Milwaukee Marijuana March (Event #2)

My friend is a contributor to NORML - the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. - and he and the leader of NORML - Jay Blaze, set up a march in honor of reforming Milwaukee's Marijuana Laws. We marched from the top of Kilbourn Park all the way to City Hall downtown and back to Kilbourn Park marching through Riverwest.

There was a huge turnout, people expanded about four blocks!
Some people even joined the march as we walked past.
There was some downfalls though, like drunk people who were giving NORML a bad name by jumping on public property and causing a scene.

Some of the chants we sung were as followed:
"What do we want?!"
"WEED!"
"When do we want it!?"
"NOW!"

"D.E.A. - GO AWAY!"

We had a megaphone being used, I got to speak on it a little bit.
Halfway through the march, everyone was parched, and next year if the march happens, water will definitely be needed. A woman actually had fallen in the grass next to the sidewalk, and everyone kind of waited patiently and made sure she was okay then began moving again.

I think it was a successful march and many people in their cars would honk and yell and appreciate what was happening.

Although, personally, I think this march was a performance, not much of political or effective stance at reforming a law. I think it definitely brought people together in unity to honor a reform, but I don't think marching will change anything.

Climate Disruption

It's to no surprise climate disruption is happening. What is unbelievable is that there are people out there who actually deny that it is an issue. With surrounding facts and consequences that are already occurring from climate disruption, it's hard to understand what people are thinking who deny climate change.

What are some of the effects of climate disruption?

-----"These changes are already being observed in various forms in different areas, such as prolonged drought, heavier rain falls, retreating glaciers, melting permafrost, loss of sea ice, and rising sea levels. The impacts of these changes are disrupting transportation, energy, agriculture and health systems, and are expected to increase."-------

So, climate disruption isn't just hurting the environment, it is also hurting us and how we are living/the systems we have created. Climate disruption is actually stressing water resources which will in turn have a domino-like effect on many aspects that follow suit around it. Our whole health is surrounded by water and without a reliable source of water to be found, we will definitely be risking our health and well-being. 

----The U.S. Pentagon issued a statement saying that climate disruption actually poses a greater threat to it than terrorism. ----

So, how does this affect us locally? Obviously, this is occurring right at the very moment and people have to learn how to deal with it in someway or another. For example, we can take a look at the droughts we have had recently on the west coast in California. The Sierra Nevada mountains snow pack actually ended up melting due to higher than normal temperatures. The high temperatures also caused some of California's reservoirs capacity of H20 to decrease which is the source of water for millions. This is the negative consequence droughts have on citizens and the environment. 

The huge global problem of climate disruption is due to not just one country, one population, or one thing. Rather it is from a combined effort of how we make every day decisions and how our history has developed us in to industrious societies. It's scary that the negative consequences are so rapid, literally it is frightening, yet the effects don't seem to be slowing down, but increasing exponentially. If something doesn't change we are going to seem more local effects, there is no doubt about it. 

CENTER STREET FREE SPACE WITH BEEHIVE COLLECTIVE

April 15, 6pm, Center Street Free Space - HANDS-ON Collaborative Graphic-making workshop (set aside your whole evening, it will be approx 4 hrs long)

Walked in to Center Street Free Space at around 6:20. 3 Tables were connected, and there were about ten people sitting around it and two men standing up. The two men standing up would be the members of the Beehive Collective.

We started the workshop by playing a game. My friend, Leyton, told me a story where she had felt uplifted & empowered by an act she had done, while this was happening I was supposed to draw it while she didn't look. I tried to draw symbols of the words she was saying & story she was telling. Then, she did the same to for me. It was a fun exercise and it was gratifying to be able to tell a story of where I felt uplifted and felt like I had made an impact. You don't get to tell people that very often.

 Then, we played another game. We had to draw what "prison-industrial complex" meant to us. We then all passed around our drawings around the table. Some drawings were completely conceptual, for instance, a stairway leading to nowhere below the ground, others had literally prisons drawn and the United States inside of it, and many, many, many others of how people interpreted the phrase. 

The games were allowing us to open our minds and share with others without the unnecessary judgement or competition one many feel in a big group. 

