#presente.org

[sarah-slater]

Meet powerhouse artist/activist Favianna Rodgriguez -- a leading voice in the movement of artists raising awareness about U.S. immigration issues. Favianna is a co-founder of both Presente.org and Culture Strike, two groups pushing back against the wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation that has recently swept the nation. Pulitzer Prize winning author Jose Antonio Vargas explains the ironies of anti-immigration hysteria in a country founded by immigrants. Favianna participates in a visual campaign using the Monarch Butterfly as a symbol of the beauty and dignity of migrants.

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWE2T8Bx5d8)

[oilchangeus-blog]

On Wednesday, October 19, community members and racial justice leaders gathered with a solar-powered taco truck outside the third presidential debate to raise awareness about the importance of solar as an economic boon and job creator.

Solar is an economic success story little talked about this election cycle. It is responsible for one out of every 80 jobs created since the Great Recession — with great potential for growth (currently, solar only generatesless than 1 percent of the U.S.’s electricity). Until recently, Nevada was considered a leader in solar and enjoyed the highest solar jobs per capita in the nation in 2014, many of which were filled by members of theLatinx community. Last year, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission’s, at the urging of NV Energy, reversed its net metering policy, hitting solar employment hard. Thousands of jobs left the state.

[kiyuukiyuu]

I got this text today...

"Presente.org: Is Donald Trump a criminal? Let's investigate! Take action: http://bit.ly/1OV7JHF" It led me to this Web page for a petition: http://act.presente.org/sign/arresttrump/?source=smsgopdebate The Message: US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, State Attorneys General in NY, CA, NV, IL, IA, and other states: Donald Trump and his presidential campaign have morphed into something very violent and dangerous, particularly for Latinos, immigrants, and communities of color. Trump represents a clear and present danger for our communities that must be confronted immediately. We urge you to conduct a full criminal investigation of Trump's actions and the actions of his campaign and representatives, and if the investigation shows he committed these crimes noted below, that he be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Earlier this month (Aug. 2015), Trump praised the two men who brutally beat up a homeless Latino man, calling them "passionate". Recently, Trump had a prominent Latino journalist forcefully removed from a press conference for asking questions Trump didn't like. And, During the first televised Republican presidential debate, Trump admitted, before a national television audience, that he has bribed public officials from both major political parties. There have been no repercussions or criminal investigations, and this is unacceptable. Trump's hateful and possibly criminal actions are destructive to American democracy and the rule of law, and have led to acts of violence against Latinos. Billionaires and presidential candidates cannot operate above the law. You have the responsibility and authority to hold Trump accountable. #ArrestTrump Interesting, and worth sharing, imo.

[queenofthesun]

Lost in Detention

[grecialima-blog]

Slaves and Illegal Aliens in the classroom...

Not too long ago we saw a teacher in Ohio try to teach children slavery by conducting a “mock slave auction” where students were able to inspect other students to see if they were fit slaves. Well today we see a teacher in Duluth, Georgia teach “reading and comprehension” by asking what is an illegal alien?

Here is an example of the question:

What does the U.S. do with illegal aliens?

A. The U.S. puts them to work in the army.

B. The U.S. shoots them into outer space.

C. The U.S. puts them to death.

D. The U.S. sends them back where they came from.

These incidents are the symptoms rather than the problem. Our schools are changing they are becoming multi-ethnic and multi-cultural but our systems are not.  Instead of having honest and thoughtful discussion of how we can provide schools, teachers and parents with the structural changes they need to tackle these problems, we always end up in a simple minded discussion of “WHO to give the blame to?” If you talk to Gov. Walker it is the teachers unions, if you talk to some parents it is the school administrators and the administrators blame it on the lack of parent involvement.  What did we gain from this discussion?

The truth is that we have to create safe and efficient space where all stakeholders’ students, parents, teachers, administrators can have an honest discussion and strategic planning on how we can move into the XXI century; obviously what we are doing is not working…

[avefenixs]

Nine-year-old Brisenia Flores was murdered in her home in Arivaca, Arizona in May 2009. She pleaded, “Please don’t shoot me,” right before she was shot — point blank, in the face — by a member of the Minutemen American Defense Corps (MAD)1

The alleged mastermind behind Brisenia’s murder, Shawna Forde, has publicly represented anti-Latino hate groups including the Minutemen and the Federation of Americans for Immigration Reform (FAIR). Forde is currently on trial in Arizona for the murder of Brisenia and her father, Raul. As we speak, the jury is deliberating and will return a verdict within days, or hours.

Our community is waiting on justice for Brisenia.

Her murder represents the violence that follows when hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric and the groups that promote it goes unchecked.

Brisenia’s story has been largely ignored in the mainstream media, but her life has galvanized people around the country to speak out against hate violence towards Latinos. We at Presente designed a poster to honor Brisenia’s memory, and to send a statement that we want justice.

[agavebuzz]

NO SB1070