2014 Daily News | Hip-Hop and Politics

Madlines: Talks About New Album ‘Love Child’ & Transitioning to the Bay Area

May 16, 2014 By mrDaveyd

We sat down with Madlines who was one half of the the Seattle based duo Canary Sing, to talk about her new solo project called ‘Love Child‘. For Madlines its her second big move in terms of her being a fierce emcee who decided to push the envelop by embracing a reggae sound which is reflective of her Jamaican roots. Her new song The Weapon has caught a lot of attention as she not only reflects her new style but also reminds folks to put down the guns and pick up the mic. Use your words and flow as a weapon for change.

Her first big move was coming down to the Bay Area to go to Mills College where she studied writing and literature.

During our interview Madlines talks about her adjustment to the Bay Area after relocating here from Seattle. She compares and contrasts the two regions thriving independent Hip Hop scenes. She talks about what it was like collaborating with Bay Area artists like Gigante of Brwn Bflo as well as linking up with fellow female emcees and singers like long time friend Hollis, Miss Haze and Melissa Jones to kick dust and round off her new project.

Madlines also talks about what it was like going solo as well as her next steps..

https://soundcloud.com/mrdaveyd/hkr-interview-w-madlines-holding-it-down-for-seattle-the-bay-area

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP16onY02Ig

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Bay Area, female emcee, Madlines, Seattle

Jasiri X: Raising the Flag & Using Music as a Weapon to Fight Oppression

May 16, 2014 By mrDaveyd

We sat down and spoke with long time activist/ artist Jasiri X about his latest moves and why he continues to raise up the flag of activism and use music as a potent weapon.

In recent months Jasiri X has been doing a lot of work with Harry Belafonte. He talks at length about the profound influence this iconic human rights leader has had on his activism as well as his music. He went into depth about some of the work that Belafonte has been doing to combat mass incarceration as it pertains to juveniles. He also notes all the behind the scenes closed-door meetings Belafonte has been having since last year with prominent artists and entertainers, encouraging them to raise awareness and take appropriate action.

Jasiri noted there have been significant changes amongst the many who Belafonte has been meeting with which is great. In terms of how it’s impacted him, he noted that after traveling with Belafonte to the rural south and Appalachia his understanding of poverty and how its impacted folks was greatly expanded. His commitment to working with youth was strengthened. His music was sharpened..

During our interview Jasiri X talked about the influence of his other mentor Minister Farrakhan. We talked about the the powerful speech Farrakhan gave in 2001 at the Hip Hop Summit in New York and the tour he made around the country speaking directly with popular rappers. From NY to LA to Atlanta, the Minister laid out key issues he felt artists should be addressing. He described them as world leaders whose music had great impact and encouraged them to step up and fully embrace their responsibilities. It was at one of these gatherings that Jasiri X first heard the Minister and it changed his life. It opened Jasiri’s eyes to activism and inspired him to join the NOI. It was there he honed his skills and came to understand the power cultural expression has on the community and the world at large.

During our interview Jasiri gave some insight as to how both men are similar in their desire for change but different in their approach in terms of how they engage the Hip Hop community. Jasir noted he has benefited greatly from both.

Paradise Gray the Arkitech

Although we didn’t talk too much about him, it should be noted that Jasiri has a 3rd mentor who has helped him greatly over the years and has been with him at many of the gatherings with Harry Belafonte and is his partner in the 1 Hood organization they helped co-found. That individual is Paradise Gray who is founding member of the iconic group X-Clan and Blackwatch and a long time fixture within Hip Hop.

During our interview Jasiri X updated us on some key cases of police terrorism that he brought to light in his songs, including the vicious beating that took place in his native Pittsburgh, 3 years ago, of honor student Jordan Miles. He talked about some of the new strategies people are using to deal with this scourge of violence at the hands of police. He talked about how and why music and cultural expressions are important tools in our quest to fight back. Jasiri also talked about how two of his songs were banned from concerts and caused alot of controversy because they made police and others in power feel uncomfortable.

