1 10 15 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9acc241b48ef67d24743fddae133f79d.pdf 6ef5f0fb2d238d321b1afc6f56da9e64 PDF Text Text Van Jones: Pg 8 An intimate conversation with a visionary for change Prison System Overhaul Pg 5 Feb. 15-28, 2011 • ADVOCATING JUSTICE Issue 193 • • One Dollar BUILDING COMMUNITY To so many African Americans, Cincinnati was a symbol of freedom, a place that once they reached their voices may finally be heard. We honor those who came before us; the brave men and women who made their ideas reality, who fought in the face of adversity, and those who dedicated their lives to equality. A Look at “the greatest local and political pioneer of race relations in the 20th century” Remembering the Legacy of Theodore Berry (1905-2000) By: Dr. Michael Washington Professor of history & Director of afro-aMerican stuDies, northern KentucKy university D uring the month of February, citizens of Cincinnati should take the time to honor and commemorate the extraordinary accomplishments of the greatest local and political pioneer of race relations in the 20th century, the Honorable Theodore M. Berry. After graduating class valedictorian from Woodward High School in 1924, Berry went to enroll in the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a law degree in 1931. A year later he was admitted to Ohio Bar and became the head of the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP serving in that capacity until 1946.  In 1938 he was appointed the first black assistant prosecuting attorney for Hamilton County. His political career began in 1947, with an unsuccessful bid for City Council. Redemption came in 1949 when he won a Council seat and became chairman of the finance committee. From that position he led a controversial battle to create a city income tax.  In 1955, he was elected Vice Mayor of Cincinnati, which created fears among whites that he would become the first African American mayor to lead the city. That fear became real when almost two decades later in 1972, he was elected mayor of the city and served for four years. It is important for local citizens not to forget that Mayor Berry’s contributions to society are not restricted to the Cincinnati area but include the nation.  In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Berry to head the Office of Economic Opportunity’s Community Action Programs that included Head Start, Job Corps and Legal Services. Berry’s initiatives proved to be some of the most successful victories in President Johnson’s war on poverty. Source: www.libraries.uc.edu African American Achievements ­ B lack History Month originated in 1926 by Carter Godwin Woodson as Negro History Week. The month of February was chosen in honor of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in that month. • C.B. Brooks invented the street sweeper in 1896. It was a truck equipped with brooms. • Henry Brown created what is now known as a “strongbox”, a metal container to store money and important papers that could be locked with a key. • Mark Dean along with his co-inventor Dennis Moelle created a microcomputer system with bus control means for peripheral processing devices. This invention allows the use of computer plug-ins like disk drives, speakers, scanners, etc... • African-American surgeon Charles R. Drew is often credited with the invention of the first large-scale blood bank. • Sarah E. Goode invented a bed that folded up into a cabinet in 1885. Contrary to popular belief, she was not the first African-American woman to receive a patent, but the second. • In 1899, African-American golf fan Dr. George Franklin Grant received a patent for the world’s first golf tee. Grant, however, never marketed his invention, instead giving the tees away to friends and fellow golfers. • Thomas L. Jennings was the first AfricanAmerican to receive a patent in 1821. It was for a dry-cleaning process in 1821. He used the money earned from the patent to purchase relatives out of slavery and support abolitionist causes. • Frederick Jones held over 60 patents, with most of them pertaining to refrigeration. His portable air conditioner was used in World War II to preserve medicine and blood serum. • Dr. Maulana Karenga created the AfricanAmerican holiday, Kwanzaa, in 1966. • History has credited Thomas Edison with the invention of the light bulb, but fewer people know about Lewis Latimer’s innovations toward its development. Until Latimer’s process for making carbon filament, Edison’s light bulbs would only burn for a few minutes. Latimer’s filament burned for several hours. • Joseph Lee invented a bread-making machine that mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough in 1895. • John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897. • Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872. • Bridget “Biddy” Mason founded the First African Methodist Episcopalian church in Los Angeles. • Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota patented an electric elevator in 1887 with automatic doors that would close off the shaft way, thus making elevators safer. • George T. Sampson invented a clothes dryer that used heat from a stove in 1892. • Radio personalities Hal Jackson and Percy Sutton co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC). They also acquired WLIB, which became the first African-American owned and operated station in New York. • Joseph Winters invented a fire escape ladder in 1878. • Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said he was punished for misbehavior in school by being forced to write copies of the Constitution. He said this later piqued his interest in politics. • Buffalo Soldiers is the name given to the allblack regiments of the U.S. Army started in 1866. More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers received the highest Medal of Honor for their service—the highest number of any U.S. military unit. The oldest living Buffalo Soldier, Mark Matthews, died at the age of 111 in 2005. • For a time during his youth, future politician Barack Obamareferred to himself as “Barry.” Barack Obama won Best Spoken Word Album at the Grammy Awards for the abridged audio book of his autobiography Dreams from My Father and the nonfiction work, The Audacity of Hope. • In addition to her career in Washington D.C., Condoleezza Rice is an accomplished pianist See Achievements, P. 3 �2 Editorial ­ BY ThE ­ NUMBERS ­ 1969 The year “Die Nigger, Die” was published. This was a powerful auto biography by H. Rap Brown who was a revolutionary in the Black Power Movement as chairman of SNCC and ex- officio member of the Black Panther Party. (Page 5) 7-4-2011 The national campaign called 1Voice. It is aimed at uniting communities and working towards lifting people out of poverty. (Page 8) 23 The numbers of years Caracole has been involved in the HIV/AIDS Community in Ohio. (Page 6) 14 Years to life, the sentence for being convicted of a homosexual act in Uganda. (Page 10) 16 The amount of years Thomas and Mary Chapman have been playing music in Over the Rhine on Sundays. (Page 14) 14 The age Martin Zeinway came to the United States from Liberia. (Page 16) Streetwise I tried several times to sit down and write an editorial. I had a bunch of ideas though none could justify the celebration of this month. As a white girl in my twenties I can respect the struggle but my words can never truly justify the emotions of a people who had to fight tooth and nail for equality. I received a submission from one of our distributors; I will let him give his opinion on Black History Month as my editorial. Love, Peace, Equality Jen Martin, Editor My Salute to Black history Month ­ lee Mccoy streetviBes DistriButor anD contriButing Writer Mom and Dad: I wish you could have been there to see it, a historic moment. I remember when I was a little boy, ya’ll used to tell me “A black man will never be president”, and you had me believing that I would never see this happen in my lifetime. You didn’t get to see it, but I did. January 20, 2007, I saw what you thought would never happen, it was unbelievable. I remember back in 1968, I was a teenager and Cincinnati was on fire after the assassinationof MLK. I believe the term was “burn, baby burn!” Word spread, no pun intended, like wild fire. They had killed our greatest leader, MLK. All of Avondale was on fire. You see back then it wasn’t black men, it was a nigger. Here was a man who was preaching a simple beliefthat one day a man will be judged not by the color of his skin and we will be free at last, free at last. And even as you read this, there is so much prejudice today. In any city there is a Justice Center. Or as anyone in any hood calls it, the “Just for us” Center. Our founding fathers came here with a constitution, even today it’s a joke. There is a different set of laws and it’snot justice for all. Those who can pay, they will go free. I don’t have the actual number but common sense will tell you that all across the greatcountry there are more black people locked up than whites. I gave you the law of the land, you do the math. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. 2 + 2 is still 4, or is it? Only in America it could be something else. Let’s look at something, in my mind the greatest heroeswere the slaves captured by their own brothers for some promise and then imprisoned by the very ones they helped. Hauled away in the belly of ships, where so many died and became shark food, all in the pursuit of this ‘Great America’. Where their sweat blood and tears on their backs. I don’t have to tell you who I am talking about, even Stevie Wonder can see this. They came to a new country where they had to learn a new language and they were taught greed through one simple response, “Yes Master”. The greatest of these people were the black women, fareand fine. The master would take them and the women had no say in the matter. This countrypromised 40 acres and a mule, big shit. Did ithappen? I think not. One thing I don’t understand, Black History month is in the shortest month of the year. Come on America, don’t you know that Black people celebrate when it’s hot…when we can barbeque, fixin; greens, and corn bread. Where the scent of food is everywhere, I love that smell. While I am talking about love, I have to remember February is also the month of Valentine’s Day. Love is supposed to be in the air, cupid shooting his arrow. I hope he is a good match maker and not just shooting happy. STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lee McCoy, Jen Martin, Jim Luken, Josh Spring, Willa Jones, Corey Gibson, Laura Osborn-Coffey, Catie Dargue, Malcolm O. Varner, Riccardo Taylor, Justin Jeffre, Joe Opio, Dr. Michael Washington Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Jeni Jenkins, Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Rob Vinit Murthy, Martin Zeinway The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 Local Issue ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 African American Achievements ­ Continued from page 1 who has accompanied cellist Yo-Yo Ma, played with soul singer Aretha Franklin, and performed for Queen Elizabeth II. A serious student, Condoleezza Rice entered college at the age of 15, and was an assistant professor at Stanford by age 26. • Before Branch Rickey offered future hallof-famer Jackie Robinson the contract that integrated professional baseball, he personally tested Robinson’s calm reactions to the racial slurs and insults he knew the player would have to endure. • After retiring from baseball, hall-of-famer Jackie Robinson helped establish the African-American owned and controlled Freedom Bank. • Reverend Al Sharpton preached his first sermon at the age of four, and toured with world-famous gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson. • Upon her death in 2003, singer Nina Simone’s ashes were spread across the continent of Africa, per her last request. • Phillis Wheatley was the first published AfricanAmerican poet with her 1774 collection, Poems on Various Subjects. In order to prove she was the author, she had to submit her work to examination by a group of Boston intellectuals, and defend her literary ability in court. • Before Forest Whitaker was a film star, he was accepted to the Music Conservatory at the University Of Southern California (USC) to study opera as a tenor. • NFL player John Williams competed in two Super Bowls before he quit the league to become a dentist. • Lewis and Clark were accompanied by York, a black slave, when they made their 1804 expedition from Missouri to Oregon. York’s presence aided in their interactions with the Native Americans they encountered. • The first major black super-hero, the Black Panther, made his debut in Fantastic Four No. 52 in July of 1966. • The banjo originated in Africa and up until the 1800s was considered an instrument only played by blacks. • According to the American Community Survey, in 2005 there were 2.4 million black military veterans in the United States -the highest of any minority group. • The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon honored Ira Aldridge with a bronze plaque. He is the only AfricanAmerican actor to receive this tribute. • BET was the first African-American controlled company to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange. • In 1993, Maya Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. She was the first poet to do an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost spoke for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. • Two years after she played the role of Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American woman to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Halle Berry actually became the first African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. • Dominique Dawes was the first AfricanAmerican to win an individual event medal in gymnastics. • In 1989, African-American David Dinkins, became the first non-white Mayor of New York City. • Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first rap group to earn induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. • The first African-American woman to make it into the U.S. Cabinet was Patricia Roberts Harris, the 1977 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. • Thurgood Marshall was the first AfricanAmerican to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. • Robert Robinson Taylor was the first professionally-educated black architect in the United States. • Booker T. Washington was the first AfricanAmerican invited to the White House. • On April 7, 1940, educator and author Booker T. Washington became the first African-American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp. • Oprah Winfrey became the first female U.S. billionaire in 2003. Street Life A Way of Life riccarDo taylor contriButing Writer h oW often Do We finD ourselves in a DileMMa, in Which We have no reaDy ansWers to correct or otherWise relieve ourselves froM? i WoulD suggest that in Most cases it is soMething that We never thinK aBout, yet there is a reality to its occurrence. often We encounter oBsta­ cles, or again DileMMas in our lives, anD We Put theM either asiDe, or on the BacK Burner, never seeKing relief or a reMeDy for the ProBleM, anD i WoulD suggest that it is inDeeD a ProBleM in Most instances. yet i finD it to Be in accorDance With the nature of Man to not vieW these occur­ rences as such. insteaD We looK uPon theM as just a MoMentary Delay, or MoMentary set BacK. hoWever, i realize that it is Much More than that, esPecially When the occurrence haPPens over anD over again! it BecoMes a Way to hanDle life’s situations, anD our Way of Dealing With aD­ versity. hoW easy is it for us to say that Was just one of the MoMents that We have to Deal With, insteaD of vieWing it for What it really is? Well, it’s just a way of life! Counting the up and downs as if they are equal. Taking everything in stride, as if the good and the bad are all one and the same. Some say it is what it is. Others just shrug and keep the step. Yet, for the majority of us it comes back to haunt us. Accepting things the way they are, when it’s not healthy or productive we tend to chalk it to the game. It becomes a way of life. To walk that walk or talk that talk, never looking ahead, or behind for that matter we tell ourselves, that’s life. Our reality is put on hold until the obscure takes its place and the whole thing is turned upside down. Life’s circumstances become a challenge beyond our ability to cope, so we just forge ahead with what ever comes along. It’s a way of life. So, in a Kafkvian way of thinking, does it appeal to the senses? The answer again lies in our perception. Is it a way of life, or perhaps the life of our ways? The unquestionable reality says that it is! As our perception goes so does our reality. Often we believe a thing, and it is our reality, yet there is another reality that says different. Knowing and respecting the difference is the key for understanding “a way of life”. The idea that our perceptions are different, and that our realities will be different is the crossroad that intercepts our contracts of community engagement. How easy is it for me to see that you are out of touch with the happenings, when you are thinking the exact same thing about me! So, as we both sulk in our own realities we search for ways and means to dislodge each other’s position. At odds with our ideas, concepts and realities we become unspoken enemies viewed with distrust and ambience towards one another we continue the charade of acceptance. It’s a way of life! Standing on one’s own principal, playing by one’s own rules giving no ground to the outsider, fraught with the suspicions, pressing the exclusion while giving that everlasting sneer concealed by a bright smile which says all are welcomed, but please don’t come. Riccardo Taylor Source: Aimie Willhoite �4 Local News ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Die Nigger Die! ­ Excerpts from the 1969 autobiography, Die Nigger Die! By h. raP BroWn M y first contact with white america was marked by her violence, for when a white doctor pulled me from between my mother’s legs and slapped my wet ass, I, as every other negro in america, reacted to this man-inflicted pain with a cry. A cry that america has never allowed to cease; a cry that gets louder and more intense with age; a cry that can only be heard and understood by others who live behind the color curtain. A cry? Or was it a scream? Whatever it was, we accepted it. I had been born in “america, the land of the free.” To insure my country’s freedom, my father was somewhere fighting, for this was a year of the second war to end all wars — World War II. This was October 4, 1943, and victory was in the air. The world would now be safe for democracy. But who would insure my freedom? Who would make democracy safe for Black people? America recognized long ago what negroes now examine in disbelief: every Black birth in america is political. With each new birth comes a potential challenge to the existing order. Each new generation brings forth untested militancy. America’s ruling class now experiences what Herod must have at the birth of “Christ”: “Go and search . . . and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.” America doesn’t know which Black birth is going to be the birth that will overthrow this country. The threat to america, however, does not exist in negro america, but rather as a result of negro america. If one examines the structure of this country closely he will note that there are three basic categories: they are white america, negro america, and Black america. The threat to the existing structure comes from Black america, which exists in contradiction to both white and negro america. It is the evolution of these contradictions that has given rise to the present revolutionary conditions. Revolution is indeed inevitable, and, as the cycle of change closes around america’s racist environment, the issue of color becomes more pertinent. Color is the first thing Black people in america become aware of. You are born into a world that has given color meaning and color becomes the single most determining factor of your existence. Color determines where you live, how you live and, under certain circumstances, if you will live. Color determines your friends, your education, your mother’s and father’s jobs, where you play, what you play and, more importantly, what you think of yourself. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter one). In and of itself, color has no meaning. But the white world has given it meaning — political, social, economic, historical, physiological and philosophical. Once color has been given meaning, an order is thereby established. If you are born Black in america, you are the last of that order. The biggest difference between being known as a Black man or a negro is that if you’re Black, then you do everything you can to fight white folks. If you’re negro, you do everything you can to appease them. If you’re Black, you’re constantly in and out of trouble, because you’re always messing with “the man.” If white folks say it’s more cultured to whisper, you talk loud. If white folks say gray suits are fashionable, you go buy a pink one. If they say america is great, you say america ain’t shit. Chairman Mao says, “Whatever the enemy supports, we oppose. Whatever the enemy opposes, we support.” I hadn’t read Chairman Mao when I was in high school, but I already understood that fundamental revolutionary principle. I knew white folks couldn’t do wrong right, so whatever they thought was good, I knew wasn’t. A lot of people, Black and white, have the impression that those of us who got involved in the Movement, when it started in 1960, were fighting for integration. That’s the way the white press interpreted the sit-ins and freedom rides and all that. But what they didn’t understand was that none of us was concerned about sitting down next to a white man and eating a hamburger. Anybody who thinks that is reflecting white nationalism. That’s that white supremacist attitude. Nothing is good unless it can be done in the company of white people. We would’ve been some kind of fools to get beaten up, spat on and jailed the way a lot of folks did just to sit down at a lunch counter beside a white person. Integration was never our concern. In fact, integration is impractical. You cannot legislate an attitude and integration is based upon an attitude of mutual acceptance and respect between two racial or cultural groups in the society. A law can govern behavior, but attitudes cannot be forced or enforced, and what the Civil Rights Movement was concerned with was controlling the animalistic behavior of white people. I resented somebody telling me I couldn’t eat at a certain place. It wasn’t that I wanted to eat there. Hell no! I always knew we had the best food anyway. But as part of that constant battle waged by Black people against white america, if white folks didn’t want me to eat there, in the door I went. If I had a free choice, I’d sit in the back of the bus. That’s where the heater is. We weren’t fighting for integration. We were letting white folks know that they could no longer legislate where we went or what we did. Every Black person belongs to the Movement, whether he’s been on a demonstration or not. The lives of Black people are political, because Black people carry on a constant war against “the man.” So I was political, even before I knew the word, but it wasn’t until I got into high school that I became involved in more overt political activities. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter five). SNCC, as an organization, had come into Alabama after the summer of 1964… People were sent in to organize Black voters. I went to work in the state in the fall of ‘66. The election was coming up… We had candidates running in Lowndes County, Dallas County, and potentially, Greene County, where I was working. However, in Greene County we would have to fight just to get the candidates on the ballot… At first, we just spent our time going to meetings and getting to know the people, just basic organizing. As it got closer to election time, we found out that the power structure didn’t have any intention of putting the Black candidates’ names on the ballot. So we began to talk about a “Freedom Election,” which would create a parallel government; Black people are 87% of the country. We were trying to get people to see that people are the real government. Establish your own government in opposition to this corrupt government and if it calls for a confrontation, be prepared for that… People began to dig the idea. So I drafted a letter to Johnson, the Attorney General, the Governor and the Attorney General of Alabama. And I told them that we, the Black Panther Party, were gonna hold freedom elections and boycott the regular election, because our candidates’ names would not appear on the ballot. It was surprising what started to develop then. The oldline negro leadership, the ministers, and even Mr. Gilmore, didn’t want to be labeled the Black Panther Party. Gilmore had some experience working with SCLC and he was still in that integration bag and he liked to take trips up north to talk to white folks and shit like that. But we were working with the poor people out in the community and were developing a base. We were gonna hold our own election and let the people decide who they wanted. One day, a week before the election, George Greene and I went downtown… While we were there they accused us of trying to steal a gun and arrested us for grand larceny. …It was just a way to get us out of action until after the election. They held us on $1,000 bond. While we were in jail, we saw in the newspapers that they had postponed the election as a result of the pressure that we had mounted in the community. They were claiming that the Freedom candidates had been nominated illegally, although Alabama has a law which says that they can be nominated by mass meeting. Getting the elections postponed was a victory for us. When we got back to Greene County, we found out that George Wallace said his wife had won every county but one — Greene County. No greater tribute could have been paid to our work than that. Wallace said that his wife lost Greene County because of the Black Power niggers over there. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter nine). Al-Amin, J. (1969, 2002). Die, Nigger, Die!. Lawrence Hill Books. These excerpts are drawn directly from chapters one, five and nine of Die Nigger Die!, an autobiography by H. Rap Brown who was a powerful revolutionary in the Black Power Movement as chairman of SNCC and ex-officio member of the Black Panther Party. Rap later changed his name to Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and for years lead more than twenty-five Muslim groups in Atlanta, Georgia. He is now serving a life-sentence in prison after being convicted of murdering a sheriff’s deputy, a crime many believe he never committed and was in fact falsely convicted of as a means to imprison him. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 5 Local Issue Prison System Overhaul With a prison population that is housing 33% more inmates than it is designed to, legislators have taken it into their own hands to change the prison system. By corey giBson contriButing Writer A n overhaul of the Ohio prison system was set out earlier this month. The main goal of the new legislation is to manage the growth of the prison population, reduce spending on corrections, and improve the cost-effectiveness of existing criminal justice system resources and reinvest in strategies that can increase public safety. The new proposal contains elements, such as shortened sentences for inmates who complete certain programs. These new terms housing 33% more inmates than it is designed to, legislators have taken it into their own hands to change the prison system. Stephen JohnsonGrove, an attorney at the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, said the new legislation is going to increase safety, reduce prison overcrowding and saving the state over $42 million. “It saves money by reducing the ability of judges to put people in prison for low-level nonviolent offenses,” said JohnsonGrove. “Those include drug offenses, property offenses and reduce those offenses in varying ways.” State Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, who was enthusiastic about the new reform, spoke at a Statehouse news conference in the beginning of the month and introduced the legislation. “My mother used to tell me you can’t fit 10 pounds in a 5-pound bag. That’s what we’re trying to do in Ohio,” Seitz said. “The time for talk is over. No more sticking our heads in the sand.” Sen. Seitz previously tried to get the legislation passed last year but was turned down by the democrats. That legislation, called Senate Bill 22, sought to use state taxpayer dollars in a more efficient way. Some of the provision he set forth were “Locking up more and more people was not helping the problem. Incarceration was a bad choice.” would allow inmates time off their sentences and diverting first time property and drug offenders to probation or treatment and not prison. Proposals like this were rejected by voters in the past. By following the blueprint crafted by the Council of State Government’s Justice Center, the state is going to be able to cut back on the $8 billion deficit and start sending more money to education and medical priorities and out of the prison system. Two different ballots in the past 10 years that petitioned for prisoners to be given time off their sentence and treatment for incarceration, have been turned down by voters. But with a prison population that is raising the felony theft threshold from $500 to $1,000, increasing the potential number of credit days inmates can earn based on the type of offense, and give the Director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the authority to petition for an inmate to be released based on good behavior if the inmate has served at least 85% of the prison term. These provisions are going to be rolled in with the new legislation. Some of the key points in the new proposal are toughening sentences for the most serious and violent crimes, studying better methods of restitution payment to victims, and offering counties $2,000 for each person on felony probation who does not go to prison. “For so long the lock-em-up mentality has been cavalier in costs,” said JohnsonGrove. “It was ‘we don’t care, we have to lock them up because that is good and tough on crime.” JohnsonGrove said this mentality turned out to be a bad idea and not just because it was a waste of money. “When you start to throw people into jail all will-nilly, you are more likely to make them rescind,” said JohnsonGrove. “Low level non­ violent offenders get put into prison and they learn more and they become more hardened. Locking up more and more people was not helping the problem. Incarceration was a bad choice.” And with this new legislation less people will be put into the prison system and more people will be put into treatment programs. JohnsonGrove said that locking up a drug addict is not helping them treat the addiction. By putting these people into treatment the addicts can get help with their addiction and be less likely to commit drug related crimes again. “A mental and health oriented perspective on drug abuse is far more productive than any corrections oriented perspective on drug abuse,” said JohnsonGrove. Another big change to the prison system is going to be the way probation is handled. As of right now more than 254,000 people are under some form of probation by 187 different agencies. Since there is no coordination between the agencies, no standards for what type of probation should be joined with certain crimes and no studies that show the effectiveness of probation, people can easily be lost in the probation system. “No one knows what is going on in probation,” said JohnsonGrove. “Sometimes they are putting low-risk offenders in intensive probation, which means more hoops to jump through. When you do this you damage that person and give them more of a chance to rescind.” The legislation has received backing from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Buckeye Institute and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. It has also received bipartisan support, in which both parties want to stop the revolving door system; a system that gives short prison sentences, releases the criminal back into society unsupervised and then allows the person to be put back into prison. Seitz described such inmates as getting “a short course in Crime University.” The legislation is expected to be reintroduced in the 129th General Assembly. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnews streetvibes. wordpress.com �6 Issue ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 My Life at Caracole ­ Hope for Those Who Need it most anonyMous Let me start with a little about myself and why I am here. I have always had a good life with top paying jobs and could do just about anything I wanted. I was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS about five years ago. In April 2010 I became ill with pneumonia and my health started to go down hill from that point, also the company I was working for went out of business around the same time. The company was paying me cash and that meant no benefits and no more money when the company closed. I left the life I was so accustom to and ended up in the Cincinnati area homeless. My case manager at Stop AIDS told me about Caracole and how they provide housing for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. Caracole has a recovery and a traditional housing program. The recovery program is for people living with drug addictions that need housing. The traditional program is for people who just need housing. Both programs have the same goal, to help each resident accomplish their goals and independence. When you move in to Caracole, you share a threebedroom apartment with up to two other people. You don’t only have the support and knowledge of all the staff, but also the other residents in the program are going through the same things you are. The apartments are fully furnished and secure. There is staff on the premises at all times. Caracole provides you with just about everything you need to succeed. You are provided a home atmosphere with your own bedroom, food, personal hygiene products and a bus card when you need transportation for appointments. All the case managers and staff are very supportive and willing to help you with any problems or things you may need. Caracole is committed to keeping you safe and your information confidential. One thing I truly believe is that you could try your entire life and never be able to assemble a top-notch team like you have working for you at Caracole. As a resident of Caracole I feel fortunate to be in the program and working to get my independence. I have had the experience of trying to enroll in programs…setting appointments…and being told they don’t have any openings. Then my case manager would call and accomplish all I needed. Living at the Caracole house is a comfortable situation with no discrimination toward anyone. I believe there is no shame in having HIV/AIDS or being homeless. The shame is when you do nothing to improve your condition and quality of your life. I have been in Caracole for less than three months and I’m in the process of getting my GED, having necessary dental work, and I have started to look into permanent housing. I don’t think I would be even close to any of this if it wasn’t for Caracole. Caracole: 23 Years of Service to the HIV/AIDS Community Caracole’s mission is to provide safe, affordable housing and supportive services for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1987, Caracole House was the first licensed adult care facility in Ohio for people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, Caracole provides direct care services and housing to people with HIV/AIDS and their families along a continuum of care. More than 1,200 people have been housed through Caracole’s programs. For more information please call 513.761.1480 or visit www.caracole.orgv A Shooting at Tucker’s:The Follow Up In the previous issue, Streetvibes published a lengthy story dealing with reactions in Over-the-Rhine to the violent crime at Tucker’s Restaurant, a favorite eatery in the neighborhood. On Tuesday, February 1, exactly two weeks after the shooting, I visited the diner one more time to check on the situation. jiM luKen contriButing Writer tJoe Tucker seemed in a good mood as he prepared hamburgers and Tucker’s famous pancakes on the grill. Carla, Joe’s wife— injured in the shooting—was still not back to work. The telephone rang, and Rick, the waiter, told Joe that Fox News was coming in to shoot a segment and that Channel Twelve was on the way. I asked Joe what was the occasion, and he informed me that the police had apprehended a suspect whom they were convinced was responsible for the shooting. Information available at the time indicated that each of the two intruders has used shotguns, but Joe said that only one had carried a gun, which was a combination shotgun and .22 caliber rifle. The gunman fired using each side of his weapon, Joe said, hitting Carla with birdshot from the shotgun, and, apparently, paralyzing 18 year-old Ranisha Burgin with a .22 round. I asked Tucker how everyone was doing, physically and emotionally at this point. “We’re all going to get better, but it will take time.  The whole thing was terrifying,” he said. “You don’t get over that kind of thing easily.” According to Joe, the good thing is that, contrary to his expectations, business at the restaurant has been better that it was before the shooting.  Loyalty seems to be one of the virtues in Over-the-Rhine. The Enquirer (Feb 1) reported that the suspect was living in the neighborhood on McMicken Street.  According to the police report, the 21 year-old man had finally come out of hiding in order to sell some drugs, at which point they were able to apprehend him. He was charged with two counts of felonious assault as well as a number of other charges.  His bail was set at $382,000. Streetvibes apologizes for last issue’s caption under its front-page picture from Tucker’s Restaurant. The woman in the photo was Maynie Tucker, mother of the owner, not Carla Tucker, the wife. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 7 Local Bye Bye Berding! ­ “They handed out tens of millions as they diligently worked to slash funding for basic human services, swimming pools, health clinics and battered women’s shelters.” Jeff Berding’s Shameful Legacy justin jeffre Is Berding quitting because he can’t get the job done? Berding doesn’t seem to want to clearly explain himself to the voters.  While there does certainly nothing wrong with a person who wants to spend more time with his family, what if it’s just a lie to try and save face? Sen. Chris Dodd graciously said at his recent retirement announcement, “There’s nothing more pathetic, in my view, than a politician who announces they’re only leaving public life to spend more time with their family.” Like Dodd, Berding’s chances of being reelected looked slim after he pissed off everyone from his own Democratic Party to the Fraternal Order of Police by saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. Jeff Berding will leave office because his job with Mike Brown’s Bengals is in trouble. Berding’s job entails selling high end boxes which have becoming increasingly vacant and even hard core fans have had enough. According to one unhappy box owner, who wished to remain anonymous, “Not only does the team suck, they treat the people that waste tons of money on their over-priced boxes like crap.” He wasn’t hesitant to give a disappointing example how. According to our source, his company asked the team if they could get two on-field tickets so they could bring two terminally ill children on the field. The Jeff Berding Source: The Cincinnati Beacon team said yes, but once they got to the game Jeff Berding said they weren’t going to give them the tickets for the terminally ill kids because their company wasn’t renewing their boxes next year. This kind of behavior is Jeff Berding’s legacy. Even before his stint on council, Berding helped Mike Brown sell Hamilton County voters on a scandalous stadium deal that, at the time, must have made even the biggest corporate Welfare Kings blush. The Bengals lied in these shady negotiations—which have left the county with budget problems that continue to get worse and worse. And Mike Brown doesn’t even have the decency to field a respectable NFL team. Berding—along with his corporate owned cabal made up of Chris Bortz, Leslie Ghiz, and Chris Monzel—have been referred to as “fiscally responsible”, but they have consistently handed out corporate welfare like drunken sailors. They handed out tens of millions as they diligently worked to slash funding for basic human services, swimming pools, health clinics and battered women’s shelters. They had the “courage” to do that despite the fact that they told human services advocates they supported human services on the campaign trail. They had the “courage” to hurt our community’s most vulnerable despite the fact that a 2007 poll showed overwhelming support for funding human services. What else can we count towards this bird­ brained legacy? How about City Hall’s “Hurry Up Offense”?  Berding heralded in a set of rules that allowed every council item to get rushed through as an “Emergency Ordinance.”  This hurry-up strategy frustrates any attempt by interested citizens to get organized and to represent the people’s interests before council.  Perhaps we should also count the useless “strong mayor” form of government, an initiative for which Berding had an instrumental role before joining council.  It was the brainchild of the Cincinnati business community.  This system has done nothing to improve government, unless you count adding ceremonial positions and full staffs with high price tags. How could anyone forget the panhandling tax?  Trying to criminalize homelessness wasn’t enough for Berding.  He went so far as to try and tax the spare change thrown into a homeless vet’s cup! Taken as a whole, it’s clear the trajectory of Berding’s career:  a shill for corporate interests, an enemy of the poor and downtrodden, and an activist working to pervert democracy in an attempt to jam legislation through without public input.  The only thing worse than Berding’s legacy is the fact that his “brother” Chris Bortz gets to pick someone just like him as a replacement. 2011 �8 Local ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Van Jones: ­ An intimate conversation with a visionary for change Prominent leader provides OTR Community with a message of optimism jeni jenKins staff Writer In 1976 President Ford told the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The US and Canada continues to celebrate the lives and achievements of great African American leaders during Black History Month every February. While it’s necessary to remember prominent African Americans from our past, it’s equally important to distinguish the contributions of our contemporary leaders who are making a difference today. Van Jones is one such leader and a visionary for change. As the co-founder of three non-profit organizations centered on empowering the disadvantaged (The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change and Green for All) Jones has already achieved admirable status; still his list of accomplishments runs even deeper. The author of the New York Times bestseller The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems, Jones offers an insightful framework for stimulating our economy while simultaneously tackling global warming and environmental degradation. This scholarship led him to positions as special adviser on green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in 2009 and as a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Additionally, Jones’ received special recognition in several publications including Essence Magazine’s 25 most inspiring African Americans in 2008 and in 2009, Ebony Magazine’s “Power 150,” as well as one of Time magazine’s 100 people who most affect our world. On January 20, this Yale-educated civil rights attorney and professor at Princeton, paid a special visit to Miami University to speak on, “Environmental Justice and the Green-Collar Economy.” Prior to his larger presentation, a small group of around 20 Over-the-Rhine community members participated in an intimate luncheon at the Miami Center for Community Engagement, where Jones spoke openly about his perspective on the economy and how small grassroots groups can come together and make a difference. According to Thomas Dutton, Director of the center, “Jones visited Over-the-Rhine to learn about the struggles that continue in urban areas for human rights.  The conversation was powerful as community residents, students, and construction workers met to discuss his uplifting and visionary message.” After hearing from voices around the room about the major concerns facing our community including poverty, joblessness, homelessness Van Jones’ Visit to GCCH Source: GCCH and gentrification, Jones offered a macro-level explanation of the complexities of our current energy situation and its connection to the local economy. As you fly into Cincinnati, Jones explains, “you see rooftop after rooftop and every one of those could have solar panels on them generating clean free electricity and that could be entrepreneurial opportunities. We have a lot of good carpenters here, you are already 80% trained just based off that. If we have the right policies in place you can start powering America with clean abundant energy that could democratize the grid.” According to Jones, one barrier to improving our economic situation is that those who control energy sources spent millions of dollars de-railing President Obama’s green agenda to prevent clean energy programs from taking off. The reason these companies can do this is because “they make 62 million dollars a day in profit, every day… these big oil companies are the most profitable companies in the history of the world.” And with energy as “the big money maker and job producer globally” some of us will likely live on a planet with 10 billion people—and all of them are going to want to have access to products that use energy. While human civilization has been powered on non-renewable resources the question Jones poses is “how are we going to keep powering human civilization?” Jones says we must recognize that the demand for energy is going to go up while the supply for fossil fuels is going to go down, leaving a big gap. As a result, we have to either bring our demand for energy down or fill that gap with new energy sources. The creation of new energy sources will create a tremendous set of opportunities to launch new businesses, hire people and make the country less dependent on foreign oil sources. Unfortunately, standing in the way are corporate interests who don’t want to see successful green policies in place because “one of the key struggles with democracy right now,[is] who is going to control the energy future of America and therefore the world.” Jones draws parallels to those corporate interests standing in the way of making the Over-theRhine neighborhood good for the people who live here instead of for those who don’t. As Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are starting to shed populations due to the economic situation, this could be circumvented if we found a way of turning the “rust belt” into a “green belt.” Jones was tasked with figuring out how to do make his ideas a reality, “I can tell you right now it’s doable. The thing about green products, wind turbines, solar panels—they don’t make themselves, they don’t put themselves up, and they don’t distribute themselves around the world. That’s all labor, that’s all jobs.” With successful green policies in place we can “put all your auto workers back to work, and all your steel workers back to work” and “you don’t have to wait for any new technology, you don’t have to wait for any workers, if you can make a car you can make a wind turbine.” At the same time we have carpenters out of work and while “we may not be building a lot of new houses…we are going to have to re-build and re-green all this existing housing stock and while we are doing it throw a solar panel on top.” For Jones it’s important for Americans to understand that both political parties signed off on legislation that sent our jobs overseas, created the housing crisis and led to the decline of our education system and while the people are divided as a result, we need to know that “it’s a puppet show, and at the end of the day it’s going to come down to people like me and you. We changed history when we elected president Obama… but we sat down and now we need to stand back up.” According to Jones, in all of these little struggling communities “we have to unite... America is going down the drain because we are not united.” Jones’ talk with the small group was just one of hundreds of talks he is having in the coming months as he travels around the country talking to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, advocates and “ordinary people” getting them on the same page making his proposal for a clean energy economy a little more real. For Catie Dargue of the Coalition for the Homeless, Jones’ talk made a real impact “It’s an inspiration to Cincinnati and our country that someone cares enough about the future of Americans that he would sit down and learn about our community.  Being able to communicate his vision for our country while listening to our successes as well as concerns, gives me hope.” On July 4th of this year, we will see the launch of a nationwide campaign called 1Voice. This campaign is aimed at uniting communities and working towards lifting people out of poverty. For more information about Van Jones and his 1Voice Campaign visit www. vanjones.net. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Continued ­ 9 �10 International News STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Kato murder re-ignites gay rights debate ­ It’s often said that the first casualty of war is truth. That time-honored truism has gathered more weight in Uganda over the past week as conservatives and human rights campaigners exchange conflicting theories over the demise of prominent gay activist, David Kisuule Kato. joe oPio  WWW.streetneWsservice.org F or the government of Uganda, the timing of Kato’s death couldn’t have been more unfortunate. Kato was killed on January 26, a national holiday perennially reserved to commemorate the ascent to power of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Kato was the face of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an advocacy group actively campaigning against the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It’s a story that has proved enduring ever since, forcing the government on the defensive. The international press, foreign governments and gay rights activists have cast Kato’s death as the inevitable result of the prevailing climate of homophobia in Uganda; a charge the government refutes. Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police, insists that Kato’s murder had nothing to do with his activism, adding that he was just a victim of a private disagreement. “The circumstances surrounding this incident have no indication regarding Kato’s campaign against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill before Parliament,” Kayihura said days after the murder became public. Human rights activists, though, beg to differ. They maintain that it’s no coincidence that Kato got killed a mere month after his face appeared in a local tabloid that published pictures  and addresses of Uganda’s “Top 100 Homosexuals” under the screaming front-page headline, “Hang Them!” In a press release soon after the police’s statement, the activists wrote: “The Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the entire Ugandan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Community stand together to condemn the killing of David Kato and call for the Ugandan Government, Civil Society, and Local Communities to protect sexual minorities across Uganda. David has been receiving death threats since his face was put on the front page of Rolling Stone Magazine, which called for his death and the death of all homosexuals.” Kato’s lawyer claims that the activist had feared for his safety prior to his death, even alerting police. But the government and conservatives believe that by condemning the Kato’s murder as homophobia-driven, the local gay rights movement and its foreign supporters are intent on pushing their agenda by converting a victim of random violence into a martyr. The heated war of words between the conservatives and human rights activists has cooled down a notch since police arrested Enock Nsubuga, who confessed to perpetrating the murder. But the two sides continue to exchange harsh rhetoric. “The killing was an act of thuggery,” Information and National Guidance Minister Kabakumba Masiko stated at a recent press conference. “It was not organised because of what he was. Much as homosexuality is prohibited by the Constitution, his death was a (private) mission gone bad. The government is doing whatever it takes to ensure that those who killed Kato are brought to book.” Val Kalende, the Chairperson of the Board at Freedom and Roam Uganda however asserts that the government can’t wash its hands clean of its culpability. Human Rights activist Sarah Mukasa talks to the media during a press conference organized by gay rights campaigners in uganda. Source: Joe Opio “David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by US Evangelicals in 2009. The Ugandan Government and the so-called U.S Evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood!” But who exactly is telling the truth? Gay activists remain bitter that soon after Kato’s death, local police tried to dismiss the murder as just the latest in a spate of crimes orchestrated by iron-bar wielding thugs. The police maintains that its initial position was a logical assumption, given that Kato was a resident of the same Mukono area which has seen over a dozen people clobbered to death using iron-bars in the last two months. The police has since changed its stand, especially after arresting Nsubuga, an ex-convict. Nsubuga admitted guilt over Kato’s murder in an extra-judicial statement he recorded at Mukono magistrate’s court. The 22-year old Nsubuga revealed that he killed Kato for enticing him into homosexual practices with material and financial promises that never materialized. “The suspect was working in Kato’s garden at the time of the activist’s death,” revealed Police chief Kayihura. “According to the suspect, Kato, 46, promised to pay him money for having sex with him. But Kato never fulfilled his promise. The suspect then took a hammer from the bathroom and fatally beat Kato. The attack was not a hate crime, as has been widely reported, but rather stemmed primarily from the suspect’s desire to get money from Kato.” Kayihura nevertheless cautioned the public and anti-homosexuality pastors against being insensitive to the gay community in the country. “You must be sensitive. You should stop engaging in extremist campaigns that can be interpreted differently.” If the police had hoped that Nsubuga’s confession would put the matter to rest, they must have been monumentally disappointed. Gay rights activists have questioned the veracity of Nsubuga’s confession, stating that, if anything, the latter’s claims are designed to further portray gay people in unflattering light. “Nsubuga’s reasons for murdering Kato depict Kato as a deceitful human being,” a SMUG official said. “He’s also portrayed as someone who used promises to make Nsubuga do things the latter didn’t want to do. This is consistent with messages from homophobes who have accused the gay rights movement of using gifts and money to entrap and entice young students into homosexuality. This is wrong. It’s also a calculated attempt to smear Kato’s name even in death and to further depict the gay rights movement in Uganda in negative light. By showing that Nsubuga murdered Kato because of lies, the police might even be trying to send out a message that all gay relationships are bound to end this way; in cold-blooded murder.” Some activists have gone on to express fear that Nsubuga might just be a fall guy, as the government strives to deflect the international scrutiny that could fall upon Uganda were Kato’s death to be proven to have been motivated by bias toward gays. It’s an understandable, if not verifiable suspicion, seeing as Uganda’s sodomy laws that punish homosexual acts by 14 years to life in prison and the 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill that seeks the death penalty have already foisted an unforgiving international spotlight upon this land-locked East African nation of 30 million inhabitants. WANT MORE STREETVIBES? | CHECk OuT THE STREETVIBES BLOG http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �11 STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Egypt in Crisis Human Rights Activists and Journalists Endangered laura osBorn-coffey, aMnesty international usa grouP 86 coorDinator The government says the protests are illegal and has launched a crackdown, reportedly arresting up to 1,000 people. Source: AFP/Getty Images. Imagine that you go into work on an ordinary morning. Only this morning, you are arrested and pulled out of your ordinary office, just for doing what you have always done - working towards ending human rights abuses. Not many of us have had this happen - but on Thursday February 3rd, in Cairo Egypt, an Amnesty International staff person, and a Human Rights watch staff were both taken from their office and arrested. Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty USA reported to the Amnesty USA membership on Thursday February 3rd: “Our hearts nearly stopped this morning when we heard the news… one of our own, a member of the Amnesty International staff, was detained by police in Cairo after the Hisham Mubarak Law Center was taken over by military police. Our colleague was taken along with at least three others, including a delegate from Human Rights Watch. We do not know their current whereabouts.” He pleaded with the American activists to step up to the table and take action. Many people ask, “Why should Americans be concerned with the human rights abuses occurring in the wake of the protests and violence in Egypt?” Amnesty’s simple response is: because violence to the human rights of people in one country is violence to human rights anywhere around the globe. It always seems that the first people targeted in any such protests are the journalists, for this is the group of people who make sure that the rest of the world knows what is going on and the human rights defenders, who report on abuses by governments. We have seen pattern this recently in such other countries such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and China. Amnesty’s stance is that human rights monitors, including journalists, be allowed the freedom to do their crucial work at this time of crisis, in whatever country the crisis may be occurring. A second and more immediate reason is that any disruption in the Middle East usually causes an immediate rise in our national gas prices, which then increases the prices of all of our goods, which we see at the groceries and other stores. Leading up to the present conflict in Egypt was the parliamentary elections in November 2010, which were marred by violence and irregularities. Eight people were reported to have died, scores more were wounded across the country, and Amnesty International called for Egyptian authorities to open independent investigations into the deaths. The organization is also concerned that the election violence bodes poorly for expected presidential elections later in 2011. On Jan. 1, 2011, a bombing of a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria killed 23 and injured many others. Amnesty condemned the attack, and noted that the government had failed to protect Copts and other religious minorities. In addition, government security forces harassed and intimidated people who were engaged in public displays of support for victims of the bombing. Amnesty International has called on the Egyptian Vice President, Omar Suleiman, to stop the violence unleashed by pro-government supporters in Cairo and across the country amid fresh reports of a renewed crackdown on journalists and activists. Journalists were reportedly detained, and activists harassed by security forces following recent violence that saw at least five killed and several hundred wounded in the fighting between pro- and anti-government supporters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. One of the most pressing human rights concerns that Amnesty International has documented is the use of emergency legislation to arrest and detain people without charge or trial; especially after the protests. Last week these concerns were made very real with the arrests of our fellow human rights workers in Egypt. Larry Cox pleaded with our American membership: “Please, we need you to speak up with the voice of the international human rights movement. Tell Egyptian officials to release Amnesty International’s staff member and all human rights monitors.” And they and Amnesty members worldwide did so. On February 5th, in Cairo, the Amnesty International staffs were reunited with their missing colleagues. They stated, “While we were incredibly relieved by the news of their release after 32 painful and sleepless hours of anxiety, and excited by our few quick phone conversations with them, we could not rest until they were in a place of safety and were able to get a much needed meal, shower and clean beds. Our anxiety was heightened by the fact that they were released some four hours after the curfew began. We weren’t sure where they were being dropped off by the military police who had detained them, without any proof of identity, taken from them at the time of arrest. “Luckily, there was a happy resolution and a happier reunion not too long after in front of a hotel. We were incredibly proud of our colleagues, who despite their fatigue and clearly difficult ordeal, were joking about parts of their experience in detention. A foreign photographer held with them who had been surprised that when told “five minutes” in Egypt this did not actually mean five minutes.” There are still many other people who remain arrested or detained in Egypt, and many people worldwide are watching with great interest to see what will occur in neighboring countries, such as Syria and Jordan. Go to www.amnesty-usa.org to take immediate action on the human rights crisis in Egypt. Whether in a high-profile conflict or a forgotten corner of the globe, Amnesty International, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, campaigns for justice, freedom and dignity for all. Laura Osborn-Coffey, MSW, LISW-S Laura has been dedicated to the field of social work for the last 25 years. She graduated from the Salem International University with a Bachelors of Science in Equestrian Studies, then attended and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, School of Social Work in 1986. Experienced in a variety of fields including mental health, alcohol/ drug, and the aging populations, she recently worked at Bethany House Services, a non-profit homeless service agency in Hamilton County, OH. Laura has been an active member of Amnesty International, on the local and Mid-west levels over the last 25 years. She is the coordinator of the Cincinnati Local Group 86 – the community based chapter of Amnesty International USA. She is also Amnesty’s ‘Area Coordinator’ for the state of Ohio, a role in which she stays in touch with the Amnesty groups statewide. She has been a ‘trainer’ within Amnesty, has done workshops at the local, regional and national level; and she has assisted with coordinating three Midwest Regional Amnesty conferences in Cincinnati since 1989. Within Group 86, Laura and the local volunteers have organized events over the years to bring the plight of worldwide human rights abuses to the attention of the greater Cincinnati community. In her spare time, Laura does spinning, weaving, quilting, writing, and gardening; she has five cats and two horses, a husband and two grandchildren (not in that order). �12 Interest ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Aliens with Extraordinary Skills ­ A review about illegal immigrants not E.T. catie Dargue staff Writer F ive minutes into the play and I’m still waiting for the UFO to land and these so-called Aliens to emerge. Instead I’m watching a Moldovan Clown make balloon animals and wondering if I’m in the right play. Oh, I get it. You’ll have to excuse me, I was thinking space aliens. The Know Theatre’s production of Saviana Stanescu’s play is full of all sorts of hidden surprises,making you think twice about what you’re seeing. The play starts with Nadia from Moldova and her Russian clowning pal Borat (yes like the movie), running away to New York to attempt to blend in the crowd, escape from a couple of agents that are chasing them for their fake circus Visas, and maybe even find happiness or a Green card. However, Nadia (who refers to herself as Ginger), finds it more difficult than expected to come up with the $750 rent to sleep on her roommate and budding friend, Lupita’scouch. Meanwhile, Borat gets stuck working as a cab driver and feels exhausted by the work hours as well as the people of the city. It’s your basic story of boy and girl go separate directions, boy stalks girl’s roommate, random guy from Craigslist stalks both girls, and everybodyends up okay in the end. Or something likethat. The play has a fun and light atmosphere magnetically pushingagainst the very real problem that the two immigrants face. The INS agents (played by two women: Beth Harris and MJ Jurgensen) provide a very haunting reality for Nadia along her journey, however, their characters are so ‘clownish’ in many ways that they come across as comic relief and less of a threat. Almost unnecessary to the script,they are the most confusing of characters. Liz Vosmeier’s balances her naturally comic Ginger with therealities that face Nadia. That said, Kaitlin Becker’s performance of the aspiring actress roommate Lupita is close to stealing the show from Nadia. Matthew Lewis Johnson has some very touching moments as his character Borat struggles to find if it’s love or if it’s a Green card he’s after. My favorite line had to be, “That Mexican Pizza guy was really hot for you and he just got his Visa.” Bob, played by George Alexander, captures the annoying guy you learn to love. My only observation about the character’s situation is that as someone who is personally married to a Green card holder, I know it’s not as easy as just getting married to stay in the country and I questioned the Liz Vosmeier and Matthew Lewis Johnson clown around in Aliens with Extraordinary Skills. Credit: Deogracias Lerma. playwright’s research on the subject which becomes one of the major themes of the show. Besides that, my biggest criticism was probably of the set. The idea was creative enough but perhaps didn’t translate as well from the design board to the construction. Three movable walls form the various locations for the actionand set pieces can be moved in and out through holes in the walls. The entire wall is lined with 8.5 x 11in paper immigration forms;however I couldn’t see this until after the show when I ventured on set to see what I had been staring at for the last couple of hours. The holes in the setare covered by paper too but only in long rows which allow for items to be rolled in or out. Think those big floppy clothsyou drive under to enter a car wash. My first thought was, ‘will this set last for the whole run of the show?’ An interesting concept but the construction didn’t translate well and in places the assembly looked a bit messy. Some inspired designs with video recording and projection were produced thatdidn’t distract from the play but rather enhanced the scene. My favorite was a car driving through New York for Borat’s cab. The costumes are fun and there’s an effective use of staying with a theme for each character. Nadia in a giant hamburger suit saying, ‘Everything is possible’ is one of those perfect ephemeral moments enhanced by the costuming. All and all, it’s worth the wonderfully priced tickets at Know Theatre and is a very unique way of looking at a current hot topic and political event from the point of view of the people most affected. I’ll even forgive the playwright for suddenly breaking the forth wall at the end to catch the audience up on what transpired. Just be ready for anything in this play as nothing is too farfetched. Except for UFOs and space Aliens, don’t get your hopes up as they are not in this play. Jan 29th – Feb 26th 2011. You can purchase tickets online at www.knowtheatre.com or call the Know Theatre box office at (513) 300-KNOW (5669). �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Excerpts from Looking Beyond the Storm: Selections of Poetry By MalcolM o. varner Beyond the Storm True Love Reverberate When Art gave birth to Writing, May the melodies of my words echo hope across hopeless hearts. she had no idea how deeply for her daughter I’d fall. A belle dame is she, so pure in every way, upon each occasion we meet is sure to brighten up my day. Of her I dream at work and likewise why I come home running. Her body is filled with sounds that titillate my ears, the rhythm of her movements brings me to tears. Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while gliding in this here great sky, let me look below and marvel, knowing how far I’ve come. And when we’re apart, Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while flying high in the air, let me look beyond the storm, and prepare my wings to get me there. But then, when we become intertwined as one, Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while gaining new heights above storm clouds, let me use adverse winds to propel me toward my goal. and I will live to show her beauty as long as I can. Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while floating with turbulent winds to my back, let me look far ahead, flying gracefully into blue skies. 13 Story & Poetry Corner I contend with a void where empty echoes live in my heart. the consummation of our love shall not be undone. As a woman, she will complete me as a man, May the sounds of my words pierce peace into minds in misery like darts. May the rhythm and grace of her dance inspire an incessant will to win. May the style of her steps propel impoverished feet towards prosperity. May the slender lines of his smooth sculpture give awe to opportunities. May the depth of details in his design help discover hidden potential. May the cheery chirps of birds at dawn energize eyes to see newness. May the consistency of their calls inspire positive mantras to be muttered. May the light of the symphonic morning sun radiate daily delight. May the warmth of its rays renew commitment to compassion. May the acts of inhaling and exhaling give reason to fight and prevail. May the essence of life justify the act of completely playing one’s part. My Fathers house Willa D jones In my Father’s house there are many mansions Many mansions, with many rooms to rest and pray in In good times, in bad times, day, night, sleep or wake times All the time I spend in my Father’s house because his house is mines When I was homeless, a drunkard, a drug addict and all alone I found much comfort and peace just praising in song When I was hungry, hair nappy, dirty and smelling really bad I held onto my sanity, when my belief in pray was all I had As in any house with rules, my Father has commandments of ten Even though I would make mistakes, I’d always repent of my sins And ask for forgiveness with the understanding to make a change A change for the best so there would be no more fear or pain Taking what each day brings in pray and always believe Having faith to know that my Father’s will is best for me While searching for God’s love, wisdom and understanding I come into the realization of just what my heart was demanding I began to go to church to learn more about my Father’s house I found peace and my soul was saved I could finally announce I learn that there is a place in my Father’s house for everyone The young, the old, the lost and the sick at heart and mind I learned the mistakes I’d made were all of one kind I understand today that we must learn from the mistakes we’ve made And know only by the grace of God can our souls be saved So won’t you come visit in the house of my Father Learn the bible and know that with my Father there is no other Take your time and search you soul to truly find yourself An understand that in our Father’s house is where we’ll be forever safe with plenty of help �14 Sightings ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Beautiful Music, Come Rain, Snow, or Shine Thomas and Mary Chapman have been visiting Over-the-Rhine every Sunday afternoon for the last 16 years, come rain, snow or shine. They sing songs of hope and worship which lifts the spirits and gives hope to people living in this part of town. Here is a true act of social service. �Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati union Bethel St. Francis Soup kitchen Churches Active in Northside FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 381-SAFE 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 562-8841 872-9259 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 15 Resources ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 united Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NkY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Column ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Forging the Universal human ­ Martin Zeinway rebels against war and divisive identities “My artwork is a commentary on my war-torn origins and on the search for my identity”, says Martin Zeinway. “As a child I had to leave Liberia, my country of origin, devastated by an ongoing civil war, and resettle as a refugee in the USA. Before moving here I never considered myself By saaD ghosn contriButing Writer to be ‘Black’. I was Liberian, then African. To Americans, however, I am first Black, then African, then Liberian; and to Black Americans, an African, who is Black, from Liberia. Who am I in reality?” Zeinway, a Cincinnati visual artist, arrived to Alliance Academy, a Cincinnati charter school. In undergrad, Zeinway mostly developed technique, acquired skills and learned the academic side of art. Preparing for his Master in Art Education, he started questioning himself, remembering his past experiences, allowing them to emerge. Painful memories, silenced until then, resurfaced. The war he lived as a child and the damages it caused and that he experienced when visiting back his country, had never left him. Images of violence, desolation, destruction, human loss and suffering, dormant for many years, started reappearing in his drawings. “I found myself sketching bodies without limbs, exploded bleeding heads, crying individuals, displaced families…” he says. “I knew where they were coming from.” Encouraged by his professors to explore his feelings and concerns, he decided to create works about himself and his past and inform the viewer. War, violence and their negative effects, the destruction of his country and of its culture, the loss of life, disintegration of communities, became all part of his painted works. They spoke of the ugliness of armed conflicts and of the need to abolish them. A Mother’s Cry, represents an African woman crying, her sons gone, recruited to be soldiers, her daughter forced to become a sex slave. Nothing is left to her, not even food depicted as fruit in the painting, alluding to both starvation and loss of her children, essential ingredients of her life. Zeinway was also indirectly referring to his own mother, sad, separated form her son she sent away not to be killed. In Decisions, a young pregnant lady stands next to writing that says: “All I wanted is some food, and now I carry the baby of the rebels,” illustrating the unjust and inhuman pressures war places on individuals, especially women, for survival. The Peace Keeper, points to the irony of war; it shows a soccer ball next to 2 groups of fighters laying down their arms. During the war, fighters would often reunite and stop fighting just the time of a football game, the ball, thus, an elusive symbol of peace. The Role Reversal addresses the changes arm power inflicts on the traditional functioning of a community. It shows elders and elderly, in time of peace wise decision-makers of the tribe, silenced and replaced by powerful young gun-carrying fighters. Who Am I, lithographic print with watercolor. Print and Photo by Martin Zeinway the United States, with his uncle’s family, at age 14. He lived originally in Cleveland, OH, received a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Central State University, Wilberforce, OH, a Master’s degree in Art Education form Miami University, Oxford, OH, and a Master in Fine Art degree from the University of Cincinnati (UC). He currently teaches art at Central State University and at In The Future Is Dead, an image of a man holding a gun and shooting overlaps silhouettes of kids. It refers to all the kids who lost their future becoming children fighters or who were, as well as their culture, killed due to war. Zeinway did many more paintings in his series, all focused on war, its detrimental effects on his country and life in general. In addition to his visual art, he also started writing down the outline of his life and experiences from the moment he was born. This led him to introspective analysis, to questioning about his identity, his role in a country different from his birth one, his future. It Martin Zeinway in his studio. Photo by Saad Ghosn also coincided with the beginning of his graduate school at UC. “Being at UC was challenging and frustrating at the same time,” he says. “I wanted to do something different but did not know what. I felt unable to define myself, asking constantly: Who am I? Am I an artist, an educator, a student, a Liberian, a Black, an African, an American…? I felt lost with so many layers of identity.” This is when Zeinway resorted again to his artwork for help, visualizing his dilemmas and, in the process, working towards their resolution. To emphasize his African identity he included in his new drawings and paintings Adinkra symbols from West Africa, representing popular proverbs and maxims. He also delved into the world of fashion, applying African fabrics and designs to western cloth and garments he would wear, thus pointing to the intricate stitched-up duality of his being. Who Am I?, a lithographic print with watercolor, displays the ongoing conflict between the 2 sides of his personality, the African Liberian and the American. It consists of 2 of his portraits shown back to back, one dressed in a western suit, the other in a suit layered with African fabric. In the background is the image of a child holding an AK47 gun, sitting in a classroom. Red, white and blue refer to the American flag and in the center is the Adinkra symbol of knowledge. Zeinway thus incorporated references to his African origin, his past as a child in a warring country, his experience in the West, his educated status wearing a suit, his search for knowledge… all sharing the surface of the same page, overlapping, yet coexisting in harmony. “Liberia created me and showed me how to love and care for humanity; America taught me how to live and work,” he says. “I am a man of the world, rich of many experiences; I do not want to choose. The more categories we draw, the more divisiveness we generate.” Zeinway will continue to use his art to oppose war and fight racial and social classifications. He wants his work to educate on the issues of identity, race, discrimination, and motivate for equality, peace and justice. He hopes one day to build an art school in his native Liberia to give children the opportunity to develop their creative talents at the service of a better world. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 15-28, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: African American Achievements Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: African American Achievements Continued Pg 4: Die N-Word Die! Excerpts from the 1969 Autobiography Pg 5: Prison System Overhaul Pg 6: My Life at Caracole Pg 7: Bye Bye Berding! Pg 8: Van Jones: An Intimate Conversation with a Visionary for Change Pg 9: Continued Pg 10: Kato Murder Re0Ignites Gay Rights Debate Pg 11: Egypt in Crisis Pg 12: Aliens with Extraordinary Skills Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: Poetry Continued Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Forging the Universal Human Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 15-28, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lee McCoy Jim Luken Josh Spring Willa Jones Corey Gibson Laura Osborn-Coffey Catie Dargue Malcolm O. Varner Riccardo Taylor Justin Jeffre Joe Opio Dr. Michael Washington Aimie Willhoite Jim Luken Saad Ghosn, Rob Vinit Murthy Martin Zeinway Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists African American Aimie Willhoite Black History Month Catie Dargue Corey Gibson David Kisuule Kato Dr. Michael Washington Egypt Elizabeth Schulenberg Gay Human Rights Immigrants Inmates Jeff Berding Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Joe Opio Josh Spring Journalists Justin Jeffre Laura Osborn-Coffey Lee McCoy Malcolm O. Varner Martin Zeinway Poetry Prison Riccardo Taylor Rob Vinit Murthy Saad Ghosn Van Jones Willa Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/542c8bdb86adb30963d95b90b792b9d1.pdf e6916b874b065f3a2ba980d7070e4c0c PDF Text Text Move Ahead or Get Left Behind Congratulations Pg 8 March 1-14, 2011 Pg 14 • ADVOCATING JUSTICE Pearla Kinne,The inspiring story of an Argentinian Immigrant who followed her dream to save lives, one companion animal at a time By: Pearla Kinne A civil engineer by trade, at the time Perla Medina, an immigrant from Argentina, married Michael Kinne in 1990; she knew that animals would be an important part of her life. As other people their age were settling down and starting families, the Kinnes opted to adopt and rescue animals that needed special care and attention. Perla knew she had a knack for it. She thrived on providing critical and intensive care to her pets. For years the Kinnes adopted the old, terminally ill, black, and those that for whatever reason, would be a challenge to adopt out to forever homes. But every animal that others saw as a challenge, they viewed as a Judge Painter welcome addition. “The reward for us was in watching them flourish and become beloved members of our family”, she states. And that is how Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary got its start, unknowingly at the time by the founder. So in 2009, the Kinnes decided to make it official. “We wanted to help animals on a larger scale”, Perla says. Now Angel’s Rest Animal Sanctuary located in New Richmond, Ohio, is doing just that, helping the unadoptable live as full and happy a life as they can possibly have. Angel’s Rest, whose mission is SAVING LIVES, ONE COMPANION ANIMAL AT A TIME, strives to help unwanted animals who have no place to go other than a kill-shelter to face euthanasia, die alone in the streets or abandoned at the end of a chain. Its goal is to take animals out of situations where they would be facing imminent danger and provide them with a comfortable place to spend the remainder of their lives, no matter how long it may be. They strive to provide everyone that enters their doors with the care they need and deserve to ensure that they live the rest Issue 194 • • One Dollar BUILDING COMMUNITY of their lives in peace, comfort, well fed and loved. While they deal mostly with older residents that will reside in the sanctuary for the remainder of their days, they actively rescue, rehabilitate and have pets for adoption. Of the animals rescued, some will be entering ELDER PAWS™, a program designed to match older shelter animals with senior citizens, as long as their temperament matches with program requirements. “Angel’s Rest has been a life-long dream of mine. It is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and the time is finally here,” says Perla. “Our sanctuary is growing a lot slower than I would prefer mostly due to limited funds and lack of a steady income stream. “ Angel’s Rest currently houses 6 dogs and 10 cats. Of the 16 current sanctuary residents, only one is healthy and is up for adoption. The rest are life-long residents who are facing a terminal illness, have a disability or exhibit some sort of behavioral issue which makes them “unadoptable”. “It has been a challenge starting a not-for-profit sanctuary during these difficult financial times, especially when donations are down across the board.” Adding to the difficulty has been not having a facility where animals can be housed and where people can come to see how their hard-earned money is being put to good use. Currently, Angel’s Rest houses animals at the founders’ home as well as two family members’ homes. “I find it very difficult conducting business without the benefit of having a building. You are not always taken seriously, especially when you are forced to hold meetings or interviews at the local coffee shop.” Another downside of their current situation is the limitation not having a facility places on the number of animals they can help. “I get calls and e-mails constantly wanting us to take animals that fit our criteria and we cannot help them. We just cannot take any more in without jeopardizing the well being of the ones we are committed to. It is very hard to accept that as a no-kill sanctuary you may be responsible for an animal’s death, all because you just cannot offer it a home immediately.” Angel’s Rest is planning on opening their first facility next month. “I am hopeful that the opening of Cat Village in March will help us move forward and grow a bit faster”, says Perla. Cat Village will enable the dogs and cats to be housed separately. Having both species under the same roof has been a huge problem for us with the recent addition of Dixie, an 11-year old, threelegged bull mastiff that sees cats as prey. “Our cats are older and some have life-long ailments. They need a peaceful environment.” Along with Cat Village’s opening, Angel’s Rest will be opening a thrift store as well as a bingo operation in New Richmond in the near future to fund the sanctuary’s operation and expansion. “The faster we can get these sources of income in place, the sooner we can start saving the lives of more animals. And, in the end, that is all that matters.” Angel’s Rest relies solely on donations and the kindness of others. They are a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www. angelsrestanimalsanctuary.org Stacey Smith recently changed her name to “Sun” after almost losing her mother to an illness in September. Jeni JenKins. staff Writer She felt like she was re-born with a spiritual motivation that woke her up from a complacent place and now she lives each day as a new opportunity to make herself better. Her new name represents the light that shines inside of her – “it was always there but it has definitely been rejuvenated since September.” This born and raised Cincinnatian draws inspiration from her mother who made tremendous sacrifices to raise her and her three siblings working as a domestic worker. Her mother’s strength drives Sun to work extra hard so she can take care of her as she gets older. Sun’s greatest accomplishment came when her mother witnessed her graduate from Northern Kentucky University with her Bachelors in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. As a first generation college student, having never walked for graduation in high school, this was a huge feat. One of Sun Smith’s designs from her SoapBoxTees Clothing line. See Women’s Herstory, P. 4 �2 Editorial ­ BY ThE NUMBERS 75.5 Cents The amount of money an American woman makes for every dollar that men earn (Page 2) 3.3 Billion The amount of women in the world (Page 2) 3-10-11 The next meeting of the Homeless Congress (Page 3) 32 The years Patti Marshall, Operations Manager for Q102, B105, Rewind, and The Wolf has worked in radio. (Page 4) 1,528 The miles the Japanese light rail transportation system Shinkansen, reaches (Page 8) 60 The percentage of Zimbabweans that have HIV and are female (Page 11) 27 The years Judge Painter has been elected a trial and appellate judge (Page 14) 18 The age Kim Shifflett left her home in New Mexico to pursue her artistic goals. (Page 16) Streetwise “What if Prince Charming never showed up? Would Snow White have slept in that glass coffin forever? Or would she have eventually woken up, spit out the apple, gotten a job, a health care package, and a baby from her local neighborhood sperm bank?” Jen Martin Editor I never really thought of myself as a feminist. I was walking into work the other day and Jeni Jenkins, our fabulous Education Director, asked me how I walk in my shoes. Anyone who knows me knows I love my shoes. Most are heels that raise me up 3 or more inches. There are probably tons of people who think I am a giant. I am about 5’7 without them so most days I appear about 6 feet tall. I don’t have trouble walking in them, I actually feel weird and less confident without them. I don’t wear them to look more attractive, I wear them because they are beautiful and they make me feel that way. When I started working with a friend of mine, he made the movie poster ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’ his screen saver as a nod to my height illusion. Illusion, the word I often use when people ask how tall I am. I typically explain that I am not this tall, it is just an illusion. Or as Chris Rock says, it’s just a lie. Women are visual liars. And yes, Mr. Rock, we are. Being a modern American woman is not an easy task. I believe men tend to think women can control the way feel sometimes. I am not saying we are completely incapable, saying that would mean a woman couldn’t be president because she would… oh what is the quote? I think it’s something like “A woman can’t be president because she’ll get her period and declare war.” That is just silly but the fact remains that women are more emotional due to these insane hormones we have. Add those hormones to pregnancy, motherhood, the day in day out life of being subjected to men’s advances (even when we don’t want to hear them), and Mother Nature’s cruel joke called menstruation; and it is truly amazing that women are right on par with men these days. In fact, modern women need men for practically nothing. Women can make just as much money (even though we have to work harder since women make only 75.5 cents for every dollar that men earn, according to a report by the U.S. Census Bureau). And if there is one thing I have learned in my life, only one thing I could pass on to any girl who hopes to achieve their dreams; it would be to simply make your own money, to have your own plan. If you do count on a man, chances are likely there will come a day you may have to reevaluate and start from scratch. Which it seems many women in the US don’t have a problem doing. And it’s damn hard when you go it alone without a backup plan; such has been my life for the past year. And I am not nearly alone in my plight. In 2010, 46% of first marriages in the US ended in divorce. It isn’t a crazy statistic when you consider that money is the top reason for arguments within a marriage. We have learned that marriages of financial obligation are just that, obligation. Women these days don’t have to settle for that. It makes you wonder…and in the words of the great Sex and the City writers, “What if Prince Charming never showed up? Would Snow White have slept in that glass coffin forever? Or would she have eventually woken up, spit out the apple, gotten a job, a health care package, and a baby from her local neighborhood sperm bank?” Even though we typically make less money, have more daily commitments, and deal with all those aforementioned hormones; we are still making strides daily in the fight for feminine equality. Each woman has a daily struggle that no man truly understands. And with that, I am just referring to American women. Let’s not forget that there are still areas of the globe, even today, where it is not only acceptable but completely normal for women to experience oppression, illiteracy, rape, poor health care, not to mention physical and mental abuse. In Afghanistan, domestic violence is common, 87% of women said they had experienced it. In oil rich Saudi Arabia, women live their entire life under the guardianship of a male relative. They are not allowed to interact with men publicly, drive a car, and they must live strictly segregated lives. Breaking any of these rules would expose them to sever punishment. In areas of Pakistan, women are gang-raped as punishment for men’s crimes. Killing women as a means of honor in these areas has become wider spread with a renewed wave of religious extremism that targets female politicians, human rights workers, and lawyers. When I think of those women and what they must experience, I feel so privileged to live where I live with the rights so many brave women fought for. Of the 3.3 billion women that occupy this planet, I am one of the lucky ones and if you’re reading this, you probably are too. I was told from day one that I could be whatever I wanted to be. Despite dealing with men in my life who have treated me much less than ‘good’, I always had the right and the means to get away from them. By the means, I mean the resources. And they are there ladies, resources in Cincinnati for women and their issues are abundant. See our resources page if you or someone you know is in need. And again, I feel privileged to live where I live. I am hardly a traditional feminist. I wear heels; make up, a push up bra, and Spanx when I feel a little chubby. While married, I loved the role of playing house and having dinner on the table by six. All of these things though, I did and still do by choice. I believe a qualified woman should make as much as their male counterpart. I believe in a woman’s’ right to choose (and with the insane over population of the world, you should too). I believe women can achieve anything, I mean anything they want. I believe that in my lifetime, we will see a woman president. I believe that women will likely rule this world eventually. If we can manage high powered careers, motherhood, relationships and our monthly visitor…I think we can and we will conquer. I have seen a man with a cold (and recent studies show men do complain an abnormal amount when sick), I am convinced if a man got a menstrual period they would be on the couch in a fetal position. Sorry guys, you would. So ladies, this is my salute to us…to the brave women who paved the way for us to speak our overactive minds, and the fabulous local women featured in this issue. As my mom still says, you go girl. