Ideas and action for a new generation. en-us http://www.wiretapmag.org/rss/button.gif http://www.wiretapmag.org/ Wiretap http://www.wiretapmag.org/ Copyright 2008 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved. en-us http://www.wiretapmag.org/activism/43737/ Can you stay honest and effective as a community organizer and own a house some day? Two Rustbelt community organizers discuss and disagree. When We're Not Working is back, and better than ever (well, at least last time) - particularly, when it comes to sound quality. In Episode 2, we discuss the space between getting things done as dedicated community organizers and "selling out" in politics. As always, we'll also share a list of websites to check out, and this week we'll highlight some of the most interesting books and articles on Barack Obama. In addition to Wiretap, get all future "When We're Not Working" podcasts and learn more about Matt and Gavin, at our blog - <a href="http://whenwerenotworking.wordpress.com ">http://whenwerenotworking.wordpress.com</a> -- and feel free to email us at <a href="mailto:whenwerenotworking@gmail.com ">whenwerenotworking@gmail.com</a>. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated! We know we have a long way to go. <center><script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/scripts/pokkariPlayer.js?ver=2008010901"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/syndication/write_player?skin=js&posts_id=1154799&source=3&autoplay=true&file_type=flv&player_width=&player_height="></script><div id="blip_movie_content_1154799"><a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/Whenwerenotworking-WhenWereNotWorkingEpisode2080508374.mp3" onclick="play_blip_movie_1154799(); return false;"><img title="Click to play" alt="Video thumbnail. 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La Voy was managing a vintage clothing store when she finally did find out what a swing state was -- and that Indiana wasn't one. Frustrated that her vote wasn't statistically likely to make a difference, she came up with a plan. She would move to the nearest swing state, Ohio, and get out the vote in every way she could. Not only did she follow through with that plan, but she was able to convince 25 of her friends to do the same. Thus, Swing Semester was born. In its second installment, Swing Semester is once again getting young people to move states and start organizing. This time, though, it's doing that in a slightly different way. Swing Semester is hooking college grads and college students up with progressive nonprofit jobs all over the country. One of its main goals is to build stronger progressive communities in swing state cities by getting local families and businesses involved in the progressive movement. "Swing Semester's mission," says La Voy, "is to bridge theory with action." La Voy, the executive director and co-founder of Swing Semester, talked to Wiretap about her unique organization. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: What exactly is Swing Semester?</b></font> La Voy: The point is to use the momentum of the election cycle, and the opportunity of all the jobs in swing states for getting out the vote, to really bring young people into the progressive movement for a lifetime. Swing Semester basically goes out and recruits young people to move to swing states and we help them find jobs. We help them write resumes, figure out what their options are, and then they find job with progressive organizations and campaigns -- nonprofits that are doing things around the election ... . <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_story.jpg"> We often help these young people to get their very first jobs. Then we place them with a host family in that community. Hosts are usually very eager to open their doors to be helpful to the election and to the young people. And then for 8-10 weeks over the fall, young people get paid at their jobs, they work those jobs, they stay with host families, and they're formed into a really tight community. [Swing Semester staff members] help participants host local events, potlucks, film screenings, author events in the community. Our effort is not just to have young people do the work and get out the vote, but actually be on the ground and add new ideas and new dimensions to what progressive organizing looks like. The other really major part of it is the educational element. We now have a syllabus that pulls together the leading edge ideas in progressive politics. Eight units are [taught] over the course of eight weeks in a series of reading groups. They're totally optional but they're really exciting, so people seem to be pumped to be apart of them. The first unit, [for example] is on the irrationality of the voter. It includes some blog posts and YouTube videos and excerpts from the types of books political organizers are reading ... [The syllabus] is really giving some context to young people who are hitting the ground running and being told to knock on 200 doors a day. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: So, is it like a job recruitment program?</b></font> La Voy: No. The element at the very beginning is that we help them find jobs, but that's only about a quarter of the program. Swing semester is really a radical idea. It's much more like a political immersion program. It's like a radically new form of organizing, and it's also very common-sense. Campaigns often put staffers and canvassers together, holed up in a hotel or in an apartment. We see value of getting the host families [and their communities] involved. Those are swing state voters. That's where minds are changed and conversations happen ... Plus, young people are doing projects in those communities -- like film screenings and author signings -- to get people to talk not just about candidates but larger progressive issues. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: How did Swing Semester get started?</b></font> La Voy: It was started by myself and another young person in 2004. I was 23 and I had just graduated college, and my friend was in his last days of college. We were in rural Indiana and I had just figured out what a swing state was. I didn't know what it was before. I was not political. I was passionate, though ... When I figured out what a swing state was, I realized my vote wasn't really going to matter -- and that I needed to move to a swing state and [get out the vote] there. But the problem was, my co-founder and I couldn't figure out what the next step was. I definitely didn't know what my options were and I didn't know how I was going to pay for rent for 10 weeks in a strange city. I didn't know how I was going to afford it on a canvasser's salary ... So we used our networks at Earlham College, where we went to school. And eventually, we convinced 26 people to move states. Then we helped them get jobs and we all went to Ohio, in three different cities, and recruited host families so we could do this work. In the end, we knocked on 140,000 doors. First off, no one left the program. Everyone was so jazzed. It created a kind of community. The long-term result that we saw was the fact that people had totally changed. By the end of the cycle, it was like all of our friends were looking at us like we were really political. Suddenly, we were exposed to all these new ideas and we soaked up this new energy ... By the end of the process, all of us looked at each other as really political, and frankly kind of hardcore. People had shifted -- because they really hadn't started out political. That was sort of the magic of the experience. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: How are you going about getting young people involved?</b></font> La Voy: It's been hard. We're looking for young people who haven't been involved before. We're trying to hit people before they sign up for jobs this fall and try to move them to be a part of something that's going to be historic ... We're eager to get as many young people on the ground as we can. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: Are you specifically targeting recent college graduates?</b></font> La Voy: It's mostly recent college grads. Swing Semester's a great bridge between figuring out whats next for you in the world when you graduate, to figure out whether politics or political work is right for you, and to get connected to nonprofits and other things. We can even support people in getting academic credit, if they decide to take a semester off. For the most part, it is the recent college grads who are interested, mostly because there a lot of folks out there looking for what's next. It's sort of a natural community for us. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: How does the educational side of things -- your syllabus for instance -- play into the kind of community-building you strive for?</b></font> La Voy: One of our units in our syllabus is actually just on food, which seems like an unlikely choice because it's not about candidates. But when we begin looking at politics through the lense of food, people become political three times a day. It becomes a practice -- determining the difference between organic or local or Wal-Mart-bought. It suddenly has people thinking about systems and where food comes from ... . Progress, as we define it, is distinct from just being political. It's larger than that. We think of "progressive" as being a movement, being a way of looking at the world, having a lot to do with the common good and freedom of responsibility. Those are some of the elements of how we would define progressive. Food is the biggest export in the U.S., but people don't relate to it that way. We don't relate to how food is connected to our economy. We don't connect the dots and recognize how legislation is impacting the kinds of foods that are available to us. So being able to look at that system and being able to recognize the role of the government and the role of the economy. Being able to recognize the systemic value of having foods that are organic and locally grown for the environment and climate is something that is wholly progressive. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: Is Swing Semester concentrating on the presidential election?</b></font> La Voy: Nope. It's funny because our name is clearly referencing swing states, which only happen during the presidential election. But we're more equal opportunity actually. There's a lot of exciting work being done. A lot of our young people are going to canvass to support [presidential] candidates, but we also have people working on more local issues. We have someone greening roofs in Denver, [for instance]. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: What are some other examples of local issues your participants are interested in focusing on?