Cesar Chavez Ave.

Recently on August 13, 2010 a 15 year struggle came to an end in Lansing, MI. At a press conference held between the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA) and the Committee for Cesar Chavez Avenue reached an accord. 

Their agreement was simple and to the point. Double signage would appear on the street signs running the length of the East Grand River. In addition to the double signage a City Lot #56 would be renamed Cesar Chavez Plaza. The important thing about City Lot #56 is that OTCA spends $40k a year publicizing events that happen there. Now they will publicize them as Cesar Chavez Plaza.


Overall, I think the collaboration between OTCA and the Chavez Committee is a perfect example of how groups of people can work across class and 'ethnic' interests to make positive contributions to their overall community.

The compelling issue in this story is that is is a multigenerational struggle. The original Cesar Chavez Avenue was removed a special city election in 1995 after a year of being in existence. This happened as the result of a serious and public race baiting attack on the Xicano/Latino community by a prominent local radio DJ named Tim Barron (who is still on the airwaves in Lansing) and a now retired attorney named Fred Stackable. 


A Quick History


In March of 1994, after 10 months of campaigning by Lansing resident Paulo Gordillo the 
Lansing City Council voted to change the name of Grand Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue. The scheduled renaming was slated for September 16, of that same year. 


On May 5, 1994 local radio personality Tim Barron played the following on air skit. This skit ignited a firestorm in the Lansing Hispanic community.

“Some are giving away trips to Mexico City but, we are bringing Mexico to you, that’s right, we’re giving away Mexican’s, real live Mexicans. Ay Caramba. We’ll be smuggling illegal aliens across the border in the wheel well of a station wagon then we’ll give them to you. Imagine, your own personal Mexican, they’ll wash your car, clean your house, pick your crops, anything you want because if they don’t, you’ll have them deported. Adios Amigos. Be the fifth caller when you hear this sound (mooing cow) and win a Mexican. Members of this station and their families are not eligible to own Mexicans, bathing and delousing of Mexicans is the winner’s responsibility. Station (Q106) assumes no liability for infectious diseases carried by Mexicans. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in your own home everyday, with your own Mexican.”

On July 20, 1994 the State News ran an article about Fred Stackable a local lawyer who was starting a petition “to undo what the city council has done,” and change Cesar Chavez Avenue back to Grand Avenue. Stackable’s petition drive for a ballot question was floundering at the time.

On July 22, 1994 Tim Barron, then the host of the Q106's morning show, brought Stackable on the air for the first time to talk about the petition and supply them to people to stop the renaming of Grand Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue. Stackable continued to be regular guest on Barron's morning show over the course of the next year.

On September 16, 1994 Lansing city workers took down Grand Avenue signs and replaced them with Cesar Chavez Avenue signs. Those signs would remain up for the next year.

Because of the daily barrage, during 1994 and 1995, of anti Chavez Avenue sentiment Xicano community members working on the Q106 issue also began working to prove Q106 was taking a position on a political campaign without fair representation for the other side.

Through daily monitoring and taping of the Breakfast Club these community members were able to prove their allegations to the FCC after which Q106 received a hefty fine from the FCC and were eventually forced to sell their license.

One piece of evidence that convinced the FCC to rule against Q106 was the fact they were handing out giveaways at the window of the station as incentive to get people to come in and sign the petition. The FCC ruled they were in effect launching a hate campaign against a very specific ethnic group.

On Monday June 12, 1995 approximately 17.24 percent of the registered voters in the city turned out to vote ‘yes’ on Proposal A and change Cesar Chavez Avenue back to Grand Avenue.

The street signs were taken down shortly afterward. For many years Lansing bore the dubious distinction of being the only city in the country where something like this had happened.There were several attempts over the years the start up community campaigns to redress this issue.  


Congratulations to the 2010 organizers of this successful effort. A heavy burden has been lifted from the Xicano community in Lansing, MI.

XDC Internships 2010-2011

See xicanocenter.org for more details.

Xicano Development Center Internships Fall 2010

Each of these positions will require 10 to 15 hours a week. They are unpaid positions but most can be used as independent studies and definitely meet the requirement of all known service learning classes at Michigan State University and Lansing Community College.

