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Community Demands Emergency Hearings

Hunter's Point community voiced their concerns about their health and environment



One after another, concerned citizens approached the podium at the San Francisco City Hall Legislative Chamber to voice solidarity with the Bay View Hunter’s Point District in support of justice.

Close to 500 people from all over the Bay Area spilled out into the North Light Court of the city hall on September 15, 2009 at the Board of Supervisors meeting that took place on the second floor chambers. They were there to address a number of issues that plague communities of color, the Bay View in particular.

“Why do you ignore the obvious,” asked Fulu Tuiasosopo, a representative of the Samoan community, addressing Lennar and its relation to the asbestos exposure at Parcel A, of the Hunter’s Point Shipyard. “All you’re doing is delaying the dilemma until new people [with money] move in.”

The residents of Bay View Hunter’s Point believe that they were contaminated by asbestos containing rock that was drilled up by the developer, Lennar Corporation. The residents of Bayview Hunter’s Point in San Francisco, California are exposed to a large amount of toxic waste everyday. The residents have reported that their children are having a hard time breathing and their eyes turned blood shot red during the three month period that Lennar said that their monitors were broken. The dust was so thick from the drilling that you could see it in the air, BVHP witnesses said.

According to the community, Lennar has proven difficult to regulate or to hold accountable at “Parcel A” in BVHP. From April 2007 to August 2007, Lennar, which is a contractor that builds houses, reported that their systems “stopped working” and they were unable to report the levels of asbestos that the people in that area were exposed to. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) fined Lennar $515,000. This money has yet to be given to the people of BVHP.

“I have seen people get nose bleeds out of no where,” said Tuiasosopo. “People are getting cancer and they don’t know why.”

Fulu Tuiasosopo brought his 20-year-old son, Denton Tuiasosopo, to the Supervisors’ meeting so he could be educated on the issues that people in BVHP community are facing.

“I see the violence and poverty, and the war on drugs is not the answer,” Denton said. “It’s an economics issue. How are people supposed to get money if there are no jobs?”

One of the main organizing forces behind the convergence that took place at the city hall is the Nation of Islam’s local chapter in San Francisco, headed by Minister Christopher Muhammad. They are calling their movement “Caravan for Justice” and people from different parts of the world are getting involved. The Caravan for Justice has established many connections with other organizations that are geared toward education, social justice and civil rights issues. They have lobbied at SF City Hall and Sacramento Capitol building as well as held weekly town hall meetings in various places in the Bay Area. The meetings started taking off at the beginning of the year after Oscar Grant’s death at the West Oakland BART station.

“It takes the hood to save the hood,” were the words that were written on the backs of the many United Playaz’ t-shirts who were in attendance.

“We are organizing to save the hood,” stated Rudy Valentino, the founding director of United Playaz. “If we don’t stand up for our community, who will?”

United Playaz is a violence prevention and youth-led leadership program that works with San Francisco youth through outreach programs and has been around for 15 years.

E’Dreana Black, 21, was a student at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School when she was introduced to UP. After her graduation in 2006, she decided to stay with UP and she is now working with the organization as a Psychology Coordinator and conflict mediator.

“Now, I really understand the value of education,” she said. “There are students who come over here from different countries and dominate in our classes. I think its time that my community step up and take advantage too.”

After waiting to hear the different agendas on property taxes and environmental findings that the Board of Supervisors had to discuss for almost two hours, the people of the community were able to speak. They were each given two minutes to speak, some spoke beyond that point.

Minister Christopher Muhammad was among one of the first to address the Board of Supervisors. President David Chiu had to restore order after the crowd raised and applauded.

“I think that at a certain point this community is going to need some emergency hearings,” said Minister Christopher Muhammad. “Men are being criminalized, families are being evicted and policies coming straight from this city hall are running gentrification programs all over Northern California.”

Shawna Sanchagrin, 25, program coordinator of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners expressed her solidarity with the Bay View. She expressed her concern that the number of black women in prison is on the rise. According to the Drug Policy Alliance Network, the problem of women in prison is directly tied to current U.S. drug policy. The Bureau of Prisons reports that almost 80% of the female populations being incarcerated are serving time for drug related offenses. She said that she was concerned about the impact that this statistic is having on the black community.

Jaron Browne from POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights) was in attendance at the meeting as well. He expressed their concern about California Senate Bill 792, a bill state Sen. Mark Leno introduced that would allow the state of California to sell 42 acres of state parkland on the shoreline at Candlestick Point in Bay View Hunter’s Point for private condominium development. She believes Lennar represents “corporate greed.”