</b></font> La Voy: Climate is one. A number of our young people are doing environmental and climate issues. A lot of people are working on pro-choice issues. At least one person is working at ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) doing more getting-out-the-vote, community empowerment, civic engagement type stuff. We wanted to reach out to people who are involved in all sorts of progressive nonprofit work. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: Did you think young people in swing states are more politically aware?</b></font> La Voy: There's a really big difference between the activity of young people who are living in swing states versus those who aren't. Because those who aren't don't tend to vote very much. There's like a 13-point difference. Because they know that it's not really going to matter. That meant that there are a lot of people in non-swing states that are not active. Being able to get them to a swing state kind of feels like you're giving the disenfranchised a voice sometimes. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: One of the cities Swing State is going to be in is Virginia Beach. Can you talk about Swing State's plan for its work in Virginia?</b></font> La Voy: Well, we don't endorse particular candidates, we don't have a stance on that. But what we want to do is get our young people to where the action is hot, where the conversations are going to be hot, where the ads are all over TV. In Virginia, in terms of impact, our participants will be knocking on a hundred thousand doors in Virginia Beach. They're going to be very excited to be part of a place that hangs in the balance in terms of the election. There's going to be a lot of attention and a lot of buzz all the way to the last day there. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: One purpose of Swing Semester seems to be to help recent college graduates break into the field of political organizing. Can this model be applied to other fields? </b></font> La Voy: Yes. There are groups out there in other arenas that have similarities to what we're doing. Teach for America and Americorps are a couple. But I like to think about Swing Semester as a full-body slam into poltiics -- or into what it means to be progressive and what it is to be a progressive citizen. I think it's a model we could be using in a lot of different arenas. This is a good way to get people involved in something I think a lot of them want to be involved in. If you talk to young people, they'll be buzzing about the election but they won't necessarily see a way in. I think our model is really taking on the demand for interest in how to take those first steps. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: Are most of your participants interested in careers in the nonprofit sector or just interested in impacting the 2008 election?</b></font> La Voy: I'm not entirely sure. In 2004, it was about half and half. I know that this year, we have some really exciting applicants. People are driving from South Carolina to make it to Denver. People are leaving their longtime love of local football -- which for some participants is a really big deal! -- to come up and be involved in something that is new for them. I hope this isn't just a careerist option. We need a lot of people throughout the country who are engaged and informed and organizing citizens -- not all moving to D.C. to get jobs. Because once you get to Washington, all you want is engaged citizens out there [in states across the country]. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: Some people would say that programs like Swing Semester provide cushioning for college students instead of thrusting them out into the real world. How would you respond to that?</b></font> La Voy: I would say yes. One of the most valuable things about the college experience, for those who are recent college grads, is a community. That's what you remember -- your friends, living in the dorm, having conversations late at night. That's really want Swing Semester provides canvassers on the ground -- a community and stimulating ideas of what they're doing and why. As well as a paycheck. Which is not a bad thing at all! <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: What would you say to applicants who have never canvassed before -- who might be afraid of getting doors slammed in their faces?</b></font> La Voy: Having a door slammed in your face can be very frustrating or very educational. Something that the Swing Semester community provides is support. [Without that], it can be very frustrating if it's day after day and it's just you. But if you have someone to go home to and talk about your worst story ever or best canvassing day ever. Or even to get curious, like 'Hmm, why are people reacting this way?' If we can have some curiosity instead of reactivity to that experience, it becomes very educational. There's no education like canvassing. There's no way to get to know the American people like organizing door to door. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: How useful did the 2004 Swing Semester "graduates" -- those who complete the program -- find the experience? What kind of feedback did you get from them?</b></font> La Voy: 2004 was a scrappier version of what we've got now. We had a 100 percent retention. And we had people saying, 'I never worked so hard in my life; I've also never been so fulfilled.' That was a common theme. There was also a common theme of, 'Oh my God, I was given more responsibility than I ever could have imagined! I went from being a small-town girl to being in charge of a whole get-out-the-vote campaign in a big city in Ohio!' But mostly, people felt very supported. People said, 'It made a difference that the rest of you out there doing this alongside me.' <font size="2" color="blue"><b>WireTap: You mentioned you're still recruiting. Is there anything you want to highlight for readers who might be interested in joining?</b></font> La Voy: We are absolutely still recruiting! It's a really great way to get sort of a holistic education this fall. The cities of Denver and Cincinnati are up first. So people should apply and come! We'll figure out payment, we'll figure out scholarships. We just want to get as many young people involved as possible. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:01 PDT Suemedha Sood, WireTap http://www.wiretapmag.org/elections2008/43728/ While youth voting is on the rise, barriers to civic engagement among working-class black youth persist. How are activists going beyond voter registration to break down these barriers? Most grassroots organizers are as dedicated to their work as their offices are messy. For Rose Braz, the case is no different. As campaign director for <a href="http://www.criticalresistance.org/">Critical Resistance</a>, she's part of a national network of grassroots organizers, community members, academics and former prisoners whose mission is as straightforward as it is challenging: to abolish prisons. Her Oakland office is filled with boxes, pamphlets and fliers. During this busy presidential campaign season, hers is one of the few national organizations not organizing directly to get out the vote. "One in 100 adults are in jail in the United States," she says. "For young black men between the ages of 20 and 34, that number is one in nine, and we're surprised that people don't want to vote?" Critical Resistance views prisons as merely one part of the equation. The group's focus is on dismantling what advocates often refer to as the <a href="http://criticalresist.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?preview=1&cache=0&id=58 ">prison-industrial complex</a> -- namely, private businesses such as security firms and construction companies that <a href="http://ww.afscme.org/publications/2556.cfm ">profit</a> from warehousing millions of people with little hope for rehabilitation. "People are a little defeated," she says. "The way the prison system is set up, you don't have to be behind bars to feel disenfranchised." Despite record numbers of young and new voters in this historical presidential election, voter disenfranchisement remains an issue for many young black men. <font size=&#226;&#8364;¯2&#226;&#8364;¯ color=&#226;&#8364;¯blue&#226;&#8364;¯><b>New Voters, Old Barriers</b></font> <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_malcolm.jpg"> After the Civil War, Congress passed three important pieces of legislation known as the <a href="http://www.vw.vccs.edu/vwhansd/HIS269/Documents/Amendments.html"> Reconstruction Amendments</a>. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery, the 14th secured the constitutional rights of former slaves and the 15th gave black men the right to vote. Together, these acts helped form the crux of black political participation in America. President Davies is a direct descendant of this legacy of political aspiration and involvement. The 22-year-old Richmond, California native was born to a mother with lupus, and doctors expected him to suffer from severe mental and physical handicaps. To combat such harsh expectations, his parents chose a powerful name for their newborn son. "There was no name that signified honor and respect more than 'President'," he says. Now healthy, he's ready to finish his associate degree at <a href="http://www.laney.peralta.edu">Laney College</a> in Oakland, and transfer to <a href="http://www.howard.edu">Howard University</a> in the fall. Davies bears witness to the stark contrast in voting among his peers. "Very few of my friends vote," he says. "The ones who do are in college, and the rest who aren't in school are busy trying to find jobs." Davies' observation is consistent with national data that suggests a huge class divide within black civic engagement. In 2004, 47 percent of black youth turned out to vote (<a href="http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/FactSheets/FS_Youth_Voting_72-04.pdf">PDF)</a>, the highest level in the past 30 years and only 2.5 percentage points fewer than white voters. Yet black college students vote at much <a href="http://theleague.com/pressroom/press-clips/non-college-youth-turnout-lags-badly">higher</a> <a href="http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080707/youthvote">rates</a> than youth without any college experience. Davies notes that a lack of time and a surplus of apathy don't explain his friends voting behavior. "A lot of people feel disenfranchised," he said. "If you don't feel connected to the society, why vote?" <p><table align=right cellspacing="0" class="small" style="border:1px solid #333; margin:0px 0px 0px 10px; width:200px"><tr><td style="background-color: #E2E2D3; text-align:center; vertical-align:top; padding-top:5px;"> <b>Black Youth and Voting</b> </p> <p></td></tr><tr><td class="small" style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top; background-color:#E2E2D3; padding:3px 10px 10px 10px;"> Contrary to popular belief, black youth are actually turning out to vote in record numbers. -- In 2004, 47 percent of black youth (18-25) voted, the highest level in the past 30 years and only 2.5 percentage points fewer than white voters. -- Since 1972, young black women (18-24) consistently voted at higher numbers than young black men. --Young black college students, however, vote at much higher rates than working-class youths without any college experience. In this year's primary elections, eight out of every ten voters were college students. *Source: Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (<b><a href="http://www.civicyouth.org/">CIRCLE</a></b>) Still not registered to vote? It's quick and easy. <a href="http://www.rockthevote.com">Register!