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 3 Local Issue homeless Congress ­ February Meeting riccardo taylor Before giving the spiel and elaboration of the particulars of the second Homeless Congress session it is my pleasure to relate our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Pastor Fred Cook and his wife Leslie Cook for their support and generosity in providing for us the space and allotment of time to conduct our meetings. We would also like to give thanks to all other staff and program directors at the First Lutheran Church of Race St. The second meeting of the Homeless Congress, which was held on February 10/2011, was what I consider to be a success. Our membership count for the day was at eight down from the ten original members who started with me in January. My reason for viewing this meeting as a success is not because of the decline in the number of attendees, but the simple reality that we as a group did meet again as scheduled with the majority of the first meetings attendees returning. The fact that these individuals, all who I might add are under some stress of the conditions of homelessness/poverty, did find the time and as well provided their energy through participation during the meeting is deserving of recognition and appreciation from myself and those who may receive some future benefit. For the most part the only real difference between the first and second meeting as far as attendance and participation goes is that our first meeting held in January was attended by a group of individuals, whom I had the pleasure of convincing that our convening for the particular task of creating a voice for those of us living in the circumstance homelessness was both a worthy cause and a great opportunity for us too air the issues which effect us most. Though not all the original members were present at the second meeting some did follow protocol for missing a session and we look for their return for future meetings. Further, I have convinced myself that a project such as the creation and substantiation of such an entity will take some trial and error as well as some weeding out of potential membership. Armed with all the possibilities of failure and success, I can say with a sense of pride and respect for our member body that we are convinced of our mission and we are pushing forwarded! At our latest meeting we went over the introduction of our pilot project that we hope to institute at the Drop Inn Center. The particulars and duties to be performed by the selected Congress members were set in place and the volunteers for the project are in agreement for contractual assistance with the Drop Inn Center’s staff. Our next step will be the introduction to the Drop Inn center and hopeful partnership with that agency. The remaining time spent in session was a review of some of the immediate issues with winter sheltering, and other issues that might be available for us as a group to engage in within community/resources agencies where we might be of assistance or available for volunteering. We ended the meeting on a positive note and with high hopes of becoming an asset to our community we set our next meeting date for March 10, 2011. In giving appreciation for the individuals who have come forth to help make a difference and who are instrumental in making the Congress a reality below are listed the members of Cincinnati’s Homeless Congress. James De Mario Brown Dennis Saker Keith Eutsey Jerry Davis Constance Walton Stephen Snow Gentry Lee McCoy Deerrick Prophet Walter Washington Booger Love Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Street Life Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, Keeping score jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jennifer Martin, Donald Whitehead, B. Clifton Burke, Pearla Kinne, Jordan Antoine Wilson, Riccardo Taylor, Saad Ghosn, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Fungai Machirori Photography/Artwork Anthony Williams, Amiee Willhoite, Saad Ghosn, Pearla Kinne, Colleen Lowe Morna, Eddie Sun, GCCH Staff The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. Riccardo Taylor Source: GCCH riccardo taylor The whirl-wind reality of life in the streets lacks in options, and more conclusively has only two types of players. Addressed by any other name they still come out the same. Winners, and losers; a simple formula, at least to the common ear, yet the reality is so much more varied. Everybody knows that someone has to win at the expense of someone losing, but it is so much more then that! You see, you cannot make a loser out of a winner or visa versa, each has its own position. Keeping score, it’s a count that all street people use, large or minute it’s important that you know, the tally, it allows you to get an edge, or when needed or too play catch up. The employment of hard work or the leisure of kicking back is all generated from the count. Pleasure when you are up misery when you are down! Even with such a simple formula, there is still that sense of doubt that creeps in from time to time. Is this where I want to be? Do I have enough or too little? Let me count again, I have to be sure that the score is right! Often times it’s hard to determine where we stand, no winner thinks he’s a loser and no loser thinks he’s not winning. However, there is the reality that someone has to win and someone has to lose. The only difference is that there is only one reality. “Winners make things happen and losers let things happen.” So let us see how this works. The winner. This is the person who goes out, and regardless of the odds or the circumstance, they put forth their full effort. Using everything at their immediate disposal they create the situation/circumstance that best fits the desired result. They are fearless of the outcome, and only concern themselves with the rewards that are to be gained from their endeavor. Taking a chance is the engine of motive for success, having the confidence that only a winner can have, they step headlong into the project, always expecting the most but resolved too accept what comes. The winners know that with just a bit more effort it can be remedied. “Go to where life takes you.” Now the loser, true to his/her disposition, at the first setback or difficulty they throw up their hands in defeat. That common motto, “I did my best”, always seems to be the answer. They tend to have satisfaction from their least bit of effort, and refuse to see things in any other light. Not having the willingness or the fortitude to press on, they allow things to be where they are and to just let it happen. There is an excuse for everything! It is what it is, or, so they say. Taking things for granted we would expect everyone to be satisfied where they are, if you are satisfied with the outcome of your efforts then your OK. However, I beg the difference, actually if we are satisfied with where we are then that makes us somewhat of a loser! One should never be content, with just where they are, there is always room for improvement, and striving for that improvement is the mark of a true winner. Therefore, the keeping of the score is much more then just a count, it’s a calculation of where one wants to be, and not just an idea of the moment. Winners are never completely content and so they are in search of more. Losers are staid and a moment of contentment is their desire. The scorekeeper is the true winner and the keeper of the score! �4 Women Making herstory Patti Marshall, a Journey from Marilyn Monroe to Mogul Continued from P. 1 At 33, Sun is on a path she feels proud of. As Case Manager with Lighthouse Youth Services she spends her days working with at-risk teens between the ages of 13 and 17. She assists youth with mental health and behavior issues, connecting them with community resources to keep them away from negative influences. In her work, Sun co-facilitates a substance abuse prevention support group once a week in addition to individually counseling teens to keep them away from drugs and their negative effects. Sun sees herself as a visionary and as a teacher but is also learning through others and enjoys the fresh insight the youth give on how the world works. “I think that keeps me youthful and helps me keep my ideas flowing and keeps me from being complacent- they energize me. Our youth can provide new solutions to old problems and that is inspiring to me.” Sun recognizes she is making a positive difference when she sees a kid she is working with start to believe in themselves more- and she sees their confidence grow. “When I see a person moving away from where they were from the time we have spent together- breaking people away from the cycle of poverty and impoverished mindset that sometimes comes along with it.” Sun says she pushes youth to think outside of themselves and their norms and explore the world with new eyes. Through her mentoring she exposes youth to art museums, the planetarium and cooking classes as well as teaching them how to apply for jobs, and reserve a library bookall of which she says are “sustainable skills and resources to be able to become independent.” “Many kids don’t have a strong support system and I help them increase their social supports.” When Sun isn’t working with at-risk youth she volunteers for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind as an on air radio reader. Additionally, she’s an advocate for immigration reform, recently volunteering for the Immigration Reform Movement on the local campaign with the Interfaith Worker’s Center to establish workers rights for low wage works and immigrants. Since 2007 Sun has also owned and operated a small business, Soap Box Tees, a creative, urban and socially conscious lifestyle clothing company. Sun designs clothing that are a reflection of her environment and passions. Her work as an activist, writer, and volunteer fuels her drive for promoting social responsibility. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Hmmm in the beginning I was too young (15) to recognize it, then it started with what management thought was “acceptable” for a female role. Only midday or nights, a sidekick in the morning (never lead and few are now)..... nor were you considered for the program director position. In the early 90’s one boss told me I sounded too much like Marilyn Monroe to be real...something I’ve never forgotten. I took that to mean ‘dumb blond’ by the way he said it. Later I turned it into a challenge, hung her picture on my wall and celebrated. Marilyn had a lot more going on than everyone thought too. I think it’s always in the wind....assumptions are made because you’re female that you’re too emotional, that you won’t work well with other women, the list goes on and on. I guess the best defense is to be damn good at your job and help your company make money .... results are hard to argue with. I am humbled and privileged by the opportunity to document the lives these extraordinary Cincinnati women. -Jeni Jenkins. Staff Writer Continued from P. 4 Julie Evans, Up and Coming Radio Management Giving an Inspiring Take on Being a Gay Woman in a Man’s World author: intervieW By Jennifer Martin An Interview with Patti Marshall You have so many titles…what are they? Operation and Marketing manager of WYGY 97.3 fm “The Wolf”, WUBE 105.1 “B-105” , WKRQ 101.9 fm “Q102”, WREW 94.9 fm “Rewind”, and Program Director for Q102. How long have you been in radio and what made you start? I have been in the radio business for 32 years; I started in radio because I love music. In 1979 I was signed up for an Easter seals dance a thon... about hour 6 of a 24 hour event I started to drive I am truly blessed with the women I work with. Q102 has more full time on air female hosts than any Cincinnati station and most stations in the country. Add to that Kim Carson, Amy Tobin and Jennifer Martin who all contribute to the station’s weekend programming. Jenn Jordan (Jeff and Jenn, Mornings), Laura Powell (Afternoons with Brian Douglas), Jennifer Fritsch (Morning Show Producer) and Holly Morgan (Middays) are the most talented women I’ve ever worked with. Each has a distinctly different personality and their lives reflect our audience. Moms, wives, single, divorced they share it all on the air. We have a lot of women here at the stations...from Angie Mitchell our business manager, sales, traffic, new media to Katie Walters our Q Promotions Coordinator, we never run of a woman’s opinion and influence. See Women’s Herstory, P. 5 Great Books! visit facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com www.cincybooks.com I’ve been in Radio 11 years. 10 years paid! Got into radio because I love music but I have no talent (as far as playing an instrument or singing) so I thought radio would be the next best thing. Throughout your time in radio have you found being a woman has worked for against you? As Operations Manager of the four station cluster, how important is giving back to the community, and how do you decide which charities you partner with? Tell me about the thought process behind Q102’s programming and talent. How long have you been in radio and what made you get in the business in the first place? Amy Lind Educating and Empowering to Change Lives Work directly with the sales department to organize client needs through promotions. Also, schedule all the music you hear on the station. Work hard, learn all facets of the job, and surround yourself with people who are supportive, stay true to your value system, and look for a company that appreciates your talent…and seek a mentor who helps you develop. When you start...consider all of the above as your true salary, don’t measure your worth by the number on your paycheck until you have the experience to demand it...and even then weigh quality over quantity. I feel a strong need to use the power we have to help. Our charity events reflect the needs and life experiences of the listener for each station. With Q102’s large female audience we focus on breast cancer, heart disease, and children. Everyone woman has a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. B105 and 97.3 The Wolf have strong patriotic initiatives....the Marine Corps Toys for Tots, the USO. Rewind 94.9 has a broader approach, helping local charities with its support of the Rusty Ball and so many other organizations. Our listeners guide us. A good station is a mirror of its audience. An Interview with Julie Evans, Promotions Director/ Assistant Program Director for “Rewind” 94.9 fm What do you technically do each day? What advice do you have for young women who want to break into the radio/ media world? When I thought about powerful women in Cincinnati, the first person that came to mind is Patti Marshall. I started working with Patti about 6 years ago when I was hired at the old alternative rock station, 97.3. The first time I saw Patti, I was scared to death. When Patti walks in a room, people shut up. I was just a radio baby and seeing Patti walk the halls, commanding respect from everyone, was a frightening and inspiring thing. When I explain Patti Marshall to anyone I usually sum it up by saying, “…she is basically everything I would like to eventually be.” When she asked me to be a part of Q102’s weekend programming, it was a surreal moment for me. A lot of radio people would laugh at that because weekends aren’t usually a huge deal, but the fact that Patti had confidence in me…that was a great feeling. Patti has managed to become one of the biggest radio players in the town by being a woman who fights for what is right and never backing down from a male counterpart. She has managed to put together a radio station that seems to greatly understand and relate to the women of Cincinnati. The one thing that I believe sets her aside from any other Program Director is the simple fact that she never loses sight of who is listening to the radio she puts on the air. When she talks about her listeners, she refers to them as ‘My Girls’. Understanding women and being able to outsmart the men has made Patti Marshall a figure that I think any girl who has ever been judged as a ‘dumb blond’ should look up to. 5 Women Making herstory the DJ crazy with questions. I asked him how I could get a job in the business, he told me to go home and record myself reading advertisements out of the newspaper. I did and dropped off the tape and he hired me to run the board for ‘Kasey Kasem’s Top 40 Countdown’. What has your experience been, being a woman in mainly male dominated industry? intErviEw by JEnnifEr Martin STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Like Patti said, the building that all four of her radio stations call home is full of talented, thoughtful women. The second person that came to mind as being an inspiring female figure was the woman who gave me my first shot on the air, after just ‘liking my voice’. Julie Evans is the Promotions genius of the building. I have never met someone more organized and focused on her career while still being the person everyone loves. Julie is outspoken, true to her heart, and most importantly one of those people you just enjoy being around. She doesn’t play the typical ‘radio game’ of being shady and backstabbing. She is honest with her staff and the people she reports to. Her office over the years was a hangout for everyone in the building, almost “the cool place” to be. Everyone has had their favorite radio station flip formats or fire people. I have been through these 3 times now with Julie being the one to break the news to everyone. What sets Julie apart as a manager is that these events break her heart too. I remember when 97.3 (it was ‘Everything Alternative’ 97.3 at the end) was disbanded and flipped to create “94.9 The Sound”. Despite keeping her job, Julie may have taken the flip the hardest. A lot of radio managers act as though they are upset when a whole staff is fired but with Julie, you feel it. To meet Julie is to love her. I’m honored to have her as my friend. I have never thought I have been treated different based on the fact that I’m a woman. I knew right away when coming in the building that there was way more men than women working here but this environment here has never been anything that made me feel that I was treated any different. In fact, being a woman has worked to my benefit. For the first 9 years of my radio career I worked at a station that targeted men, and being one of veryfew women at the station I thought I gave a different perspective on the way to think of creative ideas to reach men. As of now and the last 2 years I have worked for s station that targets female and being I am the only full time women on the staff, the men pay attention when I have an idea. What projects are you working on? Currently I am involved in the Adopt-A-Class program, where we are “pen pals” with students from an underprivileged neighborhood. I guess that really doesn’t have anything to do with me being a female but does give me a ton of joy to see these kids and have them experience things they have never gotten the opportunity to do before. You speak often and openly about being a lesbian, do you feel like this has ever hurt your career or maybe helped you? I think my work place is way more openminded most. When I started here I wasn’t “out”, I even dated a couple guys from work. I think when I finally came “out” people weren’t really shocked. If anything it made me become closers to a lot of my co-workers. I have never had a problem talking about being gay (at work or on the radio). In fact, I’m super proud to be gay. I just always thought that if you were one of those people that didn’t like gay people… meet me and I bet you change your mind. What advice do you have for young women who want to break into the radio/ media world? Don’t …just kidding. Radio is so cut throat. So if you aren’t willing to make little to no money for awhile and beat doors down for a couple years… I would pick something else. Women or not, radio is one of those businesses that really isn’t hiring any “new blood”. So if someone is really interested in radio, I would say they need to maybe job shadow to see if this is really want they want Amy Lind sees herself as a survivor and someone who effects social change even if it’s one tiny step at a time. As a survivor of violence, oppression and discrimination, she wants to pass the awareness of how she survived onto others through teaching. Lind, who holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and a dual BA in Women’s Studies and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz wears many hats including researcher, published author, mentor, and Associate Professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati. In her life she has achieved numerous fellowships, grants and honors for her work on economic and sexual justice. Born in Galesburg, Illinois and raised in Southern California, her mother was a big influence in her life as an advocate for different kinds of rights. One of her earliest forms of inspiration came from her aunt Amy Conger, an Art History Professor who while living in Chile in the early 1970s survived the torture of the Chilean military under Pinochet’s rule. While Lind was still in elementary school at the time, her aunt’s story sparked a lifelong passion for social justice issues in Latin America. Since college, Lind has taught and lectured around the globe on topics ranging from gender, sexuality, reproductive rights, violence, globalization and development in America and Latin America. As a teacher her end goal is to help students acquire knowledge that validates their own experiences and identities, “which in this world, unless you are a white, heterosexual male is hard to find validation for.” Much of her work is about teaching students how to think differently then how they have been socialized, “if I can help my students find and create that knowledge for themselves that’s the most important thing I can do.” See Women’s Herstory, P. 6 �6 Women Making herstory Continued from P. 5 Lind’s work is about seeking equality and justice and ending oppression which is inspired by all the people protesting and defending workers rights across the country and “all the people who are fighting against corporate greed and neo-liberal restructuring.” She recognizes a recent change in the political climate: “it feels like something is shifting in the universe. The greed and the inequalities between the rich and the poor are getting worse, which is motivating more people to get involved.” Cover of Lind’s 2005 book Gendered Paradoxes Through her scholarship Lind believes she is making a positive difference in people’s lives: “If I can help change the lives of one or two of my students, that keeps me going, and transforms me in the process as well.” Lind’s most current work is looking at how to combine sexual and reproductive rights with economic justice, “I don’t think we can talk about one without the other.” She recently edited Development, Sexual Rights and Global Governance in 2010 as well as authored Gendered Paradoxes in 2005. In addition, she recently received the prestigious Taft Center Fellowship which will give her the opportunity to work on her a new book entitled Governing Sexuality: Development, Family Norms and the Struggle for Sexual Rights in Ecuador. When Lind is not lecturing, writing or researching, she often serves as an expert witness for women and gay and lesbian immigrants from Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru who are seeking political asylum in the US and the UK. And while her work takes her across the globe, one of her personal goals is to continue to travel to countries she has yet to see. As an educator, author and volunteer Lind has dedicated herself to making a difference. Each day she continues her work changing as many people’s lives that she can. Couple Marjorie Bledsoe’s passion for community with her zeal for teaching and making art and music and the result is distinction. Marjorie, or “Miss Marjorie” as her friends call her, is a wild fire, sprinkling her artistic flame throughout the community. Born and raised in Oxford, Ohio, Marjorie’s mother encouraged her from a young age to be artistic. Beginning lessons at the age of 8 her studies included voice, piano, advanced music theory, flute, oboe, baritone horn, trombone and guitar. Her enthusiasm for the arts continued in high school when she first started making ceramic art. This interest led her to pursue academic studies at Hocking College in Athens, Ohio where she studied Music Production and Visual Design and eventually opened her first gallery Half Way Sun in Nelsonville, Ohio which focused on indigenous and ethnic art. Now, as a Studio Technician, Marjorie teaches classes and works collaboratively with her partner Dustin Lee to make “FaceWare” out of Funk Fired Arts Studios in Hyde Park, where she has been employed since 2009. Funk Fired Arts, one of the largest public studios in the country, is a gallery and teaching studio with classes for everyone from beginners to advanced ceramic artists. According to Marjorie, ceramics are a lost African American cultural tradition and she wants to bring it back into those communities. For Marjorie, her art is not limited to what she makes “my art is my life.” “By teaching people something new, as part of the process of learning ceramics, you have to pay attention to yourself a lot. It’s a reflective process. I give people the opportunity to have a dialogue with themselves and to pay attention to things they wouldn’t normally pay attention to. It’s about making connections and becoming more self-aware.” STREETVIBES ­ March 01-14, 2011 ­ In addition to teaching and doing studio work, Marjorie is currently a junior working on her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program. In the near future, Marjorie will be doing more community based art with an emphasis on social justice- making a connection through art with social awareness, self awareness and making things more apparent. Marjorie sees a clear connection between art and social justice. Marjorie’s passion for social justice naturally led to her extensive involvement with UC’s RAPP (Racial Awareness Program) which she describes as a “dialogue about race, gender, sexuality, orientation, intersectionality and socialization.” According to Marjorie, “the end goal is to provide people with identity awareness whether it is social awareness or other people’s identities. It’s a forum for people to discover their own identities and how they may impact other people’s lives.” In 2010, Marjorie received the Terrence L. Jones Diversity Award for her involvement with RAPP. Marjorie in the studio on her potter’s wheel Marjorie is a visionary. In the future she would like to run a cooperative gallery and currently she is working on stating a local time bank, which is a group of people who exchange services and skills for time dollars. The time dollars earned can be spent within the collective, on any member participating. Marjorie envisions living in a more equitable world where people aren’t necessarily valued with dollar signs. She wants people to realize how valuable community is and that they may have talents that aren’t valued from a traditional capitalist viewpoint. One of her end goals is to help people put more value on their given talents because we as a society don’t always pay attention to them. Marjorie believes that people are good in general, that they aren’t inherently bad. “Even people who are misguided or bad in some way, that’s not part of them- they learned it. Everyone can change and everything can change. We all have the power to do that.” See Women’s Herstory, P. 7 STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Women Making herstory ­ 7 Continued from P. 6 Cleveland native and 20 year resident of Cincinnati, Bet Stewart has worked to craft her living as a performing artist and teaching artist for over 30 years. Bet Stewart with Andy Hopkins & Amos Hopkins (her sons), playing on the Alaska Queen, a steamboat near Ketchikan Alaska Bet holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Cincinnati and has studied theatre with people all over the world. Bet’s motivated each day because she is doing what she loves and she’s “very lucky to be doing what I love.” Her contribution to the world is “giving a lot of people a voice that would not normally have a voice.” In addition to writing, directing and performing plays, Bet recently began writing and performing her own songs which she plans to continue to focus on as her career progresses. Her lifelong dream is to one day perform in Europe and Australia. Self employed as the Artistic Director with Intuition Theatre- a local touring theatre group founded in 1981; she found her niche with the group in 1983. Bet’s work with the theatre group includes writing, producing and directing a variety of plays for both youth and adults throughout the region. Her plays are a mix of art forms including “drama, comedy, music, miming and stilt walking.” One of her more recent plays produced through the Kentucky Humanities Council as a Kentucky Chautauqua Performer, is based on the life and legend of Rosemary Clooney, internationally known American actress and singer who struggled with addiction. This one woman show highlights the many obstacles Clooney faced and how she overcame them through song. Another of Bet’s plays “Stand in My Shoes” is a justice play focusing on conflict resolution and how people need to stand in other peoples shoes - starting with kids on the playground on up to international foreign politics. She performs “Stand in My Shoes” at area schools teaching children the importance of seeing other perspectives by wearing someone else’s shoes. Bet believes that theater is created to make change and that it helps open people’s minds. In her work Bet strives to “help people see something in a new light, in a new way.” She carries this philosophy on in her work at Rivercity Correctional Center, a rehabilitative prison where she teaches and directs with Inside/Outside, a program designed to build inter-personal and life-management skills through the visual, literary and performing arts. Bet teaches movement, storytelling, improv, music, and songwriting in a series of creative workshops with women prisoners dealing with substance abuse issues. Her goal is to “teach them and help them express themselves. We give them a voice so that they have skills and ways to express themselves, so that when they get out they can have a rich life.” Inside/Outside is a “therapeutic community of people qualified to change thinking and behavior.” The teaching artists provide accessible lesson plans that are challenging yet help people with self esteem so they “believe they can do something and be someone.” In her work, Bet finds inspiration from a variety of artists including comedienne Lily Tomlin, singer song-writer Peggy Seeger, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, the political theatre troupe SanFrancisco Mime Troupe and Augusto Boal, the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements. Bet’s influences and interests guided her down a rich path of experiences including 13 years as a stilt walker with roles ranging from a giant Statute of Liberty singing “Do Wop” and an 8 foot tall one woman band; working with homeless women at Welcome House Shelter in Kentucky to create poerty, movement, dance and storytelling; directing Karen Brody’s play “Birth” a critically acclaimed play about childbirth, women’s vulnerability when they are giving birth and the need for change in the healthcare profession; singing and performing with Cincinnati’s Muse Choir; as well as conducting research and writing scripts for 19 original plays about social and historical issues. �8 Opinion ­ STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Move Ahead or Get Left Behind. ­ A look at what life could be like without a car The notion of an American society abandoning their cars often is often dismissed with a polite laugh. People love their cars, is what I’m told; they enjoy driving them. If that is true or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is that people currently need their cars whether they like driving them or not. The following rant is a sort of grandiose and fantastic vision of what many urban areas could look and feel like if more people gave up their cars for public transit. B. clifton BurKe For most people, having a car is a survival tool. It makes having a job, getting food, and seeking out entertainment much easier. The United States is still quite wide with lots of space and privacy, which adds even more reason to own a car. Child care becomes infinitesimally more difficult without a car. Non­ emergency health visits require personal ownership of cars, shopping is harder to accomplish without one, holiday travel becomes more of a pain. I get it! There will always be reasons to own cars, but the more society works to eliminate those reasons, the more empowered many urban-dwelling individuals and families could become. It seems to me that, as time goes by and resources dry up, people will migrate back to the cities and rely on another for survival. Some of this trend of repopulating rundown urban areas can already be seen in Cincinnati. A resurgence of money and development has taken place in local wastelands like the West End. A wave of displacement is occurring where yuppies are moving into the new stylish apartment complexes, while lower-income people scramble mainly West to nearby affordable neighborhoods. On one hand, the shift is good for resuscitating one of Cincinnati’s oldest and most historical neighborhoods, preserving the centuries-old architecture there that has been left to die a neglectful and sorry death, and for bringing both money and a safer nightlife closer to the city’s core in the process. On the other hand, though, there seems to be no tactful plan in place to assist those citizens who will, in a short time if not already, be economically forced from their homes, and that seems like a lack of civic responsibility from our elected leadership. Digressions aside, the fact is, cities are planning for more people to remain closer to the financial hubs of the areas where they reside, and a place to keep themselves and their car will come at a premium in such a scenario. That space will be needed for more logistical living arrangements that satisfy the basic requirements of city-people, like more sidewalks, more utility lines and more plumbing, not to mention the accessibility to repair and upkeep these services. The city must still flow, even with a swell of inhabitants; therefore too many cars would slow down progress, which is both wasteful and avoidable. A serviceable and effective public-transit system and an encouragement toward a pedestrian lifestyle are necessary for a city’s future growth and sustainability. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 9 Local Feed me Seymour... Feed me all night long. By the Taco Tuesday Brigade. out of sovereign waters. Rather than simply wait to be caught slipping up and pay your fine for participating in a driving society, you get to move about largely obstructed from the ever-watchful eye of law-enforcement. While that isn’t a license to engage in sneaky illegal practices, it should help you understand the void of worry and stress that drivers have to live with every time they get behind the wheel. Work Equals Public Transit By this point, you should start to wonder how you’re going to get around without a car. Saving money is great and all, but that stops mattering if you can’t get to work to make more of it. The only way is public transit. Some of us have been lucky enough to walk to work or school every day, but that is typically a pleasant coincidence rather than a strategic result. Limiting your job prospects to the small circumference we might consider “walking distance” is not only a bad idea, it’s downright irresponsible. As jobs are wrung out more and more from the giant employment dishtowel, and the percentage of jobless American people continues to grow, the most successful of us will be the ones who are willing to go anywhere for work. Most times, in order to apply your trained skills and maximize your full potential, you must have the ability to travel. Yet, if you’re without a car, the impossibilities of realistic employment crash upon you right away. In 2002, Cincinnati shot down a light-rail proposal that would have sprawled across the metro area in a sort of jagged asterisk-like design. It’s a tough populace around here to convince of anything that could be described as “progressive”. So instead, Cincinnati lumbers along with a shoddy bus system that is organizationally flawed from top to bottom. Trying to get across town to the job that normally takes 20 minutes in your car, would take nearly an hour each way on the bus. For a moment though, let’s pretend that Cincinnati does build the light-rail. Now it takes 20 minutes on the train and another 12 or so on the transfer bus. The whole process takes no longer than 40 minutes each way. If you live near the center of the asterisk, you’re able to get anywhere in the greater Cincinnati area in roughly this amount of time. Your job prospects now effectively match those of when you still had your car. Still dubious? Let’s take the idea even further and talk about bullet trains to Saving Money and Burden The first thing someone—let’s just go second-person and say you—benefit from by not driving is avoiding car insurance. That monthly payment can now go toward a public-transit pass which is hopefully cheaper and therefore saves you money. Not requiring car insurance also relieves you of one less thing you can be arrested for, which can’t be bad and will be visited again later in this piece. If you’re not in a car, and your cell phone vibrates in your pocket, you can safely stop what you’re doing to answer it, where as before, you would do the same while driving and hit a guard rail. That incident raised your insurance, but nothing you can do walking or taking the bus, could ever raise any kind of premium (unless you’re impossibly clumsy or dangerously rude). The next cost you would cut would be gas. As if the insurance and often times the car payment aren’t enough, there’s always the gas. We all know gas is an environmental issue. It comes from oil which we’re told we should use less of, and now it’s coming from corn which not everyone is convinced is a satisfactory replacement for oil but isn’t going away any time soon. Setting the environment aside (which is a big reason why it’s become such a problem to begin with, I guess), not filling your tank twice a month or more now gives you money in your pocket for perhaps a fancier six-pack or a decent pair of snow boots—you will need both over the winter, trust me. Less gas, in theory, would mean less dependence on foreign oil which right-wing blowhards can’t stand, and, reduce greenhouse emissions which left-wing blowhards can’t stand. Of course, this idea of less gas would rankle the big-oil and ethanol dragons of the world and would be met with fearsome resistance. Cutting into their profit margins are dangerous and murky waters to wander around in, I’m sure. Nonetheless, the idea reads well on paper, and seems like a generally pleasing one to consider. The next benefit to your life is a double bonus. Not only does not driving eliminate your chances of having to pay for speeding tickets, parking tickets, tickets for old tags or burnt-out tail lights, it practically removes the police from your life altogether—assuming your daily life consists of legal activity, that is. In your car, a police officer’s judgment over you is all powerful. Since cars are large and potentially lethal objects, our legal system has given law-enforcement wide latitude of insisting on safe-driving measures, which I wholeheartedly applaud. Drive safely and you won’t be pulled over, is the thinking there. Yet, it is uncommon for any person to drive a car throughout their lives and remain unscathed by the police. Drive long enough, and you will be in violation of something or other at some point and you will likely receive a ticket or worse for your mishap. Not driving allows you to never be fined, or even jailed for the way you traverse along the planet—assuming you respect cross-walks, and stay PainterTeam:Layout 1 1/10/2011 3:45 PM Page 1 Buying or selling . . . nearby cities. The Japanese system Shinkansen, is 1,528 miles long and reaches speeds over 180 mph. Imagine the entire Midwest connected by something similar: Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Dayton. If you live in Cincinnati, you could work at any of these cities and your entire commute might take only one hour. You would take the local light-rail to the bullet-train downtown, and then take the other city’s light-rail to your job wherever that may be. That sounds like a daunting amount of commuting, no? More than two hours every day on public transit? Then work on top of that? No way, you say. Well, depending on your job, there’s a chance you can work on the train itself— in this vision, they are wireless-ready. If not, you can read, sleep, write your own manifesto, and get to know someone else on the train, or just gaze out of the window at the passing landscape. What you aren’t is stuck in traffic, road-raging and cramming down a hurried breakfast, all while trying to arrange a conferencecall to get a jump on the day’s workload. If your job in Louisville is losing its luster and there’s a tempting position open in Columbus, with bullet-trains and light-rail you don’t have to move your home to go after it. Satellite Grocery Stores The whole idea of work is to secure food and shelter, everything else we have is bonus. That’s why the car, when it comes all the way down to it, is a hunting tool used to procure food. Not only do we use it to get the funds used for food, See Move Ahead, P. 10 The Painter Team - For all your real estate needs, call: Michael D. Painter, e-Pro, REOS, SFR 513.348.7999 Candace Kadivnik Painter, CRS, ABR 513.266.1025 - Painting the town sold . . . �10 Opinion STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Move Ahead or Get Left Behind. ­ Continued from P. 8 we also actually “hunt” with it by bringing food back to our caves. Without a car, obtaining food becomes a little trickier. With a car culture…one where every adult is expected to drive a car, the giant box-stores with hundreds of parking spaces and thousands of products inside make sense. If people need to drive to get things, why make them drive all over when they can get all of their stuff in one place? Fine, but that’s about the only thing that makes sense about them. First off, if more people are moving back to the city, it means they’re moving away from the big stores. The problem with big stores in denser urban areas is that they take up too much space, so companies can’t just tear down whatever is in the way to build new ones. Yet, if less people are driving to and from work, than grocery shopping would need to happen in some other way than hitting up the superstore on the way home. We all know how our library system works. In Cincinnati, there are 42 branches that all belong to the same entity, but most of the collection resides at the Main Branch downtown. If you live miles away from the book you want, the library will put someone in a truck and deliver your book to you. This can work with groceries too. With an improved public-transit system comes more stops. These stops can become small-business hubs as foot-traffic would exponentially increase in the area. If a major grocery chain, like Cincinnati’s own local giant Kroger, were to set up small satellite stores designed to facilitate previously ordered grocery bundles, then a person could order their groceries online before noon and have their stuff waiting for them as the exit their train at the end of the day. These orders would be smaller, enough food for only a day or two for the whole family, but could be repeated multiple times a week. Not only would it make grocery shopping doable for the permanent or even occasional pedestrian, it has hidden added benefits like purchasing, cooking and eating fresher foods, which assists with a healthy diet, promotes learning to cook for one’s self, and, in theory, supports local produce growers. If the grocery sector found success with this kind of model, then other everyday-need businesses like pharmacies, liquor and hardware stores might try and prop themselves upon this idea and move closer to transit stops too. Eventually, with enough people passing buy, preexisting small-businesses in the area would benefit as well, and suddenly, there are enough birthdays between the major holidays to keep little gift shops above water and even allow small bakeries and florists to stay alive. From what I’ve seen, the longest-standing smallbusinesses succeed thanks to foot traffic and the best way to increase that traffic is to get people out of their cars. Quality-of-Life Benefits Walking is good for you. If you live eight blocks from the closest stop, then that means you’re walking 16 blocks a day and that’s healthier than walking from house to car to work to car to house every day. Not to mention that the average American misses out on an abundance of sunshine because of this kind of reclusive existence. Some people may think they are safer in their cars than on public transit or walking the streets, but that philosophy is predicated on fear. To assume that something bad will happen to you outside of your car, is assuming you are a victim who is only waiting to meet your assailant. If there were more people walking the streets, with all those eye-witnesses everywhere, wouldn’t the public be safer? The truth is, not everyone walking the streets wants to kill you. In fact, most don’t. People in cars, though, sure are in a hurry to do some kind of personal damage on one another. Once in their cars, many people are in a dreadful hurry to the point where they perform dangerous, potentially lethal maneuvers to get where ever they’re going faster. For some reason, the average person has constructed this facade of impervious safety while in their cars and regularly insists on testing the boundaries of their invincible egg by paying attention to so many things other than driving. If the generations of Americans continue to hurdle toward ADHD ruination, how good of an idea is it to insist they operate heavy machinery? None at all, which is why they’re making cars that drive themselves. Remove the idiot without removing the idiot’s wallet, in a sense. The fact that humanity is able to pilot themselves around in cars with somewhat minimal carnage and misery often astonishes me. Human beings are more famous for their mistakes than of their triumphs, yet highways and parkways hum along fairly unimpeded. So that proves that people can make a sport of it and still survive to some degree, but it also means that they willfully undergo heaping spoonfuls of stress and anger too. Road rage is a strange animal. I have seen the most sane, mild-mannered individual become a frothing storm of threats and profanity toward his fellow drivers when hoisted behind the wheel. Many times, drivers are all too eager to intimidate while in the “safety” of their cars. Everybody is a tough guy on the road, but those same people would not say a peep if someone cut them off while walking. Perhaps that’s because no one gets too hurt if two people bump into one another while walking, but that’s exactly my point. On a bus, or a train, everyone travels together at the same speed heading in the same direction. There is no competition and few ways to accidentally kill yourself or others while riding public transit. Rather than individuals floating along in their reclusive bubbles of steel and speed, masses of people, strangers, are forced to pack close together and, in some way, interact with one another. That sounds more like a society to me; one where a person is forced to admit that other people live in his or her country too. The other nice thing about not driving is, of course, not driving. The physical act, I mean. Not only do you not need to pay close attention to anything for too long, you can do fun stuff like read a book, or text everyone you know or explain to your kid how the moon lights up at night. Or, look out the window to enjoy the scenery rather than look through it to avoid crashing. Every now and again on public transit, someone gets really annoying and distracts you from the fun stuff, but being occasionally annoyed without any truly harmful affect is probably a valuable lesson in cultivating patience in this world. Maybe not, but the point is, nobody gets hurt, or seldom do. The Cost This little utopia is far from a reality, and in fact, the US is still a very conservative place. The first thing everybody wants to know is how a new form of public transportation gets paid for, and when I tell them taxes, most quit listening. The idea that a taxpayer funds the greater good is one only found in storybooks and Europe. The word socialism smells bad in this country and any collective government-funded projects are met with fierce resistance and furious criticism typically from the right-wing. Most Americans are short-sighted in that they only care what their next paycheck reads. Take away from that number without giving them something they can own and not share, and they panic. If you’re a person with a job, congratulations, you’re doing better than nine percent of the population. If you’re among that nine percent, a big ambitious infrastructure-improvement program like a radically renewed rail system could spell out work for you. Though mismanaged funding can often lead to abandonment before any ground-breaking ceremony. It’s true that the government can be the biggest bum of them all and that politicians do little else than comfort themselves and their “positions” and “interests”, and that a big project like this becomes the property of big government—a phrase that is these days typically murmured with a strong dose of venom behind it. And I share, to some degree; these concerns with those Americans who feel that too many good ideas are needlessly wasted away in the administrative phases of a project, but that can’t end the ambition. We, as citizens and tax-payers, should demand more transparency and have the intentionally complicated legal jargon clearly explained so that third-graders can understand the concepts behind government reasoning. We should insist that the public be updated in a forthright manner on all the happenings in Washington and all the way down to the smallest of city halls. It’s up to us, however, to care. Not only care for ourselves and family, but for our neighbors and their families. Helping everyone, in turn helps us. I feel we’ve lost sight of that. Conclusion If it’s true that more young people in the future will rather stay close to the city and resist the temptation of urban flight, then those cities who prepare for such a lifestyle choice will be the survivors. I know that Cincinnati isn’t often called progressive and that there exists a large populace who bristle at the idea of change, but this fair town will become even harder to prosper if it doesn’t get onboard to some kind of public-transit system in the next decade or so. A century or so ago, Cincinnati built subway tunnels only to run out of money after eight miles of track and those tunnels have been vacant ever since. The city was a burgeoning metropolis then ready to explode with commerce and population, but after the subway debacle, Chicago became the crown jewel of the Midwest instead. I feel the Queen City has never fully recovered from that blunder and that the seed of the failure still resonates in the minds of its citizens. Seeing the tunnels left to rot has made these people gun-shy of similar risks that could propel Cincinnati toward the top or sink them farther behind. The right-wing thinkers and doers of the area have ridden this wave of momentum to effectively shoot down nearly any and all public-transit initiatives that would benefit the city. Finding employment isn’t likely to get much easier in the years to come and more and more companies will continue to cut back on payroll. To make our city, even our nation, a more viable place to prosper and find happiness, a large, collective effort of public-transportation must get underway soon. In a future with less natural resource and less commodities, we will need to rely more on one another and that means more sharing. Soon, joblessness and poverty won’t be just your problem or my problem, it will be our problem, and the later we recognize this social phenomena, the harder it will be to catch up to the cities with systems already in place. Just this time, let’s be a proactive city rather than a reactionary one. As a group, let’s acknowledge that some changes will be required for a better future and that some of these changes will be expensive and sweeping. By shifting the way we move around our planet, we have the chance of being the frontrunners of a new way of life, an alternative with endless benefit. A new system that works would bring more people to the area, including more business, and, in turn, lower the public cost to taxpayers. Not only would it help the local wealthy business moguls by bringing in more money to the area, it would also greatly help the disenfranchised people of our city by providing them a larger sphere of job possibilities. Lower-income families could live with just one car per household and give them the means to take more day-trips and other family vacations. Teens and the elderly could navigate themselves around more safely and lower medical costs associated with auto-accidents and other health ailments that come with driving. If this is to ever happen, you and I, the skin and bones that make our city a city, need to start warming up to the idea. We cannot sit on our hands and watch the world get out of their cars and pass us by. A new dawn is on the horizon. This can either be an era of innovation and alternative thinking, or one of stubborn resistance and financial bleakness. So I beg of you: get out of your cars and get on board, because the world is moving that way even if you aren’t. It can be scary plunging headfirst into the unknown future, but it seems far more miserable sitting around and waiting for the lights to shut off. So far as I know, you get one life on one planet, might as well seize it with both hands. Move ahead or get left behind. WANT MORE STREETVIBES? | CHECK OuT THE STREETVIBES BLOG http://streetvibes.wordpress.com STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 11 International News Rape in Zimbabwe: Perspectives and realities A woman is meant to fulfill all of her husband’s desires, even when she doesn’t feel like it,” said Primrose Mukumba, a vendor at a Harare flea market. She believes there is no such thing as rape within marriage. fungai Machirori The belief is widespread in Zimbabwe, according to the Musasa Project, an NGO providing support to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), and is a serious deterrent to women accessing their services. “Unfortunately, most married women do not perceive it as rape,” said Musasa Project Executive Director Netty Musanhu. “They will just talk about the consequences of the incident, for example contracting HIV. It’s only when you explore further how they got the virus that they then say that their husbands forced themselves onto them. That’s when you realize that they have been raped.” Medical journal PLoS Medicine recently reported that Zimbabwe’s HIV epidemic had almost been halved in the past several years, a huge success in a region of mostly bad news when it comes to HIV and AIDS. However, in what is already a feminized epidemic (In 2009 UNAIDS estimated that 60 percent of HIV-positive Zimbabweans were female), rape puts more Zimbabwean women at risk of contracting the virus. Centres such as the Adult Rape Clinic (ARC) in Harare provide rape survivors with services that include medical examinations, HIV counseling and testing, emergency contraceptives (ECP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). ARC also collects forensic evidence and fills out medical affidavits for use in criminal investigations. ARC saw more than 450 rape survivors between March 2009, when it opened its doors, and mid-2010. It is the only such centre for adult rape survivors (16 years and above) in Harare. Statistics from ARC showed that 70 percent of survivors who visited the clinic were females in the 17-25 age bracket, one of the most vulnerable age groups to HIV infection. Overall, one in ten clients seen by ARC tests positive for HIV. The majority (two-thirds) of ARC’s rape cases are committed by a partner or relative; known as acquaintance rape. The challenge with reporting this type of rape is that women face physical and social stigma and face being disowned or abused by their family if they do speak up. “It would be much easier to mobilize help for rape victims if the majority of Zimbabweans believed that the victim is not to blame,” observed marketing consultant Tafadzwa Dihwa. “Our conservative attitude to taboo subjects is very wrong.” “At times, our culture extenuates rape. Just think of chiramu and how a husband nowadays can fondle the breasts of his wife’s sister. That’s criminal!” said Anesu Katere, a former teacher. Traditionally, chiramu refers to Gender links_ popular perspectives on rape Source: Colleen Lowe Morna, Gender Links the goodwill expressed between a man and the relatives of his wife. The man may take to playfully calling his wife’s younger sister his second wife. But this goodwill can be abused and a man may sexually harass the woman in the belief that he is entitled to her body since she is the “other” wife. The blame debate extends into the role that provocative attire plays in precipitating rape. “She’s showing the men a sign about what she’s come for,” said Nobert Zhuwao, a cell phone credit vendor, when asked about what he thought of women who visit bars in miniskirts. “Men are visual and are easily excited. And in a bar where there is alcohol and drugs, a woman must know that!” Zhuwao’s friend, Harmony Savanhu, added that in a state of sexual stimulation a man could not be held responsible for his actions. “If we’ve decided to have sex and the girl changes her mind at the last minute, then she’s wrong,” said Savanhu. When it’s up (the penis), its ready!” Originally published by Gender Links opinion and commentary service © Street News Service �STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Most Unlikely to Succeed ­ Chapter One donald Whitehead L ooking back, I suppose I should have been nervous. In fact, I guess I should have been very nervous. I should have figured that what was about to happen shouldn’t have been happening at all. I should have assumed I was dreaming, hallucinating, or having an extreme bout of wishful thinking. I should have reasoned that the Donald Whitehead I had always been, the Donald Whitehead that I knew so well, would have had no business at such a place at such a time. That Donald Whitehead would have been an interloper or kitchen help; that Donald Whitehead would have been approached by security or the police and given only seconds to explain why he was there and what he had in mind. But the truth is, I was there; I was there legitimately, and people were treating me as if I had every right to be there. Donald Whitehead was, as I came to learn, “on the list.” And, of course, I really was nervous. Not in the sense of panic or having my knees knock, but of that inner apprehension as to what might happen that day; that sooner rather than later, someone in authority would come up to me with an expression of superiority on his or her face and I would immediately be out the door, booted as the fraud I really was. Even though I knew that that was not to be the case, old habits and old self-doubts really do die hard. The photographer was a surprise, though. I had hardly expected that anyone would want any sort of a visual record or even that I might have the chance to request such a record. But there the photographer was, explaining to me how many shots he would be taking, assessing what problems I might present, and then disappearing, not to have any interaction with me until I saw the event’s photographs some weeks later and wanted to order pictures. Following the photographer, a young staffer approached to check that the information they had for me was correct, including the pronunciation of my name, which I would have thought to be obvious. Satisfied, he headed for the next guest, and his place was taken by another staffer (apparently half the people in Washington D.C. are on someone’s staff ), who put his hand on my shoulder and begin gently guiding me into an appropriate position, as well as giving me the protocol for what was about to happen – “please, don’t reach for anything, and keep your hands out of your pocket,” and telling me how long I could expect to wait. And I did wait. Waiting is a way of life in Washington, much like in the military, and you learn rather quickly that Washington is a city where important things really do happen, and the necessity of dealing with important matters trumps everything and – almost – everybody. And, because of that, you learn to wait; you learn to master the art of small talk, the art of simply having something to say to pass the time. I talked to the people next to me; they were from the Department of Labor, and so we talked about jobs and poverty, about what programs might work and how, and why and what could realistically be done regarding legislative needs. I talked to someone behind me; she was new in DC, but had come from Kentucky, right across the river from my home in Cincinnati, where I had lived almost all my life. She asked about a constant topic in Washington for any new person: housing. Not housing for the poor, but rather, potential apartments, places to live, locations, traffic patterns, and above all the horrible, horrible rent rates that make life in the nation’s capital often seem beyond financial hope. After about twenty minutes, a more senior staffer (you learn to recognize not only who’s who, but at what level people work) came out and said we would be looking at approximately thirty to forty minutes still more, and that we should make ourselves comfortable and we were not to leave. The lady from Kentucky made a joke as to who would ever consider leaving, and I laughed, but not too much for I would have been determined to wait out the whole night if I had had to. Strangely enough, the call came sooner rather than later. Yet another staffer walked out, holding a clipboard, much like a quarterback on a sideline. He motioned us forward, with the two Labor people leading the way, and me following the lady from Kentucky. The room would probably have been best described as a small greeting room, attached to a larger office, and that office attached to the remaining areas of the home itself. As we entered, I saw the four men in dark suits move quickly but smoothly, in what was obviously a practiced pattern, heading for, and then opening a second door across from where we had entered. The staffer with the clipboard put his hand on the elbow of the first of the Department of Labor people and gently maneuvered him more to the center of the room. We followed and stood waiting. There were no chairs, although various pieces of furniture did line the left wall of the room, under a huge mirror. I remember licking my lips as we waited, and I remember rubbing my hands together. But it was only a minute before the men in the dark suits fanned out to flank the opposite door just as yet another staffer, obviously an even more senior person, entered through that door. He quickly stepped to the side, as yet another man walked in. This man stood still for only an instant before he began what must have been for him a long-perfected litany: “Lady and gentlemen, please give your attention…. The last man to enter was pretty much exactly as I had seen on the television and in the hundreds of pictures, although a bit taller and a bit heavier than I had guessed. He thanked us briefly for coming, and then began what struck me as a fairly impassioned series of quick comments on the shame that America had to feel given that so many of its citizens were poor, homeless, unemployed, or all three. He promised that he would personally see to it that something was done about this disgrace. When he finished speaking, the two Department of Labor people were introduced to him and he spoke with them for at least a couple of minutes; the lady from Kentucky (I later learned she was with HUD) received slightly less time, and then it was my turn. I stepped forward, smiled, and suddenly had only one thought in my mind: again, that this could not possibly be true, that this could not possibly be happening. Not to Donald Whitehead, not to the man who had lain on the floor of an emergency shelter in Cincinnati, Ohio, not to the man who had been so desperate and homeless. But it was happening. I stepped forward, smiled, and put out my hand. “Mr. President,” the staffer said, “let me introduce to you, Mr. Donald Whitehead, the Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.” And I stepped forward and shook the hand of President William Jefferson Clinton, and we began to speak, as if we were old friends, about homelessness in the United States of America. Later in the evening, I had a chance to speak with Hilary Clinton as well, and I was tremendously impressed at how knowledgeable she was about homelessness. We talked and I was astonished as she really seemed to listen to what I was saying. Listening to Donald Whitehead, listening far more attentively than others had listened to me when I had been a homeless addict in the gutters of Cincinnati. When I left the Clinton Home that evening, I felt as if I had become somehow a different person; I felt as if the Donald Whitehead who had left the office of the National Coalition on Homelessness to go to the Clinton Home had been transformed; had become someone who was different in some new and invigorating way. I felt somehow raised up, somehow changed. And yet, I knew in the deepest recesses of both my heart and my mind, that that was not the truth. For I realized then, as I do now, that I was the very same Donald Whitehead as I had ever been. I realized, in fact, that I was the same Donald Whitehead, who had lain on the floor of the DropInn Center, on 12th Street, in Cincinnati, completely drunk, unable to get up, and unable to take care of himself. And it had not been that many years earlier. That had been in 1995, six years before I went to the home of Bill and Hilary Clinton as Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Six years before I was invited to the home of a former President and his wife, the sitting United States Senator from New York, I had needed to sleep on the floor of an emergency shelter and had awakened with the knowledge that I remembered little if anything of the night before and that my life was a complete and devastating shambles. Looking back, as I walked away from my evening with Bill and Hilary Clinton, the one point that came to me again and again was thinking about those terrible nights in the Drop-Inn Center, and above all thinking about the path that the years had set me on between the Drop Inn Shelter and the Clinton Household. How was it --- indeed, how could it have been – that the very same Donald Whitehead who had slept with alcohol on his breath and on his clothing in an emergency shelter could be the Donald Whitehead invited to the home of a President and Senator? Was it the hand of God that had reached out and, in some strange way, chosen me for the position I had reached? Or was it something that I had done myself? Had I found inside of me some inner strength, some inner will? Or was it the kindness and support of others? Was it an attitude and a commitment I had made? Or was it simply good fortune, being in the right spot at the right time? Was it fate? Was it Providence? Was it strength? In the years that have passed, I’ve had time to think about such things over and over and consider not only what my answer was that night, but how that answer has changed with the years, and with the new tasks and challenges I’ve undertaken. I’ve had time to look closely at myself and to examine the steps that I took and the steps others pushed me to take; I’ve thought about the things that I did for myself and the events that I could never have predicted. And, above all, I feel that I’ve learned a few things, not only about Donald Whitehead, but about struggle, challenge, and desperation and the ways that I and other individuals have faced up to these foes. I’ve learned about opportunity, and I have things I want to say about the opportunities that each man or woman has in their lives, and the roll that recognizing opportunity plays in each person’s success. I’ve learned about fear and hopelessness, too; and I have a number of things I want to say about those two enemies of the human spirit as well. And so, I’ve written this book. I’ve written it not only to tell people about Donald Whitehead (although I do hope you will find my story an interesting one), but also to tell people a little something about themselves. I want my story to be an uplifting one. I want my story to describe truthfully what I once was, and I want people to see what I became, not so that I should seem important, but rather that the possibilities for other men and women should seem important. We are all people of different skills, people of different fears, different beliefs. We are all people with many problems, and in the lowest of our moments, we are people who believe we have few solution to those problems. I want to address those lowest moments in the light of what Donald Whitehead once was, in the Drop Inn Center. I want to address those fears in light of the terror I felt when I woke up night after night in an emergency shelter on a cold floor, surrounded by our society’s outcasts. And I want to address opportunity in light of the positions I have held. But above all, I want to address hope. Above all, I want anyone who reads this book to know that there is always hope. I want everyone who reads this book to take away from these pages a genuine belief that with determination and a lot of courage, a great many great things are indeed possible. No one’s life is ever totally hopeless. And that is what this book is really about. About The Author: Donald Whitehead spent five years between various relatives and the streets of Cincinnati. Due to the disease of addiction he found himself trapped in the terrible realities of homelessness. In August of 1995 he made his way to the Drop Inn Center where he entered the center’s six-month treatment program. After completing the program, Whitehead was hired as the outreach coordinator he created a public radio program, a community access cable television show and a newspaper all focused on homelessness. He served for two years as the outreach coordinator of that organization. Whitehead worked to get people experiencing homelessness involved in local planning processes. Whitehead created the “Homeless Think Tank” to help the city of Cincinnati develop its strategy for providing services to the homeless population. The homeless think tank model is now officially incorporated in the Continuum of Care process in the city of Cincinnati and has been used as a best practice example in communities across the United States. Whitehead created innovative models for service provision including a program that provides transportation for family transitioning out of homeless. Whitehead served for two years as the Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Under Whitehead’s leadership the Greater Cincinnati Coalition membership grew from twenty members to over seventy active members. STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Story & Poetry Corner 13 A Peaceful Place Intel Willa d. Jones Jordan antoine Wilson There’s a place I go to on different days of every week The hate crimes against my intelligence are growing intolerable I live in a land of one billion sheep Who’s wool is constantly trying to be pulled Over my eyes There are none so blind as those who will not see There are those who create the curriculum And the criteria for a passing grade However, these same disregard the very scale On which they grade when the work is completed And turned in The only thing worse is that one can still feel The need to perform for such ringmasters But alas I will forever keep my head on a swivel Or at least try And I will keep something dear to me on a pedestal. That something is my intelligence, for it is my umbrella On a rainy day 4-6-10 Where I can learn about making things that all kinds of l people seek I learn to make jewelry; I learn how to knit and to even play with clay I learn all sorts of things and if I want, I can stay and learn all day This place is open to women from all walks of everyday life In this place you can find peace of mind from the world’s toils and strife We come together and talk to find solutions for so many different problems As we knit and make jewelry we pray for God’s help with our problems to be able to solve them This place is called the Sarah Center here in downtown Vine Street Who would ever believe this place of peace would be located right off the downtown beat I have been blessed to find the Sarah Center and meet all the Sarah Center Girls I just wish that there were more places of this statue all over the world So I hope I can just pass the blessing on to those who may be lonely and bored And be able to open the door to those lost souls who feel their being ignored Come into the Sarah Center and meet all the many women of different cultures and pray That your day may be fulfilled by the grace of God in the Sarah Center each and everyday The Poet’s Justice Jordan antoine Wilson If justice can be poetic, Then where is my play? All the pretty face followers, Who swoon at the words I say? Let it trickle down from the mountains. Let it rise from the gutter. Let my tongue stay untangled, So my mouth will never stutter. Roll it up in your palm. Pack it up well. Let my words be a story, You won’t hesitate to tell. I need a bank for these thoughts, Because the pennies come in rolls. A nickel for a sandwich, And a few dollars for me to fold. 1-28-11 a 12 Interest S Y WHAT?! Gloria Steinem at news conference, Women's Action Alliance, 1972 In Honor Of Women’s History Month “I have met brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with a courage to make themselves vulnerable that I find moving.” -Gloria Steinem �14 Sightings ­ STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 ­ Congratulations Judge Painter! Shelter: Women and Children Cincinnati judge holds court at United Nations Bethany House Press release froM the ohio Bar association Judge Mark Painter of Cincinnati is one of seven judges, and the only American, to serve on a new internal justice system within the United Nations. Painter says the position came about after he answered a want ad for the new U.N. Appeals Tribunal. “I sent my resume to an e-mail listed in the ad, thinking, ‘They want seven people from the whole world and I’ll never hear anything more from this.’” To his surprise, Judge Painter was contacted. The vetting process ended with a vote by the U.N. General Assembly. Judge Painter is preparing to attend the fourth session of the court, to be held Feb. 28-March 11 in New York City. The inaugural session was held last spring in Geneva, Switzerland, and two other sessions were held during 2010 in New York. Cases have included disputes over promotions, discipline, and pensions. The court is internationally diverse, with judicial representatives from France, Argentina, Ghana, India, Uruguay and Ireland. Judge Painter says the judges get along quite well. “At first, there was a concern because four of us are from common law countries and three are from civil law countries. But we haven’t had any problem harmonizing and coming to the right conclusions on the cases.” He adds that out of the first 100 cases decided last year, there have been only two dissents. The judges will have nonrenewable seven-year terms, but because Judge Painter is among those appointed for an initial term of three years, he may be re-appointed for seven more years when the current term concludes next year. Judge Painter was an elected trial and appellate judge for 27 years. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1973. He has also been a speaker for Ohio State Bar Association continuing legal education courses on the art of legal writing. The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 25,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio as well as nearly 4,000 legal assistants and law students. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice. A video interview with Judge Painter is available on the Ohio State Bar Association’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ohiobar. Central Access Point Cincinnati union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 535-2719 591-2246 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 562-8841 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 united Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn Our Daily Bread AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House Drop Inn Center Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Street410x:Layout 1 5/7/2010 2:47 PM Page 1 Compliments of � Judge Mark Painter United Nations Appeals Tribunal, 2009– # Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995–2009 # Hamilton County Municipal Court, 1982–1995 # Judging strictly on merit for 29 years � www.judgepainter.org Paid for by the Judge Painter Cte., Paul Gaffney, CPA, Treas., 5086 Wooster Road · Cincinnati, OH 45226 Cartoon: Washington “Park” By: Eddie Sun 15 Resources ­ STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Column STREETVIBES March 01-14, 2011 Who Decides What Is Good or Equal ­ In her art, Kim Shifflett questions arbitrary boundaries In undergrad, older that most of her classmates, she felt less free, having to juggle her role as wife and mother with her study demands and aspirations for a professional career. A recurrent theme in Kim Shifflett’s artwork is that of boundaries. They range from boundaries imposed by societal rules and expectations, delineating roles and behaviors in such matters as gender, relationships, families, deciding good from bad, to actual physical borders that separate and isolate people, leading to poverty, violence and conflict. “At home I was always expected to do the ‘women chores’, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, tending to everyone else’s needs,” she says. “I always came last. People would even make me feel selfish for wanting to be in school.” In a traditional society built mostly around men’s convenience, she found herself fighting for her Kim Shifflett in her studio. Photo by Saad Ghosn interests, having constantly to redefine She did colorful paintings of black-eyed and assert who she was. The theme of Susan, corn flowers, other ‘weed’ flowers she had By saad ghosn feminism then permeated her work. encountered, one painting for each month from Contributing writEr She did a series of semi-abstract spring to early winter. She used on purpose very paintings on relationships, women in large canvasses to draw in the viewer and give the family, all the push-and-pull they added importance to their subject. Born in Champaign, IL, Shifflett grew up in daily experience. The images were based on round Halfway through grad school, Shifflett went Las Cruces, NM, near Ciudad Juarez on the other balls, one of them representing her; they would back to visit her parents in Las Cruces. Wanting side of the Mexican divide. It was at a time when also be accompanied by statements to clarify her to return like in the old good times to Ciudad flow between the 2 countries was welcome and message. Juarez she was strongly discouraged by her sister safe and when crossing the border was a daily In Tomato Soup Family, for instance, she is a who shared with her the ongoing violence in the enjoyable adventure; she often accompanied her big red ball at the bottom, pushed away by 2 other border town, the hundreds of working women friends and mother to party or shop on Mexican balls on the top, one being her husband, the other found dead for no reason, the daily killings due to soil. Shifflett was also interested in art very early her daughter. the drug wars, the desperate prevailing poverty. on, drawing constantly, her talents encouraged by She was appalled not to have heard about it on the She later expanded her series to address more teachers and family. news. Doing her research she discovered the truth specifically her relationship of the new reality and embarked on a new series of with her teenage daughter. paintings, Borderlands. They were both struggling for independence, yet her daughter Her large and somber painting Trash Town is a demanding, needy and commentary on the effect of NAFTA on the lives rebellious at the same time. The of hundreds of thousands of Mexicans who, in abstract paintings in the series order to find better paying jobs, relocated to the were done using Elmer’s glue border cities where new factories had opened. and graphite, Elmer’s glue in her Unfortunately they were met with inexistent mind associated with the school infrastructure, no electricity, water or sewage, and classroom, thus connected to ended up living among trash in shanty towns, the her daughter. for-profit companies not concerned with their well-being. In I Hate You Mom but Can You Please Take Me and My The killing Field was based on the massacre of Friends to the Mall, she reflects 73 to-be illegal immigrants who, before reaching on the expectations and tasks the USA, were kidnapped by drug cartels, held for she’s supposed to meet just ransom and killed, their families not able to pay. for being a mother; and in Trapped is in response to the escalating violence Stony Silence because I Said in bordering towns, people becoming prisoners No, related to not letting her in their own homes, trapped and squeezed 14 year old daughter go to between an obstructive border fence, terrorizing a slumber party at a 16 year drug lords, daily danger, and poverty. It was also old boy’s house, on how these related to similar imagery and background she expectations were only used had experienced on a recent trip to the West Bank, when they suited her child. Palestinians impeded in their daily living by a big Between undergrad and grad dividing wall, numerous checkpoints, long lines school, Shifflett worked on and queues, omnipresent occupation. Shifflett another series related to flowers had travelled to the Middle East to help Bedouin usually considered weeds. women improve their weaving technique and find Travelling down the interstate opportunities to better market their product. to get to her studio she would ‘We’re all alike,” says Shifflett. “Women, often admire along the way Trapped, oil painting. Painting and Photo by Kim Shifflett environment, border conflicts, are universal large patches of beautiful and issues that touch all of us. When I disagree with colorful flowers jut to find them the following day something, I use my art to raise awareness, start At the age of 18 she left New Mexico, settled for mowed away. and facilitate a dialogue, hopefully promote few years in Tucson, AZ, moved to Lexington, KY, “I felt every time violated,” she says, “like if change. My art is compassionate. I strongly and then finally to Cincinnati, OH. Along the way someone was deliberately destroying my favorite identify with immigrants who leave their country she married twice, bore children, learned to weave garden. Why would a flower in a certain setting wanting better chance, education and living; with and knit, started a needlework design business, has value and beauty and in others not. Who burdened women and mothers; with devalued pursued her art education. She earned a BFA decides what is good or equal? Unfortunately ‘weed’ flowers; with ‘invisible’, victimized degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and by drawing arbitrary lines, our society often individuals in our society.” a MFA degree in painting from the University of contributes to abusive control and prejudice.” Cincinnati. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 1-14, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Homeless Congress Pg 4: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 5: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 6: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 7: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Continued Pg 8: Move Ahead or Get Left Behind Pg 9: Feed Me Seymour Pg 10: Move Ahead or Get Left Behind Continued Pg 11: Rape in Zimbabwe: Perspectives and Realities Pg 12: Most Likely to Succeed Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: Congratulations Judge Painter! Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Who Decides What is Good or Equal? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 1-14, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Donald Whitehead B. Clifton Burke Pearla Kinne Jordan Antoine Wilson Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Fungai Machirori Anthony Williams Amiee Willhoite Saad Ghosn Pearla Kinne Colleen Lowe Morna Eddie Sun GCCH Staff Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amiee Willhoite Anthony Williams B. Clifton Burke Cincinnati Colleen Lowe Morna Donald Whitehead Eddie Sun Elizabeth Schulenberg Fungai Machirori GCCH Staff Herstory Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jordan Antoine Wilson Judge Painter Kim Shifflett Pearla Kinne Rape Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn United Nations Willa Denise Jones Women Zimbabwe https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/b2b7bfedb5277cef09020feab6cdf0c4.pdf 35259738bcea18df3ec635cf9e583955 PDF Text Text San Francisco S t r e e t v ibeS Homelessness March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 UC Students Skip the Beach to Give Back During Spring Break PG 14 PG 6 March 15-31, 2011 A D V O C A T I N G Barb Wolf Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer For over 40 years Barb Wolf has worked to craft her career as a documentary activist or, as she refers to herself, a “documentarist”. What began as an enduring curiosity in a 1960’s Grailville bookstore, spurred on by members of the Catholic women’s movement, ripened into a deep love for documenting human and civil rights transgressions and the people who fight them. According to Barb, in the 60’s “Grailville was made up of powerful women who would watch what you were interested in” and incite your creative potential. These women, part of the international Grail movement which was established in Loveland in 1944, were committed to “the release of women’s creative energy throughout the world” (grailville. org) and came together strictly “to change the world.” Upon recognizing Barb’s interest, the women of Grailville asked her to make a slide show on the “changing role of women” and that is when she first learned about the women’s movement. Barb had been involved in the anti-war movement and the civil rights movement almost from the beginning. In fact the civil rights march on Washington, D.C., in August 1963 was the first march she ever participated in. The Grailville slide show peaked her interest in the women’s movement because “if women could begin to understand how they had been mistreated, they might begin to understand or expand their understanding to others who had been mistreated.” Wolf ’s involvement with the 1960’s movements had a huge 1 ISSUE 265 J U S T I C E impact on her life and work, leading her to make slide shows and films about other social issues including race and poverty. “To be part of that- it was a freeing time. One of the things that I learned is to be open to change, because change is not bad. Look at the possibilities of change as opposed to fearing change.“ Barb estimates that she has made 6-8 films a year for at least 40 years, resulting in 100’s of films. Her work evolved and expanded in various directions over the years. In the early 70’s she went to work for Cincinnati’s Urban Appalachian Council and began teaching kids how to tape and edit shows on Appalachian culture. Word of mouth about her talents grew and each project led to other projects focused on giving people a voice. In the late 70’s, for example, she did a training film for an organization working on establishing home health care providers for people who were wheelchair bound. Then with the 1980’s AIDS epidemic, Wolf began making funeral videos for friends who had died after contracting the disease. Barb worked on a number of projects with activist buddy gray, founder of Over-the­ Rhine People’s movement, including “These Old Buildings Raised Our Many Children” about “people who were moved around and used like pawns and placeholders in OTR when the gentrification was just beginning.” Barb also worked with gray on a documentary on the history of the Drop Inn Center that was never completed due to buddy’s untimely death in 1996. As a champion for the rights of the oppressed, Barb has continually participated in demonstrations, rallies and marches. In 2000 Barb participated in the Trans- • B U I L D I N G Atlantic Business Dialogue conference demonstrations at Fountain Square where protestors peacefully rallied against corporate wealth and the decreasing wealth of the poor. Barb watched the protests with a camera so that “if something went wrong we could have it on tape” a tactic that has helped her fight the arrests of people who have been falsely accused. She also taped the 2001 Cincinnati riots and documented the civil unrest, which prompted her to tape virtually every demonstration that happened afterwards. In September 2001, Barb united with thousands of anti-war protestors across the country as they demonstrated against in the impending invasion of Afghanistan. Barb was arrested for standing in the street and blocking traffic as she and others were “trying not to have that war happen because it was just so wrong.” She says, “People literally poured out into the streets to say ‘stop this’, ‘don’t do it’. We had done everything else we possibly could have-and that’s what we did and we got arrested and spent the night in jail.” Barb was found guilty for disorderly conduct, despite the fact that she was calm, polite and non-violent. The appeals courts later threw out the case. More recently, in September 2006, Barb was arrested in Steve Chabot’s office as part of a nationwide movement calling on representatives to sign the declaration of peace. A judge found her guilty of criminal trespassing and sentenced her to 30 hours of community service, a sentence that she then protested because she didn’t believe doing community service, which is often a life choice, should be made equivalent to punishment. Her refusal landed her 10 days in jail, an experience that she found fascinating and “wouldn’t take it back for the world.” While in jail she was able to speak with and interview dozens of good people who had done something wrong, people she says “shouldn’t be there for a variety of reasons.” Barb describes her work as a “tool for understanding.” When she documents people she attempts to “represent people in a positive fashion” so they can “see themselves and feel proud, once they see themselves it will empower them.” She follows the philosophy of “We become what we behold” and believes “If someone sees themselves with dignity and respect they become that. That’s what I do in $1 C O M M U N I T Y my work- and then of course I try to get arrested every once in awhile.” One video project she produced, Degrees of Shame, is on the exploitation of adjunct professors in higher institutions, modeled after Edward R. Murrow’s film Harvest of Shame, a documentary on the exploitation of migrant farm workers. Barb sought to draw parallels between migrant workers and part-time professors in the “hope that they [professors] would look at migrant farmers and realize they are allies and they would try to help their cause.” Barb’s current projects include creating a training video from the Streetvibes Distributors as well as a film documenting the lives of speaker’s from the Coalition for the Homeless’ Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau. She is also making a Barb Wolf’s arrest during the local demonstration of the international protests against the 2001 War in Afghanistan. source: Unknown film on Mr. K’s Math Camp in Cincinnati and is in conversation with Ohioans for Health, See Women, Pg. 3 �editorial 2 1964 The year Barbara Wolf first marched on Washington DC, in an anti war protest (Page 1) 1984 The year Jen Martin, the Editor of Streetvibes was born (Page 2) 8 The years Lea Drury has been in Cincinnati, committed to social work (Page 4) 2-25-2011 The day The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless lead people in a rally to protest 3CDC’s recent ‘improvements’ to Washington Park (Page 8) 26,000 The amount of messages that were sent by Amnesty activists to the Iranian government demanding the release of Roxana Saberi (Page 11) 88 How much beloved Mojo, a German Shepard-Rottweiler weighed (Page 12) 17 The age Cedric Cox began playing bass in a hard rock band, Morticite (Page 16) I Jennifer Martin Editor have decided that ‘Streetwise’ may not be the best name for this editorial. When I came on as Editor for Streetvibes that was the Editorial’s name, so I just kept it; however after consideration I have decided it is a wrong fit for me. At the risk of this offending anyone, let me just be the first to say I am probably not what one would consider ‘Streetwise’. Therefore, since I haven’t come up with a new title yet, the name will just be untitled for a bit. I look forward to sharing my opinions with you through this piece. I also thought it may be a good time to let you know what I am here to do, much like a company or group’s mission statement, this is kind of mine… I came to Streetvibes because I believed in the cause which it supports, my mission as Editor, is to simply advocate for the cause and use this newspaper as a means to get the message out there. I believe Streetvibes is an avenue to awareness. I want it to be something that someone donates a dollar for, and they actually get something out of. My intention is to continue the message of the community within and to make people outside of our core know the name Streetvibes. While I understand my point of view and my ways may be unusual to others, they make perfect sense to me and I think in time others will see where I am coming from. In an effort for transparency, you should know I don’t think doom and gloom are always the way to go if you want someone to listen to your message. This is why now and in the future, especially in my Editorials, I may sometimes go for the lighter side of an issue. Again, this is all in an effort to simply keep people turning the page. I believe strongly I can bring different sets of eyes to thispaper and as long as I do that, our message as a Coalition can only become louder. In the mean time, I encourage your thoughts, critiques, and comments on the paper. When it comes to me as Editor, I want to be transparent. I don’t aim to be charming or cute, I aim to simply produce a good product, and my opinions are secondary to that. The things I write within an Editorial aren’t to be taken as fact unless specifically stated, my opinions may not always reflect those of the Coalition and its staff, and what I do write may mean something very different to everyone as individuals. This is the reason I want your opinion on issues not necessarily about who I am. Really, with all the hate we deal with on a daily basis just watching the news…I am pretty spent on it, so you’ll understand if the things I say from now on may be on a lighter and more positive note. Those thoughts will be relegated only to this box and it is called an Editorial. And aside from that I am completely aware of who I am and the fact that I know nothing in the grand scheme of things, I assure you I do not need to be told. I am also completely aware of my shortcomings and I think most would describe me as abrasive, loud, and blunt… and I tend to agree. I am all of those things. I was once given the back handed compliment that I was like a “pretty Kathy Bates” and trust me that was the nicest compliment that person could muster at the time, hardlycute or charming. I am however honest and I truly try my hardest not to judge others (as difficult as that can be sometimes), it isn’t my style. I try not to judge and within the perimeters of my job, I try to listen and be fair. I always want to hear what you have to say. I will always respond to a thought or concern if sent to me in a respectful way, so that a dialogue could start from differences. This is something that is important to me since I have not always been a member of this community or it’s very strong core of nonprofit advocates. My email is printed to the right of this Editorial, so please if you do have something to say, send it my way. I always want the reader’s voice to be as loud as mine. StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jim Luken, Riccardo Taylor, Saad Ghosn, Catie Dargue, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Jennifer Martin, Laura Osborne-Coffey, James Brown, Lee McCoy, Dawn Fuller, Elisa Hill, B. Clifton Burke, Jimmie Gipson, Elles van Gelder, Beth GriffithNiemann Photography/Artwork Amiee Willhoite, Saad Ghosn, Mikki Schaffner, Bill Howes, Suzanne Chouteau, Bill Howes, Cedric Cox, Dawn Fuller, B. Clifton Burke, Sarah Hager, Elles van Gelder, Catie Dargue, Laura OsborneCoffey The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 Women Making Herstory Laura OsbornCoffey Continued from Pg. 1 Environment and Justice on creating a film about the environmental effects of Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) in Ohio, and working on documenting the opening of the co-op coffee shop opening in Norwood in Fall 2011. While Barb has never had an interest in film festivals and contests as the rewards that she gets are not from awards “it’s when they [films] make a change,” she received a videography award from the Contact Center in 1997 as well as the Maurice McCracken Peace & Justice Award in 2002. She continues her work after all these years because she is “ridiculously hopeful.” While she acknowledges she can’t fix everything, she is optimistic about continually working for solutions to social issues. While she considers herself a “persistent follower… and rarely the spokesperson” she did lead and organize a project called Artists for the Drop Inn Center. Barb initiated the project as a response to a comment she documented while filming a meeting of residents at the Drop Inn Center. The residents were asked to give input about Erich Kunzel’s push to move the Drop out of OTR. One of the residents said, “Why do artists hate us so?” She thought it was so awful that they felt that, so she got together with a couple of other artists who pulled together 40 or 50 artists who supported the Drop and put on a concert together at Southgate House. This visionary to be reckoned with was born in Wisconsin and raised in New Jersey and Michigan. She originally moved to Cincinnati in 1963 to pursue a BA in Math from Mt. St. Joseph College. She lives with her partner of 35 years, Michael Burnham, a Professor of Drama at the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. Barb’s films and videos tell many stories and document the struggles of our people over the last 4 decades. She plans on gifting her life’s work to the historical society, to preserve this history. “You can write a letter, you can save a life. Take Action Now.” Laura grew up in Clinton County, Ohio, a Quaker stronghold. She credits this for her background in an activist life. As a teen she was involved in a 4-H horse club in Clinton County, and once she grew out of the club she volunteered as an advisor for a few years afterwards. The day she completed her Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Cincinnati in 1986, she and her fiancé watched “A Conspiracy of Hope” tour on TV. This rock concert was a benefit for Amnesty International, and featured artists such as Sting, Peter Gabriel, Brian Adams and U2. The show also carried the message in info-mercialsby actors such as Robin Williams, Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg: You can write a letter, you can save a life. Take Action Now. This concert incited Laura to send in her membership, and three months later she got in touch with the Local Group 86 in Cincinnati. In the mid 80’s, Local Groups were also called ‘Adoption Groups’ as they would take on a Prisoner of Conscience case and work on it until the case was closed – either through a release,or due to the prisoner’s death. “The first case we worked on was Mohamed Mghagha in Ethopia. The group had his case when I joined, and we must’ve worked for at least 6 or 7 more years for him, until he was freed. When Mohammed was released, we had a big party with cake. We were so excited!” Laura remembers. In 1987, Laura became the coordinator for the Cincinnati Local Group 86. The group was very active, and was in constant contact with the Amnesty office in Chicago, and later in 1987 she became the Area Coordinator for Ohio. This role was a natural extension, as there were four active Amnesty International Local Groups in the state. In 1987 and 1988, she helped two new Amnesty Local groups to start in Dayton OH and Covington KY. In 1989 she began attending the ‘Training of Trainer’ program within Amnesty, which provided a training program to members to facilitate presentations and outreach for Amnesty to grow the movement. After going to through this process, she did trainings at the local, regional and national levels, including workshops at their Annual General Meetings. Three years ago, Laura was asked to join the Area Coordinator Steering Committee (ACSC) – a group consisting of one representative Area Coordinator from each of Amnesty’s five regions, plus a Board member and staff. In this group, she has worked closely with the other representatives to award a national level award to the Amnesty Local Groups, called the Sister Laola Hironaka Award. The ACSC also works to develop workshops at the annual meeting for the Local Groups and the Area Coordinators, and adds strength to Amnesty’s work with local groups and membership. Laura is also a volunteer at the Maple Creek Artisan Center in Moscow Ohio (Clermont County) – she’s done spinning and weaving demonstrations for their festivals over the past year, and she will be doing quilting workshops with them this year – for a change of pace. Maple Creek is a center for revitalizing the older arts, including pottery, blacksmithing, and other crafts. She is still very involved in the Cincinnati Local Group and is the coordinator. “We do a lot of work for the Prisoners of Conscience – our current case is Dhondup Wangchen, a film-maker in China who was arrested after he made a video of Tibetanstalking about how they felt about the Dalai Lama. Dhondup is like the ‘Indiana Jones’ of China – he was imprisoned for making the video, then somehow he managed to escape from the Chinese Police for a short while, andmanaged to smuggle the video to a relative before he was again arrested and imprisoned. Who does that in China these days?” The Cincinnati group shares this case with a Local Group in Massachusetts, and last year the two groups collected over 2000 signatures on petitions on his behalf, with some help from the concert tabling worldwide. She’s also in touch with student groups in the area, and is impressed with their energy and dedication. “Amnesty volunteers don’t stop, and we don’t go away. 2011 is Amnesty’s 50thanniversary. Our goal is to make the governments of the world realize that people around the world are watching when they arrest someone, torture someone, or execute someone, or even if they condone this behavior. The culture of human rights worldwide is growing and I am proud to be a part of that movement.” Great Books! visit facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com www.cincybooks.com �4 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 Women Making Herstory Melissa Lea Drury Bennett Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer In recent years our nation’s streets have become home to thousands of homeless youth. The Queen City is no exception. While these individuals find their way to the streets for a myriad of reasons, from the lack of employment opportunities to running from troubled families, the bottom line is they are struggling to survive. Yet, there is some reprieve through the efforts of street outreach worker Lea Drury. As a Case Manager for Lighthouse Youth Services, Lea provides compassion, hope and support. In her work, she engages people on the streets and when they are ready for services “I make it happen as quickly as I can and I get the barriers out of the way once they are in a position to use their own resources.” Lea provides outreach to anyone living on the streets and case management for those up to the age of 24. Each day Lea and fellow Case Manager Rashida Pearson scout Downtown, Over the Rhine, Camp Washington and surrounding neighborhoods. As they encounter people they offer water, food, blankets and condoms. In her work, Lea’s gift is her patience. When she meets people she doesn’t rush them through the system, instead she takes the time to “develop relationships with people” earning their trust. With a passion for helping people help themselves, Lea believes this is her life’s work—“it’s somewhat of a calling” and she doesn’t think she would be happy doing anything else. Lea sees herself as a positive entity, as part of a community and as a small part of a larger whole. She is someone who tries to contribute to solutions to making things better for the community as a whole. In 2009 she received the Literacy Center West Partnership Award, as a result of her commitment to her work and the strong working relationship she has developed with the center. In the future Lea intends to design and implement re-education programs within the prison system “so people have more to work with when they get out.” This vision was prompted by countless experiences with ex-prisoners on the streets. She cites a recent encounter with a 30-year-old man who had been in prison for 11years. After serving his time “he was released and literally standing on the same corner he got picked up on.” Lea sat down with him and did her best to refer him to community resources, “If he had been given a trade or a college education, he would have had the whole world. If he had received more tools, he could have worked.” Lea desires more “compassion for all people” within our culture. She recognizes that in our society homeless people are seen as unfavorable and “they are objectified and de-humanized.” For Lea, a larger structural issue in our culture is that “there is a disconnect between the chain of command for funding- where the money starts and where the money ends up- because of poor communication.” Each day Lea wakes up and continues her work because she receives considerable gratification from helping people, “I feel like I have a purpose. There is something more important than me past my front door.” Originally from California, Lea moved here for family 8 years ago. She will receive her Bachelors degree in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati in December. She plans to immediately begin work on her Masters in Social Work. When she completes her degrees she will continue to work for Lighthouse, as she believes strongly in their mission. thank you! For the past few months, Elizabeth Schulenberg has donated her time and design to Streetvibes, as Art Director. Elizabeth works as a graphic designer in Montgomery, Ohio. Born and raised in Cincinnati, she earned her Bachelor of Design from the University of Cincinnati’s school of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. She now lives in a 103 year old Covington home with her husband (David), bulldog (Lily, pictured), and cat (Obie). “ We are out exploring whenever possible, whether it is around town on bikes, or camping/backpacking around the country. I love this area and being able to contribute to Streetvibes, and makeCincinnati even greater, is an amazing feeling. I have met a few Streetvibes vendors, and look forward to getting to know more of you! ” intervieW by Catie DargUe Melissa Bennett behind the scenes The best way to describe Melissa is that she is everywhere, a part of everything, all the time; but no one necessarily knows it. