Does Rachel’s Life Matter?

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Robert Lloyd

By Robert J. Lloyd

There is nothing new about scandal in Spokane. Black voices have been bought off, driven to suicide, chased out of town or marginalized for years. Co-opting goes on continuously.

As for the current scandal, I could care less what Rachel’s ethnicity is. She has been a strong advocate for civil rights, social justice and issues of gender. She is a superb artist. I support her in her advocacy and speaking out on issues. The Spokane Black community has not had a representative voice since Eileen Thomas was president of the NAACP in 1998. Rachel did not seek the presidency of the Spokane NAACP but was recruited to run for the office.

Many people are talking about honesty and integrity. Let’s have the IRS look over their tax returns. Let’s have access to their emails and telephone conversations. Let’s check out their pedigrees. And where have all the investigative journalists been on important issues?

Spokane African Americans love their symbolism: hearing the “I Have a Dream” speech, wrapping up in kente cloth, wearing their dred locks and Easter bonnets. But on substantive matters Black leadership has been absent without leave in the Spokane community for many years. None of the university and city multicultural specialists and advocates have spoken out on the issues with the fervor of Rachel Dolezal. None of the African American History teachers and historians have spoken out on contemporary Black issues in Spokane.

We left a vacuum and Rachel Dolezal and the young college students that she inspired stepped in to fill it with the support of a few progressive community activists and Unitarians.

I plead with those with a sincere interest in the issues that Rachel has championed to keep on fighting. I would suggest that the NAACP Monday night meeting be the largest in the history of the Spokane chapter and that we support Rachel. I solicit the support of MORE white people to walk in our shoes. I welcome MORE white people to share the oppression of Black America.

Two important perspectives on the issue of Black identity:

Rachel Dolezal exposes our delusional constructions and perceptions of race

Rachel Dolezal’s deception: her ‘black’ identity doesn’t make sense – or make her black

Black Agenda Pledge of Cooperation for Unity

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Robert Lloyd

Recent events splashed across the media and slogans parading are fading. During Black History Month is it possible to get a commitment from you on the principles stated in the preamble to action below? Send any comments you would like to make to info@4comculture.com .

Black Agenda Pledge of Cooperation for Unity
PREAMBLE

We are the Black Community. We honor, acknowledge and represent a great range of people. Racially, we are African Americans, _______, _________ and so much more. Our religions include a variety of denominations. Some of us are Agnostic. Some of us define ourselves as distinctly Non-Religious. Our Community members include heterosexuals, gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, transgendered and the disabled. We work as social workers with children, young adults, mentally and physically disabled folk and people with HIV+ status. We work in the military. We work in education on all levels. We are entrepreneurs in the arts, theater, music, photography, sales, services, food and hospitality, unions and __________. Some of us don’t work. We are retired, students, unemployed or receiving public assistance. We hold a variety of political views. We represent a variety of income levels. All this and more are represented in our Community. We are the Black Community, by birth, by marriage and by choice. We celebrate and accept our members in all our diversity and find strength in our acceptance of each other. May this acknowledgement of people in all our shapes and sizes spread from our Community throughout our nations, throughout the world.

By signing this pledge in support of the Black Agenda I understand that I will be there for other individuals and organizations and they will be there for me and my organization.

Signed _________________________________________Date ___/___/2015

If you agree with these principles type your name and the date in the CONTACT US form to the right.

Posted at: www.4comculture.com   Contact: info@4comculture.com

2015 MLK March

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Robert Lloyd

Be prepared to answer the question what will you do to make that dream a reality. Write your name and contact information on a piece of paper and give it to one of the event organizers saying what you are prepared to do. Dig down deep up under both couch pillows find that spare change and make a contribution to the organizations that you think are working for human rights and social justice. Take out a subscription to Spokane’s new black newspaper the Black Lens News, come to this website www.4comculture.com the day after.

A Safe Place for Trauma Survivors

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Robert Lloyd

There is a powerful reading by Nikki Patin 15 minutes into The MusicVox broadcast.

Surviving The Mic is a collaborative organization of survivors who are dedicated to creating a safe and affirming creative spaces for survivors of trauma (sexual trauma, racial trauma, violent trauma). Through their series of spoken word and performance-based events they seek to create a space for testimonies about sexual violence and to build skills to elevate those testimonials.