</a> </td></tr></table> When asked if politicians address the issues he and his community face every day, Davies says that most of their challenges are under-represented. For instance, employment, while talked about on a grand scale, isn't often discussed in the more concrete context of who gets jobs and who is left out. "There definitely aren't enough jobs, and when they do exist, they don't go to the people in the neighborhood I live in." <font size=&#226;&#8364;¯2&#226;&#8364;¯ color=&#226;&#8364;¯blue&#226;&#8364;¯><b>Still Not Free</b></font> Eric Phillips legally can't vote. The 27-year-old black man was charged with a felony when he was younger and has since been stripped of his right to vote. Phillips is one of many black men who couldn't vote even if they wanted to. More than <a href="http://www.sentencingproject.org/IssueAreaHome.aspx?IssueID=3">60 percent</a> of prisoners in the US are ethnic minorities. For black males in their twenties, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/02/28/ST2008022803016.html">statistics show</a> that roughly one in nine is incarcerated. According to the <a href="http://www.sentencingproject.org/IssueAreaHome.aspx?IssueID=4">Sentencing Project</a>, a research and advocacy organization that examines felony disenfranchisement, an estimated <a href="http://www.sentencingproject.org/IssueAreaHome.aspx?IssueID=4">5.3 million</a> Americans are denied the right to vote because of felony convictions. That leaves 13 percent of black men unable to vote. "You don't feel like a part of society. You actually feel like an outlaw, like somebody who has been left behind. You did your time, you paid your dues and yet you are still punished," said Phillips. He grew up in San Francisco's <a href="http://www.sfbayview.com/">Bayview</a>-<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLXtL1R9rCs ">Hunters Point</a>, a notoriously tough neighborhood. His childhood was made even more difficult after both of his parents were sent to prison. Left to provide for his sisters any way he could, he got into trouble with the law at an early age. "You realize it's hard to get a job. You can't vote because you have a record, you can't go certain places. Your life is stripped from you. It doesn't stop [when you] get out of jail. You don't have a lot of freedom you should have." Eric now works with <a href="http://www.thebeatwithin.org/news/"><i>The Beat Within</i></a>, a magazine that helps amplify the creative voices of incarcerated youth. <font size=&#226;&#8364;¯2&#226;&#8364;¯ color=&#226;&#8364;¯blue&#226;&#8364;¯> <b>Survival Mode</b></font> Brother Saleem Shakir, associate director of the African-American youth development agency <a href="http://www.leadershipexcellence.org/">Leadership Excellence</a>, works about a block from Critical Resistance. He's one of many young black men working to address systemic issues in his community outside of the more conventional definitions of civic engagement. With 19 years in the game, Leadership Excellence is a major part of the lives of many young black youth in and around Oakland. Its signature program, <a href="http://www.leadershipexcellence.org/index2.html">Camp Akili</a>, focuses on violence, critical thinking, building self-esteem and self-determination. This approach is coupled with identifying internalized depression in African and African-American youth and addressing it in a positive way with workshops and training programs. Shakir is the grandson of <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/28/BAGL8N8UHT1.DTL">Carter Gilmore</a>, the first black man elected to the Oakland City Council. A self-proclaimed native resident and homeowner in Oakland, Shakir says he chooses to vote out of respect for his ancestors' sacrifice. "Growing up in East Oakland, I was trying to wear my Chuck Taylors and sport my red rag. I wasn't really tripping on voting," he said of his younger years. "Voting became important between [the] ages of 18 and 21 when I was doing my own level of research around African and African-American history. I saw the struggle we went through as a people to get the right to vote, so I started voting." The question of how to get more working-class black men involved in the political process remains important. For Shakir, voting is a necessary component of justice. <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_youth+uprising.jpg"> "We, as a people, want power," he says. "The way the system is set up, the power is in the political process." Yet that path toward justice is neither direct nor easy. More than a century after the Reconstruction Amendments were passed, granting them the right to vote, many black men are still focused on basic living. "Voting is something you do when you're beyond survival mode," says Shakir. "You don't vote when you're in survival mode. And we have been conditioned in this country to stay in survival mode." Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:00:01 PDT Donny Lumpkins, Rock The Trail http://www.wiretapmag.org/race/43733/ Legendary comedian Richard Pryor breaks down the presidency. With all the talk swirling about the potential of electing America's first Black president, we revisit a classic parody by Richard Pryor. {$media.0.html} Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:00:01 PDT http://www.wiretapmag.org/arts/43726/ A poem for the beautifully brown. A poem written by WireTap contributer <a href="http://www.adrizzle.com">Adriel Luis</a> that breaks down patriarchy and white western beauty standards. {$media.0.html} Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:00:01 PDT iLL-Literacy http://www.wiretapmag.org/race/43717/ Wiretap's photographer Rebecca McDonald revisited life in New Orleans, three years after Katrina, and two weeks before Gustav. <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_7.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Before Katrina, Charity Hospital was one of the busiest public hospitals that provided care for everyone, including many of the city's uninsured. It remains closed, and it's future is unknown. Lack of schools, housing and hospitals makes it hard for people to move back. Only 60 percent of the city's pre-Katrina half a million population is back. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_2.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> New Orleans native DJ Soul Sister has returned home and remains a local staple. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_4.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Gideon Christian Fellowship International Church on Elysian Fields Avenue serves as a place of rest and rejuvenation for the weary. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_8.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Circle Foods, a vibrant community grocery store before Katrina served as a main point of reference for many New Orleans residents during the hurricanes. When it was confirmed that Circle Foods was under water, the worst fears became real. The iconic Circle Foods remains closed to this day. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_11.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Thousands of New Orleans buildings remain unattended, standing as stark reminders of neglect frozen in time. More than one in three residential addresses remain vacant or unoccupied, according to a report by the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_25.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> The heavily damaged, Lower Ninth Ward only has 11 percent of its pre-Katrina homes occupied. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_28.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> The Lower Ninth Ward. Overgrown. Overlooked. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_12.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> The New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village in the Upper Ninth Ward, spanning eight acres, was the brainchild of New Orleans natives Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis. In addition to creating affordable housing, the village created community among the city's musicians who carried on the musical legacy of New Orleans. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_13.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Faced with housing shortages and rents now 46 percent higher than before Katrina, the Musicians' Village now provides timely zero-interest financing on the newly constructed single-family homes, encouraging ownership and community revitalization. <pagebreak /> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_16.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> After the storm, swarms of media and tourists ascended on the Lower Ninth Ward. Residents say 'no to gawkers.' <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_16-2.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> The stories of the people of New Orleans are still raw with emotion. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_42.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> John McDonogh College Preparatory High School reopened in January of 2006. Of the over 130 public pre-Katrina schools, 87 have reopened. Forty nine of them are now charter schools. Fifty six public schools remain closed. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_17.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Food for the soul. DJ Tony Skratchere shared his secret recipe for his gumbo rue. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_19.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Devonte Dussell (left) and Anthony Green (right) made their own bikes. Through the grassroots programs such as Rhubarb and Plan B, people are encouraged to build their own affordable bikes. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_22.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Plan B, the community Bike Project helps alleviate the stress caused by high gas prices and the loss of transportation due to the storm. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_27.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Common Ground Relief is a community-initiated volunteer organization that started with three volunteers and has grown to 40 organizers and hundreds of volunteers. With a slogan, "Solidarity, Not Charity," the collective provides legal, housing, financial aid and many other types of assistance. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_29.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> The levee wall failures caused flooding in over 85 percent of New Orleans. The east side of the levee in the Industrial Canal appears repaired. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_32.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Formed in 1983, the ReBirth Brass Band is a legendary local institution. The nine-member band has traveled the world representing New Orleans. <pagebreak /> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_30.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> The crowd at Tipitina's club dance the worries away to the sounds of ReBirth Brass Band. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_31.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> When the Saints Come Marchin' In. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_34.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Canal Street runs through the heart of the city. Many of the damaged buildings are restored in this part of the city. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_38.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Politikin. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_39.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> From providing health insurance to funding shows, the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic has helped thousands of residents at a time when many of the pre-Katrina hospitals are still closed. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_40.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Countless: St. Anna's Episcopal Church is know all over town for their memorials to those who have fallen victim to violence in New Orleans. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_45.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> After Katrina, an influx of immigrant workers from places like Honduras, Venezuela and Mexico came to rebuild. According to the Louisiana Health and Population Survey in 2006, the number of Latinos living in households in New Orleans has increased by about 10,000 since 2004, to 60,000. <hr class="jagged"> <center><img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_50.jpg" width="400" border="0" style="float:none;" /></center> Cory Bundy of Dora's Super Market makes the best Po' Boys in the city. Not only do they have this staple New Orleans submarine sandwich, but they also serves as a friendly spot where immigrants can come and find food native to their land. <hr class="jagged"> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:01 PDT Rebecca McDonald, WireTap http://www.wiretapmag.org/elections2008/43712/ A Colorado organization inspires young people to forge a fun brand of civic engagement and political awareness. <i>Rock the Trail is a project of Rock the Vote and Wiretap</i> It all began when a group of young Boulder activists, who describe themselves as "disgruntled," decided they could make a difference. Combine that energy with startup capital from a non-profit foundation and you've got a recipe for a movement. The youth of <a href="http://www.neweracolorado.org">New Era Colorado</a> (NEC) believe a new generation will usher in the nation's next great progressive era. They're helping that goal along by working to increase voter registration, civic participation and engagement among the 18 to 29-year-old Millennial Generation, in addition to forging a youth-specific legislative agenda. And they manage to do it all while having one heck of a good time. "We [do] year-round political engagement," says Steve Fenberg, New Era's executive director. "We don't want just election cycle thinking." Fenberg says the organization grew from a group of old student government nerds who didn't see much room for people who fit between "politically-unengaged" and the College Republicans or Young Democrats. "They're useful for a certain crowd," says Fenberg, "but not for an average young person. We wanted to re-brand politics by young people for young people, and bridge the gap between social life and politics." When New Era formed, they set their sights high, competing with dozens of other groups for a startup grant offered to those interested in youth outreach. NEC was one of the select three groups to become part of the coveted <a href="http://www.skylinepublicworks.com/gogrant">Go Grant Program</a>. With the money and startup services to build a solid foundation, the organization hit the ground running. Their pioneer venture in 2006 was to increase political youth outreach and engagement -- a key component to the turnout in the midterm elections, the primaries and caucuses, as well as the predicted high turnout in November. "Thanks to their work we're going to see the trend in increased young voter participation continue," said <a href="http://www.youthtopower.com"><i>Youth to Power</i></a> author Michael Connery over Google Chat. "[They could] potentially [swing] battleground states, and most likely have a dramatic impact on less well-known, down-ballot races where a few thousand, or few hundred votes can make the difference." <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_nec+not+moms.jpg"> <b><span style="color:blue;">Era Actions</b></span> Founders of New Era were sick of candidates swooping in to the community for only a few months and bailing out after the election was over. Instead, they sought to build a group of people who would stay active on the issues that mattered to them. Ballot initiatives, legislative battles and community projects are all ways in which young people can consistently impact Colorado. New Era calls it "hands-on democracy" and it's powered by real grassroots work. After a quick operation for the 2006 elections, New Era focused on developing a legislative agenda. At the spring session at the Colorado Capitol in 2007, two NEC interns took the lead on a bill to lower the minimum age of a candidate seeking political office. The group passed a bill in the House and Senate to change it from 25 to 21. "That's really come full circle for us," Fenberg says. "It's an amendment to the Constitution on the ballot this November." This kind of successful youth action was a key reason University of Colorado student Christopher Smith got involved in the organization. "As we can see in other countries," he says, "when youth are participants in their political process they can be extremely effective in bringing about positive change." <b><span style="color:blue;">Naked Politics</b></span> The 2007 City Council Elections in Boulder provided another opportunity for NEC to get involved. Seven of the nine council seats were up for re-election and Fenberg saw a huge opportunity for young people to impact the election. Enter the "Vote Naked" campaign. Because it was an all-mail ballot, there were no polling places or specific dates for the election. Instead, the voter receives their ballot at their voter registration address and sends it back with their vote. Fenberg says this is particularly difficult for young voters because they tend to move around quite a bit. "The first part of [Vote Naked] was making sure everybody was registered to vote and registered under their current address." Fenberg says the all-mail ballot provided a unique opportunity for New Era to talk about how easy it is to vote from the comfort of one's own home. "We did a cool YouTube video and had a bunch of swag that said 'Vote Naked' on it and it really caught on." {$media.0.html} This January, New Era held a candidate forum that addressed the issues that matter most to youth. Young voters submitted YouTube videos asking questions of candidates in Colorado's Second Congressional District. New Era sifted through the videos and showed those selected on a big screen at an event where the candidates responded. No issue was off the table and Fenberg said candidates weren't sure what to expect. Young voters asked questions about a broad range of topics from health care and global warming to the legalization of marijuana. {$media.1.html} <b><span style="color:blue;"> Clever Caucusing </b></span> In the lead-up to the 2008 Colorado caucuses, New Era registered over 4,000 voters. Few other organizations register voters in off years. "Right now, so many groups are doing voter registration, but after the election they'll all leave," says Fenberg. "We're pretty much the only ones out there doing it year-round and not just gearing up for a general election." If "Vote Naked" weren't daring enough, the caucus offered an opportunity for more clever repartee from New Era. "To be honest, I don't think a lot of people knew what caucus meant," Fenberg says. "If you're not [in] a state that has a big caucus like some of the states that come early, you wouldn't even know that you had a caucus." Typically, Colorado has their caucuses much later in the calendar. Like many states, however, they <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6813083">changed the date</a> to have a greater impact on presidential nominees and the state parties. New Era wanted to ensure that people knew the event was coming up, what it meant and how they could participate. "We started a couple of campaigns," Fenberg explains. "One of them was <a href="http://media.www.thecampuspress.com/media/storage/paper1098/news/2008/01/18/News/All-About.The.Caucus-3158533.shtml">Rock Out with Your Caucus Out</a> that was really just an awareness [campaign] to get people to volunteer for Caucus Day, know where their site is and to get their friends there." The final effort by New Era to ensure that voters knew about the Colorado caucus was a campaign called "The Caucus Comes Early," featuring a controversial YouTube video. "Essentially it's, um, two people kind of getting it on. It's steamy and over the top but meant to be funny," says Fenberg. "At the very end you see the girl kind of rolling her eyes and they're done. And then it says 'Beware: The Caucus Comes Early This Year.' Then it gives you information on what it