Volunteers Coordinator – This position will manage all volunteers keeping track of time and skills. The coordinator will place volunteers with the appropriate programs and/or aspects of the XDC. One of the primary functions of this position will be to keep track of the number of total hours each month volunteers spend working at the XDC. This position will we learn:

1. Basic organizational policies and procedures for coordinating volunteers

2. Developing schedules for workers/Staffing

3. Basic bookkeeping (excel spreadsheets)

4. How to work and coordinator multiple programs needs.

5. Basics of the XDC’s community organizing framework.

Publication Coordinator – This position will work with the Communication Specialists to manage and coordinate the XDC publications in coordination with the executive director and the publications director. Specifically this position will be responsible for assembling and preparing for publication the XDC annual report. To do this position the intern must be familiar with desktop publishing (i.e. Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator etc.) prior work experience not necessary. This position will learn:

1. How to coordinate with different programs to assemble information in one package

2. How to produce and design an annual report for a non-profit organization.

3. Work with different XDC programs to develop literature for their needs.

4. Develop ideas for an organizational branding look and develop strategies for keeping publications within a certain look.

5. Basics of the XDC’s community organizing framework.

Radio Free Aztlan – This position will work with the Communications Specialist and help produce Radio Free Aztlan a weekly podcast by the Xicano Development Center. This position will learn:

1. The basics of sound production and editing.

2. How to set up, coordinate and schedule weekly interviews on a variety of topics

3. Host own bi-weekly podcast.

4. Research topics and choose podcast subjects based on the timeliness, interest and relevancy to the Xicano/Latino Community.

5. Basics of the XDC’s community organizing framework.

Finance Assistant – this position works directly with the board treasurer to create and maintain an organizational budget and program budgets. This person will also work directly with the finance committee on the research and production of grants to fund operations and programming. This position will learn:

1. How to research and identify grant opportunities.

2. How to structure and write grant proposals.

3. How to work with and develop and organizational budget.

4. How to operate within financial guidelines for Non Profit Organizations.

5. Basics of the XDC’s community organizing framework.

Community Needs Assessment – This position will work directly with the Executive Director. This position will learn the basics of performing a community assessment: creating a community base line form: education, income, political orientation data (Census etc.). This data will be turned into a comprehensive community-organizing plan that will be used to shape policy for Xicano/Latino’s in mid Michigan and the around the state. This position will learn:

1. How to structure a needs assessment survey.

2. How to interpret a needs assessment survey.

3. How to produce a report based on the needs assessment.

4. How policy and advocacy are affected and enacted through needs assessments.

5. Basics of the XDC’s community organizing framework.

Xicano/Latino Summit Coordinator – This position will learn the basics of conference organizing. This position will organize a yearly summit to be held in the third weekend of April in Lansing. This summit will invite community leaders to a roundtable discussion of policy and advocacy being done by Xicano/Latino organizations in the Great Lakes Region. The summit will focus on strengthening ties between organizations and the key people around the region. This position will learn:

1. The use and development of database and mailing lists – both online and hard copy.

2. How to work with a diverse group to develop policy and advocacy standards for Xicano/Latino Non Profits and grassroots organizations in the Great Lakes Region.

3. Learn budget development for conferences.

4. Assist and learn conference program development.

5. Basics of the XDC’s community organizing framework.

Lolita Lebron, Puerto Rican freedom fighter dies at 90

Lolita Lebron, Puerto Rican freedom fighter dies at 90

Radio Free Aztlan Interviews Dolores Huerta.

Follow the link.


Celebrating Dolores Huerta's 80th Birthday!

Ethnic Studies and Aztlan Modernization Project

Xicano Studies, when done right, does a couple of things: 1) it provides a historical context in which to understand the economic and social situation of Xicanos today, 2) it fixes Xicanos as indigenous to the Southwest portion of this country. Which is why white people are so threaten by it. Because if there is one thing that white people understand its how to say something belongs to you whether it does or not. 

Their own innate nationalism understand that a myth which survived the initial conquest and for centuries lay semi dormant in the Mexicano collective conscious has found fertile ground in the minds of young Xicanos. Myth and reality combined - the point of Aztlan is that it creates (especially within the context of a Xicano Studies program) a legitimate physical location for Xicanos. Aztlan is myth trying to come alive,

 Every cultural group, nation, or people exist within a particular mythic horizon that corresponds to their particular vision of truth. This is the myth they live ... In this respect the myth of Aztlan function to provide identity, location, and meaning for a people who were previously directionless in their collective existential pilgrimage through earth (Pina, 37).

