Category Archives: Politics

MLK Week Kicks Off!

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After the showing of the documentary film 13th at Bethel AME Church at 10 am on January 14, across town at the Spokane Public Library PJALS (Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane) sponsored a 5 hour hands on workshop: Love > Hate: Bystander Intervention Training which covered:

Being Resistant to Assertiveness

  1. Self-defense
  2. Continuum of Oppression / Nature of Prejudice
  3. The Spinach in Your Teeth Theory and Overview
  4. Putting Assertiveness into Context
  5. Assertiveness Model & Calling In

My observation as I photographed the workshop was that it was excellent. I thought that the information below that was listed on a wallet sized card was a good tool for it was an excellent tool for using white privilege to intervene in oppressive situations.

Assertiveness Model
Breathe.
Describe the problem or name the problem behavior. “The situation is ______.”
Tell why the behavior is wrong or say how it makes you feel. “That’s not ok because _____.” “I feel ________when you _____.”
State your needs or give a direction. “What I/we need is _____.”
Be firm and persistent.

Practice Assertiveness!

Act like a self-respecting equal: You are! You have a right to your opinions, decisions, and to say NO with no excuses. Be persistent!
Visual: Straighten your spine. Breathe deeply. Make direct eye contact. Take up space.
Vocal: Speak in a firm tone. Don’t end statements with question marks.
Verbal: Think & talk about yourself positively. Don’t self-limit with lead-ups or tags. State your needs. Use “I feel ___.” Clarify. Say what you mean directly.
Support others in solidarity and unity.

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Red Alert! Red Alert!

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MLK Week Kicks Off

On January 14 in a small inland northwest town MLK Week kicked off with the Netflix documentary 13th:

Sandy Williams, publisher of the Black Lens News and Rev. Walter Kendricks president of the Spokane Ministers Fellowship started the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Celebrations with the screening of the Netflix documentary film 13th at Bethel AME Church in Spokane hosted by the Rev. Lonnie Mitchell.

Spokane Washington 2015 Census DataAfter the screening the audience – predominantly white residents of the inland northwest – broke up into small groups for discussion. How did they feel? What did they need to do about it?

  1. I wish all the kids in our school district could see this.
  2. I never heard of the organization ALEC.
  3. I have 4 family members with a total of over 100 years in prison plus one with 3 strikes you’re out.
  4. I think we need political action.
  5. I take Netflix and I have never seen this before.
  6. I worked on both sides of this issue – as a corrections officer on the inside and as a youth counselor on the outside.
  7. The corrections industry is a cesspool.
  8. We need to talk about self responsibility.
  9. Black people need to have serious discussions about race also.
  10. White people need to check out SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice). PJALS is starting a SURJ Spokane branch.
  11. Look into  Hope Cafe : Washington State Department of Corrections initiative.
  12. We can send out information to follow up on this meeting.
  13. Subscribe to Black Lens News.
  14. We can join forces with a group started on the west side of the state called Black Prisoners Caucus.
  15. There is a small group that meets the First Thursday of every month at the Rocket Market at 43rd & Scott at 10 am and discusses actions that may be taken to build the community we would like to live in.

As the meeting at Bethel AME was ending a workshop called

Love > Hate: Bystander Intervention Training

was being held by PJALS across town at the Spokane Public Library. This workshop gave hands on experience in how to challenge oppressive statements.

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Let’s Commit Ourselves to Action

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During the last eight years I have heard so many complaints about what President Obama has and has not done for us.   Barack Obama has done more for America than anyone since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. energized the Civil Rights Movement.

Since 2008 news and social media have done nothing but complain about what politicians did and did not do. If they have not accomplished goals and objectives it is no one’s fault but your own.  If you are not satisfied with the 2016 election I suggest that you step up and do something about it.

If there is an issue or a problem that you feel needs fixing, post a comment to this page describing the problem and the name of an organization that works on that problem that you are involved in or would like to be involved in. If you do not know of an organization, volunteer to start such an organization. Include your contact information. I will collate the information everyone contributes and post the results on  this site 4comculture.com 

What are the issues that you feel are important in the year 2017?

