In a report marked for official use only recently obtained by Foreign Policy, the FBI assessed that “perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement,” classifying those espousing this ideology as “Black Identity Extremists," or BIEs. This document, dated Aug. 3, was internally … [Read more...] about ‘Black Identity Extremist’ Classification Sustains Racist Legacy
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A Short History of Good Cause
Image caption: Barry Thompson of the Tenants Union holds sign reading “No Evictions Without Good Cause” inside City Hall. Photo by Maddie Rose. “Philadelphia needs to treat its people who live here so much better. You know, I never liked speaking in front of people, but everything I’ve been through, living here for thirty years, I think it’s my right to speak for other … [Read more...] about A Short History of Good Cause
Where Do Good Organizers Come From?
Photo: Jim West, jimwestphoto.com, cropped from original. We know good organizers when we meet them. They’re accessible. They listen and show respect. They react calmly to all kinds of people, take their time to size up a situation, and engage people on their own terms. They brim with suggestions for action, but they’re open to new ideas. They’re not bossy. They … [Read more...] about Where Do Good Organizers Come From?
Where Are the Good Police?
Police forces in riot gear keep watch on a demonstration in Omaha, Neb., on July 8. Participants were protesting the recent shooting death by police of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” – James Baldwin We have a tendency to accept the United States police force as a natural, organic entity. … [Read more...] about Where Are the Good Police?
Slumlords Beware: An Interview with Omaha Tenants United
Anna Swanson: What is the purpose of your organization? Mark: I see this group as participating in long-term class consciousness raising and building political power outside of the traditional structures here. I talk about this all the time, but I see us as operating in the void that the Democratic Party leaves in politics. Seth: I think that, like Mark mentioned, the big … [Read more...] about Slumlords Beware: An Interview with Omaha Tenants United