We then came together and started to brainstorm things about Milwaukee, the good things and the bad things that we could change/that bothered us about our city/movements occurring/what we were passionate about. We came up with this huge spider web model of all sorts of things including...

- police assault/ police violence

-sexual assault

- gardens

- space reclamation

- food desert

- education

- potholes

- DIY action/ DIY bike shops

- sex trafficking

- sustainability

- etc.

We then tried to connect things together because by connecting the smaller variables we would be able to unleash the smaller details we could then put on paper and possible concepts we could follow. Then, we were separated in to 3 groups. I was grouped with 4 guys I had just met we all had to interpret and conceive a drawing based off these intertwining theories and connected-ness of ideas we all had brainstormed.  It was hilarious and a lot of fun. We had a running joke about HOW WE HAD TO HAVE A POTHOLE in the drawing. Finally, we put a pothole in...it was great. 

The Beehive members tried to let us feel at ease and didn't shoot any of our ideas down. They were all ears and wanted us to understand that instead of saying "No, but..." we should always say, "Yes and..." because it is a much more positive way of working with other people. They were extremely laid back and extremely inspirational. I talked with a member at the end, I feel bad because I don't remember their names, but he had told me there were only about twenty members of the collective. That really blew me away because I was suspecting a bigger number and I am not sure why. But, WOW, it was a great experience and I'd like to go to more events like that more often, or just make art and share ideas more often with people rather than living a 'basic' 'mundane' life. There is so much out there to discover and so much we can do to fix things in our city, school, and each other's lives.  

Final Project

I've decided I would like to do further study on a local business for my final project. I have heard and shopped at the Riverwest Co Op before, but never did I think twice of what actually goes on behind the scenes there. The fact that its right next door to me in my community really intrigues me and I want to learn how it facilitates and what sort of people are behind the scenes making it all happen. Knowing a friend that works there is a pretty big help too to gain information about it.

I want to make a mini-documentary about the Riverwest Co Op. I have this camera and I've been meaning to shoot something for a while and I figured this would be a great opportunity. I would like to include maybe two interviews in it, but the style I am going for is very relaxed. I don't want to make something super formal. The Co Op has a relaxed feeling that welcomes the community through its doors. I hope to gain information on how the Co Op thrives and what type of connections the owner-workers have to other businesses to get their products. This mini-doc will be fruitful with shots of every day happenings at the Co Op, but true focus will be on community and hopefully some main members will be able to speak to me so I can see how they profit from being a part of such a democratically run business.

So, the main purpose: how does a Co op work? Whose a part of this Riverwest Co op? Who makes things happen there? Are there any rules? Are there any obligations? How do you become a member? How could I start my own Co op?

: )

AIM

Right after viewing It's A Good Day To Die and also the scene of occupying Wounded Knee I immediately related the actions that took place of the AIM to The Black Panthers although there was definitely a slight contrast in both movements. Each wanted to occupy a space that was in their own right to occupy. Each wanted to remain non-violent, but each had to resort to violence in order to protect themselves from authority possibly taking violent actions against them which created a tornado and resulted in negative coverage by mass-and mainstream media.

This negative media coverage resulted in adding a weight to the already heavy negative and false depictions of each movement and people of the movement...but, if there had been no violence, would there have been any media coverage at all? Would the citizens of the United States care about what American Indians were fighting for?

I'm sure there would have been limited interest in white Americans lives as to what these American Indians were fighting for or exactly what they were trying to achieve. It's the fact that white Americans were not sitting in the same spot as these American Indians were/are- the privileges shining out of their (white) assholes maybe was all they needed to remain naive and prideful rejecting the fact that there were people who had lived here on this land before them fighting for their basic human rights again, much like they once had before when the country was first colonized. I mean really, how much bullshit can a single human *category* take living in an institutionalized and definitely cruel world?

I said category because I am not going to pretend that American Indian is a race, or Black is a race, or Mexican is a race for every person with tanned skin and dark hair- there are different tribes, countries, roots, things that come from different cultures, people should not be trajectory to one, stupid, thing- defined by/ called by THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.