Jasiri X also spoke on the work he, Paradise Gray and educator Amil Cook are doing with their 1 Hood Media Academy. In recent months they’ve been doing an interview/mentor series where popular artists land activists like Pharaoh Monch, Jean Grae, Rhymefest, Rosa Clemente, Bakari Kitwanna and KRS-One to name a few have all stopped by and worked directly with the youth. In our interview we hear from the kids as they weigh in on their opinion around the recent NBA controversy with Donald Sterling..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41s1oWM9vOQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq6Y6LSjulU

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Conscious Hip Hop, culture, Harry Belafonte, Jasiri X, minister Farrakhan, Police brutality

Oakland’s Mayoral Race; Who To Vote For & What Questions to Ask

May 15, 2014 By mrDaveyd

With Ras Baraka winning his bid for Mayor in Newark, NJ, the focus now turns to all the races set to unfold on June 3rd which is the next big election day for many around the country. Here in the Bay Area a major race for Mayor is unfolding in Oakland with 16 people running for office. People ideally need to be thinking, ‘Who they will they be voting for and why?? ‘

Ideally, our immediate focus should not be on who will win? but instead we should be focusing on what the positions each candidate has staked on key issues? For example , before we start speculating who will win, we should be asking ourselves what are the positions and policies each Mayoral candidates in Oakland has to stem the tide of gentrification? This is especially important when we consider the thousands who have recently moved to Oakland and how its Black population once 60% has dwindled down to around 23% . How and why did that happen?

Let’s be clear there are some candidates who see the new influx especially in historically Black West Oakland as great. They honestly think gentrification often called ‘urban renewal‘ has improved the image and the quality of life for many in the city. Translation: the more white residents the better. Others feel that long time residents are getting the shaft. What plans are in store for Oakland’s next mayor around this issue? What policies can they guarantee as mayor vs falling back on tired excuse that they can only advocate and hope the city council follows their lead?

Ask the candidates how they feel about the photo I posted where many are calling Oakland the New Brooklyn. Other have called Oakland the New San Francisco? Still others have said Oakland is the new Silicon Valley? Newcomers love the new labels. Long time residents hate it and feel like the city’s identity is being thrown under the bus with a marketing make over in which they had little if any input. How do you as an Oakland resident new or old feel about these labels?

How do you feel about Oakland having many of its sections renamed and marketed outside of town ie NOBE (North Oakland, Berkeley) or the new Brooklyn Basin project? Whats their thoughts on WOSP? (West Oakland’s Specific Plan?) More importantly how do the mayoral candidates feel and how have their actions reflected that sentiment? Are they placating new transplants? Again there are thousands of them ,making them a sizeable voting block or are they working with long time residents who don’t wanna leave the city they love?

How do our candidates feel about our sports teams.. The Raiders, the As and the Warriors?? What are they doing to keep them? What are they doing to cut ties? How important is it for you as an Oakland resident to have these teams?

What are the any of these candidates plans for affordable housing? Where do they stand on issues like rent control? How are these candidates dealing with housing discrimination? For those who don’t know, with gentrification has become desireable to only rent to out of towners who are willing to pay more or to rent to Non-Black/ Brown residents.. What are any of these current candidates doing about that?

How are any of these mayoral candidates working to support and grow local businesses. There have always been innovative folks in Oakland who have been applauded all over the world for their being business savvy, yet the city has never recognized them.. In the past we seen city hall try to shut down businesses.. Folks may wanna talk to folks like to long time business owner Geoffrey Pete and ask him about the drama past mayors like Jerry Brown put him through in attempts to disrupt his thriving landmark business.

Currently we have OPD shutting down street vendors who have been a vibrant part of the culture forever. What opportunities are in place for homegrown businesses? Not newly arrived / recruited businesses, but homegrown folks who been here for decades and were never shown love? What opportunities are here for them?

What plans do any of these candidates have for schools? Are they anti teacher’s union and pro charter? Are they for universal pre-school or do they want folks to pay $1500-2000 a month for all these private preschools? Don’t ask these candidates what they are gonna do? Many have who are running have been active in Oakland prior to this year, so ask them what their track record is around education??

Ask them if they are in favor of ‘Teach for America?’, ‘Common Core?‘ “No Child Left Behind ?‘ and Zero Tolerance policies?’ Ask them how they feel about our Community Colleges, CSUs and UC Systems? Are they politically aligned w/ folks who have been trying to privatize these once FREE public school systems and raise tuition or are they pushing to make sure these schools are free and accessible? Check their track record from the past, that’ll tell you a lot…

Where do mayoral candidates stand on jobs and job creation? Ask them if they are aware of the Jackson Rising plan around cooperative economics and if they talked with all the folks from the Bay Area and Oakland in particular who went to the recent conference in Jackson, Ms??

