Somewhere Stuck

Stuck 

No where to walk 

Wanting to escape 

Nobody I know 

Day is the same as night

tick tock tick tock

Jena Six: Shedding Light on the United States's Judicial System and a Call for Change

 “ The United States has the largest incarcerated population of any nation on earth-the people imprisoned in this country represent 25 percent of all prisoners around the world”(Flaherty 135).

            

        For my last blog in this course, I wanted to write about Jena Six.  “Jena is largely segregated, from the white barber who refuses to cut Black people’s hair to the invisible line separating the white and Black part of town”(227). In other words, Jena not only is in the mist of visible racism and segregation in the South but it is where six African American students have been faced with large criminal sentencing and offenses instead of shorter ones.  The days prior to the event that marked these six individuals, an African American asked the administration if  “ it was prohibited to sit under the tree that no African American sat. The next day nooses similar to what was used for lynching hanged the tree” (227).  As a result of this simple question lied an underlying of racism and hate both in judicial and public schools system.

            The consequences of the nooses being used to instill fear and hatred, a fight would break out between the African Americans and the white boys groups.  Later on in mist of all this violence, Justin Barker from the white boys group got injured in this fight became the main reason why these six African Americans from ages 14 to 16 years old were arrested.  However, those who were arrested: Theo Shaw, Robert Bailey, Bryant Purvis, Carwin Jones, Mychal Ball and Jesse Ray(“Jody”) Beard did not have any history of disciplinary problems.  The people who witnessed the fight painted a hazy picture of those who were involved (Flahtery 229).  In contingent to their arrest, the six individuals would be later charged with attempted murder for this incident (Flahtery 229). 

            This case is an example of the failure of the judicial system and the racism that many African Americans and other minorities faced.  Another inequality that this group experienced was the mere fact that the jurors were only white. The town’s prosecutor Reed Walters was known to be tough on crime. In fact, Jena was a site of a brutal youth prison that was closed in 1999 due to the media bringing to light its abuses (Flahtery 227). However, this was reopened in 2007 as now a privatize facility. These factors were some of the issues these individuals and their families endured.  The prosecutor in his own words stated to “ stop making such a big deal over some nooses” (Flahtery228). He continued to state the same thing over and over again neglecting what the nooses meant in our own past’s history. The point of this retelling was these individuals against all odds overcame a tiny victory when themselves, their families, individuals, communities, and a nation began getting involved by placing pressure on the judicial system with its presence and solidarity. Individuals like Catrina Wallace, a young single mother began bring support to these men and other family letter wrote to newspaper and politicians to take action on the matter of this unfair treatment they endured Wallace and the black church Bean, the preacher also help to spread to the nation and the internationally this case.  As a result of their efforts and later by the community pressure began and once this story began to be noticed it was difficult for them to be silenced as much has been silenced before.

           

          At a time when the community was needed and the families asked for their support, the people came. “The demonstrators marched through tiny downtown Jena in the biggest civil rights march the town had ever seen. “ Jena was so small,” Jesse Muhummad said later, “ that we started to march, and chanted”  ‘ No Justice, No Peac…’  and before we could even finish  the phase we had already marched  though all of downtown” (238). This protest fueled the solidarity of African Americans and on September 20, 2007, approximately 50,000 people arrived from Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and other regions in the United States to protest against this injustice (241).  

In addition, universities across the nation began to have demonstrations and marches about the situation.  Everyone’s voice needed to be heard not just for the Jena 6 but for anyone who received an unfair trial based on the color his or her skin. “Prison makes us all less-free by breaking up families and communities by dehumanizing the imprisoned both during and after their sentences, by perpetuating a cycle of poverty, and by making all citizens complicit in the incarceration of their fellow human beings”(135). This statement about prisons emphasized the order many faced from  a system that was different for the rich and the poor. Those who have money and white privilege gained easy access toward reduce sentences and freedom while many who did not have these benefits became lost in this system that continue to perpetuate.

            In essence, the Jena Six had their sentence reduced. However, this is only one tiny victory toward the institutional system.  As James Baldwin, an African American writer, noted ‘I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also, much than that. So are we all”(Briany Quote). All of us can do something about this situation where color-blind racism and hatred are still living among many and in the institution itself.  With the support of the nation toward this injustice for the Jena Six, there is new generation wanting the intuition to take accountability for their faults in order for change to come.  The youth and the older generations are tired of a system that is not working, as it should. For this reason, it is essential for all us to take notice of these events and take action to change the present and future.