What is your level of commitment?
Are you an actor, are you an ally or are you an accomplice? Click the link to see how we are defining these terms and what you might do: http://wp.me/P1UPVH-2rX

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Peace and Justice Action League Joins Showing Up for Racial Justice

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Spokane PJALS joins SURJ Show Up for Racial Justice

SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals organizing White people for racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves White people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability. We work to connect people across the country while supporting and collaborating with local and national racial justice organizing efforts. SURJ provides a space to build relationships, skills and political analysis to act for change.

Our Vision for PJALS

The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane engages everyday people to build a just and nonviolent world

Everyday people are together advancing peace, economic justice, and human rights, through campaigns grounded in the intersections of these values. We are:

  • Engaging youth, cultivating youth leadership and long-term involvement.
  • Nurturing strong relationships & active partnerships with communities of color, LGBT+ communities, faith communities, and other progressive bases.
  • Sharing our messages, setting the frame of debates, and engaging everyday people.
  • Delivering high-quality work through robust volunteer involvement and leadership, appropriate staffing, strong organizational systems, and a funding base that’s expanding, stable, and sufficient.

Life After Trump Starts January 1,

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THURSDAY December 1st bring ideas for the life after DONALD. Drop in ANY coffee house and start A  DISCUSSION don’t wait on me! I am with Jay, Ron, Idris and Jim will be having are usual Thursday discussions at 10am the same place on the Spokane South Hill. We can make changes one cup at a time. Report back after you meeting. (Message me Robert Lloyd on Facebook for my coffee spot)

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PJALS Anti-Hate Rally Spokane WA

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Salem Lutheran Church November 17, 2016

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North Carolina NAACP President Speaks

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20160726_007639Hit this link to see the speech:     http://abc11.com/politics/nc-naacp-president-gives-rousing-speech-at-dnc/1448219/

After hearing this rousing speech by the Rev. William Barber you should contribute to the election of the candidate that supports your principles and beliefs. You should knock on doors. You should register to vote. You should encourage your friends to register to vote. You should get your churches involved. And above all you should remember to vote!  In this election there is no place for protest votes. Vote BLUE!

 

The 2016 Democratic National Convention

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20160726_007765 BW COVERLiving in the Inland Empire of the Pacific Northwest we hear President Obama talk about hope and we see glimpses through the national media and online communications that a change is coming but it has not yet hit our corner of the northwest. The Democratic Party, progressives, the Socialist Alternative and churches have little to show in the way of diversity other than tokenism.  Seeing the Republican Party’s convention and their choice of Donald Trump as presidential candidate makes one lose hope in the future of America.

The 2016 Democratic Convention showed what democracy can be when color is added. Taking these pictures inspired this visual communicator and I hope looking at them will inspire you too.

 

 

Follow How I See It: the 2016 Presidential Election. Visit the page to view more pictures and share your responses.

I dedicate these images to Anderson Stoakley Lloyd, my 8 year old grandson.  I want to thank Diane Lloyd, my wife, my support and technical assistant; Sandy Williams and the Black Lens News; Pastor Percy Happy Watkins and New Hope Baptist Church; and Philadelphia cousins Ramona Rousseau-Reid and Joseph Reid.

Spokane Again Interviews Police Chief Finalists

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Black Lens News Editor Sandy Williams has one-on-one interviews with finalists Robert Lehner and Dominic Rizzi.

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Joan Butler, Chair of Police Advisory Committee presents community member questions that were emailed in advance. Participants in the audience felt that their questions had been cherry picked.

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Audience listens to candidates respond to questions.

_DSC0093After the question and answer period finalists remained to mingle and respond to those who felt their questions had not been answered.

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Now that we have questioned the candidates how do we give input to the mayor on the decision? These are the ladies who will have the final decision.

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Let’s Fight for the Real Issues

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