Ask them if they are pushing to make sure there are guarantees that Oakland residents will be hired for any new contracts awarded by the city? What have these candidates pushed for in the past? For example, with the BART extension to Oakland airport, what work did they put in advocating for Oakland residents to be hired? Don’t ask them what they say they are going to do.. Ask them what they did in the past? How did they vote? What letters did they write? What policies did they push? Show and prove..

Ask these mayoral candidates what steps they have taken in the past to protect the image of this city? For example, when the Discovery Channel did a bogus special called ‘Gang Wars in Oakland‘ they claimed the city had 10k gang members and was the murder capital of the world. There are nowhere near 10 thousand gang members and it definitely wasn’t the murder capital. What reaction did any of these candidates have to our tarnished image? How did they confront the Discovery Channel?

When the did the TV special Santa Rita, Oakland suggesting that Santa Rita prison was in oakland vs being in Dublin 30 miles away, what steps did these candidates do to correct that image? When they did the heavily promoted TV show on MSNBC ‘Lockdown Oakland‘ and then profiled violent crimes committed by people living in other cities how did our candidates react? What steps did they take to correct those falsehoods? Did any of these candidates buy into these narratives and call for more police and repressive policies, gang injunctions etc or did they know and love this city enough to know those stories were not only false portrayals but were actually fueled by an embattled police department pushing their own agenda to get more funding and more cops?

How do our candidates feel about the police and what’s their relationship to Oakland’s powerful police union? Do they feel Oakland needs more police? Do they feel the city needs less? What’s their plan to stop police brutality? What advocacy groups have they met with? What policies have they supported or not supported in the past around police reform? Did they show up to City Hall and weigh in when controversial policies like Gang Injunctions and youth curfews were debated? Where did they stand when the city voted to give Chief William Bratton 250K to consult the city?

Don’t wait on slick press releases and flashy commercials to get answers. Many of these candidates are on social media. Hit them up, ask the hard questions and be informed when you go to the polls June 3rd..

Reach out to some of these Oakland Mayoral candidates Shake Anderson Dan Siegel Libby Schaaf Bryan Parker Oakland Mayor Jean Quan Patrick McCullough, Courtney Ruby, Joe Tuman for Mayor of Oakland, Larry Lionel Young Jr, Sam Washington, Nancy Sidebotham, Margaret Wrigley-Larson, Peter Y. Liu, Bane Capital Ruby Paige Askew Gregory Wade

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Gentrification, Mayors race, Oakland, Police

The Fight to Save Net Neutrality: Joe Torres Gives a Thorough Breakdown

May 15, 2014 By mrDaveyd

I know this is boring for a lot of folks and that at the end of the day, they’d prefer others to do the heavy lifting and thinking around this fight for Net Neutrality… More important than Donald Sterling and his remarks or even the girls in Nigeria is the fight to be able to effectively communicate to each other when such atrocities and wrong doings occur…

Whats at stake is that telecom companies have spent well over a billion dollars to try to convince law makers and the FCC to allow for fast lanes and slow lanes on the internet.. To make this simple, it works like this.. Currently the internet operates in such away that all of us are one click away from each other. My blog and the NY Times and CNN are all one click away. That’s what made the internet so great in theory … It evens out the playing field. The little guy can compete with the big guy via our one click separation

That concept has been problematic for those in power who essentially wanna create a system where high paying customers are a click away and everyone else might be 2 clicks 3 clicks maybe even 5 or 6 clicks away depending on what rates are set. This would mean a story reported by the Fox News about ‘Climate Change Being False‘ would be widely available and one click away while a story countering that claim on someone’s blog or small publication would be 4 clicks away and slow in loading up on your computer or smart phone..

If your into music and you’re an independent artist, someone signed to major label will be one click away while indy artists might be 2-3 clicks.. If you are running for office and don’t have a few million in the bank to be on the fast lane, you too may be 3 or 4 clicks away from the average user..

President Obama ran on the promise that he would keep Net Neutrality in place, but sadly he has appointed on two occasions FCC chairmen who are favorable to the telecom industry. The current chairman Tom Wheeler is a former telecom lobbyist who was hard at work trying to dismantle Net Neutrality. His current proposal is to have a pay to play internet complete with a fast lane for important people..