Work Cited:

Flaherty, Jordan. Floodlines Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena Six. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2010.

“James A. Baldwin Quotes.” Brainy Quote. 2011. 9 Dec 2011 < http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/james_a_baldwin.html >.

“ Jena 6 Get Involved.” Friends of Justice. 2007. 9 Dec 2011 < http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/2007/07/24/jena-6-get-involved-page/ >.

Katrina: What a Mess You Made? The Aftermath of a Hurricane that Still Lingers in the Heart of New Orleans and America

        As I am an outsider looking into the ordeal that occurred prior, during, and after Hurricane Katrina, I found the reaction of our public and civic officials on site were alarming.  For me, I lived through two hurricanes in my lifetime that of Hurricane Eva in 1982 and Iniki in 1992 on Oahu in the State of Hawaii. I believed the issues concerning Katrina were more likely behind the lines of racism and the corruption of our public macro systems that have been in placed since our forefathers of America established this country.  To me, Katrina illustrated my own discontent with our own institutionalized system that has continuously systematically kept people in the dark.

            In New Orleans, prior to Katrina in 2005,  Hurricane Betsy in 1956 was considered to be the most devastating natural disaster of all time.  On August 29, 2005 a category three hurricane broke on to the shores of New Orleans. Its impact was high winds, tidal waves, and intense rainfall.  However, no one thought the hurricane would lead to the levees catastrophic collapsing. The levees were utilized to protect New Orleans from being underwater. Nevertheless, this failed in a crucial time that it was essential, during a natural disaster.  In fact, Katrina was not at fault; on the contrary,  it was the engineer’s design of the levee, the failure of the city to correct this error, and the use of cheap  materials.   Thus the reality of Katrina lead to 1, 800 deaths and 200, 000 New Orleanians displaced from their homes, their communities, and their families.   

After Katrina, New Orleans was 80% underwater.

Side view of the Superdome

           The Aftermath of this disaster placed a historical city rich in culture into a  dark place. The confirmed dead from Katrina were not entirely caused by the hurricane but for the lack of food, neglecting victims’ basic essential of food, water, and medical care.  Additionally, the public servants rescued victims by selecting them based on the color of their skin.  The question of race that has been embedded in the south and else where in the United States emerged from its invisibility to more of a visible site.  The people were treated as criminals and some were shot on spot if they crossed a line after the militarization of the city.  Suheir Hammad in his verse   “On Refuge and  Language”

Evacuated as if criminal

Rescued by neighbors

Shot by Soldiers

Adamant they belong

The rest of the world can now see

What I have seen

Do no look away

The rest of the world lives here to

In America-( Flaherty 213)

For me, the words of  Hammad explained the pain the people endured during this time and afterwards. Yet, his words most importantly to me as an outsider not only showed his own disillusion of our government’s failure of a so-called just system but it represents my own disillusion of how our system remains unbroken with injustices.  For the people in New Orleans, they are taxpayers and citizens of the United States who wondered why the government was not helping them. Instead, institutions often mistreated its people and in fact, the media portrayed the situation negatively by only showing African American as criminals when there was looting involved.  The media rather than aiming for the truth about the situation in New Orleans opted to further place negative images geared toward its audience.   Even though, the truth was more important than negative portrayals, the media failed our people as always with its manipulative news model.

            The people of New Orleans lived in a brink of chaos and mistreatment.   The Superdome a place of refuge became a private hell for those who were waiting to be evacuated.  There was false hope for days while waiting for the bus to come.  The bus for some never came because the sick and injured died there just waiting.   At the Causeway Camp and Interstate 10, the people placed there were to be later separated by race, class, and gender.  “In the atmosphere of chaos, family members were separated from one another, and fear and misinformation dominated.  Given the choice between being shipped off somewhere unknown or staying behind, hundred of people opted to stand to the side, not even trying to get on the bus.” (Flaherty 40).  