And where does all this European trepidation about the US being split in two by the growing 'Hispanic' populations A few years ago this split was predicted by Prof. Charles Truxillo who was then at the University of New Mexico. Truxillo said in part that

the new country should be brought into being 'by any means necessary,' but recently said it was unlikely to be formed by civil war. Instead, its creation will be accomplished by the electoral pressure of the future majority Hispanic population in the region.

Truxillo is a weird dude. I had the opportunity to hear him speak at the NACCS conference a few years ago in Albuerquerque and it was interesting to say the least. Truxillo is a fascist and an open admirer of fascist like Juan Peron of Argentina and Francisco Franco of Spain. He clearly announced that what the Xicano movement needed was strong leaders of their caliber. Interesting to say the least.

It is important to say that because Truxillo is a fascist, doesn't in any way mean everything having to do with Xicano nationalism is fascist. I know that may seem simplistic but for some reason people mix up fascism and nationalism all the time. It may of course have more to do with the persons own fear of the responsibility that comes along with a strong nationalism than it does the facts of the situation.

Yeah. So Truxillo on a personal level didn't really do it for me. But, I find his ideas, even if I don't share his vision of the reality, intriguing to say the least. Truxillo argues for non violent revolution. Mostly I think because as he says in his 2008 paper The Inevitability of a Mexicano Nation in the American Southwest & Northern Mexico, 

The emergence of an independent Mexicano country in El Norte -- the American Southwest and Northern Mexico will not be achieved through violence or civil war. For who could stand up to the military might of the United States? Instead, one has to imagine a three-fold process by which Nortenos - Chicanos, Mexican Americans, and Northern Mexicanos - slowly move toward a new national consciousness and then aspire for nationhood.

Truxillo points to the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet bloc and the numerous non violent 'color revolutions' that have taken place since then as examples of how this can be done. In reality what Truxillo is pointing toward is the creation of a political party. A popular front that makes it possible to educate and articulate the aspirations of a large group of people.

You see the real threat here is that as masters of war European Americans know all revolution begin with education. Talking, debating, planning. Guns and all the stuff you see in the movies comes much, much later. Books, manifestos, flyers, house meetings are first. Education is always first.

Take a look at the literature being produced by the the Albert Einstein Institute this institute promotes the peace change of power. The founder Prof. Gene Sharp (although denying any formal relationship) has spent most of his life working with the CIA in one capacity or another. His how to overthrow a government book From Dictatorship to Democracy has been translated into dozens of languages and distributed around the world.

In the introduction to this book, Sharp states in part,

In recent years various dictatorship - of both internal and external origin - have collapsed or stumbled when confronted by defiant, mobilize people. Often seen as firmly entrenched and impregnable, some of these dictatorships proved unable to withstand the concerted political, economic, and social defiance of the people ... Although those struggles have not brought to an end the ruling dictatorships or occupations, they have exposed the brutal nature of those repressive regimes to the world community and have provided the populations with valuable experience with this form of struggle. 

Xicano Studies courses need to drop the post modern identity/border crap and start passing out Gene Sharps' from Dictatorship to Democracy (free download from the internet). It is a good all American book that supports the uplifting of the socially oppressed and economically downtrodden all over the world. While it is important to know where we come from - we spend to much time in classrooms trying to get kids to be proud of their history, their identity and not enough planning for the future.

It seems after so many years of frontal attacks and attempted assassinations Xicano Studies has turned in to a cultural crisis management program based on the metaphysical or 'bloodline' transference of culture. I would argue from a materialist perspective that culture is created from the material conditions it arises in and those conditions for millions of young Xicana/os currently dictate some type of action. What that action will be remains to be seen.

What does Xicano Studies teach our kids about resistance to oppression as opposed to recognizing oppression? West German freedom fighter Ulrike Mienhof one of the founders of the Red Army Faction once said 'protest is when I say this does not please me. Resistance is when I ensure what does not please me occurs no more.'

Aztlan Libre!
Mexica Tiwi!

Its time for a Party

Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote.

We live in a time of political upheaval. Across the world the seemingly indisputible authority of the United State government is being disputed on a daily basis. Outside of its border and within - the recent arrest of a paramilitary Christian group in Adrian, Mich., not far from where I live is certainly an indication of how everyday 'normal' white folks are very very very upset with their government.

So how do we handle the ideological force feed we experience around the issue of voting? It appears for many voting has become the default action when it comes to political involvement. How did we come to this pitiful state of affairs regarding participation in the social and political affairs of the nation?

