Rosemary Rivera's Messages from Ferguson

Rosemary Rivera Message from Ferguson, MO – Day 1

original article: http://band-of-rebels.com/2014/09/02/rosemary-rivera-message-from-fergus...

How do we take a moment in time and not let it pass us by, but use it to be the tipping point to begin to dismantle racism? How can we focus on racism and not acknowledge the oppression, the classism, the simple uneven playing field that exists within our society? Plagued with these questions and more, I came to Ferguson,to seek understanding and to support in whatever small way possible, the people who struggle.

When I arrived, St. Louis looked like any other city I had been in. But, entering Ferguson, made me realize what a special community Ferguson really is.

The first place we made a beeline to is the street that Michael Brown was killed.

The first thing we saw was an incredible memorial laid out in the MIDDLE of the street. It has to be about 12 feet long and as we passed, people stood on the side with their arms raised in the air, hands balled in a fist. This simple and time worn symbol has meant power, but in the streets of Ferguson it had an additional meaning: “Hands up…Don’t shoot”

Another memorial on the side of the road stood no less that six feet wide with flowers, a basketball, signs, and all sorts of tributes to Michael Brown.. A huge cross, perhaps six feet high leaned against the building, a memory to a fallen youth that refuses to be forgotten. The cars respected the memorial in the middle of the street, honking their horns as they passed and being careful not to run over any part of the memorial, while at the same time, returning the salute that is additionally a sign of respect.

As we got out and took pictures of the memorials, a woman, walked up to me out of nowhere and simply hugged me. She welcomed me and spoke to me in despair over what had transpired in her community. Angie has been living in the same complex for twenty years. Her daughter is a teacher and they both were home the day Mike Brown was shot. They heard the bullets that ripped into his body and they felt the pain of loss.

Angie is angry. She is not the only one. The people standing in front of this memorial are not a part of any organization. I asked if they were taking “shifts” in manning the memorial. “No, you just come when you feel moved to do so, “ was the response. There seemed to be no real rhyme to their gathering, but they all had plenty of reason. These people are simply tired and expressing that they can’t take it anymore.

As she stood talking to me, two young people holding a sign, came up and sang “A change gonna come,” their beautiful voices touching something deep within me. They thanked me for coming to support them, when all I wanted to do is to thank them for receiving me in such a welcoming manner. Unashamed, they cried, they sang, they stood together gathering strength from one another. I could sense a front porch community that cares about each other and an underlying pride that they are no longer going to sit by the sidelines and take whatever injustice is dished out. When I asked, “What happens now,” The response I received was simple. “They better do something soon to hold that police officer accountable or things are really gonna jump off!”

Today was the first evening we were in Ferguson. Right now there is a moratorium on the protests for the next 14 days. But, the people I was able to talk to are probably not the ones that are part of engineering that moratorium. They were mothers, fathers, young people and old, who live in that community and are waiting and watching. I am glad to be waiting and watching with them….

(Guys we only were out there a little bit. After settling in and figuring out where we were staying, having a HUGE layover as we couldn’t get on the plane we were booked for, we got here a bit too late. No one really was as prepared for us. Actually, I don’t think any organization here was prepared for what happened. They are all going, “Oh, okay this is turning out to be national and all eyes are on us.” The organization, MORE, that used to be ACORN, I must take my hat off to. They seem to not be taking a lead, but identifying people who are the young leaders and actually training them. The woman I am staying with is a Saint. Beautiful home and she shares that what has her excited and opening up the doors to her home is all the youth that this has brought out. I hope this doesn’t become a blip in history because people might give up. When you put your all into something and nothing changes….well, don’t you have less hope that when you started? Anyway, love you all.)

Rosemary Rivera

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Rosemary Rivera’s Messages from Ferguson, MO – Day 2

original article: http://band-of-rebels.com/2014/09/03/rosemary-riveras-messages-from-ferg...

Day 2 – What do we want?

There are two groups that are doing some of the real organizing in Ferguson, Missouri.  Organizing for Black Struggle and Lost Voices.