Causeway Camp

This is the reality that families and communities felt even after the hurricane they were forcibly bound to be separated. This saddens me even more because family and friends are who we look for in a time of need.  I often wondered, how could we do that?  Not only were they separated, but a blogger Michael Horman who spent only a day at the Causeway Camp and Interstate 10 witnessed atrocities of what was occurring there even though he was only there for a day, this marked him.  “ There I saw the most horrific scenes that I have ever witnessed. I estimated that I saw 20,000 people. A few were corpse, many were elderly and in bad physical condition”(Flaherty 41). Another women, Leah Hodges at a congressional testimony about what occurred at Causeway stated the following: “ On the last day we were in there…they handpicked the white people to ride out first. Every day the crowd got darker and darker and darker until finally there were only- there were 95 percent people of color in that place…they broke up families and dispersed us... and they stood over us with guns and enforced their authority” (Flaherty 43).  These two witnesses of the Causeway Camp although both of different ethnicities saw the same thing that was occurring. Both Leah Hodges and Michael Horman observed natural selection of the camp where whites were chosen first and in fact Michael Horman who is of white descent only spent a few hours at the camp while Leah Hodges spent a few days makes her testimony even more heart wrenching because of the   unraveling truth.

            Six years later, the Aftermath and Recovery is still on its way for many New Orlean residents.  One person stated after the Bush Administration assumed to take measure into the matter with the relief efforts many Americans forgot the people of New Orleans. I in fact, did not realize the devastation of their horrors because I myself did not experience a place of chaos even after the hurricanes I lived through. I like them stayed at home with my family during Iniki in 1992. I waited a category four hurricane out then later saw the destruction of its havoc. However, although I did live in the areas where the most devastation occurred, I know that it had taken many years to recover for those who lost their home and their lives. My family and I were lucky; we only experienced a fallen roof yet the damage was not merely the same as others.  The damages caused the state $1.8 billion dollar and six causalities.  Because of my own experience, I asked myself for a long time how come in New Orleans there were more deaths?  What really happened in New Orleans?   Did they have a prevention plan?  Then I realized that only a fraction of the people lost their lives during Katrina while others died afterwards due to lack of food, medical treatment, and neglect.   Then later I asked myself after finding out the truth through the people who witnessed Pre and Post Katrina, why wasn't  I listening.

 Work Cited

 Flaherty, Jordan. Floodlines Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena Six. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2010. 

" Hurricane Katrina" Nola.Com 2011. 9 Dec 2011. .

"Hurricane Katrina." Wikipedia.  4 Dec 2011. 9 Dec 2011 .              

Coalition of Immokalee Workers(CIW) and La Via Campesina

“ All my life  I have driven by one dream, one goal one vision:  To overthrow a farm labor system  in this nation which treats  farm workers  as if they were not important human beings"-Cesar Chavez.

          As I reread the words of Cesar Chavez and his fight like those before him to improve wages and their livelihood, it is heart wrenching to me that these abuses are still occurring today.   However, today such groups like  The Coalition of Immokalee Workers(CIW) and  La Via Campesina have emerged  in order to fight for food sovereignty  and social Justice. The CIW is a grass root organization in the United States  and La Via Campesina is an International Peasant Movement and alliance fighting for environmental and social change.  In this section, I would like to discuss these groups efforts, conflicts, and obstacles in order to achieve social justice.

            The Coalition of Immokalee merged at a time when workers “ sought  to organize, and centered on popular education and on the mobilization of the general public” (Giagnoni 99). Their main objective  is to make “ the right to just and favorable remueration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity(UDHR, Article 23, Section 3) (CIW). In other words, this grass roots organization rooted by farmworkers of Latinos, Mayan Indian and Haitians from Immokalee, one of the poorest communities in Florida came to existence to fight against changes that needed to be done.   Thus, the farmworkers experienced first hand physical violence and being enslaved by minimum wages that did not reach the equivalent of the minimum wage.  In which, they received $0.40 cents for 2. 5 Tons of tomatoes.  Moreover, the workers are also paid $.45 to $.77 per bucket of tomatoes in which this is not enough for a livelihood (Giagioni 82). Similarly, these rates correspond to those set in 1978.  Besides receiving low wages, other abuses often were endured such as exploitation of workers that are undocumented, sexual abuses, and  limited rights and benefit.

            As these abuses perpetuated overtime, the workers aimed for change.  This group begins their journey by organizing and pressuring the growers for fair treatment and just wages.  In the late 90’s they begin to have strikes which include hunger strike in order to make progress  and end  the farmers hold over unfair treatment. In 2000, the agriculture industry demanded cheaper prices in pesticides and as a result to control cost the farmers cut its production by reaping the pay of their workers.   Ever since then, the CIW has established a Fair Food Campaign that purposes three main objectives: 1) pay a penny more for a pound; 2) establish a code of conduct to eliminate any abuses and 3) create different ways to produce food.  In order for this group to further place pressure on the farmers and the industry, they joined their efforts with 300 universities to spread the word through protest and advocacy.  Since the farmers are only one part of the problem, there was a need to place pressure on the fast food chain industry. By protesting against Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway, this caused further disruptions. In 2001, this group started a fast-food boycott on Taco Bell. 

