- Created on 17 September 2012
One Year Later: People of Color Leave Occupy Wall Street but Continue Work
Sept. 17 marks the one-year anniversary of the start of the Occupy Wall Street movement, when a small group of people set up camp in Zuccotti Park to protest the abuse of power and money by the 1 percent, represented by Wall Street. People of color quickly began to solidify their presence and to speak out, as part of the movement, against the struggles their people have faced for centuries.
The People of Color Caucus (POCcupy), a working group within OWS, formed on Sept. 23. The group was made up of people of color from each of the over 100 other working groups in OWS and officially had the power to halt larger group meetings when POCcupy members recognized prejudice or oppression in group meetings.
"Let's be real. The economic crisis did not begin with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008," read POCcupy's first group statement. "Indeed, people of color and poor people have been in a state of crisis since the founding of this country, and for indigenous communities, since before the founding of the nation. We have long known that capitalism serves only the interests of a tiny, mostly white, minority."
Sharon Cromwell, one of the founders of POCcupy, now says, "After four months of commitment to the Occupy movement, I was disappointed to find that in general it was not a safe space for advancing the struggle of communities of color or even addressing the ways in which racism prevails in American society. OWS was important on shifting public discourse ... but it wasn't the best venue for organizing around issues that affect communities of color. "
Early in the history of OWS, two Black men, Malik Rassan and Preach, also started Occupy the Hood to address the issues in their community that they did not see incorporated into the work at OWS.
Twelve months later, Rassan says, "Occupy was a sham. Occupy is on its last leg and it's just trying its best. People who are anti-politics are now pro-Obama. They were anti-everything, and now they're pro-everything. So Occupy is broken—the message is broken. They let America down. But Occupy the Hood will keep going without them."
From the beginning, the movement was also quickly criticized for its lack of class and racial diversity and understanding. But people of color were far from absent and continued to do work within, around and, of course, without OWS.
As the Occupy movement grew, general assemblies, large meetings that used forms of direct democracy, sprung up across New York and the country. Groups in the Bronx and Sunset Park began to more directly address the issues of people across the city. In Philadelphia, Occupiers of Color addressed and fought racism within Occupy Philadelphia itself, and in Occupy Oakland, one of the most active and powerful branches, people of color took center stage.
Civil rights leaders came out in droves to participate, support or lend guidance to OWS. Ben Jealous and the NAACP issued a formal statement in support of OWS; Norman Seagel led OWS's Martin Luther King Day festivities; Ben Chavis began the initiative Occupy the Dream; Jazz Hayden led people to anti-prison groups and helped them begin filming police; Harry Belafonte spoke at an OWS council; Angela Davis spoke at OWS general assemblies and started the Liberation Summer project—the list goes on. Some of these leaders also started the Elders' Council, a body that formed and held large public events to give guidance to the OWS "kids."
"In this season of the Arab Spring and OWS, many are coming to the realization that we are coming to an awakening," said the Rev. Stephen Phelps, interim senior minister of Riverside Church, at an OWS MLK Day event at the church. "This country needs a conversion, a turning of the heart." Phelps was later arrested with a group, including some from OWS, protesting the NYPD's stop-and-frisk tactics.
On Nov. 17, the original OWS encampment at Zuccotti Park was violently dismantled by hundreds of riot police. The brutality of the police on that night made many occupiers, now with their own negative experience of police, refocus their efforts toward police brutality and the prison-industrial complex across the city.
This led them to Davis and the Occupy-related group Liberation Summer, who, according to their purpose statement, were "inspired by the resurgence of social movements around the world that are illuminating the root causes of social crises, class inequality, bigotry and human rights violation." During the summer, the group worked to "mobilize thousands nationwide to organize and deepen resistance to criminalization and mass incarceration."
OWS is planning a weekend of events, including a main event on the anniversary, Sept. 17, called "All Roads lead to Wall Street," to remind the country of the connections they see between all the struggles we face. While many of the original occupiers of color are no longer a part of OWS itself, they have created new collectives and joined the many groups working in neighborhoods of color.
