by the editorsWhich way forward for the Black Left? The path leads in the same direction it always has: agitation, organization, and confrontation with Power. Cynthia McKinney chose a Harlem church to announce formation of DIGNITY, to bring the Black body politic back from its current comatose state. "Dignity is attempting to show real change is possible" - if people fight for it. "We want to organize networks so that we can relay information quickly to a large number of people."
Cynthia McKinney Announces Formation of DIGNITY
the editors
Former congresswoman (D-GA) and Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney addressed a packed house at St. Mary’s Church, in Harlem, on Sunday, May 31. Also sharing the podium were Glen Ford and Margaret Kimberley, of Black Agenda Report, Nellie Bailey, Harlem Tenants Council, Prof. Anthony Monteiro, of the African American Studies Department, Temple University, and writer/activist Mae Jackson. The event was titled, “Which Way Forward for the Black Left?”
”We agreed to found an action organization and to call it Dignity.”
Thank you all for being here.
On Thursday, General Taguba spoke to journalists and said that the photos currently being withheld by President Obama show rape. On Friday, he went even further and said that he saw video of U.S. soldiers raping and sodomizing detainees. From the first batch of photos that were released, we know that detainees were also murdered. In your name and mine.
But some of us here in the U.S. are not shocked or surprised that this kind of behavior could occur. For those of us who have our eyes open, the gritty streets of America are filled with the experience of unarmed black and brown men being beaten, raped, sodomized, and even murdered by terroristic agents of the state.
We remember the Black Panther Party, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Kwame Touré. We remember George Jackson, Soledad and Attica. We remember the American Indian Movement, the Puerto Rican Independistas, the Chicano Movement, and we remember the FBI. We know about Area A in Chicago and we’ve heard the San Francisco 8 recount for us their experiences of torture at the hands of law enforcement. We’ve heard them tell how 30 years later, the very same people who tortured them showed up on their doorsteps to re-arrest them for crimes they did not commit.
So when General Taguba verifies that torture, rape, and murder were used by U.S. service men and women, we cannot be surprised.
When we see Dick Cheney say that torture worked, we in this audience, are not surprised.
The gritty streets of America are filled with the experience of unarmed black and brown men being beaten, raped, sodomized, and even murdered by terroristic agents of the state.”
When we hear that Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown who allowed the San Francisco 8 prosecution to move forward is rumored to want to be the Governor of California, and expects our votes to win, we are not surprised.
Or that Gavin Newsome, current mayor of San Francisco who is abetting the ethnic cleansing of the last remaining black neighborhood in that city wants to be Governor and expects black, brown, and progressive white votes, we are not surprised.
So, when yet another young man is gunned down by the police, be it Oscar Grant in Oakland or Omar Edwards in New York City, and the policy doesn’t change to stop it. We shouldn’t be surprised.
The authorities have proven that they will do everything and more if the people let them get away with it.
The authorities have proven that they will do everything and more if the people let them get away with it.
Our President has breathed new life into the Democratic Party. But the fact is, our precious breath, that gives that Party life, is killing us.
Glen Ford, Roy Singham, Dedon Kamathi of the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, and I all came together earlier this year, to not only lament the present, but to change the future.
We decided that while our movement was nascent, coming out of my Power to the People campaign, that there was power in organization. That there was hope in mobilization. And that victory was possible in implementation. We agreed to found an action organization and to call it Dignity.
There will be some who will maintain that this country, founded as a settler state, never had any dignity since it rested on taking and not sharing land that belonged to someone else.
”We decided that while our movement was nascent, coming out of my Power to the People campaign.”
After deep engagement in slavery, the take-over of whole countries, denial of self-determination, and endless war and occupation, still others would say that our country has certainly lost whatever dignity it might have been able at one time to earn.
And after Abu Ghraib, dignity is no longer possible.