The Black Panthers- similar to AIM- fighting for respect, for human rights, violent, but what other road were they meant to take? Somebody had to pull the trigger and yeah they added + MLK JR. added to the hope stirred rise of Black Power and equality (in some cases...) but, unfortunately, we talk about these movements today and not a single damned thing has changed in human consciousness.  Sure, maybe blacks can walk the streets and eat where whites eat, and go to the bathroom and drink wherever, BUT there is still social stigma- a depleted-ness of loving one another - blacks to white, white to black - because there is insecurity within both from each other, there is no trust.

All in all, similar movements, similar tactics, similar outcomes.
WHITE POWER
(Kidding. Totally kidding)

I am not proud of what people of my heritage have created and done other than the fact that I get to exist and experience my life. That's all.

At least, many are becoming aware in my generation. Awareness is key.

OCCUPY WHAT? PREACH WHAT? WEEK 5

What if everybody across the globe sat in at McDonald's occupying each empty seat or space within the building holding an animal, or potted plant, refusing to buy anything, but just stood or sat there, with nothing but smiles and good conversations all around. Would the people working be fed up, call authorities, would big media try and pan in over the controversy and confusion? Would McDonald's buy their way out of being covered by big media? Probably, I mean the Olympics for f**ks sake is sponsored by this god awful place that we all have carried guilt from after eating a chicken nugget or big mac. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS GLOBALIZED WORLD?!

I guess we could think of more creative ways of trying to occupy a space because let's face it, people love their McDonald's, and people indulge in that guilt...well because...sometimes it's an unnecessary necessity on a Friday night or on a road trip or after a break up, you feel me?

I say down with McDonald's, Walmart, Kentucky Fried Chicken, maybe even Taco Bell...(maybe) but, let's face it Domino's, Pizza Hut, Subway, Popeye's, Kmart, etc.etc.etc. creates this alienation from people-to-people, people-to-soul, people-to-nature-- this weird awkward fantasy of eating YUMMY food (food, yeah right I worked at Subway and there was about 7 other ingredients in the steak, other than the word steak) and HAVING NECESSARY THINGS. I preach and I know it, but if people only were educated and sought sustainable agriculture and sustainability within their lives then people wouldn't be reduced to working over 40 hrs a week at these corporations getting minimum wage just to get by and adding to this weird, materialistic, hopeless society that we live in by being a main contributor to it.

My roommate and I were talking tonight actually about this topic of 'occupying' or trying to change a specific disruption within our global pattern. What if everybody had to go vegan for a day? How exactly would that impact the world? It's a creative disruption because I believe that people ARE TOO-INDULGENT and honestly, myself included, do not understand the specific impacts we are having on the environment and ourselves.

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO OCCUPY, but I know me and countless others are thinking, "HOW?" and "WHERE?"

That my friend seems like a matter of importance and will and thought.

I guess we have to look at the things that matter most to us. Like Eyon Biddle said, he is confused as to why United State's youth is not so concerned about high tuition costs and the result of never-ending student loans, only letting our passivity take control of our here and now, and truly not planning for the future.

There are countries where education is
 free.
FREE.

Seriously, Wikipedia has listed over 37 countries that have free post-secondary education including Brazil, Germany, and India, and including China looking at policies trying to transition to a free education nation as well. This is important. This is huge. America doesn't want it. WHY.

If we only could create an up-rise, a movement, a 'something' that mattered to people because a lot of people really aren't standing for anything these days besides the hit songs they hear on the radio supporting misogyny and a way of life that is totally unattainable and unhealthy for any human being. I want to shake society and people and make them wake up, it disgusts me (preachin' again)

Alright alright, so I am pretty much ALL TALK. I have ideas. I don't know how to begin and where to begin like I've iterated. It's a matter of creating a people that come together willing to live for changing something that has a valid impact on their lives.


In Milwaukee, maybe there are ways we can come together as a whole to make this city we live in a better place. What really matters? In my eyes what really matters is sustainability, safe walking environments and bike paths, local owners and growers, diversity glorified, women free from sexual assault, people coming together to make the city more beautiful.

Maybe that could be a beginning? Maybe if Milwaukee had one big day where the community comes together, East side for example, and painting a huge mural together, letting art encompass the diversity without constrains." Art-- what's that going to do?" some may say....and then we could respond with "Ya, be jealous you don't live in a city that allows every person to come together and make their mark on their own city they live in."