This morning, I went to meet the Lost Voices.  They have been camping out since the shooting, Occupy style.  They have continued to protest and march daily when others have gone home  The group is comprised of all black youth ranging in ages from maybe 17 to young adults.  This is the story of how they formed from a young girl in the group when I asked how they came together:

We were marching almost daily when we found ourselves connecting to each other and looking for one another whenever there was a march.  When they had a general assembly, we decided to just stay long after everyone was gone.  That night we spent the entire night just talking.  Getting to know each other and just talking about how messed up this was.  At the end of the night we decided to put together a group and do something about the situation.  That’s when Lost Voices was formed.

These youth are the real deal.  They are street, they are raw and they aren’t conforming to mainstream society’s ideal of how a black youth should come across.  These are the youth who would be dismissed by most adults, and the beauty is to know that they have begun a metamorphosis that is transforming them as they become politicized by the moment they are living in.

But, their challenges are significant.  Resources, need for organizational development, and the need to create a structure while figuring out who they can trust is huge.  One of the group leaders pulled no punches when he said to me, “I think we just got played”  Basically, someone raised money on behalf of Lost Voices, but they are unclear as to where that money went, and if they are Lost Voices, why they don’t have a seat at the decision making table about how to spend the money.  The young man let me know in no uncertain terms that they need help to figure out what they are building.

Now, let’s turn to OBS (Organizing for Black Struggle).  This is a really great group of phenomenal young leaders.  This is definitely a more experienced group who thinks strategically and understand the need to build organizational power.  We held a meeting tonight to decide on an action and did a somewhat abbreviated strategy chart on the tactic.  This group is also struggling with what they are building with the impatience of youth coming through.  Their biggest complaint is that the more time they spend holed up in these meetings, the less time they are with the people themselves.  If you ask me, they make a really good point with that.

The two groups have something in common though: each group is faced with the challenge of articulating to the world what they want.  If we think back to the Occupy movement, this seemed to be their challenge as well.  Although the Occupy movement was able to coin the 99% phrase and change the frame of the debate at the time, the reality was that every person in the Occupy movement would describe what they wanted to achieve differently.  The same is true in Ferguson.

They want the District Attorney, McCullough to step down, they want to end bench warrants for non-violent offenses, they want…what exactly do they want?  Each person is on a different page.  Oh, yes, in general they all want racial equity and justice for Mike Brown, but what each short term step is to get to those broader goals is laced with uncertainty, cynicism, and fear.  If these groups can’t deliver a victory, no matter how small, there is a real threat that the next time someone comes knocking on the door and says, “Together we can change x, y, z, “ they may very well get the door slammed in their face.

Rosemary Rivera

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Rosemary Rivera’s Message from Ferguson – Day 3

original article: http://band-of-rebels.com/2014/09/05/rosemary-riveras-message-from-fergu...

Hi everyone,

Not sure who I am sending these to  This is not a very strong piece.  I am totally exhausted, but it still has some information

Today is the national strike for fast food workers.  As people across the country were cheering for  Ferguson and mourning Mike Brown, today Ferguson was cheering about the strikes.  There were no strikes in Ferguson.  Those who organized the strikes decided to respect the organizing that is going on and not to mix their message.  Reactions were mixed on this.

Many saw the fact that there was no strike in Ferguson as a missed opportunity.  Yet some in the community viewed it as a distraction from the focus they were trying to maintain.  No matter how you viewed the lack of the strike, it was felt here!  GO NEW YORK!!!

Turning to matters in Ferguson, today I spoke more in depth with the woman I am staying with.   Apparently, the death penalty is in full swing here and they have another black man sentenced to die next Wednesday.  Apparently, there is Klan territory still in Missouri and Ringo, the man accused of killing two, was sentenced by an all white jury, a white judge, in an all white town.  Now activists are turning to Governor Nixon to give a stay of execution.  If Ringo dies, that will be the ninth person in nine months executed.  They are executing faster than you can say “reasonable doubt”

While Mike Brown’s case is the focus, particularly because we had an unarmed black man gunned down by those who are paid to serve and protect, the people here cannot escape the fact that racism is pouring out of the criminal justice system.  And, it is permeating every institution here.  Remember that Jonothan Kozol’s book, Savage Inequalities raised the resource problem within school districts in East Missouri.  The Lost Voices group confirm that the education system in Missouri is atrocious and that there is an excellent education waiting for you here…if you have the money.