“We want to make sure that Lennar delivers on their promises,” Browne asked. “They’ve had a poor practice of engaging the Bay View community.”

The Chinese Progressive Association, an organization that caters to low-income Chinese immigrants, announced solidarity as well.

“The Bayview has the highest asthma rates in the city,” said the representative of CPA. “All while having the least amount of access to healthcare, hospitals and health clinics.”

“My cousin died of cancer and my uncle died a couple days later,” said Lonnie Mason. “I feel that I’ve paid for that dirt up there.”

Back in the 2000 citywide elections, Proposition P was the largest vote getters on the ballot. The mandate that over 200,000 San Franciscans voted in favor of demanded the navy to clean up the shipyard in BVHP.

The shipyard was closed in 1974. The land has since been divided into six parcels. Prop. P stated that San Franciscans want no compromise on health concerns for residents of the surrounding BVHP district and future residents and workers of the shipyard. Proponents note that Bayview residents are afflicted with the highest levels of cancer, respiratory diseases and other illnesses in San Francisco such as headaches, nosebleeds, and stillbirths.

Lennar was chosen by the city as its master developer for the redevelopment of San Francisco. Lennar, a Miami-based housing corporation has different housing projects all over the country and is one of the largest home developers in the country. Reports have shown that Lennar has suffered financially from a number of homes going unsold which may make future ventures harder to accomplish.

During the testimony single mother and author, Neessee Joshua, 31-year Bayview resident, approached the podium and began to address Sophie Maxwell who is the supervisor of the Bayview District.

“Please refrain from addressing a member of the board directly,” asked President Chiu while pounding the gavel.

The woman said that Maxwell never “had her back." There was an outbreak of about 12 people between the city hall security and representatives from the community after one of the sheriff police tried to restrain Joshua who refused to leave the podium and continued speaking her agenda. Sophie Maxwell intervened and asked President Chiu’s permission for the woman to finish.

Sophie Maxwell responded to the heated situation by stating that she did not take Joshua’s comments personally.

“There are a lot of changes taking place and the people in Bay View need to get themselves prepared,” said Maxwell after the testimonials. “My main concerns for my district are economic development and to have a healthy, clean environment.”

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Michelle Obama Highlights Hooping Culture

Michelle Obama, the youngest first lady since 31-year-old Jacqueline Kennedy, is 45 and America’s new embodiment of health and femininity. Obama was photographed hula hooping on the White House South Lawn to promote physical fitness at the Healthy Kids Fair last week. She also double-dutched and completed an obstacle course.



“Hooping is a strong symbol of health and power,” said Cressie Mae Akin, 22, a hooping enthusiast and freelance hoopmaker. “Some people think that it’s just a toy from childhood, but it’s so much more.”

Akin has been hooping as long as she can remember and notes the growing popularity of the holistic art form.

“The pill hype has died down and I see that women are tired of dieting,” says Akin. "Fitness is definitely a more logical approach.”

Hooping is known to strengthen and tone your core, improve balance, provide a cardio workout, and build self-esteem. For women, it’s hard to not feel good about yourself while hooping because your natural beauty really shines through, said Akin.

Akin discovered the hooping community while taking a circus course in her hometown of Brewster, N.Y. She discovered a very supportive network of hoopers, who she says range from circus hippies to mothers to students, teachers and fashion designers.

“Hooping is addictive,” said Akin. “I liked it so much that I started ordering supplies to make my own.”

Akin’s hoops are decked in colorful tapes that range in color and style. In addition to her glittery purple, white, and silver hoops, she has one that is reggae-inspired (black, yellow, red and green). She also makes pairs of hoops that can be used by the arms, which are thinner and smaller.

She plans on organizing hoop-making sessions where she will invite a group of prospective hoopmakers over to teach them how to build original hoops of their own.

The poly tubing usually used for irrigation is ideal for hula-hoops, says Akin. Tubing usually comes in 100-foot coils, and can be found at irrigation supply stores, and at some Home Depot and Lowe’s retailers. Prices range from $15-$25 per 100 feet, enough to make eight hoops. You connect the hoops by fusing them together using heat from a blow dryer or hot water and then adding a “connector” made of plastic. Hoop makers also use tape to add candy-cane-like stripes, and the tape can be ordered from a website called identi-tape.com.

Other forms of hoops are known as fire hoops, where fire is vented from a number of holes in the tube and the LED (Light Emitting Diode) hoop - a hoop that emits bright fluorescent color lights that is visually stunning to the viewer.