Now here’s the catch to all this.. Unlike most outlets that have tried to win big consolidation gains, the telecom industry for the past 10-15 years have breaded out a lot of Civil Rights Orgs as well as members of the Congressional Black Caucus.. They haven’t just breaded them out, they been given millions. They have been the main sponsor for conventions, have brought ad space in their brochures, websites and publications and have done what they felt was needed to head things off at the path..

Even though not having access to media outlets have been a big problem for our communities which are often marginalized, demonized and poisoned by dehumanizing content, many who are charged with protecting us have been silent on the issue..These telecoms have even given them slick talking points like saying Net Neutrality is preventing Black power or Brown Power etc..

How and why can that happen you ask? Well here’s the deal? Many of those brought off have been promised and assured fast lane access. This in turn centralizes their power in respective communities and circles and makes them proverbial ‘King/Queen makers’ So for example, lets say the Black community has a big issue we feel needs to be gotten to the masses under this new internet system.. We would be encouraged to go to Al Sharpton, Jesse or the NAACP and let them use their access to relay our cause..Some of us working on this issue have been in meetings and around folks who are eager that they will essentially be the only game in town under the new rules and hence they are either going along or remaining silent..This essentially is how privatization models work. The masses are dependent upon the charitable gestures and benevolence of a few..

Today (Thursday) the FCC will be voting on proposals to put this new scheme in motion.. Stay woke on this.. Call the FCC, Call your congressional rep and don’t let anyone stand in your way to communicate to your peoples.

Please write and let them know.

Chairman Tom Wheeler: Tom.Wheeler@fcc.gov
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn: Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel: Jessica.Rosenworcel@fcc.gov
Commissioner Ajit Pai: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov
Commissioner Michael O’Rielly: Mike.O’Rielly@fcc.gov

Below is our interview with Joe Torres of Free Press. He’s one of the key people helping lead the fight to protect Net Neutrality.. He’s also the co-author of the book ‘News For All The People‘ which is alandmark book chronicling the impact and eveolution of media as it relates to people of color. Here’s his very thorough breakdown on the situation at hand.

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv

This Mother’s Day Can We Uplift the Humanity of the Moms Around Us

May 11, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Happy Mothers Day to all those who have given birth and have been our first teachers. Happy Mother’s Day to all those who have stepped in, nurtured, taught, cared for and filled the important role of mother to those in need.

Every year I make the suggestion and will do so again.. Why don’t we take bold steps on this Mothers Day and move forward with a firm commitment to uphold and cherish the humanity of our moms? Can we start by refusing to call the mothers among us out their names? Can we refrain, pull back support and have zero tolerance for those who put hands on the mothers around us?

Such requests should be simple and a no brainer but sadly many resist and bring to the table all sorts of excuses as to why a mother’s humanity should not be fully recognized….On larger scale we see this as angry men 10 thousand miles away in Nigeria kidnapped over 300 girls as a way to make a political statement.. How scarred will these girls be when they one day become mothers? How traumatized are the mothers of those girls?

We see this amongst men who profess to be devout who sit in the halls of Congress in our Senate and in state legislatures who over and over again have voted to eliminate any and all safety net programs designed to help mothers who are often abandoned by angry, disgruntled men or men who are locked away. Today these men who sit in the halls of power will say Happy Mothers day to their own moms , wives and daughters and not blink an eye to the millions of moms in the country who will have to do without food stamps, decent housing, affordable child care etc..Thats gotta change…It’s not enough to say Happy Mothers Day to those in your family while oppressing the mothers of others…

Taking this closer to home, last night, today and tonight as you drive down San Pablo Ave or International Blvd here in Oakland, we will see young girls who will someday be mothers, forced to work street corners as sex traffickers after being brutalized, kidnapped and beaten. How many of us on this mother’s day will avert our glaze, try our best to put what we witness out of our minds and convince ourselves, there is nothing we can do to put a dent in a problem that is so widespread? It’s not enough to say Happy Mothers Day to those in our family while ignoring the plight of those who have been made victim by those who hate little girls, hate women and hate their mothers…

This Mothers Day as we type on our computers, put on our Sunday best for Church or rush off to a nice brunch, think about the mothers globally who live in extreme poverty who sacrifice for their sons and daughters by working at prison-like factories and sweat shops in far off lands for pennies a day to make products (computers fancy shoes, etc ) that we pay hundreds of times their worth…Those women who slave away for our benefit are mothers too.. How will we bring economic parity to them or do we not recognize their humanity?