The abdication of personal responsibility through voting (or opting out of voting) has reached epidemic proportions. The ubiquitous 'if you don't vote you can't complain' cliche has taken on the sound of everyday common sense and any proposed solution that doesn't include some type of voting is dismissed summarily. Coupled vote tunnel vision with so-called service learning projects around the country and social action is reduced to painting fences and picking up trash. We've got a real problem!

When legislation designed to disengage a significant portion of the population even further from the political process of everyday life is not only introduced but passed and approved of by the majority of the residents of that state - I hate to break it to you but painting fences isn't going to get it.

When did we give up trying to have a say in our own lives? For the most part the political activities we have access to are monumental failures. Mostly because very few people in our community have ever seen them work for our community. Is it any wonder why the best ideas we can come up with only center on voting and lobbying elected officials. Please understand my point - I'm not saying voting and lobbying elected official doesn't work - I'm saying it doesn't work for us.

I'm also convinced at this point the disenfranchisement we experience daily is a lot our fault. Mostly because we have no presence within the political structure and aren't interacting with the present one or trying create one of our own. Xicanos as a group do not access any of the areas of decision making on a local, state or federal level. It's pretty much a shut out.

We need to get started. We need a party that represents the interests of Xicano, Latinos and Indigenous people in the United States. One that comes up from the grassroots and represents the interests of working people - not the interest of big business and international capitalism.

We start by having local realistic talks about politics and what it means to form a political vehicle that represents the broad interest of our community. It won't be easy. We have a ways to go in terms of identifying our role of complicity in our own economic, social and political oppression. We need ideas about how start this very necessary process of resistance.

Where to start then? Easily available and free on the internet are some materials assembled by Dr. Gene Sharp of the Albert Einstein Institute which could prove interesting. There are two in particular that bear special consideration From Dictatorship to Democracy and Col. Robert Helvey's On Strategic Non Violence two books most likely funded by monies from the Central Intelligence Agency to provide guidance to 'pro-democracy' agitators around the world.

If it works in Georgia and the Ukraine then why not in Arizona, Michigan or Ohio. Its time to step up and get serious about organizing broad based low intensity counter hegemonic responses to these systemic attacks on our community.

Freedom isn't free and neither are people who are hunted based on the color of their skin. 

HOW TO MANUAL FOR ORGANIZING COLLEGE HONORARIA

Organizing a speaking tour and honoraria can be a daunting task. When any person takes 3-4 days out of their schedule to tour a region at your request it is then your responsibility to insure their time is well spent and profitable. This means having a full but not overbooked itinerary scheduled in events, and it also means squeezing every dollar you can out of student groups, community groups, academics, and unions. Although it is a fund raising strategy, usually the speaking event is free and open to the public.

As we begin to plan the speaking tour it is important to determine what the goals of the speaking tour are? From our organizational perspective there are several simultaneous goals for any speaking tours we organize:

• raise money for the speaker and their organization,
  
• develop opportunities for expansion of message and
  
• make new contacts for building committees in different cities.

Maximum turn out for any event is important, and should be a number one priority for any organizer scheduling a speaking tour

• To maximize community/local turnout at the speaking event
• Bolster regional support committees from the presentation attendees
• Raise awareness of issues with the general public

Why we want maximum student and community turnout at each scheduled event.

• Help us in our recruitment efforts on campus and in the community.
• Build support committees on campus and in the local community.
• To raise thousands of dollars
• To obtain interviews in major press
• Put the name on the map with community organizations
• Raise public awareness on issues
• To build committees or discover existing organizations that we can work with to make our issues their issues and vice versa

Strategies for achieving goals

To maximize student turnout at the event begin targeting key student groups early in the campaign. Do presentations to members at their weekly group meeting. If you are not familiar with the campus or student leaders on campus every university has an office of student life or student affairs. Student organizations are required to register with the university and the contact information is usually public information. Many times the list of student orgs can be found on the internet also.

Target progressive teachers/professors to publicize/sponsor event with students. If you have students you are working with on campus they can direct you to professors that will be interested. Many universities now have graduate employee unions/organizations. Working with the GEO/GEU can also put you in contact with progressive instructors that may allow you or the students you are working with to do presentations at beginning of their class. Check and see if professors can assign extra-credit to students for attending the events.

Place ads and articles in the student media - Depending on the size of the campus and the frequency of the student newspaper printing schedule this becomes harder or easier.