When the People of Color Caucus stopped holding meetings, some of its founders started the group DecoloNYC, "an alliance of activists and advocates of color dedicated to building power and supporting economic, political and social self-determination in our communities," according to the group's website. DecoloNYC has helped raise awareness and support for various community-led initiatives in Brooklyn and the Bronx and has held community mixers to introduce people of color to others working on similar projects. For the one-year anniversary, DecoloNYC is inviting all activists of color and their allies to help them celebrate the amplification of racial justice work in New York City and to join the group at Judson Memorial Church on Sunday, Sept. 16, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Take Back the Bronx, formerly Occupy the Bronx, is still fighting for community control and is planning an event for Sept. 15 to help Bronx residents "take to the streets, in response not only to the police murder of Reynaldo Cuevas, but also to fight back against every incident of police harassment, brutality and murder that we suffer in our communities," according to the group's Facebook page. Cuevas was accidentally shot by a police officer as he fled a bodega that was being robbed.
On Wednesday, the OWS Council of Elders, now expanded into the National Council of Elders, released the Greensboro Declaration.
"This statement represents a new epoch," said 97-year-old Detroit revolutionary theorist and activist Grace Lee Boggs, author of "The Next American Revolution," in a statement. "It calls on Americans to become engaged in a different kind of citizenship, one that transforms their souls in addition to asking them to go to the polls."
Occupy the Hood quickly spread to hoods around the country, with Atlanta becoming a new leader with its "Feed the Hood" effort, which continues to regularly give out food, its community garden and children's programs. In July, Occupy the Hood held its first national gathering in Atlanta, Hood Week, and is now planning a Hood Week in New York from Oct. 26 to 28, with panels and events to include appearances by Cornel West, Rebel Diaz, Jasiri X, the Amsterdam News' own Herb Boyd, and even a call from Mumia Abu-Jamal.
"I would say off the cuff, OWS really showed how deep the systemic racism really is, even among the white progressive liberals. And really how deeply rooted white supremacy is ingrained in their psyche," Preach said this week while preparing to attend some of OWS's anniversary events.
"We have been fighting this fight for a long time, and right now we see we need a more direct effort toward the neighborhoods where these things are going on," he said. "For them to say, it's bigger than that and tell us what we need to do, its kind of insulting. All y'all want to do is change leadership, but we're trying to change the world."
- Created on 17 September 2012
Closer Look: Credit trouble costs Illinois money
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The state of Illinois is running into credit trouble, just like anyone else who pays bills late and owes lots of money.
Two major agencies have lowered the Illinois credit rating this year. That generally means the state pays higher interest rates when it borrows money for road construction, school improvements and other public works.
The governor's budget office says it can't calculate how much that costs the state. But financial experts say it probably amounts to tens of millions of dollars each year.
Luckily, interest rates are very low right now, softening the blow to the state treasury.
Rating agencies say the downgrades are largely because officials haven't fixed state pension problems.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
- Created on 14 September 2012
Higher gas costs drive up US consumer prices
WASHINGTON (AP) — More expensive gas drove up consumer prices in August by the most in three years. But outside energy, inflation was tame.
The Labor Department said Friday that consumer prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.6 percent last month, the first increase since March. Higher gas prices accounted for 80 percent of the increase. Food prices rose 0.2 percent.
Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices edged up 0.1 percent for the second straight month. Rents, medical care and new cars got more expensive, while clothing, furniture and airline fares fell in price.
Mild inflation leaves consumers with more money to spend, which can boost economic growth. Lower inflation will allow the Federal Reserve to stick with programs announced Thursday aimed at lifting the economy. If the Fed were worried that prices are rising too fast, it might have to raise interest rates.
In the past 12 months, prices have increased 1.7 percent. That's down from a peak of 3.9 percent in September 2011 and below the Fed's inflation target of 2 percent.
Core consumer prices rose 1.9 percent in the past 12 months, the smallest annual increase in a year.
August's prices rose largely because gas prices have jumped in recent weeks. The average price for a gallon of gas nationwide was $3.87 on Friday, up 16 cents in the past month.
The modest increase in food prices indicates the drought in the Midwest is not yet pushing up grocery prices. Some economists say that will happen in the comings months.
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve said it would purchase $40 billion of mortgage-backed securities a month until the economy and the job market steadily improve. Fed officials also said they would keep short-term interest rates low even after the economy strengthens.