Lastly let’s take some time out to reflect, send prayers and loving vibes to all those mothers who have posed loved ones to senseless and hateful violence.. From the mothers of Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis to the countless moms who are unknown by the masses who lost loved ones to violence in our community..Can we change our ways collectively speaking and not resort to killing when we are upset and disagree?

Today on Mothers Day it can be card giving, brunch giving type of day or it can be a day of reflection and commitment to make sure all mothers are helped to healed from whatever pain and suffering we intentionally or unintentionally caused..

Thanks to all the mothers who loved, prayed and gave their all and found a way out of no way in spite of societal short comings and hostility. Thanks to all the mothers who have been there even when we in return have not reciprocated or showed our appreciation..May we change our ways from this day forward..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH1VUsURuuU

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News

20 Years Ago Today Nelson Mandela Became South Africa’s First Black President

May 10, 2014 By mrDaveyd

May 10th 1994, 20 years ago today, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first Black president.. For many like myself who were involved in the anti-apartheid and divestment movements it was a big deal. It seemed like such a day would never happen but it did.. For those on the ground in South Africa, after decades of brutality, bloodshed and all out dehumanization, Mandela being sworn in was monumental..Folks forget that South Africans had their country taken over and were the overwhelming majority in a country where a white minority ruled with ruthless force.

That white minority ruled because the US and Israel backed them with weapons, financial support and steadfastly refused to go along with world-wide sanctions that folks called for. Nelson becoming President after being imprisoned for damn near 30 years was Hope and Change years before Obama hit the world stage..

As we look back to those joyful times, one has to ask how have things improved in South Africa? There’s no doubt its one of the most developed countries on the continent? At the same time many say egregious wrong turns were made starting with Mandela not returning the land and natural resources stolen by the white minority… At the time folks praised Mandela for exemplifying humanity. It was humanity never shown to Blacks in South Africa. But 20 years later what has that gotten folks inside South Africa and globally? What lessons did we learn in the aftermath of Mandela’s presidency?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhG0IDrKiaI

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: Nelson mandela, South Africa

How Will Dr Dre Becoming a Billionaire Impact Hip Hop?

May 10, 2014 By mrDaveyd

There’s a lot of chatter about Dr Dre becoming the first Hip Hop billionaire if his deal with Beats by Dre goes through with Apple… I’m not sure what all that means at the end of the day.. Am i happy Dr Dre might have a billion dollars? Sure.. There’s nothing to hate on..In fact, one might say his business acumen is inspiring. He made some head phones sold them and is doing well..But in terms of what it means for Hip Hop and Black people in general? I’m not sure..

First let’s be clear we already know a few billionaires. If you live in northern Cali there’s all sorts of billionaires from Mark Zuckerberg to the founders of Google, to Larry Ellison of Oracle to Steve Jobs when he was alive.. And even though they don’t live here we can toss in Oprah and Bill Gates for good measure. How have those billionaires impacted our day-to-day lives?

Record foreclosures occurred in Northern Cali as these folks made their billions..Tuitions at state schools like Cal increased 300% in the past 5-6 years.. Tuitions at CSUs also increased dramatically. Rents have tripled and for many the ability to live day-to-day has become much more difficult. So Yes, right here in our backyard we have lots of billionaires, several of them young. They are inspiring, but thats about it. With Dr Dre becoming the newest billionaire, I’m not sure how much things will change.

The other thing for us to think about is that Hip Hop has already generated billions.. Lots of record, radio and music industry executives have and continue to live quite well off of Hip Hop.. The eco systems connected to Hip Hop generate billions with many living well.. That’s been the case for quite some time.. Yet with all these billions Hip Hop has generated we see poverty has increased not decreased for the majority of the people who live in communities that gave birth to this culture. And this increase in poverty is happening as we have quite a few Black folks in control of their careers and products and doing well.. From Jay Z to Diddy to 50 Cent to Russell Simmons to Steve Stoute to Ice Cube to Baby of Cash Money We got lots of Black folks making loot and doing well off of Hip Hop, but how has that trickled down to the masses other than us being consumers who fill their pockets?

Do I want to see Dr Dre become a billionaire? Sure if you can make your money do so.. But ideally I’d like to see a deal where Dre came back and said he sold Beats by Dre to Apple and in return he became a significant owner of Apple with the ability to set aside a few thousand well-paying jobs annually complete with a healthy budget for those wishing to start-up business to become the next Apple..Maybe thats wishful thinking..but why not put that out there and dream?