Hoops can also be made from metal, wood or vines. In ancient Egypt, over 3,000 years ago, children would fashion circles made from dried grape vines, swing them around their waists, roll them on the ground and toss them to each other. There is also a Native American hoop dance known for storytelling, used in a festival that takes place every year.

A growing subculture of hula hoopers is expanding in range and popularity. Some hoopers have adopted a hooping dance form, which interprets forms of rhythmic gymnastics, hip-hop, freestyle dance, fire dance, twirling and other dance and movement forms. A feature documentary, called The Hooping Life, consists of intimate video blogs by hoopers (they also call themselves hoop-dancers), who claim that the art form has saved their life. A hippie jam band, String Cheese Incident, throws hoops out into the crowd at their shows. Even the virtual world game system, Wii Fit, has hopped on the hooping bandwagon, and some at-risk youth are using them along with fitness gurus and modern circus dancers.



“Once you learn how to make your own hoop it’s going to be with you for life,” said Akin. “Its like your own personal dance partner.”

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Speaking Out on the Issue of "Rape"

The rape that occurred in the city of Richmond is a wake up call to society as a whole. The fact that there were at least 20 bystanders watching and laughing while this 15-year-old girl was getting assaulted at her homecoming dance is pitiful.
It is a call to the Richmond Unified School District as well as to all school districts that rape is not just a problem that happens on college campuses. It happens to high school students and to students who are still in middle schools and even elementary schools. I have no doubt in my mind that these children had the worst sexual education a school could give. The best way to make students aware of sex, rape, and other issues is not to keep silent. The best ways to address these issues is to speak about it.

All too often issues like rape are kept secret while children are struggling to understand and trying to grapple with the thoughts or experiences that they are going through. I blame these rapes on the adults in our society.
I began to understand how crucial sex education is after watching the documentary, No! It was a documentary by Aisha Simmons who was a rape and incest survivor. The documentary confronted rape in the black community and the stigma that was associated with victims of rape crimes. The statistics stated that one in three women would be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. The documentary also brought to light that people of the same race as the victim commit rapes and the victims are usually silent.

Rape survivors and activists were the main people who were interviewed in the documentary so they were able to offer a framework behind why rape happens. One of the women said that rape is a “community based issue.” The fact is that children that commit acts of rape know very little about sex. And most of these children and minors have misconstrued assumptions about a female’s right to say no.

“Why are we silent about one of the most barbaric, intensely painful, ultimately destructive acts that any community can endure?” Asked Johnetta B. Cole, Ph.D, and former president at the Bennett College for Women in North Carolina.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) 44% of rapes happen to minors.
The fact that most rapes go unreported does not mean that the victim’s suffering do not exist. The psychological effects of rape are real and they need to be addressed because victims of rape are three times more likely to suffer from depression and are 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

What we need is visible support in our communities. Rape awareness needs to be advocated more in sexual education classes and sexual education needs to be addressed in the home. While rape and sex may be very uncomfortable things to talk about they need to be addressed or we are going to have a generation of youngsters who know nothing about sex or rape and despite their ignorance they are still going to be pressured by obscene images on the television screen.

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NY Fed stays undiversified...possibly more corrupt

Op-Ed

By Crystal Carter and The GreenLining Institute

Our economy collapsed because of corporate greed and malfeasance and we have just added two more greedy moguls to the mix. The New York Fed, an institution that is supposed to pursue maximum employment and to “support financial stability in the U.S. and abroad,” just named Jeffrey Kindler and James Tisch to fill their public interest positions. These two men had an estimated compensation of over $22 million dollars for the year of 2008; all while the people living at or under the poverty level was 37.3 million in 2007.

If success was measured by how much money you had then these men are successful but one must wonder why the Fed couldn’t find more qualified directors especially in light of the fact that communities of color have been hardest hit by the current economic crisis. For instance, while the national unemployment rate is 9.7 percent, African-American unemployment is 15 percent and Hispanic unemployment is at 13 percent, stated Chairman Edolphus Towns at a recent House Oversight and Government Reform meeting. With the addition of these two directors, there are only white board members and only one woman on this board.

We call on President Obama and his constituents to investigate this appointment, especially considering the controversial pasts of the New York Fed. Witnessing the resignation of Stephen Friedman because of a conflict of interest with Goldman Sachs, which he owned in the nineties. Also AIG awarding highly inappropriate bonuses to its executives after receiving over $180 billion in government bailout money is a wake up call that the NY Fed needs a lot of alterations.