This first campaign against Taco Bell made headlines but most importantly this opted for change in how the food chains bought their products. As a result, these corporations began to established fair food agreements at  with the CIW and have backed their agreements.

            However, although progress has been made, there is still more to be done for the CIW. They now are advocating against supermarkets like Trader Joe’s and others to demand a fair food agreement. This is needed in order for the farmers to not use the supermarkets demands as a scapegoat to further abuse their workers and to back down from agreements made with the fast food industry.  

            Another group of equal importance is La via Campesina. This group aims to fight for food sovereignty in which this as noted by Patel must “broaden the imagination of possible politics by putting  the idea of equality right back into the heard of food politics. It is to this that we, in conclusion, turn” (291).  La Via Campesina  is viewed as an International Peasant Movement that consist of small farmers  and producers from all over the world getting together in efforts to organize to further “ develop radical social,  economic and political  transformation to reverse the current trend” (Small Scale Sustainable Farmers are Cooling Down the Earth).  This trend refers to how production, mass consumption and trade has further caused environmental destruction in which has contribute to more global warming and lasting affects toward the environment.  The root of these issues goes back to the denial of many countries own neglect toward this problem since many allow many corporations to continue to reap the environment.  As a result,  many small scale farmers are forced to further pay higher cost in materials making them this difficult for them to continue farming due the devastation of land. 

            This group’s main focus is to change the industrial way of farming.  In other words, they purpose to transform massive agricultural farming to at a local small scale farming to reduce harmful effects toward the environment.  In addition, they  advocate for granted access to small scale farmers to not be denied local and national markets.  Another item that they aim to reduce is the Co2 emissions by the countries due to the travel of these products to other places of the world. In reality, this groups aims for an agarian form that “ regards food as a basic human right that should not be treated as a commodity”       (Small Scale Farmers are Cooling Down the Earth). As part of their efforts they have organized meeting that pursue Free Trade Agreements and they have further expressed their efforts in the Internet. They have launched protests and most importantly they continue to advocate to pursue changes to be made through complete solidarity across the globe. One fight  of each region does only concern one group of the world but all to all.

            In sum, both groups aim to place pressure on the government and the agriculture and food chain  industries to have change occurs. The consumer is an asset to these organizations concerns since we are those who buy these products.  As a consumer, we should demand changes in how people are treated and the ways in which small scale farmers and producer are treated in their local and national markets.   As  Cesar Chavez noted, once social change begins, it cannot be reversed”(Patel 301). 

Consciousness + Commitment =Change(About CIW)

Work Cited

“About CIW.” Coalition of Immokalee Workers . 9 Dec 2011. 12  Dec 2011 < http://ciw-online.org/about.html

Giagnoni, Siliva. Fields of Resistance The Struggle of Florida’s Farmworkers for Justice. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2011.

Patel, Raj.  Stuffed and Starved. London :Portobello Books, 2007.

“Peasant Agriculture: A Real Solution to Climate Change.” La Via Campesina. 9 Dec 2011. 13 Dec 2011 < http://viacampesina.org/en/index.php?

option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1>.

“Small Scale Sustainable Farmers are Cooling Down the Earth.” La Via Campesina. 31 Nove 2007. 11 Dec 2011 < http://viacampesina.net/downloads/PAPER5/EN/paper5-EN.pdf>.

Bananas! A Truth Revealed

"The global economy which is constructed  from its violent history is one marked as coercion as it is by trade.  The long era of this coercion ensures  that some parts of the world benefit from the materials, cheap, or  free labour and ready markets of other areas- and uneven development comes to be the main story of  international capitalism" (Bhattachrrya, Gabriel and Small 34).

            Bananas, one of the most popular fruit  being imported all over the world, also  has many health benefits.  In fact, it  is known to have high levels of Potassium, Magnesium and B6, to help regulate high blood pressure, control anxiety, and alleviate stomach discomfort.  There are many reasons why many Americans and others alike across the globe consume this fruit even for the mere fact that it just taste good. However, has one ever wondered after looking at its sticker made in Ecuador  what is it origin,  how is  it produced and who are those behind this industry?