means to be a caucus state, when it is and [how] you should be prepared for it." While the ad never showed anything that would violate YouTube's terms of service, it did ruffle some feathers at the Colorado Democratic Party. Officials there asked New Era to pull the video. "Even though it was actually non-partisan," says Fenberg, "and it was very much geared towards educating people about the caucus, we still ended up taking it down." Fenberg notes that on caucus night there were many different sites throughout the city, and one large one for the University of Colorado campus. If students lived off campus or weren't in school, it was important for people to know which site to go to. "It was chaos. We never had more than a handful of people show up before; this year we had hundreds at each site." New Era sponsored the main university site and had treats and activities for those who attended. Fenberg said that in 2004 only nine people showed up, but this year there were over 500 people -- most of them young. "I think all nine of those people [in 2004] were homeowners who lived on the outskirts of campus. So, we had a huge increase with a lot of energy. All of our volunteers ran the caucus. They did all the sign in, counted the official ballots and reported the results to the party." Programs like these are one of the major reasons CU student volunteer Tara Worley got involved. "It gave me a sense of community and helped me not think about things that might be stressing me out like school or whatever," she said. "My favorite part of New Era is called 'Roll Call' where we register voters on roller skates and dress crazy. It's more fun than a regular bar crawl on any other Saturday night." <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_nec+bus.jpg"> <b><span style="color:blue;"> Bus Bound To Rock DNC </b></span> This week, during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, New Era Colorado takes to the road on their first chartered voter bus. In an email to supporters, Steve Fenberg said they will fill the bus with volunteer riders, go to a swing district in Colorado and talk to thousands of voters. Fenberg believes it's these kinds of grassroots efforts that can have more of an impact on Colorado elections than any TV ad or mailing. "We're bringing back people-to-people politics one bus trip at a time. And then we throw a post-trip party with all the typical tomfoolery." Bus trips, round table discussions on upcoming ballot initiatives, happy hours and a new Facebook application that shows a mock ballot so voters know what's going on down ticket -- these are just a few of New Era's plans for the coming months. It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, or how young you are. Their message is that each person can impact their government. "Come on! Who really cares about expensive college tuition, the economy or the job market and the future of our planet?" says RJ Wilson, a former young Kansas legislator. "If young people stay out of the process it means more pie for all of the other groups." Wilson agrees that most people involved in politics are from a group of powerful individuals or organizations who have more to lose or gain by legislation or elections. "The only thing [young people] have to lose or gain is their future." Like many non-profits there is no shortage of energy and progress, but their biggest hurdle is always money. "I would love to see New Era Colorado create more media like videos, podcasts and publications to further take advantage of the way in which youth communicate," Smith said of New Era's potential. Fenberg agrees but says that many donors aren't ready to trust the youth vote yet. "I think a lot of people are looking to see what happens in 2008." Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:01 PDT Sarah Burris, Rock The Trail http://www.wiretapmag.org/arts/43714/ Graffiti writers bring attention to the murder and disappearances of Honduran youth after a bloody school bus massacre. {$media.0.html} Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:00:01 PDT YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia http://www.wiretapmag.org/rights/43713/ Opinion: California's Prop. 6 is a ballot measure that few voters know about, but that could have catastrophic effects on young people. <i>This post originally appeared at <a href=&#226;&#8364;¯http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=d01148783101be65ceadfc3d57ee9944&#226;&#8364;¯>New America Media</a></i>. With <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=California_Proposition_6_(2008)">Proposition 6</a> on the California ballot this November, young people in the Golden State have a reason to vote that trumps putting the first non-white man in the White House. The Runner Initiative -- or the "Safe Neighborhood Act" -- is the single worst thing that could happen to California youth since the passage of <a href="http://www.smartvoter.org/2000/03/07/ca/state/prop/21/">Proposition 21</a> allowed 16 year-olds to be tried as adults. Prop. 6 does Prop. 21 one better &#226;&#8364;&#8220; it would allow 14-year-old "gang members" to be tried as adults. This "son of Three Strikes" (Prop. 184) &#226;&#8364;&#8220; Prop. 6 was written by Three Strikes author <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi%20bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/09/28/BA292961.DTL&type=printable">Mike Reynolds</a> -- is like the Stealth Bomber of laws, cruising at the speed of sound past California voters with a payload of nukes aimed at youth and undocumented immigrants. I sat in a roomful of journalists last week and not one had heard of it. This speaks to the lack of beat reporters in California as the newspaper industry implodes. Hundreds of journalists have been laid off or bought out, leaving the public ill-informed about this impending legislative hurricane. One of Prop. 6's most troublesome aspects is the gang enhancement stipulation that would add time and other penalties to those identified as gang members. {$media.0.html} California's gang database CAL/GANG, the largest statewide gang database in the country, lists more than 100,000 names. The data is so untrustworthy that former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer refused to forward them to federal authorities. He told the San Francsico Chronicle: "This database cannot and should not be used, in California or elsewhere, to decide whether or not a person is dangerous or should be detained." Young people who have been unfairly labeled as gang members would now face the harshest of penalties through a system that is already broken and flawed. The proposition would prohibit undocumented immigrants charged with certain offenses from being released on bail or on their own recognizance, pending trial. Already under tremendous social pressure from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, state and local governments, this is just one more nail in the coffin of immigrant rights in California. It would create temporary prisons in counties that are currently experiencing overcrowding. Imagine tent prisons housing the overflow of inmates that the Proposition would create. The California prison system is already under fire over everything from inadequate health care to overcrowding caused by mandatory minimum sentences. Funding priorities would be switched from mental health, drug treatment and community programs. All monies would have to pass through county probation departments before reaching mental health and drug treatment programs. Prop 6 stipulates that the funding "shall be distributed...to assist counties for the expense of housing juvenile offenders." The implication here is that money for anything other than housing would be in jeopardy. Rehabilitation programs could be wiped out. <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_no+on+6.jpg"> Prop. 6 significantly increases expenditures for criminal justice programs, including net program costs likely to exceed $1 billion, and is estimated to cost an additional $500 million a year after that. This new spending comes during a period in which the state of California is facing a <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_10256266">budget crisis</a> of historic proportions, prompting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to ask for steep cuts the Democratic controlled state legislature is refusing to pass. Services like child care centers and nursing homes are feeling the crunch during the impasse. The state is already on the hook for billions going to <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/14/MN9U12ACV8.DTL&hw=Prison+health&sn=001&sc=1000">prison health care</a> and new education mandates that will require students to <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/13/MNB9129KM4.DTL&hw=Math&sn=012&sc=175">pass algebra</a> by the eighth grade. California simply can't afford to take money from the general fund &#226;&#8364;&#8220; mainly education &#226;&#8364;&#8220; to pay for this ill-conceived initiative. Adding insult to injury, the law would require local governments to conduct annual criminal background checks on recipients of federal housing subsidies. Everyone in the house must be background-checked and if anyone is found guilty of a drug crime or a violent crime, the whole family would be evicted. Prop. 6 would also significantly increase (to life in prison) the penalty for home invasion robbery, carjacking, carrying firearms and extortion. Ironically, the billionaire who financed the initiative, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/06/business/fi-nicholas6">Henry Nicholas III</a>, was indicted this summer on numerous felony charges including charges of supplying prostitutes to big-ticket customers, drug use and trafficking, conspiracy, security fraud and making death threats. People like Nichols are hardly in a position to pass judgment on the immigrants and young people of California. While gangs and violence are a major concern to voters, laws like Prop. 6 don't work. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/opinion/19tue3.html?scp=1&sq=Juvenile%20Justice&st=cse">An editorial</a> in the New York Times states, "Criminologists warn that juvenile offenders who are thrown in with adult prisoners are exposed to social pressures and develop personal contacts that make it far more likely that they will become career criminals than those held in juvenile facilities." While Prop. 8 -- the Gay Marriage Initiative -- gets all the headlines, Prop. 6 is sneaking under the radar of the media, politicians and the immigrants and young people it targets. Obama holds a <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080717-9999-1n17field.html">double-digit lead</a> in California over John McCain. Youth who were energized to vote for change through Obama now have a better reason to go to the polls this fall: voting against Prop. 6. