Occupied

Today I learned about a movement called Occupy the Hood. It's based on the nation/world-wide "occupy" movement that is prevalent throughout societies.




Occupy the Hood was started by a sister in Detroit, and chapters are springing up through the country. Its goal is to bring concerns of black people and other people of color to the forefront is they relate to the broader occupy Wall Street movement.

It's a very crucial and critical time in this society--economically, racially, class-wise, and so on.

It's all just a matter of what the masses are prepared or willing to do and how quickly.

Still

It's good to know people are still coming to my blog even though I have not been posting much lately. For some I'm sure the visits are sincere. They're truly interested in what I have to share. For others I know it's for more malicious and evil reasons. Either way, here and at any other venue where I have a platform or am allowed to present myself, the truth will prevail as it concerns my life, who I do, what I stand/fight for, what I struggle with, challenges I face, and my development.

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Lately I have had Nas' album Stillmatic in heavy rotation. This particular song speaks volumes.

Five Officers Convicted in Post-Katrina Shootings

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jury-convicts-5-officers-post-katrina-shootings-170238375.html

"NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal jury has convicted five current or former police officers of civil rights violations in the deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge after Hurricane Katrina.

All five officers were convicted Friday of charges stemming from the cover-up of the shootings. The four who had been charged with civil rights violations in the shootings were convicted on all counts.

Howerver, the jury decided that neither fatal shooting was a murder.

Prosecutors said police shot six unarmed people, killing two, on the Danziger Bridge less than a week after the 2005 storm. Officers also were charged with participating in a cover-up to make the shootings appear justified.

Defense attorneys said the officers were shot at before they returned fire and acted reasonably in the face of a deadly threat."

It says: "...police shot six unarmed people, killing two..."

Then it says: "Defense attorneys said the officers were shot at before they returned fire and acted reasonably in the face of a deadly threat."

How do unarmed people shoot?

Open Channel Appearance

I was invited to be a guest and/or host on a program that will air on AOC (Acadiana Open Channel) here in Lafayette and surrounding areas at the end of this month. I will provide more information once I confirm this appearance.

Please follow and/or check my blog on a regular basis for updates.

Wild Wild West

Last night I witnessed a man get tasered by cops for running and not stopping when they told him to. The way the brother hit the concrete--dove into the concrete--when the electricity hit him was the same way one would dive into a pool. But this was a street. Concrete. It was hard to watch. Once he was on the ground they roughed him up even more, stomped on his back, and handcuffed him.

This is definitely the kind of footage that I like to capture, but unfortunately I couldn't get my camera situatied fast enough to do so.

Many will argue that the cops are in their right to carry out acts of violence on noncompliant individuals. I disagree. If the person is non violent and is not posing a threat to cops or those around him, then why should violence be used against him? What ever happened to cops running people down until they catch them? Rather than it being a thing where some of these cops are doing their job to "protect and serve" it is becoming personal. They take it personally that somebody would dare run from them. They take it personally that someone would disobey them. They take it personally that someone would question them. It's more personal than it is professional and appropriate. To me this is proven by the cases when they person that they were after is caught, handcuffed, then beat or harassed even more by the cop.

I don't know what the brother had done to cause the cops to get after him in the first place, but the violence that I saw used towards him touched me deeply.

Community Event

From July 18-22 there will be a sewing camp held here in Lafayette at Imani Temple from 9am-12pm each day. This class will be taught by a local, progressive sister and is targeted specifically at black youth. The cost of the camp is $75 plus materials.

This is a great opportunity for our children to learn a valuable skill that can be used towards economic gain and establishments in black communities. Plus they will have a chance to be taught and guided a very positive influence from our community.

Please support.

Facebook/Economics

First off, I would like to invite you to vistit and "like" my new facebook page which was published under the name "SMB Productions". This is a news and media based page and organization that I formed in order to share news and information concerning mostly under represented black communities here in Lafayette. The link is:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SMB-Productions/183627705024900

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Riding through certain parts of this city tonight made me realize the urgency with which I need to produce my next documentary. There are so many areas that need to be and will be covered and discussed, but I think the next one will deal with how non-black folk & those without black people's best interest at heart seem to so easily enter into business in black areas.

This topic is nothing new and has been discussed repeatedly, but I'm hoping that with this documentary I can get black people--especially the ones who patronize these establishments on a regular and frequent basis--to see and understand the effects of this and either put an end to it OR become just as economically established in our communities as Caucasion/Asian/etc. people. If it's the latter then these non-black run and operated establishments will likely fold, and we can once again become the controllers of the economy of our own communities.

Don't forget to check the facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SMB-Productions/183627705024900