For about ten years, I went around the country proclaiming the black body politic to be at first moribund, then comatose. I now see the same fate awaiting the Progressive community even as we witness ongoing war, even ramping up the war machine during the greatest transfer of wealth out of black and brown communities by the wholesale theft of people’s homes.
Bait and switch schemes, whitewashing, and red herrings shouldn’t be left for the people alone to decipher as they are also trying to save themselves from drowning. Some of us know what’s going on and we’re organizing Dignity in order to inform and then stop it.
We are tired of watching politicians acknowledge our pain, win office, and then go about their business adding more to the existing pain.
We can change the policies only by changing the nature of the debate that leads up to the selection of our policymakers. That means that we must have a way to get our message out independent of CNN, FOX, the New York Times, Clear Channel, or Public Radio. People must know in advance what the issues are, what the possibilities of policy are, and be informed, correctly, not only in slick Madison Avenue style campaigns designed to mislead. We need media of our own.
”I went around the country proclaiming the black body politic to be at first moribund, then comatose.”
And finally, we need actions that serve as a wake-up call to all of our elected officials that for a critical number of us, and Glen just happens to believe that we have the right number of people supporting us in general now, business as usual is over.
We have brains, we have brawn, and we’ve got guts. But is that enough?
We’ve learned from our neighbors to our South, from Mexico, Cuba, and Haiti; Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua that we don’t have to settle for less than what we need from politics.
And I’m tired of feeling trapped in the politics of self-abnegation. If people in other parts of the world can do it, then we must be able to do it, too.
That remains to be seen, however.
So, Dignity is attempting to show that real change is possible.
Dignity will show that just voting for special interest politicians who reflect special interest political parties in new faces is not enough.
It is clear that some people are satisfied with that, but we demand more.
Honestly, I called Glen, ready to give up, saying that I’ve done what I could do. And Glen, then Dedon, then Roy, and so many others across our country said, no. People began contacting me personally, as if they could sense what I was feeling. They started adding comments on our youtube videos, and I know many people are talking among themselves, expressing disappointment in whispered tones with the direction so far of the Obama Administration.
”Dignity is attempting to show that real change is possible.”
I was saddened to read a message from Cindy Sheehan saying that she won’t run against Pelosi next election. That’s a big blow to us and I hope she will reconsider.
Who was it that said the race goes not to the swift but to he who can endure?
I’m willing to try one more thing, one more time. And Dignity is our effort to endure; to deliver a much-needed victory to the people. Before it’s too late.
Please support us with your money, your brain, and your time.
Please be sure to sign in. In the days ahead, we will contact you. You all have networks. We want to organize networks so that we can relay information quickly to a large number of people.
Because of your contributions today, Dignity soon will have an internet presence and a weekly television show. We intend to have a distribution mechanism so that our supporters can place our television show on cable access stations across the country; we want to be on the radio, and we also want to be in the faces of the people who got our votes or have authority over our tax dollars and who continue to disappoint us.
We are not abused spouses turning the other cheek for another slap in the face. We are individuals who know that this country can be better because we still have faith in the good will and the values of the American people.
We are not abused spouses turning the other cheek for another slap in the face. We are individuals who know that this country can be better because we still have faith in the good will and the values of the American people.
Help us organize Dignity, and with dignity, we will stand up for our rights!
For more information on DIGNITY, contact Ms. McKinney at hq2600@gmail.com
Comments
You are good, this great
You are good, this great article, is recording the very good content, affects to me is very big
Butterfly valves|steel valve|safety valve|pressure relief valve|dustbin
You are good, this great
Looked that has been too good, this material I look for a long time, thanks your share, I will pay a return visit frequently
chinese porcelain
Say to the ceramic is chinese porcelain, it is not only the most magnificent appearance beautiful, and very big collection value
I was very much disappointed
I was very much disappointed to listen Cindy Sheehan inability to run against Pelosi next election. She was always looked upon as an inspirational leader. It was a not a good decision by her not to contest in the next election.