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:00:01 PDT Kevin Weston, New America Media http://www.wiretapmag.org/elections2008/43706/ When politics, rock and roll and video editing collide. {$media.0.html} Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:00:01 PDT http://www.wiretapmag.org/activism/43704/ Podcast: Two Rustbelt community organizers talk about work, life, music, books, ideas, and everything in between. <center><script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/scripts/pokkariPlayer.js?ver=2008010901"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/syndication/write_player?skin=js&posts_id=1151575&source=3&autoplay=true&file_type=flv&player_width=&player_height="></script><div id="blip_movie_content_1151575"><a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/Whenwerenotworking-WhenWereNotWorkingEpisode10708588.mp3" onclick="play_blip_movie_1151575(); return false;"><img title="Click to play" alt="Video thumbnail. Click to play" src="http://blip.tv/file/get/Whenwerenotworking-WhenWereNotWorkingEpisode10708588.mp3.jpg" border="0" title="Click To Play" /></a><br /><a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/Whenwerenotworking-WhenWereNotWorkingEpisode10708588.mp3" onclick="play_blip_movie_1151575(); return false;">Click To Play</a></div></center> Today, we are happy to launch the very first "When We're Not Working" podcast! We're Gavin Leonard and Matt Ryan, and we're both from the Midwest, doing community organizing in some way, shape, or form in our beloved Rustbelt. As Matt and I became addicted to podcasts, we wished there would be one out there specifically for organizers and activists. When we're not working is often when Matt and I have the best, most honest and interesting conversations. So, "When We're Not Working" will try to be a space for all of that, as well as some web links, music, ideas, and maybe an idiosyncrasy or two. We'll share what we've been reading and thinking about. And we'll bring in some of the most inspiring activists and thinkers to expand the dialogue. In this episode, we discuss Matt's trip to Tennessee, talk about the Highlander Center, share a little-known fact or two, and we talk about what we're reading -- from David Sirota to Dave Eggers. In addition to Wiretap, get all future "When We are Not Working" podcasts and learn more about Matt and Gavin, at our blog - <a href="http://whenwerenotworking.wordpress.com ">http://whenwerenotworking.wordpress.com</a> - and feel free to email us at <a href="mailto:whenwerenotworking@gmail.com ">whenwerenotworking@gmail.com</a>. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated! We know we have a long way to go. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:01 PDT Gavin Leonard, Matt Ryan, WireTap http://www.wiretapmag.org/elections2008/43685/ How the presidential candidates plan to change the face of volunteering in America. Presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama don't agree on much. The economy, Social Security, the Iraq war and foreign policy, immigration reform, alternative energy, health care and gay rights -- on every one of these contested issues the two candidates clash, frequently sparring on the campaign trail. However, there's one issue on which the plain-spoken McCain and the self-confident Obama do agree: The importance of national service to the future of the United States. This shared belief is best exemplified in the two presidential candidates' ambitious, though uniquely different, visions for the future expansion of national service organizations. <font size="2" color="blue"><b>Record Numbers</b></font> Today's service organizations report staggering increases in applicants and participants. The number of volunteers serving abroad in the <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/">Peace Corps</a> -- over 8,000 in 74 countries -- is at its <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1272">highest</a> in 37 years. <a href="http://www.teachforamerica.org/">Teach for America</a>, one of the nation's largest non-profits, <a href="http://www.teachforamerica.org/newsroom/documents/051408_Record_Corps.htm">reports</a> that its 2008 class of teachers is the largest in the organization's 18-year history by almost 30 percent. Similarly, <a href="http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1223921/k.BD3C/Home.htm">YouthBuild</a>, a non-profit in which low-income youth work toward their high school diplomas while building affordable housing, has had to <a href="http://www.aypf.org/tripreports/2005/tr042205.htm">turn away</a> thousands of young people due to a lack of space. All this as federal funding to service organizations <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/08/americorps"> continues to decrease</a>. But McCain and Obama, each with notable service experience, are pledging to put the power of the federal government back behind service organizations and make public service a central tenet of their campaigns. Obama recently emphasized this priority in his <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/Jul/02/text-obamas-speech/ ">address</a> to students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. "I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States," said Obama, earning comparisons to John F. Kennedy's 1961 "Ask Not" inauguration speech. "This will not be a call issued in one speech or one program," he continued. "This will be a central cause of my presidency." Similarly, in McCain's recent commencement speech at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, he <a href="http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/News/Speeches/9ab40f08-d2ce-46c4-bae4-18e65994927c.htm">told</a> graduates, "If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you are disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them... [T]here are many public causes where your service can make our country a stronger, better one than we inherited." Both candidates spoke on college campuses before crowds of young people, a clear acknowledgment that no service plan proposed by any politician or party will succeed without the support and participation of young Americans. <font size="2" color="blue"> <b>McCain's Promises</b></font> <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_mccain+for+wiretap.jpg"> Unlike Obama, McCain has yet to announce a national service plan as part of his candidacy. He is, however, a longtime supporter of AmeriCorps, as seen in his 2001 <a href="http://servicevote.org/content/view/278/118/">"Call to Service Act"</a> in which he and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) proposed the expansion of the organization to 250,000 volunteers, many of whom would focus on homeland security-related issues. In lieu of a current plan, McCain's October 2001 <i>Washington Monthly</i> <a href="http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0110.mccain.html">op-ed</a> can be read as his vision for the future of national service. In "Putting the 'National' in National Service," McCain argued for the expansion of not only AmeriCorps but also the National Civilian Community Corps and City Year, both of which are smaller service organizations within AmeriCorps. He also wrote in support of returning Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs to college campuses across the country, going so far as to suggest that Congress "consider linking financial aid to the willingness of colleges to allow ROTC back on campus." <font size="2" color="blue"> <b>Obama's Pledges</b></font> <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_barack_obama.jpg"> Obama, on the other hand, has released a detailed and ambitious <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/">service plan</a> for the current campaign. First, he wants to significantly expand many existing service organizations, proposing an increase in the size of AmeriCorps volunteers, from 75,000 to 250,000, and doubling the Peace Corps' total number of volunteers to 16,000 by 2011. YouthBuild, currently reaching <a href="http://www.youthbuild.org/atf/cf/%7B22B5F680-2AF9-4ED2-B948-40C4B32E6198%7D/AnnualReport2005.pdf">approximately (PDF)</a> 10,000 youth per year, would be expanded to accept 50,000. Obama's plan would also create multiple new service organizations. He proposes the establishment of a Classroom Corps, placing volunteers in classrooms to help teachers and students; a Health Corps to improve public health outreach; a Veteran Corps, providing hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters with volunteers to assist veterans; a Homeland Security Corps, in which volunteers would help with disaster preparation and response; and a Green Jobs Corps, providing disadvantaged youth with training, job and service opportunities working with "green" and energy-efficient technologies. Obama would also establish the "America's Voice Initiative," a program sending Americans fluent in foreign languages to volunteer abroad and expand public diplomacy. His goal is that all middle and high school students complete 50 hours of community service each year. College students who complete 100 hours of community service in one year, under the Obama plan, would be rewarded with a $4,000 tax credit. Additionally, both McCain and Obama have stated that college and university work-study programs need to place more students in community service jobs as opposed to positions in college libraries or cafeterias. Obama's plan is not without detractors. His proposal to "set a goal" that all middle and high school students complete community service has been interpreted by some as a requirement. Conservative pundit Jonah Golberg read Obama's goal as <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg8-2008jul08,0,368008.column">"forced servitude."</a> The Libertarian Party's presidential candidate, Bob Barr, similarly <a href="http://www.bobbarr2008.com/press/press-releases/49/bob-barr-criticizes-obama-proposal-for-mandatory-service/">argued</a> that "Washington politicians should not be telling schools across America how many hours their students should work, and in what kinds of jobs." <font size="2" color="blue"><b>Who Pays?