Durham, NC – Speaking to a packed audience of mostly African American students at North Carolina Central University on Oct. 18, Louis Scott, lead attorney for Mychal Bell of the Jena 6, said that the struggle to free the Six was far from over. Reverend William Barber, civil rights leader and president of the North Carolina NAACP, also spoke at the forum. The discussion was focused on the injustices of the Jena 6 case, but speakers at the event also highlighted the ongoing abuses of the criminal justice system used to oppress African Americans here in North Carolina.
Charleston, WV – Hundreds of people rallied and marched here at West Virginia’s capitol building, Nov. 3, to demand justice for Megan Williams and an end to hate crimes in the United States.
The movie The Great Debaters is based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a poet and professor from the 1930s. In the movie, Tolson’s character is that of an energetic professor at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas who organizes the school debate team. That debate team goes on to debate white colleges, to a mostly undefeated season where they won a 1935 debate against Harvard, the reigning national champion.
Irvington, NJ – “Forty acres and a mule!” and “You stole us. You sold us. You owe us,” chanted here, Feb. 23, demanding reparations for African American people. The march was sponsored by the People’s Organization for Progress (POP) and the New Black Panther Party.
Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people demonstrated here at the Federal Building Sept. 15 to demand justice for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The protest was organized by the Welfare Rights Committee.
Houston, TX – The fight for survival goes on in Houston. Families spent all day traveling miles back and forth across the city, looking for opportunities to register for aid that may or may not be there. Many picked up food, water, clothes and toys for their children; walking with awkward loads to wherever they are stuck sleeping for the night.
Two months after Katrina hit the Gulf coast, the disaster is unending for hundreds of thousands of survivors. People are piecing their lives back together, but it is a slow, often frustrating process. The mainstream media is ‘moving on’ and is back to its usual business of ignoring the suffering of poor and working people.
Chicago, IL – Activists in Chicago, led by Comite Exigimos Justicia (CEJ, or the We Demand Justice Committee), marched on Area 5 Police Headquarters on Aug. 16 to demand a meeting with Deputy Chief Dayna Sparks. CEJ has documented frame-ups by Area 5 detectives resulting in the wrongful convictions of dozens of Latino men. Speakers at the protest included recently pardoned death row inmate Aaron Patterson and community activist Fred Hampton, Jr. (photo above) Deputy Chief Sparks was not present and later refused to acknowledge receiving letter addressed to her, even though 50 copies were distributed to her representatives. “We’ll keep coming back until they listen,” Angel Rodriguez from CEJ told the crowd. “Together, we can stop police corruption and make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else!”
Houston, Texas – Hundreds more New Orleaneans came to the Astrodome today seeking help. Yet many were turned away at the security gate and given nothing. The people who left New Orleans before Katrina landed are very aware that without federal government aid, they will not be able to survive much longer.
![Evacuees waiting in line](https://i.snap.as/bePwIGb2.jpg "Evacuees waiting in line Sign reads \\"No debit cards here today\\", as people wait outside Houston's George R Brown Convention Center. \(Fight Back! News\)")
!["Hurricane Katrina survivors at Astrodome in Houston, TX"](https://i.snap.as/sXi3odWE.jpg "\\"Hurricane Katrina survivors at Astrodome in Houston, TX\\" People from New Orleans, outside the Astrodome in Houston. \(Fight Back! News/Trishalla Bell\)")