First, the bad news.
A recently released report “points to concentrated need in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury, where 42 percent of children live in poverty, the densest cluster of childhood poverty in the state.” According to the Boston Globe (11/9/11), the study also indicated that “in 1990, 24 percent of African-American children across the city lived in poverty. Nearly two decades later, that figure has risen to 35 percent.”
And now, the good news.
Occupy the Hood – Boston is focusing on organizing people of color to challenge these social injustices in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury. The project has been continuously active since its launch three weeks ago and has already collected an impressive list of accomplishments. In only three weeks, it has
- organized a protest against Police brutality
- helped re-elect the only Black city council woman in Boston through a get-out-the-vote effort to “occupy the polls”
- mobilized for a rally to kill the 3 Strikes law S.2054 which would intensify the prison-industrial complex
- launched a community food drive to serve the neediest Boston residents
- helped inspire the launch of Ocupemos El Barrio, which is taking root in East Boston and conducting its meetings in Spanish with real-time translation available for those who don’t speak Spanish
This Monday 11/14, Occupy the Hood is putting on a Town Hall Meeting at the Dudley Library (65 Warren St. in Roxbury) at 6pm.
The objective will be to discuss issues of concern to the community, and to share updates on Occupy Boston, Ocupemos El Barrio, and various other activist and community organizations. Come one, come all!
WEB: www.blackstonian.com/occupythehoodTWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/OTHBoston
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/occupythehoodboston
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/occupythehoodboston
GOOGLE GROUP / MAILING LIST: http://groups.google.com/group/occupy-the-hood-boston | occupy-the-hood-boston@googlegroups.com
CALENDAR: https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=occupythehoodboston%40gmail.com&ctz=America/New_York
HASHTAGS / @S: #occupythehoodboston | #OTHB | #blackupyboston | #blackstonian|
@OccupyTheHood | #occupythehood | #POCcupy | @POCworkinggroup
4 Responses to “Occupy the HOOD: Updates and Town Hall Mtg Monday, 11/14 6PM Dudley Library”
on November 12th, 2011 at 10:27 pm #
[…] the rest here: Occupy the HOOD: Updates and Town Hall Mtg Monday, 11/14 6PM Dudley Library This entry was posted in Boston, News, Uncategorized and tagged #occupy, black, boston, city, […]
There will always be people that try to sabotage the right of American Citizens to have their say… and to demand change. This does not alter the basic facts: America USED to work. The people had work. The system worked. Hey, EVEN the Congress used to work (sometimes). God knows, it was far, far, far from perfect -but at least we all had some share in the struggles AND the rewards. But somewhere along the way, we lost our way. Because now we have an economy and a political system that seems to work only for the rich. What they call “trickle down economics”….leaves most of us out in the cold cold rain. We need to get back to what America was, and what it should be, and what it can be. Occupy Wall Street is no longer just a place called Zuccotti Park – Zuccotti Park is everywhere. You can beat us and arrest us and tear-gas us, you can try to “permit” us to death….but you can’t kill an idea. You can’t keep down a people’s hopes and dreams for a better life…..a life with dignity and freedom….for us, and for our kids. More power to Occupy Wall Street, as it spreads to every town and city – because OWS is us, and for us, and by us. It comes up from the grassroots, and it lifts us up in turn. With OWS America has found it’s voice, and that voice demands fairness and justice -for ALL. This land IS our land! AND WE WANT IT BACK! We want our LIVES back! We want our FUTURE back! But it’s more than just words…. it’s more than just politics…. it’s your LIFE, and how you want to live it. So why not take some time, find a quiet place somewhere, and consider this: Each of us has only one brief life….one chance….one roll of the dice….and many choices. It’s time to choose….to risk…and to act. If not now…then when? If not you, then….who? You DO have the power my friend….and the choice is yours. Don’t let your dreams die.
When a group states that they “•helped re-elect the only Black city council woman in Boston through a get-out-the-vote effort to “occupy the polls”” their stating that they dont care about the actual effet that counciler will/might have their only concern is the color of her skin.
Remember this when you all vote Obama in 2012