</b></font> Both candidates' plans beg the question of how such expansions would be funded. In his <i>Washington Monthly</i> op-ed, McCain wrote that "we must encourage the corporate sector and the philanthropic community to provide funding for national service, with federal challenge grants and other incentives." Obama says much the same. He, too, proposes soliciting private sector investments to support service organizations, but he also suggests the creation of a new agency within the <a href="http://www.nationalservice.org/">Corporation for National and Community Service</a> that would be "dedicated to building the capacity and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector." At this point, McCain's and Obama's plans to pay for their service expansions are a bit vague. What's certain is that any funding increase would first need Congressional approval. Considering the continued <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/02/08/americorps">decreases</a> in federal funding for existing service organizations and the failure of past <a href="http://www.voicesforservice.org/vns/CQ031208.pdf">service (PDF)</a> <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h107-3465">legislation</a>, whomever takes office in 2009 will need to conjure up some financially savvy strategies in order to realize such ambitious goals. For Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America, (<a href="http://www.ysa.org/">YSA</a>) it's imperative that the next president do all he can to increase funding and investment in service organizations. Culbertson believes that the best investment the government can make is in the lives of young Americans who volunteer. "The investment in young people's aspirations creates a triple bottom line," he says. "You not only invest and get an immediate return from their service, but you help the community and you also get extraordinary benefits back to the person who's serving." Culbertson says that the vast majority of the US's <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25332025/ ">approximately</a> $300 billion philanthropy sector comes from the donations of those who volunteer and are more civically engaged. "It's the people already on playing field, the volunteers, who are writing the checks," he says. "And many of them were involved in service as young people." By not providing adequate funding for service organizations, Culbertson says the government is neglecting a tremendous chance to improve the well-being of the entire country. "We are really missing the boat on the opportunity to engage young people in an activity that shows that if we can engage them while they're young, that this will be paid back in the kind of engagement and the kind of philanthropy that has made America great in the past." Most importantly, Culbertson stresses, expanding federal funding of service opportunities will ensure that the ideals upon which this country was founded will continue to thrive. "The bottom line," he says, "is that service has a critical role to play in the kind of country we all want to live in and in the participatory democracy that is described by our founding fathers in the documents and government they created." Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:01 PDT Andy Kroll, WireTap http://www.wiretapmag.org/arts/43702/ Jay Smooth breaks down the hip-hop's obsession with 'no homo.' {$media.0.html} Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:00:01 PDT ILL Doctrine http://www.wiretapmag.org/activism/43687/ State Rep. Tony Payton is part of a growing movement of committed, young progressive outsiders working to bring the Democratic Party back to the people. Tony Payton was still in high school when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. When she became too sick to work, Tony had to earn enough to support his family. College was no longer an option and after graduating from high school, he started selling life insurance full-time. Now, almost ten years later, Payton is back in school getting his college degree. Like most adults continuing their education, he's doing so while working a full-time job. But Payton's story is a bit different, because his full-time job is holding a political office. At the age of 27, Payton is the <a href="http://philadelphiatribune.v1.myvirtualpaper.com/TribuneMagazine/2008021801?page=11">youngest member</a> of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He says that his youth, lack of experience and even his lack of a college degree helped him get elected to the state House two years ago. "I was a student at the time the campaign started, so it made me the everyday person that I am," he said. "Just like everyone else, I had challenges. It was endearing to a lot of people that I was a student trying to take a leadership position and that I actually had some ideas on how to change things." After a long, uphill battle, <a href="http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?districtnumber=179">Payton</a> was elected in 2006 to represent the 179th Legislative District of Philadelphia. The odds were hardly in Payton's favor for the 2006 Democratic primaries. Although he was the <a href="http://youngphillypolitics.com/node/1003">only candidate</a> on the ballot, he lacked the support of the party. The powerful Philadelphia Democratic Party machine threw its weight <a href="http://youngphillypolitics.com/node/989">behind</a> a write-in candidate, Emilio Vazquez. Vazquez, who was <a href="http://www.phillyrecord.com/2006/0216/Pols%20On%20the%20street.html">endorsed</a> by several unions and Democratic ward leaders, had been removed from the ballot for <a href="http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2006/11/23/Not-Biden-His-Time">failing</a> to properly report his income on election forms. The election was messy, to say the least. There were <a href="http://youngphillypolitics.com/the_stamp_campaign_for_a_rubber_stamp">allegations </a> of illegal electioneering and voter fraud. The board of commissioners had Payton winning by 19 votes, <a href="http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/13057/columns--round-about">while</a> an appellate judge had Vazquez winning by 33 votes. Twenty-five-year-old Payton appealed the decision and was ultimately <a href="http://www.democracyforamerica.com/users/212660-keith-campbell/blog_posts/17149-tony-payton-jr-wins-appeal">declared </a> the victor. <b><span style="color:blue;">Payton's Start</b></span> Payton was working as a <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/sexy_singles/25997684.html">housing counselor</a> at <a href="http://www.ucsep.org/">United Communities</a> when he got his first taste of politics. He worked directly with low-income families, teaching them how to save money, how to fix poor credit and how to become first-time home buyers. Eventually, he became involved with the advocacy side of affordable housing. After joining the city's Affordable Housing Coalition, he helped found an affordable housing trust fund for Philadelphia. <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_paytonoutside.jpg"> Payton's desire to do advocacy work didn't stop there. Criminal justice was always a top issue for the soon-to-be politician, who was raised in Philadelphia. "I had friends who were on the corners -- people I grew up with who were in and out of jail," he said. "It was sort of commonplace. It was something that was real for me." So, when Payton read about Seth Williams, who was running for the district attorney's office on an issue-based platform, he decided to get involved. He quickly went from being a volunteer to the <a href="http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=57932">deputy campaign manager</a>. "[The campaign] was against the establishment," he remembers. "It was one of the first issue-based campaigns in Philadelphia where it was about the issues and not about who your friends were. It was about prosecuting crime -- not just being tough on it, but being smart about how we do it and making sure it was community-based." The campaign <a href="http://phillybits.blogspot.com/2005/05/lynne-abraham-wins-over-seth-williams.html">lost</a>, but it was just the beginning for Payton. With hardly any political experience, and no connections in the Democratic Party, he was looking for all the help he could get. That's when Payton was introduced to the <a href="http://www.progressleaders.org/">Center for Progressive Leadership</a> (CPL), a non-partisan political training organization that recruits progressive leaders from communities with the least access to political power -- including people of color, women, and LGBT individuals. <img src="/images/managed/Story+Image_conference.jpg"> While people had been telling Payton he should think about running for office, he says it was CPL that "took that infant thought and helped channel that into being a candidate." Says Payton, "It taught me all the mechanics of what to do and how to do it." In his work with CPL, Payton acquired the tools that would eventually help him break into the Philadelphia Democratic Party. He learned how politics worked in the city and what the party's strategy was all about. He learned how to turn his own values into a platform for leadership -- and how to do so as an outsider working his way into the party. CPL National Communications Director Brandon Silverman says that Payton's career path is exemplary of what the organization strives to accomplish. "Our hope," Silverman said, "is that we can build more pathways for young leaders to get into progressive politics as a career, and that when they do, they have the tools and resources they need to be successful." CPL, Silverman says, works hard to bring leaders into the progressive movement who represent the full diversity of their communities. In other words, the organization hopes to train leaders who can make the overall movement more sustainable. One of the most important assets the Center provided Payton with was confidence. "I think Tony's experience in the [CPL] Fellowship was what gave him the confidence to run for state representative," said Silverman. "The combination of the skills training, coaching, and mentoring over the nine-month program all made him realize that he was as talented and capable as the people who were currently sitting at the table making decisions in his community." It's thanks to the other [CPL] Fellows, Silverman says, that Payton "had a network of friends and supporters who [he] knew would be there to help him make it happen." <b><span style="color:blue;">A More Democratic Party</b></span> But if the Philadelphia Democratic Party is so insular and exclusive, why would Payton want to be a part of it? The young representative has said that he's a Democrat because the Democratic Party has historically given a voice to marginalized groups, including racial minorities. In Philadelphia, though, the party's failure to consistently adhere to this agenda is exactly why Payton wanted to run. According to CPL, the level to which elected Democratic officials truly represent people from underrepresented communities varies a lot from