Post promotional flyers in high-traffic student areas and other strategic places, i.e. coffeehouses, bookstores, libraries, record stores, community kiosks - flyering is becoming a lost art as many turn to publicizing events strictly online. The trick with flyers to make and distribute enough to make a real impact. People do read flyers!

Sweeping - To maximize community turnout,r ight before the event several people should take flyers and walk around the area where the talk is being given. Approach people with the flyer and tell them the speech is happening now. Invite them to come and listen. Sweeping works.

Use free media - This is called earned media by professional media consultants. Often radio stations, especially public radio stations, will do free PSAs to advertise the event. Try to get free ads and articles in community and alternative newspapers.

Mail out the promotional flyer to all supporters on your supporter lists - this is where having an updated community list can become very important. For every flyer that reaches someones home you can count on it being read by everyone that lives there. Mailing is a solid way of reaching into the homes of our supporters with vital information.

Place articles and free ads in union and church bulletins - this is effective when used with the appropriate event. This action also presupposes that the building of a working relationship is in progress or has been done to the extent you even know who to ask. Another part of this suggestion would be to send out notices of the event to all Central Labor Council affiliates in the area if it is appropriate.

Do pre-presentation radio interview to tease people into coming to full-blown speech - again this suggestion is based on reasonable belief that you as the organizers either have found someone from the area with these contacts or that you have hustled and opened these relationships for yourself during your time in that town. Radio interviews are good but probably most effective the day of for commercial radio. Public Radio is also a very good way of getting this type of info out.

To raise big money

Two to three months before speaking event, do presentations to key student groups. It is critical that the staff person organize students to organize the event. Most universities do not like outsiders coming in and asking for money. If you want to try and raise money from other student organizations and academic departments - the request will have to come from students. Find out campus history.

Your student contacts will need to write up a proposal to submit to student groups and academic departments. The proposal should give a brief history of the speaker, but most important, it should clearly lay out the money and other requirements for the talk. The amount asked for should be higher than the target amount! If you realistically think a school can give $2500, then initially ask for $3500. You can always bargain down, but it is almost impossible to bargain up.

The students should contact their student government and other miscellaneous campus organizations, such as Office for Minority Affairs or Student Affairs. If there is a residence hall system there will be some type of office overseeing student life and activities there too. These groups can help give the money needed to make it to the target amount of money.

Involve the community! Since we are inviting the off campus community to the talk, the community should also be willing to commit financially to the talk. Ask local unions, churches, and other community members for money. You can also try to get neighborhood support committees to do a fundraiser. Don’t forget about community-based grants.

Get a list of supporters, donors, and alumni in each area or begin to create one by consistently using sign in sheets at each event.

To obtain interviews in the major press

Mail press packets to media outlets one weeks before the event. The press packet should include: a short 2pg. Biography of the e-board member, an article about the e-board member, and a photo.

Follow-up mailing with phone calls four days before the event to schedule radio, newspaper and TV interviews. Avoid doing a press conference—most journalists want to feel like they’re getting an exclusive scoop on the interviewee.

When talking with press people make the presenters appearance sexy by connecting their lecture or presentation with timely and important issues. Unless they are already famous their mere presence may not be compelling enough to warrant doing an interview.

Getting results after the presentation

While the main goal of organizing a speaking tour may seem to be money, providing situations where organizers can meet or interest new supporters is also an vital aspect of this effort. Every thing we do as organizers should move us toward building our base of support in the community. With long term goals in mind the political and social education of the people is paramount. This educational process will many times translate into some type of involvement. Interest is often quite high after these types of high profile events one way to take advantage of that could be implementing the suggestions below:

• Recruiting student staff
• At presentation, have speaker make a recruitment pitch.
• Sign-up people who are interested in working for our organization and have job descriptions and applications packets available.
• Quickly follow-up with interested applicants within one week after the presentation.
• Bolster neighborhood Support Committee
• At presentation, have speaker announce a date for a neighborhood-wide support meeting.
• Sign up presentation attendees before talk and hand out flyers announcing time and place of meeting.
• Do phone banking one week before the meeting to confirm attendees.
• Hold the meeting.
  

What schools pay for honorarium target amounts?

Transportation, Flight, Hotel, Housing, etc.

Board members’needs;

Profiles.

Food, beverages, other needs.

Materials needed

Petition; ETG; Video; Flyers; Postcards; Pens; etc.