Do I want Dre to be a billionaire? Sure, but ideally I would’ve like to see him make a deal that Apple would have to build a tuition free top-notch college where Dre gets to set aside a few thousand seats for deserving folks from his community..Again why not dream big?After all Dre and his partner Jimmy Iovine did that for USC…

Whats so sad about all this is when Common and Kanye announced that they would be working to create 20 thousand jobs with their new foundation, folks worked over time to prove it couldn’t be done and then dissed them for asserting their goal..Some of those same people are giddy over Dre possibly being a Hip Hop billionaire..

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: beats by dre, billionaire, Dr Dre billionaire, Dr. Dre, economics, Hip Hop

Cal Grad Students Profiled, Brutalized & Arrested by Berkeley Police for Jay walking

May 8, 2014 By mrDaveyd

This went down last weekend in Berkeley. According to the students and an eye witness they were walking down the street when police pulled them over claiming one was jaywalking.. They attempted to arrest one of the students.. which set off a heated exchange.. Cops called for back up and the next thing you know 5 arrived on the scene and students were arrested. A Townhall is going down this Saturday between 2-5pm at Berkeley Library 1901 Russell Street around the incident

Some seeing this are asking why were the students outraged, talking loud and cursing?? The question we should ask is why were they stopped? With all that’s going on in the Bay Area why are students being stopped, detained and arrested for jay walking on a residential street? Its called profiling and the ‘crime’ of jay walking was used as an excuse to stop folks..

Here’s what Rasheed Shabazz, journalist for the UC based Onyx Express who has been following this story wrote:

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said.

Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk.

As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.”

An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record.

An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.”

Peep the entire article at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpbs

Berkeley Police profiled, attacked and arrested two Black UC Berkeley graduates on Friday night, according to students and a Youtube video posted online.

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said.

Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk.

As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.”

An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record.

An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.”

At 3:52 in the video, two officers rush Pollard. Although the video is dark, her white shirt can be seen flying to the ground as they tackle and slam her into the bushes. Pollard is heard crying out, “What are you touching me for?” and wailing, “I didn’t do anything” and “Help me!” Pollard is handcuffed and dragged to a police car.

Eventually, five officers arrive at the scene.

Cochran was charged with resisting arrest. Pollard was charged with obstruction of justice. According to Cochran, police charged neither with jaywalking. The two were detained for an hour and taking to Berkeley Police headquarters. Pollard also visited the hospital for pain in her wrist and arms from the arrest and shackling.

– See more at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpuf

Berkeley Police profiled, attacked and arrested two Black UC Berkeley graduates on Friday night, according to students and a Youtube video posted online.

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said.

Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk.

An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record.

Eventually, five officers arrive at the scene.

– See more at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpuf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY8wwRJSys

For those who think this is isolated and an aberration, here’s what happened the same weekend up in santa Rosa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGWNq8aaKBI

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News

Oakland March for Missing Girls in Nigeria | Fallout over SNL Slave Skit

May 7, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Over the weekend there was a huge march and rally to bring attention to the missing kidnapped girls from Nigeria. We spoke with organizers who at the time felt not enough attention was being paid to the situation at hand. They were also concerned that folks locally weren’t connecting the dots and seeing this not as a forced marriage incident but a case of sex trafficking.

They also wanted to make sure that folks were aware of the sex trafficking and scores kidnapped girls who are forced to walk the streets right here in Oakland every night. Throughout the march folks continuously made the connection..

The organizers of the Oakland #BringBackOurGirls march pointed out that they were graciously invited to join ranks with the Alan Bluford Movement. For those who are unaware, Alan Bluford was a 17 year old who was shot and killed by Oakland police 2 years ago to the date of the march. There was a rally scheduled to celebrate his life and bring justice for him that was planned long before the Bring Back Our Girls March.. The Bluford family reached out to organizers of the Bring Back Our Girls and together they both spoke to the importance of reminding the world that Black Lives Matter.. It was powerful..

We talk with key organizers Faiza Farah, Kinfolk and Mr Bluford at the start of the march..

Leslie Jones of SNL

Later on in the show we speak with long time film maker and media justice advocate Rage Souljah from Race for the Times about the controversy surrounding the slavery skit done by comedian Leslie Jones on Saturday Night Live..