state to state, and from community to community. "In Philadelphia," Silverman said, "it's certainly true that the party here ignored minority communities because it had a stranglehold on power for so long." Payton agrees. He says the party's rhetoric about inclusion has not been matched with action and calls this a political failure because, "African Americans and Latinos in Philadelphia have been historically loyal to the Democratic Party." What's interesting, according to CPL, is that the leaders inside the party machine have actually been pretty progressive. Silverman says that's why voters keep voting for them. "The irony is that the folks who have had a stranglehold on power in Philadelphia have actually been pretty solid on the issues," he says. "They're very progressive elected officials... So it's been tough to make a public issue of it." What Silverman and CPL <i>are</i> making an issue of is the need for reform of the political process itself. If more people from underrepresented groups become political leaders, their communities will have more political efficacy, Silverman says. "It's more about the process, the access, and political reform." Abe Amoros, communications director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, says the political process already embraces inclusion. "The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is always interested in embracing diversity and making sure that people of different races, ethnic origins, gender and sexual orientation are part of the process," he said. "We have some work to do in building more bridges," he admits, "but we are willing to do so in terms of trainings and providing greater access to resources." He praised groups like CPL for further widening access by "identifying and training progressive leaders that are true catalysts for change in Pennsylvania." Tony Payton is one of those leaders, Amoros said. "He is a young, dynamic and progressive leader who has helped the state party in many ways," he said. That's why the Pennsylvania Democratic Party doesn't seem to mind that he's not terribly experienced in the political realm. Payton says his lack of experience and his youthful energy are assets when it comes to change. New blood is exactly what the party needs, he says. "It basically came down to wanting better for the neighborhood that I represent [rather than] more of a continuation of the same stuff that had been happening for the last 20 years." <i>To learn more about the Center for Progressive Leadership, or to sign up for their paid training fellowships, visit: <a href="http://www.progressleaders.org/">ProgressLeaders.org</a>.</i> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:01 PDT Suemedha Sood, WireTap http://www.wiretapmag.org/education/43697/ Opinion: A Texas school district says to follow the dress code or wear a prison jumpsuit. In the central Texas town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzales,_Texas">Gonzalez</a>, school district Deputy Superintendent Larry Wehde has proposed that students wear inmate-made prison <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/state_news/story/802561.html">jumpsuits</a> if they violate the district's new 23-point dress code. The new policy prohibits sporting "disruptive hair," miniskirts or over-sized clothing. The meticulously-worded list of punishable <a href ="http://www.gonzales.txed.net//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=1">offenses</a> is published in Spanish and English on the Gonzalez Independent School District <a href="http://www.newamerica.net/education_budget_project/districts/gonzales_independent_school_district#districtform-2">website</a>. The new dress code casts a wide net by forbidding anything that "disrupts the educational process as determined by a school administrator." The code mandates that boys' hair shouldn't extend below the bottom of their dress shirt collars, past the bottom of the ear or over their eyes. Boys are similarly restricted from wearing earrings. Girls can still wear earrings, but miniskirts, leggings, tight shorts, tights, cut-offs, and wind shorts above the knee are completely prohibited. According to the code, "Decency when sitting shall be a prime factor in determining appropriateness for the school setting." Another section that helps students and parents understand what Larry Wehde <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,396362,00.html">calls</a> the school's "conservative community" includes these stipulations: "All shirts [must] have a collar and sleeves" and "belts will be worn in grades 5-12 for all male students." What better way to drive home the city's desired conservativeness than to punish and humiliate dress code violators by requiring them to wear Texas prison inmate made jumpsuits? Protests got so heated at a recent school board meeting that police were <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5939231.html">called</a>. Many parents were not upset with the new <i>policies</i> per say, but rather the <i>consequence</i> for violating such policies. Students choosing to buck the system and dress as they please would be offered the blue Texas prison jumpsuit in lieu of in-school suspension. However, if a parent is able to bring an "appropriate" set of clothing, students don't have to wear the <a href="http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:u3Ut0Pk3TCMJ:www.kxmc.com/getArticle.asp%3FArticleId%3D261222+Gonzales+Independent+School+prison&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a">inmate-made</a> garb. Deputy Superintendent Wehde has responded to <a href="http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/04/0804jumpsuits.html">student backlash</a> and outcries from angry parents by calling the prison jumpsuits "work coveralls." Euphemisms aside, the implication that schools condition students as wards of the state rather than as learners is troubling. ABC News contributor Elizabeth White <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5498827">writes</a> that schools frequently incorporate other prison system motifs in seemingly innocuous manners, but that the Gonzalez Independent School District's proposal is the most explicit case: <blockquote> The 2,650-student district has ordered 82 coveralls, which are most often sold to county jails, state mental institutions and juvenile prisons. School districts have bought lunch trays and similar items from inmate labor, but no other school district has ordered the jumpsuits in the last year, said Michelle Lyons, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.</blockquote> As a commenter on Above Top Secret <a href="http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread376684/pg1">noted</a>, "Perhaps they should invest in some sporty leg-irons and hand-cuffs while they're at it! Sounds like obedience and societal conditioning rituals, which, sadly enough, <i>always</i> begins in our classrooms." Schools also mimic prison <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2001/jan/09/schools.theguardian"> architecture</a>. A May 2008 <i>New York Times</i> article <a href="http://www.childrenandnature.org/news/detail/why_are_schools_designed_like_prisons">points out</a> that school design, particularly public school designs are often "lumped in with the design of other institutional structures like jails, civic centers and hospitals, to detrimental effect." Now throw in a few jumpsuits, prison food service trays, teachers who think they are drill sergeants, an educational <a href="http://www.history.vt.edu/Arnold/Craig/Critical2.html">pedagogy</a> based on rote learning, metal detectors, a few security guards and what have we got? We may assume that the Gonzalez school district's actions are an isolated and desperate attempt to establish a code of conduct. However, we must be conscious of the ways in which elements of the prison system are slowly creeping into classrooms and shaping administrative directions in schools. As I reflect on my first year teaching, I am committed to ensuring that prisoner management does not become a routine for addressing behavioral concerns. More importantly, I am committed to working towards building school contexts that shape students as learners rather than potential prisoners. <br> <br> <b>Want to stay update on what's happening in our schools? Check these links: </b> <a href="http://detentionslip.org/">Detention Slip</a>: Your Daily Cheat Cheat for Education News! <a href="http://blog.news-record.com/chalkboard/">The Chalkboard</a>: News that Impacts the K-12 Scene <a href="http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/custom/blogs/education">Get Schooled</a>: An Education Blog <a href="http://edspresso.com/">Edespresso</a>: Your daily addiction for breaking news, commentary, and debate on <i>real</i> education reform <a href="http://educationpolicyblog.blogspot.com/">Education Policy Blog</a>: A multiblog about the ways that educational foundations can inform educational policy and practice! Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:01 PDT Kameelah Rasheed, WireTap http://www.wiretapmag.org/arts/43695/ The poet responds to his controversial Nike ad. <a href="http://www.saulwilliams.com/">Saul Williams</a>, known for his genre-bending spoken word, recently weathered controversy after one of his more popular political anthems, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1llNYAlYrc">List of Demands</a>, was featured in a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4TbxS_CdWE">Nike commercial</a>. Some fans and critics wanted to know: Did he sell out? Is big business profiting off of progressive politics? In this video, the poet responds to the Nike controversy, and the role of corporations in grassroots movements. {$media.0.html} <b>Also:</b> Check out his <a href="http://www.ill-literacy.com/news/2008/08/12/saul-williams-is-hecka-smart/#more-606">open letter to the public</a> where he addresses everything from the commercial, Obama and why people fall in love with pigs. Excerpt: <blockquote>A small circle of poets and conscious do-gooders are not enough to effect the change necessary to shift our planet in peril. We must enlist people from all walks of life, people not accustomed to questioning the norm, people who may simply want to dance uninterrupted without message or slogan. I see no glory in &#226;&#8364;&#732;preaching to the converted&#226;&#8364;&#8482;.</blockquote> <b><a href="http://www.ill-literacy.com/news/2008/08/12/saul-williams-is-hecka-smart/#more-606">Click here for more</a>.</b> <i>Via <a href="http://www.ill-literacy.com/news/2008/08/12/saul-williams-is-hecka-smart/#more-606">iLL-Literacy</a>.</i> Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:00:01 PDT iLL-Literacy