            This fruit is known to be part of the largest herbaceous plant. It  is native to the tropical region of Asia yet for some historians,  its origin is believed to date back from the times of Muhammad in Islam.  Today, this fruit is mainly produced in areas near the equator in countries such as Costa Rica, Columbia, Ecuador, and the Philippines, In   South America,  they export approximately 70 % of the world’s bananas and in Ecuador alone it produces 33 %.. In Central America, Minor C. Keith, an American businessman help merge the banana industry in Central America since the 1870’s. In regions mentioned about this commodity has two different types of plantations that produce this product: one that is privately owned or a corporate plantation. In fact, three giant corporations, Chiquita, Dole, and Del Monte mainly run the banana industry.  These corporations are American owned and have independently expanded to other countries for cheaper cost in production and labor. For the global producer and distributor, Del Monte exports food to the United States, Europe, Middle East and Africa. It earns revenue of $ 3.6 billion dollars a year since 2009. Del Monte is a brand often noticed at the supermarket that has expanded to animal foods, canned food, and other commodities.  

According to their history their “ heritage is as rich vibrant as our products   Dedication to quality commitment to consumers and a focus on innovation are deeply embedded in Del Monte Food Culture”  (Del Monte Foods).   This model to their customer and their website about their history focus on the positive of their company. However, it does not mention exactly its true history of where their products are from and who actually works to bring this product on the market.

            Thus for Del Monte and the other two corporations in this industry, they hide behind an imaginary façade.  In 2008, in Guatemala three banana workers that were involved in union organizing were murdered.  A man named Enrique Cruz Hernandez according to the reports  “was shot while on his lunch break”(Labor Notes).  The article also mentions that Guatemala ranks as one of the most “ dangerous place’ to own a union card next to Columbia. Although the company is not responsible for these murders, they are connected to a history of violence involving tactics of fear to exploit their workers.   In Ecuador, workers earn a wage in their currency of $218 yet to the average minimum is $ 500 to reach a family’s basic needs.  Wrokers often work long hours and have limited to no right to protect them from exploitation.  In some reports, there has been criticism and in fact in one point children at the near age of eight were working at these banana plantation. However, as of today in Ecuador due the efforts of many there are now laws that  protect children form working making the legal age of work to be at 15 years old.

            Other concerns  in regards to harming the workers and the consumer are how this product is being produced with chemicals.  In banana production,  there are pesticides that have a high toxicity.  One chemical called  Chlorphyrifos is a neurotoxin  pesticide  that is used to cover the maturing fruit.  This is implemented to protect the product from any insects. However, workers are exposed to this chemical  In Ecuador, they are exposed to aerial pesticides and manual spraying. This spraying can cause further damage to the communities in near proximity. This chemical can cause the drinking water to be contaminated and its exposure can lead to further health effects. In fact, due to chemicals from Dow Chemical being used by Dole Corporation, this linked to the sterilization its men workers in the 1970’s.  Although this did occur in the past this issue is still affecting the workers and people today.  Another concerns of importance is also the environmental damage occurring with mass production. In which, there are risks of deforestation, exposure, and contamination of water.

        In reality,  a banana although seems to reap many health benefits and is very affordable may contain chemicals that are of concern.  In addition, the workers and the communities are exposed to these chemicals.  Corporations although have the financial power to change its system not only in its techniques but also can further treat their workers fairly with wages and giving them more health benefits rather than looking the other way.  In terms of globalization, the negative effect of this is how corporation can easily exploit their works and limit their right while being backed by the country because the need for jobs are scarce.  The only way to eliminate the abuse toward its labors is to uncover the truth and as a consumer demand a change toward the people who works for their company because they deserve respect and a equality.

Work Cited

Harari, Raúl. “ Labour, Enviorment, and Health in Ecuadorian Banana Production”  NGO  21 Nov 2009. 9 Dec 2011 < http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/banana/documents/IFA_Labour__Environment___Health_in_Ecuador_Nov_09.pdf >.

McCraken,  Carrie.  “ The Impacts of Banana Platatation Development in Central America”  Banana Plantations in Central America 1998 8 Dec 2011 http://members.tripod.com/foro_emaus/BanPlantsCA.htm.

“ Our History” Del Monte Foods.   2011 8 Dec 2011  http://www.delmontefoods.com/company/default.aspx?page=oc_ourhistory.

“ Del Monte Banana Workers Murdered in Guetamala”  Labor Notes.  31 Aug 2008. 8 Dec 2011 < http://labornotes.org/node/1865>.

“ Market” UNCTAD. 2011 8 Dec 2011http://www.unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/banana/market.htm.