to survive.

10 - Peace
Peace is something we all would like to see in the world, however, peace cannot exist without justice. As long as there is no justice in the world there will be no peace. Justice includes equal rights, equal access to resources and opportunities.

11 - Basic Human Rights
Everyone deserves access to the basic resources that everybody needs: healthcare, food, clothes, shelter and education.

12 - Self-Sufficiency
Voices of Liberation believes in the power of our communities to reclaim control of our lives, resources, and neighborhoods by becoming independent from the institutions and industries that continue to marginalize and harm us.

Mission

The mission of Voices of Liberation is to up rise and uplift the community. We live in communities often fraught with negative and destructive influences; our goal is to create meaningful positive social change and improve the conditions that exist in our communities.

All Power to the People