Cheap Eyeglasses
Way to go Cynthia
Way to go Cynthia.
Costa Blanca
Dignity soon will have an
Dignity soon will have an internet presence and a weekly television show. But on the other hand, it looks wierd having the political leaders leaving no stone unturned to expose one another.
carti online
This should serve as a wake
This should serve as a wake up call and an eye opener to everybody. Thanks for sharing.
food mixer
This should serve as a wake
You are right! its a eye opener for many people. We would thankful to the author for this great post.
online game | internet play | short code
i totally agree with you
i totally agree with you hoonac, this should really do so.
Wholesale Ladies Watches
as the first batch of photos
as the first batch of photos that were released, we know that detainees were also murdered..they must take this into consideration.thanks a lot for the share
<a href="http://credittheftprotection.com">credit theft protection</a>
could have put a way better
could have put a way better photo of her i think , lol!!! best credit monitoring services
On December 30, 2008,
On December 30, 2008, McKinney was aboard the ship Dignity as it attempted to enter the Gaza Strip, which had its coastal area declared a "closed military zone" by Israel, while on a humanitarian mission by the Free Gaza Movement from Cyprus.
cheap spain holidays
Though I knew she would not
Though I knew she would not win, I voted for her in protest of an Obama coronation. He neither represents nor speaks to/or for me. Merely - "skinfolk," far as I'm concerned.
identity theft protection
me too Holiday in Paphos
me too Holiday in Paphos
not so bad
we need actions that serve as a wake-up call to all of our elected officials that for a critical number of us, and Glen just happens to believe that we have the right number of people supporting us in general now, business as usual is over.Ed Hardy | Ed Hardy Clothing
We remember the Black Panther
We remember the Black Panther Party, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Kwame Touré
Marriage Counseling
I’ve got some new ideas
I’ve got some new ideas like occasionally emailing my readers and the question titles. I think I also have to improve the comment field design to make it more visually appealing. And make my RSS subscriber link more visible.
Watch Tv Online
In the days ahead, we will
In the days ahead, we will contact you. You all have networks. We want to organize networks so that we can relay information quickly to a large number of people.
Marriage Family Counseling
christian louboutin
christian louboutin sale
Christian Louboutin Sandals
Christian Louboutin Shoes
Christian Louboutin Pumps
Christian Louboutin Boots
ed hardy
christian louboutin
christian louboutin
christian louboutin sale
Christian Louboutin Sandals
Christian Louboutin Shoes
Christian Louboutin Pumps
Christian Louboutin Boots
ed hardy
christian louboutin
Again as others have said, CM
Again as others have said, CM has courage, knowledge, great speaking ability, and respect for truth! I doubt however if MLK would have succeeded if he had not reached white hearts with the message of fairness.
xsitepro review
He insults my sensibilities.
He insults my sensibilities. I would like nothing better than to be a part of the oranization/mobilization/implementation of "Dignity" as avid supporter, blogger, donater and - "non-joiner." I will happily write about, speak about and generally make people aware that there is a better way - as long as this is truly "a better way."
Santa Letter
From the first batch of
From the first batch of photos that were released, we know that detainees were also murdered. In your name and mine.
Watch Movies Online
For the last generation, the
For the last generation, the courts have squatted squarely on the necks of working class Americans, relentlessly affirming the unearned privileges of a wealthy corporate elite over the rest of us, often in ways no governor, president or legislature would dare attempt.
identity theft resolution services
We want to organize networks
We want to organize networks so that we can relay information quickly to a large number of people.
best identity protection
All Cynthia needed was 5% to
All Cynthia needed was 5% to fund a political party. Had you voted for her, she might have had millions of dollars to challenge him in the next election and have a political party that would challenge the corporate controlled congress.
used rolex
McKinney served on the House
McKinney served on the House International Relations Committee, where she was the highest-ranking Democrat on the Human Rights Subcommittee shoes. McKinney worked on legislation to stop conventional weapons transfers to governments that are undemocratic or fail to respect human rights. Her legislation to end the mining of coltan in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo was mentioned in the United Nations Security Council's "Special Report on Ituri."
