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Students, Moms, and San Diego Officials Make Actions Against Gun Violence a Priority

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Students in more than a dozen local high schools have announced plans to participate in a nationwide walkout organized by the Women’s March to protest gun violence on March 14th. The 17-minute walkout at 10 a.m. in each time zone is meant to honor the 17 lives lost in Parkland, Florida.

The San Diego Unified School Board unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday calling for federal background checks for gun and ammo purchases, a ban on semi-automatic firearms, high capacity magazines and bump stocks. It also called for the reinstatement of the federal assault weapons ban.

On Tuesday evening, several local high profile groups announced the creation of a new coalition, called San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention. Participating are members of the San Diego Brady Campaign Chapter, Sandy Hook Promise and Survivors Empowered.   [Read more…]

Black Alliance for Just Immigration | Black History Month

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The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) was founded in 2006 in response to the negative perception toward immigrants, especially those of color, which was being reflected in the anti-immigration bills pushed by Congress at the time.

Now, in the era of Trump where the anti-immigration rhetoric is gaining momentum, the resources provided by BAJI are more necessary than ever as the organization continues to bring people together.

According to their website:

At the local and regional level, BAJI provides training and technical assistance to partner organizations to develop leadership skills, works with faith communities to harness their prophetic voice, and initiates vibrant dialogues with African Americans and black immigrants to discover more about race, our diverse identities, racism, migration and globalization.

  [Read more…]

Where Have All The Postcards Gone?

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In Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, Marco Polo explains, “In Maurilia, the traveler is invited to visit the city and, at the same time, to examine some old postcards that show it as it used to be … If the traveler does not wish to disappoint the inhabitants, he must praise the postcard city and prefer it to the present one, though he must be careful to contain his regret at the changes within definite limits.”

For the traveler visiting Oaxaca, the southern Mexican city differs from Maurilia in at least two respects. First, the historic center of Oaxaca appears not to have changed at all, for at least a century. The narrow streets packed with buildings built to a human scale hold businesses that open onto the sidewalk. If the traveler could find a postcard from 1918 and compare it to a postcard from today all that would be different is the clothing styles of the pedestrians.

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John Moore / Juan Moro: One Man, Two Lives

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Do people change in personality depending on what language they are speaking, especially when they are bilingual? I think many times they do, as the culture of the language spoken can also be an influence. A good example is UCSD’s dean, John Moore — or, as he’s known to others, Juan Moro, flamenco guitarist. He’s one man who leads two very different lives.

By day, Moore, 63, is Dean of Undergraduate Education. By night and on weekends, Moro is a talented Spanish flamenco guitarist who plays at different venues. On Saturday mornings, he plays for a dance class. On Saturday evenings, he plays at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town where he accompanies flamenco dancer Lakshmi Basile and singer/dancer Bruno Serrano. The three present an evening of authentic flamenco entertainment. Finally, on Sundays, he plays at Costa Brava in Pacific Beach.

The night that I met him at the Cosmopolitan, he was in full Spanish mode, introducing himself as Juan Moro and speaking fluent Spanish. He explained to me how in classic flamenco, the guitarist follows the singer and dancers, so he needed to know the structure and forms of flamenco.

Later when we communicated in English via email, I learned he had a doctorate in linguistics.   [Read more…]

Why AR-15s, and Bazookas, Are Not Protected By the Second Amendment – and the NRA Knows It | Video Worth Watching

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Ari Melber, on MSNBC’s The Beat, breaks down the legal issues surrounding claims of Second Amendment protection for weapons such as AR-15s.   [Read more…]

Bayard Rustin | Black History Month

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Despite his incredible influence on the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Bayard Rustin lived in the shadows. An openly gay man, he’d been arrested for engaging in public homosexuality, and, before his activist involvement, had identified as a member of the Communist Party — both of which offended the senses of society at the time and even fellow pacifists.

Still, without Rustin, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963 would not have been what it was.   [Read more…]

Readers Write: Why Guns May Be This Generation’s “Second Hand Smoke”

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By Karin Brennan

Some of my earliest recollections are of my mother smoking. At home, in the car, in restaurants…everywhere. My brother and I hated it, because we were always waving away smoke and avoiding overflowing ashtrays. In those days, it seemed like everyone smoked.

And why not? Our parents grew up watching movies where all the glamorous stars smoked on screen, and all the “manly men” in commercials did too. My generation also remembers being stuck on international flights in the last row before the “smoking section” started. How ridiculous does that seem today? The concept that my rights as a non-smoker could be usurped by someone else who chooses to do something that undeniably creates a risk to MY life? Risk YOUR life if you must, but your rights end where mine begin.   [Read more…]

Florida Mass Shootings – A Trip Down Memory Lane: When It Was Orlando’s “Turn” | Video Worth Watching

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Is it déjà vu all over again? Rubio in 2016 “This could have happened anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, today was Orlando’s turn.” Gov. Rick Scott’s prescription for helping: “I think the biggest thing is pray. … Pray that this never happens again.” Samantha Bee: “Maybe we’re not praying right. Can we check the instruction manual?” Flips Bible to James 2:17 “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Samantha: “Oh sh*t! We were supposed to DO SOMETHING while we prayed?!”   [Read more…]

Black Lives Matter | Black History Month

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In response to the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, Black Lives Matter (BLM) was founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. It’s now comprised of 40 chapters globally, and continues to expand.

With the goal of intervening and campaigning against systemic racism and violence by law enforcement and vigilantes alike, Black Lives Matterf fights injustices against the black community in real time using social media to organize people to power. According to their website, BLM “is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.”

BLM first cemented national recognition by its part in orchestrating protests (and sometimes unrest) over the shooting death by police of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and the chokehold death by police of Eric Garner in New York City. Both of these deaths occurred in 2014.   [Read more…]

Lift Every Voice and Sing – Wintley Phipps | Video Worth Watching

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“Lift Every Voice and Sing” (often called the Black National Anthem) is a song written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1900 and set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson in 1905. Here it is sung by Wintley Phipps.   [Read more…]

Parkland, Florida Students Sing a Defiant Response to the Recent Mass Shooting | Video Worth Watching

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The Stoneman Douglas High school drama club performs “Shine,” a song they wrote in the wake of the shooting at their Parkland, Florida, school.   Since our platform is about expressing ideas and ideals instead of cash flow, clicks, or fundraising, we have the freedom to include a wide range of topics and formats that […]

Annie Malone, Hair Care Magnate | Black History Month

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Annie Malone was a chemist and entrepreneur, and would go on to become one of America’s first black female millionaires — along with Madam C.J. Walker — a status she earned due the enormous success of her cosmetic and hair products designed specifically for black women.

She was born August 9, 1869, one of 11 children to parents who died when she was just a child. Raised by an older sister, Malone attended school long enough to discover her fondness for chemistry. It was this interest, plus a knowledge of herbs that led to her invention of products that could straighten African American hair.

By the 20th Century, Malone developed The Great Wonderful Hair Grower and the Poro Method, which she and her assistants had to sell door-to-door as Malone was denied access to regular distribution channels due to the color of her skin. Prior to her advancement of the beauty industry, black hair care methods of the late 1800s included using soap, goose fat, heavy oils, butter and bacon grease, or kerosene.   [Read more…]

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