It doesn't have to be art, but that's just a start, a start of remembering that we are people and citizens, not aliens that treat each other like aliens because we are so muffled up in our god damned business every day that we forget we are all people of the same kind!

Art is a way and means of coming together to create....
....as we are learning that all forms of art can be used in creating an activist approach especially performance.

So, my ideas are mush. melded. their all wrapped up in my brain. we complain day to day about the things that hurt us and the things that 'make life hard.' Maybe some don't complain at all? Maybe they are passive, and O.K. with the way things are, or are uneducated...a sad reality of our day and age.

It's these things I wonder about, and it's this society sometimes I worry about.

Sarah

------------------------

Also, there is a poem I've posted below if you have the time to watch the video.

POETRY POST

Writing for me is my sacred outlet when I need to discover more about myself and push myself to somehow organize my thoughts. I feel like I've taken this class right at the exact moment when I needed it because I feel really strongly about certain topics that we have been discussing. The conversations we have in class are sometimes the conversations I wish I were having with the people around me. There is too much passivity in my life, and just talking about the issues creates awareness in my mind. I struggle to find ways of becoming an active person who wants to be a part of something bigger than just myself-my life-alone. I guess writing has always been a way for me to express this longing I have.

This has nothing to do with the Week 5 post we are supposed to do, but since we talked about poetry and have viewed poems in class I thought I'd share a video I created. I made this about three weeks ago after a day of exhaustion-- mental exhaustion to be specific. I felt a fire within me and I needed to express it. I received good feedback from this video among friends, but I hope to continue writing and making more videos.

Video is untitled.

Black Panther Movement

I never have ever been taught anything about the Black Panther movement- not in elementary school, middle or high school. I can honestly say that I have never been educated ever about this group, and I have never really known who Malcolm X was besides the fact that he was the leader of the movement.

It's from outside sources like TV shows, films, documentaries, and word of mouth of where I have heard about the Panthers. Even when I went on my Civil Rights Pilgrimage, we never really spoke about the Black Panthers. We focused mainly on the non-violent movement.

I am glad I was shown the film in class because it really, really solidified and expanded this idea I had in my mind about what this particular activist group consisted of. I didn't know that they were so militant-- with the marching, the black leather jackets and hats tipped to the side, the guns that they bared. Guns they they would have out in the open to threaten authority-- kids who were holding them. It's a really good way to get your point across, "Here, I have a gun. I am threatening. Look at me, NOW." You know what I mean? I suppose I am saying this sarcastically.

I think that most of the Black Panthers aspirations were true and definitely respectable, but the way in which they tried to achieve those was totally the wrong way to go about doing it. Yes, I am bias because I think weapons and fighting and all that really isn't worth it in the end., but I also think that this is pretty much a factual truth.

Seeing Malcom X speak on the videos we were shown in class almost made me blush a little. He was this handsome man, but yet so manipulating in a way. The fact that he could turn every interviewer's question around in his haunting demeanor really made me feel like he was a man of mystery. Sometimes I wonder how some people truly impact others with have such power, reign, and force with the words they speak and ideas they try to live by.  After watching that video, I can see why many people looked up to this articulate phenomenon of a man.

ALL IN ALL,
I felt like the black people of the Black Panther movement were just done, fed up with this countries unfairness, the highly corrupted government and skewed actions that took place that overwhelmed their lives. It's like the day they were born they had been told they are not good enough and wore an invisible cloak called racism. Racism as people were looking at them, racism seen in every institution they were every going to be a part of, and the government- the "thing" that creates and determines the laws, access, what your freedom will actually be in your current choice or maybe it's not your choice, but of where you are living.  That cloak grew heavy and it's the young people that wanted to make a change because they were going to be damned if they never said anything or fought for something that could change not only their lives, but the younger generations that followed.

This movement was real, it was empowering for those involved, and the government took any precautions they could before it got too bedazzled and out of hand- hence the heroin involved that they tried to get members of the movement addicted to.

Even though the movement eventually failed and was disconnected to it's purpose, I think what they achieved was still incredible.