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life,” she says. What exactly does she do? Well to be honest, everything. Melissa is a Cincinnati native who has worked everywhere from a bank to horse ranches to Target but is now mostly known for her work in the theatre. If you don’t recognize her from the stage it may be because Melissa spends the bulk of her time behind the scenes. A trained actress, she graduated with a degree in theatre from Bowling Green State University. A plethora of careers and opportunities took her to Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont, Las Vegas and even Ireland but she’s always ended back in Cincinnati doing what she’s best at: working in the theatre. She is now in her third season as New Edgecliff Theatre’s Technical Director with a responsibility for building the sets and managing all technical aspects of the plays. Additionally, she teaches at the School for Creative and Performing Arts(SPCA), specializing in stage combat. As a woman teaching stage combat she has developed a number of specialty classes “Fight like a girl” and “Broad swords for broads” taking a physiological and physical look at the way in which women use their bodies differently in a fight and applying that to the stage. “Women move differently than men and they fight differently too.” By studying how women act in a fight, stage combat can be completely altered to fit a character that is fighting and not just be taught to overlying tradition of male combat. In the technical world Melissa notices the subtle way in which certain men try to steer her away from heavy lifting and manual labor, though she is a very able and willing carpenter, and towards more detail orientated tasks. But she doesn’t let this affect her as she knows she’s a capable stage hand, designer, teacher, actress, technical director, etc. Like many creative types she has a degree of dyslexia which can always be a challenge when working on a stage and when teaching students but she says she doesn’t let it affect her work. Inspired by such people as her parents, Aunt Lauri, Gina Kleesattel at SCPA, Michael Schooner at New Edgecliff Theatre and the Showbiz Players, where she got her theatre start, Melissa is a true asset to this community. The enthusiasm to spread her love of theatre and her professional presence are some of her strongest qualities making her a natural leader. However, she is humble in her accomplishments and claims that her proudest moments have been shared with the Film Outside the Lines project where she works with people of varying disabilities to write, act and film movies. “There’s no politics or stress, it’s just enjoyable and it reminds me how fun this can be”. While she admits to wanting a little more security in her job, which the theatre world rarely offers, she says she believes in ‘Karma jobs’ and seems to always land on her feet. She loves theatre, the children she teaches and of course instructing someone to do a proper choke hold on stage. �street life S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 the Homeless Congress Member Biographies Jerry Davis I am currently unemployed but hope to attend Cincinnati State College this coming Fall Season. I am a member of the Garden St Transition Housing Board and believe that I can help in making a difference in our community by being apart of the Homeless Congress. Keith Eutsey As a member of the Homeless Congress I hope to be instrumental in the lives of others who have lived under homeless circumstances and who have suffered its disparagement. I would like to see more affordable housing and job training, as a result of my involvement with the Congress, being created. James Brown As a member of the Homeless Congress I would like to impact others in making changes in their lives. As a formally homeless person I feel my experiences can be useful in directing others through the difficulty, which is a part of that life style. The struggles that we face are hard and often seemingly impossible to burden. Our mindsets are often in disarray and we find ourselves in a dilemma. We resort to self-medicating with drugs or alcohol at time to relieve our sorrows and often find ourselves in more difficulty then we can manage. The displacement of individuals in our neighborhood, resulting from the recent rehabilitation of the buildings, is responsible for much conflict within agencies that otherwise support those in need. In our struggles I have one particular agency that I appreciate and support. The Drop Inn Center is in my opinion the “greatest”, and all other like agencies are the immediate solution to some of the problems which so many people face. It is for this reason that I commit my time and effort as a member of the Homeless Congress. Stephen Gentry Riccardo Taylor....source: amy Willhoite Lee McCoy I have been homeless off and on many times over the years. As of late I have been living in my own apartment, to date it has been 13 month’s. I have had my stint with drug addiction and have been fighting substance abuse for the greater part of my life. Today I am clean and looking for a new start on life. Working with the Homeless Congress I have picked my peeve, which is to see more being done with help in sheltering individuals during the cold months. The idea that a person is at least 75% water and that water freezes at 32 degrees puts a lot of people at risk. I believe that working with the congress in trying to convince the city and county authorities to create a winter shelter plan is an important obligation, and therefore I that being a part of the congress is a great way for me to have some influence. March Madness What we are losing in Over the Rhine lee MCCoy riCCarDo taylor The Homeless Congress of Cincinnati was created in January 2011, its mission, to become a voice for those who have the least in the way of a voice in our community. As an entity striving to work in the community for the purpose of change, the members of the Homeless Congress wishes to introduce themselves too the community as a whole. Below are listed the Bio’s of our current members. We would hope that our Streetvibes readers take note of their participation in community building and improvement as we engage in the revamping of our status as viable members of the community. As listed, the following Congress members are the initial enrollment members and the core of what we feel will be a lasting and productive resource for our homeless population. Our members have given a short bio of whom they are and what they would like to accomplish as members of the Homeless Congress. 5 I am a native Cincinnatian and product of the Cincinnati Public Schools with three years of college. I have had a varied career in the service and production industries. I am currently disabled and have found meaningful and fulfilling satisfaction through Homeless Advocacy because of a volunteer position at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and membership in the Homeless Congress. Due to the circumstance, which I would suggest goes with the territory; I find that it is necessary to install the Bio’s from our members in segments. Our members have very full lives for the most part, and given that circumstance they are usually quite busy and coupled with the provision of space bios of the rest of our membership will be posted in future editions. The Homeless Congress is made up of individuals who for the most part are struggling with poverty issues and find themselves under pressure financially and the Homeless Coalition offers some relief for that. It is therefore that some of our Congress members are also involved with the coalition through their participation with the Streetvibes paper program; their involvement with the propagation of issues, which affect those most at risk due to poverty, is plus for membership with the congress. It’s that time of the year again and 65 teams are scrambling to see who going to be number one. The fans will be cheering, some may be crying but with the way this game is played it won’t be a basketball team that winds up the winner. It will undoubtedly be the bookies. This time of year seems to make people do crazy things…like we got a little spring in the air to bring out the madness in us all. That said, let’s another walk through my neighborhood. And I guess I should say that my hood is no longer my hoodwith the renovation of Washington Park. We are watching all of this construction to the tune of 47 million dollars, but the when I look at the park I just trees being dug up. 47 million can’t replace those…to me they are priceless. And while we’reon the subject of digging up priceless things let’s just call to light that they dug up people buried in my hood, they moved them or put them in a new hole in the earth all together. I always thought it was sacrilegious to disturb the final resting place of someone who has passed on, but apparently 47 million dollars and the greedy promise of more revenue must make all spiritual guidance go out the window. I suppose if you are 3CDC you can pretty much get with anything, right? The scariest part of all is watching groups like City Gospel Mission get bumped out of the community. And now because of it close location to The Performing Arts School; I fear the writing is on the wall for the Drop Inn Center. Whatever happened to love thy neighbor? I guess greed really will make that moral compass and spiritual guidance dissipate. I am sorry 3CDC but just because a person is down on their luck doesn’t make them a nuisance, they are still human. You came into Over the Rhine on a mission of greed. You have taken buildings and made them into your fancy ‘flats’. Your fancy condos that no one who has lived here their whole life could afford. And you mean to tell us you aren’t forcing people out of this community? These fancy apartments will likely run $800 to $900 a month for a one bedroom. Bear in mind, one of these buildings I am referring to used to rent a one bedroom for $200 a month. It’s been my experience that you come upon your real estate ventures in a shady way like telling a landlord that in order for them to purchase the building they must evict or relocate the tenants already there. You don’t even pretend to give people a chance. That’s cold. I’m pretty sure it is all about the Benjaminsfor you people. You have your casino coming in and the bigger picture is becoming clear for Cincinnati. You can just take a look at Vine Street and see that this isn’t Over the Rhine anymore. It is also clear that they will do anything they can to move us out…but why? So the rich can get richer by saving gas money getting to and from their Downtown work places? And don’t get me wrong, with the price of gas I totally understand that argument but really, what happens to the rest of us? What happens to the people who gas isn’t a problem for because they don’t have a car to put it in? And now I hear they are going to have to pay a Guard to patrol Washington Park. Why is that, so you can keep certain people out? It just doesn’t sound right to me. I have never heard of a public park with an armed guard. What’s more is that we could be losing some of the oldest social service agencies, essentially fixtures in Over the Rhine for nearly a century. These organizations literally put food in the mouths of the community’s homeless and poor. I know that when I was homeless I was damn glad to 6:15 because I knew that I could have a hot meal and then spiritual services following that fed my soul and enriched my spirit. When you homeless and down on your luck, sometimes that spirituality is all you need to pick your chin up and go through another day. You see the one thing about Over the Rhine is that as a community, we cared about each other. You can hardly name another place in the tri state that will feed those in need, clothe those in need, or give you a shower when you need it.Places like The Free Store, Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services, The Salvation Army…these places are priceless without greed. I know God will look after His own, but I for one will truly miss the Gospel Mission. I wish them all the blessings in the new move but I know they will be greatly missed in Over the Rhine. �6 Column StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 san francisco Homelessness A look at the same issue by the Bay JiM lUken Ahh. San Francisco…the romantic City by the Bay. I spent two weeks there in mid-February, and like so Tony Bennett (and many others), I left my heart there. The biggest part of my heart went out to the city’s homeless population, which is one of the largest in the country. One might think that homelessness is homelessness no matter where it occurs. But what I observed in San Francisco had a very different look and feel to it than it does here in Cincinnati. While the city has twice our population, there are many more homeless people there than here, and these homeless are quite visible, almost everywhere throughout the cosmopolitan city. Surprisingly to me, most of the homeless are white and in their 40s and 50s. Many push shopping carts around wherein they store their belongings. I saw several men with wheel chairs hooked up to their carts and small bicycles strapped on top. In the famous “Haight/Asbury” neighborhood, the homeless population is mostly young and white kids from all over the country. Many of these—I was told— are runaways. Often they are unwelcome in their family homes, by reason of their LGBT identities. The accepted (politically-correct) name for them is “queer kids.” Call it a form of reverse prejudice, but I had problems dealing with healthy looking white kids panhandling all over town. There are many reasons for the high numbers of homeless in SF. The city is a kind of magnet, due to its (relatively) warm weather all year long, and its massive transit system, and perhaps mostly due to its being in a traditionally “liberal” city in a state (California) that is famous for its free-wheeling lifestyle. Although San Francisco is technically in Northern California, its climate borders on temperate. The Pacific Ocean currents bring generally mild temperatures. One evening there was a smattering of snow. After leaving a bar, I gathered a small snowball from the windshield of a car. My buddy was amazed, because snow almost never happens there. Many days the temperature was in the low sixties, with the sky a postcard blue. What this means is that chronically homeless people (95% male) can sleep outside all year long without endangering their lives. The huge finger of Golden Gate Park runs four miles from the ocean to the heart of the city, incredibly green and wonderful to walk in. On several of my walks, I followed narrow paths through the grass, only to find a homeless encampment tucked away, tarp covered, 4’X 6’, a shopping cart often holding up one end of the tarp. My buddy told me that there are men who have lived out in the park for years and years. San Francisco’s equivalent to Over the Rhine is called the “Tenderloin District,” nestled downtown very close to the major business district. Imagine OTR situated between Central Parkway and the library. There, on Turk Street, I found the office of the “Coalition on Homelessness” which publishes of the newspaper, called “Street Sheet” You press an intercom button and someone rings you in. Then you climb a long flight of shabbily carpeted stairs to the offices. According to Bob Offer-Westort, the editor of Street Sheet, people flock to San Francisco in the hope of getting a better shake from the city’s support network. He says they are mistaken in this belief, describing the city laws and authorities as “punitive.” Perhaps “punitive” can be best illustrated by referring to the infamous “Sit/lie” law which was enacted this past November. Bob says that their “Coalition on Homelessness” campaigned vigorously against the law, which empowers the police to arrest/harass homeless people for sitting on (or sleeping on)the pavement. There have already been two demonstrations against the law since its passage. Fortunately, the law is not currently being enforced, although Bob says that may change with the installation of a new police chief in March. No doubt the homeless population is anxious about enforcement. I saw hundreds of people all over town sitting on curbs and sidewalks. And at night, I would walk around the homeless sleeping under blankets in doorways and alcoves. I was pleased to hear Editor Bob Offer-Westort praise our own newspaper during my interview with him. to see that Benni was reading my recent story on the “Shooting at Tucker’s” in Streetvibes, which is mailed to SF’s homeless coalition office each month. Benni described homelessness in his home town as “a bad situation. And it ain’t getting any better.” On Market Street, the main downtown artery, I walked up to a man pushing a shopping cart. The temperature was in the low forties that day. The first thing I noticed was that he was wearing flip flops with no socks. Handing him a dollar, I asked if I could interview him for Streetvibes. He said, “Sure.” His name was Terry Adale, white, age 56. Tall, thin Under his hooded sweatshirt, I could see that Terry was movie-star handsome, with clear blue eyes. He chewed on butt of a cigarette that hung from his lower lip. He had been out on the streets of San Francisco for twenty years now, a transplant from Chicago. He said he had had a typical childhood there, had done well at school, and had even done some college work. “When I lost my job there, I decided that—if I was going to be homeless—there were better places to be than Chicago.” I was surprised to learn that he never sleeps in any of the city’s shelters. [There are 1100 beds in the SF shelter system]. He said he usually slept in the same doorway several blocks east on Market Street. He never begs, and supports himself by recycling. He said he can generally make $10 or more each day. “Food is easy to find,” he said. “You mean, like, at soup kitchens?” I asked. “No, I mean on the street, in trash receptacles. You wouldn’t believe some of the food people throw away in this city.” When I inquired about the flip flops, he complained that he had gone to the hospital recently and they had taken some of his clothes, including his shoes and socks Sharon Randle Pamela gerard He described Streetvibes as among the “first tier” of homeless newspapers. Street Sheet prints 16,000 (12 page) newspapers in San Francisco, compared to Streetvibes’ 3,500 (16 page). They have around 230 vendors (40 regulars) compared to our 35 vendors. Bob expressed envy at the fact that Streetvibes vendors now wear vests. His San Francisco vendors are not even provided with identification badges. As I left the editor’s office, I met the Street Sheet circulation manager, Benni Clyburn, who works with the vendors. I looked down on his desk, and was amazed without ever returning them. “Didn’t you ask about them?” “I guess I should have,” he responded. He said he was “relatively” satisfied with his style of street life. “The lottery is my principle means of hope,” he ventured. I asked Terry if he had anything to say to our readers in Cincinnati. “I urge people to be friendly and healthy, as well as they are able.” Then he padded off in his flip flops. �S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 Column 7 the struggle for Doing good JaMes DeMario broWn My name is James DeMarioBrown. I am one of the members of the Homeless Congress. I’m trying to impact the lives of those who are homeless in our community. From personal experience, I know being homeless is hard. It is truly an everyday struggle just to meet basic needs and it is so hard to keep the right mind set while doing so. Some people give up, fall into drugs and alcohol for comfort when nobody else is there to rely on. This I know, and my message is that there is a way out. One of the best resources in the community by far is The Drop Inn Center. It is a place where you feel comfort and supported in your hardest of times. Lately, with the closing and relocation of The City Gospel Missionit has me wondering if 3CDC’s development in Over the Rhine has just put the writing on the wall for The Drop Inn Center. Where will all these people who are genuinely helped by The Drop, I wonder where they will go, who will they turn to for help? This kind of desperation can only breed more outrage and violence. Pushing the people out is not the answer. The people in this community need a boost, not an eviction notice. Where’s our bail out? Where is our development? Where are our jobs? We need the support of others. We need resources like The Drop Inn Center. With the recently formed Homeless Congress, we intend to work on the issues. Ultimately, we hope to get in front of Cincinnati’s City Council because right now it seems like there is no one there playing on our team. My struggle for doing good continues and yours should too. Speak out whenever you can, help whoever you can, and maybe together we can get our voices heard. �local 8 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 fighting Poverty: the impact and future of the ameriCorps Program Current Legislation betH griffitH-nieMann Faces without Places AmeriCorps VISTA AmeriCorps members make a yearlong, full-time commitment to serve non-profits or public agencies, while living in poverty themselves, but prosed budget cuts are threatening this program. On February 19th, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would completely eliminate AmeriCorps and all other service programs supported through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The House Appropriations Committee compiled a Continuing resolution totaling $4 billion dollars in cuts over two weeks, keeping the government operating, preceding a vote on the budget cuts in the Senate, until a long term bill can be agreed upon. The Senate is set to vote on the issue on March 18th; however, it seems likely that the budget will not be resolved and that the current fiscal year may function with a series of continuing resolutions until the end of the fiscal year in September. It is unclear what the final outcome will be for AmeriCorps and CNCS. Current Impacts AmeriCorps is comprised of AmeriCorps State & National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) totaling over 75,000 individuals each year who pledge to serve their country through national service. AmeriCorps is one of many organizations that receive funding from CNCS; other organizations include Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, Nonprofit Capacity Building Program, the Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund. All of the programs provide an outlet to serve the nation for over 1.5 million individuals across the nation. AmeriCorps members work hard to serve the needs of the poor, help create lasting change, lead and manage volunteer projects, and help others obtain education, as well as many other services that impact their community. In our country’s time of economic need, some explain their service is even more vital. “I can’t think of a bigger bang for our government’s buck. I hope the cuts don’t fall there [on AmeriCorps]” explains Diana McVey Wood of the American Red Cross. My first rally Musings of an outsider looking in Catie DargUe My mom and dad were hippies. There’s no better way to describe them. In fact, growing up, all of my friend’s parents were hippies, we just never really thought of them like that- or if we did it was in a past life, somewhere off before we were born. I’ve never seen my parents protest or rally for something they believe in, but it seems like the sort of thing they would do. Fist in the air, yelling at “the Man” – it just seems appropriate Barbara Wallace of UC Clermont states that AmeriCorps members, “provide an invaluable service to our organization; they are highly educated, skilled professionals.” The AmeriCorps program allows non-profits and government agencies to focus on their services to clients rather than staffing specific programs. By having an AmeriCorps member working at the non-profit, the budget is opened and money can be provided to other parts of the organization because CNCS provides a living stipend (in lieu of salary) to the AmeriCorps member. There is no cost to the non-profit organization. Local Impacts There are over 1,400 AmeriCorps members working to better their communities through service in Ohio. These members are working to meet educational, environmental, health and economic needs of the state. AmeriCorps VISTAS work to increase the capacity of non-profits by recruiting volunteers, fund raising, expanding the services provided, as well as creating sustainable programs. Tracy Power, President of Faces without Places, a Greater Cincinnati non-profit that My first rally source: Catie Dargue works to raise awareness and funds for children and youth experiencing homelessness explains how their Future Impacts AmeriCorps VISTA has helped their organization. The impact of an AmeriCorps member’s service outlives “Because the Faces without Places Board of Trustees is volunteer based, our VISTA’s efforts have been invaluable that of an individual’s time within AmeriCorps. A 2008 study by CNCS found that AmeriCorps Alumni are to our organization, which is dedicated to removing the barriers to education for children and youth experiencing more engaged in their community and are more likely to continue a life of public service. The report explains, homelessness. It is essential to maintain our VISTA “Not only does AmeriCorps provide individuals with in order to continue promoting the mission of Faces opportunities to help address their communities’ most without Places in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern pressing needs, but the program also spurs individuals to Kentucky area. As the critical need for awareness, be agents of positive change in their communities long services, advocacy and funding have increased due to the after their AmeriCorps service”. economic instability facing many families; our VISTA Shelley Werner, an AmeriCorps Alum explains that has made great strides by engaging a constituency of donors and community supporters. Our VISTA has been even now, years after her service, that she “cannot see the ‘good life’ without volunteering; it an essential part of my very successful with her efforts to educate stakeholders life after AmeriCorps.” and community interest groups about the plight of the The life of an AmeriCorps member is far from ‘homeless child’ by visiting board rooms, classrooms, glamorous, as members live and work in poverty; but evening meetings, and church groups. Building capacity payment is not the goal or the reward for AmeriCorps while educating the general public about the issues and members; serving their community and country is long-term impact to the community as a whole is a payment enough. vital component of the work our VISTA has dedicated time, resources and energy. Discontinuing the national Voice your opinion, contact your representatives: AmeriCorps program and losing our VISTA will impede Sherrod Brown (Senate) (202) 224-2315 efforts for a ‘call to action’ in the Greater Cincinnati area Rob Portman (Senate) (202) 224-3353 that is bringing this devastating issue to the forefront.” Steve Chabot (House, District 1) (202) 225-2216 Jean Schmidt (House, District 2) (202) 225-3164 Michael Turner (House, District 3) (202) 225-6465 for my parents. For me, it’s never been something I’ve done, but something I’ve always felt compelled to do. It must be in my blood and that’s why in 1999 and later in 2001 when riots in Seattle broke out I felt compelled to ‘join the people’. It was an overwhelming sense that I needed to have my voice heard and my presence felt to send support to my fellow protestors. I never did get a chance to go to Seattle during that time and until Friday February 25th I had never been to a rally. On February 25th the Coalition for the Homeless led the people in a rally in front of 3DCD’s offices in Over-the-Rhine to have our community voice heard. The mission: to make people aware of 3CDC’s resistance to work with the community on a number of issues surrounding their recent ‘improvements’to Washington Park Having lived in London where it seemed like there is a protest weekly or perhaps being inspired by the recent events taking place in Egypt and Wisconsin, I felt in the mood to rally. It was a great turn-out with 40-50 people in attendance. Media was poised with cameras and microphones while the police and 3CDC looked on in the background. It was everything I imagined. Chanting in chorus in support of the common belief See Rally Pg. 9 Vanessa Sparks Speaks Out for Washington Park Photo by: Catie Dargue �local S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 marketing ploys designated to distract the public’s attention from the real issues and the amount of hurt they are causing in Over-the-Rhine simply by turning their backs on the very vibrant yet impoverished culture that already inhabits this neighborhood. This rally, this coming together of people of all racial and financial backgrounds, was a truly beautiful and moving experience. To fight for simple rights like a place for the people “We want to see development, but we don’t want to be pushed out.”—Nannie Hinkston (1995) 1. We want neighborhoods where all citizens are respected and appreciated for who they are. We don’t want to be overpowered by corporate interests. We believe healthy neighborhoods have real democratic decision-making power. We believe empathy and the quest for understanding are core values for social life. We live in a time marked by extremes and suffering, where city and corporate practices too often reduce human beings to deficits and end up punishing, demonizing, criminalizing, and making people disappear. 2. We want full employment for our people with meaningful jobs and livable wages. Millions upon millions of public and private dollars are being invested in Cincinnati’s urban neighborhoods, resulting in new jobs. A reasonable percentage of these jobs must come to local residents. 3. We want policies, legislation, and development projects to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. We believe that wealth and power are now mobilized to keep our most vulnerable citizens at arm’s length, and not for the purposes of ensuring basic human rights. Too many city policies treat these excluded citizens as threats and take strides to: * criminalize panhandlers and people who are homeless; * push them into the prison-industrial complex; * remove them from sight and displace the Drop Inn Center (see point #6 below); * enact police sweeps and invasive surveillance; * regulate public spaces (no Streetvibes distributors on Fountain Square); * impose a gentrified culture on the marginalized. Under this system those citizens among us made most vulnerable must fend for themselves. 4. We want the renovation of Washington Park to welcome all citizens and to be maintained as a genuine public space. The current plan demolishes the deep-water pool and basketball court—recreational facilities that neighborhood people wanted to keep. Who is the park for, exactly? We don’t want public spaces turned into private assets. 5. We want the assault on Metropole residents to stop. Over the last 20 years, downtown Cincinnati has lost a significant number of afforda able housing units. We want those units restored. The Metropole has 224 such units. Metropole residents have put up a valiant effort to save their homes. If relocation must occur, we demand residents be relocated in the downtown core—in their own neighborhood—and receive full relocation benefits. construction site soon to house a parking lot and ‘Dog park’. Broken promises and a cold shoulder to the community have provoked us to rally. My first rally was a short one, a productive one, a powerful one. My first rally was one that my aging hippy parents would be proud of to know that, “We the people” have not lost our voice to a corporate sold out America. My first rally was and eye opener and by no means will my first rally be my last. 6. We want the assault on the Drop Inn Center to immediately stop. The City/3CDC alliance continues to pressure the Drop Inn Center to relocate out of the neighborhood. This pressure puts the city in violation of its own Over-the-Rhine Comprehensive Plan (2002) to protect all current residents from displacement. Our homeless brothers and sisters have a right to be fully integrated into our neighborhoods and not to be used as pawns by development schemes. 7. We want commercial development that serves existing neighborhood residents. Mixed-income neighborhoods need to have shopping opportunities for all income levels. In neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine, for example, not all new commercial development should cater to people with higher incomes. This is not an argument against high-end boutiques and bars, but a challenge to attract neighborhood-serving businesses to meet the needs of lower-income residents as well. rm People�s Platform for Equality and Justice of the neighborhood to use the bathroom with dignity, despite what 3CDC claim about there not being the space, location or wanting to maintain such a space, is our right. It’s our right to ask why none of the supposed 900 jobs are easily accessible to the people in this neighborhood who need them most. We chant, “Washington Park is the people’s park, not just your park”. We fight for the last open park in this area which now has been reduced to a, treeless, fenced off 8. We want our urban core neighborhoods to be racially and economically integrated with housing options affordable to all income levels. When low- to moderate-income areas experience upper-income development, benefits to the poor are few. In fact, often low-income individuals are displaced. The market alone does not create economic mix. We want to see a greater multiplicity of housing options that can serve lower-income people such as cooperatives, multi-generational housing, renter equity, housing for the elderly, shared-function housing, and land trusts. fo that “We the people” of OTR will not silently sit by and watch as our park slowly disappears. One of my favorite moments was when a local passer-by on bike stopped to see what all the action was about and ended up staying for about 10 minutes to help support the cause. People left and right seemed moved by our cause, cars honked and we said our piece. The speakers were elegant and to the point; an overall great success. As tensions have grown, 3CDC has made several attempts to appear as if they support “the little guy” by sponsoring such events as the Cinciditarod, which benefited the Freestore Foodbank and helping to finance the completion of the Jimmy Heath House, which helps homeless individuals recover from addiction by providing them with a safe home and supportive environment. To me these resemble clever 9. We want an auditing system in place to make sure that the mixture of household incomes called for by participatory neighborhood plans are on track. New upscale development is picking up in Over-the-Rhine, West End, Lower Price Hill, and Walnut Hills. The market left to its own devices will not produce balance. Low- and moderate-income housing needs to be diligently secured and protected with incentives, policies, and legislation. at Continued from Pg. 8 10. We want “Shared Equity.” As neighborhood developments attract more and more investment, both private and public, an enormous hike in property value will likely result. We want an innovative system that uses that increased property value to benefit low-income residents and the non-profits in our neighborhoods. Pl My first rally 9 We need new narratives in Cincinnati about how life can be lived differently, supported by values of empathy, community, solidarity, and inclusivity. We remain steadfast that conversations across borders are life-transforming. Social change happens when the included come to see and truly understand the excluded, when the haves come to understand the have-nots, and when the centers of power come to understand the margins. Change occurs when those with privilege come to see and understand those who are disadvantaged, to walk with us, and to learn from us, because when this happens, power is not coercive. Rather, power is used to mutually benefit everyone. www.cincihomeless.org Call 513.716.7455 �10 national news StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 no Quiet old age for south africa’s grannies Grannies are indispensable in South Africa. They may have been hoping for a restful old age, but the AIDS epidemic has seen them taking on motherhood for a second time, caring for grandchildren whose parents have died of the disease. elles van gelDer Despite her aching joints, 76-year-old Thandiwe Matzinga moves swiftly through the small corrugated iron home she now shares with three of her grandchildren: twin boys (15) and a seven-year-old girl whose mothers died of AIDS. Matzinga supports them and herself on government grants of 300 euro per month. Matzinga raised nine kids of her own, three of whom have died of AIDS. She’s one of South Africa’s many grannies who care for their grandchildren. South Africa has been hit hard by the HIV/Aids pandemic; 5.5 million people, around 18 percent of its population are infected. According to UN figures for 2007, there are 1.4 million aids orphans in the country, 64 percent of them being raised by their grandparents, usually single grannies. In a community centre near her home in the township Khayelitsha outside Cape Town, Matzinga takes her place in a circle of wrinkled faces. Talking in the Xhosa language, the women share stories about how it has been for them to lose their children. They are part of the organization Grannies Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA) that has around 500 members. All these ladies thought their kids would take care of them when they would be old, but instead the tables have turned. “A lot of these grannies have five to ten mouths to feed from their old age pension,” says Vivienne Budaza, director of the organisation. “Their kids are dying like flies,” she sighs. Granny Nothemba Mdaka in front of her small home in the township Khayelitsha, near Cape Town. She has lost two children to HIV/AIDS and a third one is dying. Mdaka raised five grandchildren and is now raising five great grandchildren. source: elles van gelder The grannies get together regularly in the GAPA offices for mutual support; there they discuss their burdens and the disease that is destroying their families. “The grandmothers know that you contract HIV/Aids via sex”, says Mrs Budaza. “But there are still myths and misunderstandings. A lot of grannies for example, don’t understand that there are kids who are HIV-positive. How can they have the disease if they never had sex? Granny Thandiwe Matzinga together with the three of her grandchildren she takes care of in her shack in a township near Cape Town. She’s one of South Africa’s many grannies who care for their grandchildren. source: elles van gelder We then need to explain that a kid can contract the virus while in the womb.” It’s both a social as well as a financial struggle for the grannies to make ends meet. HIV/Aids is still stigmatized in South Africa. “When my neighbors heard that kids of mine died of the disease, they didn’t dare to use the same communal toilet as me,” Matzinga says. But slowly, she feels, this is changing. “More and more families around me are hit by HIV/Aids. There are more and more grannies in the same situation asking for my help.” Another granny taking care of lots of children is 71-year-old Nothemba Mdaka. But her small home is temporarily quiet. She has sent her grandkids and great grandkids away because one of her daughters is dying of HIV/Aids in the back bedroom. She doesn’t want the children to see the suffering. It is her third daughter who will die of the disease. Mdaka raised five grandchildren and is now raising five great grandchildren while her grandchildren are looking for work. Bringing up teenagers has been difficult for her. “A lot of youngsters in the townships use alcohol and drugs and there is a lot of crime,” says Budaza of GAPA. “And the number of teenage pregnancies is so high.” One of Mdaka’s grandchildren had her first child when she was 15. She is 20 now and has three kids. “She says she wants to have healthy children before she gets HIVpositive,” says Mdaka. At first she didn’t dare talk to her grandchildren about sex, but now she even hands out condoms. “We need to be open about this. Otherwise this killing disease will never stop.” © www.streetnewsservice.org The Street News Service (SNS) is an innovative online news agency that brings together the best of street paper journalism from around the world. INSP also works with media partners Reuters and Inter Press Service (IPS) who support the Street News Service by providing supplemental news features and photographs. �national news S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 11 Women and Human rights laUra osborne-Coffey Amnesty International celebrates Women’s Rights day on March 8thannually. Amnesty members worldwide often celebrate by activities such as rallies, letter writing activities, and demonstrations for women’s rights worldwide. When people today think of women and human rights, they often think of historical figures such as Dorothy Day, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Or perhaps they think of more recent prominent women – Wilma Mankiller, past chief of the Cherokee tribe. Winnie Mandela, wife of Nelson Mandela. Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, who had key roles in the Civil Rights battle. Amnesty works on behalf of women’s rights worldwide, and has called for the United States to become signatory to CEDAW (Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination AgainstWomen), along with the rest of the western world. Amnesty also has a campaign to ‘End Maternal Mortality’ as a part of their current ‘Demand Dignity!’ campaign. Amnesty International knows that there are currently many women worldwide who carry the strength and dignity of their beliefs and their work with them on a daily basis, as they work towards their own goals – and the goals of their family and their community. Some of these women are people whom Amnesty members have worked for and are now released; some are currently in prison and are a focus of ongoinghuman rights work. These women are featured below: Successes: Roxana Saberi, Iran Ma Khin Khin Leh, Burma After serving nearly 10 years of a life sentence in Myanmar (Burma), prisoner of conscience and long-time AIUSA priority case Ma Khin Khin Leh was also freed in 2009. Ma Khin Khin Leh is a school teacher and young mother, who served a life sentence because her husband helped plan a demonstration to be held in Bago on July 19, 1999, to show support for the National League for Democracy (NLD), a pro-democracy political party that sought to counter the military junta that had reigned over Myanmar since 1962. Days before the demonstrations were to take place, authorities took action to halt it. Failing to find her husband, security agents arrested Ma Khin Khin Leh and the couple’s three-year-old daughter instead. Although her daughter was released after spending five days in detention, Ma Khin Khin Leh - then age 33 - was eventually transferred to Insein Prison. In December 1999, the Insein Special Court sentenced her to life imprisonment under vaguely-worded security legislation. Even by the normally harsh standards of “justice” meted out by Myanmar’s military government, the life sentence given to Ma Khin Khin Leh was extreme. Mah Khin Khin Le was the AIUSA Midwest Region’s Special Focus Case since 2005 Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma Human rights activists in Cincinnati and worldwide were thrilled and grateful for the release on November 13, 2010 of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar (Burma)! The government released her after seven and a half years of house arrest. Aung San was the nationally elected leader of Burmain 1989, and has been under house arrest by the Burmese government for most of the time since then. Amnesty volunteers worldwide worked on her a Amnesty was happy to report in 2009 that American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi was freed from prison in Iran! Roxana had originally been given an eight year prison sentence on trumped up charges of “espionage,” following a brief closed-door trial in Tehran. Amnesty International had issued an urgent action calling for her release. When an urgent action is posted by Amnesty on its website, members worldwide take immediate letter writing action. Over 26,000 messages were sent by Amnesty activists to the Iranian government demanding her release. S Y WHAT?! case many times, the most recent being over the last seven years. James Roberts, Amnesty international Co-group chair for Myanmar stated up on her release: “Will she re-form the National League for Democracy? Will she continue to advocate for democracy? Will her release be for good this time, or will the government find another reason for imprisoning her yet again? Only time will tell.” What is known is that there are over 2,200 other political prisoners who are still behind bars in China. IMPRISONED: The women discussed below have been arrested or detained as recently as last week. One has been an Amnesty concern for years and the other only recently arrested, both are in China; and WOZA has been a subject of harassment in Zimbabwe for years. WOZA, Zimbabwe Women of Zimbabwe Arise marching in Harare, Zimbabwe “WOZA” On March 1st, 2011, members of civil rights organization WOZA were targeted and arrested by police in Zimbabwe. Seven members of WOZA and MOZA (Men of Zimbabwe Arise) were arrested at their own homes. One of the women arrested was a nursing mother who has been denied access to her child. When visited by their family, several of those arrested indicated they were subjected to beatings on the soles of their feet. This is a torture method called ‘falanga’ and is a common instrument in the torture arsenal of Zimbabwe police. Fourteen more women were arrested on March 2nd. Four are WOZA members, the other 10 are not. They were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place was a meeting to contribute $1 to a burial society fund. At this time, not all of these women are accounted for as they have been taken to several different police stations. According to WOZA “police officers, some in full riot gear, visited the homes of another 6 members but they were not home.” Mao Hengfeng, China Activists worldwide were originally pleased to hear of the release of Mao Hengfeng, a Shanghai-based human rights defender. She was released from Re-education Through Labor (RTL) on medical parole on 22 February 2011, as she had suffered from the effects of torture while imprisoned since March 2010. She has high blood pressure and had evidence of bleeding in her brain, due to torture. The relief was short-lived however, as on February 24 she was sent back to RTL on the grounds of having violated the terms for medical parole. According to her husband, Shanghai Yangpu district police came to their house on 24 February 2011 and said they wanted to talk with Mao Hengfeng, and she was informed by the police that she had committed activities which violated the terms of her medical parole, andwas being sent back to RTL. Mao was not allowed to change her clothes or pack anything she needed before being taken away. She is again at risk of torture. Since 2004, Mao Hengfeng has been repeatedly detained for her work defending women’s reproductive rights and victims of forced evictions, and her support of human rights defenders. Often her family has not been allowed to visit her and they have since found out that it was at these times that she has been tortured. The human rights situation around the world continues to change rapidly. One constant is Amnesty’s 50 year commitment to upholding human rights. Jenni Williams of WOZA said this about Amnesty: “I am alive today after 33 arrests because members of Amnesty International sent … text messages, they phoned;they faxed the Zimbabwe Republic police. They made a huge difference. It caused those police to say – let me not torture them today, let me not rape them today, let me not beat them today because they have friends in Boston.” In Honor Of Women’s History Month “The work of the political activist inevitably involves a certain tension between the requirement that position be taken on current issues as they arise and the desire that one's contributions will somehow survive the ravages of time. ” -Angela Davis, radical black activist. educator & philosopher �interest 12 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 Mojo the great b. Clifton bUrke “There might be stronger dogs and faster dogs in the world, and many of these will have decent ball skills themselves, but to find another dog with the combination that Mojo possessed is damn-near impossible. That dog could play.” Not an ordinary dog, Mojo had the strength of many men and could crash through drywall for a tennis ball. In his prime, he was a beast with a hemi V8/400 horsepower engine. His playing weight was around 88 pounds, but he could hang with the fastest dogs on the block no matter what the size. Obstacles? Over or through them. Objection? The ball. Nothing stopped him and his career lasted a solid eight years or so of high-caliber play and an unmatched tenacity to make catches. He is, without question, the greatest I’ve ever seen and my all-time favorite. He was a German Shepardrottweiler puppy, six-weeks old, on the east side of town and he was handed to me by a man I had never met before or since. The man wanted him to go to a good home and I gave him my word. Once Mojo grew out of his fluffy, awkward puppiness, he almost right away became the legend we remember him as today. The routine trips to the park weren’t much of an option for me. A day without going meant a day of him blasting around the apartment being too big and too excited to ignore. So we went. Every day for years and years and years. There he turned his haunches into muscly pistons, his front legs into those of a race horse’s, and would thrash the turf between himself and the ball with supernatural force. Our areas quickly became either swampy mud islands or clouds of dust from his powerful running style. And, during his athletic peak, I could never wear him out. Never. I could throw the ball until my arm fell off and he would be back with it at my feet smiling up at me with his obscenely large tongue, waiting for the next throw. He was never a frisbee dog; he didn’t have the patience to wait around for it to land. And he would chase the kong, but didn’t like the unpredictable bounces it took—even though I did. The tennis ball was his obsession and he went through hundreds of them. The sport was that I throw it and he’d catch it on a bounce. For a long time I couldn’t over throw him, he was a bullet. A large black bullet. It wasn’t just at the park either; Mojo also had an indoor finesse game that he constantly tricked human beings into playing. His placement on people’s laps, on armrests, on the very ledge of an end table, was most impressive. Once the ball had been expertly placed, the human would be distracted by conversation or television or whatever and lightly toss the ball to Mojo. He was a master at getting his way in this regard. He tricked me a million times or more. There were a couple of ways he played indoor. If it were a close range toss right at him he would snatch it with no problem. In fact, you could put a little heat on your throw, and release it as close as a foot from his face, and he would envelop the ball like a first-baseman’s mitt. If it were a lob intended to lead him into a certain direction, that too was no problem, as he could make over the shoulder snags, shoe-string catches and leaping grabs (but only when he had to). He was respectful of wires and electric fans but disregarded everything else around him. Many, many spilled drinks and other disasters came about because of Mojo’s recklessness, but it was part of who he was and I rarely stopped him. If the game was a kicking one, he showed excellent blocking technique by moving his broad chest low to the ground and spreading his legs out wide. He was especially good at using his paws to deflect kicks attempted to go past him. I also enjoyed watching him roll the ball around on the ground for a while with his paw; smash the balls into the floor until it squirted out and then collect it on the backspin he anticipated. It reminded me of a skateboard trick, or spinning a basketball on your finger—pointless, but cool. Eventually, he slowed down some in the twilight of his life, taking things easier but never giving up all the way. Up to the very end, he played ball at the park and still loved it. There might be stronger dogs and faster dogs in the world, and many of these will have decent ball skills themselves, but to find another dog with the combination that Mojo possessed is damn-near impossible. That dog could play. The best of all time. He stays in my heart. The Sandwich Man Jeffery Hass by: JiMMie giPson Jeffery Hass has been giving back to the community for years. He doesn’t volunteer at a local shelter or work for a nonprofit, he gives back in the simplest but most appreciated way; by bringing vending machine sandwiches, cakes, pops, and milks down to the Lord Gym, Lord Pantry, Washington Park, and The Drop Inn Center. He faithfully does this every day, gathering food from local vending machines and bringing them down into the community and simply handing them out to those who need it. And those who need it, well they will be there…waiting patiently for their treats. It is truly heartwarming to see the love and genuine gratitude on their faces when The Sandwich Man arrives. This is a blessing in our community that he will do this day after day and year after year. So I would like to salute The Sandwich Man. Please don’t stop giving your time and generosityto the community. What you do is incredible and we LOVE you for it. You remind me of the Candy Man, only better. MY ODE TO THE SANDWICH MAN Who can make you happy? And fill your tummy too? The Sandwich Man can Who? The Sandwich Man can Cause he mixes it with love, So everyone can be full Yeah, the Sandwich Man Can �S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 story & Poetry Corner 13 i am eve and Woman for you Do i Cry! aUtHor: elisa Hill “Feel it falling off like clothing. Taste it rolling on your tongue. See the lights above you glowing. Oh and breathe them deep into your lungs. It was always simple, not hidden hard. You've been pulling at the strings, Playing puppeteer for kings. And you've had enough. But the search ends here, where the night is totally clear. And your heart is fierce, so now you finally know, That you control where you go. You can steer. Taken from His rib, I am Eve! Because I was the first to eat the apple, I am forever in sin, diseased. I give birth in pain and fire. I am beaten when ever men desire. I am stone when he needs a wall to cry. I am alone in this world and to kneel is to survive. I am Eve, the first of many. I am the one who disobeyed. You should not suffer for the mistakes I have made. I am Eve, queen to Adams throne. I am the one to whom, they all should throw stones. I am Eve unto each new day. I am Eve and my soul craves the shade. You should have peace and tranquility to guide your way home. With honor and wisdom to know that you women are not alone. I accept my faults to which I lie. I accept my results that in this world today, I too am still alive. To suffer for the rights I made wrong, to ask for forgiveness through the Son. Where forgiveness bleeds long, I am your retribution and their revenge. I am Eve and yes I am still a woman. God, forgive me for falling prey. Please reach down and deliver me from this hell to which I lay. I am Eve and woman for you, do I cry! So hold this feeling like a newborn. All the freedom surging through your veins. You have opened up a new door. So bring on the wind, fire and rain.” -Missy Higgins “Steer” If you would like to submit lyrics that have spoken to you or helped you through a difficult time, please send them to jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Can yoU Willa Denise Jones Can you shut ‘emdown? Does the world believe that this is the world’s solution Can you shut ‘emdown? Keeping factory’s open with no work, now that’s pollution Can you shut ‘emdown? The free clinics, people homeless, no more Drop Inn Center ... G! MOUR Y E S T LON E H M G I D N E FE E ALL JENKINS I FEED M BY JEN Can you shut ‘emdown? Washington Park, the sanitation workers, I can’t help but litter Can you shut ‘em down? Over the Rhine was white then it was black, I thought we were all together The title of this column is taken from the 1986 film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this column is for people who feed on plants!! Can you shut’ emdown? I’m confused so tell congress I really thought they knew better ZESTY MEXICAN RICE I’m a sucker for Mexican food, have been for years. Unfortunately, since turning vegetarian almost 5 years ago I have struggled finding a Mexican restaurant that serves authentic VEGETARIAN Mexican cuisine and I had my suspicions as to why this was. My suspicions were confirmed on a recent vacation to Mexico. While in Cozumel my girlfriends and I sought out a place to dine for lunch and discovered this cozy little Mexican eatery. To my dismay the restaurant had only 1 vegetar­ ian option, stuffed peppers, which I disappointingly ate, while they savored their meaty options. Sadly, I may never get to enjoy the “real” flavors of Mexico unless I decide to eat meat again. Lucky for me, a few years back I started exploring how to make a quick and easy Mexican rice dish and came up with this. I hope you enjoy! Serving size, as a main dish 5-6 bellies. Ingredients: Cost at Kroger: 1 11oz container garden fresh gourmet salsa 3.99 2 cups water 3 cups instant rice 1.64 (½ box) 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil .60 LOREM Aliquam blandit Praesent molestie lorem 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced .20 ½ white or yellow onion, chopped IPSUM Ante magna vehicula.50 Sed turpis 16 oz. shredded Mexican style cheese 1.67 1 (15 oz) can Mexican style diced tomatoes with chiles, .75 undrained 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1.05 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained .70 1 cup crushed tortilla chips .50 Approximate Cost: 11.60         Mix water and salsa in a sauce pan- bring to boil. Add instant rice, stir, cover and remove from heat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat and sauté the onion and garlic 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add tomatoes, beans and corn and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until heated through, remove from heat and combine with the cooked rice. In a bowl, toss the remaining oil with the crushed tortilla chips. In 9" x 13" baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer the tortilla chips and then the rice mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Heat in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melty. Voila, FEED! Etiam ac libero Can you believe in your heart that the decisions of our country are either republican or democratic? Can you believe that out of all the people in the world two simple parties be worthy of so much static? Can you close your eyes to the reality of the fear that has such a tight grip on our nation today? Can you keep living shut down and shut up? I’m baffled but not lost for words I can honestly say For me, learning to live without doubt or fear in my life and keeping God so close to my heart I have no doubt that without God’s blessings this world is doomed to fall completely apart With much faith and without any regards for the republicans or democrats controlling my being Without any doubt what so ever today I know that almighty God is the only real thing So can you shut ‘em down? Now slow down and take the time to think, what do you really understand? You need to come back into the days of Adam and Eve and remember when only God ruled the land! �14 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 University of Cincinnati students skip the beach this spring break UC’s Spring Break Takes Students Around the World, Including Service in Haiti DaWn fUller Dawn.Fuller@uc.edu An adventure blending sun and fun over spring break is a longtime college tradition. But dozens of University of Cincinnati students are planning trips to destinations affected by earthquakes, hurricanes and mudslides, including two trips to the devastation in Haiti. UC’s spring break is the week of March 21. Students in several courses will continue their academic study beyond the classroom and around the world. Others are looking ahead to some hard physical labor as they offer service in areas that are struggling to recover from natural disasters. “I’ve never been on the typical spring break trip, but I feel like I’ve experienced so much more through my trips with Serve Beyond Cincinnati (SBC) and through helping people,” says Lindsay Long, co-president of the student service organization. Long will be leading SBC’s first trip to Haiti over spring break. “I love being on these ‘first’ trips, because we never know what to expect.” Here’s a roundup of where UC students will be serving, studying and traveling over spring break. Here are some of the places UC students will be serving, studying, and traveling over spring break. To see a complete list of the destinations go to: www.uc.edu UC Alternative Spring Break Trips Serve Beyond Cincinnati Trips Serve Beyond Cincinnati (SBC) is a UC student organization that strives to build an emerging, civic-minded generation by providing national and international service experiences for UC students. The organization founded by UC students is planning five service trips over spring break. Balan, Haiti Ten UC students will be working with the Fuller Center for Housing in a town just east of the capital of Port­ au-Prince. “We will be building the first house in this village, a home for a family displaced by the earthquake,” says Lindsay Long, UC senior biological sciences major and SBC co-president, who are leading the trip with fellow co-president Lane Hart, a UC junior who is majoring in information systems and finance. The cost of the trip per student is approximately $1,600. Students will be departing Cincinnati on March 18 and returning on March 26. “Service and academic study will have UC students pursuing adventures around the nation and the world as they plan their spring break.” San Luis Talpa, El Salvador Ten UC students will continue their three-year relationship of working with the Fuller Center for Housing, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide . The team will be building a home for a family in a developing community – a project they also tackled on their first trip to the region. On this trip, they are also planning a two-day adventure involving surfing lessons and exploring the village markets. The trip runs $1,500 per student. They’ll depart Cincinnati on March 18 and return on March 26. Service in Haiti source: serve beyond Cincinnati Webster Parish, La. Twelve SBC members will be working in partnership with the Fuller Center for Housing as part of a threeyear tradition of taking service-centered trips to this region. The cost of the trip is $300 per student. They’ll depart Cincinnati on March 19 and return on March 26. Kansas City, Mo. As SBC takes its first trip to Missouri, 12 UC students will work with the Fuller Center for Housing and a local affiliate to build a home for a family. The cost of the trip is approximately $300 per student. They’ll depart Cincinnati on March 19 and return on March 26. St. Louis du Nord, Haiti This UC service learning experience is themed, “Restoring Hope in Haiti.” Twenty-four students will travel to the region as part of a trip in partnership with the Northwest Haiti Mission. Students will take part in three areas of outreach: volunteering with children’s educational and athletics programs, assisting a clinic, and supporting community development. As part of their planning, a drive for everyday medical supplies is being led by trip coordinator Cheri Westmoreland – director of the McNair Scholars Program under Student Affairs and Services. The drive is collecting children’s Tylenol and Ibuprofen, anti-fungal cream, antacids and vitamins. “Even the most common everyday over-the-counter medications are lifesaving in Haiti,” says Westmoreland. The supplies are being collected at Swift Hall, Room 700. The cost of the trip per student is $1,800. Students will depart Cincinnati on March 17 and return on March 24. Rabinal, Guatemala The UC College of Business and McMicken College of Arts & Sciences Romance Languages Department lead this service learning course in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. As 20 students build a home for a family in Guatemala, they’ll practice and improve their skills in speaking Spanish while observing issues of culture, social issues and the economy. The cost per student is $1,700, which includes a $500 individual donation to Habitat for Humanity International. Students were encouraged to apply for grants from UC International and the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center to offset travel costs. Students will depart Cincinnati on March 18 and return on March 27. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching names UC among 115 American colleges and universities for its 2010 Community Engagement Classification. The foundation issued the announcement earlier this year, naming UC among 35 research intensive universities to receive the classification. �15 S t r e e t v ibeS March 15- 3 1 , 2 0 1 1 Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 562-8841 872-9259 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Crossroad Health Center 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 StreetvibeS M a rc h 15-31, 2011 art to empower Cedric Cox’s work celebrates the positive “The more personal you make your work the more universal it becomes, and the more it will resonate in others,” is what Terrence Corbin, then professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC), told once Cedric Michael Cox studying under him. Cox never forgot this advice and all of his artwork since has been a genuine reflection of his life, of who he is, of what he believes in, of what he would like to achieve in this world. By Saad GhoSn Contributing Writer Born in Dayton, OH, Cox, an African American visual artist, lived most of his life in Cincinnati. He attended Indian Hill Schools from first grade on and later UC, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, majoring in painting and drawing. Art from the beginning was his refuge, his mode of expression and of self-assertion. Growing up as a minority individual in a predominantly white community made him often feel estranged and somewhat out of place. He responded to the challenge by using his creative energy White Oak on Elm, acrylic painting on canvas. Painting and Photo by Cedric Cox. to communicate, meet others and go beyond divisive prejudices. During art school he produced work related to the African American experience and culture; he felt an obligation to do so. He was, however, at the same time constantly questioning how he could use his art to speak of himself, of his history, to become empowered, and empower others. He discovered his own voice studying internal anatomy, looking from the inside out, his anatomical drawings helping him answer who he was and where he fits. But his real artistic direction took shape only after he graduated and moved to Over The Rhine (OTR), downtown Cincinnati, to live. “Coming from the suburbs I was mesmerized by the graffiti on the sidewalks, on the buildings, by the coexistence of boarded up vacant houses side by side with palatial architecture,” he says. “Some buildings were being rehabbed, others not, still wearing their history. There was a rhythm to the Cedric Cox in his studio. Photo by bill Howes. neighborhood, a dynamic pattern of creation myth of the ancient Yoruba cultures of West shapes and forms, all like in a jazz symphony.” Africa, he emphasized the role every individual plays in the creation act, in the betterment of this world, in his Cox, a musician himself, playing bass in a hard rock case, constructive contributions to OTR. band, Morticite, since the age of 17, had been using music His painting White Oak on Elm shows in its center a tree and songs all along to reflect on himself and his views. overlapping and espousing various architectural details “In the band we write songs about injustice and from OTR, columns, church windows, rooftops… He prejudice, what affects us,” he says, “also about human meant it as a symbol of rebirth and hope, a source of struggles, love, doing the right thing to other fellows, continual inspiration and faith. By its organic form making this world a better place…” contrasting with the linear geometric elements of He decided to put his visual art at the same service, architecture, the tree brought a human quality to the to produce works painting, connecting to Cox’s feelings, experience and that speak of his new emotions about the neighborhood. neighborhood, its architecture, its beauty, In addition to his art, Cox has also contributed to OTR its rich potential, as an organizer and an educator. With Robin Harrison, emphasizing its a filmmaker who had directed a documentary on the positive, the goodness civil unrest of 2001, they produced The Blast Urban of its people, not only Arts and Cultural Festivals, bringing to the area events the bad that media that showcased themed art exhibitions, popular art usually portrays. By collections, films and music; they all intended to depict deconstructing and the local culture in a reputable, respectable way, making reinventing architectonic people aware of the richness of their heritage and configurations he created diversity. At the same time he created Art Shapes Us, an densely fragmented art teaching program for high school and middle school abstract drawings and students from various institutions and backgrounds; paintings that forced he also taught after-school art classes at the YMCA, the viewer to step in, served as a studio coordinator for Visionaries and Voices, connect with their spirit volunteered as guest speaker at various elementary and reexamine material schools, participated in educational art projects at the culture. Public Library, Art Museum, Contemporary Arts Center… His series Underground “I try to provide outlets and services to others, to lead juxtaposes horizontally them to positive change,” Cox says. “Working with kids, the 2 worlds of uptown I encourage them to follow their dream, reminding and downtown OTR, them that it can be achieved. I share with them my own uptown represented struggles, my fears, my bad experiences, but also that by the distant and with commitment, hard work and honesty, I am being somewhat cold cityscape, rewarded, that good prevails, that inner beauty grows downtown by the even in the midst of ugliness.” boiling underground visceral reality of the Cox perceives art as a tool of empowerment for himself neighborhood with its and others. It helps him become a better person, rich history and vibrant persevere through difficulty, assert himself. His art comes soul. from his heart, at the service of his life. “I wanted my paintings to pay tribute to the area, to “My art is about beauty from within,” he says. “It allows show what it is really about, its guts, its beauty, away me to be the best I can be, to project my fullest human from the stereotyped images of violence and decay usually associated with it,” he says. “It was my attempt to potential and share it with others in positive ways. I hope it can move others to realize their own dream. When I empower it, also its inhabitants.” hear a song I like I always envision myself performing In Horizon, he connected directly with the urban it on stage and sharing it with people I love so they too architectural landscape of the place and its inner spiritual may be touched by it. I would like my art to resonate the dimension. In his Mud Cloth drawings, related to the same with the viewer.” creation story and to Obatala, a deity central to the Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 15-31, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati Women Making Her Story Pg 2: Editorial Pg 3: Women Making History Pg 4: Women Making History Pg 5: The Homeless Congress Pg 6: San Francisco Homelessness Pg 7: The Struggle for Doing Good Pg 8: Fighting Poverty My First Rally Pg 9: My First Rally Continued Pg 10: No Quiet Old Age for South Africa’s Grannies Pg 11: Women and Human Rights Pg 12: Majo The Great Pg 13: Arts & Poetry Pg 14: University of Cincinnati Students Skip the Beach this Spring Break Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Art to Empower Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 15-31, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jim Luken Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Laura Osborne-Coffey James Brown Lee McCoy Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill B. Clifton Burke Jimmie Gipson Elles van Gelder Beth Griffith- Niemann Amiee Willhoite Saad Ghosn Mikki Schaffner Bill Howes Suzanne Chouteau Bill Howes Cedric Cox Dawn Fuller Sarah Hager Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Americorps Amiee Willhoite Arts & Poetry B. Clifton Burke Beth Griffith- Niemann Bill Howes Catie Dargue Cedric Cox civil rights Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill Elizabeth Schulenberg Elles van Gelder Haiti Human Rights James Brown Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Jimmie Gipson Laura Osborne-Coffey Lee McCoy Mikki Schaffner Over-the-Rhine Protests Rallies Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn San Francisco Sarah Hager South Africa Spring Break Suzanne Chouteau University of Cincinnati Willa Denise Jones Women https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/a06be7487d217e471715183e7d9d59f1.pdf ecd1e7125f967b55e9db23da43663c5a PDF Text Text A Rally for Peace Autism S t r e e t vibeS Awareness april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 Month PG 5 Stories from 2001, Cincinnati Riots and Unrest PG 6 PG 4 MARCH 15-31, 2011 A D V O C AT I N G J U S T I C E 1 ISSUE 196 • BUILDING COMMUNITY $1 Streetvibes Remembers... We would like to dedicate this issue of Streetvibes to those we lost ten years ago, to those who lived through the unrest and carried on, and those who are still effected by it today. Jimmy HeatH Former Streetvibes Editor These photos were taken during the unrest by Jimmy Heath. J immy Heath was a photographer and community activist living and working in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Jimmy came to Over-the- Rhine nine years ago as a homeless person, eventually finding his way to the Drop Inn Center homeless shelter. He had hit rock bottom in his life and career, and had turned to alcohol and drugs for solace. At the Drop Inn Center, Jimmy Heath found hope and recovery and a new direction for his life and inspiration for his photography as a community activist and documentarian. He was a successful editor of GCCH’s Streetvibes and was active with the Coalition for many years. Jimmy passed away in December 2007. Race Relations 101 Jim Luken Contributing Writer W hen the riots occurred in 2001, I was living in a small town in Northern Vermont, which was about as far away from Cincinnati and its problems as a person could be,and still be living in the “belly of the beast” (the USA). I was managing a low-income housing facility (all white) in the middle of the town. Knowing I haled from Cincinnati, several of my old-lady residents brought the news of the riots to me on April 10th. I remember one of the ladies asking, “What kind of city do you come from, anyway?” As a white man who had lived for several years in heart of Over the Rhine during the ‘90s, I had a pretty good sense of the “kind of city” where I had been born. Politically republican. Socially conservative. And, like most municipalities in the Northern states, in a huge state of denial about the racist atmosphere that prevailed, and that “colored” so many interactions between black folks and white folks. But, being so far removed from it, I found myself surprised that these attitudes, and this atmosphere, had spawned what NBC News described as “the most devastating riots since Watts(1992).” I had been aware of police problems in/ with the African-American community, that there had been several shootings of black men by white police officers prior to 19 year-old Timothy Thomas’s death. But I was, to repeat, white. I didn’t record, on the walls of my imagination (or my soul), the deaths of each of 15 other young black men (all under 40) that had occurred between 1995 and April 7, 2001. Nor did I know much about the four police officers killed (or wounded) during those deadly interactions. But, on both sides in Cincinnati, other people were running tallies, and—after young Thomas’s shooting on April 7—one side had obviously had enough. On April 9, the race riots—this time exclusive to Cincinnati—exploded locally and nationally, and even internationally. An old friend of mine, 63- year-old (white) Mike Henson, now a clinical counselor for Paths to Recovery in OTR, was contacted by a journalist in Rome who interviewed him for an Italian Newspaper, Il Manifesto. He remembers being on the West Side and stopping to help an African American couple whose car had broken down. He gave them a ride home. However, there was a strange atmosphere in the car. “Black and white people weren’t talking much at the time. It was an odd time for us to be holding a conversation.” Mike had been working for the Urban Appalachian Council at the time, and recounted, in his interview, several stories of police over-reaction that had occurred among Appalachian whites in Lower Price Hill at the time. Then he added (translated from the Italian newspaper): “I know that the police have a hard life and a difficult job, especially when tasked with the daily battle against the [drug] pushers in my community. I know there are police who themselves worry gravely See Race Relations Pg. 3 about their relationships with the people.” Long time OTR resident Georgia Keith, 65, lives on Republic Street, a block from where Timothy Thomas was shot. She remembers the time vividly. “It was terrible,” she says, “and I think it could have been avoided.” Keith says there were problems on both sides, but remembers that there was almost “hysteria” on the part of the police. “Then, as now” she believes, “a lot of the problems were brought into our neighborhood from outside.” One inequality she vividly recalls is that “the businesses was treated unfairly.” Black businesses were forced to close Jones while many white businesses remained open. That was not fair.” “Pray for the dead but fight like hell for the living” - mother �editorial 2 10 the number of years since the unrest in Cincinnati. pages 1, 3, & 4 19 the age timothy thomas was when he was killed, sparking riots in Cincinnati in 2001. page 1 1 in 110 the number of children diagnosed with autism. page 5 4-1-2001 the day Dan Moore’s excerpt from his cartoon Mark twain Was right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati riots and Unrest page 4 I am sure you were on pins and needles (I am kidding, really) but I have decided on a new name for this editorial. ‘In My Shoes’, is a nod to the tall shoes I walk in most days. You can call me a stupid girl for it but I love my shoes…and about five and a half feet above them resides my brain…a big, smart brain that I do in fact have…you’ll find it right beneath my highlighted hair. Yes, I am way more Elle Woods than Streetwise. This editorial is my opinion, and my time here at Streetvibes is also my education as much as it is a job. And I thank the people who are my teachers here in every instance. Because again, more Legally Blonde than Streetwise. But I think that may be a good thing. It means I will do anything and everything for what I believe is right. And it means I am honest and I’ll have your back if you have mine. I am learning this is the way I need to be in this job, this community, and in life. My education here has taught me so much about the stories you’ll read in this issue of Streetvibes. I am proud to share these stories. I am honored with the duty of sharing what people in this community have felt in the ten years since the unrest. I was only 16 when Timothy Thomas was killed. I was a Sophomore in high school and I lived in Lakeside Park, Kentucky. So clearly, I do not have the raw emotions and thoughts of what happened in this community. But that is where my education at Streetvibes comes in. People have shared their feelings and thoughts in this issue. The passionate, passionate feelings that this community still has. My goal with this issue was to honor those emotions by giving them a voice. My goals is to reflect on the events of ten years ago during the unrest, and allow the raw concerns that still plague this community even today, to be heard. I can hardly imagine the fear and uncertainty that surrounded that time. The community has come so far, but the pain is still very real. So to the community… I honor you, each and everyone who was effected. I honor you for living through it and carrying on. This community has done that and will continue to do that. This community must believe in itself. It just must. And it will. Believing in yourself never goes out of style. On a side note, a memorial has been announced for Bruce Morris who recently passed. Tuesday April 5th @12 pm at the Jimmy Heath House. From the Director the day the rally for peace took place on Fountain Square to mark the 8th anniversary of the iraq War, and to promote peace and civility. page 6 5 to 1 the staff to student ratio at lighthouse Community School. page 7 3 the number of years local artist rod Northcutt has taught traditional, non-electric, woodworking skills through a making-based traveling course, Unplugged. page 16 a p ril 1-14, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff We Are At WAR in Cincinnati Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org JosH spRing 3-19-2011 StreetvibeS W ar! At the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless we like to deal in Truth. Not everyone likes to hear or see Truth, but we believe that the Truth must be proclaimed loudly, must be respected and ultimately should change us. So let’s talk about some Truth. The Truth is that the united states of america not only is a brutal country now, but has always been a brutal country; in fact our roots are founded in brutality. Prior to the landing of white people upon these shores this land held the nations of many people that had been here for an unknown span of time. We did not establish this country based on some Godly ideals. We established this country through mass lying, theft, coercion, hate, occupation and murder. We not only thought ourselves better than those here, but also capable and worthy of deciding that they should not be here and millions of them should die for our destined right to be here. This country was created through war, and not in the sense of some sacred revolutionary war, but the forced death of generations of people. Far too often in this country, both people and organizations who call themselves either conservative or liberal, attempt to maintain that at its core, the united states of america is about freedom and humanity and that we should therefore get back to our core. To stand by such a belief is to stand by a lie and to disrespect the untold numbers of people that have died at the hands of this country. In fact, the belief that the usa is inherently about freedom and humanity is such an absurdity that many of those that stand by this belief, will also say that in order to keep freedom, we must at times have war- that somehow war leads to freedom and humanity, and war especially keeps those of us in the usa free. This lying mantra is what launched us into both the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. We have been at war in Afghanistan since October 7, 2001- over nine years and five months. We have been at war in Iraq since March 20, 2003- now over eight years. We tend to use words that allow us to feel okay about the injustices we are committing. For example, we leapt into these wars with the label of “The War on Terror.” Obviously terror is a bad thing, and inherently going to war against “Terror” would be good and upright.