Pre & Post Acceptable/Not Acceptable Events:

Pre-event receptions should be a meeting: Introduce student leaders, committee leaders, religious leaders.

Post-events should be in reception form.

Organizers should control the agenda!

---

[1] This is an expanded version of one organizer’s first attempt at organizing a speaking tour in Washington State.

USING THE BOYCOTT TO CHALLENGE RACISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

DIVESTMENT and NON-VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION
Divestment is the process of removing your support whether it is physical, emotional or financial from someone, something or some idea that your find unacceptable. In the 1980s Michigan State University was the first major universities to divest from South Africa. In doing this they took a moral and financial stance that said they were against apartheid. That decision paved the way for many other universities and corporations to do the same; today after the passage of Proposition 2 and “democratic” elimination of affirmative action we face a similar question with the elimination of minority student services under the moronic claim of "redundancy of services."

The minority student programs MSU President Lou Anna Simon and Student Affairs President Lee June are working so feverishly to dismantle were brought into existence by protest and struggle. Sacrifices (of life and liberty) were made by people of all colors on an individual and group level, the bus boycotts, lunch counter sit ins and the militant persistence of groups like the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee are important examples of PLANNED ACTIVE RESISTANCE to American racism and hatred. These movements we celebrate each year with speeches and ever dwindling public marches were ones of active transformation where individuals like you and me collaborated to challenge on a broad scale the injustices and racism so causally perpetrated and cloaked by fiscal responsibility.

In his book “Why We Can’t Wait” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said this about non-violent resistance.

“When, for decades you have been able to make a man compromise his manhood by threatening him with a cruel and unjust punishment, and when suddenly he turns upon you and says: ‘Punish me. I do not deserve it. But because I do not deserve it, I will accept it so that the world will know that I am right and you are wrong.’ You hardly know what to do. You feel defeated and secretly ashamed. You know that this man is as good a man as you are; that from some mysterious source he has found the courage and the conviction to meet physical force with soul force.”

This, brothers and sisters, is the essence of divestment. Accepting the double burden of punishment and the obligation to bear it under any circumstance. At this moment we have very few venues of resistance open to us. We are literally to the point where the only thing we have to withdraw is ourselves. We cannot allow ourselves to be used as tokens. Dr. King said this about tokenism, “There is a critical distinction, however, between a modest start and tokenism. The tokenism Negroes condemn is recognizable because it is an end in itself. ITS PURPOSE IS NOT TO BEGIN A PROCESS, BUT INSTEAD TO END THE PROCESS OF PROTEST AND PRESSURE. It is a hypocritical gesture, not a constructive first step. (King,Why We Can’t Wait)

Our presence here demands we find a morally acceptable and socially effective way of answering this decision, pressuring the university to take a more active stance and providing moral non-violent direct action leadership to other students of good faith what ever the color of their skin.

In order to do this we must draw lines between acceptable and unacceptable actions/ decisions on the part of the University and it's administration. The same rebuke goes to those administrators who should because of their own personal history of benefiting from Affirmative Action programs as Black men and White women be working to perserve this legacy of social justice instead of working diligently to take it apart.

Our recognition of this should focus on the “heightening of contradictions” (Umemoto, K) between ourselves and any institution of higher learning that plans to undermine social progress beneath the guise of liberalism and voodoo economics.

WAR OF THE FLEA
Heightening Contradictions is a strategy to prepare people for confrontational tactics. You educate them with the aim of involving them in confrontations to win demands. The greater the amount of pressure in any situation the more incentive there is to resolve it.

One way to apply that pressure, one way to divest is by COMPLETELY REMOVING ALL TRACES OF OURSELVES ON PAPER FROM THE UNIVERSITY. Remaining where we are - but withdrawing our support we become non complicit with the plans of Michigan State University. Doing this we expose the contradictions between us and those who have moved against us. In fact, this entire line of social change reasoning is based on the fundamental belief in the irreconcilable differences in values, beliefs and most of all interests between us and them. (Umemoto, K.).

And finally we must ask ourselves in view of its race, class, political and economic interests can the University be viewed as neutral? Operating within a vacuum, separate from the prejudices and short comings of its administrators? And yes, my statement applies to the black and latino administrators involved in this travesty. Their sin of betrayal and complicity is as clear as the mark God gave Cain after he slew Abel.

Am I my brother's keeper?