Earning the trust of the Lost Voices has been one of my main focuses and I wouldn’t violate that trust.  That is incredibly hard to do when others have come before you and taken advantage of them for their own profit.  PLEASE DO NOT DONATE TO LostVoices14 at this time as the money is NOT reaching them!  They are trying to figure out how to fix this and will inform me when they have a system to collect donations which they so desperately need.  (I really want to think about how to get the secretary a laptop – I did show her some things about keeping a list, discovered that Nationbuilder is only free for 14 days so that won’t work, but showed her Excel and Google Docs. These kids are thirsty for knowledge)

I will relay one story that shook me.  We went to get something to eat.  Dante, one of the spokepersons of the group ordered for us all.  At the end, the man quoted a price that seemed really high.  So, he took out his phone to use the calculator function and asked the man to tell him what each item cost (no menu on the walls).  The man flat out refused to do so and when Dante expressed his right to ask for the price of the items we were buying, the man said, “You can all go, but if the white lady (pointing to me) wants something, I will serve her!”  I don’t need to repeat most of our reaction to such a blatantly racist thing to say in the middle of Ferguson.  But, it shows me that racism is steeped into everything in this city.

Organizing for Black Struggle has been thrown center stage with all the established organizations, (they themselves are established here) like CBTU, ACLU, NAACP, Urban League, SEIU and other unions.  They will get the resources they need.  It is easier for an outsider like me to work with them because they understand the value of coalition building, tapping into organizing potential, and seeing connections between what is happening in Ferguson and what is happening everywhere on economics, health care, education, jobs, etc.

Today, I was honored to work with their lead organizer, Erin Burnett, in pulling together an action. I will not be able to see it through as I leave on Tuesday but I sure will be there with them in spirit as they block of city hall and demand an independent prosecutor in this case so they may have at least a, small chance at justice

Rosemary Rivera

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Rosemary Rivera’s messages from Ferguson – Day 4

original article: http://band-of-rebels.com/2014/09/06/rosemary-riveras-messages-from-ferg...

Day 4:

Tonight in Ferguson, the house was packed.  Organizations, unions, residents…they all came together where the Lost Voices have established themselves and held a very unique meeting.  The dynamics of so many in one place was definitely educational…and interesting.  After a little bit of jockeying for power and respect, the group moved outside.  The youth insisted that despite the horrific hot and humid weather that if people couldn’t feel the heat they should get out of the kitchen.  It is outside, in what seems like 102 degree weather, that these youth make their statement in the struggle.  It is in this sacrifice that they derive their power.

As each of them spoke out today about justice, about education, about a revolution, about the prison industrial complex, and about the need to demilitarize the police, one common denominator showed through.  These kids are firm believers in God.  You can attribute that to this being the “Bible Belt” but their faith attracts all.  Their willingness to share of themselves, their struggle and their commitment to the cause makes these young men a beacon.

The youth were able to get through most of the meeting, but what they really want to do is action.  We, older, much wiser folks, know that we can’t have short term tactics without long term strategy.  However, we followed them, their music, their dancing, their exuberance, and I loved it…and more importantly, the people of Ferguson appreciated it.

We marched down Florissant Avenue, chanting while the cars went nuts beeping their horns, showing respect, allowing us to pass.  I saw children in the back of their parent’s cars and as they passed by they would throw up their hands in mock surrender.  This is a community transformed by their own activism.  They can no longer be the same.  They will be more aware, more active, and more together.

Behind the scenes, you have people who have been in the struggle way before the Day 1 of the Mike Brown shooting.  Although not a laughing matter to the Lost Voices they are very serious in their pride for being out there daily without giving up.  They have been doing this for a few weeks and yes I respect them for being out there from “Day 1” but what do our youth think, that we haven’t been out there from Day 1 which started for us YEARS ago?  How do we relay and transfer that knowledge without coming off as the parents and grandparents we didn’t want to listen to when we were young.   Those fights were important, yes, but that was then and this is now.  The fights of the young do not have to mirror the fights of the past.  We have evolved.  Our youth have evolved, and although we need to impart that valuable knowledge, we certainly shouldn’t expect the fight to be one that we recognize as the same.

Keeping it short tonight, Will make up for it tomorrow

Rosemary Rivera