Week 3--. Non-violence protest

Civil Rights, Pilgrimage, RatCO & Non-violent protesting

Over winter break I went on a civil rights pilgrimage which is offered at UW- Eau Claire. I heard about the trip from my brother who went on it the previous winter and he strongly encouraged me to go. Not only did I go, but I did it alone and was able to gain so much from the experience. 

Myself and one of the original Freedom Riders, Charles Person. 

This man encouraged us to get involved in our communities, 

to represent something bigger than ourselves, 

and to not be afraid to fight for our passions.

A homeless woman I got the chance to photograph 

and meet/hug in Birmingham, Alabama outside of 16th St. Baptist Church.

The church was bombed in 1963 due to the violence that

resonated from the Civil Rights Movement-- four girls

died in result from the bombing.

 Sleeping on a coach bus and hotel after hotel is not for the faint of heart. It was all worth it though. We followed the path of Martin Luther King Jr. and went to many civil rights museums. We saw where Bloody Sunday went down and also walked across the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama. We met Joanne Bland, a woman who was part of the civil rights movement in Selma. Ms. Bland told us horrific stories of seeing violence in the streets on Bloody Sunday and witnessing it at such a young age--she actually had been to jail about 5 times by the time she was 12 she said. Ms. Bland had been a part of the non-violent protesting going on during the civil rights movement. She is a hero of the movement and many heroes of the movement are forgotten about because their names may have not been in the paper or on the television screens, but it's these people that used non-violent means and were part of the mass that accredited for the elimination of segregation that helped evolve the United States of America in to what it is today. We've come a long way, but by no means are we perfect in equality or justice. 

A $40,000 cash reward for a Ku Klux Klan general's

stone head in Selma, AL. The government is predominantly

run by members of the clan, and unfortunately

the town's black citizens are forced

to witness inequality.

I want to focus on non-violent protesting. Modern non-violence protesting (or sometimes referred to as "resistance" and civil disobedience) was popularized by Ghandi, the freedom fighter of India. Ghandi set the stage for many movement leaders to come due to his resilient efforts. Non-violent protesting allows the persons/corporations/institutions/laws/etc. being protested against to rethink their actions/notions/barriers because people protesting are able to come up with creative and innovative methods that try to first recognize them and then create ways to reform them. By using non-violent means, protesters are able to ask for what they want hoping that they receive it without using brute force and violence. In the situation of Bloody Sunday, non-violent protesters were seen to ensue violence upon them from the police in return for their strength, vigilance, and direct action which was seen in Joanne Bland's story. Violent protesting is a thing of the past and has proven faulty in order to accomplish any sort of goal. It makes the protesters look weak, arrogant, and unjust in themselves and organization. I can only hope that non-violence protesting, meditation, civil disobedience, and other forms of direct action and peacemaking can only leak further in to more individuals and more societies...

 The church where Martin Luther King and MLK Jr. 

preached at as pastors of the Sweet Auburn community.

 Pastor F.D. Reese who helped MLK Jr. 

set up the march of Bloody Sunday

 across Edmund Pettus bridge.

The one, the only...Rosa Parks.

So teaching non-violence may be a way to create self-love and love of others, but also demands what you want and what you need without inflicting any physical harm? Yes. 

One part of the trip that really stuck out to me about non-violence protesting was when we visited RatCo (Random Acts of Theater Company). RatCo defines themselves like this, 

----"So much more than a community theatre program, Random Acts of Theatre Company (RATCo for short), goes all out to empower young people – no matter their background, economic status, physical ability, race or ethnicity – by teaching teamwork, self-expression, and the value of giving back." 

Here's a little more in-depth look at what they do exactly and how they operate: The Freedom Foundation is really a group of remarkable volunteers that are committed to seeing the next generation have a good chance at life. The organization is completely 

volunteer-based, and is run by people who want to help develop, educate, train, encourage and assist the next generation. They are old, young, rich, poor, working and retired, but the one thing all volunteers have in common is a heart to serve. It’s pretty amazing how a common cause can bring such diverse people together. Some volunteers give their time on the front lines with the kids at weekly rehearsals, while others support through coordinating events or fundraising activities, and still others donate their professional skills such as marketing or accounting to help keep the organization going. For example, this entire website was made possible through donated time and talent of our volunteers – pretty incredible, huh? There is a place for everyone to serve in the Freedom Foundation – just let us know what your interest is and we’ll find a place for you.