Pfizer, under CEO Jefrrey Kindler, has a net income of $8.1 billion as of 2008. While receiving a 100% on the corporate equality index it has spent a lot of its earnings bribing people. This company has been sued at least four times in the past decade for off-label promotional practices and fraudulent promotion and bribery by paying medical providers to promote drugs for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Loew’s Corporation’s President and chief executive officer, Tisch is busy pouring all of his company’s money into cigarette companys is in it for the money and obviously not about the American people’s health.

In addition, the Fed should adopt strict new rules that more adequately define the public interest that includes somebody with a proven track record of standing up for consumers’ and not on its own need to make a quick profit.

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Landmark Town Hall Meeting in Bay View Hunter's Point

Very first Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Community in Bay View Hunter's Point

A Community that was once separated by religion, district, and color has come together. No one is untouched.

Bay View Opera House (3rd Street @ Oakdale)

July 16, 2009

"I think the Bay View has great needs, especially when it comes to it's economic needs. Bay View has a very rich history. Home to people who migrated to California from the south. They were part of an industry that was flourishing at the time.
There is some of the highest home ownership in the entire city, right in the Bay View. There are families who have been there for generations. Unfortunately as certain industries closed, the economic base of the community deteriorated. For a community to thrive it needs to have an economy that sustains income and revenue.
Every community needs to have a grocery store and a dry cleaners a family doctor and local physician. In San Francisco, we pride ourselves on being able to walk everywhere we need to go. In Bay View, you could be walking for a very long time in order to maintain a healthy, productive life. Bay View should be a focus for the entire city in terms of what we should be doing in order to achieve job prosperity." ~ District Attorney Kamala Harris, July 2009



On my way to the weekly townhall meetings that take place in the BayView Hunter's Point I walked through the scene of a drive by. There were cop cars surrounding the car that had the front door open and the side window shot out. I asked one of the brothers, " what happened?" He told me that another brother was shot while two kids sat in the back seat. I wondered where was all of the love behind this hood tragedy.

The BayView is plagued by a high murder rate and gang activity. Just recently has it gained access to a super market that sold fresh and healthy foods.

The townhall meetings offer hope to community that is in need. This specific townhall meeting was sponsored by the Pacific Islander community. The reception was very welcoming and I was quite happy to see so many black and Samoan people in the same place, having dialogue about how they can come together and make their community better. For so long the powers that be have divided people of color, tonight proved that the fact is no longer true.

Pastor Alex Toeaina started the meeting by stating, "Our Communities are Suffering."

Minister Christopher Muhammad touched on the issues of gentrification and how the "greedy corporate entities" are not focused on communities of color and their family but instead on the single, urban professional. He focused on the fact that the city does not want to clean up the BayView Shipyard for the sake of the current residents but will clean it up for new development.

JT the Bigga Figga, a well-known bay area rapper stated his concern for his community by stating that children are at the center of his movement. He wants children to realize their God given talent. He says through the cohesiveness of community children will be given the love and attention that they need.

It was great to see the number of young adults in attendance. I could see the hurt in these young scholars eyes but I also saw the glimmer of hope and that they are willing to fight for justice and equality. They brought up the fact that the number of women (the bearers of life) being incarcerated is rising. They were aware that the system works against them. They understood the fact the drugs might be cut in the community but the people in the community do not bring them there. They understood the ethnocentric educational system.

Willie Ratcliff, editor of the BayView Hunters Point Newspaper, remembered when people in the BayView didn't have to lock their doors. He urged the point to support locally owned black businesses and to understand the importance of economic sustainability.

Another woman from the audience stated that when she took her daughter to the doctor the doctor suggested that she move out of BVHP because the air is toxic. She wants to know why don't they move the poison out.

According the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Lennar, a housing development agency, was cited by the city because they were not monitoring asbestos containing dust correctly. Instead of going to court, Lennar paid the BVHP community $515,000 to pretend that nothing happened. There is still a debate going on about what should be done with the money that the community was given. A great suggestion would be to set up a clinic that will assess the impact that the asbestos containing dust had on the community.


BayView has some of the most beautiful views in the city of San Francisco but at the same time it is home to one of the most toxic waste sites in the country. I am amazed and inspired by the fighting spirit of the people in BVHP. They are exposed to toxins that make them more susceptible to cancer, asthma, still births, bloody eyes and nose bleeds on a daily basis and they are thoroughly concerned. How can this be justified and why isn't the government doing something about it? They are fighting for their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of land and they are not giving up.