“Terror” should in fact be ended. These wars, however, have not been on “Terror.” These wars have been on people. We are purposefully distracted from the fact that we are at war on people by thinking we are waging a “War on Terror” The term “war” itself has become mundane and has little affect upon many. Do most of us really feel the wars daily or do we even know when we do feel the wars? No, we don’t. “War” has become just another word and we have become so used to the word, that it barely affects the usa psyche. War is not real to us. This is another case in which we must begin to deal in the Truth. The Truth is that war means lying, theft, occupation, rape, mass bloodshed and murder, not of “Terror,” but of people. War is murder- horribly and simply. We have been murdering people and being murdered in these wars for going on ten years now (not to mention all the other below-the-radar murdering we are involved in). Next, when we talk about war, especially if we are against it, we like to talk about the usa going to war or the president going to war or congress or any host of people, but again, we must deal in Truth. The Truth is that WE are engaged in war. WE are engaged in murder. Our tax-dollars pay for the bullets and bombs that rip apart the hearts and heads of people in other parts of the World. Our (regular people) compliancy allows these wars to murder countless people. This is Truth. We may be against it, we may even protest, march, rally, write letters, vote and do all of See From the Director Pg. 12 Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jim Luken, Riccardo Taylor, Saad Ghosn, Catie Dargue, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Jennifer Martin, Laura Osborne-Coffey, James Brown, Lee McCoy, Dawn Fuller, Elisa Hill, B. Clifton Burke, Jimmie Gipson, Elles van Gelder, Beth GriffithNiemann Photography/Artwork Amiee Willhoite, Saad Ghosn, Mikki Schaffner, Bill Howes, Suzanne Chouteau, Bill Howes, Cedric Cox, Dawn Fuller, B. Clifton Burke, Sarah Hager, Elles van Gelder, Catie Dargue, Laura OsborneCoffey The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 Race Relations 101 Continued from Pg. 1 Asked if she was frightened at the time, Keith says, “No, I was cautious. I’m still cautious.” She feels that some things are better now than in that tumultuous period, but that there could be a stronger ongoing effort from both sides. “We need to be creative in trying to improve the situation. The same goes for the city officials as well as the citizens. Sometimes I don’t think that they appreciate that we understand what the city needs to do.” Don Cargile, a 52 year-old union electrician who now calls Las Vegas home, says he was living in Colerain Of the situation in Over the Rhine today, Don Cargile is reflective. “The situation is complex,” he says. “I think there are well meaning people who wish it would just… go away.” Twenty-five year-old, Rodney Beamon is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Elements, a youth hip-hop venue on Central Parkway that focuses on “rap and respect.” His take on things, then and now, has a different slant than the other, older folks who were interviewed for this story. Obviously, Beamon was just fifteen at the time of the Thomas shooting, but he was a very vocal young man, who literally got swept up in Unrest source: Jimmy Heath Township at the time of the riots, but that he came downtown often “to support the demonstrations, and the work of pastor [Damon] Lynch.” Many downtown people I have talked to say that Reverend Lynch [of New Prospect Baptist Church near Findley Market] was hugely important in helping to calm tensions and bring the two sides to some kind of mutual understanding. According to Cargile, “Damon Lynch was concerned with a fair investigation of the facts [about Timothy Thomas’s death and some of the other questionable police shootings].” It was obvious to Cargile that the leaders of the black community were strongly discouraging the rioting and the “disrespectful conduct.” “As I saw things go on,” Don Cargile says, “I think people confused the peaceful protests with those who came out to wreak violence. I don’t know if this was visible to people from the outside, but to me it was.” Cargile lays part of the blame on the media’s coverage of the events of those fateful days. “I think that the rioters and those who misbehaved got more of the press. And I think that the better cops got discouraged, just as there seemed to be the possibility of a settlement between the city and the protesters.” Carlisle has been living back in the city and the neighborhood for the past several years. He has taken a strong interest in understanding the dynamics of Over the Rhine and downtown Cincinnati. He reflected on what has seen since returning from Nevada. “I feel like, to a degree, the neighborhood has morally deteriorated, and that a lot of decent people are somewhat tired. I think that the answer may lie within the community and within the family to a great degree “This may not be liked, but I’m gonna say it anyway. The answer lies in how we [in the African American community] handle our households, how we teach our children, how we treat each other. That was one of the messages of the original Black Panthers’ Party. Self accountability.” the pain and the power of what came down during, and immediately after, the riots of ‘01. In the African American Community, “Speak-Outs” were held in various local churches, so that the people would have a chance to express their fears, their frustrations, their hopes. Young Beamon attended one of these events at the New Freedom Baptist Church in Avondale. There, he says, he focused on one of the other disputed shootings. He recounted for me the gist of what he told the gathered people. “I talked about a man named Lorenzo Collins, a mental patient. He left the hospital, no shoes and socks, dressed in a hospital gown. Someone reported that he was carrying a brick. The cops came, They maced him once. Then a second time. The man was unstable! They said he charged at them with his brick. Hit one of them with the only swing he took. Caused a concussion. The police shot him nine times. Later, during the riots, they used bean-bag guns and rubber bullets on rioters. I asked my audience where were the bean bag guns? Where were the rubber bullets, when they were dealing with this mental patient?” Rodney Beamon’s eloquent words at that Speak-Out thrust him almost immediately into the national spotlight. Everyone apparently wanted to know about the Cincinnati riots. He participated in other SpeakOuts. One in Newark, called B-CAP (Black Cops Against Police Brutality). He spoke at the State of the World Black Conference along with Danny Glover and Dick Gregory. “I guess they were looking for a young black American man who was able to articulate the issue,” he now says, almost modestly. Beamon frames the whole situation of the riots from the point of view of the young people. “The city was in turmoil,” he says, “and the youth thought they didn’t have the chance to express themselves. They found it dangerous to live in their own community. It seemed like every other day there were deaths. The same people you think you would call to protect you, are the same people who are killing young black males. The city got to the point it couldn’t take any more.” The rioters, Rodney Beamon claims, amounted to about eight to ten people who were fed up, “and the only thing they knew how to do was to express themselves in destructive way, to tear things up, and set things on fire.” Beamon believes that because of all the national attention, and the boycott of the city that came in the wake of the riots, a certain amount of accountability came to the police department. But after most of the dust had settled, he believes the police simply “ignored the Over the Rhine community and allowed it to selfdestruct.” As the 10th “anniversary” of the riots approaches, Beamon is refusing most invitations to talk to the Media. “I’ve known Curtis Fuller for years, and I just don’t want to be pulled into all that media stuff.” He says the only reason he did my interview was because it was Streetvibes, and because he and I had a mutual good friend in Mary Burke, director of Over the Rhine Community Housing. Ten years after the riots, Rodney Beamon states emphatically, “A whole lot ain’t changed.” And he repeats the statement to make sure I understand his conclusion. Now, he believes, the local powers-that-be are “dragging people out of the community, forcing them to live away from the bus lines, all for their own personal gratification.” It was almost as if he didn’t want the anger to come out, but—once started—there seemed to be no stopping him. “They’ve got money to buy street cars, but they don’t have money to feed homeless people. And they don’t have money to help youth groups, like Elements.” Rodney Beamon doesn’t feel the city or the police are willing to support organizations like his, that are helping, on a daily, basis to prevent what happened in 2001 from happening again. “Our solution was this. We created a Hip-Hop Center where the kids can express themselves in a more creative and positive way.” By the time I returned to Cincinnati from Vermont, in the summer of 2004, the after-effects from the riots were, by and large, gone. The national boycott seemed to have had a sobering effect on at least part of the city. I found an apartment near 14th and Race. The ghetto, at that time, was a different place than the one I had left seven years earlier. It felt like a lethal arcade game, a shooting gallery, and a killing machine. Four people were shot and killed on the street within a block of my apartment in less than 8 months. I would hear gunshots in the middle of the night, often three or four times a week. I developed an almost eerie intuition as to when those shots were just the “drug boys” showing off, and when their bullets had found human flesh. In those days, as most neighborhood residents recall, the drug boys were on almost every street corner. The police had backed off, usually arriving for the clean-up, but little else. Cincinnati became another kind of spectacle. Many law-abiding people living in the ghetto believed that the police had basically abandoned the neighborhood to the dealers and their (often brutalized) suburban clients. The cops, I was told, felt they had taken the blame for causing the riots. What came next—as all of us folks who live in OTR know—is still in process. And it involves wrecking balls and bulldozers and off-street parking. The purging of entire blocks of poor people from their long-time homes. “Gated” dwelling-places. Yuppie shops. Gentrification. We have even been fenced out of our park. As things stand now, it appears, racial and class problems will simply resolve themselves… in a more civilized way. Civilized, that is, from the point of view of the gentrifiers, the city bigwigs, the big money folks who funnel in millions through 3CDC. Instead of ignoring the problems, instead of doing battle with the problems, it appears that the main problem, i.e., the poor (whom Jesus said “will always be with us”) are simply being pushed further and further out of this last corner of Over the Rhine, which some of us still call “our beloved community.” Maybe Jesus had it wrong. P.S. The Cincinnati police were contacted numerous times in order that they might express their own ideas about the city then and now. Apparently,they chose not to respond. As the reader can tell, from many of the comments above,” the poor people kindly stuck up for them. �4 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 mark twain Was Right: stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and unrest Dan mooRe Author and Illustrator M ark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest is a soon to be released graphic novel about United States’ first urban uprising in the 21st century. The following excerpt is during the daytime on Tuesday, April 10 2001, after protests in Over-The-Rhine continue into their second day and the police begin to respond to the growing uprising. The story is told in a series of first-person perspectives from people who became intimately involved, from community leaders to random bystanders. Tying these narratives together is commentary by the author himself, then a budding radical teenager who finds the urban unrest influencing his life. Drawing on interviews and primary resources, a picture is painted of how one kid’s solitary death in a ghetto alley grows to impact every resident of the region. Mark Twain Was Right follows the sometimes contradictory and hard-to-comprehend developments from the day of the killing to Thomas’s funeral six days later, including the marches, posturing, organizing, brutality, looting, prayer, curfews and analysis that commanded international attention, inspiring ghetto residents and tormenting city leaders. For more information about the complete graphic novel Mark Twain Was Right, email cincinnatiriotsbook@gmail.com for information and updates about the release of the completed novel. Dan P. Moore was born and raised in Cincinnati and received his bachelor’s degree in Community Development at Portland State University. He first got involved in organizing during high school, founding the Cincinnati Radical Youth and has never stopped since then working on a variety of issues that engages marginalized communities at the base level. Currently, he is an organizer at the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, organizing low-wage and immigrant workers. Aside from self-publishing two comic zines, One of those Beautiful Days, and A Guide to Relationships during a Recession, this is his first graphic novel. �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 autism awareness month 5 Chocolate Lockets and yellow pillows: an autism story sanDRa knoLLman W hen most people think of autism, they think of Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man, someone locked away in an institution who could spout off mathematical facts and figures at the drop of a hat. Or even the “stereotypical” child walking around with a helmet on their head in order to prevent injury while banging their heads on a wall or some other surface. What people don’t realize is that autism is more than some part in a movie, and that no two people with autism are alike. I have two daughters, one officially diagnosed with autism, and one who has severe receptive language disorder and disruptive behavior disorder. This pretty much means there aren’t too many dull or quiet moments in my household. Especially not for the past year since my oldest daughter was unexpectedly kicked out of her autism program. I always thought of myself as fearless and bulletproof, that is until the day my daughter got kicked out of her autism program. I thought I was going to school for a typical meeting, and ended up taking my daughter home from that school for the last time. I was told she was “no longer a good fit”; “causing anxiety in other kids” (not true!); and that she was “no longer welcome” at that school. I had just settled into a job I loved at a local nonprofit doing foreclosure counseling for clients who were past due on their mortgages. I helped them try to get loan modifications from their lenders. I also taught foreclosure prevention classes, as well as budget and credit classes and counseling. I had only been there five months when my daughter got kicked out. I had to quit that job because I hadn’t been there long enough to take family leave. So where did that leave my family? It left us with one income and no school for my daughter. It took a whole month to find her a new school. Once I found her a new school, the only job I could find was working as med tech and nurse aide at a local assisted living facility making half of my previous salary. It’s been a year now, and I finally feel like my life is somewhat back to normal. My daughter is in a school she loves, though she really misses her old friends. I’m at a different job that I love working in an adult day training program for adults who have developmental disabilities. I’m hoping that working here will help prepare for life as the future parent of an adult with developmental disabilities. Some people have told me they’d be bitter if they had to go through what my family has in the past year. I say no. As I tuck my oldest in at night and tell her I love her all the way to the moon and back to a yellow pillow, and all the way to the moon and back to a chocolate locket for my youngest daughter, I realize that life could be much worse. As the mother of an individual with autism, the daughter, the sister, and the aunt of an individual with autism, I see the potential in all. Every one of them has something unique to offer this world. Rising stars By BRenDa ZeCHmeisteR, CooRDinatoR Rising Star Studios, Edgewood, KY A ccording to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent findings revealed as many as one in 110 children in the United States are now diagnosed with autism. It’s the fastest-growing developmental disability; according to the Autism Society, the annual growth is 10 - 17%. April is Autism Awareness Month. Several activities are planned locally in conjunction with this, from advocacy - with the Autism Society of Ohio partnering with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Network on a Legislative Advocacy Day at the Statehouse - to raising awareness - with an Autism Awareness Game on April Nancy Cooper source: Brenda Zechmeister 20th in partnership with the Cincinnati Reds. In addition, organizations such as New Perceptions’ or e-mail info@risingstarstudios.org. Interested program, Rising Star Studios, will provide additional participants must reserve their spot by April 7. support for the autistic community with a special outreach sampler program, Monday, April 11 – More Rising Star Studios Thursday, April 14. Rising Star Studios will offer Although there are many centers that offer complimentary classes for autistic youth from 4-7 p.m. rehabilitative services such as occupational, speech and in art, photography, music, computers, life skills, cooking, behavioral therapy, the Rising Star Studios program is and yoga. All classes will be held at New Perceptions, distinctive. This program makes an incredible difference One Sperti Drive in Edgewood, Kentucky. in the lives of young people with autism and other special needs in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern For more information, call 859-344-9322, ext. 15, Betsty and Alex source: Brenda Zechmeister Kentucky area through unique arts and life skills classes. Art, music, and dance are more than a valuable leisure skill through which young people with autism and special needs can learn to express themselves. The overall quality of their lives is improved as they learn to function more independently. Students learn and improve upon social skills, academics, communication skills, motor skills, and activities of daily living. The skills they learn through the fine arts, in addition to life skills classes such as cooking and computers, stay with them for a lifetime. Great Books! visit facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com www.cincybooks.com �6 Rally for peace StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Coffee party sponsors peace Rally on Fountain square Coffee Party Cincinnati and friends held their first annual “Patriotic American Peace Rally” on Fountain Square, Saturday March 19. This rally was held to mark the 8th anniversary of the Iraq War, and to promote peace and civility. Coffee Party Cincinnati hopes that this rally will encourage people to take a stand against war, violence, and hate. Approximately 100-200 people attended the rally. sHeLi DeLaney T he national Coffee Party Movement established itself in January 2010 as a non-partisan grassroots political organization, and Coffee Party Cincinnati is one of its many local chapters that have sprung up across the state of Ohio and the US since its inception.The Coffee Party was created to be a venue for people who are disenchanted with two-party politics and want to work toward positive solutions, government accountability, removing corporate influence from politics, and making government a true expression of our collective will. When it comes to political discourse, Coffee Party wants candidates and elected officials who will quit wasting time slinging mud, disagree without being disagreeable, stick to the facts, and never EVER use rhetoric that deliberately incites hatred and violence toward other groups of people. The Coffee Party formed last year in response to the bitter hateful rhetoric surrounding the healthcare reform bill about this time last year, and also in response to the non-stop media coverage of the Tea Party. Over the last year, it local chapters have organized in nearly every major city across the US, and have taken on a wide range of political causes. At our rally we presented speakers from different organizations around Cincinnati that are in support of ending the wars. The speakers we featured included: Don Rucknagel, Green Party; Josh Spring, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless; Professor Mark Lause, University of Cincinnati Department of History; John Waltz, Veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Robert “Buck” Clay, Veteran of the Iraq War; Donna Park, Citizens for Global Solutions, Elizabeth Ampthor, International Socialists Organization, and Fariba Nourian, Coffee Party Cincinnati. Throughout the rally, we circulated a letter to our US Representatives in Ohio for you to sign which states that we want them to stop supporting funding for the wars and to fight for money for social services, education, healthcare, libraries, public radio, infrastructure, job creation, and all that other good stuff that we love that we believe the government should be providing for us. A total of 65 signatures were collected. We organized this rally because we know that it is wrong for the US to wage war and occupy foreign countries. We know that it costs enormous amounts of tax payer money to sustain such efforts, while other much-needed photo by sheli DeLaney programs go unfunded or underfunded. We know that contractors and corporations are able to make huge amounts of money from war profiteering, while our economy slumps and our middle class and our poor struggle to recover from a recession. And more than the monetary cost of the war is the loss of life that results from it; thousands of soldiers, and many times more civilians, that could have otherwise lived out their lives and made a positive contribution to society, are lost to us forever. Many of us have lived through several periods of war, violence, and political unrest, and enough is enough. Ironically, at the same time we were holding our rally Saturday, a coalition of armed forces from Britain, France and the US began attacking the Libyan military in order to stop them from killing protestors and rebels. While we agree that the people of Libya must be protected, we hope in the future that regimes like Gadhaffi’s are never put in power in the first place. We also wish that coalition forces would not pick and choose whose people they are going to protect, because while they may be stopping the attacks on the people of Libya, the people of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen are still being killed by their own government. Finally, several of our supporters have spoken out against the name Patriotic American Peace Rally, saying that it is misleading, delusional, and even offensive, since nationalism and patriotism in the US is associated with a long history of imperialism and national superiority. While those are fair and well-intentioned critiques, we believe that as Frederick Douglas once said “a patriot is a lover of one’s country that rebukes it and does not excuse its sins.” We at Coffee Party Cincinnatireject the framing of what some call patriotism, and we want to challenge these definitions. Being against the wars and the military machine is patriotic. Of course, we know our title is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but we sincerely hope the rally attracts some from the right who oppose the empire. They exist and should be reached out to. With them we are a majority. And we feel that we can love our country and the world at the same time. Making change starts at home at the local level. photo by sheli DeLaney �Community S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 7 Lighthouse Community school CoRey giBson G rowing up can be tough, but growing up in the child welfare system can be even tougher. With hundreds of thousands of children growing up with out a home, essentially living under the care of the government, education can be a difficult step in these children’s lives. But for the children in the Greater Cincinnati area living in foster care or in the welfare system, they can turn to the Lighthouse Community School. a library with a student staff ratio of 5 to 1, Lighthouse Community School is like any other school in the neighborhood. David Rosenthal, owner of Prairie Gallery in Northside, is one of the many volunteers at the school. He has been working in the community for years doing photography programs. “Basically {the programs} introduce photography as a way to learn about art making,” said Rosenthal. “And also learn about how art works in the world.” He began working with the Lighthouse Community School a year ago when he did a graphic novel project with the students. The graphic novels vary heavily from student to student. One tells the story of growing up with an alcoholic family member, while another tells the story of a prince. The writings are accompanied by astounding photos taken by the students that show how they see the world around them. The creativity and sharp photography make the stories extremely intriguing. “They were autobiographical, fictional, fantastical things,” said Rosenthal. This year he is teaching a class at the school once a week that combines the art of photography with the creative stylings of fashion designs. One of Kayla Bentlay’s wardrobe designs Her country is Ireland. Lighthouse Community School is a highly specialized school for high school age students that stresses “individualized, flexible and intensive strategies to meet the educational needs of youth in the child welfare system.” The school does all it can to accommodate the students. The school is sponsored by the Cincinnati Public Schools, meaning no tuition for the students; “The goal of the class is to engage the students with developing creative concepts based on research about the world,” said Rosenthal. The students are studying specific countries of their choose and translating those into fashion designs. The students also document their projects throughout the process by taking photographs of the things that inspire their clothing. Rosenthal started the students out by having them look at fashion magazines and research about different countries. He Marvin Binford working on one of his wardrobe designs. His country is Mexico. Next, he asked the students to take photos of things, anything. He wanted the students to get used to using a camera. “Our first couple of photo shoots we were just asking them to experiment with the camera, just to see what a camera can do,” said Rosenthal. “They looked at things close up, at extreme angles, what happens when you over or under expose a picture. Just looking at the possibilities of the medium.” Since Rosenthal has a limited time with the students each week, the students are using available clothing instead of fabricating their own. To make up for not being able to sew the outfits, he took the students to Goodwill to find clothing for their outfits. “I think it is an important part of the whole thing,” said Rosenthal. “Part of my bigger mission in life is to find creative ways to involve artists in the world.” He wants the world to acknowledge the work these students have accomplished. the school works with local districts to provide transportation and community volunteers from all around help to keep the school running. With a basketball team, volleyball team, computer lab and instructed the students to find colors they want to use, shapes they can incorporate into an outfit and textures that could be manipulated and copied onto the clothing. Rosenthal raises the bar for his students. He challenges them to do amazing things with not just art but with their lives. He treats these students just as he would treat graduate students he has taught in the past. After taking pictures for inspiration, the students began thinking about clothing they wanted to use. Rosenthal introduced the idea of styling to the students. The students took clothing and accessories and began using them in unconventional ways to what the outcome would be. The students would dress the mannequins and photograph the outfits, using lighting to change the “mood of the garment.” The end goal of the project is an exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center on May 6, which showcases the student’s work. The exhibition will include the fashion designs, the photographs taken along the way, collage work and the conceptual photos taken for inspiration. A student working on styling their mannequin. to college students who at an advanced level still have difficulty with the projects. Rosenthal said he wants the students to learn about creative expression and what it can mean to them. Since many of the students in the school have never had a chance to take a photography or fashion class, Rosenthal wants to give them an outlet for expressing themselves. Yet what he is really instilling in the students is a passion to succeed when they are challenged. Rosenthal gives the students problems that he has presented One of Dasheka Edward’s wardrobe designs. Her country is Bolivia. She transformed a scarf into a top and a button up t-shirt into a blouse. The yellow and green stripes are taken from a wind sock’s streamers. “Part of the reason I really like this work is because these kids are hardly ever challenged,” said Rosenthal. “They go through life, starting at a very early age, with the bar being automatically lowered. If someone walks into a situation knowing the exceptions are low, that is how they are going to perform.” �Local 8 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Rally at Fountain square keLissa HieBeR Contributing Writer T uesday March 14th, was a chilly raining day, however these less than ideal weather conditions did not stop large numbers from coming out to the rally at Fountain Square. Participants of this rally, arrived in solidarity against the massive proposed budget cuts, outlined by Governor John Kasich and the proposed Ohio Senate Bill 5. Bill 5 is similar to the bill in Wisconsin, which received massive debate causing the democrats to literally flee the state to delay the vote on the bill. Bill 5 would eliminate collective bargaining rights for an estimated 350,00 police officers, teachers and a large array of other public workers. These large numbers of workers would be unable to bargain for fair wages or improved working conditions. Also strikes would be disbanded and unions would essentially be destroyed, leaving thousands of workers silenced. Kasich’s proposed budget cuts for the next two years would issue many of it’s cuts to public schools ranging from the primary to the university level, cut programs for the poor, massively cut the resources and funding for local governments and reorganize Medicare. At the rally on Tuesday, groups ranging from large unions such as AFSCME, CFT-AFT, other groups such as Jobs for Justice joined with various representatives from the inner-faith community. Also present were various undergraduate and graduate students and all types of university employees, from local colleges such as Miami University and the University of Cincinnati. Many Cincinnati City Council members such Rally Photos By Chris kromer as Mayor Mallory also spoke out in solidarity with the assembly. Mallory spoke to the crowd, saying that one of the primary reasons why public workers are being targeted is because those proposing the budget don’t understand what these worker go through and how important they are to our community. Mallory said: “They are committed to public service and to making our lives better.” Speakers from AFSCME and AFT spoke to the crowd about the importance to fighting this battle together and that in order to kill this bill; everyone was going to have to go to work. Representatives from the faith based groups AIMOS and Su Casa, voiced their support in this battle and spoke out against such bills and budget cuts, which punish those who hold the foundation of the community together. The spokesperson for AFT started her address by saying quite bluntly about Kasich: “What is wrong with this man?” Part of his questioning of the governors character came from the fact that only 9% of the budget is designated for public workers, yet they would received some of the most severe cuts and restrictions. A mother from Lakota expressed her concerns of what will happen to her daughter’s education and opportunities for things such as sports and other extra-curricular activities. She like many others asked the question of why everyday workers and public schools were suffering the most, when they claimed that these are not the people who created the budget crisis in the first place. They urged that the corporations who through unequal, unfair business practices let the economy spin out of control, should be the ones to pay, not innocent public workers. City Council member Cecil Thomas, illustrated the disconnect between government officials like Kasich and public workers by quoting something that Kasich had said to lobbyists back in November. “If you think that I’m going in the wrong direction, stop me. I don’t want to drive over a cliff. I just want to be a good governor.” Thomas said that is all well and good, but then directly after this invitation for public debate and participation, Kasich said in order for people to help build a better Ohio: “You need to get on the bus. If you’re not on the bus, we’ll run over you with the bus and I’m not kidding.” Everyone in the crowd at this rally knows that we are in a very difficult time in our country and difficult decisions do have to be made. However, those who helped to create this economic catastrophe should be held accountable and the rights and voices of essential workers need to be upheld. Is perfectly balancing the budget worth jeopardizing the livelihood of so many? And when did things such as education, suddenly become expendable and extraneous? Everyone in the crowd knew that sacrifices are ahead, however Kasich’s attitude of excluding so many from the discussions on how to deal with this situation is unacceptable. Equally intolerable are his callous remarks such as saying he will run people over if they don’t agree with him. This seems to represent a complete disregard for the people that he is suppose to be representing. If whole groups in society have no voice or rights, then this goes against the very fabric of what is supposed to define America, that of the right to freedom and participation and inclusion in democracy, which represents the ideals of the masses not just the rich. �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 Local 9 �10 national news StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Japanese street paper: ‘We are not defeated’ Vendors are back on the streets of Tokyo selling copies of The Big Issue Japan, as staff vowed to support all street paper vendors affected by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami. Translated by Mayuko Hida, and Yushin Toda (University of Glasgow) Originally published by The Big Issue in Scotland Additional reporting by The Big Issue Japan www.streetnewsservice.org In Sendai, capital of Miyagi - one of the north-east regions worst hit by the tsunami - all Big Issue Japan vendors are alive and accounted for. Sadly, damage to infrastructure means there has been no delivery of magazines to Sendai, Sapporo, or any of the cities in the north. Miku Sano, managing director of The Big Issue Japan’s Tokyo office, said: “In Sendai the vendors survived but do not know when they can start selling the magazines again. The vendors and people in Northern cities are fighting for their lives and (to find) loved ones. We are trying the best we can to support them. Things are not easy and will not be the same, but we are not defeated.” “We are also trying to start our football practice in Tokyo as soon as possible,” she added. “All the scheduled matches were cancelled but many of our vendors said that they want to play football to feel better.” Diary of a disaster The Big Issue Japan works with the Sendai Night Patrol Group to help the homeless in Sendai City, one of the worst hit by the March 11 tsunami. Tireless staff members have been providing free meals for anyone sleeping rough as the city attempts to recover from the disaster. Aoki San, head of the patrol team and magazine distribution in Sendai, allowed us to publish extracts from his diary about the relief effort: 14 March In Sendai, the supply of water and electricity was restored in some parts, but it will take more than a month to restore gas supply. In the Wakabayashi area, the worst affected area within Sendai city, I saw a very long queue of people trying to get half rotten oranges and only one banana. A thousand dead bodies are left unattended in a gymnasium, and there is no information Caption: People ride bicycles past houses destroyed by an earthquake and a tsunami as snow falls in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan March 17, 2011. ReuteRs/kyodo about those unaccounted for. We are planning to provide free meals of curry rice for everyone from 11am. The death toll is too big to comprehend, and many people seem to know nothing about what to do. 15 March Roads, airlines and trains are not allowed to run except for emergency vehicles, and there is the dire prospect of a shortage of goods. More than 1,000 people queued for a motorway bus. I joined a queue for Daiei Supermarket before its opening at 10am, but 30 minutes after the opening, major goods had already gone. There is a shortage of gas cylinders, noodles, tinned food, batteries, and rice. Public administration is completely paralysed. Sendai City Council opened a help desk today, four days after the earthquake. Hospitals in the city are only able to provide a partial service due to electricity shortages. Without a battery-powered radio, people are getting no information at all. Many citizens don’t know about the accidents at Fukushima nuclear plant. People are ‘information refugees’. Local radio stations function to help people to find out about missing persons. Strong aftershocks at 3am and again at 4am. A woman cries after her mother’s body was found in Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture March 18, 2011. The area was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami on March 11. ReuteRs/kyodo 16 March This morning started with rain in Sendai. Today the local radio announced about the food at Wakabayashi city hall, so we had to make 1,000 meals. At lunchtime we gave out curry, miso soup and rice for about 800 people and it was gone in a second. Some hadn’t eaten for three days and queued for the food in the rain. I am worried because there’s no information about what’s going on at the nuclear power plant. I am worried about the radioactive contamination for the north Kanto region because of the north winds. There are thousands of people sleeping in the elementary schools, city halls and public halls. I will do my best to provide free meals tomorrow, although we may run out of stock if we do so. UPDATE from Miku Sano, Monday 21st March: We organised a football training session with vendors this weekend. Vendors and many volunteers participated (see images on the Big Issue Japan blog: http:// ameblo.jp/one-goal-one-step. Most of our street paper vendors are doing OK, but the ones who are in the worst hit areas face a lot of challenges. At first, many of us were surprised at how strong and unaffected most vendors seem. However, when you think about it, most of our vendors always sleep outside- which means, in many ways, the “emergency situation” that we are facing now is the kind of life they live on a daily basis. I hope this crisis will bring us together and that it will give us a chance to think more about the people who have to live in such harsh conditions not only after this earth quake, but every day. In the mean time, the latest edition of The Big Issue Japan has arrived in Sapporo. Hokkaido five days behind schedule. We still have earthquakes on a scale of M5 to M6 every day in the coastal areas around Tokyo and the north. There is a shortage of electricity and gas in Tokyo and the northern cities. People in Tokyo were panic buying food initially, but that slowly becomes less. Things are still unsettled but everyone is trying to help each other. �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 national news 11 Bearcats Better Be Better BRyan CLiFton BuRke Now that the city’s teams have been eliminated from the Big Dance, many of its citizens have wiped basketball clean from the list of things they normally think about. After all, with the misery surrounding the Bengals and the promise of a quality Reds season, it doesn’t make much sense to dwell on local teams that lose. However, before you return the sport back to its shelf for the summer, know this: the Bearcats will soon be legit and should generate some realistic excitement this time next year. How much excitement? I don’t know; come on, fortune telling? Why do I think they will be better? Namely Yancy Gates. The legacy of this man is shaping up as a sort of tragic one. A local cat with a huge following, Gates has not manifested into the beast many of us anointed him as he left Withrow High so many years back. His NBA-ready body at the age of 18, mixed with an interesting shooting touch for a big guy, allowed some to speculate that he would be wooed by the pros before graduating. Three underwhelming seasons later, complete with a punitive benching and vigorous boos from the UC faithful, hearing Yancy confirm his desire to return seems unnecessary. Of course he’s coming back; he needs more time to maximize his draft potential which can still become quite high if he works hard and plays his cards right. Gates, though, primarily wants to graduate, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that—for all the ways universities use their high-profile athletes, snaking a degree out of them is the least he could do to even the score. Fans, however, want to see him become the local legend he seemed so destined to be. Next year is the last chance for greatness, and before the pros whisk him away to another land with another life, we want to see him spread his wings right here in his hometown. To do that, though, his game needs an injection of urgency. Yancy, like almost every one else, is a rhythm player. Those majestic 18-footers he occasionally flashes only come when he catches and shoots in rhythm. His post moves, including his stillimproving passing game, succeed when in rhythm. The problem is, he often holds the ball too long and appears to over-think himself. If he made quicker decisions, the offense could run through him easier and roles would be more clearly defined. I believe he has the raw materials to become an excellent offensive player, but he must put in the work this offseason. His defense is toughening up and his rebounding continues to get meaner, but a polished array of post moves and a sharpened sense of urgency could make him the aircraft-carrier the Bearcats will need to make their run next year. The good news is that even if Gates improves from marginally to not at all, he will still be surrounded with more size and more talent around him. Gone are the silly bigs, Andre McClaine and Ibrahim Thomas. These men were good for fouls only and didn’t even do that well. Back is the pogo forward Justin Jackson whose length and athleticism make him an outrageous transition player, along with redshirt freshman, Kelvin Gaines. The 6’10’’ Gaines looked a tad out of sorts in the Deveroes Summer League last summer, but he is large and plays angry which will help him in the burly Big East. Then there is the incoming freshman, Octavius Ellis, who sounds like a lanky power-forward enshrined in Greek mythology, but instead is one only from Memphis. Ellis’ scouting report talks of a shot-blocking European-type of forward who is comfortable scoring from the wing. Also expected to arrive on the scene next fall is a skinny Floridian named Shaquille Thomas. The nephew of NBA veteran Tim Thomas, Shaquille is raw but has lotterypick tools and could become an immediate impact player for the ‘Cats. More of a small-forward, Thomas is ranked in the ESPN’s top-100 list of high-school players and is worth keeping an eye on. The development of the back court will obviously be key as well. Cashmere Wright, Sean Kilpatrick and Dion Dixon all must raise their game throughout the summer to fulfill my expectation of each of them. One weakness coach Mick Cronin must address is a suitable backup point guard. Once it became clear Wright was not totally healthy against Connecticut in the second round, it became equally clear that there was no one better in that spot off of the bench. Either Dixon needs to learn to run the point more effectively, or incoming player, Ge’Lawn Guyn, needs to show his Division I chops right away. Wright is a man who has not been able to remain fully healthy with this team, so it seems impractical to assume that he can be depended on another full season next year. He is a fine player when he is feeling good, but a contingency plan at the point can’t be a total waste of time. All in all, this program is headed in the right direction. Mick Cronin has met hostile criticism in his five years here, perhaps due to the negative public perception that shorter people face on a daily basis, I don’t know, but his team has improved every year under his guidance. He is finally getting his recruits in place and developing them to some degree of success. True, their brainless decision-making often astounds the observer, but I’m hoping that the dumbest players on the roster are the ones graduating this summer. With a proper trimming of the unwanted dead weight and a new flock of athletic prospects slatted to arrive this fall, these Bearcats can move into the Sweet 16 and beyond in the very near future. Here’s to next year. �interest 12 ten years-not enough to get over Death in over-the-Rhine! Just how much time is enough time, to get over the death of a Family Member? JuDge LesLie isaiaH gaines Contributing Writer It’s been ten years since that April day in 1001 when Timothy Thomas’s blood soaked that tiny dead-in ally, and rad down That Gutter in Over-the-Rhine. Timothy Thomas, a member of our Cincinnati, Ohio family was gunned down by a bullet in the back; while unharmed and running from a Cincinnati Police officer; down an Over-The-Rhine ally. The entire Cincinnati Family, regardless of race or economic condition was impacted by Timothy Thomas’s sudden, premature and violent death. Burning, Looting, violence and bloodshed washed over the inner city neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine like a tsunami following an earth quake. I was on the riot ravaged streets of Overthe Rhine within a half hour of the first StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 fire being set and the first window being smashed. I immediately joined a group of citizens who grieved and mourned the death of Timothy Thomas; in the midst of trying to restore peace and stop the violence. I did not read about the riot or watch the revolution on TV. Following the dictates of fate and destiny I was drawn to the forefront of the battle; as if by a giant magnet. I was there with the residents of Over­ the-Rhine when we were choked by smoke and blinded by tear gas, as we dodged bean bags fired upon us by police officers in Washington Park. I volunteered to serve on “The Stop Squad;” A group of concerned Citizens who walked every street and ally in Over-the-Rhine trying to stop the violence. We stopped the blood-shed and performed CPR on the Findley Market; the historic market in heart of Over-theRhine. Had been strangled and entangled by the giant tentacles of violence that engulfed the city. We blew fresh breath into Findlay Marker and today ten years later it is on the road of rehab to recovery. Yes April 2011 marks ten years, many citizens of Over-the-Rhine and Cincinnati are still in a state of shock and post-traumatic grief. To those who say, “It’s been ten years, get over it!” I ask; is ten years enough time for you to get over the death of one of your loved ones? Some deaths we never get over. The death of unarmed Timothy Thomas is one of them. We never get over them. We pray for the strength to carry on. The danger in getting over, is in the fact that we may forget. If we forget history we are doomed to repeat it. Dr. King’s assassination on April 4th 1968 and President Kennedy’s assassination on November 23 1963 will never be forgotten. Timothy Thomas was not a famous person or world Leader. You don’t have to be to be loved and missed. Purchase: Over -the -Rhine a Positive Look; book by Judge Leslie Isaiah Gaines and Doctor Jennifer p. Gaines. On sale at Findley Market: Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati Ohio. Partial proceeds to benefit the Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. ReadJudge Gaines Briefs: Weekly Brief short stories of life and Law, Yahoo Associated Content, Face Book. Judge@judgegaines.com From the Director Continued from Pg. 2 this against it, but at the end of the day, all of us in the usa are engaged in war against people in other lands. Now that we have dealt with some Truth, let’s deal with some more. War and homelessness are connected. In fact, homelessness is connected to nearly every ill in the usa. Homelessness very likely may be the ultimate symptom of our collective ills. And yes, we are all responsible for homelessness and it’s continuation. With that stated, we must take hold of the Truth that we continue to repeat the same ills and crimes over and over and over again. This is the case in a broad sense in that this country was founded through war and continues to function with a foundation of war. But, lets narrow this down a bit, war does not just take place across borders, war is very much taking place here. bottom or at the bottom never see it. It does not in fact trickle down. During this time homelessness went from being in the hundreds of thousands of people in a given year to millions of people in a given year. This is when we created modern-day homelessness. No longer were just predominately middle aged, addicted men homeless. Anyone could become homeless. This is why so many of our organizations are currently somewhere near their 25th anniversary. Obviously, the money did not trickle down, but something did. In fact what trickled down was nothing new, it had been trickling down for many years. It trickled down all the way to Cincinnati. For the past 25 to 30 years in this country we have continued to deplete our stock of low-income affordable housing and living-wage jobs. Not only have we depleted the stock of both, we have taken it a bit “ We are told nationally that we are at war on “terror” and creating freedom, and locally that we are fighting blight and de-investment and crime and creating progress and an economic base- But the Truth is that there is a war raging in our streets against those in Cincinnati that are financially poor.” In the 1980’s the Ronald Reagan administration pushed his “trickle-down theory” economics or Reganomics. In this period, the Reagan administration slashed and cut spending on safety-net services and especially housing (by the billions of dollars) and put this money into big business and military. All this was done with the promise that the big-whigs at the tops of the tall buildings would buy more cars and hamburgers that the rest of us make, we would then get their money, we would spend it, and the money would continue to work it’s way down. The problem with this theory is that for the most part the people at the tops of the tall buildings horde the money, so the people near the further. We have allowed (perhaps some of us have even supported) large companies, politicians and developers as they have wedged their way into our downtown-core neighborhood and forced people with low-incomes from their homes and businesses, taken over and given the land to whom the large companies, politicians and developers see fit- to those deemed worthy and destined to take the land. Sound familiar?-. The term for this is gentrification. Another term could be occupation, displacement, forced removal or war. War forces one group’s life upon another group’s life through the methodic erasing of those deemed undesirable. This is what gentrification does. Gentrification is war on people with low-incomes. Gentrification is war that creates homelessness. On a broad scale of stealing from one group to give to another, gentrification is why we have modern day homelessness. We currently have a war raging in our own streets- right here in cincinnati. We are at war with each other, and it is sad. People have been forced from their homes for other people to move in to the urban core. Companies, at the backing and pushing of the city, are occupying urban core neighborhoods. The lives of people with low-incomes are being threatened on a continual basis. Homes are being stolen, schools have been closed, public restrooms have been torn down, parks have been either closed or taken over by private interest, money is being hoarded up by big business, lies are being told, people are being criminalized for being financially poor and / or homeless, occupation is happening- what else can you call it but war. And by the way, the argument that sometimes you just have to have war in order to create “freedom” or in this case “progress”- is a lie. It is a lie told by those that want to steal the land and resources of another group. It is a lie that is allowed to continue because, once again, others get duped and believe the lie. Still others may not believe the lie, but stand by and allow it to happen. And lest we forget, war is murderous to the lives of people. We are told nationally that we are at war on “terror” and creating freedom, and locally that we are fighting blight and de-investment and crime and creating progress and an economic base- But the Truth is that there is a war raging in our streets against those in Cincinnati that are financially poor. The other Truth is that True freedom murders nobody and True progress hinders no life. We have a choice, do we believe we can all live together, or do we believe that some of us must not exist so that everyone else can reach their manifest destiny? �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 story & poetry Corner Have a Laugh CLeo WomBLes A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender is he can drink free all day if he can make him laugh 13 Can you WiLLa Denise Jones Can you shut ‘emdown? Does the world believe that this is the world’s solution The Bartender agrees, so the man pulls a mouse, a small piano, and a frog out of his pocket. Can you shut ‘emdown? Keeping factory’s open with no work, now that’s pollution The mouse begins to play the piano and the frog sings opera. Can you shut ‘emdown? The free clinics, people homeless, no more Drop Inn Center One man seeing this approaches the man and offers him $500,000 for the talented frog. Can you shut ‘emdown? Washington Park, the sanitation workers, I can’t help but litter “SOLD!” He says. After the proud new owner leaves the bar with the frog, the bartender asks the man why he wouldn’t have tried to sell the frog for a million. Can you shut ‘em down? Over the Rhine was white then it was black, I thought we were all together He responds, mouse and piano in hand, that the mouse is actually a ventriloquist. Can you shut’ emdown? I’m confused so tell congress I really thought they knew better Can you believe in your heart that the decisions of our country are either republican or democratic? Can you believe that out of all the people in the world two simple parties be worthy of so much static? Can you close your eyes to the reality of the fear that has such a tight grip on our nation today? Can you keep living shut down and shut up? I’m baffled but not lost for words I can honestly say For me, learning to live without doubt or fear in my life and keeping God so close to my heart I have no doubt that without God’s blessings this world is doomed to fall completely apart With much faith and without any regards for the republicans or democrats controlling my being Without any doubt what so ever today I know that almighty God is the only real thing So can you shut ‘em down? Now slow down and take the time to think, what do you really understand? You need to come back into the days of Adam and Eve and remember when only God ruled the land! �14 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 CmHa’s Housing Choice Voucher program opens april 4 keLLy kRameR Streetvibes contributor The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) will open the waiting list for its Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program April 4-8, 2011. The application will be available exclusively online at HYPERLINK “http://www.hcvwaitlist.com” www. hcvwaitlist.com. This is the first time the application will be available solely online. For those with limited access to a computer, CMHA has identified resources throughout Hamilton County that will offer free computer access to fill out the online application. For a full list of free resources, applicants can call 513-977-5757, visit HYPERLINK “http://www. cinitmha.com” www.cinitmha.com. The HCV program makes safe, quality, affordable housing more accessible to those who need it most – very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled. Under the federal program, qualifying families receive a subsidy from CMHA that covers the gap between what the family can afford for rental housing, and what a private landlord charges. The participating family or individual pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord, and the amount subsidized by the program. If you plan to apply: Applications will only be accepted online at HYPERLINK “http://www.hcvwaitlist.com” www.hcvwaitlist.com from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, April, 4 through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 8. Only one application per person will be accepted. You will need a pen and paper to write down you confirmation number. What you need to apply: Individuals who apply for the waiting list will need to know information such as birthdates and social security numbers of everyone living in the household; asset information (checking and savings accounts, real estate owned); a current mailing address; and an emergency contact address. Individuals must also verify their annual household income, including: Pre-tax gross employment wages All Social Security, SSI, OWF/TANF/Welfare benefits – including minor children. All cash received on a regular basis from family, friends or others All amounts received for child support Net income received from self employment All monies received from any pension plan All monies received from assets, (i.e. rental income, interest from a Certificate of Deposit (CD), annuity, savings account, Investment Retirement Account (IRA), etc.) What happens after you apply: An application does not guarantee that you will be added to the waiting list. Those who apply for the waiting list will be randomly selected for the HCV database by lottery system, regardless of the day or time the application is submitted. If a family or individual is selected for the waiting list, they will be informed by CMHA in writing. Those who are interested in applying for the HCV April Fools in Over the Rhine A resident’s perspective on ‘change’ and why it can be seen as a joke Lee mCCoy Coming to a neighborhood near you…no it’s not a movie, it is something worse. It’s a move against any resident of Over the Rhine. It is scary, it is creepy, and it should be against the law. “Oh let me shut my mouth now!” I am talking about 3CDC…you is a bad mother…but on the real, will someone stand up to the bull shit? When an injustice has been done…will someone stand up? Years ago before any one had ever heard of a 3CDC, there was one realtor who owned most of the buildings in OTR. The rich and the poor lived side by side and rent was affordable. Now the same place has little renovation but a different view of the “improved” Washington Park and comes with a much different price tag. That apartment…actually, let me do this right, the same ‘condo’ or ‘loft’ now would cost $500 to a grand per month. Now that is April Fool’s Day. These places that we used to call home are now specifically designed and priced for anyone but the low income. Which is still insane to program waiting list should visit HYPERLINK “http:// www.cintimha.com” www.cintimha.com for more information, or speak with a case worker at local social services agencies. me with the major dollars being pumped into transportation forms in and out of the area for the “low income”. There are still so many buildingsin the area that are boarded up. Why can’t we take some of them and actually make them available and affordable for everyone? This way we could all live side by side, the rich and the poor. Remember what the good book says about ‘love thy neighbor’? I guess this doesn’t apply to 3CDC. The ‘Take Back the Neighborhood’ Rally should have sent them a clear message. Hopefully God will have a April Fools prank to play on 3CDC. Here is my hope…these moves you have been making in OTR will come to an end. You’re crooked, you’re bad boys. So answer me this 3CDC, what’cha gonnado when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys. Even the good you’ve done here like the work with the Jimmy Heath House comes with the stench of a rat. I was walking around the other day and I was amazed at the buildings that had been destroyed downtown for this casino. The Family Dollar is gone, it seems the bus station will be next. Can you imagine how full the Justice Center would be then? I guess Simon Leis will get his April Fools if that happened. Now let me tell you something about me…in 1968 I was in the US Navy. I was a Navy Seals Officeron a submarine called the USS Enterprise. We were four thousand feet under the sea when the sub blew up. I was in an air bubble and I fought my way to the top. On the way up I ran into a mermaid and we made love. Nine months later she gave birth to twins…out came Charlie Tuna of the sea and on his fin was Bumble Bee. April Fools! �S t r e e t vibeS april 1-14, 2 0 1 1 15 �16 StreetvibeS a p ril 1-14, 2011 Challenging problematic systems to improve Relationships Rod Northcutt uses animals and nature to reference social concerns “Once your eyes are open and awakened to social reality, you cannot escape it anymore,” says Rod Northcutt. “It stays with you and your innocence is gone.” Northcutt became acutely aware of social issues when he moved to Chicago for graduate school. He was confronted for the first time with poverty, homelessness, By Saad GhoSn Contributing Writer crowded housing, environmental decay, the many human and physical problems of a large city. They remained with him ever since and found their way into his art. A visual artist, he teaches sculpture at Miami University, Oxford, OH. He has a BFA degree in drawing and painting from the University of North Texas and a MFA degree in sculpture from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Northcutt grew up in rural Texas, intimately connected to the land and to animals he raised and tended to. It triggered in him a lifelong interest in biological and He also resorts to nature-related metaphors to raise awareness of the various societal ills. Initially destined to become a medical illustrator, Northcutt soon realized he was in reality a maker and that he liked to craft and create things; also that he enjoyed setting his art in nature, interacting with its environment, doing sculptural installations. His work, as a result, grew along these lines. In his interior gallery work, he functions like a fiction story teller, combining animals with study of the sciences or humanities. This allows him to empower the animals, understand them, especially understand human resemblance to them and what humans owe them; also to apply his meticulous craftsmanship skills to his projects. Northcutt would design an imaginary tale, halfway between truth and lies, connecting animals to human history and to real events. He would then craft related physical objects, “relics” that look real and legitimate to give support and validity to his story. He would display all in a natural history museum-like setting, thus playing with the line between fact and fiction. “I consider myself a ‘writer’ of historical fiction,” Northcutt says. “The events I cite are grounded in history yet diverge humorously from known archives by combining with current social concerns, such as outsourcing of labor... My work is carefully hand-crafted and often suggests a ‘backwater’ answer to difficult social questions.” He used for instance native woodworkers and builders such as beavers, woodpeckers, and termites, to devise an alternate history of building and manufacturing in the United States, pointing to their inherent problems. His displays have variably included relics and tools from beaver lodge architecture in the 1950’s, dioramas illustrating a 19th century American Luddite movement among beavers, Dutchstyle shoes supposedly carved by woodpeckers and beavers… At times, he also featured natural ceramic workers such as potter wasps and barn swallows. Northcutt quickly realized, however, that his conceptual gallery work did not reach common individuals who, confronted with real daily problems, could not afford the luxury of frequenting galleries. He felt the need for a different venue to touch them and resorted to outdoor installations, easily seen and experienced, and good vehicles for his social concerns. He would research a site specific area for his work, become familiar Near-Shore Fish and Flotsam of New York City, mixed media sculptural with its environmental installation with annotated diagram problems (for instance installation and photo by Rod northcutt diseases affecting its trees, gypsy moths, predator insects…), and propose a piece that speaks to its social systems that he explored, compared, and illustrated ecological or social issues. Nature and its elements would in his work using analogs between humans and the thus become proxy for humans and their life. natural world. “My sculptures, drawings, paintings, all speak of human relationships,” he says. “I use animals as surrogates to construct allegorical tales referencing social history, philosophy, labor movements, manufacturing, revolution…” In his installation Arborvention (a composite of arbor and intervention), he placed orthopedic braces around damaged dying trees. He was calling attention to the scarred trees and their condition, but also indirectly to the care needed for vulnerable, diseased, possibly disabled and neglected individuals in society. Rod Northcutt carving photo by scott allison In Near-shore Fish and Flotsam of New York City, an installation he did on the shore of East River in Brooklyn, he made, out of floating garbage collected from the site (Styrofoam, wood, plastic…), model sculptures of the various fish that live in the river. He accompanied his sculptural installation with a didactic display that included, in addition to pictures of the indigenous fish, pictures of the discarded elements and information about their constituent chemicals. The toxic chemicals we throw away became like the new fish of the battered environment. To raise awareness about consumption and recycling, and working collaboratively with Material Exchange, a green/sustainable collective, he built with materials recovered from various Chicago dumpsters, a temporary miniature golf course on which passer-bys played for 2 weeks. In one of his pieces he used bird watching as a metaphor for racial prejudice in selection and categorization, birds sought after being usually the only bright colored ones; and in another one, bird migratory pathways to reflect on Mexican migrants, natural migration patterns, in his mind, all similar and legitimate. “In my art I try to facilitate conversations that challenge habitual, often destructive, ways of thinking and living,” he says. “I want my art to make an enabling and ennobling change in both the artist and the viewer.” In addition to his art, Northcutt uses his teaching to convey his concerns. In the classroom he discusses social and environmental questions, how to research them and express them. He involved his students in developing a material resource data base to understand materials being discarded into the land, differentiating, according to the environmental theory ‘cradle by cradle’, the naturally degraded biological from the technological needing recycling. For the past 3 years he has also taught traditional, non-electric, woodworking skills through a making-based traveling course, Unplugged. He would like to offer the course, free of charge, to kids in various parts of the country, giving them access, opportunity, and ability to become creators, the creative act, according to him, “allowing unfolding and reaching the spiritual.” “With my work, lectures, and teaching, I always challenge problematic systems,” Northcutt says. “I would like my work to improve relationships between people, animals and the earth. I want to get into people’s heads; I try to do it through humor, beautiful craft, an active experience. “ Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 15-31, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Streetvibes Remembers… Pg 2: Race Relations 101 Pg 3: Race Relations 101 Pg 4: Mark Twain Was Right Pg 5: Chocolate Lockets and Yellow Pillows Pg 6: Coffee Party Sponsors Peace and Rally on Fountain Square Pg 7: Lighthouse Community School Pg 8: Rally at Fountain Square Pg 9: Local Pg 10: Japanese Street Paper Pg 11: Bearcats Better Be Better Pg 12: Ten Years-Not Enough to Get Over Death in Over-the-Rhine Pg 13: Arts & Poetry Pg 14: CMHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Opens April 4 Pg 15: Housing Choice Voucher Pg 16: Challenging Problematic Systems to Improve Relationships Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 15-31, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jim Luken Riccardo Taylor Saad Ghosn Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Laura Osborne-Coffey James Brown Lee McCoy Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill B. Clifton Burke Jimmie Gipson Elles van Gelder Beth Griffith- Niemann Amiee Willhoite Saad Ghosn Mikki Schaffner Bill Howes Suzanne Chouteau Bill Howes Cedric Cox Sarah Hager Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amiee Willhoite Autism B. Clifton Burke Bearcats Beth Griffith- Niemann Bill Howes Catie Dargue Cedric Cox Cincinnati CMHA Dawn Fuller Elisa Hill Elizabeth Schulenberg Elles van Gelder Fountain Square James Brown Japanese Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Jimmie Gipson Laura Osborne-Coffey Lee McCoy Mark Twain Mikki Schaffner Over-the-Rhine protest Race Rally Riccardo Taylor Riots Saad Ghosn Sarah Hager Street Paper Suzanne Chouteau University of Cincinnati Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/b427575ca76493140f2e89f29b69844d.pdf fe68fdc2b9e080318e6b92a7887591e0 PDF Text Text One Ohio Now Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 PG 7 april 15, 2011 Prostitution: Crime or controversial career? 1 PG 11 iSSUe 197 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNIT Y $1 Health Care For the Homeless program is a Mobile Marvel The Cincinnati Health Network is in charge of the Health Care for the Homeless Program, and the medical van and the Elm Street Clinic are parts of the Health Care for the Homeless Program. The Cincinnati Health Department provides the medical staff, support team, laboratory and pharmaceutical services and other important aspects of the programs. The clinic opened on November 15, 2010. CArLY TAMBOrSkI Contributing Writer O n a cold, brisk afternoon, light snow falls from the sky onto downtown Cincinnati, prompting a steady flow of people to make the walk to the Drop Inn Center on 12th Street. Not only do these people hope to seek shelter from the weather, they know that it’s Wednesday: the medical van will be there today. Every Monday and Wednesday, the McMicken Health Collaborative’s medical van visits the Drop Inn Center at 2 p.m. to offer medical care to residents who can’t afford it themselves, and it doesn’t cost them a dime. When it’s not at the Drop Inn Center, the van also visits shelters, transitional housing and other area locations where the homeless congregate, as sometimes the homeless are reluctant to come to the Elm Street Clinic. On this particular afternoon, Stephanie Blackwell, a medical assistant, walks into the Drop Inn Center and across the open cafeteria to a small room, where she unlocks Med Van. Vinit Murthy, Streetvibes Photographer ­ a door. About 15 homeless people are sitting at tables surrounding the room, waiting patiently to sign up to see the doctor. Some rest their heads in their folded arms on the tables, looking too tired for words, while others energetically look around the room. Sometimes, people may wait for 2-3 hours to see the doctor on the medical van, who sees about 25-30 patients during one visit. Blackwell has worked with the collaborative for about six months, so she’s familiar with the procedures of the care system. “We basically provide medical care to the homeless, today for people that are in the Drop Inn Center.,” Blackwell said. “We can give injections, EKGs -- anything that we do in a doctor’s office we do in here on the van. We can do minor things like IUDs, incision and drainage, staple removals; we can do pap smears here. It’s like primary care for the homeless.” The van also provides pregnancy tests, blood draws, strep screens, urine analyses, blood sugar tests and HBA1c and INR tests. Patients needing radiology, referrals and Med Van. The Mobile Marvel, providing care to those in need Vinit Murthy, Streetvibes Photographer other special tests are referred to University Hospital and given an order signed by a Health Care for the Homeless physician. While Blackwell’s coworker gets the van ready, she uses the small room to triage the patients. She passes around a sign in sheet and light paperwork for the patients, who are required to provide their name, social security number and contact information, if they have any. They are also required to sign a declaration of their homelessness. Blackwell takes their vital signs and asks what prompted the patient to seek help. She assesses the type of care they may need and then individually sends the patients outside to see the doctor on the van. There’s usually one doctor and two medical assistants -- like Blackwell -- present during the van’s operating hours. The vehicle has two exam rooms on either side of it, and in the middle, has a sink, file cabinets, supplies and patient files, truly making it a doctor’s office on wheels. To summarize the nuts and bolts of the operation, the Cincinnati Health Network is in charge of the Health Care for the Homeless Program, and the medical van and the Elm Street Clinic are parts of the Health Care for the Homeless Program. The Cincinnati Health Department provides the medical staff, support team, laboratory and pharmaceutical services and other important aspects of the programs. The clinic opened on November 15, 2010. According to the network’s 2009 data, the Health Care for the Homeless Program helped approximately 7,035 patients, and the van assisted 4,502 of those people. The program sees the types of patients one might expect to see in the underprivileged urban setting: primarily adult males and few children, with 69 percent of patients being males. Children living in poverty in Ohio qualify for other types of coverage that adults do not, which reflects why only about 6 percent of patients were under the age of 19. “The largest group of people we see are African American men, which I think is what you typically see in a shelter as well,” said Jackie Campbell, program manager for the Health Care for the Homeless Program. “Fifty-six percent of patients are African American men and 2 percent are Hispanic/Latino.” Campbell, who has a Master’s in public health, has been the program manager for about a year and a half but has always worked in non-profit healthcare. A van existed in the early 90s, but a revamped one was introduced in 2006. The Cincinnati Health Network purchased the van but leases it to the Cincinnati Health Department. The services offered on the van and in the clinic differ somewhat. The clinic offers dental, behavioral and primary care services, while the van mainly offers primary care. The van works with doctors and medical assistants, but the clinic has doctors, nurses, a nurse manager, a practice manager, a dental team, medical and dental students, volunteers and two mental health counselors, among other staff members. “With the clinic, we’re trying to provide a ‘medical home’ for homeless people instead of going to the ER every time where they’d see a different person,” Campbell said. While the services performed are at no cost to the patient, running the program (the clinic and van) is quite expensive and does require funding from multiple sources. Some support comes from federal funding and the American Recovery Act, as well as donations and grants. Even though the services are no cost to patients if a patient is homeless but has some sort of income, they may be asked to pay a small amount. “The cost of operating the van is fairly expensive,” Campbell said. “We have to pay doctors, pay for equipment, pay for medication. Less than 10 percent of our patients have any form of insurance to pay with.” See Health Care for the Homeless Pg. 4 �Editorial 2 150 The percentage homelessness has increased in Cincinnati in the past 15 years. ‘Health care for the homeless program is a mobile marvel’ Page 1 Every 2 …minutes in the United States that someone is sexually assaulted. ‘Editorial’ Page 2 25 The number of years now local, published author of the book ‘Sworn Not To Betray’battled with the legal system before completely turning his life around with his paroled release in 2005. ‘Sworn Not to Betray’ Page 3 120 The number of members performing with SCPA’s Primary Strings. ‘Building Bridges with Neighbors’ Page 4 1,300 The number of people who attended the 50th Anniversary General Meeting for Amnesty International in San Francisco on March 18th. ‘Shine A Light on Human Rights!’ Page 5 25 The percentage of African Americans nationwide that do not have a government-issued photo ID. ‘An Article from the Free Press: Ohio Republicans pass new Jim Crow bill disenfranchising 900,000 voters’ Page 6 4-5-2011 The date The People’s Empowerment Coalition, GCCH Staff, and volunteers went to the Columbus Statehouse to fight for health care and Ohio Social Programs that are in danger of being cut. ‘One Ohio Now’ Page 7 5 The number of poetry books that Elisa Hill has written. ‘By the Grace of God, A Story of Survival and Strength’ Page 8 1972 The year New York Times columnist Gail Collins founded The Connecticut State News Bureau. ‘Q&A with New York Times columnist Gail Collins’ Page 10 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 A quick production note to the readers: After careful consideration, we have decided to change the production and distribution schedule for Streetvibes to every other Friday instead of the twice-monthly printing on the first and fifteenth. There are many reasons behind this but the one I find most important is that this gives our distributors a solid, standing date and time that they can receive their papers. This is to let you know and of course, this will allow for two extra issues of Streetvibes per year! You will also notice a change in the way Streetvibes looks. This is due to our incredible lay out artist Liz. Elizabeth Schulenberg put together the amazing new changes to the look and feel of the paper. She works tirelessly as a volunteer, in her spare time, for free to literally map out the entire paper. For that, I cannot thank her enough. It is because of her that our paper is taking its next steps to being the best looking street paper in print. Now about this issue: I am really proud of one particular feature we have in this issue, an inspiring story by a local woman named Elisa. I met Elisa Hill a few months ago. She came into my office to ask if I had received her work. “Nope.” I said. “Never saw it.” I had just come in as Editor, and the transition especially right at Christmas was difficult. She explained to me that she wrote poetry and had even put together an autobiographical piece about her life. She went further into detail and asked for my advice and if I would be interested in the story. I expressed my attention and encouraged her to be honest in her writing, as honest as she could despite how hard it may be. Looking at her, I could see a strong woman, a fighter. I saw me. She is beautiful but you can see she has had to kick, climb, and struggle to survive. When we did the March Women’s Herstory Issues, I asked Elisa to write a piece for it. After I got all the stories from our writers and the other features as much as I did not like it, there was just no room for Elisa’s story. I am so pleased to share her story in this issue of Streetvibes. I cried when I read it through the first time. Elisa suffered like so many others silently at the hands of another who assaulted her. Every 2 minutes someone in our country is sexually assaulted.* Here is the math. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey -- the country’s largest and most reliable crime study -- there were 248,300 sexual assaults in 2007 (the most recent data available). Moreover, 15 out 16 rapists will never spend a day in jail for their crime. I am honored to share a story of hope and bravery with the other women in Elisa’s own words. You can read her story on page 8. Bravery and hope are nothing new to this community of Over the Rhine. This is a community that fights day after day to just live, to survive. The day I write this is April 7th. This afternoon I attended the remembrance of Timothy Thomas at the corner of 13th and Race. The strength this community has to overcome is beyond anything I have ever seen. The people here in this core are stronger than most. 10 years after the Civil Unrest and this community still stands tall despite people and groups that come in trying to take it apart. I wanted to share with you something so beautiful and profound written by our Education Coordinator Jeni Jenkins. These are her thoughts on the Ten Year Remembrance of the Unrest. “When a community is replete with the belief that certain individuals are inherently superior to other individuals and when a belief becomes institutionalized and drives discrimination, hatred and violence, eventually it becomes necessary for the victims to come together, rise up and speak out. Those who have been taught to hate difference must decide to analyze where that hate comes from. They must decide to listen. They must decide to walk in the shoes of difference. If those who speak out are not heard they will rise.” *Statistics courtesy of www.rainn.org Everyone Poops (and pees)! From the Director JoSH Spring Executive Director So it seems to finally be getting warm. For a while it seemed like winter might just continue forever. But after so long to see and even feel a ray of sun is a welcomed gift. Thoughts of spring and summer conjure visions of people. It is in these months that folks emerge from wherever they have been taking winter-refuge and begin to once again interact with one another. As a result, these are months to cherish. As more people come out to enjoy the warmth, parks will begin to become active. It seems that most folks enjoy a nice rest in a neighborhood park or a conversation with a friend on the edge of a park. Perhaps the conversation is about the latest proposals coming from congress or the attempts to stop the proposals. Perhaps the conversation is about the most recent sports game, or a mutual friend down the block. Some people may be talking about things they see eye to eye on or subjects they completely disagree on. However after some time out in the community, everyone is brought together by one common denominator. Eventually, if one spends enough time out, she or he will have to go to the bathroomto take care of the necessities. That’s right, I’m talking about it. Eventually, after enough time out everyone is going to have to pee and/or poop. Relieving oneself is a simple fact of life. If we can agree on nothing else, we can agree on this. The other thing we can agree on is that most people prefer to take care of the necessities with a certain level of privacy. And finally, with these two commonalities behind us, we can probably also agree that most people do not want to step in another person’s necessities or watch another person complete her or his necessities. Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District are about to become stinky places. This is because our common denominator in Over-the-Rhine has been torn down. 3CDC has torn down the public restroom in Washington Park and despite promises to establish temporary port-o-lets, has now said they will do no such thing. Normally these restrooms would re-open in mid-April after a winter hiatus. What happens when a highly relied upon public restroom is removed with no temporary replacement? Do people stop having the need to evacuate waste from their bodies? Certainly not. Again, everybody poops (and pees). So when a highly used public restroom is removed with no temporary replacement, many people use the bathroom outside. And if you are in an urban setting like Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District, using the bathroom outside probably does not mean behind a tree or in a grassy field. At best using the bathroom outside means using an See Everyone Poops Pg. 3 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: jenmatrin@cincihomeless.org Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Jeni Jenkins, Willa Denise Jones, Jennifer Martin, Josh Spring, Sheli DeLaney, Lee McCoy, Corey Gibson, B. Clifton Burke, Cleo Wombles, Mayuko Hida, Yushin Toda, Dan Moore, Kelissa Hieber, Sandra Knollman, Brenda Zechmeister, Judge Leslie Isaiah Gaines Photography/Artwork Chris Kromer, Sheli DeLaney, Amiee Willhoite, Rico Green, Saad Ghosn, Corey Gibson, Dan Moore, Brenda Zechmeister, Jimmy Heath The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �Local ­ Street vibeS 3 a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Sworn Not to Betray ­ Local Cincinnati man Darryl Owens made it through incarceration and addiction to pursue his passion for writing. DArrYL OwENS/TESS SUEThOLz Streetvibes Contributors Darryl Owens. Darryl proudly shows his finished product tess Suetholz I, Darryl Owens, born and raised in the West end Community of Cincinnati, Ohio, am the youngest of eight boys. I’ve lived in almost every neighborhood of the City. At forty nine years of age, I am the proud father of a very beautiful daughter and the grandfather of an equally beautiful grandson. Abandoned by my mother at an early age and raised by a father, whom the State determined to be incapable of supporting our family, I was placed in the home of a family friend. At the age of thirteen, I returned home to live with my family in the Laurel Homes housing project. With a tumultuous life-beginning and an unstable foundation, I was soon forced into a life of petty crime by friends of one of my seven brothers. Over a period of years, I couldn’t seem to escape the life of crime that had become my way of life. It soon became my gateway to a life of drug and alcohol abuse. Eventually, a Thirteenmonth parole became a twenty-five year battle with the judicial system. I was finally a free man and released from parole in 2005. During the 23 years of recidivism, the desire to write became a passion, which soon grew into an obsession. My addictive personality manifested itself in many ways. The irony of it all is that my obsession, help me to overcome another obsession, my crack-cocaine drug addiction. On days when I felt like ending my life, the yearning to commit my thoughts to writing would overrule my thoughts of hopelessness. Despair was counterbalanced by my imbedded thought of not wanting to leave this earth without having done something meaningful with my life and face my God on the Day of Judgment. During my many periods of incarceration, support from family and friends waned. I supported myself by writing letters for my fellow inmates. I was self-inspired by the realization of how creative my mind could be. I became very fascinated and intrigued by how great authors, like Sidney Sheldon, Jackie Collins, Harold Robbins and John Gresham, all of whom were great inspirations, could take a totally fictitious story and make it appear real. This became my quest and how I came to write my first novel, “Sworn Not To Betray”. As the years went by, Cincinnati began to feel less like home. To escape the city that imprisoned me both behind bars and on the streets, I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in search of a new life and a home with an address. Homelessness is my new prison. Today I live in a Minneapolis shelter. I long for the day when God will bless me with a place of my own. God has surrounded me “During the 23 years of recidivism, the desire to write became a passion, which soon grew into an obsession. My addictive personality manifested itself in many ways. The irony of it all is that my obsession, help me to overcome another obsession, my crack-cocaine drug addiction.” with beautiful people. I can’t thank or praise him enough for the letting my supportive angels come into my life and aid me in fulfilling my life-long endeavor -to share with everyone the gift that he has bestowed upon me. I pray that everyone who takes the time to read “Sworn Not To Betray” will be completely content at the book’s conclusion. Everyone Poops (and pees)! Continued from Pg. 2 alley-way. But because the alley’s are also being gated off by 3CDC, using the bathroom outside more likely means using the sides of buildings, doorways and the privacy behind parked cars as a restroom. Again, this is not because anyone necessarily wants to use the restroom in these places, but because the accepted option has been torn down without replacement. What will this change mean for our community? Of course it will mean that things will be stinky and less healthy. More importantly what will this change mean on a very basic human level? People will be forced to use the bathroom in degrading ways and will therefore feel disrespected. People will have to watch others using the bathroom in this manner or step through the waste from another person and feel disrespected. In the end everyone will walk away feeling disrespected. Even still the greater problem is that not everyone will simply walk away. This unnecessary change will create tension, arguments and potentially violence in our neighborhoods. Can you imagine people on the sidewalk corner arguing because person one peed on person two’s front stoop and person two saw it happen. Person two says hurtful things because she or he feels disrespected because her or his property has been urinated on and person one feels disrespected at being told they are not accepted anywhere; they don’t even have somewhere to carry out the most necessary task. Now these two folks are fighting and growing to dislike one another and making assumptions about one another despite the fact that neither of them created the actual problemneither of them tore down the public restroom. Now imagine that after this scenario plays out a couple of times, person two calls the police and now the police spend time citing the first person with public indecency. Not only are tax-dollars being wasted on a run of this manner, but there is conflict between the first person and the police. Person one is charged with a crime that she or he must go to court to take care of. Here again at court we have more contention. If the person comes out with a final charge it could be as bad a sex-offense, because yes, one can get a sex-offense charge for going to the bathroom outside. I know to some this scenario may sound extreme. However, when you consider the number of people that use a public restroom like the one in Washington Park and the number of months it needs to be open and the already existing contentions over issues like these, the situations painted above are not extreme. Without temporary public port-o-lets we will without doubt see increased contention, arguing, and less peace, not to mention the expenditure of more tax-dollars to squelch the fighting. The frustrating factor in this situation is that all of this is preventable. 3CDC has been planning the work in Washington Park for years. 3CDC has been told for more than a year that temporary bathrooms will be a necessity. They have even at times said they will follow through in providing temporary bathrooms. Despite all of this, 3CDC currently refuses to simply make up for the necessity that they have removed. Here at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless we hope that the City of Cincinnati, the Park Board and 3CDC hear from Citizens demanding that they provide temporary bathrooms before we hear arguments between neighbors and see media reports of more police runs to site people for public urination. Why would we create an ill that we have plenty of time to prevent? “Based on two major crimes which take place within six months of each other, on the same exact date, after the first crime is committed. Cincinnati police commissioner Jake Thorn and F.B.I. head Ryan Schaffer have reason to believe a beautiful blond orchestrated the first crime, but that’s all they have is their suspicions until six months later, when the second crime is committed on Tuesday morning February 8th, and a particular individual becomes the victim of the second crime, this event corroborates both Thorn’s and Schaffer’s suspicions, but still they have no actual proof this beautiful blond is the mastermind of both crimes, so to gather the actual physical evidence they need to prove she is the mastermind, Thorn assigns his three lead detectives, to lead the investigation of the second crime, which is just an extension from the ongoing investigation of the first crime, in the middle of the investigation, Thorn learns one of the three detectives, is possibly working with the woman an her small group of friends, trying to keep them informed of what steps state and federal authorities are planning next, to capture those who committed both crimes. This investigation eventually culminates into one of the biggest crime investigations, to ever take place in the state of Ohio. The police are turning up the heat with everything at their disposal, while an anonymous caller is trying to help the suspects stay one step ahead of the law.” Sworn not to be­ tray By Darryl Owens available now: ­ hotbooksale.com, Barnes&Nobel.com, Borders.com, and �Local 4 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Building Bridges with Neighbors ­ JENI JENkINS Staff Writer O n Thursday March 17, 2011, 5 elementary students from the School of Creative and Performing Arts performed for an active audience at the Drop Inn Center shelter. Music teacher Steve Mason led the students on piano as a group of residents leaned back and listened to the beautiful violins. The students are part of a 120-member group of K-3 violin students in SCPA’s Select Primary Strings. In addition to performing at the Drop Inn Center, students from the same group performed “This particular project is the product of efforts to build a relationship between the Drop Inn Center and SCPA.” for residents of Tender Mercies, another neighboring shelter, earlier in the month. The concerts are part of a larger effort of a local committee determined to build bridges and a solid relationship between SCPA and the Over the Rhine Community as a whole. Since SCPA opened at the new location in August, many people were concerned with its proximity to the Drop Inn Center, Cincinnati’s largest homeless shelter, as well as other social service agencies in the community. Since September, the committee has worked actively with SCPA’s Principal Stanley Flower to initiate educational opportunities as well as service learning and community engagement projects. The members of the committee include invested parents, SCPA alumni, artists and Over the Rhine community members. This particular project is the product of efforts to build a relationship between the Drop Inn Center and SCPA. Joe Wilmers, SCPA social worker and advisor to the committee helped to set up the concerts. Wilmers and the committee also helped to set up educational tours of the Drop Inn Center for staff and faculty of SCPA, an effort that has already changed perceptions. In addition to the concerts and the tours, the committee has helped educate the SCPA community by providing an opportunity for the entire high school to hear from Lauren Lovette, a formerly homeless 20 year old in the Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau program at the Coaltion for the Homeless. The Speaker’s Bureau is designed to educate students about the realities Health Care For the Homeless program is a Mobile Marvel Continued from Pg. 1 Campbell estimates that the whole program costs about $1.5 million a year just for the medical aspect, for the clinic and van. As Blackwell triages patients, Gregory McIntosh quietly fills out his paperwork. McIntosh has been a resident for three days (WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON PRINT DATE) and heard about the medical van services from the staff at the Drop Inn Center’s front desk. His hands shake as he holds the pen, spelling out his name, but that’s why he’s here. “I had surgery on my right arm and I wanted to talk to the doctor about my hands swellin’ up and shakin’,” McIntosh said. “When I sleep my arms go numb and stuff, and when I carry stuff or pick up stuff my hands cramp up. My left arm goes numb, too. I had the surgery a long time ago because I had a bone infection. I don’t know what caused it, but for the last 20 or 30 years I’ve been going through this.” The services provided in both the van and the clinic may play a major role in the lives of the homeless who receive their services. Having a good health care center impacts the ability of the homeless to keep jobs and housing. “People who are homeless tend to have a lot of health issues,” Campbell said. “They have no control over their diet. They may over or under eat at times. A lot of them have diabetes. They have injuries and get hypothermia. A fair amount have mental illness or substance abuse problems. We see a lot of cold and flu patients. We also see a lot of people with HIV and hepatitis, and sometimes people with serious cardiac problems.” One of those cold and flu patients is La’Shae Parker, who’s been a resident at the Drop Inn Center since February 8th. Parker walks out of the triage room with a bag of cough drops in hand. Receiving them doesn’t require an examination in the van, but she has been on it before. SCPA Concert. Students take stage leslie Hurst of homelessness and combat harmful stereotypes. Committee member David Rosenthal, director of Prairie Inc., a non-profit arts education organization, is also working with high school students of SCPA creative writing teacher Dr. Joy Fowler, in a photography and writing project called “I usually use the services every time they come, you know, just to get cough drops,” Parker said. “I get cough drops a lot. You get sick in here a lot. I mean I’ve been to the van. I was having back pains and they gave me a script for some muscle relaxers, and then I took it down to the clinic.” The issues of McIntosh and Parker are mainly physical, but not all of the residents hoping to see the doctor suffer from physical pain or the symptoms of cold weather. “Mental health issues are very common among the homeless, and providing behavioral health services is a very important part of our program,” said Campbell. Behavioral health counselors are not present on the van, but it does have a list of phone numbers and other resources available, and guidance is given to patients who express a concern with their mental health. Behavioral health counselors do work at the clinic, which has two mental health counselors. They provide counseling and treatment to those with anxiety and mild to moderate depression. One person who knows just how important that service is Joe Valencik. Valencik was on his way from Arizona to see his brother in Pennsylvania when he stopped at the Drop Inn Center. He’s been a resident there for a few weeks. “I’m here to get my medication. I got a little issue with depression and anxiety, and around here this place can build up so much depression and anxiety, you know what I mean?” Valencik said with a light laugh, as he motioned to the room around him. “It sounds like they provide an awesome service. From what I’ve been told, they will give me an analysis and they will prescribe me what’s needed, and then I can take it down to the clinic. I was told that with the issues I have, I need to see [the mental health counselor], and talk to him, so, especially being this far away from home and having nowhere to go, that’s a lot of anxiety. Today I’m gonna give him my ex-doctor’s number.” The medical van provides common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, but does not prescribe controlled substances. If a patient at the medical van needs a certain prescription filled, the van will provide a script but does not fill it there. Patients need to take the prescription to the Elm Street Clinic, along with a special Cincinnati Health Department form that must be signed by a Health Care for the Homeless medical van physician. According to the Cincinnati Health Network, the homeless population in Cincinnati has increased 150 percent in the past 15 years. New Voices. New Voices gives SCPA students an opportunity to learn and voice their opinions about the community of Over-the-Rhine. Through out the project the students are teaming up with residents of Over the Rhine Community Housing, another SCPA neighbor. