Issue 9
Walking the Walk
Racism cannot be overcome without understanding it’s history and everyday impact on our lives. If that history is not actively and universally condemned—it will continue to be repeated, and the negative impact on today will be magnified. We must all universally condemn racism ourselves before we can ask others to.
All-City People’s Parade and Pageant 2010
Throughout the summer of 2010, a diverse collection of beings—collected by Milwaukee Public Theatre, Milwaukee Mask & Puppet Theatre, and a host of community organizations—pooled their creative energy to coalesce an expression of concern for people and our planet, along with affirmation of the basic human goodness we can nurture to address those concerns. Months [...]
Suicide
In my ghetto hair stands high Brick-stiff for height Like prison walls Heat waved up from the back Pinned down with broken sticks Curled too tight or perfectly –slicked Dyed bleach blonde and texture-ized Golden Highlighted to match plastic green eyes Afro-centric inspiration European infestation Chemical bonding with no hesitation A synthetically altered generation drunk [...]
Vortexes, Vomit, and Rebirth
In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon lies a place where miracles are born. Ancient wisdom mingles with the heady scent of tropical flowers, and rain falls in haunting drumbeats on hand-woven palm roofs. I went to the jungle to escape ringing phones, vapid television, and demanding clients but found so much more than a place [...]
Flags
The flags were waving directly in front my face very early in my relationship. Whether I chose to ignore them or intentionally avoided them I still am unsure. It is a puzzling question to sort through once you are free and clear. You see each episode recurring in your mind and you are screaming at [...]
Dear Woman:
Dear Woman, You don’t know me and I have no business writing you this. You may have fifty people around you who are helping you with this situation and need nothing from me. On the other hand you may have no one you feel you can candidly speak with and need just one person to [...]
Anti-Islamic Employment Discrimination on the Rise
Several days ago, on the anniversary of 9.11, a pastor in Florida threatened to burn a Quran. In today’s news, France has banned women from wearing burqas. These events attracted international media attention and resulted in violent protests around the world. What has not been reported is the steady rise of anti-Muslim complaints filed with [...]
TJ Leyden: former racist skinhead now author and Peace activist—Part III
Not too long ago, I had the honor of engaging in a 2 ½-hour conversation with a man I consider a hero: TJ Leyden. TJ left the white power movement during the mid-nineties as I did, after spending many years recruiting kids to become violent racists. Since then, he has been a tireless advocate for [...]
Sammy Rangel “FOURBEARS: Myths of Forgiveness”
FourBears: The Myth of Forgiveness: isn't a simple memoir; it is a graphically illustrated guide from tortured child, to remorseless beast, to healing and change. This book is about helping others find their way out of their history and into the here and now. Proof that what once held you down can now hold you up. After the book reflects on a horrific upbringing it looks to offer key and ground breaking insights of the inner workings of the mind of a victim and later a perpetrator of hate and violence. Service providers working in treatment centers and institutional settings would greatly benefit from this work. Anyone facing issues with forgiveness and change might find a process toward healing and recovery.
Recommended Reading
Frank Meeink—Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead
TJ Leyden—Skinhead Confessions
Arno Michaels—My Life After HateMusic
Wizard Fingaz & Soul Sathe embarked on a collaborative project known as Tribal Sorcery · deep conscious hip-hop