They turned a church building in Selma in to a place for these kids/children/teenagers to express themselves and feel loved. They fed all 90 of us on the trip with a home cooked meal prepared by all volunteers, and then we watched the kids perform a few dances on the stage...break dances as well-- and they killed it! One teenage boy recited a free verse poem/piece of writing that brought tears to my eyes. He spoke of the violence in Selma, the gangs, and that his best friend had died less than a year ago due to the harsh reality of living in Selma. He expressed that RatCo had given him a second chance and gives him the safety and love he so longs for. RatCo has become a home to many and is just one example of a way to teach non-violent ways of expressing oneself through art and dance. RatCo also teaches a non-violent protesting class, which I am hoping to take one day. I think it's so important that we as people realize there are other ways of getting what you want without hurting anybody in the process. Non-violent classes can help boost our creativity and thinking in how we can go about changing a certain problem that is affecting our lives. This could help us in our personal life, relationships, friendships, and so much more. 

Non-violence to me is like.......so rad. 

I'll end it there. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://freedomfoundation.org/

http://uweccivilrightspilgrimage.blogspot.com/

Post #1

Describe how theater and performance have been engaged and deployed in service of a political message. How does Bread & Puppet seem to work? What does it do? Are its politics obvious? Conversely, what are the dynamics of the CIRCA (Rebel Clown Army) actions? What is the overall effect of them? (feel free to focus this question towards a response that is meaningful to you. In other words, you don't need to specifically answer them as much as use them as catalysts to spur some thoughtful writing… about 1 page each week.)

It seems as though theater and performance is a brilliant and resilient way to spread political knowledge and awareness. Rather than violence, these non-violent performances and protests weasel their way around any authoritative actions held against them and can be seen as an art form.  Political theater performance has been engaged by director Augusto Boal who created a unity between the stage and spectator, according to Jennifer Verson’s article.  His performances inspired people to take a stand against the oppression they were facing.  This led to forum theatre, or a performance that has stage and spectator co-existing and creating different outcomes for a political problem.

Another example of political activism in theater is seen in the Bread & Puppet theater company. They have created a large-scale theater performance with huge, and I mean HUGE puppets as the main props. While watching the performances on Youtube in class Thursday, I didn't really understand the politics behind the performance. It felt very cult-like to me, but as the videos progressed I started to understand the beauty behind it, and also the unity. Over 40,000 people would attend these large-scale theater performances in Vermont, and it occurred to me that it wasn't "weird" which was the first thought that came to mind about seeing these ritual performances, but the effect of such a performance is quite profound. By involving audience members, it is clear that the oppressed were not only the actors and directors. People came to this gathering because they wanted to be a part of sending a certain political message to the world.

The CIRCA or Rebel Clown Army’s dynamics are totally different.  With people coming together to literally train how to be non- violent, humorous, tacky, and wacky…this political activist group of performers really stood out. Instead of fighting authority, they literally got right in their way without doing anything illegal. They were just having a good time in costume and displaying their concern for certain laws to be changed. I love the effect that they have. I think it’s totally awesome that they can recruit members from all over the world and that these people take time out of their lives to display how goofy and unlawful certain regimes are. My favorite part by far of the CIRCA's act is the value of improvisation. To be able to 'kill the cop' inside one's head and go with the flow without second guessing yourself is the key to success when improvising. I'm really interested in improvisation and am actually taking an improvisation class this semester. I think it's amazing when people are able to let go of the thought of "something has to be this certain way, or said a certain way" because honestly, spontaneity is the lust of life. If everything was perfectly thought and planned out, life would be quite the bore. Verson states in her article, 

"Rebel clowning is partially a tactical weapon against sheer stupidity of capitalism and war, and partially a tool to free the self from the tremendous damage that capitalism has done to our bodies and our minds" (Verson 183).

 That quote sums up the beauty of CIRCA. Freeing people from the not so free world. Remembering that their are souls behind those who work as a cog in the machine...and those who are willing to stand up against that machine

...

(Her colorful clown face and nose up against the black suited authority; this image truly displays the silliness of CIRCA. Improvisation and creativity are what makes this cultural activist group so unique and inspirational. )