For those who are unaware here’s the breakdown..

Leslie Jones in an attempt to be funny did a skit that many felt mocked slavery..It was called the slave draft and started out with her saying,

“The way we value Black beauty has changed. I’m single now, but back in the slave days, I would have never been single. I’m six feet tall and I’m strong. Look at me, I’m a Mandingo”

She then went on to pine:

“I do not want to be a slave. I don’t like working for all you White people now and you pay me. But back in the slave days, my love life would have been better.

Master would have hooked me up with the best brotha on the plantation and every nine months I’d be in the corner popping out super babies. I’d just keep popping them out.

Shaq. Kobe, LeBron, Kimbo Slice, Sinbad. I would be the number one slave draft pick. All of the plantations would want me” she said. “Now, I can’t get a brotha to take me out for a cheap dinner. Can a bitch get a beef bowl?!!”

Needless to say this caused a firestorm where folks went in on Leslie Jones who reacted with equal venom..She tweeted that

“…Black people bitch and moan about the most stupid shyt…I’m a comic and its m job to take things and make them funny and make you think”

She noted that her skit came from the pain of realizing that Black men don’t wanna mess with her and that she would’ve been better off in slavery because she would have had a man because of breeding..”

During our interview Rage Souljah gave a detailed historical breakdown of how slavery has been used in films and in pop culture to demean Black people and sanitize the institution of slavery and reduce it to a joke. In the backdrop of all this is the rewriting of school text books where they have removed the word slavery and have downplayed its brutality.

He starts with Birth of a Nation and brings it up to music mogul Russel Simmons backed by powerhouse company Dreamworks releasing a Harriet Tubman sex tape parody to the recent slew of slave films.

Leslie Jones argued that other comedians like Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor have done slave skits. rage breaks down the significant differences between their jokes and hers.

A lesson to be learned here is for one to be careful for what you wish for or at the very least if we are going to push for someone to be put in place to rep the larger Black community at least make sure they hold the same values..Its not enough to have a black face in high or visible places if they are going to further the stereotypes and deepen the systemic problems we are fighting…

https://soundcloud.com/mrdaveyd/hkr-march-for-missing-nigerial-girls-snl-slavery-skit-final

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Bring Back Our Girls, hard Knock radio, Missing Girls, Nigeria, rage Souljah, Saturday night Live

Former Political Prisoner Lynne Stewart Speaks: From Larry Davis to the War on Terror

May 7, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Hard Knock Radio: Over the weekend, we were honored to sit down and speak with long time human right’s activist and freedom fighter, former political prison affectionately known as ‘the People’s Lawyer-Lynne Stewart.

She swung through the Bay Area with Pam and Ramona Africa to celebrate Mumia Abu Jamal’s 60th birthday and to raise awareness about political prisoners. For those who are unaware, Stewart was sent to jail almost 10 years ago when the Bush administration accused her of aiding and abetting terrorists, which was far from the case.

She was sent to jail under new restrictive laws that were newly applied to lawyers working with particular clients. Her case set a frightening precedent and showed just how much our civil liberties have been encroached. By using the words terrorists and painting Stewart as some sort of danger to national security, the Bush administration was able to get away with what Stewart described as an egregious crime.

Stewart pointed out that her long history of successfully opposing state oppression and abusive police made her a target where all rules were thrown out the window. During our interview she breaks down the full details leading up to her arrest and conviction. It is truly fascinating.

Larry Davis

We also spoke to Stewart about her past work, including her being the lawyer for infamous Bronx drug dealer, turned police fighter Larry Davis. Davis was accused of shooting six New York City cops who he said were dirty and forcing him to deal drugs. He went on the run for 17 days after the shooting, sparking one of the largest man hunts in New York City history.

What a lot of folks don’t know is Lynne successfully defended him of those initial charges. he was acquitted. Sadly he was actually convicted on something that was minor compared to the charges levied on him about the police shootings. Stewart noted that she wasn’t Davis’ lawyer in the last case which led to him being convicted and sent to jail where was later murdered.

During our interview Stewart gives up a lot of key information about the plight of political prisoners and what its like inside jail for them. She described in detail the types of tactics guards use to prevent inmates from asserting their rights and organizing..

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News Tagged With: hard Knock radio, Lynee Stewart, people's Lawyer, political prisoner

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