The response of the upper administration since 2003 until the recent admission they are planning on eliminating all programs for minority students positions their neutrality as weak and insincere. From our "minority representatives" sends an implicit message of compliance with prevailing thoughts and attitudes of those who are in favor of eliminating equal education access for all people.

HOW TO DO THIS
In 1999, Xicano students protesting for the creation of Xicano studies at MSU went to the registrars office and changed their racial designation to white (Sell, M. State News, Feb. 1999). There were no repercussions to them for doing this. In doing this, they unequivocally stated they would not allow the university to continue using their presence here as selling tool for diversity – when in fact the university through its actions did not support this diversity they spoke so eloquently about.

Student divestment from MSU means doing the same with one difference. Instead of white we choose OTHER. This allows white students who understand the hypocrisy of our administrators (especially our "minority" representatives) to join us in this highly effective and clear statement of our opposition to the university’s “neutral” stance and allows us the power to bring all cultural events at MSU to a grinding halt. We really MUST STOP PERFORMING LIKE TRAINED MONKEYS FOR APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE. Currently, our only power is to divest ourselves and what we represent from this structure; once we do this, we can begin to build parallel structures by students that work outside of the University and provide the support and necessary structure to allow our respective communities to grow, organize and flourish – self determination for all people.

To be sure - following this plan means directly experiencing and participating in both the sacrifice and struggle that is quintessential to the nature of non-violent resistance. Implementing a total cultural blackout by students of color and their allies on campus is unprecedented. Eliminating student of color presence along with the number of white students on campus is unprecedented. It has never been done before - ever. That we should turn to our white allies and white students in general is beyond question. Dr. King writes,

“In the nonviolent army, there is room for everyone who wants to join up. There is no color distinction. There is no examination, no pledge, except that, as a solider … nonviolent soldiers are called upon to examine and burnish their greatest weapons – their heart, their conscience, their courage and their sense of justice.” (King, ML.1963)

Will we follow Dr. King's call to actively resist or meekly betray the future? We, the students faculty and staff of Michigan State University must divest from this institution. It is within our power to boycott MSU.

A CALL FOR ARTICLES: 40 Year of the Chicano Moratorium and the Anti War Movement: The War on Terrorism in the U.S. Empire

The Raza Press and Media Association (RPMA) is the only national group of progressive Raza journalists working towards winning justice, peace, and freedom for all Mexicano-Latinos (Raza). We meet on a regular basis, have an organizational structure, principles of unity, objectives, and we consistently published a journal, Guerrillera/os de la Pluma.

In response to the continuing and growing assaults on our communities by the various U.S. intellectual institutions (media, academicians, authors, think tanks, etc.), the RPMA is making a call to Raza active in the field of media (journalism, radio, video/film, popular art, spoken word, etc.) to submit articles related to the “Raza Press, Media, And Popular Expression” for publication in the Summer 2010 issue of our journal.

The Summer 2010 Special issue of the Guerrillera/os de La Pluma will focus on the question/theme of the War on Terrorism in the U.S. Empire. Articles/art work must address, for example, the question of the Chicano Moratorium, the Anti War Movement, Gang Enforement, human and civil rights, Border Issues, Immigration Rights, and Racist Laws etc. –from a PROGRESSIVE or REVOLUTIONARY Raza perspective. Jose G. Moreno, which is a member of the Raza Media and Press Association, will conduct the editorial work for this special issue. Priority will be given to articles/art that relate the theme/subject of their work to journalism/media or popular/mass opinion. Selected articles will be published in the Guerrillera/os de La Pluma. Issues of “La Pluma” are distributed widely (political actions/events, colleges, libraries, and conferences) and are posted online (Internet). Literally thousands of people read the journal.

CRITERIA FOR ARTICLES:

(1) Articles must be between 3 and 5 pages (no longer please), typed and doubled space (Fonts 10 or 12 points). If you submit a research type working paper, when quoting, or referring to data, use footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography for documentation purposes. Writing styles that could be use are the following; Chicago, APA, and MLA.

(2) Send your articles via e-mail (newswire@razapressassociation.org) or on a CD (i.e. MS Words, etc.) to the following address:

(3) Deadline for the Summer 2010 issue is May 15, 2010

RAZA PRESS AND MEDIA ASSOCIATION

Attn: Guerrillera/os de la Pluma

P.O. Box 620095

San Diego, CA 92162

EMail: newswire@razapressassociation.org