On November 18, 2005, McKinney was one of only three House members to vote for H.R. 571, introduced by House Armed Services Committee chairman Duncan Hunter, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, on which McKinney sat. Hunter, a Republican engagement rings, offered this resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq in place of John Murtha's H.J.Res. 73, which called for redeployment "at the earliest possible date." In her prepared statement, McKinney accused the Republicans of "trying to set a trap for the Democrats. A 'no' vote for this Resolution will obscure the fact that there is strong support for withdrawal of US forces from Iraq ... In voting for this bill, let me be perfectly clear that I am not saying the United States should exit Iraq without a plan. I agree with Mr. Murtha that security and stability in Iraq should be pursued through diplomacy health insurance. I simply want to vote 'yes' to an orderly withdrawal from Iraq."
For those of us who have our
For those of us who have our eyes open, the gritty streets of America are filled with the experience of unarmed black and brown men being beaten, raped, sodomized, and even murdered by terroristic agents of the state.
id theft protection reviews
It's great to see more
It's great to see more organizations of this nature taking shape. swg credits
This is what we call
This is what we call democracy and free speech.
toko obat
What a strong character and
What a strong character and influence she has. i support every woman in the government, as long as they can prove their credibility and track record.
free classifieds |part time jobs |articles
Some Institute supporters
Some Institute supporters objected, but we explained the addition of GM corn as a critical step in obtaining the strongest possible scientific comparison for our organic system with these heavily promoted non-organic technologie
( Professional Logo Design - stationery design )
I am also a supporter of
I am also a supporter of McKinney and i consider her to be one the nationscourageous, honest, intelligently independent thinking politicians and I hope she doesn't get too discouraged by the apathy that resides in the hearts and minds of the oppressed masses (whether they are aware of it or not); and i know that her struggle is/will be heaped with burdens not unlike all those truth, freedom and equality seekers from the very beginning's of the establishment of the American Republic.
With that in mind, I would like to express my strong belief that in order to support Mrs. McKinney's bold initiatives as universally egalitarian and so fundamental towards the realization of a dignified social structure; there needs to be absolute inclusion of all related aspects and angles inherent in that struggle that support every one seeking equality and dignity in our society.
And given the fact that BAR is integrally involved in this formation as well as it's important role as a disseminator of Political thought, news and opinions; it's influence on the ways in which people of all colors and ethnicity's can and will perceive that initiative can be immense. Therefore I think ( and this is a suggestion) that BAR could serve its objectives and those of Freedom and Equality fighters even better by presenting a broader more inclusive frame of the African American political agenda and experiencethat includes, perhaps moving outside a little, of the predominant philosophy of a Black nationalistically-militant conception that inherently represents that Philosophy's former activists and proselytizers as the only true and historically valid means by which a struggle for equality can be won. In my opinion it excludes too much that needs to be included in the struggle. And i think that history has revealed that much.
And lastly, one example of this concept of resource inclusion; if you will, pertains also to that of news and information as it relates to the agenda. That is the example of there being no follow up stories by BAR on the murder of the Oakland Tribune Journalist Chauncey Bailey. A case that has since early spring took a tremendous and fascinating turn in revealing the real killer and the motives behind the murder. This is a very pertinent story to the life of any struggle for freedom and equality as it relates to Black people in America and any other groups that find themselves up against the imperial rulers wall, regardless of what color or religion the imperialist may be. The common thread of the human need and desire to be free and equal runs through us all and it is this thread that can be put to the powerful use to bring about UNITY FOR DIGNITY.
A wise man once wrote; "Above all else, even freedom, it is cooporation that is mans greates achievement."