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CARAVAN FOR JUSTICE III

JT the Bigga Figga, rapper and activist, poses with scholars on the steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento after he spoke at the podium. – Photo: Francisco Da Costa



Students from Le Conte Elementary School in Berkeley stand behind their teacher during her time at the podium. – Photo: Francisco Da Costa




Caravan for Justice III brings the heat to the lawmakers
by Crystal Carter

May 28, 2009


Signs reading “Justice for Oscar Grant,” “Abolish the Three Strikes Law” and “Demandamos Justicia Ya!” floated above a sea of ralliers of different ages, religious beliefs, genders and ethnicities.
From Bakersfield up to Sacramento, activists, teachers and family members came together to rally against laws that have failed to serve the betterment of their communities.

The third installment of the Caravan for Justice took place Tuesday, May 26, on the steps and inside the State Capitol building in Sacramento.

“It’s a hot day today,” said Minister Christopher Muhammad. “But it’s going to be even hotter for the legislators if they don’t listen to our demands.”

Minister Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam as well as the executive director of Muhammad University of Islam in San Francisco, is one of the main organizers in the Caravan for Justice.

So far the Caravan for Justice movement has been a success. Their last visit to the Capitol on April 8 caused two legislators, Tom Ammiano and Leland Yee, to initiate a bill promoting “civilian oversight” to handle complaints against the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police in the wake of Oscar Grant’s death. The protest has also focused on issues involving gang injunctions and succeeded in prompting Sen. Roderick D. Wright and Leland Yee to inject a bill to combat them.

Dana Blanchard, a fifth grade teacher from Berkeley, brought 14 of her students with her to participate while voicing her concerns to the crowd. She understands that not everyone can get to the protests but she offered other alternatives: signing petitions, writing letters and attending events when you have the time.

“I brought my students with me so they can learn how to stand up for what they believe in,” she said.

Blanchard said that the state we live in doesn’t care about its students. She is worried about where her students will end up if they don’t know their rights. She says that she tries to let her students understand that there may be things that they disagree with and there may be things that they don’t understand but she always makes it a point to let the children know that their opinions do matter.

Tom Helme, 26, graduate of Humboldt State University, spoke about the project that he and a group of other community members started called Cop Watch in the city of Modesto.

“We decided to take matters into our own hands after realizing how much police can get away with,” said Helme. “Now when we see someone getting wrongfully harassed by the cops, we pass them out our ‘know your rights’ card.”
The know your rights card spells out a step by step process of what one should do when being questioned by the police. One part of the card reads:

“If the police stop you, ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ If not, you are being detained. If yes, walk away. Ask, ‘Why are you detaining me?’ To stop you, the officer must have a ‘reasonable suspicion’ to suspect your involvement in a specific crime (not just a guess or a stereotype).”

“Getting involved in protests like this gives us a sense of community,” said Helme. “We are transforming energy into action.”



Bisola Marignay, an activist who participated in the caravan insisted that although there are a number of issues that were addressed in the protest that she would not have it any other way.

“Separation is a weakening factor,” she said. “When we come together, our energy is that much stronger.”

Oralia Cortez, 62, along with her group, Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes (FACTS), came from Bakersfield to get their word heard. Cortez has a vested interest because her son is serving 35 years to life for his third strike for stealing $1,000 dollars. She says that in order to influence the legislature, you must use your words as your weapon.

On Nov. 2, 2004, the state’s voters rejected an amendment to the statute - offered in Proposition 66 - that would have required the third felony to be either “violent” and/or “serious” in order to result in a 25-years-to-life sentence. In the last week before the election, Gov.

Arnold Schwarzenegger launched an all-out campaign against Prop. 66. “It would release 26,000 dangerous criminals and rapists,” he stated. When, in fact, there were only 8,000 people sentenced to 25 years to life under the Three Strikes Law.

Currently, there are more than 8,400 inmates serving possible life terms under the three strikes law, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“Wickedness prevails when good people do nothing,” she said. “An unjust law is no law at all.”

According to Minister Christopher Muhammad, the fourth Caravan for Justice is scheduled to take place sometime next month. Plan to get on one of the dozens of buses that will take you there from around California. For more information, visit www.caravanforjustice.com, email info@caravanforjustice.com or call toll-free (877) 549-8657.

Crystal N. Carter, a 2008 graduate of San Francisco State University, is a member of the Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA). She writes for ColorLines Magazine and can be reached at ccarter6@gmail.com.

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