Hiring has weakened recently after a strong start to the year. Employers added only 96,000 jobs in August, below the 141,000 added in July and far below the average gains of 226,000 in the first quarter.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent, but only because the number of people in the work force shrank.
For now, the economy isn't growing fast enough to spur greater job gains. The economy expanded at a 1.7 percent annual pace in the April-June quarter. That's down from 2 percent in the first quarter and 4.1 percent in the final three months of last year.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
- Created on 14 September 2012
Gas prices, cars push US retail sales up 0.9 pct.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales rose in August from July because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. They were more cautious elsewhere, suggesting the weak economy has made many selective about spending.
Retail sales increased a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent, the Commerce Department said Friday. Gas station sales jumped 5.5 percent, the most in nearly three years and a reflection of sharp price increases. Demand for autos increased 1.7 percent.
Outside those categories, sales rose only 0.1 percent. That's below July's 0.8 percent gain. Sales at general merchandise, clothing and electronic stores fell. Sales at grocery stores, sporting goods stores and online retailers were unchanged.
Gasoline sales are heavily influenced by price, and auto sales represent major purchases. Excluding those categories offers more clarity on consumers' willingness to spend.
"This has to go down as a weak report," said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics. "Most of the spending in August was on products that households have to buy, such as gasoline, not items they like to buy, such as new TVs."
The retail sales report is the government's first look each month at consumer spending, which drives roughly 70 percent of economic activity. Consumer spending has increased at a slow pace this year. That has dragged on the economy and kept businesses from hiring.
Higher gas costs also drove up consumer prices by the most in three years, the Labor Department said in a separate report. But excluding energy prices, inflation was mild.
Consumer prices rose 0.6 percent in August, the department said. Gas prices increased 9 percent and accounted for 80 percent of the increase. Outside food and energy, prices rose only 0.1 percent.
Overall consumer prices have increased 1.7 percent in past year. That's well below the Federal Reserve's inflation target.
Lower inflation will allow the Fed to stick with programs announced Thursday aimed at lifting the economy. If the Fed were worried that prices are rising too fast, it might have to raise interest rates.
On Thursday, the Federal Reserve said it would purchase $40 billion of mortgage-backed securities a month until the economy and job market show signs of steady improvement. Fed officials also said they would keep short-term interest rates low, even after the acceleration of any economic recovery.
Rising gas prices could make consumers more cautious about spending in the coming months. Gas prices averaged $3.87 a gallon nationwide on Friday, 16 cents higher than a month ago and just 7 cents below the 2012 average high.
Automakers earlier this month reported the best sales in three years, after seeing rising demand for pickup trucks.
The government's retail sales data contrasted with reports from the nation's largest retail chains. Many said things picked up in August, driven partly by back-to-school purchases. Sales at 18 retail chains rose last month by the most since March.
Sales at Target rose 4.2 percent and increased 5.1 percent at Macy's. Gap Inc. posted a 9 percent jump in sales.
Employers added only 96,000 jobs last month, below the 141,000 added in July and far below the average gains of 226,000 in the first three months of the year.
The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent, but only because the number of people in the work force shrank.
The economy is growing too slowly to spur greater job gains. The economy expanded at a 1.7 percent annual pace in the April-June quarter. That's down from 2 percent in the first quarter and 4.1 percent in the final three months of last year.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Photo Caption:
Shoppers carry their purchases at a Target in Chicago. The Commerce Department said Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, that U.S. retail sales rose in August from July because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. They were more cautious elsewhere, suggesting the weak economy has made many selective about spending. (AP Photo/Sitthixay Ditthavong)
- Created on 13 September 2012
FDIC: 8.2 pct. of US households lack bank accounts
WASHINGTON — A government survey shows about 821,000 U.S. households lost access to basic banking services between January 2009 and June 2011.
Roughly 10 million U.S. households, or 8.2 percent, have no access to bank accounts, according to a survey conducted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. That's up from 7.7 percent in the FDIC's 2009 survey.
And an even larger percentage of Americans are relying on high-interest alternatives, even those with traditional bank accounts. The survey found 28.3 percent either lacked bank accounts or used payday loans, check-cashing services and other alternatives as of June 2011. That's up from 25.6 percent in the previous survey.
The survey found 21.4 percent of black families and 20.1 percent of Hispanic families had no banking services.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