I Volunteer
To the Editors and Ms. McKinney:
Let me first of all say that I am not a "joiner." My forays into Rainbow/Push, the Women's Movement, NAACP, etc. have taught me one thing - I've had enough of being "IN a movement." As a Black Baby Boomer, I am more than satisfied in being "OF the greatest, most life-CHANGING, movement" of my life - the Civil RIghts Movement. And that suits me just fine - helps keep things in perspective as they tell me the world is "changing."
I do, however, become very involved in that which I strongly believe, which is why "Dignity" intrigues me. I voted for Cynthia McKinney. No other presidential candidate spoke to the issues about which I am interested more than she and Rosa Clemente. Though I knew she would not win, I voted for her in protest of an Obama coronation. He neither represents nor speaks to/or for me. Merely - "skinfolk," far as I'm concerned.
All that being said, I want to continue to support Ms. McKinney. That support is dependent upon her NOT BEING LIKE HIM in any way - no bullshit promises, no political expediency, no distortion of the truth and above all else, no ass-kissin' so "they'll like me." I feel confident in Ms. Kinney fulfilling those requirements - and I must say - I like that in her!
I'm with everything "The Editors" have lain out here - with one exception. You guys need a fact-checker (I volunteer!) so that nobody can come to us wagging fingers. Unless all the accounts I read are incorrect, these two sentences appear untrue:
"General Taguba spoke to journalists and said that the photos currently being withheld by President Obama show rape. On Friday, he went even further and said that he saw video of U.S. soldiers raping and sodomizing detainees."
According to this piece in Salon, http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/05/30/taguba/index.html?source=newsletter, General Taguba denied having seen the photos currently being withheld by the Changeling. In the whole scheme of things, it matters not whether he saw THOSE particular photos or not - there are plenty others of which the U.S. government should be ashamed. My concern here, is always being accurate as we - with "Dignity" - trudge through the damn Obama-mania of the day. Those are the kinds of things people use to discredit. Let's not fall victim to that.
BAR and Ms. McKinney have been my beacon through this madness that is Barack Hussein Obama. He insults my sensibilities. I would like nothing better than to be a part of the oranization/mobilization/implementation of "Dignity" as avid supporter, blogger, donater and - "non-joiner." I will happily write about, speak about and generally make people aware that there is a better way - as long as this is truly "a better way."
"We want to organize networks so that we can relay information quickly to a large number of people."
Good!!! Again, I volunteer. 2012 is plenty of time to change people's minds - particularly if some of the Changeling's moves backfire on him (I am not a Muslim, how dare you smear me with such a label! Now, I am a Muslim or some other such foolishness!). I'm beginning to see it already. Let's help move that change of mind along with accurate, constant, and well thought out responses (I hate the word "strategies," sounds so manipulative.) followed by pointed, competent action. The truth will out! Let's make it happen.
I volunteer
I voted for Cynthia. I am a white middle class retired person trying to use my local papers and my email list to spread the truth about 911, the Fed, Israel, and the Obama charade. Again as others have said, CM has courage, knowledge, great speaking ability, and respect for truth! I doubt however if MLK would have succeeded if he had not reached white hearts with the message of fairness.
It is my intention to be one white person of many that realize Cynthia stands for more than black issues. If blacks have to do it again so be it, this time it is for the whole world. Let me drop the name Ron Paul and see what y'all think. Another very outspoken man is Jesse Ventura who if invited to speak to one of your rallys with Cynthia would really inspire everyone. I want Ron Paul/ Cynthia Mckinney for President.
Please wake up and modernize your marketing. Leave behind the old stars of Black protest and focus on new people, some white some black. It sounds like the Grand ole Oprey to me whan the same names are honored and WASPS are afraid of the Black Panthers - fear divides. Will Colin Powell come clean and spill the beans on Cheney and his side kick the pres? Colin knows enough to blow this whole thing wide open. Being associoated with Bush ruined his reputation.
My best to all you brave men and women, the World needs you to do this in your generation. If I see you appealing to whites I will do everything I can to help.