Black and Brown Unity: Our Historical Connection & Building New Bridges

Black Brown UnityOLM News Below is the video from an incredible and historic panel discussion held at St. Ignatius High School in SF on Black & Brown Unity.. Over 500 people showed up for an engaging conversation that touched upon a number of subjects ranging from our historical connections and how our communities have helped each other resist oppression to ways in which Black Brown communities are forging political alliances to immigration and mass incarceration to how beefs and tensions on the streets are being resolved..

We also focused on what is taking place internationally between African and South American nations..We talked about the political forces at work that want to keep us divided, in particular those who run the California prison systems… We talked about the important role culture, Hip Hop and the arts in general have helped break down walls and form strong bonds.. A lot of gems were dropped..We hope you enjoy the discussion which recently aired on Free Speech TV

The panel included former Black Panther and Africa Today host Walter Turner, Educator, historian and author Ron Wilkins, Professor Gaye Theresa Johnson who is the author of new book focusing on Black Brown unity in LA called Spaces of Conflict, Sounds of Solidarity, Javier Gonzalez who heads up organizations like Sound Strike and Culture Strike and long time Bay Area activist Tara Espinoza

http://vimeo.com/77186655

http://vimeo.com/78305431

Fat Joe, Ice Cube, Immortal Technique & Alex Sanchez Talk about Black & Brown Unity

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In addressing the issue of Black/ Brown unity we caught up with popular rappers Fat Joe & Ice Cube and asked them to address the issue.. Fat Joe spoke at the Hip Hop summit in 2001 and explained the political importance of the two groups coming together…

Ice Cube spoke to the history of unity between Black and Brown peoples in California. He taks about how the Brown man helped the Black man escape slavery..Cube also weighs in on the immigration debate.

We caught up to Immortal Technique at the Malcolm X day parade in Harlem in may of 2006 and talked to him about Black and Brown Unity… He gave us a lot to think about in the areas of colonization and divide and conquer techniques used by those who have enslaved us or colonized us..
Former gang member turned peacemaker Alex Sanchez spoke at Laney College in Oakland during the Critical Resistence conference in 2007 about Black Brown unity and how we should beawre and ideally unify around the issue of immigration. He said we need to understyand the inhumane treatment many are experiencing and focus on this being a human rights issue.. He stressed that both communities need to be more educated about struggles we are going through…
Former gang member turned peacemaker Alex Sanchez talks about solutions for establishing Black/ Brown unity..He talks about the role people in peace and social justice movements must play and the language they must use and not use.. He also talks about regional tactics.. He notes Black-Brown relationships are different in California compared to places like NY and we need to not have a one size fits all strategy.. He also talks about how there are powerful forces within prison that have made unifying difficult because of politics from behind the walls..
We sat down with San Antonio based Professor Mario Salas and talked to him about ways in which Black and Brown communities have worked together. He talks about the Black Panthers and Brown Berets