The goals of Surviving the Mic are:

to help survivor artists hone their creative voices in order to tell their stories in powerful, impactful and artistic ways
to create curricula and toolkits that can be used a model for other communities who’d like to make safe space
to support cultural, emotional, physical, mental and economic well-being for survivor artists through safe and affirming performances, workshops, publications and professional practice training and support
to provide opportunities for those who are not survivors to listen and learn from survivors

Click the link below to hear their conversation.

Surviving The Mic: Empowering Survivors of Trauma Through Performance-Based Events and Workshops

For more information on Surviving The Mic, visit them at survivingthemic.org/

A Change to Spokane NAACP

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Robert Lloyd

On December 23 the Spokane chapter of the NAACP held a strategy meeting where the president-elect Rachel Dolezal presented a PowerPoint of her suggested organizational structure and suggested officers for the new year. It was obvious looking at the room that there is new interest in the organization. See links to older 4comculture posts and pages regarding NAACP activity and compare them to posts of activity since Ferguson. I think this is the beginning of a new movement with a much younger and energetic group. Only time will tell. I would encourage those under 40 to join the civic engagement and that we older folks stay home and send a check to support the youth.

Historical Note: When Dr. King joined the Montgomery Bus Boycott he was 26 years old. When he died he was 39 years old. Below are photographs of the SCLC field staff who were all in their late teens and early 20’s.

Post Ferguson MO

Spokane solidarity with Ferguson MO

Gonzaga University Die In

Pre Ferguson MO

Spokane WA NAACP Freedom Banquet 2013

Spokane NAACP Photo Gallery

The New Movement: Concious Black Youth

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Robert Lloyd

Gonzaga University Die In

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Robert Lloyd

The Black Student Union at Gonzaga University sponsored a demonstration on December 11, 2014, to stand in solidarity with communities across America against police misconduct.

Spokane Solidarity with Ferguson MO

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Robert Lloyd

After the unjust decision by the grand jury, newly elected Spokane NAACP President Rachel Dolezal called for a solidarity rally at City Hall and a march through the downtown business district. Guesstimates of participants ran from 100 to 280. The City Hall Plaza was closed. Demonstrators gathered on the corner in front of the City Hall building. Young African American men lay down on the ground symbolically representing the corpses of Black youth in America’s streets. The group was largely made up of college students including African Americans, Mecha members, Asian and white students. Members of the Spokane Socialist Alternative were represented, as was PJALS and GBLT. Absent Without Leave were the usual participants in Martin Luther King Day march – politicians, preachers and institutional representatives. And maybe that was a good thing. With new leadership coming from a younger generation grassroots organizing may begin.

Add your comments and let us know where Spokane should go from here.

Add your comments and let us know where Spokane should go from here.

Chip Thomas Photographer: Exhibit SFCC Oct 27 – Nov 21

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Robert Lloyd

PAINTED DESERT PROJECT

Spokane Falls Community College Fine Arts Gallery Bldg 6 3410 W Ft George Wright Dr. Gallery Hours: Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 3:30 pm

James “Chip” Thomas moved to the Navajo nation in 1987 to work as an Indian Health Services Physician, where he continues to work and live. During this time he taught himself black and white photography and has been documenting the people of the Navajo nation ever since. Chip has always been interested in street art, graffiti and guerrilla art tactics and taken part in the practice of billboard corrections. Influenced by urban graffiti artists of American cities and street artists in Brazil, Thomas, a.k.a. Jetsonorama, creates his own version of activist art on the Navajo Reservation. Full article and photographs

Creative Life Spokane

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Robert Lloyd

Jon Lepper and Tim Halloran See Artists on their website Creative Life Spokane

Creative Life Spokane

Robert Lloyd Artist & Advocate

Building The Community You Are Looking For

Does Rachel’s Life Matter?

Two important perspectives on the issue of Black identity:

Rachel Dolezal exposes our delusional constructions and perceptions of race

Rachel Dolezal’s deception: her ‘black’ identity doesn’t make sense – or make her black

Like this:

Black Agenda Pledge of Cooperation for Unity

Like this:

2015 MLK March

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A Safe Place for Trauma Survivors

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A Change to Spokane NAACP

Post Ferguson MO

Pre Ferguson MO

Like this:

The New Movement: Concious Black Youth

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Gonzaga University Die In

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Spokane Solidarity with Ferguson MO

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Chip Thomas Photographer: Exhibit SFCC Oct 27 – Nov 21

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Creative Life Spokane

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Two important perspectives on the issue of Black identity:

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Post Ferguson MO

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