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �Autism Awareness Month Street vibeS 5 a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Shine a Light on human rights! Amnesty International kicked off its 50th Anniversary year with a record breaking crowd at its annual meeting. Held in San Francisco on March 18th through the 20th 2011, a record-breaking crowd of over 1,300 people attended this Annual General Meeting. Over the course of our historic weekend, Amnesty International members, friends and visitors enjoyed the variety of workshops and speakers, which was held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, CA – the same hotel where the delegates gathered for the International Conference which led to the birth of the United Nations, in the late 1940’s. LAUrA OSBOrN-COffEY Contributing Writer Amnesty International USA Group #86 Coordinator T he program was packed with many activities. Friday was a day for the membership teams to meet – which included everything from ‘Human rights educators for social justice,’ to a town hall meeting with Amnesty’s Board of Directors. That evening the opening ceremonies included an inspirational speech from Larry Cox, current Executive Director of Amnesty International. He exhorted conference goers to not only participate during the weekend – but also to commit to continued participation in human rights events over the next year, as Amnesty begins its 50th anniversary year. Special entertainers that evening included music from Saul Hernandez of the Jaguares, who spends much time working on behalf of the women of Atenco, Mexico. Steve Earle – activist, author and musician – was the next guest, and he wowed the crowd with his usual appropriate music. Finally Joan Baez came on stage to share some of her own stories of her activism and of joining forces with Amnesty’s work back in the 1960’s – long before half of the conference goers were born! She told one particularly funny story about herself and another woman, who were trying to smuggle money into a ‘un-named’ prisoner in an ‘un-named’ country. Her friend packed the money into her hosiery, while Joan hid it in a more discreet area. As they were on a bus and trying to get through what passed for custom’s back then, her friend’s hose broke and the money was all over the floor of the bus. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Baez’ story and her singing song’s she’s made famous, plus joining with Steve Earle to sing his tunes. Saturday started with a large presentation by many people – including a video message from former President Jimmy Carter, and an introduction to the Conference Goers Pose with Larry Cox Laura Osborne-Coffey is an annual award given to the Amnesty Local or community group who did terrific human rights work in 2010. Workshops which were presented during the weekend included topics such as: A Mother lost every 90 seconds – Maternal Health around the World, Unimpeachable Voices Against the Death Penalty, Hi-Tech Activism, Human Rights Defenders at Risk, Holding Oil Companies Accountable, Caught in the Dragnet: Migrants in America, and Security with Human Rights. I attended a workshop titled: Muzzling the Watchdogs – Journalists and Freedom of “The energy and passion that was brought to the conference was awe-inspiring. The members and friends of Amnesty who attended the 2011 Annual General Meeting walked away with a renewed confidence, and the commitment to carry it forward for the rest of the year with passion and energy for the human rights movement.” day by Larry Cox. The keynote speech was given by Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Salil Shetty, who highlighted the importance of building the movement and recruiting new members to become an even louder voice for human dignity. The leadership awards for Amnesty USA were also presented to local groups and student activists – including our own Cincinnati Group 86! Our group was one of the runner’s up for the Sister Laola Hironaka Award, which Expression under Fire. The speakers in this workshop were Lydia Cacho, Roxana Saberi, and J.S. Tissasanayagam (‘Tissa’). They each made very poignant speeches on their arrest and release, mainly due to Amnesty’s efforts. I was touched, as our Cincinnati group had worked on the case of Tissa, and he has been a feature of a previous article in Street Vibes. Roxana was also a case featured in the March edition of Street Vibes. The height of the weekend occurred at the Saturday afternoon Plenary session. Michael O’Reilly of the Atlanta Amnesty office promised us a ‘very special guest’. This guest was Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, released Prisoner of Conscience from Burma! A call was arranged for her to address the Annual General meeting, and Daw Suu Kyi thanked the conferencegoers for their unceasing efforts on her behalf over the last fifteen years of her house arrest, in Myanmar (Burma). She made a point to ask that we not forget the other 2000 people still in jail in Myanmar today. When O’Reilly asked her “What gave you strength?” her answer was clear, over the thousand mile call: “Because of people like you. Little Actions all add up to a lot.” She also told the gathered activists that “Your biggest challenge is to let people around the world know that they have human rights. I would like to urge everybody to make a change, to get where we want to with security and freedom.” When the room stood to applaud her call, O’Reilly told Daw Suu Kyi – “That’s what a standing ovation sounds like.” The energy and passion that was brought to the conference was aweinspiring. The members and friends of Amnesty who attended the 2011 Annual General Meeting walked away with a renewed confidence, and the commitment to carry it forward for the rest of the year with passion and energy for the human rights movement. An Article from the free Press Ohio republicans pass new Jim Crow bill disenfranchising 900,000 voters ­ The only IDs that will be accepted to vote in Ohio if this bill passes the overwhelming Republican State Senate are a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio driver’s license, or an Ohio state ID. This is the most restrictive standard in the nation. Dr. BOB fITrAkIS Editor & Publisher of The free Press (freepress.org), which first published this article. March 23, 2011 W hile Ohio public employees’ rights to bargain collectively are under siege, the Ohio Republican Party executed a perfect sleight of hand by disenfranchising nearly 900,000 Ohio voters. In the most vicious and direct attack on voting rights since Bull Connor ran amok in the deep South, Ohio House Republicans passed HB 159 that requires Ohio voters to produce one of four state photo IDs at the polls. The only IDs that will be accepted in Ohio if this bill passes the overwhelming Republican State Senate are a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio driver’s license, or an Ohio state ID. This is the most restrictive standard in the nation. The Republican Party’s target is obvious. Studies indicate that 25% of African Americans nationwide do not have a government-issued photo ID, 18% of voters over age 65 do not have a photo ID, and 15% of voters with incomes under $35,000 lack the ID as well. Besides going after blacks, the elderly and the poor, the bill also sets its sights on college students. What do these people have in common? They tend to vote Democratic. The Republicans refuse to discuss an amendment that would have accepted a college student ID with a photo from their own state-funded university, including The Ohio State University, one of the nation’s largest institutions of higher education. Usually cautious critics like Dan Tokaji, Professor of Law at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law, offered dire assessments: “’Disenfranchisement’ isn’t a word to be used lightly. But it is necessary to capture this bill’s purpose and impact. Passage of this bill would restore our state’s unfortunate reputation as our nation’s capital of vote suppression.” See Free Press Pg. 6 �6 interest Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Mark Twain was right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati riots and Unrest ­ DAN MOOrE Author and Illustrator M ark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest is a soon to be released graphic novel about United States’ first urban uprising in the 21st century. The following excerpts depict events that occurred during the day on Tuesday and Wednesday April 10th and 11th, 2001, just days after the killing of Timothy Thomas. Of all of the 10-year reflections of the civil unrest, one piece that few people have mentioned was the broad involvement from community members in Over-The-Rhine. While the majority of the media focused on property destruction perpetrated by very small groups or community leaders, hundreds and hundreds of people of all ages and races were consistently involved in marching through the community, shoulder-to­ shoulder, demanding justice. It was not uncommon to see people abandon their car on the sidewalk to join a march that they saw marching by, nor uncommon to see eager community members pouring out of the side streets as a march passed. I believe the broad base of the movement made City Hall realize that this was not a movement that could just be stamped out without any political change. This was not a movement that could just be marginalized as a few trouble-makers. This was a movement that represented the very fabric of the community, where some of the poorest members of Cincinnati’s voices were propelled to the forefront. An Article from the free Press ­ Continued From Pg. 5 The Republicans are justifying their assault on the most basic and fundamental right by invoking the myth of “voter fraud.” Not only have academics like Lori Minnite documented in detail the absence of voter fraud in U.S. politics, Tokaji addressed the issue in Ohio: “The only documented case of impersonation I could find in recent Ohio elections involved absentee voting by a mother pretending to be her daughter. This isn’t surprising. The few people who attempt voter impersonation aren’t likely to risk criminal prosecution by showing up at the polling place; they are much more likely to vote by mail. The bill won’t do anything about mail voting fraud.” Ohio Republicans have frequently cried “voter fraud” while at the same time they’ve hired their political allies like Triad, ES&S and Premier voting systems (formerly Diebold) to secretly count Ohio’s vote with proprietary computer hardware and software. The only way to understand House Bill 159 is to acknowledge its historical significance as the new Jim Crow, which is an even more insidious form of apartheid. This new apartheid encompasses African Americans, and also fits into a deliberate attempt by Ohio Republicans to wage class war against the Buckeye State’s most vulnerable citizens. What the Republican Party did first with Senate Bill 5 by attacking the pensions, health care and collective bargaining rights of public employees was to establish the shock doctrine, outlined by Naomi Klein. The Ohio Republicans are using the state’s projected $8 billion debt as an excuse to destroy the political base of the Democratic Party. First they destroy the public unions and now they’re going after those constituencies who are likely to support the progressive programs of the New Deal and Great Society. Another way to look at the recent activity in Ohio is to see how closely it parallels what the CIA calls “economic destabilization” in the Third World. This tactic throws economies into crisis in order to achieve regime change. Since Ohio is one of the nation’s most important swing states, and no Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio, both Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 159 are the obvious opening shots in the Republican presidential campaign. The Republicans are astute students of numbers and demographics. They understand that they can’t beat Barack Obama in 2012 unless they cheat by restricting voting rights. Sadly, the history of Ohio’s Democratic Party is to roll over and allow the Republicans to do whatever despicable racist and undemocratic acts they wish. �State issues Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 7 one ohio now On April 5th, 2011 The People’s Empowerment Coalition, GCCH Staff, and volunteers took a road trip to the Columbus Statehouse for a very important reason… to rally for health care and other important social programs in Ohio that are in danger of being cut. rICCArDO TAYLOr Civil rights Outreach Coordinator A trip to the Capital, I had the pleasure of going to Columbus to address some of the concerns of the people of the great state of Ohio, Tuesday April 5th 2011. Our objective was to meet with some of the representatives to voice the concerns of their constituents. The ride in the Charter bus was pleasant, as the excitement of opportunity gripped us all. A more determined group of people likely could not have been found for this particular venture, and although we knew not what to expect we traveled with confidence in our mission. To get to the heart of the occasion, we broke into small groups each with an appointment with representatives to air our concerns. My group leader Ron was up to the task, as he was armed with the letter of introduction and grievances we were presenting. Meandering through a crowd of several hundred people from all points of the state we found our way to the office of Representative Ron Maag the fact that we did not have the chance to address Mr. Maag personally was not lost on me, it was understood that being a Standing United for Ohioans rights Matthew huff ­ facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com the Statehouse Matthew huff person of his standing, that he had many other important things to do in his job description, so we were interviewed by his aide. With a pleasant smile and direct attention Samantha, (the aide) heard our grievances and noted every detail. The young lady left us with the confidence that everything we presented would be forwarded to her employer and we left with a feeling of accomplishment. Of course the budget cuts were the theme of the day and again, I believe we have started the first phase of voicing the peoples concerns. On to our next stop, we entered the office of Representative Shannon Jones, and being prepared from our first stop we met with the aides of his office. Again the pleasantness of their audience was appreciated and it allowed some ease of tension, when the reality came that we were relying our concern by way word. Of course the aides could not give us definitive answers, but we were assured that our concerns would properly be channeled. All in all, I feel that we made a good impression and again, this I believe was only the beginning of our march to unite a voice for all Ohioans and bring about the fairness in distribution of wealth and equality. �8 Local ­ Street vibeS april 15, 2011 By the Grace of God, A Story of Survival and Strength ­ A true and inspiring story of one Cincinnati woman and her struggle to raise her children despite abuse and fear eliSa Hill Contributing Writer My name is Elisa Hill. I was born and raised in Cincinnati Ohio. I am a mother of three handsome sons, who live with me full time. Christopher is 19, Christian is 17 and Jamar is 13. However, I started out as a young mom giving birth to my first son at age 17. I still had the determination in me to make sure that I graduated high school. So after my son was a few months old, I attended The Cincinnati Job Corps, to receive my GED and to try to master a trade while I was in school. I got my GED when my son was six months old and then received my certification as a Receptionist and a Clerical typist. Two years after my first son I gave birth to my second son, this made things difficult. I had signed up to go to school for my degree in Medical Record Management at Cincinnati State, but ended up quitting school. I had my son in a daycare provided by Hamilton County at the time when he came home one day with bruises on his arm I was told were caused by the daycare provider hitting him with a switch. I had no choice; I removed him from the program and called the police. I filed charges against the woman in question and thankfully she was found guilty and her Child Care Provider license taken away. I tried to continue to work and use other babysitters but it seemed like something would always come up and I did not feel comfortable leaving them. Eventually I had no choice but to stop working just to make sure my children would be safe. Eventually I got a job that allowed me to get my CNA certification so that I could work in nursing home facilities all over. This allowed me to provide for my kids the best I could. After having my third son, I applied to Queen City Vocational School of Nursing LPN Program; I was accepted and began the program in 1998. elisa Hill elisa Hill This was a tough task for me and many other mothers in the program to try to maintain a balance between being mothers, providers for our children as well as nursing students. This made things hard, so hard in fact that I had failed my second term in school, but I did not give up. I audited the remainder of the term, then returned in the new term and continued my nursing education. I graduated in 1999. I received my nursing license in 2000. Then began working as a nurse I had done work in facilities on staff in addition to doing other agency work when I was not on staff just to keep working. Throughout pushing myself through hard times and through the trials and tribulations called life, I was living with a secret that was so embarrassing it made it hard to just get up in the morning and take care of myself, I was truly suffering inside. One day had changed the way I saw myself. One boy’s vicious actions permanently switched my mindset. Many times it made it hard to keep a job because of the depression I suffered, the Elisa hill and sons Christopher, 19 Christian, 17 and Jamar, 13 elisa Hill anxiety that plagued my made it difficult to even get out of my car to go into a job. This secret had been inside me since I was little and it is so hard to think or talk about it. It was just a day, just a normal day. I was out in the neighborhood, hanging out with two of my cousins. When one of my older cousin’s had seen a guy she knew, we decided to ride around with him for a while. Well we ended up at one of his friend’s houses somewhere I had been before or I just could not recognize it at that time. Now I know it was in Skyline Acres. We went into this house down into the basement where these two brothers were hanging out. We sat down them my older cousin got up to go outside with her friend and me and my other cousin stayed in the basement with the other two guys. I was young so I was trying to act mature, talking to one of the guys about music. He asked me if I wanted to go to his room with him and just listen to some music and talk. I said yes. Dumb me. I was not in the room with him a minute before he was barricading us in by blocking the entrance to the room with the door from the closet. In my mind I thought, ‘oh my God no.’ I got a sinking feeling in my stomach so I asked him again if we were just going to listen to some music and chill. He replied, “Yeah, it’s cool…were just going to talk.” He turned on a radio next to his bed, called me over to sit on the bed next to him. I went over to sit next to him then he immediately started trying to kiss my neck. I was trying to pull away I told him I wanted to go back down to the basement. He said he was not going to do anything else; he just wanted to kiss me. I was still pushing him off me, I could tell he was starting to tired of it, he seemed to get mad. I said I wanted to go back down to the basement. He told me that even if I screamed cousin and the rest would not hear me because they were in the basement and the music was loud. He stood up in front of me and started taking his clothes off. I was so scared, I started to cry and say no. He told me either I take my clothes off or he was going to do it for me. Damn, I was so scared I did not know if he would beat me or hurt me so I did what he had said. Then he pulled me over to the bed and lay on top of me. I was crying, panicking inside. I had never had never had sex. I was just a young girl. When he first tried, I pushed at him again. I felt numb with fear. My mind kind of lost its way for a moment I think because I felt like I was in a dream. I heard no music…I did not even feel him on top of me. In my head I was sitting in my mother’s arms with a smile on my face happier than I had ever been before. Then just as quickly, I was back in the room trying to push him away and then there was a knock at his door. Damn it was his father he was in the next room sleeping and heard what was going on. He yelled, ‘God damn girl out of my house now!” He jumped off me. I got up and put on my clothes. He opened the door, the father was standing where I could not see his face but again he instructed his son to get me out of there. I hurried down the steps to the basement where my other cousin was still sitting down and the other guy watching TV. I told her we needed to go. She asked me what happened but I could not even speak. Her friend was driving us away. I started crying hysterically, she was asking me what happened but I just kept crying then I told her I feel like I had peed on myself, that my clothes were soaked. We went into another house so I could use the bathroom; the guy there said we had to be quiet because his mom was home. When I got to the privacy of the bathroom I looked at myself, ‘Oh my God’ I thought. My panties, my pants were full of blood. I started to feel extreme pain. I screamed and cried and her friend told to get me that we had to leave before I woke up his mom. I could not stop crying. Shit, by then everybody was scared. I had to tell her that one of the guys tried to rape me. Everyone was scared; I even got blood on the car seat too. Well we were too afraid to go back to my grandmother’s house where we were staying the weekend. We did not want to get in trouble so we waited outside until one for our friends mothers went to work so we could lie and say that we had been there all night. My friend and my cousin’s ran bath water so I could wash myself and they put my clothes in the washer. I remembered it for a minute and suddenly, I was lost, back in that moment of being in the room with him. I could now feel the pain of him trying to get inside of me but he could not, I was a virgin and biologically it just did not work. All it did was hurt and make me bleed. I believe that if his father would not have said something he may have forcefully raped me. Thank God. Nevertheless, he did enough damage that I will never forget his face. I never pressed charges, I was simply too ashamed. Two years ago, I found out his name, Hank. The bastard. I saw him in a bar and he kept staring at me as if he wanted to talk to me. I figured he did remember me and was scared that I would say something. I felt like he was acting as if he was going to come over and talk to me. Again, I paralyzed by fear. I asked the guy I was seeing what his name was. I explained that he was the guy who tied to rape me when I was younger. I was amazed by his response. He just said that Hank never seemed like that type of guy to him. What type of guy is a rapist? How do we know? I guess unless you are the victim it is hard to say for sure. I know it was not my fault, but there is still a part of me that feels like I should have been smarter, stronger. Like I should not have gone to his room or I should have fought harder. I carried this pain with me every day. I could barley take care of myself; I felt I was not worth it. However, my children were a different story. I always managed to make sure my kids were clean, healthy and happy like kids should be. Even though that is all I would have the strength to do. I was raised a proud black woman. My family would not accept mental illness, they thought you just had to work harder and in time, the depression would fade. I believe they thought, ‘if you just stop making yourself depressed you could be alright. You have a weak mind and you need to be harder, do not let things or people hurt you feelings.’ Being the sensitive person I have always been that was impossible for me. I felt so much hurt, pain, rejection, fear, and disgust for myself that I had no clue what love was for me. I allowed people to hurt me, use me, abuse me, and talk about me like I was less than trash; after all that’s the way I also felt inside. I have had many years of calling the suicide hotline, because I was just so down that I could not see any way that I would survive the night sometimes. I felt I deserved to die. I diluted myself into thinking I could not sufficiently care for my kids. I had two baby fathers who were not helping the way I needed them to. I was just so lost. My children and I had been in three homeless shelters and one battered women’s shelter. I went to the battered women’s shelter because I was so lost that I figured marrying a man who would help me care for a home and my children so that we could live better would help me. That turned out to be one of my greatest nightmares. We were not even married a month before he began to verbally abuse me then he physically me. For me, it just took that one time and I did not go back to him. I left town and went to shelter in Louisville KY. While in the shelter and being in a new city, I felt still so lost and alone that I told my husband that I wanted to work things out maybe get some counseling to work through our problems so that we could keep our marriage together. That lasted a few weeks then I had to have him removed from my home by the police. Not only was he verbally abusing me he was jealous See By the Grace of God Pg. 12 �Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Local ­ 9 �10 national news Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Q&A with New York Times columnist Gail Collins ­ OrIGINALLY PUBLIShED BY SPArE ChANGE ­ NEwS © www.STrEETNEwSSErVICE.OrG ­ a lot of them having to do with just how you balance work and family, which is a huge issue that I run into all the time wherever I go. And also, often at work things will be complicated; they might feel that the whole place is run by men and that the men don’t quite get them, but it’s not like the men are running around like they did back in the day saying, “Oh, we don’t hire women for this job,” or anything like that. It’s all kind of complicated, and to deal with stuff like that is much harder than to deal with the stuff that we dealt with, which was just so completely out in the open. But I know that young women today are incredibly strong. They don’t generally like the word feminist, but nobody’s ever liked the word feminist. It was popular for only about three seconds in the entire history of the world. So, I always say if they just had another name for it, like Fred or something, it would work out better. Sennott: What are some of the things that you think may have stalled the women’s movement, or may have had a negative impact on it? New York Times columnist Gail Collins: “I’d love to see conservative women who really thought things through in a serious way taking the lead.” Photo: courtesy of Spare Change News Adam Sennott: You’ve had an illustrious career; along with writing four books, you founded the Connecticut State News Bureau in 1972 and have written for the New York Daily News and Newsday - and you were even editor of the New York Times Editorial Section. When did you first discover your passion for writing, and did you ever imagine it would take you where it has? Gail Collins: No, I was in school in the 60’s and I remember very clearly having to talk to somebody one day about what we wanted to do with our lives and somebody said, ‘Oh maybe we can work for the New York Times.’ and we all said, ‘Oh no, mainstream media. Sell out, oh no. We would never do such a thing. ‘ That was a long time ago. So no, I never envisioned it working out like this, but it’s been a great ride. Sennott:When did you first discover your passion for writing? Gail Collins: I did that when I was really young. My mother had always wanted to be a writer and she had to drop out of college and get married and stuff. So it was kind of in the air from the time I was really young. Sennott: So you grew up around writing? Collins: Yeah. If you’re a kid you can just tell what really knocks your parents out. Whenever I did something that involved writing, it was really special for my mother. Sennott: In your book Scorpion Tongues you discussed a rumor that Hillary Clinton had thrown a lamp at her husband, President Bill Clinton, shortly after he was elected. You also wrote that “by passing along the rumor that Hillary had physically attacked Bill Clinton, people were expressing their secret fears that she (and maybe by implication all women) would try and push her husband aside and run things herself.” Though 18 years have passed, do you think America has gotten over its fear? Collins: Yeah, that was written a while ago. To some degree, sure. It was much heavier back then, and that was right when they were first coming into the White House and they were doing the whole thing about “you buy one, you get two,” and people were not used to that. It was a new thing. But I do really think that often, if you’ve got these sort of rumors at large that don’t seem to come from anywhere in particular, that it often has to do with some kind of trauma that people have, a worry that people have. Sennott: Two of your books, America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines, and When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present covers nearly 450 years of women’s history in the United States. Where do you think feminism is now, and what direction is it headed? Gail Collins: Older women always say to me, “younger women don’t appreciate what we went through” and yada yada yada. It’s almost like, “we’ve walked many miles and we weren’t allowed to wear slacks, and we were in the snow, and it was so terrible, and we were suffering.” But I always think that we were very lucky, and that young women today face a much more complicated challenge then we did. I mean, it’s the most wonderful thing in the world to be out on a picket line, or protesting, and not only knowing what you’re doing is right but knowing everybody knows it’s right, including the people you’re protesting and that it’s going to be changed. You really did feel, back then, that the wind was at your back and that this was going to work out, mostly because of the success of the civil rights movement. But young women today, it’s all very complicated. They have all kinds of problems, Collins: Well, I don’t know that anything stalled it. I don’t really think it’s stalled. The biggest problem for women, and I think that it sort of leaps off into everything, is that work/ family thing - and that’s something that doesn’t have a simple solution. The most important thing, if you want a really serious career and a family, is to make sure you’ve got a partner who wants to take half the responsibility, or more. Other than that, it’s not clear how you deal with these things. It’s very complicated, particularly for single mothers. The source of most of the poverty in the United States is women who are trying to raise families all by themselves. Sennott: Do you think the public has a better understanding in this day and age of how difficult it is to be a single mother? Collins: Yeah, they do. The interesting problem is that the response is different from different places. At least when we did the end of welfare and entitlement there was a very clear (it seemed to me at the time) agreement that meant that there was going to be quality childcare available to everybody who needed it who was going to go out and work. That promise really hasn’t been kept. So that’s just a huge, huge problem for working women. Also, there are many people who think that the answer is that you should just tell people not to have sex unless they are married. That doesn’t work. Preventing teenage pregnancy is really important, but there’s a lot of states in which they’re teaching abstinence only sex education, which isn’t helping stuff any. So it’s a very complicated issue. Sennott: In When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present, you tell the stories of women such as Lois Rabinowitz, who in 1960 was thrown out of a New York court room for wearing slacks as she tried to pay her bosses speeding ticket. How did you go about finding these stories, and which one impacted you the most? Collins: Well, Lois was not hard. It was such a huge subject, and when I first started doing the book I was just sort of like, ‘Oh my God, where do I go? Where do I start? What do I do?’ So I just went through the Times in 1960 and looked for every reference to women, and there were surprisingly few actually, but one of them was Lois in her great day being tossed out of motor vehicle court. So her story popped right up the first week I was working on this sort of thing. One of the women that I just really loved was Lorena Weeks. She was this very simple woman in Georgia back in the 60s who had grown up very poor, had always worked, and who was married with children and worked for the phone company and just desperately, desperately wanted to send her kids to college - and was prepared to do anything for that. She wound up, because she applied for a promotion for a job that they said only men could do, she wound up at the end as being sort of the critical, Seminal court case that made it possible for women all over America for the next generation of two, to not be discriminated against in this way. What they used to do was always say, “Oh yeah, that’s open to anybody but you’ve got to be able to lift thirty pounds, otherwise you can’t do it.” And these poor women who had been lifting their babies and stuff forever were all sort of blocked off. Lorena had been lifting a thirty-five pound typewriter every day at her job; they said that didn’t count either. She was in semi-rural Georgia, and nobody thought the suit was a good idea. I think even her family was even embarrassed by the fact that she was out there doing this, and her coworkers hated it. She said one of the ministers in her town preached against it. And she just kept on going because she thought it was the right thing to do. I grew up in a time when we were so supportive of women and we do all these meetings and we say “You go girl” and do the whole thing. These women from the past, who just did it even though nobody thought it was a good idea and they got no support, they just went ahead and did it. They just knock me out, and they’re my favorites by far. Sennott: Were there any stories that you had to take out in the editorial process that you wish could have been told? Collins: I had researchers, and they were mostly college students who went out and interviewed many of the average women that I have in the book. I didn’t want to skew what they were doing so I generally just told them to go and find me a woman who worked in the 1960’s and had children at home or something like that. They would often find their relatives which turned out to be great because I think they were a little bit more open than they might have been if some stranger had come in and talked to them. And that was the hardest part of the book: you can’t put them all in. There were just a trillion of them, and weeding them down was the hardest thing to do. There were amazing, wonderful women who never got in the book at all just because I didn’t have room for all of the stories. Sennott: During your recent speech at Bunker Hill Community College, someone suggested that both America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines, When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present could be used as textbooks in colleges. How do you think women are currently portrayed in history books? Collins: Well, actually, my book is used some places. I am thrilled to have people get up and suggest it should be used in more, but it does get around. Right now, it’s a good time for that kind of stuff. Everybody sort of goes out of their way to try and make this telling of America’s story more expansive than it used to be and include more kinds of people, so that’s all great. Sennott: You were the first women to ever be named editor of the New York Times Editorial Section. What was it like to have earned that position and to set a milestone similar many of the other great women you have written about? Collins: The nice thing was that you could just tell when they named me that everybody was happy. They weren’t particularly happy about me as a particular person, but everybody in the building was just really happy that that was going to happen - that there was going to be a woman doing that. You could just kind of feel that. That’s kind of the way the Times is and that’s why I love working here so much. It was really a great adventure. I had never really thought about being an editor on that level, but it was a great time. I was really thrilled to do it. Sennott: Did you expect it at all? Collins: Oh God, no. Sennott: You’ve written columns about both Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton. Though they are both on opposite ends of the political spectrum, what do you think their success says about how far women have come politically? Do you think you will see a female president in your lifetime? Collins: Yeah, and whenever I say that people say, “Well if it’s not going to be Hillary who else could it be?” Which is not really fair. I mean, name me what guy out there who you think is going to be President in the future. We don’t tend to have long running successions that’s going on here. So yeah, I think probably there will be one in my lifetime. As for Sarah Palin, I wrote once during the campaign that she really is a product of the women’s movement. She’s a person who, whatever else you think of her, is not constrained by her gender. I really doubt that there was ever a moment in her life where she thought, “Well I can’t do that because I am a girl.” That’s just not the way she is. So in that sense she really is a product of the women’s movement herself. I wrote that once and Gloria Steinem called me and said, “Okay, I am shooting myself now.” But I still think it’s true. Sennott: Both Palin and Clinton have been able to climb the ladder in their respective parties. What do you think it says about how far each political party has come that they are willing to accept women in leadership positions? Collins: It’s an interesting thing. I think you have to take very seriously the fact that the Republican Party has managed to produce all of these very high-profile female leaders. I find it worrisome that they all seem to be A-hot. It’s very weird that you seem to have all of these very good looking women, I am kind of wondering what the role is for a normal looking women in the Republican Party right now. We’re not seeing quite as many of them. And as far as Sarah Palin is concerned, it’s very troubling for me as a woman who roots for women of both parties that she’s not better prepared. I’d love to see conservative women who really thought things through in a serious way taking the lead. Sennott: In April 12, 2009 the New York Times published an article about street newspapers across the country. As someone who understands the power of written word, how important do you think it is for the homeless and economically disadvantaged to be able to get their opinions and voices out there? Collins: It’s important for everybody to get their voices out there, particularly people who don’t have many kinds of outlets because they are homeless or disadvantaged.  �Street vibeS international news 11 a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Prostitution: Crime or controversial career? ­ Last September, Ontarian prostitutes Terri-Jean Bedford, Valerie Scott and Amy Lebovich cried out in victory. The judge at the Supreme Court in Ontario declared the criminal code articles that condemn prostitution as unconstitutional. Far from rallying everyone together, Himel’s trial urges Canadians to voice their opinion in the debate on the decriminalization of the oldest job in the world. L’ITINérAIrE (CANADA) 29/03/2010 Translated into English by Bouchra Mojtahid, editing by Amanda fortier. Originally published by L’Itineraire © streetnewsservice.org For a majority of organizations that work with sex workers, this trial is considered a blessing - real progress for the safety of prostitutes. Judge Susan Himel denounced the articles that prohibit the solicitation of prostitution. Making a living from prostitution is under the jurisdiction of brothels. The trial is currently awaiting a final decision by the conservative government. If the law is passed, it will apply to all of Canada.  According to its supporters, this judgment will allow prostitutes to organize themselves against the aggressions they face. While some have supported the decision of the Supreme Court, the “Concertation des Lutes Contre l’Exploitation Sexuelle” (CLES) has voiced its opposition: “we are in favor of the decriminalization of prostitute women, but we don’t think that it’s in their interest to decriminalize pimps” said Diane Matte, a spokeswoman for the organization. Some groups say they must encourage women to speak out and admit that many get involved in prostitutions by choice. However, opponents of decriminalization remain steadfast. According to Diane Matte, the inequality between sexes forces women into prostitution. “In fact, we can talk about choice; it’s like when talking about those women who, despite being beaten by their husbands, want to stay with them anyway. What is important is that regardless of personal choice, society says that men do not have the right to beat women”. However, according to Emilie Laliberté, general coordinator of Stella, prostitutes support the organization. “It’s like assuming that making a living from prostitution means forcing yourself to do so. It’s not true,” argues Mrs Laliberté. It’s difficult to know the numbers of prostitutes working in Quebec, as an indiscriminate number are in Canada without their legal paperwork in order. This makes it difficult to identify those who are suffering from different addictions, or from psychological distress. “The only numbers we have are those we were given by the police when girls were arrested,” says Maria Nengeh, a professor of social work At the University of Quebec a Montreal (UQAM). The data show only a minute image of those who have had problems, and this is not significant”. The two opposing views rely on facts and figures that support their cause and rely on particular experiences that draw out specific conclusions. Within the framework of her research, Maria Nengeh Mensah frequently met with prostitutes. For her, the majority has made conscious decisions. “For instance, they explained that they are better able to manage their time than I am as a professor at University and who is often up late correcting papers,” she said with a laugh. For the professor who is doing her research on prostitution, once decriminalized, it’s these girls who will be able to help other prostitutes who are caught up in vicious circles of addictions. According to Robert Rousseau, director of Rézo, the only organization that supports male city prostitutes, “it’s criminalization and oppression that may lead to drug addiction.” Prostitutes are forced to stay in illegal networks. At one point, we wonder what causes what…” he wonders. He sees in decriminalization an opportunity for the organizations and health sectors to work hand in hand to install a viable and healthy culture in the prostitution field. However, organizations speak with one voice and claim that the current legislation regarding prostitution causes more harm than good. The CLES suggests instead a Swedish example (read “Elsewhere in the world…”), which criminalized customers and pimps and aims to change mentalities with the ultimate goal of stopping prostitution. “Changes made to the criminal code must be accompanied by an awareness regarding the inequalities between men and women and the result that this may bear in the sex industry”, insists Diane Matte, who wants a thorough investigation and who criticizes those who affirm that the oldest job in the world is here to stay. As for the organization Stella, ignoring reports that criminalize prostitution is fine. However, prostitution should not be bound to any particular regulations. This is how the legalization of prostitution in Switzerland works. “The government creates a permit system, but people who do not comply with this find themselves in the black market”, warns Emilie Laliberté. But, Maria Nengeh rather believes in the necessity of adding some rules in the labor code concerning the sex industry. Some restrictions that include, for instance, safety standards or the right to unionize. According to Lucie Lemonde, professor at the department of juridical sciences at UQAM, it’s impossible to decriminalize without supervising. “There is no job in the world which has no regulations! Supervision must be installed, if we want to acknowledge that it’s indeed a job like any other one,” she affirms and further states if it does happen and the Supreme Court rules in favor, each province will create its own legal measures. Sex workers and their supporters protest in front of City hall in celebration of International Sex workers’ rights Day in San francisco, California March 3, 2008 Photo: rEUTErS/kimberly white For those who support decriminalization, it’s still far from reach. “I have always thought that decriminalization issue is a dream, especially now with our conservative government”, says Maria Nengeh Mensah. Lucie Lemonde also sees that the government has a tendency to make legislations on moral issues. “The Harper government uses the criminal law to promote moral purposes, she said. This is juridical populism.” Elsewhere in the world • Switzerland legalized prostitution in 1992, and though prostitutes must hold permits and pay taxes, there is still a black market and there are sex workers coming from abroad to work in the Swiss brothels. - Sweden prosecutes hundred of clients per year; pimps can also be tried. The country has succeeded to reduce the number of prostitutes without criminalizing them. It has therefore been blamed for transferring the problem to its neighbors who have, on average, three times as many sex workers as Sweden. The Swedish example does not acknowledge the fact that a man or woman has the choice to make a living out of prostitution. • New Zealand decriminalized prostitution in 1991. It is the only country to have done so. Authorities have not seen any increase of the number of prostitutes. �interest 12 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 Meet Up ­ A look at the life of a proud Streetvibes Distributor JIM LUkEN Contributing Writer M eet Ronnie Phillips. Age 37. And proud to be a Streetvibes distributor. Ronnie is also very proud and happy to be living in his own apartment in Westwood, since February. Before that, he lived for a year and a half at the Drop Inn Center, as part of its “Step Up” dorm program, working with staff and social workers to prepare him for being on the “outside” once again. In spite of the difficult turn his life had taken, Ronnie Phillips looked at it positively, “When I realized I was going to homeless,” he says, “I knew it was gonna be good.” He seems very clear on this. “You gotta be strong to work in the Drop Inn Center. I used my experience as a homeless man to make me stronger.” He loves his new apartment, and the independence it provides. “My first memory of being in my own apartment was of not being able to sleep. It was so quiet, compared to the Drop. Now I have my own radio and can listen to my own music.” When he wants to watch TV, he goes to visit his mother. For a time the apartment will be provided for him as a transitional home. For now, he gets by on food stamps and on the money he makes selling everyone’s favorite Cincinnati newspaper. “Last week,” Ronnie says, almost excitedly, “I made thirty dollars.” Phillips grew up in Millville, the only child of single mother. He describes himself as bi-racial. He can see that growing up without brothers and sisters may not have been always been the best thing for him. “I was a spoiled brat,” he says, “but I got over that as soon as I got not respecting me.” The responsible job brought Phillips various benefits. He was able to live in his own apartment, pay his bills, and even keep a bank account. But in 2006, Ronnie got fired for, as he describes, “Something Ronnie didn’t do.” One day, some money was missing from the shift receipts. It took three weeks for the boss to determine who was responsible. But Phillips had already been let go. “Phillips remembers his work history as well as his various living situations with incredible accuracy, recalling to the month, and sometimes to the day, when he moved from one apartment to another, or lost a job only to find another.” my first job. “ That job came while he was a student at Western Hills High School. He worked as a janitor’s assistant, then, in his senior year found work doing maintenance with Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing. He graduated from West High in 1993, with a B average, on the honor role. He also received an American Citizenship Award. Ronnie had a number of entry level jobs until, he says, he began working for Taco Bell. His goal was to become a shift manager. His friends were dubious. At times Ronnie talks of himself in the third person. “There were some doubters. They thought Ronnie be too nice a guy. But he became a certified shift manager.” Then he adds. “I proved them wrong. Sometimes I had to send people home for Instead of looking immediately for work, Ronnie lived for a year on his savings. “I was lucky,” he says. I had one thousand, two hundred, and forty-six dollars in my bank account.” But that was a good thing and a bad thing. “I got lazy,” he says, “I didn’t look for as many jobs as I should have.” Phillips remembers his work history as well as his various living situations with incredible accuracy, recalling to the month, and sometimes to the day, when he moved from one apartment to another, or lost a job only to find another. He especially remembers the three times he lived in the Evanston Neighborhood. In Phillips’s estimation, Evanston seems to come as close to hell as he ever wants to be. “Ronnie was an individual who was known to work hard. He makes some mistakes. He would not be able to make it in Evanston.” The final time he “stayed” in Evanston almost did him in. One day in 2008, he got into an argument with his landlord. “I had a bad day,” he says. “I guess I took it out on her.” She called the police, who wound up tazing him the back. He went to the hospital, but no charges were filed. “The cops said it was best I get out of Evanston.” That’s when he knew he needed help and placed himself in the competent hands at the Drop Inn Center. Life on the streets is tough. He recalls all the fights that happened around him while he stayed at the Drop and at other times in his life. Fir the most part, he stayed away from them. “I always remember, a real man will walk away from a fight. If you don’t, you suffer the consequences.” Phillips immediate plan is to find part time evening work, while he continues to distribute Streetvibes. At some point, he hopes to find a full-time job and put himself back into the workplace. After that? “Eventually I’d like to settle down with the right girl. If she was the marrying type, I’d settle down with her.” In the meantime, he says, “I’m just thankful I got my own apartment. And I appreciate doing Streetvibes.” And there’s one more thing, Ronnie Phillips says, shaking his head, “I got something I call peace.” By the Grace of God ­ Continued from Pg. 8 and did not trust me at all. Even though I never gave him reason not to trust me. After we separated, I came back to Cincinnati, in less than a year and tried to work and care for my children. By 2002, I was in the second shelter because my employer just up closed down and our work checks bounced. Then when I went to pick up my first check of the New Year in “03”, the job had closed its doors and none of the employees were paid for the work we did over Christmas and new years. We had nothing. I could not believe this I had enough troubles on my own trying to make it month to month. The way this economy had been, forced my employer to shut their doors and not pay its employees. I had no money, no way to even buy food. I was beside myself in agony and fear. I was so angry that I put all my effort into a job and they treated me this way. I called Channel Nine Newscaster Brian Patrick and told him what happened with my job. He immediately came to talk to me and helped me with my situation. He got my story out and volunteers called into the news station saying they wanted to help my children and me. I am so grateful to Brian Patrick for that help. He also prayed with me in my house for my children and me to make it through that tough time. I remember saying to him that I needed to get out of Cincinnati. I had no help from family or my children’s fathers. I still had not gotten the help I needed for my severe depression and anxiety. Needless to say I had put my children through a lot in there short lives. Despite the help we received, it just was not enough, back to the homeless shelter I went for the third time. This time in Lexington, because again at that time that was the only way I could keep my kids and me together. There was not a shelter in Cincinnati at that time that would take my older sons, just my baby and me. I had tried to stay with family but it never seemed to work out long enough for me to get on my feet and get going again. My only option was the homeless shelter. I stayed in the shelter in Lexington two times. Then back to Cincinnati, again. I had to come back because while in the shelter I had problems with my blood pressure and I was so tired and sick that I could not see myself even surviving much longer. I was scared that after all those times of feeling I should die and wanting to die. Shit now I though it’s not my choice now I just may die. I was actually calling both of my children’s fathers to see who would keep all my children together if I would pass away. It was crazy…I was preparing to die. Well God sure did show me that I had no clue what he actually had in store for my life. Now I was about to see. I came back to Cincinnati in 2005, I worked until March then I had lost my job and my depression was at and all time high. I needed help. After talking to a suicide hotline worker one night, she told me that I needed to get some help for myself. Finally, I saw no way out and agreed. She referred me to Mental Health Access Point in Cincinnati where they evaluated me and set me up with a case manager and Psychiatrist. This was what I needed to start to understand what happened to me. It was what opened my eyes to see that it was not my fault and I am worthy of life and all its blessings. Since my therapy, counseling, and case management I have been maintaining a better life for my children and me. It has been tough not being able to work but I understand that if I don’t take care of my myself I may not always be there for my children. Now we are stable and I have been writing poetry for a few years. It has been my saving grace, helping me get through these tough years. I thank God that when I first wanted to take my life as a young girl at 14 that He sent me an angel to save my life. While standing in the bathroom I was about to cut my wrist I heard a voice say. “Elisa your story has not yet been written.” I swear this voice showed me my own funeral and said, “They will only cry for you for only one day. Then you will never be spoken of again. If you would just choose to live, God will bless you. You just need to believe in Him.” Therefore, I did choose to live and believe that God had a greater purpose for me. However, I still struggled with my depression and not truly feeling worthy of life. Somehow, I am still here by the grace of God. I have been sexually assaulted, abused, had nine bladder surgeries, a reconstructive surgery to put my bladder back in the correct place, a lump removed from my breast (non cancerous, thank God), I have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and recently lost my sight in my right eye due to a blood clot. I tell you these things not for pity; I share this because I still refuse to give up. I believe that God has a special plan for my life and my story will be a great one. I had an ex once tell me that my many health problems and emotional troubles were too much for him to deal with. Well I say to him, “That’s bullshit!” We as woman are supposed to stand by our men through whatever the struggles and men are only supposed to stand with a woman if it is what he can bare. Ladies we are not valued as the precious people that we are. I may not have found one man who could stand with me, but God sent me three young men who loved me through the struggles, hurt, pain, being poor and never once did they decide it was too much. They could have done what so many other young black men do… they could have just walked away and sought out what they could on the streets. God gave me these children to show me there is a man who will love me, care for me and be with me through whatever and He is my Father God! Now five poetry books later, two certifications for my first two books as an Author of poetry in the Library of Congress, and a stable home my children I am doing well. So are my kids, they are good students and good people. Yes! I could complain that life has dealt me a very rough hand to play. However, I know now that it was to build me up to be what God had planned for me all along. His precious glory right here on earth. So what would I say to the next young girl who maybe going through some of the same challenges in life today? “Never give up!” You are worthy to live through your struggle and be the blessing God has made you to be. I know it may seem that no one else could ever understand your pain, but I do. Just know that like me, God loves you too. I had to take life minute by minute, which turned in to day after day then year after year and I am still here today. Do for your life what you need to, to survive. Do not try to live your life through another person’s eyes. My name is Elisa and I truly love me. I hope you find it your on heart to love yourself too. �Street vibeS Story & Poetry Corner ­ a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Believe It Intoxication Willa DeniSe JoneS Contributing writer and Streetvibes Distributor Willa DeniSe JoneS Contributing writer and Streetvibes Distributor Believe it when you see someone bundle up sleeping in the street Believe it when you see someone looking in the garbage for food to eat Believe it because all of these things are real and none are made up Believe that there are many men, women and children who are down on their luck Believe that with the economy all twisted and headed straight to hell Believe that there are many who just give up, commit suicide or take leave for a jail cell Believe that to the homeless, jail with three hot meals, cell buddies for friends and a cot Believe to some may mean nothing but to the homeless means one hell of a lot Believe with faith all things are possible for all including you and me Believe in God, have faith, and pray then change will come all you have to do is believe I’m Just a Man! eliSa Hill Contributing Writer Can you hear me moaning with a drunk and cowardly call? Can you see me hunched down vomiting, my demeanor so small? Do you know me by the tears and redness in my eyes? The alcohol controls me, can’t you see the fear and sadness in my eyes. I’m deeply in debt with misery and pain. I am severely unkept with chaos in my brain. I try to sustain myself with a drink in the day. I try to sustain myself with a drink in the noon. I try to sustain myself with a drink in the night. Unsobering for myself, I know that I have no life. Pretty as a picture, some days you could capture my smile. I portray silly like a child, in my drunken stupor, for I live in denial. Thought it may be blurred, I can see that I have no real future. My true and sobering fact is that my life is in ruins. I fill a lonely tomb with mountains of my destructive past and a broken soul brewing. Yes! I keep these memories hostage as a captor of my own damn fear. I do the alcohols bidding without a care in the world. See, I am the one sitting with hell on one hand and mental instability on the other. I am your neighbor, brother, father and on a good day your friend. I am the coward living endlessly, while the real man wants to live. Yes! Yes! I have prostituted your love and care for my life. Hell, if you’re not paying then get out of my site. To many times I have given into compassion and loves will. To be the one left homeless and ash end by hatred and abuses fill. It has left me burnt in my soul and taunted in my ear. My only peace is drowned now in good Ole’ beer. Here now is where I float above the torture and sail above the rains. You may call me a drunken bum. Well I call myself a man. You should not judge me with and outside view. Inside I am tortured and living in a tomb, filled with abuse, hatred, chaos and fear. Of loneliness, hurt and needing my Father’s love, oh how I have cried so many tears. So, though you view me by the horror in my eyes. You still need to have love for me with the faith of the most high. No matter what I am still, just a man, don’t you see the tears in my eyes. Intoxication is being drunk if only for a little while Intoxication can become a bad habit with a crooked smile Being high and drunk all alone really makes no sense Being homeless, a panhandler and a drunk can be a bad defense The fear of not knowing what your next move can possibly be Can be intoxicating without a drink, please believe me The fear of failure constantly day in and day out Can be a eye opener to a drunk to make a change, no doubt Once you realize that there is another way to live everyday To work, maintain your money and eventually find a place to stay Things start to fall in order for you surely but slowly As you start to make a change in your life ever so boldly Intoxicating thoughts will no longer be able to hold you back Understanding that with the help of God you can get your life on track So don’t stay intoxicated by the fears of the world today Go to church, read the bible and get on your knees and pray! Now I Give to Thee! eliSa Hill Contributing Writer Damn, I have a space in my throat that just won’t let me scream. I try to weep to keep myself from going fucking insane. Most times I don’t even know what is going on in everybody else’s life. Yet and still, I am always treated as the outcast, now pass the pipe. I’ve tried to give of myself in and unselfish way. Only to be torn down and treated like less than a damn slave. It makes you lose your self esteem. That anything that you could be in this life, is nothing in there site. I have tried hoping that there is one damn person who feels me worthy to be alive. Only to look the fuck around and see that there is no one sitting by my side. Cry tears, for what? They only make it worse, now I feel that I am forever cursed. I feel like I have no love, no life, no hope and no real plight. God please save me! What am I doing here just filling in for empty space. Even he regrets my presence because; I just seem to get in his way. How can this be when I am especially made? I am a blessing that you my God gave to this life! I am a bright star burning throughout the verses. I flow demolishing misconceptions and misunderstood purposes. Lord, I do have a great will to live and I know what it takes to survive. I won’t let them to continue to do this to me. I will believe in myself and know that soon, you my father, will provide. Then like a surprise snow ball to the side of my face. I hear my God say, “now I give to thee!” You and I Willa DeniSe JoneS Contributing writer and Streetvibes Distributor You and I must make a pact To be mindful of how we act Toward each other no matter what And not hold hatred down in our gut We must understand that everyone is unique And know that a change is what everyone seeks With time and patience, with help from up above We can conquer the hatred we feel and replace it with God’s love For only with God’s guidance and his so many blessings Will we understand living life together without ever guessing? We’ll finally know what it is to live on this planet together To love each other for who we are and not what we are for now and forever!!! 13 �14 the Signing of Senate bill 5 What it really means for You COrEY GIBSON Contributing Writer Signed Into Law While signing the bill into law at the statehouse early this month Gov. John Kasich said “This bill ... does not cut anybody’s salary ... does not take away anybody’s pension ... does not destroy anybody’s health care. And anybody who’s been out there saying that is just factually wrong.” Yet it seems most people disagree with Kasich. Many people know the bill has been signed into law, a law that takes place immediately, yet hardly have any clear indication of what it means for this particular bill to be signed into law. As people already know, Senate Bill 5 has a major impact on unions, specifically taking away their rights to collective bargaining, their right to strike and many other bargaining rights unions had in the past. However, many people do not know about the Street vibeS april 15, 2011 many other implications the bill will have. Although the bill will eliminate the ability of unions to negotiate wages, it will still allow them the right to negotiate health care, sick time and pension benefits. The bill will also eliminate automatic pay increases. Teachers For teachers Senate Bill 5 may take away tenure for many teachers. Instead of taking into account the length of teacher’s service at a school, administrators could point out one flaw in the teachers past and have them fired on the spot. The bill will also affect the way teachers receive a raise. Instead of the old way of giving a teacher a raise based on the degree he or she has, Senate Bill 5 will force teachers to gain raises based on merit and performance, although Senate Bill 5 gives no methodology of how to determine either. In other words, one teacher may get a significant raise because he or she received a reward, while another teacher, in another district, who won the same reward, could receive no raise at all. Possibly the worst repercussion for the teachers is the dismantling of the cap size on classrooms. Senate Bill 5 will do away with the classroom cap of 25 students to every one teacher. Firefighters and Police Officers As for firefighters and police officers, Senate Bill 5 may take away much of the budget they have for training, buying new equipment and other necessities that are paid for partially through unions. Senate Bill 5 will mean fewer police officers, at less pay, with fewer benefits, according to the Marietta Times. Police and firefighters will not be able to bargain with cities over the number of people required to be on duty at one time. Senate Bill 5 will eliminate their ability to negotiate the number of police or firefighters allowed in police cars and fire trucks. Steve Loomis, president of Cleveland’s local police union, told CBS News “one of the biggest worries is one-man patrol cars.” As of now, Cleveland police are required to have more than one officer in the car in certain neighborhoods. However, state lawmakers did make a last-minute change in the bill that allowed police and fire fighters to bargain for vests, shields and other safety gear, according to CBS News. It could be Council’s Decision Senate Bill 5 will also, essentially give city councils in Ohio more power over police and firefighters. The bill will allow city council to make the final decisions on any bargaining that is still allowed by the bill. As of now, if there is a stalemate between police and firefighters and a city, an arbitrator and a fact finder would be hired to investigate the most reasonable way for the issue to be dealt with. If Senate Bill 5 is not repealed, the issue is handed over to city council to decide. Opponents of Senate Bill 5 are trying to get the bill repealed and put on the November ballot for voting. They need to collect over 230,000 signatures in over half the counties in Ohio to have the bill put on the ballot. For a full review of the bill, please go to http://www. legislature.state.oh.us/BillText129/129_SB_5_EN_N Street papers battle against illegal sales Over the bitter cold Christmas and New Year period, all official Hus Forbi vendors have also been equipped with brand new and easily recognizable vendor uniforms with Hus Forbi’s logo in yellow on the jackets as well as trousers. Street papers are a winning formula and many want a share of it. Problems with fake vendor IDs and even organized crime have been reported, but street papers are fighting back. A new, hard line approach is proving successful in Denmark. In conjunction with the vendor ID card system and the introduction of the new uniforms, Hus Forbi has tightened the rules for homeless shelters who distributing the paper across the country. Mass sales are no longer allowed, and a maximum of 50 papers per vendor per day has been imposed. Staff at the shelters have been instructed to carefully check vendor badges and only distribute copies to vendors with an official badge. “We will be very strict on imposing the rules”, says Skou. “If distributors do not follow them at all times, we will stop working with them immediately and shut down the distribution point.” Vendors of the street paper have applauded the hard line approach. Martin Mogensen, vendor representative at Hus Forbi, says: “If we do not clamp down on organized illegal sales now, I fear that it will spiral out of control. I fully welcome the measures taken, like the new IDs, new uniforms and the tougher rules for distributors. It is crucial to eliminate illegal sales for the benefit of the legal vendors, both Danish and foreigners.” hUS fOrBI (DENMArk) ­ Translated into English by Jesper Bach ­ Originally published by hus forbi © www. ­ streetnewsservice.org ­ At the start of this year, Danish street paper Hus Forbi introduced new, more foolproof vendor identification badges. At the same time, the organization has tightened its existing rules for selling and distributing the street paper. It is an effort to crack down on the illegal sales of the street paper. Ole Skou, board chairman of Hus Forbi, says: “We have encountered problems with illegal vendors, who amongst other things use fake vendor ID badges to sell Hus Forbi. We discovered that these vendors get hold of the paper through vendors with legal IDs, who -contrary to the rules- buy the paper for redistribution. Other vendors managed to get magazines from a distribution point without a valid ID.” Organized crime Unfortunately, the Danish street paper has also Strict rules Vendors of Danish street paper Hus Forbi showing off their new uniforms. Source: forbi/Simon Ankjaergaard discovered a more organized form of illegal sales. Skou explains: “We have discovered a network of ‘middle men’, who -on a regular basis- bring people from poorer European countries to Denmark. Upon arrival, they provide them with ready-made fake street paper vendor ID cards. They even give them a list of good areas and pitches to sell the magazine.” Skou is appalled by the way in which the ‘middle men’ take advantage of the vulnerable position of the people involved. “As EU citizens, the targeted individuals can stay in Denmark for three months, after which the middle men organize them transport home. These people arrive home just as poor as they left. They become the victims of organized crime, which we neither can nor will support.” As a result, the board of Hus Forbi has decided to change all vendor IDs to new ones, which are harder to copy. Skou emphasizes that there are also many foreign vendors who legally sell the street paper. “All foreign vendors in the possession of a legal vendor ID card also have had their ID exchanged and can of course perfectly legally continue to sell Hus Forbi”, he states. Vendors of Danish street paper hus forbi showing off their new uniforms. Source: forbi/Simon Ankjaergaard �15 Street vibeS a p r i l 15, 20 1 1 Summer Internship Program The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) is currently accepting applications for 5 part-time unpaid summer interns. Each intern will create an individual work plan and be assigned a specific project or provide general support for a particular program during the specified time period. ABOUT: GCCH located in Over-the-Rhine is a non-profit social action agency established in 1984 with the solitary mission of eradicating homelessness. GCCH works towards this mission by coordinating services, educating the public, grassroots organizing and advocacy and publishing and distributing the Streetvibes newspaper. Homeless and formerly homeless individuals are incorporated into all programs and initiatives at GCCH. PrOGrAM DATES: Summer internships range from a 2-3 month commitment which is negotiated on an individual level and flexible between May and September (dependent on university summer term). TIME COMMITMENT: Flexible hours, approx. 15-20 hours per week; must be able to attend weekly staff meetings. Summer interns typically attend school and/or work part-time jobs as long as they do not interfere with the internship commitment. INTErNShIPS AVAILABLE: Development Intern- reports directly to the Director of Development and Operations Education & Outreach Intern- reports directly to the Director of Education & Outreach Statistics Intern- reports directly to the Director of Education & Outreach Information Technology Intern- reports directly to the Executive Director Journalism, Media & Public Relations Intern- reports directly to the Editor of Streetvibes GENErAL QUALIfICATIONS: Hard working and have the ability to work independently with limited supervision. Creative and willing to bring fresh ideas to the table and a positive attitude. Have a minimum of one year of undergraduate work completed Must be able to use a computer Good written and oral communication skills and diligence about checking work for spelling and grammar mistakes Familiarity with Microsoft Office including Excel and Word Interest in learning about local area nonprofit agencies A commitment to serving those in poverty Comfortable working with and speaking to homeless individuals Good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals Dependable TO APPLY: If interested please send a cover letter and resume with desired internship title (e.g. Development Intern) in the subject line to hYPErLINk “mailto:gcch. intern@gmail.com” gcch.intern@gmail.com by noon on April 22nd. Interviews will be held in early May. Direct any questions to the email listed above. INTErNShIP DESCrIPTIONS: Development Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: Non-profit business development, administration, fundraising, marketing, individual giving, grant writing and pursuing donors. Intern will assist and report to the Director of Development and Operations. Key tasks: Maintain and improve development plan Coordinate and acquire In-kind donations Research and apply for grants Lead an individual giving campaign Work on Summer fundraiser as well as prepare for Winter Annual Dinner Communicate with donors via phone and letters Attend development committee meetings Streamline fundraising database Other tasks TBD. Education & Outreach Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: education (teaching and curriculum development), sociology, social justice, social work, program coordination & development, service learning and working with youth. Intern will assist and report to the Director of Education and Outreach. Key tasks: Main project: develop a plan for the implementation of the 2011 City-Wide Shantytown program during Homeless Awareness Month. Assist with improvements to the educational and service outreach plan Research and update list of schools and social service agencies throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area Assist with the facilitation of educational and service learning activities as needed Assist as a receptionist as needed Other tasks TBD. Statistics Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: research, statistical analysis, math, social science research, computer science, engineering or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Director of Education and Outreach. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to assess GCCH’s programs; compile, review and analyze data; develop a plan for tracking data and analyzing outcomes; track and analyze outcomes for a specified time period and create a final report. Gather, collect, record, track and verify data and information. Uses software to compile and generate reports, statistics, timelines, tables, graphs, correspondence and presentations. Assist with the development of a database for tracking and analyzing program data. Assist with compiling updated statistical data related to homelessness and poverty with a focus on Ohio and links to national statistics. Other tasks TBD. Information Technology Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: information technology, networking, managing software and hardware, computer science or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Executive Director. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to assess GCCH’s stock of computers, swipe old computers of data and recycle; assess and update computer software on computers in use; determine networking capabilities and develop and implement a plan to put all computer data on a server. Other duties related to computer management including: assessing security risks and updating anti-virus software. Assist with the development of a database for tracking and analyzing program data. Assist with the launch of GCCH’s new website. Other tasks TBD. Journalism, Media & Public Relations Intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: Journalism, public relations, social networking, advertising, marketing or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Editor of Streetvibes. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to upload articles and pictures from old Streetvibes editions to the Streetvibes online blog as well as GCCH’s website. Develop a viable newspaper recycling plan. Build up readership and support of Streetvibes and GCCH’s via social networking sites. Assist with reporting, photojournalism, production, copy editing and advertising as needed. Other tasks TBD. �16 Street vibeS april 15, 2011 women helping women ­ Barbara Houghton’s photographs are about her as a woman and about women in general. “ I am a person alive who looks at and questions our humanity,” says Barbara Houghton. “I do not see the people in my photographs as other but as people who could be me. In the beginning all my work was about me, who I was and my place in the world. Later, it naturally expanded into addressing womanhood and women’s role in society.” By Saad GhoSn ContriButinG Writer Houghton, an artist photographer and art professor at Northern Kentucky University (NKU), grew up in Chicago, the 2nd child in a family of 12, many with strong artistic talents. Always creative herself, drawing and painting as a kid, and enrolled in all art classes in her high school, she was destined to become a commercial artist. In undergrad at the University of Illinois, she When she 1st got to NKU she did a series of photographs on the unknown, Terra Incognita, examining boundaries and where she fit in the world, using images of navigation instruments as metaphors. It was followed by Journey, a combination of photographs and objects about one’s personal experiences, revelations, interactions, relationships in life. Dancing with Galileo, a multimedia installation including modified photographs, objects, text, music, dance, video, was about her affinity and love for a brilliant scientist, a man who like her was free-spirited, unconventional, and willing to fight for the truth. Galileo, raised Catholic, did not hesitate to battle the ignorance and hypocrisy of the church, supporting on the other hand its principled spiritual teachings. To document and create her works, Houghton traveled throughout Italy, visiting places where Galileo lived, his house, the institutions where he made his discoveries and taught, the convent where resided his beloved daughter. She took many photographs that she later manipulated; adding to them researched elements from books, text and images, composing the all like a montage. When confronted with political upheaval and violence, Houghton witnessed and reflected through her photographs. In her Popular Culture series she used images about the war in Iraq and the Abu Ghraib case, popular images she noticed or reacted to wandering the streets, thus using her camera to speak not only for herself, but also for the common individual, stating what she felt both would condone or condemn. In Learning the Sport/ Unsportsmanlike Conduct, she commented Barbara houghton in her studio holding one of her photographs of an Indian woman. bill Howes networks to connect local and global markets, social security networks for maternity needs, health care and life insurance. Houghton wanted to travel to India to experience first hand their work, meet the women members and document in her photographs their various supportive activities. After seeing the movie Water by director Deepa Mehta, she had also learned about the abused situation of widows in India, often chased from their husband’s house after his death, forced into poverty and left begging on the streets. Researching the matter, she came across the work of Dr V. Mohini Giri, a social activist and leader in the Indian women’s movement; her organization Guild of Service which helps the displaced widows; and the new shelter Ma Dham she had built in Vrindavan to lodge, feed, train the destitute widows, and help them lead a healthy dignified life. Houghton contacted Dr Giri and headed to India, traveling many places, photographing women: mothers, wives, workers, widows… depicting their condition, yet their beauty, their potential power. Her photographs gave birth to her series Changing India, One Woman at a Time, which she exhibited in 2010 at NKU. Widows of Ma Dham, a photo from the series, represents widows rejoicing, singing and swaying at the news that they will be finally receiving their government’s pension, now that they had a home and not considered homeless anymore. “I wanted to photograph women helping women, and empower them in the process,” says Houghton. “India was a good place as women there are often ignored. But this was also true of America where women are frequently valued mostly based on their looks. As a middle age woman, I recognize myself the feeling; when I leave my hair grey, I become almost invisible…” widows of Ma Dham barbara Houghton discovered, however, her love for photography and ended up graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a MFA degree in photo. She taught photography for 18 years at Metro State College in Denver, CO, then came in 1992 to NKU as Chair of the Art department, and more recently as art faculty professor. Houghton’s photos have always been personal, initially self-portraits and pictures of people from her family, allowing her to explore and be who she wanted to be. While in Denver, she did a series of self-portraits in infrared, then a series of large photograms of her clothes, of old and ripped underwear. “I was putting myself out on paper,” she says, “also wanting people to think and laugh.” on the intricate relationship between sports, sex and violence, on how sports had become religion-like in our country. All along Houghton had also been concerned by the unequal condition and neglected role of women in many parts of the world. She became very interested in SEWA, Self-Employed Women’s Association, a trade union of poor, self-employed women in India, started in 1972 by Ela Bhatt. Bhatt, a young female Indian lawyer, had experienced the economic exploitation and lack of power of working Indian women and wanted to organize them so they would become protected by labor laws and self-reliant. SEWA, essentially a women helping women organization, grew quickly to form its own banks, build trade cooperatives, trade facilitation Houghton also brings her concern to liberate and empower women to her classroom. She strongly associates with her young girl students who frequently are lost trying to figure out who they are. They remind her of herself, of how she metamorphosed from a weak woman to a more assertive one; and she does all she can to help them, guide them, teach them how to be strong. “All trajectories of my works are connected,” says Houghton. “They all fall in the broader context of the human; from the questioning about myself, a woman, an artist, what I wear, where and how I fit in the world, my journey; to the free-thinking and rebellious Galileo, the image of a man I fell in love with; to the oppressed and exploited women of India; to women in general… When I make art it empowers me, helps me find my way; it has changed my life. I want to share it with others hoping it might achieve the same. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 15, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Health Care for the Homeless Program is a Mobile Marvel Pg 2: In My Shoes Pg 3: Sworn Not to Betray Pg 4: Building Bridges with Neighbors Health Care for the Homeless Program is a Mobile Marvel Continued Pg 5: Shine a Light on human Rights! Pg 6: Mark Twain was Right Pg 7: One Ohio Now Pg 8: By the Grace of God, A Story of Survival and Strength Pg 9: Local Pg 10: Q&A with New York Times Columnist Gail Collins Pg 11: Prostitution: Crime or Controversial Career? Pg 12: Meet Up Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: The Signing of Senate Bill 5 Pg 15: Summer Internship Program Pg 16: Women Helping Women Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 15, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jim Luken Saad Ghosn Jeni Jenkins Willa Denise Jones Josh Spring Sheli DeLaney Lee McCoy Corey Gibson B. Clifton Burke Cleo Wombles Mayuko Hida Yushin Toda Dan Moore Kelissa Hieber Sandra Knollman Brenda Zechmeister Judge Leslie Isaiah Gaines Chris Kromer Sheli DeLaney Amiee Willhoite Rico Green Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amiee Willhoite B. Clifton Burke Brenda Zechmeister Chris Kromer Cincinnati Cleo Wombles Corey Gibson Crime Dan Moore Elizabeth Schulenberg GCCH health care Human Rights Internship Isaiah Gaines Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Jimmy Heath Josh Spring Judge Leslie Kelissa Hieber Lee McCoy Mark Twain Mayuko Hida New York Times Ohio Photography Poetry Prostitution Protests Rico Green Riots Saad Ghosn Sandra Knollman Senate Sheli DeLaney street papers Willa Denise Jones Women Yushin Toda https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/86220612ff92b629def7b9dacf7e4116.pdf aff9dbd6bc7f475f0b24a2c1493df630 PDF Text Text Sophia bush gives onS St rher ee ttake v ib e women’s rights A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 PG 8 Momentum Grows in Call for the Legalization of Hemp in South Africa PG 12 A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Coalition summer internship program 1 PG 14 iSSUe 198 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Transformation: Seeing Our Community From A Different Perspective For the past five years, Over-the-Rhine has been graced for four months by the presence of college students eager to serve and eager to learn. Each fall, the Miami University Center for Community Engagement, lead by Professors Tom Dutton and John Blake and housed at buddy’s place at 13th and Vine is the hub for new connections, new mindsets, new ideas and new passions. Fall 2010 was no different. Twelve students left the college-life at Miami University to gain perspective a rest from their work at buddy’s place, 1300 Vine. Back to Front, Left to Right: Jose Gutierrez; Gonzalo Martinez; on real-life in Over-the-Rhine. Taking Ashley Kincaid; John Blake; Natalie Otrembiak; Danielle Musselman; Ellen Crawford; Kathleen Roosen; JoePaul Luikart. Through internships with Natalie Otrembiak, Student Photographer neighborhood-organizations, students completed practicums in architecture and interior design, anthropology, art education and business, while taking thought- provoking classes about society, justice, economics, etc. Perhaps more importantly, students entered the classroom of community, politics, love, hate, embrace and fear, as well as positive and negative change. Students struggled, listened, watched, took part and grew. Here we present six reflections from students involved in this project. Sounds ELLEN CRAWFORD Architecture Student n the city, everything relates. there are walls of brick and narrow alleyways and the screeching of the bus stopping on its route. There are four-floor walk-ups and street-level stores, boarded up buildings and those newly renovated. Sirens pierce the night. Arguments are often public and occur at all hours. they brew in the street under our windows at 5 am. Yelling from Washington Park almost always puts me to bed. Hot August nights teach lessons in how public the city can be. Noise becomes powerful, a springboard which sparks my curiosity. the volume has been turned up, a volume that cannot be turned down, no matter if i am surrounded by silence. in September, the volume is created. i am still an outsider. everything becomes routine, wake up, go to studio and get your hands dirty, go to another class and talk, eat dinner, study. At glance, routine i is not exciting, but it is powerful. it allows you to soak into your surroundings as everything becomes more comfortable. the smells and faces here are becoming familiar. the volume is just starting. A new vocabulary is emerging: gentrification, mixed-income, suburbia, poor, community. thinking has reached a new level, which becomes more intertwined as weeks pass. each week brings a new issue: homelessness, affordable housing, capitalism, education, globalization, jobs, and gap. reading, analysis, and reflection consumes my life. Gently, routine submits to complete acceptance of my surroundings and an ever-increasing volume inside. Soon the howls of summer slowly vanish. residents start anticipating the uncontrollable, cold months of the year. the community braces for what is ahead. the controversial developments of Washington Park come with screams of the people who want to be heard. Where will the homeless go this winter? Who will this community cater to in the future? Over-the-rhine is on the brink of combustion. balanced by those who care and fight for its future. October awakens to the history of the people, scarred by their struggles, and weary of their future. Sidewalks are familiar. November becomes numb. the volume is overwhelming. So many people are at a disadvantage. they do not fit in to the typical picture of America. they live with standards far below those of others. Society criminalizes, judges, and casts out people; denies them of their rights, blames them, and sets the system against them. Compassion exists, yet, dedication to true social change remains a threshold, talked about but not crossed. People help the poor and the homeless, but this is just a temporary solution. More permanent changes remain in the dreams of those who fight for Overthe-rhine’s residents. the community has embraced and shared its stories with us. it has called us to think of its people and what they stand for. thanksgiving comes with many blessings and many thanks for those who care for the well-being of others. the sharp air of December has breached the community. the snow falls early this year. Our bodies are forced to adjust to the cold months. Our experience is almost over, but the volume will never be gone. The final push to complete our academic work is made, while talk of adjustment back into our past and future lives is spoken. belongings start to be placed in boxes, to be moved to a new place with new experiences, but the community that is Over-the-rhine remains in our minds. Public to those who walk its sidewalks, know its streets, and talk to their neighbors. Private to those who fear its boundaries, exclude themselves from its people, and develop buildings without consciousness. Over-the-rhine is a community full of front stoop dwellers, sidewalk conversations, and strategic development meetings, one full of the beauty of people, their acceptance, and their sharing. See Transformation Pg. 11 �2 5 the number of years that college students have taken internships with neighborhoodorganizations, students completed practicums in architecture and interior design, anthropology, art education and business, while taking thought- provoking classes about society, justice, economics, etc. Reflections Pages 1,11, 12, and 13 5-8-2011 Mother’s Day! editorial Page 2 0 “…is not a size.” Sophia bush’s character, Fashion designer brooke Davis on One tree Hill started this fictional campaign to raise body image awareness and call attention to women’s rights. Page 8 5-7-2011 the date of the Southern Ohio Amnesty Meeting at UC School of Law. Page 11 50,000 the number of recorded uses for hemp, including clothing, eco-friendly building materials and paper. Momentum grows in call for hemp to be legalized in South Africa Page 12 Editorial St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Spring Cleaning My Life, Mother’s Day it is certainly spring in Cincinnati. For me this means the nagging feeling that i need to clean and make a fresh start. it reminds me of how painfully pale i have become over the winter and how i must get to a tanning bed asap. it makes me yearn for the new floral dresses they’re showing at H&M. All of these things that spring makes me feel are so shallow. So stupid. Unfortunately i know i am hardly alone in these feelings. So many people in our area feel the fresh air of spring roll in and want a fresh start but tend to ignore that they could be using this time of year for something incredible. So this year my spring cleaning will be in my life. While I may go get that floral dress from H&M when I make room in my closet for it I will make sure the stuff I take out goes somewhere, to someone who needs it. i ask you kindly to do the same. When there is a nice spring day, maybe consider volunteering at a local organization. remember that even though it is nice outside there are still so many people that don’t have the luxury of enjoying it the way you do. take the time to evaluate your life, clean up the messes that have piled up over the winter months. For me, i intend to start saving money. Doing this will obviously give me more stability but will also start to relieve some of my anxiety and in generally allow me to be happier and become the person i want to be. it seems like every time i go anywhere cash just seems to fly out of my wallet. I made a list of things I need be more aware of or just plain cut out of my life to start me on the road to a fuller pocket book. Maybe it will help you too. -Pick me up purchases. i constantly try to make myself feel better when i am down in the dumps by buying a new outfit, shoes, purse…whatever. And those impulse purchases rarely are something i want in the long run or are practical. When i am in a crappy mood now, i am going to try to hit the gym…not the mall. Moreover, when i get down in the dumps i cannot justify martinis at a trendy bar to myself. i tend to do this too. -ATM Fees. this is just simply planning and not being lazy. i looked at my bank statement once, i spent an extra $30 that month on fees. it is just silly. -Those ‘friends’ that always tend to stick me with the bill when we go out. these people get on my last nerve. they are the ones who will drop a $20 on a $200 bill and then bolt. they are the ones who don’t understand that when the check comes even though the other person does the customary “i’ve got this” when the bill comes, that they should offer something. i am just going to resolve to stop hanging out with these people or if i do, i am going to ask for separate bills up front. -Take out, fast food, delivery. i spend so much money on this. i have to just resolve to go to the grocery store and stick to eating what’s in the fridge. eating out every week for me probably adds up to an extra $60. -My daily Starbucks or Coffee Emporium. this one is hard for me. i need to either make my coffee at home or simply only buy regular coffee for a buck instead of the four-dollar Starbucks. Caramel Macchiato, i will miss you. -Impulse purchases. i have literally spent over a hundred dollars on a painting i saw and just had to have. At the time it seemed so abstract and beautiful, i couldn’t not have it. Silly Jen. That painting didn’t exactly fit with the country-chic décor in my home. that beautiful painting i couldn’t live without now resides in my basement. Now that i am aware of the ways i can ‘Spring Clean’ my life i feel i can move forward into being more stable and happy. Maybe if i do these things i can also stop needing to ‘borrow’ money from my mom and dad. i had the luxury of wonderful parents who would bail me out of any situation i got myself into. especially my mom, which reminds me….it’s almost Mother’s Day. As I said, I do have a mother who has been able to financially back me up. This is something i know many people have not had and there are literally not enough words to describe how thankful i am for that safety net. in the last couple of years, i split up with my husband and making ends meet to support myself has been hard. it has been difficult financially and emotionally. Yet, my mom is always there. In every day and every step, mistake or triumph she is in my corner. i can tell her anything and no matter what she will listen and help me make the best of it. When i was growing up she was the one who drove me from town to town, swim meets and practice… she would drive me and my friends to the mall or parties. Anything i ever wanted, she would break her back to get it for me. Not to mention the fact that if anyone ever did anything wrong to me, her mama bear instincts would come out and she would take them down. While i am not a mother, i have the utmost respect for moms, those women who will literally fight and destroy anything that threatens their child. I see women every day struggling, working multiple jobs to put food on the table and give their children everything they can while sometimes going without for themselves. You women…. you’re incredible. the gifts you give this world are inspiring. You inspire me. Mama, you’re amazing. Happy Mother’s Day. Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 east 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: jenmatrin@cincihomeless. org Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Contributing Writers : Josh Spring, Jeni Jenkins, Laura Osborn-Coffey, riccardo taylor, elisa Hill, Willa Denise Jones, Jim Luken, Contributing Writer, Spare Change Staff, Saad Ghosn, Jennifer Martin, reuters, the big issue South Africa Staff, buddy Gray, Western regional Advocacy Project, Michael Henson, Natalie OtrembiakAshley Kincaid, Kat roosen, Molly brazier, ellen Crawford Photography/Artwork: Jen Martin, Aimie Willhoite, rueters, Jeni Jenkins, elisa Hill, Natalie Otrembiak, ellen Crawford, Pippa ehrlich, Keith bedford, Phil McCarten, Leigh Waltz, Miki Waltz the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �St r ee t v ib e S From The Director 3 A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Light in Our Heads JOSH SPRING Executive Director M ost people enjoy the light. in fact i would say that most people prefer light to darkness. As humans, we tend to get depressed or saddened when exposed to long periods of darkness or shadows or clouds. this is why people typically feel more down in the winter- the sun is less visible and has less affect on our lives. the light has a way of bearing reality. in darkness, images are fuzzy or perhaps cannot be seen at all. vision is distorted in the dark. even in low lighting, we often incorrectly see what is going on around us. With this in mind it is interesting that in the english language the word light is closely associated with something else most of us value- truth and honesty. We say, if you are proud of it, do it out in the open, not under the cover of night. We talk about evildoers stepping from darkness into light. Why is this concept of light so important to us? Some might say it is because we ultimately do not trust those around us; therefore, we want to see and understand what they are doing- or what they might be doing to us. Others might say it is because we ultimately value each other and therefore we want to be able to see and understand each other in order to better enjoy our human contact. i would submit that in fact, we value light for a mixture of these two reasons. i believe there is probably something within all of us that causes feelings of distrust of many around us while at the same time feelings of trust of those around us. i realize this sounds like a foolish statement. How can one both trust and distrust people? the answer to this conundrum is in the quantity of trust versus distrust and more importantly the reason behind both trust and distrust. i am going to assert that neither predominantly trusting almost everyone nor predominantly distrusting almost everyone is positive. the reason why we trust or distrust some people is the most important factor in determining if our trust or distrust is healthy. Often people will distrust others based solely on things they have heard or read from a source they have no personal contact with. Many people distrust others based on common stereotypes and the common belief in occurrences they have had no personal experience with. Still others will distrust people or an area based on physical appearance, again with no real personal interaction. trust can work the same way. Some will trust others based purely on something they have heard from a distance, seen from a distance or based on stereotypes. For instance, some will automatically trust the businessman developer in a suite walking into his brand new, hip office, but will automatically distrust the businessman dealer in jeans and a t-shirt standing on the street-corner. We assume that one is working hard; making positive progress and that we could generally trust his intentions. We assume that the other is an opportunist, dragging people downward and that we could generally trust none of his intentions. Many of us it is also true to law to hike the rent beyond what each of those tenants can pay and then evict them for non-payment. it is true to law to then purchase the building and change it into condos. All of this true to law and one could say, “We are breaking no laws we are being truthful “We must not only stay in the light we before the legal system.” but must dig deeper. All of now have, but we must seek out more we this may be true to law, but light. We must continually be striving to none of it is true to morality. the fact that the law says it is bring others into the same light. Light okay, does not make it okay, because ultimately moral truth (truth) breeds life.” outweighs lawful truth. there is another saying that automatically believe all of these things without speaks to “light”. We often speak of the “light” ever having spoken with either man. or never coming on inside of one’s head. that eureka even spoken with anyone that knows about moment if you will. What does this mean- “light either man. in one’s head.” Clearly, we are referring to in this world it is necessary that we have a one suddenly realizing truth. We are referring healthy amount of trust and a health amount to all of the clouds, misunderstandings, wool, of distrust, but we must base both our trust stereotypes and smoke screens being pulled and distrust on solid foundations. to trust or back and one finally seeing the truth. Often distrust another we don’t necessarily need to these moments of clarity lead to greater change know the person (though this is certainly the in one’s life. Often these times of “light” lead to healthiest option), but at least we should base new perspectives on many topics and lead to our decision on the understanding of someone other eureka moments. we do know (and trust) that knows the person it is these moments that i enjoy the most. in question. We should also study the actions the moments when a high school student, a of the person in question. We should trust or college student, an adult worker, etc. finally distrust her or him based on what she or he has understands the truth. the moment when done, is doing or plans to do- barring that she speaking to a big group you can see t people or he has not repented of past ill-doings and finally get it- and you can literally see their has made a positive change. eyes get brighter. the moment when a person We should also consider what people say comes into the office and says I used to think and often more importantly, what they don’t people chose to be homeless, but now i want say. Most people that are really good at looking to fight to end homelessness. The moment good while doing bad things don’t go around that an adult says, i used to hate your paper lying in a way that most people would realize or your organization, now i want to volunteer they are lying. Most people that are most for your organization. the moment a person unworthy of our trust say things that sound finally finds their calling. The moment a good, and these claims may even be true, but person with low-income says enough is these people purposely do not include the rest enough and I believe I can fight back to save of the truth. they purposely do not include the my housing from those that want to take it. truth that will shine light upon their ill deeds. Or the moment a person with high-income We must dig deeper always. We should not says enough is enough, i have too much, i and cannot trust the surface of anything. We need to spread out what i have and i realize should question, study, dissect and challenge. that not everyone has been gifted the same We should ask hard questions. We should opportunities as me. the moment a group of take note when they are not fully answered. people decides to keep pushing forward despite We should not let simple, basic answers about hardship, criticism and continued oppression. important topics suit us. We should demand i especially cherish the moments that we full, deep, comprehensive- and fully truthful realize that the businessperson dealer on the answers. (you should bold this…it is the best corner is probably more trustworthy than the part so far.) businessperson developer politician behind the lifted seat or at the top of the tall building Furthermore, we must consider more than downtown. We must not only stay in the light just simple, literal truth. We must demand we now have, but we must seek out more light. moral truth as well. For example, it is true to We must continually be striving to bring others law to offer to purchase a building in exchange into the same light. Light (truth) breeds life. for the removal of all tenants who live there. �Local Issue 4 St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Street Life Springtime RICCARDO TAYLOR Civil Rights Outreach Coordinator i t’s in the air! the coming of the spring season, like, the dawning of a day brings about many new hopes and dreams for those who have survived the long winter. When the burrs turn into laughter and shouting, the Riccardo Taylor, Civil Rights Outreach Coordinator. Aimie Willhoite Photography streets take on a different tint, the color of life’s metaphors, as all of nature rejuvenates itself. From the conversations, to the actions, which fill the streets, the coming of spring brings a sense of relief as well as new challenges for which the street person must prepare. that sense of a new start is one of joy and anticipation. Or perhaps one of anticipation that can lead to joy, yet, there is always the reality that things are not going to be easy, and this is the way of life on the streets. A fresh start, perhaps one can get some work, it’s always easier when the weather is mild. Lining up at the temporary work hall is easier when you don’t have to be subjected to the extremes of nature! Still there is no guarantee that you will get work today! Yet, one feels much better when they are left out in warmth as opposed to the cold. then as the life of the street person goes there are always those traps that tend to keep the individual in their dilemma. A fresh start, given the new opportunity and all the advantages of the weather there is that veracity of give and take. there will be opportunities for both honesty and immorality of actions. that is to say, a chance to get what one earns or what one can obtain by whatever means. the life of the street is an ever changing and altering world, with the interest of those who live the lifestyle at stake. each individual has to make a choice; by what rules to play, to enhance chances of survival. Oftentimes the easiest way through that is dishonesty or deceit, yet there are those whose hopes and integrity keep them moderate in their decisions, allowing them to have little, yet feeling grateful for what they have. With so much at stake, and the beauty of the season, there are hopes for those who struggle the most. it’s as if this time of year is made specifically for new expectations! A job, somewhere to live perhaps a new relationship all these things have a new meaning at this time of the year. Getting to the reality of such dreams can be as rewarding as actually realizing them. the mere thought that everything is changing for the better can be the very first step in life altering events, which may set the individual on the course for re-establishing their lives. So, we start our journey, looking for the next chapter of our lives, armed with the graces of nature we set our course for the most, never forgetting where we come from, mindful of the cold days of winters past we seek our fortunes in the brightness of the hope that the Spring brings. Congressional Meeting RICCARDO TAYLOR Civil Rights Outreach Coordinator O ur appreciation goes out to Pastor Cook and his very generous wife Leslie Cook, for helping us to realize our obligation and opportunities to become a voice for the community of which we belong. the space provided for us at the First Lutheran Church is a blessing, if you will, for our prospect of fulfilling such obligations, and we are grateful for having two very loving and caring people to assist us in this endeavor. Our fourth meeting was for me a great success, in that we have become established as a group with a purpose and a direction. though i personally had no doubts from the very beginning that we could and would be successful there have been times in the last four months that i felt a bit overwhelmed due to our membership being stymied by individuals leaving the rolls to tend to their lives. the truth is that i thought it would be as simple as one, two, three. All i had to do was bring the opportunity and everyone would jump in board. Well, it is a bit more complicated than that! i have found that it takes a special type of person to give an obligation when they are in a quagmire of life’s requirements. Simply put, it is hard to be responsible when we are at our lowest. the Homeless Congress, in order to have any validity has to be made up of individuals who live in, and understand poverty and homelessness. it has to be consistent with the rules of survival and struggle. to date we have a very solid group of individuals who have those experiences, and i believe, it is for that reason that i can say that i am having a sense of pride for what we have accomplished thus far. So, what exactly have we accomplished? Well, we have organized to the extent that we can act as an independent body, previewing matters that affect those who live the lifestyle, and learning to deduce ideas and suggestions that might make the difference in those lives, and a way to implement those ideas and suggestions. We have proposed two projects that we believe would benefit those living in shelters, and perhaps allow them to start retaking control of their lives. Our first proposal, The Shelter assistant project that would assist new residents with finding and utilizing area resources was put on hold due to conflict of interest but is being revamped. Our second project, the creation of a self- actualization group has but to be proposed (details at a later date). Our idea is to have a round table type of discussion group to bring about exposure for individuals living in shelters. Least i not mention, our target for both projects is the Drop inn Center, it being the areas largest shelter. Well, as not to place the horse before the cart (we have not submitted the proposal yet) i will not detail the particulars of that proposal here. Still, we have hopes for our projects and will keep our readers informed of our progress. the latest of news, again which adds to my feelings of success is the fact that at this meeting we had guests! Five students from the University of Kentucky and two students from the University Of Cincinnati, all of which gave us great reviews. We were very pleased to have them come and sit-in on our meeting and would like to invite the public to join us. “the Homeless Congress again has become a reality and we intend to make a difference.” I would like to finish here by giving all my appreciation to our members for their hard work and dedication. Members • Stephen Gentry • Lee McCoy • James brown • Keith eutsey • Jerry Davis • Pomona White • Susan Lakes • Derrick Prophet You may contact riccardo taylor for information at below listed contact information. riccardo taylor riccardo.taylor@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress. com Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �St r ee t v ib e S Column 5 A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Suggested as a program of recovery “Hammered: Essays on Poverty and Addiction” MICHAEL HENSON Contributing Writer i am not enough of an economist to have any concrete suggestions to solve this nation’s poverty problem, though taxing the rich at a rate commensurate with justice and common sense would be, i believe, a place to start. but i do have an idea on what could help break the link between poverty and addiction, a link by which each reinforces the pain of the other. these are simple steps, using what we already know. We’re not a nation that does a good job of using what we know. For example, we’ve known for years that we are running out of fossil fuels, but we have put a move to renewable energy on the backest burner we can find. The planet might die, but the US Chamber of Commerce won’t stand for a dent in the profits of the companies that pay its dues. but i wander . . . i think there are some simple steps we could take which would ease the pain of each, though they would not eliminate either one. We’re not likely to take any of these steps, so the only point in this exercise is to record my despair. the good Christians who run this country seem to think . . . Do i sound bitter? i have to admit i don’t really know what they think. So i’ll leave the ranting alone for the time and tell you what i think. First, and most importantly, treatment must be free or at low cost. i suppose it is inevitable that we will have a two- (or three- or four-) tier system of treatment, one for those who can afford the Hazelden/betty Ford system, one for the poor, and whatever other levels we can fit in between. I don’t really care as long as what we provide for the poor is decent and the workers who serve them are competent. too much of what is available to the low-income addict or alcoholic now is provided by the criminal justice system or religious affiliated organizations. there are stellar examples of competent treatment in each, but they are not enough. Next, treatment must be available on demand. Many alcoholics and addicts have windows of openness during which treatment can have an impact. if you can’t get them through the hoops and into treatment while that window is open, the window closes. the addict makes whatever adjustment he or she needs to make, the walls go back up, and they turn their interest back to the needs of daily survival. For many in the treatment community, the rigors and complications (and sometimes humiliations) of the intake process are proof of readiness and worthiness so that getting into treatment requires a sort of moral test. We say we don’t believe that addition is a moral issue, but the practice belies our words. if the addict can’t collect the three pieces the agency requires or doesn’t return the phone call at the right time. we say, “He’s not ready.” We don’t say this of the cancer patient. We make treatment available whenever they show up. this is how we should treat the addict/alcoholic. it follows from this that there should be no limit on the number of treatment episodes for any individual. Prior to entering the field, a former supervisor of mine was in treatment nine times! And the last one was a ninety-day in-patient program. i’ve lost track of him, but at last report, he was at the head of a major health care network. What if someone had said, “Sorry, you’ve used up your eight treatment chances.”? What if and twenty dollars. Now, to keep all this together is sometimes simply beyond the capacity of some street alcoholics, who are prey to theft, loss, confiscation by the police. Up to the point of detox, any dollar the street addict can hustle up will usually go for maintenance, to keep from going into detoxification prematurely. A person can get around this by presenting a homeless certificate, which an addict can get by staying in a shelter or working with a homeless outreach worker. then there is the weeklong (or more) game of phone tag in which the individual has to call at precisely the right moment, and if the right moment arrives, has to have his or her three items right at hand. the last time i worked to get an addict into treatment, we had to just about case manage him 24/7, during which time we had a team to help him keep his materials together and his behavior on track. He’s due to graduate from treatment, and looking healthy, but there were a lot of hoops to jump through. Not everyone has such support and not everyone gets the chance to graduate and look good. the important thing to remember is that these are administrative needs, not clinical needs. And they are impediments that do not arise in the treatment of other diseases and other modes of treatment. i have taken heart patients and people with possible pneumonia to hospital emergency rooms with none of these demands. they simply serve the patients. Again, we put a moralistic readiness expectation on the poor addict that se do not put on a traditional medical patient. because this disease is so disruptive of all aspects of life and because poverty depletes the individual of resources to deal with the devastation, the addict or alcoholic entering treatment will need wraparound case management and support services. He or she will need help with employment, getting into school, accessing social security, and accessing housing and medical care and so on. New addicts are being created faster than we can treat those we already have. therefore, we need to implement serious, community-based, prevention and community education programs based on best practices. We need to throw away the old drug boards that “…we need to support community organizations to develop healthy, empowered communities.” someone had said, “You’re not ready.” He might still be helplessly ensnared in addiction. Yet, that is exactly what most insurance policies and hospitals do. One local hospital, for example, recently got out of the detoxification business altogether. but before they did, the rule was three episodes. there is a major misunderstanding of the nature of addiction. it is another way of placing a moral judgment rather than a clinical assessment on the addict. that person who goes to treatment eight times may not take on the ninth time either. but we can’t know unless we try it. We also need to insure that access to services is simple and uncomplicated by unnecessary impediments. to get into detox, an addict typically needs a photo iD issued by the state, a piece of mail with that individual’s name on it, have been shown to actually increase drug and alcohol use. instead, we need to turn to the science-based risk and protective e factor programs that develop genuine relationships and supportive communities. it follows on that that we need to support community organizations to develop healthy, empowered communities. to make all this happen, we need training, so that everyone is on the same page and that page is evidence-based practice. Finally, we need to support the supporters. the people who make all this happen need adequate compensation in the form of wages and benefits. And they need to be able to negotiate the terms of their work. Unlike teachers, we are rarely represented by unions and our wages and benefits reflect this. (And by the way, in this time when public service unions are under attack, did you know that those states whose teachers are represented by unions are also the states whose children score the highest on national tests?) So, how, in a time of tightening budgets, do we pay for all this? For one thing, there is a huge, untaxed economy right under our noses. We could start by legalizing marijuana, taxing it, and using the money for treatment. And then we could tax the rich.Simple justice calls for it, but it’s not likely to happen any time soon. None of the proposals outlined here is liable to happen soon. in fact, the current trend is to cut programs, jobs, and opportunities for treatment. times are about to get tougher for the addict in poverty. As if they weren’t already. Note to Streetvibes Readers: This is the final “Hammered: Essays on Poverty and Addiction” installment. With this column, i will have said what i wanted to say on the issue and i’m ready to sum it up and put it into book form. (Any suggestions for an agent? A publisher?”) but it’s not the end of my writing for StreetVibes. i plan to shift my attention to a series of reviews of books (and maybe films or music) on poverty and homelessness. i’ll look at some new books, but some old books as well. (Wasn’t Odysseus just another homeless veteran?) i hope to start with a new release from bottom Dog Press of the poetry of Daniel thompson. Any other suggestions? You can reach me at michaelhenson642@ gmail.com �Social Justice 6 St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 RIGHT to the City The plan to push people from the city because they are homeless and/ or financially poor. WESTERN REGIONAL ADVOCACY PROJECT i n recent years, Henri Lefebvre’s concept of the “right to the City” has been adopted by a growing movement of human rights oriented organizations, policy makers, and activists around the globe (tides 2007; David 2003; Lefebvre 1996; Ortiz 2006). the initial drafts of a World Charter on the right to the City was first elaborated by global social movement actors at the Social Forum of the Americas in July 2004 and the World Urban Forum in September 2004. this document declares the right of all people to the city, not only as an economic location, but as a social, cultural, and democratic space. the charter claims that “the core element of [the right to the city] is the equitable usufruct of the cities considering the principles of sustainability and social justice” (Charter 2004). reinforcing this World Charter on the right to the City have been a series of other official statements such as the European Charter for Safeguarding Human rights in the City, the european Charter for equality of Women and Men in local life, and the City Statute of brazil. in addition campaigns of global social movement organizations such as the Habitat international Coalition have been formed to advance the right to the City framework (HiC 2008) Since 2005, UNeSCO and UN-HAbitAt have also held a series of international convenings oriented around the right to the City. in a joint statement explaining the objectives of their rightto the City initiative, UNeSCO and UN-HAbitAt (2005) declared that “the time has now come for governments to shift from a needs-based approach to a rights-based approach. in a rapidly urbanizing world, such an approach means that all citizens should benefit from what cities have to offer in terms of access to income generating opportunities, land and housing, water and sanitation, education and health care. recognition of this right in national policies and legislation is critical to bringing about a fundamental change in our approach to sustainable development. A rights-based approach can help generate the political will and to create a culture of resource allocation that places the needs of the poor on an equal footing with the interests of those that are better off.” in January 2007, the right to the City movement found footing in the United States. base building community organizations from across the country came together to form a national right to the City Alliance (Perera 2008). bound together in the struggle for economic, social, and racial justice, the alliance seeks to connect urban “fights against gentrification and displacement to other local and international struggles for human rights, land, and democracy” (RTC 2008). The alliance has identified a number of principles of unity including: freeing land from market speculation, public ownership of urban territory, economic justice, indigenous justice, environmental justice, freedom from police and state harassment, immigrant justice, sufficient services and infrastructure, democratic planning and governance, reparations for exploitation, international solidarity, and justice for rural people. in addition to this international movements advancing the right to the City, throughout the last two decades urban scholars have demonstrated how neoliberal cities have increasingly turned to repressive measures to keep urban poor and homeless people out of view in public space (Smith 1998,1996; roy 2003; Mitchell 1997, 1998, 2003; Hackworth 2007). they have examined both how the rights and public presence of poor people have been diminished in urban centers, as well as poor people’s struggles and organizations which have emerged to fight this situation. the most recent and full scale assessment in this literature was Don Mitchell’s recent book, which also following Lefebvre was titled, “the right to the City” (Mitchell 2003). the archetypical example of homeless people being removed from public space in the United States was in Giuliani’s New York. However, the displacement of homeless people from public urban spaces, especially downtown areas, has occurred throughout the country over the last couple of neoliberal decades. in addition to the academic literature capturing this reality, grassroots homeless advocacy organizations and Washington policy groups have also documented attempts by city leaders and business interests to sweep homeless people out of public spaces through anti-homeless legislation, police sweeps, and so-called “quality-of-life laws” (NLCHP 1996; NCH 2004, 2007; WrAP 2008). However, one crucial issue has generally been missed by the urban literature examining the relationship between homeless people and urban public space: the business improvement District model. indeed, in the last 20 years, there is perhaps no other single innovation in the governance of urban space that has had as substantial an effect on the management of downtown areas than business improvement Districts (biDs). through an examination of the relationship between biDs and homeless people in the contemporary United States, this paper will draw together the growing global social movement promoting the right to the City and the urban studies literature examining struggles over the presence of homeless people in urban public space… Sweeping Homeless People From Public Spaces to understand contemporary battles over the presence of homeless people in public space in the United States, it is useful to quick- ly recount the rise of the contemporary wave of massive homelessness in the United States. in the 1980s, homelessness re-emerged in the nation at levels not seen since the Great Depression (burt 1992; Kusmer 2003; Jencks 1994). by the late 1990s it was estimated that each night at least 840,000 men, women, and children across the nation were without a home (NLCHP 2004). All together, between 2.3 and 3.5 million people, including 1.35 million children, were likely to experience homelessness in a given year (institute 2000). this contemporary wave of homelessness resulted in part from broad processes of capitalist reconfiguration, deindustrialization, and urban transformation (bluestone and bennett 1982; Noy Forthcoming). the primary political context for this resurgence of homelessness was the rise of extreme free-market rhetoric, supply side economics, and anti-welfare ideology initiated under reagan and continued through the Clinton presidency and into the present (Lyoncallo 2004; WrAP 2006). reagan decimated public housing construction and subsidization programs, and these programs have never regained their pre-1980 strength (Dolbeare, Saraf, and Crowley 2004). reagan also seriously undermined other important safety net programs, such as community mental health centers – the system which was supposed to replace mental hospitals after deinstitutionalization (beigel 1982; Cutler, bevilacqua, and McFarland 2003; Scherl and Schmetzer 1989). Despite a number of efforts made to address homelessness on the local and national level, these efforts were never more than a drop in the bucket compared to the social welfare cuts initiated by reagan (Noy Forthcoming). Homelessness remained steady and even became a sort of normalized backdrop of everyday life (Hopper 1998; Marcuse 1988; Penner and Penner 1994). However, although normalized, homelessness was not accepted by those who felt that the presence of homeless people in urban areas, and especially downtown districts, was hurting the quality of life and inhibiting business. in cities throughout the United States, as the federal government failed to adequately address homelessness nationally since the 1980s, the visibility of homeless people increasingly became an See Right to the City Pg. 7 �St r ee t v ib e S Social Justice 7 A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 RIGHT To The City Continued from page 6 important concern for business and political elites (Sommer 2000; Noy Forthcoming). the turn to neoliberal policies and neoliberal economic restructuring also served as a primary context that shaped the response to the increased visibility of homeless people in urban areas (Mitchell 2003; Gibson 2004; roy 2003; Smith 1996; Sassen 1990). in the deindustrialized, post-Fordist economy, cities face tremendous pressure to create clean and shiny locales which will attract hyper-mobile capital and wealthy tourists – and homeless people are seen as standing in the way of that (Mitchell 1997, 1998, 2003). At the same time, cities are under ideological pressure to adopt an approach to governance framed by neoliberal principles and controlled by external agencies, such as bond rating institutions (Hackworth 2007). As a result cities have sought to turn urban space into a commodified spectacle for the wealthy and the privileged, and to exclude the visible signs of poverty from view (Smith 1996; Mitchell 2003). Cities have employed a number of strategies to try to sanitize public spaces from homeless presence – quality of life laws, anti-panhandling ordinances, banning soup kitchens and other public feeding programs, police sweeps, homeless courts, anti-camping, sitting, and lying ordinances to name a few (NCH 2007; Smith 1998; WrAP 2008). However, one important institution for controlling public space that has often been overlooked in analysis both of the public presence of homelessness and more generally by the right to the City literature is the business improvement District. Overview of BIDS business improvement Districts (biDs) are a marriage of two redevelopment approaches –the financing authority of a redevelopment agency and the targeted efforts of an enterprise zone. An authoritative definition of BIDs has yet to be accepted by academics, planners, and business people. Generally, however, a biD is a legally-recognized territorial subdivision within a city in which all property owners or businesses are subject to an additional tax assessment that is collected by the city and reallocated to the biD operating agency. the agency then uses the funds to provide services and capital improvements within the district (Garodnick 2000). biDs often represent a city’s downtown region and vary greatly in size. A 1995 survey of 23 biDs found the size of a biD to be approximately 20 square blocks on average and range from 1 square block to 300 square blocks (Partnership 1995). biDs provide services to supplement those delivered by the municipal government. Specific services vary from one BID to another, but standard functions include: Capital Improvements: installing pedestrian-scale lighting and street furniture; planting trees and shrubbery. Consumer Marketing: producing festivals and events; coordinating sales promotions; producing maps and newsletters. Economic Development: offering incentives (such as tax abatements or loans) to new and expanding businesses. Maintenance: collecting rubbish; removing litter and graffiti; washing sidewalks; shoveling snow; trimming trees. Parking and Transportation: managing a public parking system; maintaining transit shelters. Policy Advocacy: promoting public policies to the community; lobbying government on behalf of business interests. Public Space Regulation: managing sidewalk vending; discouraging panhandling; controlling vehicle loading. Security: providing supplementary security guards; buying and installing electronic security systems; working with the city police force. Social Services: aiding homeless people; providing job training; supplying youth services. A primary appeal of biDs to commercial merchants is that the biD property tax ensures that all property owners are locked into a payment scheme, avoiding the classic worry about free-riding in which only a few pay for the improvement projects and programs that create benefit for all in the area. Created by state legislatures, biDs claim to solve problems of urban blight and safety, and to promote business in downtown cores, in ways that local government cannot (Leigh 2003). they are classic neo-liberal public-private partnerships (Goode 2006). Usually run by a community board representing the area, power within biDs is generally tilted towards corporate interests. Most biD governance structures weight the votes of business and property owners more heavily than those of residential tenants. District decisions are therefore generally skewed in favor of business and property owners even when outnumbered by residential tenants. For example, a 1995 court case involving a New York city biD revealed that only one biD board member represented 930 residential tenants while 242 property owners had 31 representatives (Garodnick 2000) While some people credit biDs with the revival of urban centers, their prevalence has provoked controversy. Critics accuse biDs of exacerbating the divide between those with money and those without by allowing the secession of wealthy areas from the overall city governance (Davies 1997). Michael Sandel (1996: 311) argues, “as municipal services decline in urban areas, residents and businesses in upscale districts manage to insulate themselves from the effects by assessing themselves surtaxes to provide private garbage collection, street cleaning, and police protection unavailable to the city as a whole.” Others criticize biDs as patrolling public space on behalf of merchants and wealthy residents, while excluding poor and homeless people from their area (MacDonald 1996). Still others criticize biDs as fundamentally anti-democratic institutions which replace local government and community oversight with rule by businesses on behalf of their interests (WrAP 2008). BIDs and Homeless People A primary focus of biDs is public safety and the deterrence of crime. business owners see area improvements undertaken by biDs as conveying the message to visitors, potential residents and potential businesses that the district is “clean and safe.” they therefore see biDs as reducing crime in accordance with the “broken Windows” theory (Hoyt 2005). the broken Windows theory posits that allowing indications of disorder to remain unaddressed, such as a broken window or trash in an alley, demonstrates a loss of social control in a neighborhood (Wilson and Kelling 1982; Skogan 1999). this then fosters crime, especially as criminals actively seek out such neglected areas as a place to engage in deviant activities (Hoyt 2005). biDs, therefore, seek to reduce crime by making cosmetic and capital improvements to their districts. in addition to these cosmetic improvements, biDs also seek to reduce crime by engage in direct private security patrols over their areas. Private security has been a rapidly growing industry in the United States. the last thirty years have seen a per capita decline in public police officers and, at the same time, a substantial per capita increase in private security guards. A 1995 estimate claimed that there were roughly 3 private security guards for every public police officer in the United States (Greene, Seamon, and Levy 1995). Private security is generally much cheaper than sworn police officers. Private security guards are under less public regulation and oversight, and are less well trained. Correspondingly, they also possess less authority. the primary function of private biD security is to uphold the public perception of safety in their area by having a noticeable policing force on the streets. Private biD security generally takes on one of two forms. The first form of security is a team of “ambassadors.” Ambassadors usually roam the area wearing brightly-colored uniforms and are supposed to provide a welcoming smile (Hoyt 2005). Sometimes, the word “security” is printed on the back of the uniform to convey authority. While the role of ambassadors will vary from one biD to the next, it generally involves assisting visitors and looking out for suspect behavior. the second form of private biD security is the more traditional-looking security guard. Often times, security guard uniforms are intentionally designed to closely resemble that of the local police force, emitting a stronger sense of authority. the legal authority of ambassadors and security guards is the same. in public spaces, private security has no more authority in securing an environment than does a private citizen. For example, the only kind of arrest they can perform is a citizen’s arrest, which can be made only when the arresting citizen personally witnesses a felony. everyday citizens may be unaware that a biD’s private security lacks legal authority. regardless of whether a biD relies on private security or police officers, it likely maintains a close relationship with the local police department – possibly even providing a storefront out of which the police department operates a substation. in the absence of private security, biD members will call the police dispatch directly to report suspicious activities. even with a private biD security force, these employees are generally not trained or equipped to handle difficult or potentially dangerous situations, and therefore must rely on local police in such circumstances. Homeless advocacy groups accuse biD private security of intimidating, bullying, and abusing homeless people. Some have gone so far as to accuse biDs of primarily existing in order to remove homeless people from visibility, and to enforce restrictions on public space (WrAP 2008). in 2005, the Los Angeles Community Action Network created a campaign “to take direct action to end fast-growing patterns of abuse [perpetrated] against poor and homeless residents by…biD security guards” (LAGC 2005). the campaign included videotaping and private patrols to monitor the excessive use of force and violation of civil rights by biDs. in Los Angeles County, several homeless people also filed law suits against See Right to the City Pg. 15 �National News 8 St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush talks about women’s rights and the environment Sophia Bush has long been famous for her role as Brooke Davis in the long running US television show One Tree Hill. Yet, Bush has done much more; she’s an icon for women’s rights and fights to change young girls’ body image . She also used her stardom to bring attention to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the lack Sophia Bush attends the 17th annual Race to Erase MS gala in Los Angeles May 7, 2010. REUTERS/ Phil McCarten of clean drinking water around the world. Time for an interview. on in their national politics, to the news, most beautiful, they have that quality - people DANIELLE OLSEN Spare Change News (USA) www.streetnewsservice.org r ecently you put together a CD, Gasoline rainbows, in which the proceeds will go to the clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. What was it like putting together that compilation? SOPHiA bUSH: We sort of had a revelation, like “Why do just one song? Why not do an album?” You see celebrity playlists on itunes and you see how well soundtracks do when they’re great. People love albums when they are filled with great artists. So we thought, why not make an album that benefits? It’s so simple to distribute music digitally, there’s no carbon footprint, we’re not using any plastic, any paper. We’re not creating any waste, we’re just getting people great music and raising great money all the while. it was a really incredible experience and then to see all the bands who got so passionate about it. to have bands that don’t need to give music away, like black eyed Peas and vampire Weekend say, ‘Oh, yeah, you can totally have songs,’ and then to have Damien rice give us an unreleased track, and to have City and Colour write us a song that is so haunting and so beautiful about what happened when the rig exploded - i mean, it’s kind of an out of body experience to have it all happen. before i forget, we’re very, very lucky to have been able to partner with Dine Alone records. None of us know anything about putting an album together and Dine Alone was such an amazing champion for our cause and really just helped us make it happen. Without them i think we wouldn’t have made it. DANieLLe OLSeN: You are not just involved in issues in the Gulf; what are some other foundations or causes you are passionate about? SOPHiA bUSH: Oh, god, you know, it’s interesting because i think it all relates. i’m very passionate about what’s going on with women’s rights around the world, and once you start looking at statistics you start getting educated. You find that when women are educated it impacts their communities, it impacts their children, it impacts their family, it impacts their environment. i think anyone who is concerned with the development of the world and protecting females should read Kristof’s book, Half the Sky. it will absolutely blow your mind. i spend a lot of time looking at what’s going on with women and also looking at what’s going on with young people. i think i’ve had a really incredible year connecting with youth in America, and around the world, and really tried to start a movement getting kids encouraged to take care of their environment no matter where they are and to pay attention to what’s going to take care of themselves and to be aware of what they’re putting in their bodies. When you watch new things and you start researching factory farming it’s just all interconnected. it seems so incredibly important when you’re discussing what it is that we are putting in our bodies and putting into our environment. With our food industries, water is so crucial and important and it’s been really wonderful to do some work with Charity Water and you take it for granted living in the US, being able to get clean water out of your tap at any moment, any day, and there are people around the world who have to walk miles and miles at risk of physical harm and death just to get water that isn’t even clean to begin with. So i think it’s a really eyeopening process when you start to look at the world around you and take your blinders off. DANieLLe OLSeN: Do you have any plans to get involved in aiding Japan? SOPHiA bUSH: i’ve been doing a lot of tweeting and sending out every donation link that I can find. We’ve all been donating to the red Cross and i think it’s just going to be incredibly important. it’s very simple, very easy rather, when the sort of initial shock of something like this wanes for people to not stay involved but it’s going to take some time as that country starts to get itself back together to even see what they need. i think it’s incredibly important to stay active and to stay on top of it because, maybe, i don’t know if it’s going to be a food drive. i don’t know if it’s going to be donations. i don’t know if it’s going to be clothing drives. What is it going to be that we can do? i really think that we need to keep on top of the situation, and as we get information, continue donating and continue staying active and showing our support. they are really going to need it for a long time. DANieLLe OLSeN: You recently spoke out against a pro-anorexia Urban Outfitters t-shirt. As a woman and fashion icon many young girls look up to, why do you think it was so important for you to say something to your fans? SOHPiA bUSH: i think it’s an absolutely ludicrous idea that beauty only fits in one box. You look at history; look at who are our most beautiful, iconic women in the world and they’re all different shapes and sizes and colors and heights. There is no one definition and yet I get that everyone, most everyone in the world, looks at Giselle and goes, ‘Oh my god, she’s so amazing.’ there are also people who look at her and don’t get it. So why her? there are people who love that body type but there are people who look at that body type and go, ‘eh,’ and who look at a super curvy, short girl and go, ‘That’s what I like.’ There is no one definition of beauty. You know the people that are the say she has “it.” the French say that it’s ‘je ne sais quoi,’ - it’s something special and it’s confidence. It’s a sort of ownership of self. It doesn’t matter what measurement is around our thigh, it matters what you put out into the world. it matters how many times a day you smile; and are you good to the people in your life. Are you good to the people you work with; are you good to your family and your friends? Are you good to your community? those are the things that make a person beautiful. So, yeah, I find it outrageous that a company that caters particularly to young women would say, ‘Hey, eat less. You’ll feel better about yourself.’ Absolutely not. DANieLLe OLSeN: March was international Woman’s Month; how far do you think women’s rights have come? SOHPiA bUSH: i think in some areas we’re doing a great job but i also think that we haven’t come quite as far as we think we have when you still look at the difference between paychecks for men and women in the same field. People kind of roll their eyes and say, ‘Oh, that’s so feminist of you.’ but i find it really irritating when guys are teasing their guy friends and they’re saying, ‘C’mon, man up, don’t be a pussy.’ it’s like, really? it’s a vulgar, pornographic term out there for a women’s anatomy, and that’s what you call a guy who isn’t man enough? Why? Where did that come from? it seems like not a big deal at the end of the day; i hear it all the time and i understand that it’s not. but when you really start to think about what the subtext of it means, it’s interesting. i see it every day. i’m a woman who works at a job that is mostly populated by men. Most of the film set is made up of men and i watch the way that the people relate to each other, i watch the way that they make comments about women on the set and i work with lovely people and i pick up on things that i don’t think are 100 percent awesome all the time. i think it’s important to really make sure that we’re reinforcing, especially from a young age, respect for women. When you think that one of the most powerful things that men can do is put us down, that’s obviously because we’re incredibly powerful if we’re built up. it’s something we need to know and women need to own. if you’re going to get called a bitch for standing up for yourself, for being educated, for having opinions and for using your voice, then fine, let them call you a bitch. If a man was doing any of those things he would be complimented and they’d say, ‘Oh you know, he’s really got balls, he’s really strong, he’s really assertive.’ but a woman who’s assertive immediately gets sort of categorized as difficult. i don’t agree, i say go ahead, be loud, make See Sophia Bush Pg. 9 �National News St r ee t v ib e S A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 9 Sophia Bush Continued from Page 8 them listen to you. DANieLLe OLSeN: Your character on One tree Hill, fashion designer brooke Davis started a campaign called ‘Zero is Not A Size.’ Do you believe fashion such as this can have a positive impact on the world? SOPHiA bUSH: i do, and part of what i really appreciated about that, and part of the reason i still appreciate the message behind ‘zero is not a size,’ is that it doesn’t make any sense. there’s no universal size chart. i own clothes that are a range of sizes. it’s like “Well, okay, this company has these sizes, that company has those sizes. Oh for this designer i can wear a sample but for that one I could never fit into a sample.” It’s like, “Well my body is not changing every time i put on a different dress, for sure. it’s the way that they are cut.” So what does it even mean? What does it mean to be a size zero? What does it mean to be a size four, a size ten? it doesn’t mean anything. Again, i don’t believe that beauty fits into one box and I don’t think that it matters. I think that if you’re healthy, if you take care of yourself and enjoy your life, that the number on the tag in your sweater should not be what defines you. DANieLLe OLSeN: On your blog you often talk about products that help to make a difference. What is your favorite that you’ve talked about that you think everyone should be using? SOPHiA bUSH: i think it’s incredibly important to look at the little things in your home. People don’t consider that the same water that goes down the sink when you do the dishes is the water that you filter, that then comes out of your faucet, that you’re drinking. So think about it, what kind of detergent you use and what kind of dish soap are you using? What kind of chemicals are you pouring down the drain that then have to be filtered in order for you to drink that water? How well are they really filtered? It’s an important thing to look at. So for me, it’s really about using eco-friendly, clean products in my house that don’t make me nervous going down the drain. Again, really eliminating bottled water waste. i mean god, the amount of plastic they use that’s totally unnecessary. bottled water is not as regulated as tap water. So in thinking about all the things that could be in your tap, those are all the things that can be in your bottled water and they say it’s from an exotic locale when it isn’t. Why are you paying all this money? Why are you wasting all this plastic? it is part of the reason i blogged about the Water bobble. i love the idea of that so very much. So often people say, ‘Oh well you know i’m using my brita at home and yes of course i’ll drink tap water but if i have to go somewhere and use a water fountain, i don’t know if that’s filtered. I’ll just go buy a bottle of water.’ Well, take your filter with you. Take your filter, take your bottle and never use a plastic bottle again. DANieLLe OLSeN: Do you feel a duty to use your celebrity to spread word about important issues? SOPHiA bUSH: A duty? No. No, i mean, i think there are plenty of people who don’t care to use their platforms. For me, it’s just a no brainer. it’s something i’ve always cared about, something that mattered to me and for a long time i didn’t want to open up that box. You really don’t know what’s going to come out at you; it is a bit of a Pandora’s box, this whole world of social media and personal exposure. Particularly when you do what i do, which is go to work and you play someone else everyday. I wonder if I’m finally starting to put too much of myself out there will people be able to believe the character that i play? i really believe that we can change things. i really believe that all our little voices can build up into something enormous and powerful and I just figure, “You know, screw it.” i have to do this. it’s in my heart and it’s what matters to me more than my career. it is what matters to me more than anything. FEED ME SEYMOUR, FEED ME ALL NIGHT LONG! Jeni Jenkins, Staff Writer The title of this column is taken from the 1986 film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this column is for people who feed on plants!! WALNUT BROCCOLI STIRFRY Don’t miss this delish dish ! 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup walnuts 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups broccoli florets 1 cup carrots 3 packages ramen noodles 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce 1 cup of veggie broth 2 tablespoons soy sauce LOREM Aliquam blandit Praesent molestie lorem IPSUM Ante magna vehicula Sed turpis 1 20oz can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice un-drained 2 teaspoons ground ginger •Sauté garlic and walnuts in oil over medium high heat, about 2 minutes •Add the broccoli and carrots •Cook on medium heat until tender, about 4-5 minutes •In a bowl mix together the veggie broth, chili sauce, soy sauce and ginger •Add mixture and pineapple chunks with juice to veggies and bring to a boil. •Break ramen noodles in half and mix into the veggies. •Cook on medium heat about 4 minutes or until noodles are tender. •Voila, FEED! Etiam ac libero �10 Story and Poetry Now I Give to Thee! eLiSA HiLL Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor Damn, I have a space in my throat that just won’t let me scream. I try to weep to keep myself from going fucking insane. Most times I don’t even know what is going on in everybody else’s life. Yet and still, I am always treated as the outcast, now pass the pipe. I’ve tried to give of myself in and unselfish way. Only to be torn down and treated like less than a damn slave. It makes you lose your self esteem. That anything that you could be in this life, is nothing in there site. I have tried hoping that there is one damn person who feels me worthy to be alive. Only to look the fuck around and see that there is no one sitting by my side. Cry tears, for what? They only make it worse, now I feel that I am forever cursed. I feel like I have no love, no life, no hope and no real plight. God please save me! What am I doing here just filling in for empty space. Even he regrets my presence because; I just seem to get in his way. How can this be when I am especially made? I am a blessing that you my God gave to this life! I am a bright star burning throughout the verses. I flow demolishing misconceptions and misunderstood purposes. Lord, I do have a great will to live and I know what it takes to survive. I won’t let them to continue to do this to me. I will believe in myself and know that soon, you my father, will provide. Then like a surprise snow ball to the side of my face. I hear my God say, “now I give to thee!” The Prediction WiLLA DeNiSe JONeS Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor What would you do if you could predict your every tomorrow? Remembering that tomorrow never comes it’s always today, now that can bring some sorrow Thinking of the changes that the people of the world are being subjected too Remembering the day of the past is what I’ll always cherish for thinking today can be awe so cruel Today there is a complete new set of words we as a people must learn Words like: Shut em down, unemployment rising, evictions and homelessness, now I’m concerned So do you believe that we could make a change in this world If we could predict our future? Believe me being a democrat, a republican or a socialist we all come up a loser Believe that this is God’s world; somehow, the world seems to have forgotten Believe if we as mankind don’t come back to God we’ll all be lost, burned up and then turn rotten To be able to predict tomorrow or for me to be a psychic honestly is not my choice Now predict the readings of the bible about God’s return I believe it’s time for the politicians to heed to God’s voice!!! St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Where Do Your Children Eat? buddy gray Excellent work crew today Spring Street Republic Street 13th Street Peete Street. I brought in 2 children, boy 13, girl 10 who helped on work crew… boy cut his foot, so we carried him “home” to DIC to patch up minor cut. We invited them to eat lunch. They ate coffee with one inch of sugar in cup and 4 creams… He said it helps them “keep going” because they don’t eat every day at their house. The girl’s (his cousin) family had doubled up with his family 8-10 people in two rooms. He said he’s used to it. He gave up his bead for his Aunt and her kids. He was not nasty, angry or bitter. The girl (age 10) said her family had moved away from Millvale because of drug dealers and shootings she had seen. The boy (age 13) said he could make it, he had learned how to go often 3 days without food. She asked me “where my children eat.” He and she were not bitter about sharing their little with too many others. What kind of Country do we live in? We just lost 79 American soldiers lives to conduct an aerial bombing of a small, under developed country – killing 500,000 to 750,000 people, many as retreating soldiers and making several million people homeless and starving, dying of polluted water, disease. What kind of Country spends $200 B to annihilate another tiny nation of people, men, women and children while one of its own children, going hungry regularly for 2 or 3 days asks a homeless shelter worker the fundamental, simple, honest question: March 30, 1991--Written 20 years ago, yet the problem is not better, it is worse. More children without homes and more money spent on war. We steal life all around us. �Reflections St r ee t v ib e S 11 A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Continued From Page 1 Questions Matter MOLLY BRAZIER Anthropology t his semester has been emotionally challenging, academically lax, and intellectually expansive. I learned how to barter over fish and asparagus at Findlay market. i have practiced the art of declining cat calls, navigating one-ways, saying no to cocaine, and i like to think i have done my part in helping out a small non-profit. i have been given the time to grapple with some Back to Front: Nathan DeVore; Molly Brazier; Jose Gutierrez. Natalie Otrembiak, Student Photographer Why? KAT ROOSEN Architecture came to Over-the-rhine with culturally experienced eyes, but a very rudimentary understanding of the social, economic and political forces that act on urban society. i have travelled to many countries around the world, have seen all types of poverty and excessive wealth, and political, economic and social systems. being from Detroit, i know how destitute some inner cities have become. because of these factors i cannot honestly say that i was really shocked by anything i encountered on the streets of Over-the-rhine. What really got me this semester, though, was learning about why things are the way they are and how the community has come together to combat those forces. Over the course of the semester, i learned more than i have ever learned about the creation of the ghetto, welfare, poverty, the interconnectivity of race and class, gentrification, mixed-income housing and lastly, community. I was baffled by how much had been going on in these realms of which i had simply never heard, to which i had never been exposed. I find this incredibly disturbing because i have come to realize how invaluable this knowledge is, how important it is to understand the urban core, especially if you want to work or live there, which is what i want to do i hope to eventually return to Detroit and work in the innercity. the semester has become irreplaceable in that it has taught i big issues that–while generally aware of–i have never been able to tackle face-to-face. i have single handedly witnessed the complexities and emotions of what people call “gentrification.” I have re-evaluated my own career path as my understanding of American economics has expanded and i have processed and reprocessed my ability to cope with the realities of the world while negotiating my own place within it. What has really gone on here has been a process of growth. it came, i think, in different moments of inspiration, of depression, of hopelessness, of stubbornness, and reflection. Never before have i helped a homeless woman—drunk and laying in her own pee—off of the sidewalk and given her something to eat and rush off to class in the hope that she would recover. Never before have i felt threatened by the presence of a group of men walking behind me, their taunts growing louder and more vulgar as i clenched a key between my knuckles and sped up. Never before has my whiteness or class been called out on a daily basis, marking me as an outsider, as a minority, or as a threat to a community feeling the pressure of change. there were times this semester i felt overwhelmed with a growing sense of emotional overload followed by a personal distancing of myself from the need i was consistently exposed to. Coming home from the Contact Center, which has no money and yet continues to fight against poverty, only to go to class and learn about the injustices our world faces and then walk home through a neighborhood filled with need was at times difficult. there were days when i spent all my intern time interviewing people who were in desperate need of healthcare or could not afford to take care of their families. Then, when finally having the spare time to grapple with these issues, i was so overwhelmed with emotion i felt like all i wanted to do was take me many of the skills i will eventually need when i return to my hometown. it has taught me the importance of true community, meaning the value of loving your neighbors and allowing community to flourish within and out of its own self. it is as if trying too hard to create a community ruins it and tends to end in the exclusion of certain people, something i have witnessed here in Over-the-rhine. i hope to never forget this and use this knowledge to foster community in my own life. the interview i had with Al rohs taught me how valuable it is to connect with people. He has become such an influential figure in Over-The-Rhine for the simple fact that he listens and helps everyone. As i leave this place, i hope to never forget the things i have learned here. i plan on returning from time to time, so that i may witness how Over-the-rhine continues to grow and change and how true community continues to thrive in the streets of Over-therhine. in every way imaginable, including random encounters, new friendships, and an abundance of information, this semester has made me confident in my ability to create change. i am now overloaded with information about the city, which has forced me to create my own opinions about the information we have discussed. i am now confident and capable of having an intellectual conversation with others about urban society and providing support for my arguments when challenged. My understanding of the world has grown substantially and i credit this residency Program with pushing me to the edge of my beliefs. See Reflictions Pg. 13 myself away from it. How do you tell a generation of children suffering from poor school systems, who have never been told they have the ability to go to college, that education is the key to their success? How do you reach out to the political powers of our State from the office of a place that cannot afford to buy computer paper? Is gentrification really the only solution to a community crippled by high poverty? Who defines when a community is of mixed-income? Will mixed-income, in and of itself, save the poor from their poorness? in a world where capital is king, should we be fighting gentrification or the deeper systematic injustices that have worked to fuel it? Where does one begin, and in what capacity, to take a stand? i do not have all of the answers to these questions. but by living here and experiencing life here, i have expanded my understanding of just how the solutions to these problems may be procured. Sitting at the fundraising dinner for the Coalition for the Homeless, surrounded by the faces of people i have worked with throughout the neighborhood, i saw in a moment what change looks like. Here in a room filled with long-time community activists, grant writers, sponsors, donors, college students, and a myriad of others in between, i was in the midst of community development. through these people, words become actions. ideas become movement. energy becomes change. i am very thankful for my time here. i will forever remain connected in an attempt to live beyond my own individual existence. i will continue to tell others the important lessons that i have learned here. And wherever my career path leads, i will maintain awareness and a connectedness to those less fortunate so that i may forever be humbled by the bigness of the world. the people i have met have been truly inspiring, challenging, and moving.  |        �12 International News St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Momentum grows in call for hemp to be legalized in South Africa An increasing number of South Africans are throwing their weight behind a call for hemp to be made legal in the country, which supporters say will help create jobs and provide housing for South Africa’s poor. tOM riCHeLL The Big Issue (South Africa) www.streetnewsservice.org S upport for an online petition entitled “Hemp Now”, calling for the immediate legalization of industrial hemp, has snowballed with more than 300 signatories and more signing on by the day. the Hemp Now campaign wants hemp - a type of cannabis plant that does not have the intoxicating tHC compound found in cannabis that is smoked or ingested to “get high” - to be legalized for its 50,000 recorded uses, including clothing, eco-friendly building materials and paper. Hemp seed and oil is also rich in vitamins and the Omega 3 and 6 essential Hemp Now spokesperson, Tony Budden, dressed in a hemp material shirt, against a “hempcrete” wall fatty acids, leading advocates to label it a “super food”. holding hemp hurds (housing insulation). The Big Issue South Africa/Pippa Ehrlich tony budden, spokesperson for Hemp Now and a partner in Hemporium, which imports hemp for use in across South Africa to join the 28 countries worldwide that have already South Africa, said: “As a company that has been manufacturing and legalized the growth of the plant for industrial purposes. selling hemp products for 15 years, Hemporium is tired of having to the campaign also emphasizes that it wants to put an end to “botaniimport our raw material and supporting the industry in other countries, cal racism”, arguing that hemp is unfairly viewed as a drug whereas it when we can see how it has the potential to provide jobs, houses has no intoxicating effects and its legalization would and nutrition to create a more sustainable economy and a “Hemporium is tired of having to import our help - three very green future for South Africa. necessary and raw material and supporting the industry in the clout the petition will have is still unknown, but under-supplied is hoping for long-term positive results: “the other countries, when we can see how it has the budden components petition is part of a larger movement that is currently of our society. potential to provide jobs, houses and nutrition” building a lot of momentum with regards to hemp in Hemp can do South Africa. it is effective in giving a voice to supthis in a way porters of hemp who often feel frustrated by the stagthat benefits the environment too, and we feel South Africa has the ponation of hemp research and don’t have a way of communicating their tential to become a world leader in the ethical and environmental hemp opinions regarding this valuable resource.” industry.” For more information, visit: www.hempnow.co.za the Hemp Now petition calls for hemp to be legalized immediately Reflections Continued from pages 1 and 11 Becoming Myself ASHLeY KiNCAiD Architecture i am not the person i was when i swung open the gate at 1324 race St. in August. that girl was quiet, scared, and certain she knew what she wasn’t. i could never let anyone see this. i was eternally fearful of saying, doing, or believing the wrong things. i never wanted to offend or make anyone feel uncomfortable. but something happened. i was uncomfortable. My domes of Oakwood and Oxford had been lifted, but it felt as if they had been violently ripped away from me. I smiled on the sidewalk and floated through classes with an air of intention and belonging, but once i was safely alone, i was broken. i was not experiencing what i was supposed to. On the surface, everyone else assimilated into this community flawlessly. They felt comfortable. they loved this place and wanted to stay. i couldn’t let anyone see that i felt differently. then, in a moment of weakness i had a realization: i am not anyone but myself. it was silly to think i was meant to experience this semester the same way as others. in that moment, everything changed. i let myself experience and mourn the pain around me, the homelessness, the hopelessness, the hurt. this place they call Over-the-rhine is more than beautiful architecture; it is more than politics and policy. this place is community; it is people and children, lives and mistakes. There are people who are fighting through everyday, and then there are those that have given in and given up. i have to admit, sometimes it was very hard to walk into studio and feel that i was making a difference. the only things evident and tangible were the calluses, scabs, and aches. In a very selfish way, I wanted people to know what i was doing and why i was doing it. every time i was asked what i was doing down in Over-the-rhine, my answer was automatic and technical: living down here, architecture credit, construction, service-learning. these things were not what i was experiencing or feeling, but they were the easiest to verbalize. What was i doing in Over-the-rhine? i was breaking out of my comfort zone, slowly and painfully. i was helping, with every swing of the hammer and every piece of flooring. In the end, I was a small part of something beautiful. Not just the obvious, visual beauty of the space at 1300 vine. but the beauty of the effect that this Program had in its short run. As students we were stretched. We were challenged, we were taught, we were changed. i will never forget Over-the-rhine. i will never forget the faces and stories that i passed in my paint-covered yoga pants everyday. i will never forget the professors that showed their raw passion for the untold tragedies of this place. i will never forget the family that we formed, with our inside jokes that make no sense and our ability to say a thousand words with a glance. When i started this semester, i was always open to listening to others beliefs and problems, but i don’t think i ever let them affect me. i was set in my ways.if i had to choose one word to describe my semester it would be: affected. i am affected to my very core and i hope that even the smallest piece of this community is affected because of my presence. See Reflections Page 13 �St r ee t v ib e S A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Reflections 13 Reflections Continued from Page 12 New Lands NATALIE OTREMBIAK Architecture Student i grew up in Northern Kentucky hearing about Over-the-Rhine and the “horrific” things that happen there and the “dangerous people” that live there. People are described as poor, black, homeless, drug addicts, and dealers. From the newspapers, media, and adults around me, Over-the-rhine seemed to be a far-away evil place that should never be encountered. I was intrigued to find that Miami University had a Program that assisted this local community with the skills and time of their students. i wanted to partake in this engagement. i was curious about this place and its people just across the river from me but has always felt like a distant land. i wanted to use my time and energy to assist an underprivileged community all the while learning something in my field of interest. And I did learn, especially from my interaction with the community. Here in Over-the-rhine, i have learned that people are powerful through their voices, ideas, and community. What drives change in our world is determined by ideas. the communication of ideas is powerful. the ability to listen and be open to understanding when someone speaks are crucial. through the Over-the-rhine Program i have encountered several challenges in communication. For example, i was part of a communitybased team, sponsored by the Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, to draft a “People’s Platform for equality and Justice.” We were trying to communicate issues relevant to the neighborhood to get people involved with the Coalition and to advance a movement of people. these issues are very complex, and we had to put the message across in a few images and words. it was fascinating to see how something seemingly so simple could be so complicated. Simple editing went for weeks. i experienced a vast variety of people and their opinions. these experiences are what i value from Over-the-rhine. these people are not evil deviants that must be expunged. they are trying to gain a voice, people that want to be listened to and understood. they are trying to change the stereotypes placed on the area and its people. Over-the rhine is a place that is friendly in its own culture. When i walk down the streets people ask me how i am doing, and say “God bless you.” People here are always interacting with one another—walking side by side on the streets, having public places nearby to go to, and sitting out on the front stoops socializing. the community is very close spatially and in its relationships and experiences. this is an environment different from the secluded suburbs where people are either at work or cooped up in their homes. Over-the-rhine welcomed me and i’ve learned so much from the genuine human interaction and the experiences with communication. It Takes Time GONZALO MArtiNeZ Architecture Student specifically chose to take part in the Overthe-rhine residency Program because i wanted to broaden my perspective on life and shatter preconceptions i have had about inner-city life. the Program presented a unique opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and immerse myself in a foreign world. At the time i had only a fuzzy idea of what the Program was about, and honestly, i came to Over-the-rhine not knowing what to expect. Having spent most of my life growing up in middle-class suburbia outside of Washington D.C., my perception of impoverished inner-city neighborhoods was vague at best. bearing this in mind, i decided i would move in to Over-the- i rhine and try to be as objective as possible. Over-therhine fostered an incredible transformative process in me. i didn’t realize it at the moment, but now it is plain to see that i am not the same person i was at the beginning of the semester. My perspectives have changed. During this semester, more than any other of my college career, i was able to learn as much, if not Left to Right: Natalie Otrembiak; Danielle Musselman. Ellen Crawford. more outside of class as i did during class time. My Now that we see the world more clearly, we alternative education took the form of talking to can help others clear their eyes as well. neighborhood residents, engaging the comI never thought I would find myself interactmunity through volunteer service, as well as by ing with homeless folks or ex-felons. Now, living with a vibrant group of peers who shared however, whatever barriers might have prea variety of diverse experiences with me. vented me from interacting with them are At the start of the semester, i was foolish to gone, for i have learned that they are no differthink that the service work we were doing was ent than me; they have simply grown up under going to make changes manifest themselves different circumstances. No one is inherently immediately in the neighborhood. through inferior, flawed, or evil. We are all just people the course of this semester i learned that real living out our lives as best as we can, given change takes time—more than a semester at what we have. it can be incredibly depressing least. Yet, in that process of learning, it beto hear the stories of some of the residents of came easy to feel defeated. i started to think Over-the-rhine. they have dealt with situathat our presence in the neighborhood was not tions i cannot even begin to relate to. Couple producing positive results, especially when pit- that with our classes, where we studied the ted against the physical transformation occurstructural problems that have led to such dire ring all around us. the renovation of Washing- situations for some people while others profton Park became symbolic of our frustrations. ited from their misery and all of the sudden i How could we ever alter the direction of progbegan to feel negative. i was not sure if i felt ress? Although it was difficult to see at times, I guilt, anger, anguish, or a combination of all am now certain the work we did this semester three. How come i have such a privileged life has undoubtedly made a difference. No matter when others have nothing? Why the heck do how small our contribution was in the grand we have such extensive abject poverty in the scheme of things, what’s important is that we richest nation of the world? these questions made a positive impact on the community infuriated me. However, negativity never leads that exists in Over-the-rhine. the beauty of to good things and i learned that maintaining it is that in trying to make that change in the a positive attitude throughout my experience community, the community changed us for the was not only the best way to cope with the better. depressing reality of some people’s lives but Whether it was discussing plans for Peaslee also a vehicle for ideas on how to change the Neighborhood Center with our clients, Jenn status quo and Kathy, helping neighborhood children with Ultimately, i couldn’t have picked a better their art projects at the Children’s Creative way to end my undergraduate career. the Corner, sitting down at Canticle Café and hav- multitude of diverse experiences that i was ing a chat with the patrons, cleaning up abanable to get out of this Program far outweigh doned houses with the OtrCH work crew on anything i could have learned in Oxford. i the weekends, exploring Cincinnati with my came to Over-the-rhine seeking immersion peers, reflecting and sharing our experiences and to broaden my perspective and it did not in bonnie’s journaling sessions, or just the disappoint. Preconceptions have been shatcamaraderie present at our Sunday Potlucks, tered while awareness has gone way up. Yet, the richness of such diverse experiences now i realize that this is only the beginning of combined with the multidisciplinary education a new stage in my life where doors have been offered by the residency Program made this opened and barriers cleared away. Wherever semester such a transformative experience for life takes me from here, i know that i will have me. in learning more about what was going the wisdom gained from this semester in the around us, we learned more about ourselves. Over-the-rhine residency Program guiding And that became a valuable asset to helping the decisions that i take. us become better citizens. Citizens who are These students also took part in commuaware of the injustices at play in our capitalnity engagement this past fall: ist society. Citizens who are not afraid to step Nathan Devore, Anthropology out of their comfort zone and become active Kayla evans, Art Education participants in their community. Citizens who Jose Gutierrez, Architecture refuse to subscribe to the same old stereotypes that group the poor, the blacks, and JoePaul Luikart, Architecture the homeless into homogenous categories of Danielle Musselman, Architecture deviant minorities. i could go on, but the point robert Weyreter, Business is this has been an eye-opening experience. �Opportunities 14 St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Summer Internship Program The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) is currently accepting applications for 5 part-time unpaid summer interns. Each intern will create an individual work plan and be assigned a specific project or provide general support for a particular program during the specified time period. ABOUT: GCCH located in Over-the-Rhine is a non-profit social action agency established in 1984 with the solitary mission of eradicating homelessness. GCCH works towards this mission by coordinating services, educating the public, grassroots organizing and advocacy and publishing and distributing the Streetvibes newspaper. Homeless and formerly homeless individuals are incorporated into all programs and initiatives at GCCH. PROGRAM DATES: Summer internships range from a 2-3 month commitment which is negotiated on an individual level and flexible between May and September (dependent on university summer term). TIME COMMITMENT: Flexible hours, approx. 15-20 hours per week; must be able to attend weekly staff meetings. Summer interns typically attend school and/or work part-time jobs as long as they do not interfere with the internship commitment. INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE: Development intern- reports directly to the Director of Development and Operations Education & Outreach Intern- reports directly to the Director of Education & Outreach Statistics Intern- reports directly to the Director of Education & Outreach information technology intern- reports directly to the executive Director Journalism, Media & Public Relations Intern- reports directly to the Editor of Streetvibes GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS: Hard working and have the ability to work independently with limited supervision. Creative and willing to bring fresh ideas to the table and a positive attitude. Have a minimum of one year of undergraduate work completed Must be able to use a computer Good written and oral communication skills and diligence about checking work for spelling and grammar mistakes Familiarity with Microsoft Office including Excel and Word Interest in learning about local area nonprofit agencies A commitment to serving those in poverty Comfortable working with and speaking to homeless individuals Good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals Dependable TO APPLY: If interested please send a cover letter and resume with desired internship title (e.g. Development Intern) in the subject line to HYPERLINK “mailto:gcch. intern@gmail.com” gcch.intern@gmail.com. Interviews will be held in early May. Direct any questions to the email listed above. INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTIONS: Development intern: Intern currently studying or interested in: Non-profit business development, administration, fundraising, marketing, individual giving, grant writing and pursuing donors. intern will assist and report to the Director of Development and Operations. Key tasks: Maintain and improve development plan Coordinate and acquire in-kind donations research and apply for grants Lead an individual giving campaign Work on Summer fundraiser as well as prepare for Winter Annual Dinner Communicate with donors via phone and letters Attend development committee meetings Streamline fundraising database Other tasks TBD. Education & Outreach Intern: intern currently studying or interested in: education (teaching and curriculum development), sociology, social justice, social work, program coordination & development, service learning and working with youth. intern will assist and report to the Director of education and Outreach. Key tasks: Main project: develop a plan for the implementation of the 2011 City-Wide Shantytown program during Homeless Awareness Month. Assist with improvements to the educational and service outreach plan research and update list of schools and social service agencies throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area Assist with the facilitation of educational and service learning activities as needed Assist as a receptionist as needed Other tasks tbD. Statistics intern: intern currently studying or interested in: research, statistical analysis, math, social science research, computer science, engineering or related field. Intern will assist and report to the Director of education and Outreach. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to assess GCCH’s programs; compile, review and analyze data; develop a plan for tracking data and analyzing outcomes; track and analyze outcomes for a specified time period and create a final report. Gather, collect, record, track and verify data and information. Uses software to compile and generate reports, statistics, timelines, tables, graphs, correspondence and presentations. Assist with the development of a database for tracking and analyzing program data. Assist with compiling updated statistical data related to homelessness and poverty with a focus on Ohio and links to national statistics. Other tasks TBD. information technology intern: intern currently studying or interested in: information technology, networking, managing software and hardware, computer science or related field. Intern will assist and report to the executive Director. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to assess GCCH’s stock of computers, swipe old computers of data and recycle; assess and update computer software on computers in use; determine networking capabilities and develop and implement a plan to put all computer data on a server. Other duties related to computer management including: assessing security risks and updating anti-virus software. Assist with the development of a database for tracking and analyzing program data. Assist with the launch of GCCH’s new website. Other tasks tbD. Journalism, Media & Public Relations Intern: intern currently studying or interested in: Journalism, public relations, social networking, advertising, marketing or related field. Intern will assist and report to the editor of Streetvibes. Key tasks: Main project: Work independently to upload articles and pictures from old Streetvibes editions to the Streetvibes online blog as well as GCCH’s website. Develop a viable newspaper recycling plan. build up readership and support of Streetvibes and GCCH’s via social networking sites. Assist with reporting, photojournalism, production, copy editing and advertising as needed. Other tasks TBD. �Resources St r ee t v ib e S 15 A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFe 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 e. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 562-8841 872-9259 381-2247 5 e. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 e. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 e. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Crossroad Health Center 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 Otr: 1620 vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 351-0422 381-6672 830 ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 621-6364 1730 race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 RIGHT To The City Continued from Pages 6 and 7 four biDs claiming harassment (Ailworth and Wan 2004). Similar complaints were levied at New York biDs, a decade earlier, in the 1990s (Lambert 1995). in April 1995, the New York times ran an article which included confessions of abusing homeless people by employees of the New York biD, the Grand Central Partnership (Lambert 1995). The article began: “bubba, big black, Kizer and red are the street names of four men who have said they served on squads that beat up the homeless. they said that in recent years, while working for the Grand Central Partnership, they and others threatened, bullied and attacked homeless people to force them from doorways, bank vestibules, plazas and sidewalks all over Manhattan. “We beat people at Sixth and Waverly,” said ernest Montgomery, a 6-foot 4-inch amateur boxer known as bubba. “We beat people at tudor City. We beat people at 51st and third. We beat people at 86th and third. We beat people at Herald Square and Gree- Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (Hiv/AiDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 e. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 e. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 ley Square. We beat people at the roosevelt Hotel.” the men, former outreach workers in a program intended to help the homeless, said they carried out the attacks at the behest of an administrator of the Grand Central Partnership.” in general, there is minimal recognition by biDs that homeless people are part of the community and share a right to public space. to the contrary, homeless people are often viewed as part of the “community blight” and “broken windows” that must be removed by biDs in order to reduce crime. biD websites regularly list homelessness under the dropdown menu for “Safety.” in reality, however, homeless people are just as likely to be victims of crime, and private security has little effect on more serious crimes such as armed robbery (Scott 2003; Hoyt 2005). Moreover, although some homeless people are transient, most have been a part of their community for a long time (Scott 2003). the use of biD private security to remove homeless people from public space, however, is more than just about reducing crime. it is, more importantly, about increasing shopping. the presence of homeless people is seen by many business leaders as an important deterrent to shopping and tourism Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 in downtown urban areas (Noy Forthcoming). the prime function of biDs is to encourage such activities. Thus, a fundamental conflict often exists between homeless people and biDs. However, as mentioned above, biDs vary greatly in terms of their formation and functions. it is theoretically possible to create a biD which does not displace homeless people, and even one that assists homeless people. Some biDs do indeed include social service programs for homeless people within their operations. Understanding the range of forms that biDs may possibly take is crucial for thinking strategically about how to address, reform, collaborate with, or oppose biDs as part of campaigns for the “right to the City.” This excerpt has been taken from pages 2 thru 14 of “Strategizing the Right to the City: Business Improvement Districts and Homeless People,” a working paper published by the Western Regional Advocacy Project. WRAP is an organizing body in the western United States fighting to end homelessness. Please check out their website for the rest of this report, other publications, art for organizing, etc. www.wraphome.org �Column 16 St r eet vibeS A P r i L 2 9 - M AY 1 2 , 2 0 11 When the Greed for Oil Ignores Peak Oil Leigh Waltz’s recent art is public “emergency” art Cerebral and detached until then, Waltz’s art became more personal and “We can’t decide on our destination, we can only try engaged, reflecting his to decide on our journey,” says Leigh Waltz; and Waltz’s experiences, what he journey took him into many directions and to many parts had witnessed. After of the world. From a happy and art-filled childhood in returning from Iraq, Dayton, OH, he went as a high school exchange student he had a solo show, to Malaysia, lived in Europe studying languages and linguistics, enrolled in the Navy and served during Desert Taking Exception, at Storm, the Bosnian Theatre and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Dayton Convention Center, exposing raw studied movie and fine arts, taught photography, drawing his feelings, the brutal and sculpture. reality he had lived, his As a result, Waltz travelled to 34 countries and critical thoughts as a developed a universal sensibility and culture. He speaks result. It included large5 languages, holds a BA degree in cinema studies from scale white and black Columbia College, Hollywood, CA, an MFA degree in mixed media prints printmaking from the University of Cincinnati, and is with images of a cruise Adjunct Professor of art at Sinclair Community College, missile next to altered texts from the New Testament referring to war profiteers; Leigh Waltz in his studio in front of his 2 foam core carvings, Death and the Maiden pictures of Arab and Death and the Child. By Miki Waltz women with rocket propelled grenade launchers and dead civilians demands in oil would not be met after 2015. They had alluding to the destruction of life in a country; the predicted, as a result, catastrophic implications, unless attacked twin towers smoking with writing above Saad GhoSn the world transitioned from a highly industrial society to saying: “We believe everything”, thus reflecting Contributing Writer a sustainable one, from a society relying heavily on a on the 9/11 attacks as pretext for a greedy non fossil-fuel-based economy to one more organically and justifiable war; translated quotes from the Hadith more community-driven. Rob Hopkins had even started pointing to the highly moral and charitable teachings of Dayton, OH. He is a prolific artist who works across a Transition movement to get from a high to low energy Islam, in contrast to the prevailing preconceptions of a photography, video, printmaking, sculpture, performance consumption culture, favoring local organic gardening and violent and intolerant religion; images of sheep and knives community connectedness, thus adapting and surviving in and installation. Waltz’s awareness of violence, prejudice and intoler- - metaphors for the misinformed, naïve believers, blind the absence of oil. followers and media-victims most Americans had become. ance came first at age 11 when he saw a 200-year-old Convinced by the theory, Waltz started using his art “I was still coming back from Iraq,” says Waltz, “still copy of Dr. Southwell’s New Book of Martyrs; it contained to tackle the issue and educate others about peak oil. He living daily and at home my traumatized memories. I engravings depicting public executions and various acts received an individual artist grant to create an informationof torture. When he asked his father why people were kill- wanted my show to provide first-hand witnessed inforal booklet of wood engravings, poetry and writing, he titled mation, to compel viewers, make them think beyond ing other people, he was told because they had different Dans Macabre, implying that by doing nothing we’re dancreligions. This was complemented later by his awakening the routine brainwashing. I hoped it would also serve ing with death. He disseminated the book widely, posted as a step across cultural barriers, beyond prejudice and to the “haves and have-nots” in America and other counit on the Internet, raising awareness about its content. He preconceived ideas.” accompanied it by 2 large carvings, Death and the Maiden At the same and Death and the Child, depicting Death as a skeleton, time Waltz discov- taking by the arm a young girl using her cell phone, and ered the power of inviting a child to dance, each saying that, unless prelive performance pared, once fuel scarcity strikes, death will also come. art, when the artist To expand his target audience, Waltz worked recently could say, in front on Let’s Talk about Peak Oil, a combination of visual art of an audience, display, street art and performances. He designed a die things not said with the image of a skeleton pumping oil at a gas station; otherwise in news- he intends to use it to stamp aluminum sheets recovered papers, on radio or from discarded cans. Next to the stamped image of the TV. He organized skeleton, he would type aphorisms and quotes relating yearly in Dayton to peak oil, collected from www.theoilage.com. One for such festivals, instance would mention the second law of thermodynamopen to artists ics, which states that energy dissipates unless constantly from all over the replenished; another would list states and cities with peak world, and used oil legislation; etc. Waltz plans on nailing these aluminum the venue to conart pieces on telephone poles, street display boards, and tinue expressing to accompany them with street performances. his own concerns. “I want to get the word out so people would confront This allowed him the reality and take action,” he says. “I view it as necesto also apply for sary ‘emergency art’, trying to avert catastrophe.” grants, get funded, and video-docuWaltz’s interest in peak oil is directly connected to ment the events. his other concerns, in particular the “greed, lies, injustice, “I was lucky to poverty, pollution…” he sees everywhere. His deployment meet Mark Siemer in Iraq woke him up to the important role oil plays in our Let’s Talk about Peak Oil, stamped image and text on recycled aluminum. By Leigh Waltz, who worked on world; also to how truths are often silenced in our domiour video,” says Miki Waltz. nant media-controlled culture. His art has since become Waltz. “Mark was his voice and presence in a society where public distries he visited; and most recently, after his deployment in working at the same time on another documentary, The course and public forums are increasingly unavailable. Power of Community - How Cuba Survived Peak Oil. the Iraq war, by discovering its real oil-based motives. I had never heard of peak oil before and thus became “Talking to army personnel in Northern Iraq, I found educated on the topic. I quickly realized it was essential out that their main responsibility on arrival was to sefor our survival.” cure the oil fields,” he says. “My unit in Qayyarah was In fact, scientists had observed for a while that close also helping build the largest fuel depot in the country. I to 50% of the planetary oil resources had already been learned quickly that our so-called liberation war was in used and that, due to the diminishing reserve, world fact all about oil, money and control.” Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 29-May 12, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Transformation Pg 2: In My Shoes Pg 3: Light in Our Heads Pg 4: Street Life Springtime Congressional Meeting Pg 5: Suggested as a Program of Recovery Pg 6: Right to the City Pg 7: Right to the City Continued Pg 8: One Tree Hill Star Sophia Bush Talks About Women’s Rights and the Environment Pg 9: Sophia Bush Continued Pg 10: Arts & Poetry Pg 11: Questions Matter Pg 12: Momentum Grows in Call for Hemp to be Legalized in South Africa Pg 13: New Lands Pg 14: Summer Internship Program Pg 15: Housing Choice Voucher Pg 16: When the Greed for Oil Ignores Peak Oil Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 29-May 12, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Sarah Hager Josh Spring Jeni Jenkins Laura Osborn-Coffey Riccardo Taylor Elisa Hill Willa Denise Jones Jim Luken Saad Ghosn The big issue South Africa Staff Buddy Gray Western regional Advocacy Project Michael Henson Natalie Otrembiak Ashley Kincaid Kat Roosen Molly Brazier Ellen Crawford Aimie Willhoite Rueters Pippa Ehrlich Keith Bedford Phil McCarten Leigh Waltz Miki Waltz Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Ashley Kincaid buddy gray civil rights Elisa Hill Ellen Crawford Hemp Internships Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Josh Spring Kat Roosen Keith Bedford Kentucky Laura Osborn-Coffey Leigh Waltz Michael Henson Miki Waltz Molly Brazier Natalie Otrembiak Oil Phil McCarten Pippa Ehrlich recovery Riccardo Taylor Rueters Saad Ghosn Sarah Hager Sophia Bush South Africa Street Life The big issue South Africa Staff Western regional Advocacy Project Willa Denise Jones Women’s Rights https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/6729cfea5af604fe279871e10853ab54.pdf 6f8382e9604d8d520956c3563ebd6ff3 PDF Text Text Refresh Northside: St r eeContainer t v ib e S Shipping M A Y 1 3 Art Center2 6 , 2 0 1 1 PG 6 Carolyn Mazloomi: Keeping quilting potent and alive. PG 16 Osama bin Laden’s Useful Death PG 11 M AY 1 3 T H - M AY 2 6 T H 2 0 11 1 ISSUE 199 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Demanding Transparency from those Responsible for Change More than 150 people gathered on Fountain Square on April 29th to demand honesty and transparency from ALEC, a group that is responsible for model legislation that gets turned into state and local bills. SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer hants, marchers, drum beats and protest signs gave Fountain Square lunchers a peak at just what democracy looks like on a Friday afternoon. A group estimated at 150 people held a day of peaceful protests and informational meetings on April 29th to speak out against a group of legislators and private sector policy advocates who, they claim, write model legislation that gets turned into state and local bills across the United States. The group, ALEC, short for the American Legislative Exchange Council, gathered in Cincinnati for a spring task force meeting. Protestors from Ohio and surrounding states caught C wind of the meeting, and spent the past few months organizing forces for a full day of public awareness about ALEC. The point is to…“educate you,” said Bruce Fealk, moderator for one of the dozen teach-ins held in Over-The-Rhine locations. Fealk, managing editor for The Rochester Citizen in Michigan has researched ALEC, a group he calls extreme right wing. His conclusion is that ALEC is ghostwriting the law for corporate America. ALEC doesn’t deny it shapes policy decisions. The group’s website, alec.org, says this: To date ALEC’S task forces have considered, written and approved hundreds of model bills on a wide ALEC which stands for the American Legislative Exchange Council, has a different meaning to the peaceful protesters. Photo: Susan Lakes range of issues, model legislation that will frame the debate today and far into the future,” it says. “Each year, close to 1,000 bills, based at least in part on ALEC Model Legislation, are introduced in the states. Of these, an average of 20 percent becomes law.” The group boasts an effective network of players. “ALEC’s farreaching national network of state legislators that crosses geographical and political boundaries, and affects all levels of government, is without equal. No other organization in America today can claim as many The Keep On Keeping On Path… The community celebrates the work of educator and leader Steve Elliot gathered to honor Steve Elliot during a retirement celebration hosted by The Mayerson Foundation. Steve worked for the foundation for thirteen eep on keeping on,” one years as the High School Serviceof the many sentiments Learning Program Director. Yet, some expressed last Tuesday when wondered, “is he really retiring?” After people from all corners of Cincinnati all, Steve retired once before in 1998. His persistent passion is a testament to his enduring legacy. Throughout his entire working career Steve’s focus was on leading and educating our futureCincinnati’s youth. In his previous career, Steve worked as a teacher- a Steve Elliot addresses the crowd during the Annual Student Service Lead- total of 41 ership Workshop at UC. Photo: The Mayerson Foundation years, first JENI JENKINS Staff Writer K at Finneytown High School for 32, and then post-retirement at Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash for 9. While at Finneytown, in addition to teaching history, Steve was Head Men’s Basketball Coach from 1971-1984. Then later, his passion for educating led him to start the Community Service Experience program in 1985- a path that led directly to his work at the foundation. In his role as Director, Steve served as a consultant, leader and organizer empowering high school students, their teachers and their schools to get involved in the community. Notably, Steve connected hundreds of youth to the life-altering world of service. During the celebration dinner, Steve shared with the attentive crowd of teachers, counselors, professors and social service providers, bits and pieces from his life’s work. He addressed his avid co- conspirators, mentors and mentees and fellow leaders from the community- remarking on how many of them touched his own life. Steve spoke of the people who became his teachers, including home- valuable assets, both people and ideas that have influence on as many key decision-making centers. “ Protestors aren’t convinced the group’s actions support the basic democratic principle of a government of the people, by the people and for the people. They’re calling for transparency, since the group’s actions potentially impact the environment, working conditions, education, immigration, women and seniors. See Demanding Transparency, p 8 less advocate buddy gray, whom he first met at the Drop Inn Center (DIC) shelter in 1985. Despite his good intentions, Steve was told to leave after telling buddy, “I’m here to observe”- buddy’s response: “this is not a zoo.” This encounter, whether chance or destiny, led Steve to the realization that there are two days in a person’s life “the day you’re born and the day you find out why.” buddy challenged Steve to see things differently. Of buddy, Steve says “I was drawn to him in order to learn about why he had so much respect and dignity for the people at the Drop-Inn. The more time I spent with him, and the more people I met … the more I wanted to know what motivated them and how they could sustain their energy as activists.” Each step Steve made on his path seemed to have a positive domino effect. His work with buddy led him to become involved with Restoc (now Over the Rhine Community Housing) where he helped with Saturday morning work crews as well as served on their Board for many years. Additionally, while leading Finneytown students to serve meals 3 times a month, Steve came to know many of the men going through the recovery program, See Keep on Keeping on, p 12 �Editorial 2 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 One Viewpoint: 68 The percentage of Internet users that come from lowerincome demographics in Venezuela. A ‘Where were you when…?’ Moment For Another Viewpoint See p 11 It seems there is no such thing as Mayberry and we are reminded every single day by headlines that scream “DEATH, DESTRUCTION”. And we eat it up. ‘If it bleeds, it leads’ is most certainly the motto of most news if You Didn’t Laugh, organizations in this country. We have had You’d Cry no shortage of tragic events these days… Page 10 tornados, floods, shootings, tsunamis, earthquakes...and do not even get me started on the nonsensical news stories that get coverage (birth certificates, Charlie Sheen). REALLY?!?! The number of votes Monday May 2nd, I got a phone call early needed every day until from a friend who told me Osama Bin Laden May 31st for parProjects had been killed. “…that’s some crazy shit” I to get into the top ten believe was my response. Then in disbelief I on the Pepsi Refresh went back to sleep. When I finally woke up, project, a spot that would I went about my day kind of thinking I had ensure they receive dreamed that call. I do that sometimes. Not the $50,000 to build an true though…I got to Speedway for my mornart center in Northside ing coffee and saw the giant headlines on made completely out every newspaper reading that, Navy Seals of recycled shipping had “brazenly” invaded bin Laden’s compound containers. in Pakistan by helicopter while our President watched in real time and they killed him. When refresh Nothside I got back in my car I sat for a minute in a weird Page 6 shock and awe, thinking this was one of those moments that people will forever remember where they were when they heard the news. For nearly ten years Americans have had their hate placed on this man, Public Enemy #1. …or more. The And finally, as the news crawl scrolled…”We Number of people who got him!” gathered on Fountain I then felt pissed off. We are now being Square on April 29th told that this individual, that master minded and to demand honesty precisely planned the execution of thousands and transparency from of people was living comfortably all this time ALEC, a group that is in a beautiful home with Persian rugs, multiple responsible for model wives, and errand boys to buy him Pepsi in legislation that gets bulk. For almost ten years many Americans turned into state and were told that this murderer was hidden local bills. somewhere deep in an “un-findable” cave. I even remember news stories reporting that bin Demanding Laden was in terrible health due to the conditransparency from those tions he had been living in. Nope, now their responsible for Change telling us he was sleeping in what looks like Pages 1 and 8 it could have been a waterbed. His only real exceptions to a completely ‘normal’ life being lack of TV and internet. And we are told that It was not just a house he was in…it was a compound built specifically for him in Pakistan. The size of the space As a skeptical person (and a fan of the “ReEugene, who is ally?!?!” Segment on SNL’s Weekend Update) I homeless, lived in when have to ask, “Really, Really!?!?!” I can’t go two he came across his trusty weeks late on a bill without someone tracking cat, Sarah. me down and one of the most wanted men in the world was hiding in plain sight, practically eugene and Sarah in luxury. One of bin Laden’s wives said they Page 7 lived in that compound for 5 years. Again, REALLY?!?!? As the details poured in, breaking news after breaking news, I don’t know about you but I felt extreme anger. The day United States Coward forces killed Osama bin As of 2009, there were only around 100 Laden. members left as Al Qaeda. This name we all were forced to become familiar with because Osama bin Laden’s one day they decided to really organize and go after their enemies. We are told that Al Qaeda Useful Death was responsible for six major terrorist attacks. Page 11 Including September 11th, four of these being in their jihad against America. Each time, lead by the words of bin Laden. I have tried to imagine feeling that moved by religious senti- 2,000-3,000 150 6x8 5-1-2011 St r eet vibeS ment that I could fill myself with hate for other people, enough to plan their deaths through these so called ‘terrorist’ attacks. I just can’t get my mind around it. Nevertheless, somehow, some way we are told that they believed the words of Osama bin Laden enough to carry them out. So if what we have been told for ten years is correct, then he must have been a really tough guy, right? A charismatic hero to these people, a man who was so full of courage and passion for his cause he would gladly lay down his life as his ‘suicide bombers’ would. Because after all a propagandized theology spewed by bin Laden himself, tells them that they will be rewarded with paradise and 72(or 50 or 70, depending on the guy) virgins once they reach ‘heaven’. Bin Laden had to be stoked to eventually become a martyr for his beliefs, right? Yet, now after ten years we are told that Bin Laden had given orders to the men guarding his home to kill him first if an attack in fact happened, and it looked like he was going to be over taken. Not only that, but we being told that once US forces were in front of him, shooting to kill, that he grabbed his son’s wife and literally used her as a human shield. Really tough guy, huh?- The story seems to have changed. An End to Terror? We have spent a decade in bloodshed and terror supposedly to go after this man. Now that he is dead, will we seen an end to terror? Doubtful. It seems that this war and murder will simply continue and perhaps with even more fervor. While it is hard to wrap our heads around, there are people who want nothing more than to kill others and cripple economies. They’re still out there and my biggest worry in this situation is that the extremists will take the death of bin Laden as a cue for more bloodshed. Sadly, I doubt the death of Osama bin Laden will be the death of terrorism. “We don’t trot out this stuff as trophies” President Obama announced a few days after the shocking news, that the United States would not release the photos of bin Laden postmortem, shot in the head. Outside of morbid curiosity, the pictures of Saddam Hussein hanging didn’t really serve a purpose (it also wasn’t the US releasing them) with me, or anyone else I know. While I do hate to think this could turn into a ‘Tupac releasing tapes after death’ sort of thing, there is something to be said about taking the high road. The debate still rages on, even as I write these words I can hear a debate going on in the Coalition’s lobby. In fact a couple of days after the death of bin Laden, President Obama visited Ground Zero. Families who were outraged by the lack of photo evidence of the death pressed our Commander in Chief during his time there. One man was quoted as saying, “I know a woman whose husband was identified because they found his heart. How much more gruesome can the photos of bin Laden be?” As heart wrenching as that is to hear, I’m going with our President on this one. While this is undoubtedly a historic event, I don’t think the US should pander to the propaganda machine that will breed more hate with those images. Few things are really considered ‘Presidential’ behavior but I am sure this qualifies. This was a class move for Obama. To read a different perspective on this situation and how it may affect the world see page 11 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: jenmatrin@cincihomeless.org Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Contributing Writers : Susan Lakes, Gibson, Josh Spring, Executive Director, Jeni Jenkins, Riccardo Taylor, Elisa Hill, Willa Denise Jones, Laura Osborne-Coffey, Spare Change Staff, Saad Ghosn, Jennifer Martin, Lee McCoy, B. Clifton Burke, Corey Gibson, Inês Santinhos Gonçalves Photography/Artwork: Reuters, Aimie WillHoite, Rueters, Susan Lakes, Jeni Jenkins, Bill Howes, Carolyn Mazloomi, Jonathan Sears, Jorge Silva, Ho New, Russell Boyce The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �Distributor Program St r ee t v ib e S 3 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE THE PAPER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY AND SELL IT FOR A $1 DONATION, KEEPING THE PROFIT THEY HAVE EARNED. BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR IS A GREAT WAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY POOR TO GET BACK ON OR STAY ON THEIR FEET. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME FOR THOSE UNABLE TO SECURE OTHER EMPLOYMENT. MONEY EARNED HELPS MEET BASIC HOUSING, FOOD AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS. 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SAMUEL � RONNIE � JACKSON � PHILLIPS � SINCE 10/2009 � SINCE 10/2006 � TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 SHANNON MOATS � NEW 3/2011 � WILLIAM � BURDINE � SINCE 8/2009 � TIA � TERRY � CASS � RANSON � SINCE 11/2007 � SINCE10/2008 � Interested in becoming a Streetvibes Distributor? Follow these six simple steps to be on your way: 1) Pick up a Distributor packet at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, located at 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati. 2) Fill out the Distributor Application Form, and initial each statement on the Code of Conduct and sign & review the Disciplinary Policy 3) Read the most recent copy of Streetvibes. 4) Attend an Orientation Thursdays at 10AM 5) Take and pass the quiz Tuesdays at 10AM. 6) Receive approval and have your picture taken, a badge will be made and you will be provided with 10 free papers to get you started! Questions? Call: (513) 421-7803 �From The Director 4 St r eet vibeS M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Are You Blind? JOSH SPRING executive Director eframing. Reframing is the process of judging something from another, hopefully more holistic perspective. Typically reframing involves going beyond just the surface of how something looks or beyond the way that we instantlly judge something. Reframing involves empathetic thought. In order to understand reframing one must work at becoming empathetic. Sympathy and empathy are two significantly different learned states. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone or something else. Empathy is actually working to feel what someone or something else is feeling. Empathy is in a sense taking on someone’s burden and sharing it with them- feeling the weight on your shoulders as well. Empathy could also be taking on someone’s joy and sharing it with them. True empathy should lead to reframing. What do you think when coming down the sidewalk in an urban setting and you see a group of people crowded on the front stoop of a building, listening to music and loudly talking to one another? I can’t tell you how many times I have been with somebody new to my neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine and after a bit of being here on a warm night, they say something like, “wow people are constantly arguing outside, why are they arguing so much?” And I have to say, “wait a second, what makes you think people are arguing? Folks are just having fun with one another.” This person has assumed that a crowd of folks on a sidewalk in an urban setting, talking loudly is a bad thing. What about when a group of people are crowded in a backyard in the suburbs hanging out- is that a bad thing? We often hear of one group of people getting frustrated at another because of a crowd hanging out on the sidewalk. Sure no group should be so introspective that it forgets everyone around and makes walking down the sidewalk impossible, but hanging out on the sidewalk is good and productive. In fact I would assert that it is more positive and productive than hanging out in a backyard in the sub- R Vinegar An Unconventional Introduction SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer ive me a gallon jug of vinegar and you’ll see me grin. Throw in a spray bottle and I’ll gush grins. I’ll squeal. Hi. I’m Susan, your new Streetvibes reporter and I love distilled white vinegar. It’s a new love affair. You see, cleaning supplies have held a particular fascination for me. I’ve tried them all-the polishes, squirts, soft abrasives, grainy gritty powders, foams, thick liquids, runny stuff and waxes. Now though, I’m batting 100% vinegar, and my place sparkles. Gone are the days of cleaning caddies and half G urbs. Being on the sidewalk, right out front, puts eyes and ears all over the area, it also creates the opportunity for others walking nearby to join and it is transparent- everyone sees what is going on- this is community –building. Or what about the common statement you probably have heard “how can they be poor and afford that television?” or “how can they be homeless and have a cell phone” or “why is there a couch in the living room, while the kids have no beds?” I bring these up, because I am quite confident that all of us have heard things like this. These are situations that are likely in need of some empathetic reframing. First of all, just because one is living through poverty, that does not mean she or he does not want a few things beyond necessity. Individuals experincing poverty often have not choice but to focus on the necessities, There is nothing wrong with having some things that are not completely necessary- we all do this. Second, if you see someone who is currently homeless with a cell phone- that is a good thing- that means that person has found a way to have a cell phone, an opportunity many others have not had, which means she or he will be better equipped to keep appointments, follow-up on appointments, apply for jobs, seek emergency help when needed, and in-act a game-plan. Finally, “why is there a couch in the living room, while the kids have no beds?” Let’s think this one through. One, perhaps when this family moved in they were given a couch as a donation, but not given beds and they have been unable to afford beds. Or perhaps they did choose a couch first. Perhaps they chose a couch first because the couch is the place the family gathers to hang out with one another. Perhaps the couch is where the family unites and has fun together and deals with hard issues together. Perhaps this parent chose family unity first. I don’t offer these three examples because they are necessarily specifically the subject of debate, but the theme of these examples is often the subject of common debate. used bottles of cleaning supplies. My beloved vinegar replaced all that stuff. I dilute it sometimes, but mostly use it straight up. Some people think vinegar stinks. Not me. The smell takes me back to the 70s, to the days when my mother would take us on yearly vacations to Key West, Florida. “Take a vinegar bath,” Mama would say when we’d complain about sunburns. She was right. That vinegar healed the sting. For real. My vinegar roots go back even farther. “Momo”, my grandmother used vinegar in place of cream rinse. “It’ll make your hair shiny and silky,” she’d say. (She said the same thing about beer, mayo and egg yolks mixed with olive oil). So, although the sights and smells of vinegar grace my past, it’s the relationship’s future that’s keeping me excited. Is there anything this stuff won’t clean or refresh? Vinegar cleans windows, Not only that, but these three questions are often the route folks with more means use to bypass their own responsibility to end poverty and homelessness. “Well if they can afford a cell phone, they must be able to afford housing and therefore I would just be enabling their poor decisions to give of myself.” We are often not quick to reframe- because first of all, we are often not empathetic and second of all because many times, if we did reframe- our own responsibility would become transparent. We are taught that homelessness and poverty are the result of lazy people choosing to not work hard enough or simply choosing to live off everyone else. We are often given “proof” of this through examples of people who are on the margins having things that we somehow assume people who are financially poor should not have. It is sort of like we expect people who are homeless and/or financially poor to prove it to everyone else by subjecting themselves to greater hardship by denying everything that is not a complete necessity. Out of this line of thought, we hear about books and studies and documentaries about the “culture of poverty.” Some of us have perhaps gone to seminars about the “culture of poverty.” The truth is we know what financial poverty is. Financial poverty is not having enough financial resources to sustainably have enough items needed to live. We know what poverty is. We don’t need to study the “culture of poverty.” We have to start talking about the “culture of wealth.” Wealth is the evil side of us. Poverty is a consequence of that evil side. We don’t need to negatively judge people who are financially poor for having some things that are not necessary for life, we need to negatively judge people who already have all they need to live and continue to horde more, not only do they horde more but they take from others to feed their greed. And we need to do more than judge, we need to act. The truth is budgets and economies are balanced on the backs of people who are financially floors, woodwork, sinks, tubs and countertops. I pour a little bit in the laundry, and keep an open container of it next to my running shoes to absorb odors. Vinegar topped the list of simple, natural cleaning supplies I wrote about seven or eight years ago while working for a daily newspaper in northern Indiana. (I’ve been in this business for about a decade).I wrote about vinegar, but never actually used it as a cleaning agent. The truth of the matter is this: I didn’t clean back then, but paid a broke friend to come in weekly and put the house in order. I’m the broke one now, and my economic downward spiral has at least one happy ending. I fell in love….with vinegar. susanlakes@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 12 poor. The other truth is that most of us do not have most of the money. Therefore, some of us need to stop believing the intentional lie that if we demand they stop hording the resources they will leave our midst and our economy will fall apart. We must stop supporting those that steal from us. This is where the majority of us can find unity- yes if you are not financially poor, you need to give up some of what you have so that others can get closer to having what they need. But we also need to all unite and demand that the money-fat ceos and big-whig owners turn over what they have stolen from the rest of us. We can choose to give of ourselves for one another and choose to collectively go after our common enemy. joshspring@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 13 facebook.com/ streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �St r ee t v ib e S Story and Poetry Corner 5 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Storms Pass On! Gone WILLA DENISE JONES ELISA HILL Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor *This poem dedicated to the victims of the tornados that ravaged the Southern United States in April. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. They say it was a perfect storm down south, all the ingredients to make a tornado come out. You should never disrespect it, because it could hold your life in its hands. With no hills for shelter and in that moment you couldn’t even run away from it mayhem. You’d have sunlight one moment. Then you are caught up in the bowls of hell the next. Thunder, hail and lightning precede the howl of the tornado before it touches down. Right before it took your life and the rains and know the sounds. It was total devastation as the tornado took many lives to the sky. Though the sun would rise, it could not comfort all the cries heard throughout the south. With goodbyes! GONE ARE THE DAYS THAT WE ONCE KNEW GONE ARE THE DAYS NEVER TO RETURN SO NOW WHAT’S NEW? GONE IS LIKE TOMMORROW THAT NEVER COMES IT’S ALWAYS TODAY GONE IS THE EMPLOYMENT RATE AND HOUSING FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME, FOR A CHANGE I PRAY! GONE ARE THE DAYS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JOHN F. KENNEDY AND SINGER LUTHER VANDROSS TODAY SOME PEOPLE SCREAM OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD AS THE WORLD YELLS BARACK OBAMA IS THE BOSS TODAY WE AS HUMAN PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED OR CONFUSED AS TO WHO IS RULING TODAY WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS GOD’S WORLD. SO WHY DO THE PEOPLE KEEP FOOLING I SAY STOP KILLING OURSELVES WHEN IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT WE LIVE IN ORDER TO DIE SO WHY NOT TAKE EACH DAY AS A BLESSING ABOVE GROUNDAND JUST SAY HELLO AND WHEN WE’RE GONE JUST SAY GOODBYE “How are we to salvage and rebuild a world without Grandma, Danny, Rachel, and Uncle Drew.” “Every time I try to add a brick to the new foundation, I still feel that our lives will be so incomplete too.” “All because of a perfect storm that took away half of my soul.” “Now we all pray for those who have passed on!” Artwork By Rico Green, son of Streetvibes Distributor Kim Green Have A Laugh! What did the grass on the football field say? If you water me, I’ll be rooting for you! Why should every baseball team have a frog? To catch pop up flies. �Local 6 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Refresh Northside Chris Hoeting and once inside numerous, gigantic containers that traveled over oceans to finally arrive in your apartment. But after years of wear and tear on these containers, where do they end up, what do people do with them? Can these behemoths just be thrown into a garbage dump and forgotten? Some containers fall victim to the sea, falling off the ships they are being transported on, while others are turned in to different forms of architecture around the world. And hopefully Cincinnati will soon be a city, on a short list of cities, which can claim they have a building made out of shipping containers. Chris Hoeting and Jonathan Sears, grad schools friends who founded the arts organization parProjects, want to build an arts center out of recycled shipping containers. As said in their mission statement, “The larger goal of parProjects revolves around the planning, development and construction of a new generaCOREY GIBSON tion of creative Contributing Writer centers for the arts. The design, he chair you have in your house which if currently probably traveled hundreds in progress is of miles to get to where it is modeled as a now. Stuffed inside a dark, dirty shipgreen building ping container until you saved it and project, crebrought it home. The paper you are ated primarily reading this from also traveled hunout of recycled dreds of miles to get into your hands. materials and From a tree, to a mill, to a box, to a energy efficient container, eventually ending in your approaches hands. According to the book, “Evoluleading towards self-sustainability.” tion of the Box,” by Charles W. Ebel“Our mission,” said Hoeting, “is to ing, nearly 90% of non-bulk cargo, create an arts center that is sustaincargo that goes into a box and is not able.” shipped unpackaged, moves around The arts center, which was dethe world in cargo containers stacked signed by Sears, is going to house an on transport ships. Nearly everything artist’s residency program, two exhibiinside your entire apartment was tion spaces and a community learning and outreach area and be built in front of the old canning building in Northside. Phase one, which is going to be a moveable first floor, is going to consist of five shipping containers pieced together housing the artists residency program, one exhibition space and an outreach center. The center is going to Designed with the parProjects logo, the center be the first of its kind in Ohio, would be built in front of the old canning building in where shipping container buildNorthside.Photo: Jonathan Sears ings are only comprised of a single container. Hoeting said Jonathan Sears need your help to build an arts center that is completely green-out of recycled shipping containers. This would include an artist’s residency program, exhibition spaces and a community learning and outreach area, set in front of the old canning building in Northside. T St r eet vibeS there is nothing set up in city of Cincinnati, code wise, to regulate how they build this structure. He hopes that being the first to build something out of numerous shipping containers will allow more and more greensuave people to The project, built completely out of recycled shipping containers. do the same. Photo: Jonathan Sears Yet how comfortable can cided to take a grassroots approach. a shipping container be? Do not be Hoeting and Sears want to help profooled. The plain walls will be painted, mote the entire art scene in Cincinnati. the shipping containers will be cut up For every art center or gallery they and reorganized to better fit the purgo to, parProjects wants to interview pose of an arts center and the paint the people behind the scene and give will even have an additive that will act them recognition on their blog. All they as a thermos, keeping the center well want in return is for the people of Cinheated or cinnati to vote twice a day, until May cooled. 31. “Our “We are going to go and specifihope is cally visit all the arts organizations in to build a Cincinnati,” said Hoeting. “We want to building as first visit all the centers in Northside completely green as possible,” said Hoeting. “A lot of our thinking with the sustainable art center is not just in the green aspect but also the idea that Space for art exhibitions and community learning mapped out Jonathan Sears it will be inexpressive.” Where most art centers become top heavy with bills, heating, electricity, and then move onto all the arts cenemployees and such, Hoeting said this ters in Cincinnati.” parProjects believes they are goart center will have solar power to help ing to need to get 2,000 to 3,000 votes it run more efficiently. a day to get in to the top ten on the To raise money for phase one of Pepsi Refresh project, a spot that enthe project, Hoeting and Sears turned sure they receive the $50,000. their interests towards the Pepsi Re“We think people will be interested fresh contest, a contest that offers because of what it is and how it is an people the chance to win $5,000 to example of a self sustaining building,” $50,000 for projects that will better said Hoeting. “It is the type of contemthe community. If parProjects wins the porary architecture that would benefit contest, the $50,000 would be enough Northside and Cincinnati. People will to finish the first floor of the project. be interested in seeing this center in “$50,000 would primarily build the the Midwest.” shell of phase one,” said Hoeting. “To buy the components, get the gallery To vote for parProjects go to: ready and hook up the electricity.” theroadtorefresh.com. To raise awareness about their project and to get people to start clicking in their votes, parProjects has de- “To raise money for phase one of the project, Hoeting and Sears turned their interests towards the Pepsi Refresh contest, a contest that offers people the chance to win $5,000 to $50,000 for projects that will better the community. “ Is it is or is it ain’t? The observations of a Streetvibes Distributor LEE MCCOY Streetvibes Distributor L ately I have been noticing the date May 21st a lot. But let me stop and ask you a question first. Do you remember when Orson Wells claimed the Martians have landed and the end of the world was near? The man started worldwide panic and had everyone looking toward the sky asking, “Is it is or is it ain’t?” Well, that’s a bunch of bull crap. A few weeks ago I saw a bunch of mini vans with the message of ‘May 21st… the day the world will end according to the Word of God.” It had me running to my bible. The first thing that really jumped out at me was that no man knows the hour or the day that the world will end. The Father didn’t even know ‘is it is or is it ain’t?’ How in the world did anyone come up with the May 21st thing. I wasn’t satisfied so I kept digging. In my bible the signs were surely there and I believe the end is near in Matthew 24:6-8, it says you are going to hear of wars but it tells you to not be scared, for these things must happen but it isn’t the end. “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.“ There will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. Just look at Japan and every area across the world. I am not going to try to judge anyone; I won’t try to play God. In an odd coincidence the annual 5k Summer Run in OTR is on May 21st. Maybe you should pack the bible with your Nikes that day, because if you listen to what they’re preaching, the world is over on that day. I had the pleasure of touring the Jimmy Heath House in OTR with students from NKU on April 20th. If you are unaware of what the Jimmy Heath House is, let me inform you. It is a place where people who can’t Photos: Aimie Willhoite Photography conform to the Drop Inn Center’s It is a little like sleeping with the rules can go. It is for the people you enemy. But is it the answer or just see sleeping on the streets, under the tip of the ice berg? I don’t know. bridges, in doorways. I have always ‘Is it is or is it ain’t?’ had a strong dislike for 3CDC and their ‘development’ but I must admit this product they were involved in is Lee McCoy can be found selling in the amazing. Downtown area and at Findlay Market �St r ee t v ib e S Awareness 7 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 True Companions A survey of local resources available for homeless people with pets. SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer ome places have homeless shelters that allow or make provisions for pets.’The Max who currently lives at The Talbert House, Mount Airy Pets for the Homeless’ Center for the Homeless. Photo: Drew Brown organization publishes that list on its website. You can word of mouth and visits to homeless find it, plus a ton of information about camps to get the word out about Pets how to help curb the pets of homeless in Need. Homeless people are one of problem, by visiting petsofthehomeher resources. “They are the people less.org. who are out there first hand on the You won’t find Cincinnati or Ohio streets and they are living side by side on the list of shelters that allow pets. with the stray animals who need attenBut there’s at least one local shelter tion.” One homeless camp includes where homeless men and cats interact people and three animals. “All of them daily. “We have 55 homeless men and (animals) are spayed and neutered,” 7 homeless cats, but the cats don’t Madewell said. “They care for their think they’re homeless,” said Drew pets just as much as anyone else, but Brown, shelter director at the Mt. Airy oftentimes lack the resources. Everytwelve-acre campus. The felines found one is very thrilled to get the services.” the shelter, and now they hang out in Pets in Need survives on grant outdoor shelters the homeless men money and donations. Like Brown, constructed. Madewell sees value in homeless S Eugene and Sarah’s Story his is the story of how a cat named Sarah helps a young professional man named Eugene (not his real name) cope with the debilitating disability that took him from a successful freelance career to job losses, alienation of friends and family and years of homelessness. The chaotic homeless days ended for the duo four months ago. Life’s going good now since they made the move from a tent into an apartment. Sometimes, Sarah’s clinginess gets on Eugene’s nerves, but he’s quick to admit that he’d be lost without the furry feline’s company and comfort. “I wouldn’t have anybody to come home to,” Eugene said. “I really want to keep this cat. It’s been here for me when I’m depressed.” And keep Sarah, he will. When asked what he’d do if the understanding landlord suddenly enforced a “no pets” policy, Eugene said he’d have to find a different place to live. He and Sarah are a team. T The Beginning Eugene, 35, was a successful freelance writer, analyst and ghost writer. Life had been good. He was happy. “I lived a perfectly normal life until 2005,” he recalls. The only one of eight children with a high school education, Eugene studied theology in college. He was the one people leaned on. “I went from the one that would help all my friends and family to the one who needed help but couldn’t get it,” he recalls, adding friends and family thought he’d gone crazy when the panic attacks started. The writer witnessed a series of traumatic events, including suicides, murders and explosions, in the span of a year. One of the explosions, he said, happened while on assignment in Northern Pakistan. “We were part of a convoy of buses, and I was on the ninth bus,” he recalled of the tragedy. “The Taliban blew up the 8th (bus),” he said softly, looking down. Depression and anxiety followed. So did his ability to earn a living. Job losses followed. So did support from friends and family. He felt rejected because of what he calls his mental disability. “The Cat Came To Me While I Was Homeless, and Stayed.” Eugene ended up living all alone inside a six-foot by eight-foot storage shed he covered with tent material. At first, a three-legged dog tried to adopt him, but he knew that wouldn’t work. He could barely feed himself, and knew it wouldn’t be fair to adopt the pooch. “I couldn’t take care of it,” he said. “I gave it away.” The very day he found a good home for the dog, he was sitting inside the shed and heard a noise. “It was a meow,” he said. “She (the cat) was sitting there, so I gave here some dog food.” The cat was skittish at first, but stuck around. Eugene named her Sarah. “I like to use regular names,” he said, adding that he’s always been one in favor of naming his pets human-like names rather than the popular pet names like “Fluffy” and “Spot”. A homeless cat’s shelter at the The Talbert House, Mount Airy Centerfor the Homeless. Photo: Drew Brown Brown sees value in the living people keeping pets, even when they arrangement. “The cats are very enter shelters. “It would be excellent therapeutic for our men,” he said. “It if shelters could find a way,” she said. reinforces skills many homeless people “Some of the people cannot go into a have forgotten, and that’s how to take shelter with their pets, and that causes care of something more unfortunate them to miss out on a necessary safe them themselves.” place to live.” Nurturing is a good thing Mt. Airy. Giving up a pet can be difficult. “By taking care of a cat, it kind of reThat’s why The Hamilton County inforces the nurturing that comes with YMCA Battered Women’s Shelter caring for something besides yourself.” partners with the Society for PrevenBrown said. “It’s been good for our tion of Cruelty to Animals or SPCA. guys.” The SPCA provides temporary shelter Another local organization, UCAN, for the animals of battered women, acfinds value in helping out the pets cording to Consuello Hudson, Domesof homeless people. UCAN recently tic Violence Advocate. opened a spay/neuter clinic where vetThe partnership works, Hudson erinary services are offered to people said, but it’s not used very often. with little or no income. Pets of those who qualify get seen and checked out head to toe for $8.00. The spay/neuter service is slightly more expensive. The number of homeless people using this service is on the rise, according to Cathy Madewell, coordinator for Pets in Need. The program is mutually beneficial. “The homeless people are doing a service to the city by bringing in their dogs and cats,” said Madewell, adding that every pet that is spayed or neutered means “Fluffy” is one of the feline residents of The Talbert House, Mt. fewer unwanted litters for aniAiry Center for the Homeless. Photo: Drew Brown mal control. Madewell relies on One Road trip to Remember Eugene left the tent and set out on a trip to New York City with the cat in tow. He thought his chances for finding work in a faltering economy would be better in the city, so he crated the cat and hitched a ride with a trucker he knew was headed that way. He and Sarah ended up homeless again. “In New York, I walked around with her on a leash,” he said, laughing. “In New York, that’s common, but here I wouldn’t do that because people would think I’m crazy.” They were homeless for nearly four months, but at least Eugene found shelter. He lived in a small room where monks once lived. “They didn’t allow pets, but Sarah was allowed to stay (outside),” he said. She stayed in the back yard area that was surrounded by a nine-foot fence. “There were no worries of here leaving since she didn’t have claws.” The wooden fence would have been quite an obstacle for a declawed cat like Sarah. With the urging of friends, the two returned to Cincinnati. A Happy Reunion Sarah’s trip back to Cincinnati was shorter than his. Eugene caught a bus, and Sarah followed the next day-----by plane. The airport reunion was a happy one. “She’s always glad to see me,” he said. They returned to the tent for four months before Eugene finally agreed to enter a local shelter, a condition for enrolling in a local housing program. Eugene had resisted the idea of shelter life for two reasons: panic attacks related to a condition called agoraphobia* and Sarah. “I really wanted to keep this cat,” he said. “It was there for me when I was depressed.” A Home at Last Eugene and Sarah moved into an apartment earlier this year, and they’re both settled in. She perches on top of his feet when he sits down, and he can’t imagine what life would be like without her. “I wouldn’t have anybody to come home to,” he said. “Sarah is something else alive here besides my plants.” Hopes and Dreams Eugene said he’s feeling better. The symptoms of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Agoraphobia are not as bad as they used to be. Agoraphobia is a condition that makes a person fearful in public places. With PTSD, a person may experience such symptoms as tiredness, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. Eventually, Eugene wants to return to writing. “I want to go back to work and not get fired,” he said, recalling just how the disabilities interfered with work. �8 Local Issue St r eet vibeS M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Demanding Transparency from those Responsible for Change Continued from page 1 Aliya Rahmon, Miami University student, read a demand letter that was sent to Tom Scheberle, Executive Director of ALEC. The letter demands these disclosures: •All donors of $200 and more, •ALEC members who hold elected office, •Full text of model legislation and public policy discussion leading up to the legislation •Disclosure of the cases in which ALEC model legislation is entered into bills, specifically the source of the legislative text. Similar demands are in the works by another group. ProtestALEC.org claims ALEC is to blame for the recent surge in legislation that targets working people (Ohio’s Senate Bill 5), women and racial minorities (Arizona’s Senate 1070) environmental protections. The group is calling for ALEC to invite More than 150 people gathered with signs on Fountain Square in peaceful demand against policy experts, journalists and the ALEC. Photo: Susan Lakes the public to an open meeting to discuss the group’s inner workings. sharing among states so that Protestor Alana Bilancini first we can be ready for New found out ALEC was coming to Orleans,” said Bob Sloan. Cincinnati in mid-March. She’s An Indianapolis, IN resident, glad the city’s Over-The Rhine Sloan and wife, Jean made neighborhoods served as the focal the hour and a half hour trek point for the education programs. to Cincinnati to protest for a -Democracy Is Not For Sale. “There’s a movement to push reason. Bob learned about residents out in favor of profit-Stop Corporations From Writing Our ALEC through his research. making businesses,” she said. Laws. “My husband has been writing Bilancini also liked the peaceful a book about the corporate nature of the protest. Some of -When Our Rights Are Under Attack, takeover of our prisons,” Jean the protestors who showed up in what do we do? Stand Up. Fight Cincinnati are working on strategies Sloan said. Back. to bring ALEC into the spotlight -Hey Hey, ho ho/ALEC out of Ohio. again when the group meets for Marching to demand corporations not be allowed susanlakes@cincihomeless. an annual meeting in Louisiana to dictate our laws. Photo: Susan Lakes org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 12 -Get up! Get Down! There’s a in August. “We need information A GLIMPS AT THE PROTEST SIGNS AND CHANTS: Peoples’ Movement In This Town. �St r ee t v ib e S M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 International News 9 If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry Satire is, above all, a bag of laughs. But in authoritarian countries, such as Venezuela and Russia, satire is also the voice of freedom; a weapon used to expose the irony of unjust systems. lesson. On January last year he did it again. And this time it was worse. “Venezuela sin Estehe Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, is ban”, published in the a man of humor. Nobody forgets the day he ever-resistant TalCual stepped on the stand of the United Nations, newspaper, was a witty one day after former President Bush, sniffed the exercise of imagination: air and said: "The devil was here yesterday. It still what would happen to smells like sulfur." Yes, President Chávez has used the country if Chávez comedy many times against his opponents, but suddenly left? After the his sense of humor fades when the joke is on him. confusion of the first Laureano Márquez, political scientist and one of days, “people would stop the most famous satirists of Venezuela, had to pay, buying dollars like crazy” together with the newspaper he writes for, TalCual, and six months later almost £15,000 because of a letter he wrote to “politicians would star noChávez's nine-year-old daughter. "Querida Rosinés" ticing that the laws they was a satirical answer to the President's announceapproved were actually ment that he was considering changing the national quite anti-democratic coat of arms after a request from his daughter. "The because now they apply purpose of the letter is to ask you for help," wrote to them” and “all political Márquez in 2005. "You are probably the only person prisoners who were arbitrarily judged would be he listens to and you're the only who can speak freed.” Ten years later, Venezuela President Chavez laughs while addressing a news conference. REUTERS/Jorge Silva frankly with daddy without fearing as we do." Among the requests was one to remove the “you could see the first coat of arms of "a gentleman with a green uniform signs of financial recovand white beard, a gentleman that is always putting ery” and “people would also using new technologies and it becomes harder his nose in our business" (reference to Fidel Casfind sugar in the supermarkets again”. A hundred and harder to tyrannize the human being,” he said. tro) and also a request for Chávez to stop talking years after Chávez’s (Esteban in the article) deparIn a country where recently a critical television about what he is going to do in 2021 - "Even if he is ture all that is left are “bad memories”. “The period network, RCTV, was pushed off the airwaves and going to stay that long, he shouldn't say it so often would be studied as an example of what should not 34 radio stations had their licenses revoked, the because for those of us who don't agree with him be done to a country.” The reaction arrived quickly. Internet does emerge as the safest way to express (don't be alarmed, according to official sources we The Ministry of Communications and Information disagreement. In the past decade Venezuela has are fewer and fewer) it's somehow stressful." He of Venezuela accused him of being a defamatory seen an impressive growth in access to online techcloses the letter with a last wish: "Ask him not to be fascist and of encouraging a coup d’état. Words, nologies. Thirty one per cent of the population now so angry with us who don't think like him; sometimes of course, were not enough: the Ministry asked to has access to the Internet (compared to 5.8 per cent he calls us criminals and fascists and we feel like open an inquiry against Tal Cual. Such reaction 12 years ago). Much of this development is actually indicates the government recognizes the power of answering back." The gentle, almost affectiondue to the Chávez administration: the government satire and by censuring Márquez, President Chávez ate tone of the letter did not prevent him landing in set up more than 600 high speed Internet access admits his importance. “Humor hurts the governtrouble with the courts. centers in poor neighborhoods. As a result, 68 per ment a great deal, because it’s a type of criticism However, Laureano Márquez didn’t learn the cent of Internet users come from lower-income deagainst which you can only answer mographics. At the same time, the rising popularity in two ways: with more wit or by of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, censoring it. Because the governas well as blogs, benefited Chávez’s opponents. ment is not very witty, he censors,” The anti-Chávez Twitter #freevenezuela was among explained the satirist. “Everyone the four receiving comments worldwide in February who studied humor knows it’s a last year, while seven of the 10 most followed Twitter serious thing. Almost all the great accounts in Venezuela belong to Chávez’s critics. philosophers since Aristotle have Chávez didn’t want to be left behind, so he created written about it.” Márquez, who his own Twitter account and already has 1,416,826 continues writing almost as an act followers. of protest, says satire in Venezuela The absence of restrictions on online content is about much more than raising a created the conditions for a proliferation of blogs and few laughs; it is essential to what websites with disagreeing voices. One of the most is left of democracy, something the popular ones is El Chigüire Bipolar, a satirical page, Venezuelans so deeply value. resembling the American The Onion, where Ven“In Venezuela, political satire ezuelan politics and Chávez, in particular, are seen has an incredible strength. It’s a through the lens of sharp humor. Named in honor of mechanism to face authoritarianthe capybara, a rodent that Venezuelans enjoy eatism, denounce it, and defeat it. ing, El Chigüire, after only three years of existence, Currently Venezuela is living one has at least the same or more page views than of its most brilliant moments in the leading Venezuelan newspaper, El Nacional. terms of humor, also because it “New school books replace heliocentric theory by is living one of the most dangerthe hugocentric theory”, “President Chávez gives ous periods for its freedom,” he medal to virus A1N1 for having contaminated Uribe” said. In this paradoxical situation, or “Interview with Chávez’s mommy: ‘My son was  |  satire is seen as a noble weapon: on TV since he was a little boy’” are some of the “It’s an extraordinary weapon and headlines one can find in this website, that uses the its greatest strength comes from   motto “Partial, unfounded news from a rodent with the fact that it doesn’t kill, it’s not psychological issues.” violent. Political satire is a form But their most successful attraction is undoubtof denouncing wrong doings, of edly the recent cartoon adventure La Isla Presicriticism; it’s a political expression dencial (Presidential Island), five-minute videos of the social anguishes. “Political released every two or three weeks. The story, satire in Venezuela assumes the based on the hit TV series Lost, gathers sevtremendously important function eral Latin American leaders who find themselves of being the citizen’s voice. It is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. The first extremely important in Venezuela, episode was watched on YouTube more than 3 without it I don’t think we could million times and apart from Chávez it includes the have survived.” Satire, Márquez Bolivian President Evo Morales (secretly in love says, is the best way to beat cenwith the Venezuelan President), sorship. “It’s a way to say things when you can’t speak because See If You Didn’t Laugh p10. satire uses metaphors and can say without saying. Besides, humor is INÊS SANTINHOS GONÇALVES Street News Service www.streetnewsservice.org T     �10 International News St r eet vibeS M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 If You Didn’t Laugh Continued from page 9 Colombia’s President Álvaro Uribe, Cristina Kirchner from Argentina and the Brazilian Lula da Silva, among others. For this reason, the website has become increasingly popular throughout Latin America. Even Spain is paying attention, since King Juan Carlos also stars as a silly old man. All of these characters are tortured by the long speeches delivered by President Chávez. “Twelve Presidents take a short boat ride to hell. Now they’ll have to survive with no food, no shelter and no power - hey, don’t overreact!” The interruption of the trailer is made by Chávez to whom power doesn’t mean electricity. Mario Silva, the host of a Venezuelan talk show on state television that Chávez uses to attack his critics, has condemned El Chigüire Bipolar, describing its founders as partisan anti-Chávez drugaddicts. “We appreciate the publicity,” co-founder Juan Andrés Ravell, 28, told the New York Times. Together with Oswaldo Graziani, 30, he writes and produces the content of the website that is financed out of their own pockets. “Chávez is a master communicator and a natural born comedian, but one who doesn’t realize he’s at the centre of the joke,” said Ravell in the same interview to the American newspaper. “Satire”, he added “always evolves to resist the attempts to extinguish it.” “Venezuela is living one of its most brilliant moments in terms of humor, also because it is living one of the most dangerous periods for its freedom”. David Myers, political science professor at Penn State University, US, specializing in Latin America, is familiar with El Chigüire. “I’m surprised it hasn’t been censored yet,” he said. President Chávez has been talking about controlling the Internet, after a website program about the former President Carlos Andrés Pérez which played a huge role in discrediting the democratic system and opening a way for Chávez,” he adds. In the war of humor, Chávez plays a significant role, one filled with political meaning. “He uses a very popular humor against educated people, the humor of cowboys. A lot of people in Venezuela still have that rural mentality and Chávez appeals to them much more with that type of satire,” explains Professor Myers. “He is trying to show that he is just like the poor. The great irony is that, not only he came out Animated cartoon portraying the Russian leaders Putin and Medvedev addressing of the military academy but he also the nation on New Year’s Eve, while dancing studied at Simón Bolívar University “Opa!” They have great dancing skills. where he made all the courses for a Master in Political Science,” he adds. Chávez, however, left the Medvedev: “You may believe me or you may University without the degree. not, I love to surf the web a lot” The ‘bronze leaders’ are no joke. In Venezuela Putin: “Ah, yes, when you are surfing the net, I satire is a weapon used by both sides of the barhave to text you ‘Hi Medvedev!’” ricade and although restricted it remains present, Medvedev: “This is the second year that I greet like a weed that keeps on growing back. One might people on New Year” say that it is a defense mechanism of authoritarian Putin: “You know, one of us has done it already regimes, democracies in a very limited meaning of nine times” the word, in which freedom to express disagreement is highly restricted and regimes with charisThe video was featured in a special episode of matic, power-driven, self-centered leaders. Like Mult Lichnosti (Cartoon Personalities), a biweekly Venezuela. And like Russia. However, if Venezushow that pokes fun at public figures. elans drink the glass of satire with visible thirst, the Broadcasted on the state-run Channel One, Russians sip with caution. Professor Myers says Multi Lichnosti is the newest satire show in Rusthe reasons are historical: “The concept of desia, a country where jokes on TV are no laughing mocracy is very deeply embedded in matter. Venezuelan culture. It goes way back For seven years the country experienced a dry to the 19th century when there was a season for satire. Since the end of Kukly, the Ruslot of democratic resistance to dictasian version of Spitting Image, the airwaves were tors. Satire is a way to go after anyone pretty humour free. who tries to get too much authority. Newspapers across the so-called free world You don’t have anything in Venezuela reported the end of the show as a political message that commanded the respect and the - and not a good one. majesty of the Tsars regime.” Nicolai The television station, NTV, claimed the politiPetro, Professor of Comparative Polical satire was unpopular, poorly made and too tics at the University of Rhode Island, expensive to produce. But the unofficial version that US, specializing in Russian affairs, everyone believed in was that its closure was politisaid: “If things are quieter in Russia cally motivated. than in Venezuela, I believe it is mainly Kukly portrayed Putin as a short, ugly puppet because people like it that way. and although it was extremely popular, it was not to “There are cultural factors at work. the President’s taste. Putin’s victory in the PresiOne is a certain fear of the consedential elections gave him the power to nationalize Animation depicting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the animated series quences of mocking authority, another NTV. Soon the show was cancelled. “President Island.” Photo: REUTERS/Ho New is that mocking a person, rather than a “If it would have been a totalitarian regime, they system or institution, is considered inap- would have shot us. Because it’s an authoritarian allegedly reported false news about the death of propriate and ‘hitting below the belt’. This may be regime they closed us down,” said Victor Shenone of his ministers. But Melanie Ciolek, a specialchanging for young people but among older Rusderovich, scriptwriter of Kukly, to BBC Radio 4. ist in public diplomacy at the University of Southern sians one finds, to the contrary, a heightened effort Since its cancellation, jokes about Putin beCalifornia, explains: “If the Chávez administrato maintain a sense of orderliness and propriety in came such a taboo that in July 2009 the Russian tion decided to crack down on Internet freedom to the face of the ‘immorality’ they see in Russian sochannel that broadcasts South Park cut a scene of reduce dissents, it risks upsetting an already tense ciety today,” he explains. But as the saying goes, the cartoon involving Putin. situation in Venezuela. The fight for online influence there is an exception to every rule. In 2009 New The poltical analyst, Dimitry Oreshkin told the plays out against a backdrop of troubled economic Year’s Eve Vladimir Putin and Dimitry Medvedev France Press News Agency he thought television conditions and recurring energy crises that make danced, sang and told jokes in Red Square. Inapcomedy had “degraded” since the demise of Kukly. it increasingly difficult for him to tout the benefits propriate? It would be far more than that. But those “In this situation, of course, it’s impossible to even of his ‘Bolivarian revolution’. “Previous attempts singing and dancing under fireworks were cartoon think of making Putin or Medvedev into comic to ban access to social media have demonstrated characters of the President and Prime Minister. figures.” a tendency to generate instability. Given that his There are at least eight videos on YouTube where Nontheless, Multi Lichnosti is now on primeopponents already use social media not just to one can see the cartoon duet; the most popular of time television. The return, however, is seen as voice dissent, but to organize physical protests them has been viewed almost 280,000 times. timid. The New Year cartoon, where both Putin and against his policies, it seems likely that restrictions Medvedev appeared, was an exception. The show would stimulate further unrest,” she writes in an Medvedev: “It has become a fashion trend to tends to focus only on international politicians, footarticle on the Mountain Runner, a political science summarize the year’s end” ball players, pop stars and television hosts. It’s not website. Professor Myers agrees that Chávez will Putin: “And we will try our best to do so and like the show doesn’t have teeth; it just lacks bite be cautious. “I’m not sure if he has the technical fulfill the request” when it comes to Russian politicians. capability actually, but he did bring the Iranians in The only Russian political figure who had and they are advising him on propaganda, so it is The two most powerful men in Russia swing appeared - in the first episode - was the Foreign conceivable.” With Internet or without it, the situatheir bodies to the rhythm. Medvedev plays accorMinister Sergei Lavrov who was gently mocked in a tion of satire in Venezuela is under threat. “There is dion and Putin a tambourine - which every now and sketch that showed him trying to escape a flirtatious even a law saying that if you make jokes about the then he beats against his bottom. The duet cheerHilary Clinton. President you can be put in jail,” explains Professor fully refers to events in the past year, such as the On the contrary, when it comes to international Myers. “The reason why Chávez is so bothered failed attempt by a consortium including Russian figures, especially the ones the Kremlin likes least, by satire is because he realizes there is a political bank Sberbank to buy Opel from General Motors, there is plenty to enjoy. President Viktor A. Yushcontent in the jokes and if they start to be able to and the construction of Russia’s Nord Stream gas chenko of Ukraine is shown in a wheat field, idly reach the base which supports him, and then it’s pipeline. They poke fun at the EU and US, Interinflating balloons with Russian natural gas diverted dangerous. He knows how humor and satire was national Olympic Committee president Jacques from a pipeline. President Mikheil Saakashvili of used against former President Pérez Jiménez in Rogge, Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko and Georgia lustily consumes his own tie. President the 1950s and then again in the 1990s against the even make a reference to historic corruption within Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus sits in a wooden Social Democratic party. “Another example, one of Russia’s bureaucracy. hut, so aching for a call from Moscow that he pays the best in the history of Venezuela was a satirical Step to the left, step to the right, twirl, jump, �International News St r ee t v ib e S 11 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Continued from page 10 an impersonator to mimic Mr. Putin’s voice. President Obama is one of the regulars, perpetually dribbling a basketball or singing rap songs. The television producer Grigory Lyubomirov, who worked on Kukly, said to Agence France Press: “Naturally no one will criticise either the President or the Prime Minister. I don’t think anyone specially bans it. It’s just that experienced television producers don’t want to take the risk.” Dimitry Polikanov, deputy project leader of human resources reserve for the United Russia Party, said: “Multi Lichnosti is a partial remedy. They pretend to be critical-minded, however it is clear that the political satire is very mild and never goes beyond certain self-censorship limits. “Satire, if treated properly, can contribute to a more human image for politicians. And eventually Russia will come to this conclusion,” he adds. Political leaders, however, are not convinced. Polikanov says they regard satire “mostly with caution and negative reactions.” “Status is a very important and serious thing and the politicians in power try to avoid discussions about their personal lives and become quite irritated with any humours references. They are bronze statues and humour makes it more accesible to destroy this image.” Another Viewpoint: freedom, they will have to.” Just because politicians are suspicious about the benefits of satire, it doesn’t mean the Russians don’t have a sense of humour. Political satire was very popular in the Soviet Union and was used as unofficial form of protest. Today the political and financial situation is different, but as the Sunday Times columnist Roland White said: “You will find jokes about political leaders wherever there are leaders and wherever there are people who don’t think they’re doing a good job.” In fact, the Russian jokes didn’t stop at the KGB, they just became something exchanged behind closed doors. When Time Magazine elected Putin as man of the year, in 2007, it said that political jokes were again gaining popularity. A famous one goes: “Stalin’s ghost appears to Putin in a dream, and Putin asks for his help running the country. Stalin says, ‘Round up and shoot all the democrats, and then paint the inside of the Kremlin blue.’ ‘Why blue?’ Putin asks. ‘Ha!’ says Stalin. ‘I knew you wouldn’t ask me about the first part.’” One might call it dark humour. But nontheless humour. Osama bin Laden’s Useful Death PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS information Clearing House http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/ ay 03, 2011 “Information Clearing House” -- In a propaganda piece reeking of US Triumphalism, two alleged journalists, Adam Goldman and Chris Brummitt, of the Associated Press or, rather, of the White House Ministry of Truth, write, or copy off a White House or CIA press release that “Osama bin Laden, the terror mastermind killed by Navy SEALs in an intense firefight, was hunted down based on information first gleaned years ago (emphasis added) from detainees at secret CIA prison sites in Eastern Europe, officials disclosed Monday.” How many Americans will notice that the first paragraph of the “report” justifies CIA prisons and torture? Without secret prisons and torture “the terror mastermind” would still be running free, despite having died from renal failure in 2001. How many Americans will have the wits to wonder why the “terror mastermind”--who defeated not merely the CIA and the FBI, but all 16 US intelligence agencies along with Israel’s Mossad and the intelligence services of NATO, who defeated NORAD, the National Security Council, the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff, the US Air Force, and Air Traffic Control, who caused security procedures to fail four times in US airports in one hour on the same day, who caused the state-of-the-art Pentagon air defenses to fail, and who managed to fly three airliners into three buildings with pilots who did not know how to fly--has not pulled off any other attack in almost ten years? Do Americans really believe that a government’s security system that can so totally fail when confronted with a few Saudi Arabians with box cutters can renew itself to perfection overnight? How many Americans will notice the resurrection of the long missing bin Laden as “terror mastermind” after his displacement by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Guantanamo prisoner who confessed to being the “mastermind of 9/11” after being water-boarded 183 times? Americans are too busy celebrating to think, a capability that seems to have been taken out of their education. Americans are so enthralled over the death of bin Laden that they do not wonder why information gleamed years ago would take so long to locate a person who was allegedly living in a million-dollar building equipped with all the latest communication equipment next to the Pakistani Military Academy. Allegedly, the “most wanted criminal” was not moving from hide-out to hide-out in desolate mountains, but ensconced in luxury quarters in broad daylight. Nevertheless, despite his obvious location, it took the CIA years to find him after claiming to have gained information of his whereabouts out of cap- M Polikanov confirms Professor Myers’s theory that the way nations dealt with satire is rooted in history. “Multi Lichnosti cannot ruin the image historically formed of the rulers. A person in power in Russia is a Tsar, he should keep a distance from people; the greater the distance, the better. “ The success of the New Year cartoon seems to indicate that people enjoy seeing their leaders in if not satirical, at least a funny context. “Even if they do not dare to laugh at Putin and Medvedev publicly, they would like to believe that there is some human component in their ‘bronze leaders’,” he explains. The opinions about the state of satire in Russia differ. Some think the situation is more tense than ever and contrast it with the time of Boris Yeltsin, a man of humor who accepted being mocked. Others believe that Russia is more open and free today than ever before and say that arguing that Boris Yeltsin’s time was more relaxed is just lack of political memory. But whichever is right, the day when a Russian politician will be a guest in a satirical show still seems quite far away. Polikanov, who himself works for the United Russia Party, Putin’s Party, said: “If the political situation develops to democracy and tives in secret prisons. This is the image of the CIA as the new Keystone Cops. In an immediate followup to the announcement that the Navy SEALs and CIA mercenaries acted in an exemplary fashion following the rules of engagement while a cowardly bin Laden hid behind a woman shield when the gunfire erupted, we have from the pressitutes that “U.S. officials conceded the risk of renewed attack. The terrorists almost certainly will attempt to avenge bin Laden’s death, CIA Director Leon Panetta wrote in a memo. . . . Within a few hours, the Department of Homeland Security warned that bin Laden’s death was likely to provide motivation for attacks from ‘homegrown violent extremists’.” Police standing near a wanted poster of Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden in New York John Brennan, White Photo: REUTERS/Russell Boyce House counter-terrorism adviser, told reporters that in the celebration. Nevertheless they let slip that “it was inconceivable that the terrorist fugitive didn’t “officials were weighing the release of at least one have support in Pakistan where his hideout had photo taken of bin Laden’s body as part of what been custom built six years ago in a city with a Brennan called an effort to make sure ‘nobody has heavy military presence.” any basis to try and deny the death.’” So the claimed murder of bin Laden by the US As the Guardian and European newspapers in a sovereign foreign country with which the US is have revealed, the photo of the dead bin Laden not at war, a crime under international law, has set is a fake. As the alleged body has been dumped up three more self-serving possibilities: into the ocean, nothing remains but the word of the Terrorists will avenge bin Laden’s death, says US government, which lied about Iraqi weapons of the CIA, setting up another false flag attack to keep mass destruction and al Qaeda connections, about the profits flowing into the military/security yellowcake, about Iranian nukes, and, according complex and the power flowing into the unaccountto thousands of experts, about 9/11. Suddenly the able CIA. government is telling us the truth about bin Laden’s Homeland Security can extend the domestic death? If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brookpolice state, abuse of travelers, and arrests of war lyn that I’ll let you have for a good price. protestors. My initial interpretation of the faked bin Laden And Pakistan is under the gun of invasion and death was that Obama needed closure of the takeover (for India, of course) for shielding bin Afghan war and occupation in order to deal with Laden. the US budget deficit. Subsequent statements from The Israel Lobby’s representatives in the US Obama regime officials suggest that the agenda Congress quickly fell in with the agenda. Senator might be to give Americans a piece of war victory Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services in order to boost their lagging enthusiasm. The miliCommittee, declared that the Pakistani Army and tary/security complex will become richer and more intelligence agency “have a lot of questions to anpowerful, and Americans will be rewarded with swer, given the location, the length of time and the vicarious pleasure in victory over enemies. apparent fact that this was actually--this facility was actually build for bin Laden, and its closeness to the central location of the Pakistani army.” The two reporters question nothing in the government’s propaganda. Instead, the reporters join �12 Keep On Keeping On Continued from page 1 including Jimmy Heath, homeless activist and photojournalist, who would later become the Editor of Streetvibes. According to Steve, “The kids first met him and loved talking to him.” Their friendship grew and over time, Steve was arranging for Jimmy to speak to hundreds of students and share slide shows of his photography. The two also traveled to Cuba together as a part of a Miami University Witness for Peace Delegation. Steve’s impact was far reaching. His path led him to service around the globe including St. Croix Reservation and places as far off as Dubai. Steve’s work with The Mayerson Foundation gave him the opportunity to connect diverse students with service learning opportunities at agencies in Over the Rhine and throughout Greater Cincinnati. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is one such agency deeply impacted by Steve’s work over the years. For over a decade Steve has supported the Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau, connecting formerly and currently homeless individuals to students in the classroom, as well as served in an advisory capacity for several projects including the first Streetvibes Advisory Committee. Steve also helped coordinate the Mother of Mercy English student project “Through Our Eyes” reflections on homelessness and coordinate the Mural Project that serves as the façade of the Coalition’s office building. Everywhere we look, we see Steve’s work weaved into our history. Friend and fellow teacher Marty Karmani spoke at the celebration highlighting that Steve provided “1000’s of hours of service and 1000’s of students” from suburban high schools to urban, from public to private to parochial-“if anyone knew how to make service work, it was Steve.” Community leader Bonnie Neumeier honored Steve with a poem, and sang a song in a duet with retired teacher Diana Porter”. For Donna Mayerson, who helped found the High School Service Learning Program, the work that Steve facilitated created a ripple. “The world is a better place because of you,” she spoke, “we dreamed together on how we could grow a ripple together.” Finneytown teacher, Lynn Volz also spoke at the celebration as a former student of Steve’s “impacted by the lessons of the classroom” Lynn acknowledged that numerous Finneytown graduates all began in Steve’s classroom and do work in the community—and this is an amazing legacy.” Ultimately Steve’s life path led him to embody a philosophy that we should all consider: “Good service occurs when the server becomes the learner and those being served become the teacher.” In his retirement, Steve won’t really “retire” (as we all suspected) he will continue his legacy as he serves on the Boards of Marjorie Book Continuing Education Society, Our Daily Bread, and Village Life Outreach Project (villages in Tanzania) as well as the Community Education Advisory Committee at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center and the UC Service-Learning Advisory Committee. Steve intends to learn Spanish and to play the guitar, as well as tutor and mentor. He also plans to travel to Florida to watch/help the Head Basketball Men’s Coach at Rollins College who played for him in 1972. Steve will also spend time with his wife Jan, and his five grown children, Jennifer, Chris, Tracy, Donna and Kym. During the closing remarks at the celebration dinner Neal Mayerson summazied Steve Elliots legacy: “Steve is a testament to how our actions have a ripple effect in the world. Within one microcosm of Steve teaching, one student is effected and then all the students are effected, we are all involved in the great ripple effect.” jenijenkins@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 14 Celebration St r eet vibeS M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 THE COMMUNITY REFLECTS ON STEVE ELLIOT’S WORK “Steve, I have so enjoyed knowing you and Jan! Your support and enthusiasm for our students and all of us has been a really important part of my career at CPS! May you both enjoy retirement and each other.” -Gayla Sherman, retired Aiken teacher “Steve Elliot-passionate supporter of all the good folks of OTR.” -Joe Wilmers, School Social Worker, CPS “Steve opened the door to service for me. Through his inspiration and help- my school allowed me the ability to start a community service class. Through the Mayerson Foundation 70 plus students attended the urban plunge and ignited hundreds of Withrow International High School students to volunteer and the numbers still grow. Steve is my hero.” – Cecilia Schroer, Withrow International High School “Steve embodies the spirit of embracing the community, helping young people to find a way to make a meaningful contribution. He is irreplaceable, but will continue to be an inspiration. –Heather Campbell, Arlington Heights Academy “Steve, ‘today is the day that the lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Psalm 118:24) It is a joy to be here tonight celebrating your outstanding contributions throughout the Cincinnati community for developing and leading students and teachers in service learning. We loved all of your advice and guidance at Aiken High School. Peace be with you.” -Midge Bateman, Leadership Team Mentor, Aiken High School “Steve is our ‘Guru’. Whenever we have a question or need information, we always say ‘ask Steve’. If Steve doesn’t know the answer, he always knows who can give us the answer.” -Pat Lehman, Wyoming City Schools “Steve Elliot is my Service Coordinator guru. I was always so impressed how he managed to place the right kind of importance on every kind of detail from the look on the face of a homeless man at the Drop Inn Center to asking for RSVPs to a meeting so that he would have enough cookies for all of us service coordinators. It’s all important in its own way and Steve knows that. And I’ve always noticed how he makes it a point to know your name if he is going to be in contact with you. I think only special people do that. Steve, your vision and insight will take us and so many students a long, long way! Thank you.” -Gina Keith, McAuley High School “Steve Elliot’s compassion for others and passion for service is contagious, and allows him to enter into meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life. Steve has been a blessing to the many schools and agencies he has worked with, and his work will continue to impact others as those who he has taught continue his work.” -David Campbell, Dean of Students, Purcell Marian High School “Part of the journy of life is about how one goes about experiencing and interacting with the world in which one lives. Steve Elliott has opened many doors for thousands of people to experience and interact with the world in a more authentic compassionate manner. My world changed as a result of years of service and friendship with Steve.” -Lynn Volz, Finneytown High School “Steve is a living bridge. He spans all demographics and all markers- real or perceived-that are so often used to keep us separated. He spans these gaps and across walks knowledge, compassion, truth and understanding. This creates the future leaders that give us all hope.” - Georgine Getty, Interfaith Hospitality Network “I am delighted to share..the impact Steve Elliot had on Partners in Peace group I started at Mount Notre Dame in 2007. This partnership was between the students of MND and Muslim students in Mitrovice, Kosovo. We were partners in a yearlong project that culminated in a Peace Quilt that was designed by students in both countries and made at MND. Students submitted their designs for a block on the quilt and it ended up with both Albanian text, Engilsh text and images. The quilt was then taken to Liverpool, England, where it was put on display at the Big Hope Youth Conference before being taken to Kosovo where it now hangs in the school there. Without the financial support of Steve and the Mayerson Foundation, this tangible symbol of the interconnectedness of the young people and their willingness to work so well together may not have been created.” –Julie Hagerty, Mount Notre Dame High School Studens in Kosovo hold the Peace Quilt created through the Partners in Peace Group. Photo: Julie Hagerty. �St r ee t v ib e S Celebration 13 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 “Steve’s got heart and soul, he’s a community-minded man, and his work is making waves all over the country.” - Bonnie Neumeier Over-the-Rhine Resident Activist “In the early days of ReStoc when Steve was on the board we learned how to be housing advocates together.” - Roger Auer, Director of Campus Ministry, “Steve created a program for all youth and brought opportunities for Cincinnati Bonnie Neumeir & Diana Porter lead the crowd in a song “Carry it on, we’ll Public School students to work carry it on.” Photo: Jeni Jenkins across many barriers to creating Our Wise Teacher Friend a better world.” In Honor of Steve Elliott - Diana Porter, retired Teacher “Steve is my teacher.” Steve Elliot, Finneytown, 1975. Photo courtesy of The Mayerson Foundation -Steve Sunderland, Professor, University of Cincinnati “When you met me, I was an adolescent fresh out of high school with the ambition and drive to make a difference. While other people clapped or said “good job” you took note and told the Coalition about me. My goal now is to continue your legacy and help as many as I can. Thank you.” - Lauren Lovette, Motivational Speaker, Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau, UC Student “A special thanks to Steve Elliott from the Aiken High School Leadership Team. He made it possible of us to build relationships with others through acts of service. The respect and guidance Steve gave to our students will never be forgotten. Steve, you really know how to make Aiken Falcons SWOOP!!!!” -Marty Karmani, Teacher, Aiken High School “Way back when we were both younger and no one knew much about the social phenomenon of homelessness, nor the plight of those who really are homeless, poor, and friendless, you caught on…and that has made all the difference! Your vision and passion for helping those in need is manifest daily throughout the community in: …century-old, established agencies whose boards you enlightened …agencies dedicated to caring for those in need or in poverty whose ...professional staffs and volunteers now include many of your “graduates” …advocacy groups and newly founded agencies who find little favor in established society but carry exemplary social justice missions” - Alice Skirtz, PhD/LISW-S, Social Worker “Steve has touched the lives of so many children and helped them realize their social and civic responsibilities in this small world- he has earned the admiration and respect of so many. Thank you Steve for understanding that we never knew who was coming until we got on the bus and for always welcoming us anyway” – Joan Pack-Rowe, Cincinnati Public Schools “Steve is a visionary who has strong belief in the humanity that resides in every person-that just needs the right situation for it to reveal itself and then blossom.” - Ilyas Nashid “Steve has inspired us to extend our arms, our hearts, and our horizons to learn about and include as many varieties of people and cultures as possible. Through this, we understand our universal connections.” - Bruce Weil, Teacher, Clark Montessori “Steve’s enthusiasm is contagious. If I can make half the impact with my students that he has with his, I will consider myself successful! It started with a knock on Drop Inn’s door Steve’s one life changed and was never the same Then this wise teacher took to opening doors for us Our numerous lives changed and were never the same Students of many colors from urban and rural schools Said yes to his call: come, cross the chasm Met our eyes, called out our names Listened to stories unlike their own sometimes the same Bus drivers, teachers, parent chaperones Accomplished the leap along with the young Moved by experiences deeper than words can express Dissolving the distance on the long ride back home Students now spread good news across this land Ambassadors singing we are one big family What can we do to diminish this pain Basic human rights for the countless not just the few Laughter and tears, questions and insights Projects pursued, fundraisers fueled Relationships relished, reflections profound The Mayerson’s Steve known all around town A child’s small hand fingers your face An elder’s eye twinkles in quiet grace A brother on the soup line says thanks for your time A sister shares history about Over-the-Rhine This work is significant the process slow Listening with the heart is more precious than gold That’s Steve’s challenge to build bridges that hold When we link arms together our beauty is aglow In this mutual learning and exchange of gifts We announce to the world we are making a difference By Bonnie Neumeier Over-the-Rhine Resident Activist Peaslee Neighborhood Center Co-Founder March 25, 2011 -Laurie Foster, Teacher, Bethel-Tate High School “ ‘When you plant a seed of service, a tree of hope emerges.’’ Steve has planted many seeds, tended to them, and we’ve seen hope emerge in the minds and hearts of young people and in our city.” -Clare Zlatic-Blankemeyer, Director, High School Service Learning Program, Mayerson Foundation “He started as a coach and teacher and continued to do both in different venues. A true friend. He really cares!” - Tom Klusman, Basketball Coach, Rollins College Florida “You learn more from a model than from a critic. Steve like my other hereoes modeled what it means to love and to care for others.” -Dan Gruber “Steve, you are a ‘prince of men.’Your love of young people is blessing OTR and other parts of the city. You are a gift to me of a truly loving generous person.” -Sister Mary �Local 14 St r eet vibeS M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 A Call for Street Ball’s Best ‘Street Ball’…with conditions that are often downright dangerous to a serious hoop career but bring out a weird, eclectic group of characters not found in serious basketball circles. Only behind schools, in cages, or parks, does one find the bizarre match-ups and unlikely team chemistry that society provides. B. CLIFTON BURKE Contributing Writer n most parts of the world, and especially in America, basketball is played. Nearly everyone you have ever talked to in this country has at one time taken a shot. Not everyone plays in an actual five-on-five full-court setting, but many people don’t mind just shooting around on a nice day at the park. The point to all of this is to prompt your consideration to the idea that, if there are millions who casually give it a go, then there are certainly tens of thousands of these who are pretty damn good. We become familiar with thanks to the media exposure big-time basketball warrants. But with such large numbers of amateurs, surely there are dozens of examples of players passed over by the basketball gods. These less fortunate players exist in many pedestrian facets of life. Many are those who lament over what should have been, as they describe in great physical detail their patented moves of the distant glory days. And, as it goes with most things, the older the story, the better they remember themselves as players. “I could have played somewhere if it wasn’t for...” The reasons are irrelevant; life happens. Yet, we regularly interact I with whole armies of examples of players who claim to be, or have been, good enough for the pros or at least a reputable college. Even if only a fraction of these tales turns out to be remotely factual, that still leaves a good amount of forgotten hoopsters in the world. So, then, what I want to know is: who is the best player in Cincinnati I’ve never heard of? There are, of course, the two major college programs in town, so they don’t count. Neither incoming freshman who I have yet to see. I’ve attended the Deveroes Summer League at Woodward High School the last few years, so I’m familiar with some of the vets that aren’t in school but still knock around in the Division I-level. Those aren’t the guys I’m talking about. What I want a see are the guys who have ruled a particular court in the neighborhood for an impressive stretch of time. You know them, the guys who work somewhere or the other, but put on their high tops for an hour before settling in for the evening…the unassuming, raggedy t-shirt and shorts guy, who shoots threes and posts up big dudes when his team needs it. I’ve seen rotund men run the point like Jason Kidd. I’ve watched tall, broke-down old-timers skyhook younger opposition to shame, young, skinny kids dunk, people with strong accents and strong left hands. There are all kinds out there, but only on the streets. Sure, there are quality indoor games around town that likely attract the premium players of the region. After all, street ball conditions often are downright dangerous to a serious hoop career. But the streets bring out the weird, eclectic dross of characters not found in serious basketball circles. Only behind schools, or in cages, or parks, does one find the bizarre match-ups and unlikely team chemistry that society provides. Therefore, this summer—once it finally stops raining, I intend to visit as many courts as possible to shoot around some and seek out the castaway gems that are certain to exist in the Queen City. I realize many courts are viewed as dangerous places that invite drugs and gun-foolery; but from my admittedly narrow experience, it seems the more actual basketball that is played at a court, the less problematic it becomes. I feel that it’s in the city’s best interest to provide upkeep on courts with things like nets, and de- Photo: B. Clifton Burke cent pavement. The more inviting the court is to the sport itself, the more it will be used for its intended purpose. Basketball is not only a terrific form of exercise and a working model of how to work as a team and handle defeat and failure, but is also a game that can be played in many styles by many body types. It’s fun and good for neighborhoods when the community celebrates rather than fear the sport. If you know of a court that features quality players who deserve attention, email me at mingkrosky@gmail. com, and give me a heads up. Once I find some notable players, I will write up profiles to inform our public of its home-grown, grass-roots talent that exists in our very own streets and parks. As a city, let’s embrace our hoop courts this summer and knock down a few buckets. Stand Up OHIO Rally RICCARDO TAYLOR Civil rights Outreach Coordinator ith a turnout of more than two thousand protestors the citizens of Ohio took the initiative of addressing the State Government with their complaints. The now infamous Senate Bill 5 was the common tread which all of us attending had as our rallying point. With representation from every walk of life the crowd gathered, united as one, calling for an appeal and the due justice in policy for the citizens of our great State in the proposed enactment of Senate Bill 5. I stood amongst the ranks with awe, for the inspired attitudes and dispositions of those attending. Understanding that deprivation only occurs there is an entitlement was the kick off for all of us. To be deprived of the basic tenets of free enterprise and social equality was the rallying juncture, which W brought this colorful and flowing crowd of people together. Addressing the proposed cuts in education, collective bargaining for public services workers, and the future of the State of Ohio the crowd stood on a single platform! Reform! Reform the policies and enactments of this administration and give back to Ohioans their rightful due! As proposed Senate Bill 5 would take us back at least thirty years, repel what has been established for workers for more than a century, and plunge Ohio into a dark age. Stand up Ohio is the platform to dispel the wishes and greed of big business and crony partnerships of Governor Kasich. A platform to get Ohio moving in the right direction, a movement to ensure that all Ohioans get their fair and just reward, for their participation as members of the community which is our state and the insurance that future generations are accorded the same. Jobs, education, and representation for all Ohioans! My question for the whole scenario is how can Ohioans stand by and allow a former Wall Street executive bring his money grabbing policies to our great state? I cannot imagine my child or grandchild sitting in a classroom with 49 other students, what could he/she learn? I cannot envision workers not being able to challenge or otherwise protest or strike for the right s that they are entitled too? I cannot imagine our elderly being denied health care or the monetary compensation they are entitled to for their years of service to our community, the work that they have done that allows those of us living in the now to benefit from! I cannot stand by and not be heard for our rights I must ‘Stand Up for Ohio!’ Then in the conclusion of my thoughts I have to ask, doesn’t Mr. Kasich know who pays his check? Riccardo.taylor@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 15 �Resources St r ee t v ib e S 15 M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 681-2365 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Shelter: Men 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Vincent de Paul 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 961-4080 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 761-1480 721-0643 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 471-1100 221-3350 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-5300 961-1983 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 961-2256 Treatment: Women 558-8888 981-5800 458-6670 977-4489 961-4663 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline CCAT 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky 721-4700 421-7803 ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 859-491-8303 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Both Center for Respite Care Other Resources Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 562-8841 921-1613 First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 271-5501 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Prospect House Shelter: Both 241-1064 381-2247 Crossroad Health Center Treatment: Men 241-5525 661-4620 535-2719 591-2246 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 Charlie’s 3/4 House City Gospel Mission Mt. Airy Shelter St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 �Column 16 St r eet vibeS M AY 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 11 Quilts As the Fabric of Life Carolyn Mazloomi uses her art and Quilters’ organization to keep quilting potent and alive. Quilts and quilting changed Carolyn Mazloomi’s life. A Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, Mazloomi, taken and mesmerized by a quilt exhibit she visited in Dallas, TX, promised herself to learn the art. Her decision stayed with her and led her a long way, completely removed from her initial profession. Mazloomi became instead a highly skilled and talented professional quilter and an ardent lifelong advocate for African-American women quilt-makers. Born and raised in New Orleans in a segregated Southern society, the double burden of being black and woman accompanied her all along. She experienced directly and early on the subjugation of women and their 2nd class role in a male dominated society, along with the prevailing racial discrimination of the early 60’s. Growing up she would always ask questions, challenging the status quo and the injustices she was seeing; she also constantly felt the need to express her concerns and communicate her thoughts and ideas. Thanks to their potential narrative pictorial quality, quilts appealed strongly to her. They seemed to be a natural and fitting vehicle for her social commentaries and messages; she, as well, liked the touch and feel of fabric. Saad GhoSn Contributing Writer “We humans have a love affair and a privileged visceral relationship, from birth to death, with the cloth,” she says. “Quilts serve as a tactile link to visual sensual memory, also as metaphors for covering, protecting, warmth and security.” Convinced that women had one of the most, if not the most, important job on earth, being mothers and first teachers at the same time, she felt the need to empower them and call attention to their status and rights. As a Carolyn Mazloomi in her studio. Photo: Bill Howes result, most of her quilts, from the start, dealt with some aspect of their condition. “I am a woman; I am a mother; I am a concerned citizen of the world,” she says. “My quilts depict my concerns about the world I live in and how we treat each other. And women, who represent 50% of humankind, are often mistreated.” In Forever Faithful, she tackles the issue of female circumcision still practiced in many parts of the world. Her quilt shows the silhouette of a naked woman lying down in the center of what represents a sharp blade. At the bottom is written “A lifetime of pain” alluding to the painful and violent procedure forced on a woman’s body, detrimental to both her health and well-being. The Peace Keepers’ Gift is about the fate of West African women who have been raped by UN soldiers. It portrays an African girl holding a mixed race baby with sandy hair and, under her, white UN peace keepers. It points to the vulnerability of the woman and the uncertain destiny of the child. Seeking Comfort Finding Pain refers to the Korean “comfort” women who, during WW2, were forced into prostitution Strange Fruit, mixed media hanging quilt. Carolyn Mazloomi and used as sex slaves by the Japanese In 1985, Mazloomi founded the Women of Color military, abused, abandoned and ignored. Quilters Network, an organization that supports and Bride Burning in India, prompted by a empowers women quilters, maintains quilts’ artistic and young Indian girl brought to Cincinnati for burn cultural tradition, keeps alive their heritage, and helps the treatment, stresses the ongoing problem of Indian widows economic development of the artists through selling their forcefully placed on the pyre of their dead husband and work and protecting its monetary value. The organization, burnt to death. in addition, plays an important educational role, informing A series of black and white quilts pertaining to about quilts, promoting their cultural and historical value, grandmothers and great grand mothers who, nowadays, offering technical workshops and recruiting newcomer have often the added responsibility to take care of their youth to the craft. grandchildren, reflects on the increasingly dysfunctional “Quilts are very important historical documents,” says family structure in our society. Mazloomi. “They provide glimpses into people’s lives and In addition to women issues, race also found its serve as cultural windows. They reflect the fabric of life, way into and inform about material, dyes, and ways of expresMazloomi’s sions, customs and events of a given period.” quilts. The organization, now international, includes close Strange to 2000 members, primarily but not exclusively African Fruit, inAmerican women. It has been honored by the Internaspired by the tional Labor Department, also by the United Nations, in song of the recognition of its programs to help advance women. It same name owed Mazloomi, in 2003, the first Ohio Heritage Fellowabout lynchship Award. ing, depicts Through her role as a founder and president of the images of organization, Mazloomi was led to curate exhibits to hangings showcase the works of the members and also to write and burnbooks relating to the art form. Six of her books have ings, of already been published dealing variably with Contempopointed rary African American quilts, quilts inspired by Religion hoods and Faith, quilts related to Jazz, reflecting on African symbols of American Women’s history, celebrating Obama’s election the Ku Klux to the presidency… Touring exhibits traveled throughout Klan, of a the USA, and as far as Central America, Africa, Japan screaming museums hosting many of them, also acquiring some of woman. the work for their own collections. Mazloomi “Quilts need to be included in permanent museum meant it as collections,” says Mazloomi. “Our children and grand a sacred children should be able to see how we, African American offering to women, contributed to culture in America.” those African Mazloomi wants her art and quilts to educate, inform, Americans make people reflect and think. She intends them as transwho have been lynched and homage to the many who, mitters of her cultural, political, social, spiritual values and from slavery to present days, have heroically fought for beliefs. Through her organization she also aims at keepracial justice. One of her quilts comments on the raciallying the quilting tradition vibrant and alive as an artistic, biased immigration policy of our country; it represents cultural and historical tool; and at giving recognition and Haitians standing next to the Statue of Liberty holding in power to the many African American women who, for her hand a stop sign, and at her feet, a quotation saying centuries, have used it in the shadow of their lives. ‘Certain people do not need apply’. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource May 13-May 26, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Demanding Transparency from those Responsible for Change The Keep on Keeping on Path Pg 2: In My Shoes Pg 3: Distributor Program Pg 4: Are You Blind Pg 5: Arts & Poetry Pg 6: Refresh Northside Pg 7: True Companions Pg 8: Demanding Transparency from those Responsible for Change Pg 9: If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry Pg 10: If You Didn’t Laugh Continued Pg 11: Osama Bin Laden’s Useful Death Pg 12: Keep on Keeping on Pg 13: Celebration Pg 14: A Call for Street Ball’s Best Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Quilts as the Fabric of Life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 13-May 26, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Susan Lakes Gibson Josh Spring Jeni Jenkins Riccardo Taylor Elisa Hill Willa Denise Jones Laura Osborne-Coffey Spare Change Staff Saad Ghosn Lee McCoy B. Clifton Burke Corey Gibson Inês Santinhos Gonçalves Reuters Aimie WillHoite Susan Lakes Bill Howes Carolyn Mazloomi Jonathan Sears Jorge Silva Ho New Russell Boyce Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Arts & Poetry B. Clifton Burke Bill Howes Carolyn Mazloomi Corey Gibson Elisa Hill Fountain Square Gibson Ho New Inês Santinhos Gonçalves Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jonathan Sears Jorge Silva Josh Spring Laura Osborne-Coffey Lee McCoy Northside Ohio Osama Bin Laden protest Rally Reuters Riccardo Taylor Russell Boyce Saad Ghosn Spare Change Staff Street Ball Susan Lakes Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/65a8fab01a24a8bed957a5194c12fa69.pdf 44ad57d77e40a91ce5bb92c97fb1f0b0 PDF Text Text Distributor Profile: ST R EE T V IB E S James Brown Happy Birthday Amnesty International PG 11 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 PG 3 M AY 2 7 T H - J U N E 9 T H 2 0 11 Putting Life and Death into Perspective PG 16 1 ISSUE 200 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Celebrating Our History SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer T he city’s panhandling debate is partly responsible for the advent of Streetvibes. Now, 200 editions later, Streetvibes continues to offer its Distributors a dignified way to make a living as entrepreneurs. Trained Distributors purchase Streevibes from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless for a quarter, and collect a dollar donation for each paper. Modeled after Cleveland’s street paper, Streetvibes started out with a print run of 500 and grew six-fold. The same win-win-win principles guide the publication today. It’s a win for the general public since the paper delves deep into issues that impact common ordinary people. It’s a win for those marginalized and underrepresented since it allow a forum for self expression, and it’s a win for the Homeless Coalition. Production changed throughout the paper’s 15 year life. At first, the staff of volunteers quickly, composed, typed, cut, waxed and pasted the stories and art to meet print deadlines. Nowadays, a staff editor directs story creation and computers transmit the stories to the print shop. But one thing remains constant: Distributors anxiously await each edition. It’s there to distribute, and distribute they do. They distribute a version of the printed word that keeps people in touch with what’s REALLY going on since the news is generated at the grassroots level. “It comes from the ground up, not the top down,” said Bonnie Neumeier, a longtime Over-The Rhine resident and activist. Neumeier was glad to see Streetvibes. It filled a void left by the ending of a previous local publication and organizing tool called Voices, which ceased publication a few years before the beginning of Streetvibes. In the early days, Streetvibes content was not only in print, but on cable access television and radio, a combination one of the founders, Pat Clifford, fondly refers to as the great media empire. There was even a group of musicians, the Streevibes band that provided introductory music for the television show. A Former Director Looks Back... D onald Whitehead published a book, recieved a Governor’s appointment to a drug policy committee and headed up a national level organization for homeless awareness. Although the former Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) director now lives and works miles away on the east coast, he hasn’t forgotten his beginnings. “My heart will always be in Cincinnati,” Whitehead, a Cincinnati native, said from Baltimore in a recent phone interview. Streetvibes is one way he keeps in touch with The Queen City. “It’s amazing to see how far the paper has come from the early days,” he said. The publication helps change the lives of people experiencing homelessness, and elevates the public’s level of understanding of homeless issues said the formerly homeless Whitehead. Whitehead now serves in a direct service position for an organization called Beans and Bread. Before that, he served as the Director of the National Coalition for Homelessness after moving from management and director positions at Goodwill and the local homeless coalition. At GCCH, Whitehead started as a volunteer, moved to an outreach position within a year and later to Executive Director. He served in that role for two years. For a Streetvibes Timeline see page 7. Turn to pages 8-9 to see past Streetvibes Covers. �Editorial 2 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is the home of Streetvibes, these are a few of the great milestones for the GCCH over the years. 1984 Everlene Leary and Kathleen Prudence (two mothers of children at Peaslee when it closed as an elementary school in Spring of 1982) hand over a check for $209,239.13 to buy the former school so that the neighborhood can keep the building as an educational and cultural resources in Over-theRhine 1997 Congress finalizes welfare reform, imposing time limits up to five years for continued welfare benefits and granting states greater freedom to impose their own standards on welfare recipients. All homeless shelters in the city are full. 1999 GCCH forms the Voice of 200! Really, this is an accomplishment. To tell the truth when I came in and interviewed for the position of Editor of Streetvibes, my knowledge of the paper and its history was limited. I knew it was a street paper, I knew its purpose, but what I didn’t know and what I couldn’t understand until being a part of it was the incredible impact these words and images have on a community. I did not fully understand how much could be accomplished by the voices that often go unheard. In the research I did preparing for the 200th edition, I was certainly educated. Looking over the piles of back issues and books describing the accomplishments of the coalition, I thought to myself how amazing it was that this was all the formation of a vision. A vision that depicts a day where everyone is counted, everyone can eat, and everyone can rest their head at night in a place without fear. It is more than inspiring to see their words and feel the movement of the pictures. What Streetvibes has accomplished over the years was to give a voice to situations, people, problems, and anything or anyone else who was suffering. Streetvibes make’s community issues ‘front page news’ and forces Cincinnati to stand up and take notice. I am so proud to be a part of this and I celebrate and congratulate those who were here before, those here now, and those who will undoubtedly come after to raise awareness and make this community better for its Residents. There is not much I could write to do it justice, except to express my sincere and honest appreciation for this place and this paper. I also wanted to share a couple of my favorite things I came across when researching this issue. The first is an Ann Landers quote and the second is a cover of Streetvibes from August of 2003. When I was going through old issues to find covers to feature in this edition I was moved when I read these words… When life’s problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. -Ann Landers rights site for the National Civil Rights Organizing Project. 2003 20th Anniversary of GCCH GCCH co-founds the Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA) a group dedicated to advocating for safe, affordable, accessible housing. 2009 Metropole Struggle Begins 2010 Cold shelter saved with the inclusion of trained shelter workers. Metropole Tenants Sue Homeless Congress formed People’s Platform for Equality & Justice is formed Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: jenmatrin@cincihomeless.org Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Layout & Cover Art: Jeni Jenkins To see the history of Streetvibes and quotes from those involved see pages 5, 8, & 9 2008 In partnership with AHA and Legal Aid, GCCH helps form Tenants United for Truth, a tenant-run advocacy group comprised of tenants, housing advocates and concerned community members organized to address the increasing attacks on affordable housing Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Editor Jen Martin the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau, empowering homeless individuals to share their stories with groups throughout Greater Cincinnati. 2000 GCCH becomes a regional civil ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Interested in becoming a Streetvibes Distributor? Follow these six simple steps to be on your way: 1) Pick up a Distributor packet at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, located at 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati. 2) Fill out the Distributor Application Form, and initial each statement on the Code of Conduct and sign & review the Disciplinary Policy 3) Read the most recent copy of Streetvibes. 4) Attend an Orientation Thursdays at 10AM 5) Take and pass the quiz Tuesdays at 10AM. 6) Receive approval and have your picture taken, a badge will be made and you will be provided with 10 free papers to get you started! Questions? Call: (513) 421-7803 Contributing Writers : Susan Lakes, Corey Gibson, Josh Spring, Jeni Jenkins, Riccardo Taylor, Willa Denise Jones, Laura Osborne-Coffey, Saad Ghosn, Jennifer Martin, Bonnie Nuemeier, buddy, gray, Jessie Call, www. streetnewsservice.org Photography/Artwork: Reuters, Aimie WillHoite, Susan Lakes, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Jimmy Heath, Steven Finke, Dan Moore, Seth Tobocman. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �Distributor Program ST R EE T V IB E S 3 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE THE PAPER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY AND SELL IT FOR A $1 DONATION, KEEPING THE PROFIT THEY HAVE EARNED. BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR IS A GREAT WAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY POOR TO GET BACK ON (OR STAY ON) THEIR FEET. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME FOR THOSE UNABLE TO SECURE OTHER EMPLOYMENT. MONEY EARNED HELPS MEET BASIC HOUSING, FOOD AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS. THE PROGRAM IS A HAND UP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN IN A PLACE OF GETTING ONLY A HAND OUT, OR EVEN NO HAND AT ALL. ALL DISTRIBUTORS WEAR A BADGE AND CAN BE FOUND SELLING THE PAPER IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, CLIFTON, NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND AREA CHURCHES. CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS Distributor Profile: James Brown SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer ames Brown, 40, was last featured in Streetvibes six months ago. At that time, he vowed he’d continue to work hard, do well for others and leave a good footprint. To that end, Brown has taken on a new role. He’s not into politics, but that didn’t stop him from joining an advocacy group called The Homeless Congress. For Brown, the congress will become a uniting voice for the homeless, somewhat like a union unites workers. “I hope we can let everyone know about it, and like for the congress to go to different soup kitchens and shelters” he said about the outreach efforts to find new members. “I like to lend a helping hand.” Brown works in Over-The-Vine distributing Streetvibes. May 7 marked his two year anniversary working in the same location. He’s built a customer base at Vine and Central Parkway, and offers a shout -out to all the Kroger employees who buy the papers each week. One time, Brown missed a week of work. The customers noticed, and a few even called the Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless looking for him. He’s so serious about the job and concerned about the customers, Brown shovels snow off the sidewalks so they can get to him to buy their Streetvibes. Brown says he’s healthy now, but it hasn’t always been that way. “I got stabbed through the heart in 1994 and have a mechanical heart valve,” he said, adding he’s had two heart attacks since then. He’s changed since finding a job and changing his outlook on life. “I stopped doing ignorant stuff,” he said about his transformation from lawbreaker to helper. “I ain’t got time to go back to prison.” Brown said he used to sell drugs, but he turned his life around by hanging out with positive rather than negative people. “…And I found a job and go to church,” he said. These days, it’s faith and hope that keeps him going. “Don’t let nobody try to get you down,” he said about the advice he’d offer to people who are struggling. “If I wasn’t selling papers (Streetvibes), I’d probably be out there doing drugs.” Over-TheRhine is a special place to Brown. He wants to keep J ANTHONY WILLIAMS SINCE 9/2006 ANTONE HEATER NEW 4/2011 BARBARA MURPHY SINCE 2/2009 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DAVID TOUGH 3/2011 ELISA HILL SINCE 9/2010 GRADY COOK SINCE 8/2007 JAMAL DARDEN SINCE 1/2010 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES BYBEE SINCE 9/2010 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2003 JAMES MOORE SINCE 11/2010 JEFFERY JOHNSON SINCE 8/2009 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 8/2010 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 JULIE WALKER SINCE 6/2007 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 KIM GREEN SINCE 1/2010 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARK DAUGHTERY NEW 3/2011 MARK ANTHONY SHEARS SINCE 12/2007 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 SHANNON MOATS NEW 3/2011 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WILLIAM BURDINE SINCE 8/2009 W. KENNETH BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 TERRY RANSON SINCE10/2008 James Brown, Proud Streetvibes distributor. Photo: Susan Lakes it that way by working cooperatively with the groups, such as 3CDC, that claim to be transforming the area.“They need to help out with low income housing. They are trying to run low income people out of downtown. It’s bad enough they closed Washington Park down,” he said. Brown said he visits the 3CDC office regularly, but just gets brushed off. “That’s one of my pet projects,” he said, adding that he gives 3CDC a copy of Streetvibes every two weeks. (So far, 3CDC has not offered to pay Brown the usual $1.00 donation, he said).But he remains hopeful, and offers these words of advice to 3CDC. “We can work together by building low income housing.” But that task, like all Brown’s others, is out of his hands. He hands them over to God. The Bible inspires him. “My foundation is Psalms 116, verse 8,” he said. First Peter 3, 13-24 is important in that it lets people know how to treat each other “said Brown, grinning broadly and declaring himself a people person. To find out more about the Homeless Congress contact Riccardo Taylor at (513) 421-7803, or stop by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 117 East 12th Street in Cincinnati. � 4 From The Director ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Who’s Talking? JOSH SPRING Executive Director D igging Deep. How often do you dig deep into a topic, discussion, statement and/ or controversy? Far too often we do not second-guess, much less third and fourth- guess. We don’t question. We don’t think critically. We just accept. We assume that everyone presenting to us truly has good intentions and we accept what they have to say at face value. We do this all time. Sure we sometimes talk about how we listen to tv advertisements for example when we really shouldn’t, or sometimes talk about how politicians really are not to be trusted, but do we really dig deep. There are so many issues that we are told are one way, when if we only thought a little bit critically and every now and then, did a little bit of research, we would realize that in fact what we are being told is a stretch or a complete untruth. Not digging deep (usually mixed with fear created by those that don’t want us to dig deep) is what leads whole societies to eventually believe it is justified to murder whole groups of people, or commit wars, or believe that certain people are less intelligent because of how they look or that other folks are by nature more dangerous or that we should primarily invest in exhaustible resources and the list goes on. It is interesting (and frustrating) to me that those of us who think of ourselves as fore-thinking and progressive- those of us that have figured out what is really going on with the aforementioned issues, so often are duped by good-looking presentations- especially by people that claim to have the same opinions as ours. It is sort of like sometimes in our need to be open, we act foolish. I cannot tell you how many times I have had great people exclaim to me that we no longer need to worry about a particular issue because the foe in the issue explained why it was not a problem to begin with. And if the person had simply referred back to the original reason that provoked us to agreed it was in issue and applied that critical thinking to the new strategic claim of the foe- they would realize it is still an issue. For example, someone may get impassioned at hearing that people are being forced from their homes through gentrification. This may even anger the person- so this person may ask the gentrifier why they are doing it and the gentrifier may respond by saying well we are trying to bring progress and better economics to the area and we are making sure everyone finds a new home. So the once incensed person comes back sayingoh everything is fine- we will have progress and people will have new homes. And again you have to say to the person- “So if you give someone a new home, that makes it okay to force them from their current home because you think who they are will stop progress?- Really?” “Is it okay to move people because you don’t want them?” And then the last question should be how did you so easily get convinced of something else? It often seems that we struggle to take stands. Everyone is afraid to draw a clear line in the sand. Those that are against us do it most clearly, but even they struggle. In action they show that they want certain people out of sight, though they don’t often actually claim it, they make it happen and then when asked about it, they claim they actually want something better for people . As children we are taught don’t believe everything you hear. Why do we forget that? Next time you hear directly or indirectly that people who are normally marginalized were helped in the name of progress, go ask the supposed “helped people.” I’ll bet they have a different story- a true story. By the way- that is often where you find passion too. joshspring@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 13 Making Music for a Cause Streetvibes thanks Tyler Walton and Point Five SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer M usician Tyler Walton saw a need close to home and helped. The Mason High School senior picked the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition as recipient of the proceeds made when his band performed at the 86 Club the first weekend in May. Walton’s performance with a band called Point Five met the requirements for a high school multicultural class assignment. A lot of his friends in the class picked causes and charities in other countries. Tyler’s money, though, will stay right here at home. “The Homeless Coalition seemed like the right way to go,” he said. “I wanted to pick something you Left to Right Jessie Cherubini, Tony Rood, Tyler Walton, Robby Wakilee, Chris Reynolds could do today.” Photo: Susan Lakes By that, he meant he wasn’t inperson a lift in his car, and Walton helps every chance he terested in picking a fund recipient gets. he hasn’t met. He and at least one other band member “It’s a group that doesn’t have a voice,” Walton said have met homeless people. “We’ve seen people outside asking for money,” said Chris Reynolds, guitarist for Point about his motivation for giving to the local coalition. “They know what best to do with the money so that it helps the Five. “We help every chance we get because we realhomeless.” ize how hard it is.” Reynolds once offered a homeless Walton continued, “What better way to help the homeless than to play music and We serve as a creative outlet raise money.” for women in need to uncover their talents and build relationships while making and selling jewelry, quilts, and other handcrafted items. We provide a welcoming environment and continuous support-our women do the rest. They are our voice. They are our mission. They are our Sarah Center. Artists receive 50 % from the sale of their items, while the rest goes towards materials and other support. Sarah Center HELPING WOMEN HELP THEMSELVES 1618 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 For more information visit www.sfoutreach.org susanlakes@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 12 The 86 Club is located at 2820 Vine Street. The club features live music 8 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday nights. It’s also open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mon-Fri. More information is available at : www.the86club.com facebook.com/ streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnwes streetvibes.wordpress.com Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �ST R EE T V IB E S Meet Up 5 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Meetup An Interview with one of able to care for me, my little brothers or my son” [In more recent years, Jeni reveals Jim Luken proudly, that Contributing Writer her mother has turned eet Jeni Jenkins, 31 years old. her own life Mother of two, Caleb 15 and around, reKirah 11. Born and raised in turned to colIdaho, this dynamic young woman lege in her describes herself as “highly ambitious 40’s and now and very creative.” works as a soJeni is someone who is very well cial worker]. known to the man or woman who, in Still in her all likelihood, sold you the award-winmid-teens, ning street newspaper you are readJeni left home ing. Jeni is the Director of Education again. First, and Outreach for the Greater Cincincouch-surfing nati Homeless Coalition. “Basically,” at friend’s she says, “my job is to advocate, emJeni Jenkins. Photo: Chris Kromer Photography houses, then power and educate the public about eventually conAs an early teen Jeni fought poverty and homelessness.” No small tacting social services and placing constantly with her mother, as many task indeed. herself and her child into foster care. One of the primary hats she wears teens do, but the addition of drugs “I walked in and asked them to help pushed the relationship over the edge. these days (which involves 30% of her me, help me raise my son, I was na“I remember being so frustrated with time) is to manage distribution for the ive thinking they could help me get a my mother and her erratic behavior, bi-weekly publication of Streetvibes. place of my own, but they told me my but at first I didn’t understand why Although Streetvibes Distributors ofoptions as a minor and I took them.” she had changed, I didn’t realize that ten come and go, Jeni knows most of Her experiences in foster care drugs were feeding the behavior.” So them by face and name. And they not were primarily positive, although one in a heated argument, Jeni left home, only know her, but they rely heavily on very caring family she lived with were, away from the unstable environment her skills, her care, and her intense by Jeni’s call, a little overprotective, and the strained relationship. “I was energy. But few of our Distributor’s especially of her son. For example: basically a runaway,” she says “relying know Jeni’s own story. “If he cried in the middle of the night, on friends from school for my basic That story mirrors, in a profound my foster mother would come in and needs.” way, the lives of many people with insist that I get my sleep for school. I After a few months, Jeni returned whom she comes in contact in her felt guilty that she was taking care of home and tried to get help for her work for the Homeless Coalition. him, and not me.” Nonetheless, she mother, to get her “clean.” It didn’t “I grew up in a family with a single remains grateful for the couple’s love work at the time. Within a few months mother who married three times. and care. Jeni had her first child, a son, while We lived in poverty most of the time, Eventually Jeni’s aunt learned that her niece was living in foster care and went to the courts in order to gain custody of the young mother and child. Her aunt became a “guiding light” and helped her to return to school, a special alternative high school that permitted her to bring her son with her each day. Living with this “stable” relative gave Jeni the opportunity to graduate from high school on time and a 3.5 GPA. While in high school she met the father of her second child a girl, now eleven. For awhile, Jeni says, “I had the ‘white picket fence dream’. I wanted Jeni Jenkins with son Caleb and daughter Kirah. Photo: Chris Kromer Photography that cookie cutter life.” They bought a house and a car, got she was fifteen, adding that as soon not abject third-world poverty, but a dog and Jeni attended college and as she knew she was pregnant her we struggled financially. When I was worked part time as a program coorlifestyle changed. Prior to her son’s young my mother and step-father dinator at a women’s center-but all birth she had dropped out of school worked hard to provide for me and the while her partner was emotionally and drank and smoked pot frequently. my siblings and our basic needs were and physically abusive. “I tried to keep But that all changed when she discovalways met with love. However, in my it together, for the kids, but at some ered she was pregnatn. She returned formative years my mother divorced point I realized they would be better when her won was 6 weeks “because and re-married. At this time my mother off.” After three long years of torment, I didn’t want to be that drop-out teen was struggling with depression that fear and abuse, Jeni gained the courmom.” During the day her mother she eventually began masking with an age to leave him. Jeni got the house would watch her son while she was in addiction. I was around a lot of drugs in the seperation, but couldn’t afford to school, and in the evenings Jeni would as a teenager.” And did she partake. pay all the bills on her own. Eventually, return home and take care of her son “Totally,” she responds, “it was the foreclosure set in. And, once again, and her little brothers while her mother thing to do.” She recalls that, on her Jeni became homeless for a brief went out. “My mom wasn’t abusive,” 13th birthday, she received a bag of time, “but, I was resourceful and with she says, “she was distracted and not weed from her stepdad as a present. Streetvibes’ own. M the help of friends and the community, I was able to secure housing almost immediately and move into my own apartment.” After graduating with a degree in Social Science, with minors in dispute resolution and art in 2005, she secured a job as an Operations Coordinator for a Gay and Lesbian rights group called, “Your Family Friends and Neighbors” and found herself planning the major gay pride event for Boise in 2006. She also describes a crazy job she had working for a “Funny Bone” comedy club in Boise. As the marketing manager, she worked to create ads and contact newspapers and radio stations on behalf of the comedians who would roll into town to work the club. She liked the job, but found it a bit crazy-making. “Here I was, involved with these non-profits (working on behalf of various minorities), and I was in this club where people were coming in and telling racist and sexist jokes all the time. My bosses were always kidding me about my feminist friends and lesbian friends.” Although the pay wasn’t great, she enjoyed meeting the offbeat comedians, many of whom had various forms of dysfunction in their own lives. “They filled my life with color, and they made me laugh,” she adds. In 2006, Jeni made a life-changing decision to come to the University of Cincinnati, to receive her Masters Degree in Women’s Studies. She graduated 2008. She still misses Idaho and Boise, which, she says, is known as the “City of Trees.” She smiles, pointing out that the nickname (like Cincinnati’s) is a kind of misnomer. “There are trees along the Boise river, but everything else is mountain desert.” The State of Idaho is a different kind of conservative than Cincinnati , she says, a new conservatism versus an old. “Cincinnati,” Jeni avows, “is old greed, old money, old hate, and old racism.” But she has found a place here combating age-old problems with new solutions. Although she runs up against these “old” realities often in her job at the Homeless Coalition, she feels very glad to have found the unique position. “My job requires that I be involved with multiple community partners. I am constantly networking and learning.” Jeni finds that she is so “connected” these days that she receives calls from all over the city from folks who know that she is a person they can rely on to find creative solutions to the many complex problems that arise out of poverty and homelessness, out of dealing with the ones who make the rules, while she is dealing with those who often suffer by the same rules. As for the future, her goals remain as wide as the western sky that surrounded her young life. “I always wanted to do everything,” she laughs, “own my own business, start up an arts organization, travel to every country, play in a band.” To her work and to her dreams, Jenkins brings the fire of an artist. “I have this desire to be a liberation artist,” she says. The men and women who sell Streetvibes, and so many other homeless people who are part of her everyday life, hope that Jeni Jenkins remains nestled in the Queen City and in Homeless Coalition office on 12th Street for a long time to come. �6 Interest ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Mark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest Dan Moore Author & Illustrator ark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest is a soon to be released graphic novel about United States’ first urban uprising in the 21st century. The story is told in a series of first-person perspectives from people who became intimately involved, from community leaders to random bystanders. Tying these narratives together is commentary by the author himself, then a budding radical teenager who finds the urban unrest influencing his life. Drawing on interviews and primary resources, a picture is painted of how one kid’s solitary death in a ghetto alley grows to impact every resident of the region. Mark Twain Was Right follows the sometimes contradictory and hard-to-comprehend developments from the day of the killing to Thomas’s funeral six days later, including the marches, posturing, organizing, brutality, looting, prayer, curfews and analysis that commanded international attention, inspiring ghetto residents and tormenting city leaders. M For more information about the complete graphic novel Mark Twain Was Right, email cincinnatiriotsbook@gmail.com for information and updates about the release of the completed novel. Radical Comic Illustrator Seth Tobocman shares his powerful vision with Streetvibes Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer A t a recent dinner party I had the pleasure of meeting Seth Tobocoman who was in Cincinnati for a book release event. When I explained that I worked for a street paper and that I was interested in covering a story on the upcoming event, he offered to let me reproduce some of his art in the paper. After a brief discussion about the work we do, he decided to draw an image on the spot representing our people and our movement. I’m excited to include this art here, as well as another piece he shared. Stay tuned in the next edition for a complete story on this radical comic and more graphics. For more information about Seth Tobocman visit www.sethtobocman.com. �ST R EE T V IB E S M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 7 Celebrating Our History Streetvibes: A Timeline Major Accomplishments and Major Stories Covered 1995 Cincinnati vendors begin to distribute Cleveland Homeless Grapevine; the paper eventually incorporates a four page section about Cincinnati news. 1996 buddy gray, Over-the-Rhine community activist, is shot and killed. 1997 First edition of Streetvibes published; Pat Clifford, director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless remembered the legacy of buddy gray on the first cover. The initial printing is 300 copies. All local homeless shelters fill in the city. Streetvibes becomes part of the North American Street Newspaper Association and representatives attend the annual conference. Opposition to the plan to move the location of the Cincinnati School for Performing Arts begins with article by Berta Lambert, longtime community activist and Streetvibes vendor. The testimony of Johnny William Byrd, Jr. from death row foreshadows Prisoner’s News Section. ReSTOC breaks ground on buddy’s place; Reverend Maurice McCrackin dies. 1998 Donald Whitehead becomes director of the GCCH; he raises Streetvibes circulation of 2,000 copies per month. on homeless and impoverished people. Alicia Beck becomes executive director of the GCCH; Berta’s Art Corner debuts, Streetvibes commemorates the sixth year anniversary of the Milner Hotel demolition and the subsequent loss of 115 units of low-income housing. Streetvibes printing reaches 8,000 copies monthly. Streetvibes gets full color on the front page; ReSTOC rehab project on Vine Street comes under fire from Cincinnati City Council; Hart Realty, largest property owner in Over-the-Rhine, opts out of Section 8 housing; Streetvibes debuts Veggie Vibes. Black United Front protests foreshadow racial unrest after Timothy Thomas shooting in April 2001; Streetvibes adopts magazine format. 2001 Greater Cincinnati Continuum of Care asks homeless people provide feedback on services, Dan Marschuner becomes editor. 2002 GCCH receives call from Mayor Charlie Luken demanding the Streetvibes stop publication. Upon realizing that Streetvibes receives no public funding, Luken is forced to stand down. Cincinnati mayor Charlie Luken asks City Solicitor’s office to examine ways to tighten restrictions on panhandling; years after previous ordinances were deemed unconstitutional and were overturned. In a GCCH campaign, thousands of citizens tell Mayor Luken that they support Streetvibes. City of Cincinnati’s panhandling ordinance ruled an unconstitutional limitation on free speech; Jimmy Heath becomes Streetvibes editor in addition to his other duties with GCCH. Despite concerns expressed by lowincome housing advocates, Lincoln Court adopts Hope IV federal housing program; Streetvibes debuts Prisoners’ News section. Laurel Homes joins Lincoln Court as Hope VI project; redesign plans indicate a loss of 1300 units of low-income housing. Demolition of Laurel Holmes begins; Tom Billman becomes editor. Tom is the first GCCH staff member to work exclusively on Streetvibes. 1999 GCCH forms the Speakers Bureau. The Bureau organizes homeless people to share their stories with groups, schools, and churches throughout Greater Cincinnati. Jimmy Heath is given a fellowship with the Congressional Hunger Center. 2000 GCCH becomes a regional civil rights site for the National Civil Rights Organizing Project Artists for the Drop Inn Center have a concept in support of the shelter’s efforts to oppose relocation The Civil Unrest of April 2001 is remembered in photographs. Protests against Hope IV development project which threatens displacement of lowincome families, continues. Huntington Meadows housing complex low-income residents face eviction for redevelopment project. 2006 Lynne Ausman, administrative coordinator, releases her research report “Criminalization of Homeless Individuals in Cincinnati” on the frequent criminalization and arrest of homeless individuals for minor misdemeanors that tend to only impact homeless people (open flask, loitering, jaywalking, etc.) and the great cost associated with arresting and incarcerating these individuals. The research is adopted by social service providers and earns GCCH a seat on the Hamilton Count committee looking at jail reform. 2007 Jimmy Heath dies on the night of GCCH’s annual dinner at which an outpouring of support, mourning and remembrance occurs. 2008 Gregory Flannery hired as Streetvibes Editor. Andy Freeze, Education Coordinator, initiates the Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE), an urban plunge designed to educate high school and college students from across the country about homelessness. Streetvibes vendors sell all copies of a new edition. Associated Press reports on Streetvibes increased print run because of circulation growth. 2009 Jeni Jenkins become Education Coordinator, managing the Streetvibes vendors. Lynne Ausman becomes art director for Streetvibes. Streetvibes continuing writer Margo Pierce is named a Peter Jennings Fellow. Josh Spring becomes the Director of GCCH. Georgine Getty becomes Executive Director of Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. After nearly tripling its circulation over the course of 16 months, Streetvibes begins publishing bi-weekly. Citizens gather in the alley where Timothy Thomas was killed. At a ceremony in Denver, Flannery receives “Best Streetvibes TV plans its return to regular broadcasting. 2003 Streetvibes reports on te Panhandling for Awareness Campaign organized by GCCH and the Cincinnati Youth City Council. Cincinnati City Council passes a law requiring all panhandlers to register and receive a license. Streetvibes reports a new effort by City Hall to curb panhandlers by requiring them to get a license. 2004 20th Anniversary of GCCH Cincinnati City Council votes to extend the controversial Panhandling Registration ordinance. GCCH mobilizes the homeless service provider community and registers hundreds of homeless people to vote. as part of the Kunzel SCPA plan. Streetvibes begins extensive coverage of opposition to globalization, examining the effects of free trade Feature Story” award from the North American Street Newspaper Association. Streetvibes produces its first collaborative article for street papers in the United States and Canada. The article details policies that criminalize homelessness. 2010 GCCH volunteers spend Election Day in the 9 highest poverty districts in town to ensure that everyone has a chance to vote. Gregory Flannery steps down as Editor of Streetvibes. New GCCH homeless education packet is piloted in Cincinnati schools. Jen Martin is hired as Editor of Streetvibes. Streetvibes celebrates its 100th issue. Streetvibes celebrates the past, present, and future in this, the 200th issue. Mayor Charlie Luken cuts Human Service funding to $0. This leads to a 6 year battle led by GCCH to get this funding restored. 2011 �8 Celebrating Our History ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES: An Ever-Evolving Publication �ST R EE T V IB E S Celebrating Our History 9 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Past covers tell of our history and guide our future. �International News 10 Caring for Criminals Drug dealers, rapists, murderers - in the Bewa, a special ward in the Bern University Hospital, in Switzerland, they are all patients. The unique security prison takes care of inmates with medical or psychological problems. A day in the only Swiss high-risk prison with high-end medical treatment. SURPRISE (SWITZERLAND) www.streetnewsservice.org Before we enter the prison cell, we will talk about who does what: left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, head. Then we enter the cell, lay the inmate on the floor and hold him down.” The woman wearing the lightblue polo shirt with a name tag and deep blue trousers looks serious, but not unfriendly. Her voice is calm, her words are carefully chosen. She explains the procedure when somebody “ come here: Murderers, rapists, child abusers- criminals, about which the tabloids like to report. That’s also why journalists have camped in front of the entrance, hoping to get a statement from the staff. At the Bewa not only violent criminals are taken care of: here there are men and women in the penitentiary system, in imprisonment on remand or about to be deported- or not tolerable anymore in the psychiatry. At first glance, the Bewa seems a normal ward. At the second glance: the metal doors have a closable window hatch, the so-called “Suppentörli”; in the hallway a security guard sits in front of surveillance monitors, and on the inside of the door there are no handles installed. “The only ones getting in here are the ones we let in and out anyway,” said Bangerter, with her her Bernese dialect which makes everything sound a little softer and rounder. Currently, not all rooms - or “Zäuä” as Bangerter calls it - are occupied. You can spot the occupied ones because the Suppentörli is closed, meaning the inmates are in bed. In Switzerland, more men than women are in prison and therefore often on the Bewa. Nevertheless, “There are some very dangerous women in Switzerland.” Two beds, a table, a TV and a toilet, which is separated by a curtain from the rest room: at the Bewa there are only double rooms, one has no privacy here. “It is sometimes very difficult for people who have been in prison for over 20 or 25 years. They are often solitary people”, says Bangerter and shrugs her shoulders: “We would A warden looking into the cell. Photo: Annette Boutellier loses his temper. “If the inmate doesn’t calm down, he has to go into the safety cell. There are neither lamps nor TV, no glass with which he could hurt himself. But you can still destroy things, for example, tear out the lavabo from the wall. Depending on their state, people can develop immense strength.” Therese Bangerter, 46, sits at the meeting table in her office; the sun shines through the window and makes her blond hair shine. Outside the snowdrops are blooming. At the beginning of the conversation the director of the Berne Inselspital (Bewa) is a little reserved; he had too many bad experiences with the media. The Bewa for example, discretely located in one of the many clinics of the hospital, is a security prison, where inmates with medical or psychological problems are treated. Because the institution is unique in Switzerland, they all ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 experience the same: with a stranger in the room and the toilet is separated only by a curtain ... that’s not nice.” The work of the Bewa-staff - the team consists of 24 people, three of them are women - has two parts: “In the past you have called us guardians, but that is obsolete. Today, we are carers and supervisors”, explains Bangerter. In addition to her job as a deputy chief she is also the head of service. On one hand, she has to provide security and order, but on the other hand she needs to care for the inmates, for example helping when someone receives a letter that they do not understand. This dichotomy is a challenge: it may be that Bangerter explains the content of a long-awaited letter from the authorities in the morning. Later that day, the inmate becomes aggressive and wrecks the room to pieces. Then Bangerter has to overpower him and take him to the Therese Bangartner, deputy chief warden. Photo: Annette Boutellier safety cell. “On a personal level is not easy, we walk on a narrow bridge”. No monsters Cancer, appendix, dental problems, and an accident during sport activities in prison - the reasons why prisoners are on the Bewa are very different. “I have the impression that many people primarily end up in prison because they are mentally ill,” said Bangerter. Who had a schizophrenic psychosis, often sees no limits anymore. It happens easily that boundaries are overstepped. “If drugs, such as cocaine, are involved it becomes easily to commit a crime.” Older inmates come frequently to the Bewa. First, a check and later a hospital stay. “And at some point they come to us to die,” said Bangerter, shrugging her shoulders. Normally, visitors can only be received in the visiting room once a week for one hour. “But we are no monsters. If someone is very weak we decide, for example, that the sister is allowed to make an open visit to her brother.” “For me it does not matter what someone has done, I treat them all equally,” clarifies senior physician Bidisha Chatterjee. The specialist in internal medicine, who in addition to the Bewa also looks after the women’s prison Hindelbank, doesn’t talk about inmates, but about “patients.” Her office is not as Therese Bangerter’s office in the administrative wing of the station, but goes off the corridor with the hospital rooms. The window is barred; across the office is a shower room, next to it a toilet and a bath. “Back pain,” explains the doctor, “ is a typical health problem for prisoners, just like digestive problems, weight increase and insomnia, too.” It is difficult to sleep after sitting 23 hours in a cell after something terrible has happened. “I have the impression that many people primarily end up in prison because they are mentally ill”. Even if the same medical principles are applied, the work here is different from that in other wards. When the senior physician visits the room of a patient, the supervisors need to let her out again and she always has a safety button in case a patient becomes aggressive. Chatterjee was never scared to see a patient. The 40-year-old shakes her head smiling. “We provide care to the patients; we do not have to negotiate with them about whether they should call again or something. Many are happy to be treated “Some patients send the nurses Christmas wishes, on the grey prison paper.” Handcuffs and pepper spray The cooperation between medical and prison staff in a confined space is not easy. Medical treatment and security conflict every day. “Of course people come to us because they are in prison. First and foremost, they are here because they are ill. That is why medicine is a priority”, says the deputy head of department Bangerter. “The security must be organized around it.” For certain tests neurological or dentistry - the inmates need to be transferred to other departments. For this, handcuffs are compulsory. “Depending on the impression we have of someone, we also put fetters, too,” Bangerter says. Despite the high security standards, there are prison inmates who want to be moved to the Bewa because they believe it will be easier to escape. Once they realise, however, that this will probably not work, they want to return to prison. “Yes... we would probably try it, too”, Bangerter thoughtfully says. Since 2000, only one inmate has managed to escape, and he fortunately wasn’t dangerous. “I do not want to be quoted with my real name in the text. Maybe someone doesn’t like me and will search for me.” The tall man with dark hair has been working for almost four years at Bewa. He was actually trained to be a painter. “Everyone working in prison is newcomer. Proper training is required to work in the prison”, he explains. At first he was skeptical about how he would cope with the patients, but he soon stopped worrying. “We have a wrong picture of prisoners, which probably comes from the jailbirds on TV. The cliché about the tattoos is true perhaps - but otherwise the people are like you and me. What you learn here is that the way to prison is not a far one. There are enough people who are imprisoned for minor offenses. “ A constant issue at the Bewa is privacy: “The security staff is always present during the medical examinations - whether it is at the dentist �International News ST R EE T V IB E S 11 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 or the urologist. We see everything, even the diagnosis. Indeed, we try to stay in the background. But of course, the inmates can’t forget that someone is there. “ Like dogs “Those who work here must be philanthropists”, Therese Bangerter thinks. She and her colleague, who asked to remain anonymous, make a tour of the department: waiting room, quarantine rooms, drug toilet. The lat- ter is for body packers, people who have drugs hidden in the digestive tract. The toilet is designed so that everything that comes out of the body is immediately sucked. “Couriers from overseas have up to 100 drugs packages, called fingerlings, in the stomach. Thumb sized portions, usually packed in several layers of condoms “. “The most difficult for me are the women imprisoned pending deportation” Bangerter says, striking her hair behind her ear. “I go with them to the hospital to do the ultrasound examinations and talk to them about the babies to come. Even at birth I am present, these women have no one else. We had a woman here who was suppose to give birth on April 20. But recently a fax has arrived from the Foreign Service. It said the woman had been deported. Now I think, of course, about how she’s doing in her country of origin.” Her co-worker shares a story: “Right now we have somebody here who is violent and tied to the couch. Whenever the care staff is doing their job, I have to be there and hold him. He looks into my eyes and says: ‘I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you’. When you have a bad day you go home with an apprehensive feeling.” And yet, they don’t feel fear. Bangerter says: “It’s the same with dogs. They also realize when you’re afraid”. Happy Birthday Amnesty! Amnesty International turns 50 this month now disappearing them instead, or executing them extra-judicially. Amnesty International’s 30th anniversary saw the organization broaden its scope to cover work on abuses by LAURA OSBORNE-COFFEY armed opposition groups, hostage Contributing Writer taking and people imprisoned due to their sexual orientation. And after mnesty International turns 50 this 9-11, Amnesty took on the cause of month! Founded in 1961, Amworking against ‘rendition’ – cases of nesty International was the brain child people who were forcibly removed of British lawyer, Peter Benenson. He to countries where torture could and read an article about two students in did occur. Also in the last decade, Portugal, who were arrested simply the organization adopted a change for making a toast to freedom in a bar. to its mandate to work on the case of This incident was the incentive for Mr. social economic and cultural rights Benenson to write an article in the thus committing itself to advance London Observer, titled “The Forgotboth the universality and indivisibility Tissanaiyagam. Photo: Laura Osborne-Coffey ten Prisoners.” After writing this artiof all human rights enshrined in the office in Chicago. Mr. Haug discussed cle, which was reprinted in other coun- Universal Declaration. the Muslim Brotherhood’s beginnings tries, he started a program called as a liberal democracy and their cur“Appeal for Amnesty 1961.” It rent form and focus, and stated that it was to help what he termed is interesting that a peaceful protest in ‘prisoners of conscience’ – men Egypt succeeded where other, armed women and children who are arrevolutions have not, and Mr. Porter rested or detained for their race, discussed the history of human rights religion, work, or political view in the region, and the audience discov– be treated fairly and within inered that in April 1968 the U.N. Interternational laws. After the initial national Conference on Human Rights meeting that July, Mr. Benenson was held in Tehran, and the results of thought this would be a one year proIn honor of Amnesty’s 50th Birththis conference with a trend in the Midgram to help to free these ‘forgotten day, Amnesty International Group 86 dle East of state rights over individual prisoners.’ However, the incidence of held a very successful meeting at the rights, which he called the ‘rhetoric of such cases of prisoners of conscience University Of Cincinnati Law School acrobats’ and has been much used soon grew as international awareon Saturday May 7th. Fifty people ness of the plight of these people was from the community and the University since then. Ms. Frierson discussed the history of democratic leanings in the Middle East with Iran’s First Constitution in 1876, which was later broken by the Shah upon going to war with Russia, and shared that other democratic steps had been taken in the past. Mr. Lockwood discussed current legal issues relevant to the region and the human rights agenda. He stated that on the BBC, that the flows of refugees from Libya into Tunisia have been constant. The Interior Minister commented that he has ‘seen nothing like it’ – with all the troubles in their own country, the Tunisians have taken care of the refugees, and he ‘has never seen such a generous Tissanaiyagam and fellow supporter. Photo: Laura Osborne-Coffey pouring out of spirit.’ Bert stated that it is ‘not sexy work’, but there needs to be international of Cincinnati Amnesty student group human rights institutions built up in the known. Soon, Amnesty International attended. The morning panel, titled: area. The speakers also discussed if took on the cause of working against Egypt Libya and the future of Human any form of human rights agenda or torture in all cases. Rights in the Middle East was powerorganization be allowed in the region In 1977 Amnesty International was packed with speakers: Robert Haug, after the current unrest. awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In Stephen Porter and Elizabeth FrierAfter a great lunch of pizza prothe mid-seventies, Amnesty took on son, all professors of History at the vided by Marco’s in Deer Park and a work for abolition against the death University of Cincinnati and Bert Lockdonor, the keynote speaker J.S. Tispenalty. In the 1980’s and 90’s, Amwood, professor at the UC School of sanaiyagam (aka: Tissa) spoke. Originesty widened its focus to adapt to the Law and director of the Urban Morgan nally from Sri Lanka and a journalist changing nature of human rights abus- Institute for Human Rights. Moderator for the last 20 years, Tissa talked es, as many governments who used to for this panel was Debra Ehrenberg, about the past and current political imprison prisoners of conscience were the Director for Amnesty’s Midwest A “Like me, many journalists in Sri Lanka are reprimanded, arrested or shot just for what we write. I cannot go back.” climate in Sri Lanka, and the civil war between the Singalese Majority and the Tamil minority, which ended in 2009. Tissa shared that he wrote two paragraphs in a journal about Tamil issues that were critical of the government. He was arrested in March of 2008, then charged in August, and then on August 31, 2009 he was convicted. He was reluctant to speak of his time in prison as it brought back poor memories. During this time, Amnesty International adopted Tissa as a prisoner of conscience, as he was prosecuted solely for his legitimate journalistic activities. In a statement to mark the World Press Freedom Day, US President Barack Obama mentioned Tissainayagam. He said: “In every corner of the globe, there are journalists in jail or being actively harassed … Emblematic examples of this distressing reality are figures like J.S. Tissainayagam in Sri Lanka, or Shi Tao and Hu Jia in China.” Tissa was the first winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism; Foreign Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards 2010. Tissa explained that he was pardoned on 3 May 2010, as the sentence he’d received couldn’t be commuted; only pardoned by President Rajapakse. The audience asked Tissa many questions, and gave him a huge round of applause for coming and speaking honestly about his situation in Sri Lanka. He told the group that due to his charges and his release, “I cannot go back.” He said “Like me, many journalists in Sri Lanka are reprimanded, arrested or shot just for what we write.” The attendees then did a ‘toast to freedom’ with Debra Erenberg, who led the group in a discussion of Amnesty’s current campaigns, such as the Maternal Mortality campaign and the upcoming Torture Awareness month in June. Look for more events throughout the year to help Amnesty celebrate its 50th anniversary! �International News 12 Hail to the Chief? Barack Obama had his Ground Zero moment after hunting Bin Laden, but the President’s speech, seen by many as soft, is already raising criticism. At the same time, conspiracy theories regarding Bin Laden’s death are stronger than ever. Adam Forrest The Big Issue (Scotland) www.streetnewsservice.org R emember the moment President George Bush stood with a megaphone on the rubble of the World Trade Centre? An arm round the shoulders of a retired fire fighter, eyes moist with emotion, Bush struggled at first to make himself heard to the gathered throng of rescue workers. “We can’t hear you George,” someone said. “Well I hear you,” the President shouted. “And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” Cue mammoth cheers. Say what you like about him - imbecile, cowboy, warmonger - but Bush grasped the power of symbolism. Will anyone remember the day President Obama visited Ground Zero after the death. A Daily Beast/Newsweek poll demonstrated no improvement in his numbers: an approval rating of 48 per cent before and after the killing. Predictions the ruthless dispatch of Public Enemy No.1 will hand Obama four more years appear hasty. Americans don’t allow lasting ‘Warrior President’ mythology to surround non-serving politicians (as opposed to actual soldiers like Ulysses S. Grant or Eisenhower). Bush Senior saw his approval ratings soar to 90 per cent after victory in the Gulf in 1991, but he was ejected from office in favor of charmer-in-chief Clinton a year later. According to Gallup, most Americans (89%) want the military to get most of the credit for Bin Laden’s demise, followed by the CIA, (62%) then Obama (35%). A slight short-term bounce aside, opinion about Barack Obama seems to have solidified in an increasingly shrill, polarized America. The election of 2012 will be won or lost on the basis of the President’s economic message to the relatively small number of moderates, and the abilities of the Republican candidate to offer an alternative. The elimination of Bin Laden will certainly make it harder for Obama’s opponent to attack him on national security, but Americans have been steadily less concerned with foreign policy questions for the past five years. U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White REUTERS/White House/Pete Souza killing of Osama Bin Laden? No-body expected triumphalism from this softly-spoken, scholarly man, but his stumbling speech to NYC fire fighters contained nothing distinguished; the days after al-Qaeda leader’s death no indelible summation of national mood. Instead, his administration is fending off questions over the changing details of the Navy Seal operation, a lack of clarity officials blame on the “fog of war”. Sarah Palin’s stock may be falling, but she will not be the only American to think Obama has “pussy-footed” over the decision not to release the photo of Bin Laden’s bloodied face. The hawkish right has also seized on the fact the President “slept on it”, waiting 16 hours to give the Navy Seals the go-ahead. And conspiracy theories - the fantastical stories of the never-convinced - continue to grow tentacles. Pundits in Washington are already puzzling over the state of the expected Obama poll bump. Although one showed an immediate nine point leap, a CNN survey later last week his approval at 52 per cent - up from just 1 point from polling before Bin Laden’s Internationally, the killing of Bin Laden promises more difficulties than advantages. The relationship with Pakistan and its Byzantine power structures becomes messier and murkier. Maintaining 100,000 troops in Afghanistan becomes more difficult to justify. Much of ‘Arab Street’ appears to have more important things on its mind, but widespread suspicion toward US military action, however small and carefully crafted, has been re-awakened in the Muslim world. To hear so many people in Pakistan state flat disbelief in any explanation America has to offer regarding Bin Laden should disturb the White House, even if such distrust is not entirely unexpected. The moment places new scrutiny on the Obama foreign policy: does he offer any more inspiring than cautious management of the mess his predecessor left behind? Even if he were able to do so, it might not matter much to a domestic audience in 2012. It’ll be the economy, stupid, once again; Bin Laden nothing more a bad memory in the commotion over dollars and cents. ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Conspiracy theories By Brendan O’Neill The Big Issue (Scotland) www.streetnewsservice.org Y ou couldn’t have asked for a better snapshot of the political jitteriness of the West than the epic tussle over what to do with Osama bin Laden’s body. On the one hand US officials wanted to get shot of it as quickly as possible, so that there could never be a shrine or a rallying point for possible future apocalyptic terrorists. So they dumped OBL at sea. Yet on the other hand they feared that the absence of a body might fuel conspiracy theorists, all those computer-bound cranks and socially inadequate bloggers who would claim that bin Laden was actually still alive and possibly hidden in Roswell alongside that alien. So they considered releasing a photo of the body in a desperate bid to nip such nonsense in the bud. However, they feared that publishing a pic of the body, with bulletwounded head and bloodstained face might rile radical Islamists and give rise to vengeful terrorism. So President Obama said no photo would be forthcoming. And there you have it. In the great weighing-up of whom it is more acceptable to annoy - conspiracy-minded loners or wannabe holy warriors - the Obama administration opted to irritate the former and try to placate the latter. Not releasing That Photo would have serious consequences, yes, giving rise to endless jibber jabber about OBL still being alive. But releasing That Photo might have an even more serious impact, possibly radicalizing more warriors against the West. It is a striking insight into the fear-fuelled machinations of modern Western governments that even when they successfully take out someone as reviled as bin Laden, still they tie themselves in knots over how to present their actions to the public, fearing doubt and ignorance from their own people and bloody reprisals from Johnny Foreigner. And so it is not surprising that their keen anticipation of conspiratorial rumors - the almost instantaneous headlines telling us there would be an “explosion of conspiracy theories” - became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because what the torturous post-OBL debate reveals is that conspiracy theories do not simply spring from the caliginous minds of men in anoraks who should try to get girlfriends. They are also unwittingly nurtured by the political mainstream itself, by the inability of our rulers to provide a coherent political narrative - and more importantly some *meaning* - to key world events. Such moral incoherence can act almost as an invitation to conspiracy theorists to come and pick at the official story, like the intellectual equivalent of vultures around a decaying body politic. Already, as prophesized, the OBL conspiracy theorists are in full swing. Some claim he is in American custody, others that he has been bought off by the US and sent to live in a nice pile on the condition that he never speaks publicly or wags his finger at the world again. Long-standing conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones, 9/11 “truther” and friend of Charlie Sheen, have said that the photo of Obama and others watching the raid on bin Laden’s compound is “obviously staged”. Some have tried to present the modern-day propensity to believe BS as a peculiarly foreign thing. One journalist tells us that “the Islamic world is amazingly receptive to conspiracy theories”. Yet from the Princess Diana murder nonsense to the belief that weapons inspector David Kelly was bumped off by Tony Blair, it is clear that very respectable people with white faces also buy into the conspiratorial outlook. The Diana conspiracy theories are indulged by Middle England, being frequently rehashed in their bibles the Daily Mail and the Daily Express, while the David Kelly conspiracy theories remain the preserve of the more well-to-do classes, including broadsheet journalists, esteemed doctors and even politicians. Today, it is not only the uneducated who weave crazy stories to try to explain unexpected or major events - so does the so-called intellectual elite. Indeed, one of the most striking features of our age is the almost constant questioning of official truths. Often, the very fact that they are presented to us as “official” - as a top-down explanation of events - seems to make them instantly dodgy. A widespread and rather unhealthy anti-political cynicism, where figures of authority are now frequently viewed as grubby, self-serving liars or charlatans, has led to a situation where the phrase “official version of events” is automatically seen as a marker for something suspect - a cover-up, perhaps, or an exercise in myth-making. And this culture of cynicism, upon which conspiracy theorizing so joyously feasts, was nurtured not by rednecks in America or OBL supporters in the Islamic world, but rather by today’s fashionable, metropolitan opinion-forming elite, who often affect an attitude of profound distrust and disdain for anyone in a traditional position of power. It’s too simple to blame an army of Twittering doubters for the undermining of the concept of Truth today and for the rise of all sorts of “counter knowledge” and “alternative histories”. Because in truth, it’s the thoroughly mainstream fashion for a kind of teenage cynicism towards anyone in authority, coupled with the political classes’ inability to explain their beliefs and their actions in any profound way, which gives a green light to doubters and cranks. Why wouldn’t there be conspiracy theories about OBL’s death, when the Obama administration and its supporters were so panicked and confused and defensive in their attempt to explain how it happened and why? �ST R EE T V IB E S Story and Poetry Corner 13 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 We remember buddy gray Decades ago, buddy gray and a group of devoted activists saw an emerging need for social services and housing solutions here in Cincinnati. They began by picking up homeless people off of the street and bringing them into their very own apartments in Over-the-Rhine. They took care of them as if they were family, coaxing them out of alcoholism, feeding them, and clothing them. buddy was one of the biggest inspirations in the development of Streetvibes. Here, Bonnie Nuemeier remembers and reflects on the impact one man could have to so many. b uddy gray (he preferred his name in lower case letters) was a war resister, carpenter, preservationist, poet, community journalist, baseball coach, and friend to many. And he was known best as a relentless and uncompromising advocate for low-income housing and other services for the poor. He came from a small-town, working class family to live in Over-the-Rhine because he believed in the cause of liberation. He had decided, when he was still a young man, that he could not tolerate the poverty and discrimination he saw in the world around him. So he entered what his brother Jack called “a journey of fearless, selfless service.” Many people are dedicated to feeding and housing the poor. Others are dedicated to organizing for change. buddy’s insight was to bring these two ways of service together. He saw the people of Over-the-Rhine, not just as downtrodden souls to be given a meal or a bed for the night, but partners in a struggle to change the system and heal society. Therefore, buddy worked to organize people and groups into an Over-theRhine People’s movement that includes organizations like the Drop Inn center, ReSTOC, the Over-the-Rhine Housing Network, and the local, state, and national Coalitions for the Homeless. He worked with many homeless people who are now leaders in that movement. His capacity for work was legendary. Within a day’s time, he might attend a City Council hearing, work on the plumbing of a ReSTOC building, help an old man get off a park bench and into the shelter of the Drop Inn, write a poem, and do the notes for the next day’s meeting. He lived very simply, in an apartment on Race Street, owned little, and cared nothing for fashion or show. As Jack Gray said at the memorial after buddy’s death, “He feared no man. He took nothing and he served everyone. He worked to feed the hungry, free the captive, and How Did It Happen? buddy gray i didn’t know how it happened… many events, witnesses, years… but more important-it has… i don’t desire to be happy unless happiness is a universal right i don’t care to be at peace when teenagers of the third world must learn to shoot anti-aircraft guns at American invading planes i don’t want to be acceptable as long as rape, racism/sexism, multinational profit, CIA destabilization of governments, joblessness, homelessness are acceptable i don’t intend to be calm, pleasant and likable if the stink of injustice must be raised i don’t expect to be patient until there is “HOUSING NOW” FOR ALL i don’t know how to be quiet when our voices may be the only counter to the Rich’s media controls, limits inversions of the truth i don’t think about being respectful when hunger exists in the land of plenty poverty exists in this nation of wealth uneducation and ill health run rampant in this place of advanced technology and toxic waste ravages this once-beautiful country now owned by a handful i don’t plan to be non-disruptive of the “order” around us Gone WILLA DENISE JONES Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor Do you ever think of the days of the past? Do you ever think those being the good days, why they couldn’t last? Remembering when we were children doing everything our elders said Remembering eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and even what time it was for bed As time passed some of us traded going to church for drinking beer and wine Some of us grew up and changed so fast that we just simply ignored the signs buddy gray being interviewed by filmmaker Michael Moore for his movie 'The Big One.' Buddy was killed before the movie was completed. Photo: Jimmy Heath. heal the sick.” Many people are alive and living healthy lives today because the work of buddy gray. He earned, thereby, the respect and love of many. He also earned the bitter hatred of some real estate developers and some politicians, including, of course, some developer-politicians. For months before his death, an unknown person (or persons, or class of persons) maintained a hate campaign which featured death threats, a stop-sign-shaped stickers reading “NO WAY BUDDY GRAY,” and if you called a certain number, a sevenminute, anti-buddy recorded phone message. On November 15, 1996, during a meeting at the Drop Inn Center, buddy was shot and killed by a mentally ill, formerly homeless many buddy had befriended. buddy was 46 years old. No one knows if he had contacts with the NO-WAY-BUDDY-GRAY campaign. No one knows how he obtained the expensive pistol he used in the shooting. Within an hour of buddy’s death, the phone recording was disconnected. Eight days later, over two thousand people from Cincinnati, Boston, Washington, and Chicago, and other cities marched silently through the streets in buddy gray’s honor and in support of the homeless. -Bonnie Neumeier i don’t yet choose to be a carpenter If nuclear bombs production still steals the housing construction budget as long as churches and synagogues and temples do reverent rituals for rights and speak in pious platitudes of peace and take no angry action that stops American Business as usual to end homelessness, imperialism as long as business lunches still happen in the glass condos looking out over the homeless and hungry on the cold streets 10 stories below as long as the City Fathers can work 8 hours a week for $35,000 and do little to learn of the people’s problems over whom they rule i fully intend to dream of happiness and peace when I sleep. food clothing, shelter, medical care, education, equality, green space and peace for all… and meanwhile, awake to live as unacceptably, non-calmly unpleasantly dislikably impatiently loudly disrespectfully and disruptively and as contagiously collectively as I am able as long as is necessary -December 1, 1989 As time passed everything changed all the rules even people, places and things But time goes on carrying us with it, and we know it can’t end until the fat lady sings! So we keep going on trying to keep up with time and loosing our sense of being free Today we never forget to lock all door, windows and try never to go out alone, you see! So much robbing, back stabbing, short changing and all of the senseless killings I love to let my mind drift to the past because the present is so hard dealing! So for me taking my memory back as far as I can Keep me in tune and my eyes open to the future as I pray for people all over God’s land! I Remember buddy BONNIE NEUMEIER Contributing Writer Zipping through Washington Park on his bike Wearing his yellow hard hat fixing up housing Carrying a huge stack of documents to the podium at City Hall Drinking a carton of chocolate milk Hugging children on the street Putting his arms around friends homeless in the park Picking up Nannie to defend our homes from demolition Encouraging involvement in our efforts Sending little notes at meetings to keep us sane Calling his Mom often Playing an energetic game of baseball Remembering names and phone numbers by rote Watching election returns and naming senators in each state Riding around in his blue truck Wearing headbands of all different colors Saying so much in a small sound bite Taking lengthy notes for clarity and documentation Listening to Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and Peter, Paul & Mary Carrying his tools in a big 5 gallon white bucket Offering ReSTOC housing to displaced neighbors Planting trees and seeds for change Sacrificing his life for what he believed in Making mountains of phone calls late at night Teaching others how to lead and live simply Dreaming big dreams Doing the seemingly impossible Building connections around the country Standing up for human rights Laughing to help get us through Loving Wilbur his friend who pulled the trigger Buddy was as ordinary as you and me But with extraordinary fiery determination to put all he had in the service of his vision Believing that one day we all will be free Demanding justice shine in Over-the-Rhine As well as all over this land. �Interest 14 ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 U.S. Woman Documents Homelessness in Memoir An Unfortunate life of sexual abuse, date rape, and homelessness brought Brianna Karp to document her struggles in a new book, “The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness: A Memoir” REUTERS www.streetnewsservice.org B rianna Karp has had an unfortunate life - sexual abuse, date rape, an unhappy Internet love affair and homelessness. But the 26-year-old from southern California, has still managed to find the joy in living and tells her story in “The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness: A Memoir,” which is published this month. It’s an ongoing story, reality television in print. After the broad brush memories in the initial pages the book moves to the central theme - homelessness and urban survival. All along the way it’s harrowing, even when the reader can suspect what comes next and the end result is a book deal. Karp now lives in a converted shed on a dirt lot. Whatever success she has achieved she attributes not to being brilliant or smart but perhaps to be more determined. “I have my sad times when I just want to cry and say I can’t do it anymore. Then I cry, get up and get moving. What’s your other option?” she said. Karp’s tribulations began early with a broken home but life started to look up when she was able to make her own decisions. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness she rejected the church, moved away from her family and took care of herself until she lost her job. After an unsuccessful job hunt she inherited her father’s 30-foot (10-meter) Brianna Karp. Photo: www.girlsguidetohomelessness.com trailer after his suicide and learned she can camp She’s currently working as a marketing assistant out in the parking lots of certain Wal-Mart stores if for a non-profit theater company in Costa Mesa, Calishe remained discreet. The arrangement made her fornia and commutes 40 miles each way, every day. less than technically homeless, an advantage Karp She is trying to scrape together enough to secure a acknowledges but emphasizes there are various depermanent home for herself and her dog, who is one grees of homelessness. of her few joys in life. But “things can derail you when Karp seems highly organized and decisive. It’s you are homeless and struggling -- like a flat battery,” hard to fathom how she can suffer one calamity after she said. another and ultimately find herself camped out in a Her British fiancée, whom she met on the Internet car park. But as the book shows bad life changes are and supported while he visited the U.S., even though uncontrollable and can happen to anyone. “Homeshe was homeless, eventually went back to the mothless people are real people with real stories,” Karp er of his child. Karp was left on the street in Britain at said. Christmas to be picked up by the police in the cold Karp admits she still needs therapy though she Through it all though, Karp remain optimistic.“I is currently not talking to anyone. “I probably should don’t believe in ‘I’m a victim,’” she said. “I went to be but my therapist moved on and I need a new one,” pains to be as honest and as brutal about myself as I she admitted. “It is on my ‘to do’ list, definitely.” could. There was a temptation to gloss things over.” A Bad Bill SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer RESEARCH:JESSIE CALL Streetvibes Summer Intern roponents and opponents testified on the merits and drawbacks of a house bill that’s designed to upgrade Ohio’s election system in time for the 2012 presidential election. The bill, House Bill 194, includes technological advances, such as allowing on-line address changes. The advances aren’t what’s bothering some opponents. It’s the potential obstacles to registering that could impact thousands of Ohioans, rendering their votes uncountable. “Our research has shown that Ohio can dramatically improve the accuracy of the information on its voter lists,” said David Becker, project director of the election initiatives team of the Pew Center on the states, a division of the Pew Charitable Trusts. His research indicates that 1 and 8 active voter records nationally is no longer valid or contains a significant error. The proposed changes to Ohio’s election process presented in the 300 page long HB 184 may disrupt the system more than help, according to some of the bill’s opponents. Professor Daniel P. Tokaji is one of them. He is the professor of law at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law, and has written extensively about the state’s voting laws and has served as counsel for plaintiffs in voting rights cases Tokaji testified that the massive election bill could potentially disrupt the stability of Ohio’s election system and make it more difficult for eligible citizens to vote and have their votes counted. The changes made when Ohio last changed election laws were partly constructive, but, on the whole, bad. “…it too had a destabilizing effect on our election system, resulting in multiple lawsuits and court orders----not to mention confusion for election officials, poll workers and voters, “ Tokaji said. It took years to sort out the confusion from the changes form six years ago, and Tokaji cautioned that the recent changes might have the same effect. “What’s the big lesson to be learned form recent history? Changes in election P Progress of House Bill 194 ○Passed by the Ohio House of Representatives on March 18 by a party-line vote of 54-40. law, however well-intentioned, invariably have unanticipated consequences,” the professor said. It’s the combination of all the proposed changes that concerns Tokaji.”Unfortunately, their net effect would be to make our election system worse rather than better.” Taken together, the provisions of the bill would likely be good for election lawyers since they would provide fertile ground for legal challenges. “But they are not good news for our election ecosystem,” he said. “They are especially bad news form the perspective of voters who want to (be) sure they can vote and have their vote counted.” Ohio Secretary of State, Jon Husted, provided written testimony that essentially places problem free voting on the backs of voters. To Husted, the house bill makes it easier for voters to fulfill their individual responsibilities to do the following: o Register to vote o Keep address updated, o Bring the proper ID to the polls o Vote at the proper precinct. ○Referred to the Ohio Senate on March 19 where it is awaiting assignment to a Senate committee. The bill’s provision provides ways for voters to make address changes online, resulting in cost savings, according to Husted’s testimony. In the last general election, voters who had changed addresses or names without notifying the election board accounted for more than half of the provisional ballots cast. The online change system, according to Husted, would reduce the number of provisional ballots and increase the number of regular ballots. At least two locals who had planned to testify before the committee left before getting a chance to testify. Ricardo Taylor form The Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Pat Clifford representing Common Cause did not speak, but did leave written testimony. Bill Paton reminded the committee that voting is a right and not a privilege. How the bill could impact voters experiencing homelessness: ○The Ohio Senate can ignore the bill, pass the bill as written, or amend the bill and pass it with changes and reconcile any differences with the House before sending it to the Governor for signature. Some changes to absentee voter process: ○Counties can no longer solicit absentee ballots, instead, voters must proactively request one. ○Counties cannot pay the costs of return postage on absentee ballots, instead, voters must pay these costs on their own. Some changes to provisional ballot procedures: ○Voters without identification at the polling place will no longer be allowed to sign an affirmation that they do not have identification in order to have their ballots counted. ○Voters without identification at the polling place will, however, be able to sign an affirmation of identity and provide name, address, last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number or identification number, signature, and date of birth. ○The procedure which allows a voter submitting a provisional ballot to provide proof of their identification within 10 days would be eliminated. ○Voters without identification or a Social Security number may have their ballots rejected at the polling place. ○Voters who have recently moved to another precinct will not be instructed on where they should go to vote if they arrive at the wrong precinct. ○Voters needing to vote absentee will have to be proactive in requesting a ballot and bear the costs of voting. Local supporters: ○The bill was sponsored by two Hamilton County Republican representatives: Robert Mecklenborg and Louis Blessing ○The two other Hamilton County Republican representatives, Peter Strautberg and Ron Maag, also voted for the bill. ○The remaining Hamilton County representatives, all Democrats, voted against the bill: Denise Driehaus, Dale Mallory, Connie Pillich, and Alicia Reece. �Resources ST R EE T V IB E S 15 M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Shelter: Women and Children St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County 458-6670 PATH Outreach 977-4489 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Treatment: Men Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 921-1613 Other Resources 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Starting Over 961-2256 Anthony House (Youth) Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 First Step Home 961-4663 Goodwill industries 771-4800 Healing Connections 751-0600 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Both 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services 751-0643 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 621-5514 Treatment: Women 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Emmanuel Community Center 241-2563 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 St. Raephaels 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 Faces Without Places 363-3300 Stop AIDS 421-2437 ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 �Column 16 ST R EET VIBES M AY 2 7 - J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 11 Putting Life and Death into Perspective Steven Finke’s art is a meditation on loss and mortality a dragon, with human attributes, falling towards him. It alluded to the attraction to the unknown, to danger, to the unexpected path one often takes when dealing with I have been aware of human pain and suffering from uncertainty, in this case to Finke’s confused a very young age,” says Steven Finke. “Growing up handling of his new conjugal situation. I was introduced to the Holocaust and constantly Divorced and settled in Cincinnati, reminded of its horrors as it directly affected my family Finke met his new wife, ceramic artist Ana and the many families in my community. As a child I did England. When asked to have a joint show, not understand the ramifications of what I was told but both interested in the science/art relationwas horrified that people could act towards each others in ship they decided to produce works on the such destructive ways.” theme of Creation. Finke resorted to the Pain, suffering, death, the meaning of existence, book of Genesis and illustrated in mixed have all along permeated Finke’s thinking and art. His media sculptures each of its days. work, initially dealing with personal issues, progressively “I approached the work from both scientific and religious aspects,” he says. “I and naturally delved into the human, the universal, the wanted it universal, asking the fundamental generality of life in this world. questions of how we got here, why and Born in Queens and raised on Long Island, NY, for what, thus parting from my egocentric Finke belonged to a middle class family which placed strong emphasis on education. Interested in the sciences, concerns.” he was first leaning for a career in forestry and wild life His Day 1 sculpture, Let There Be management, but shifted later towards the arts, earning Light, consisted of a cone of stacked seca BFA from Ohio University, Athens, and a MFA from the tions of glass, held at an angle by a metallic structure. The cone reflects light and serves University of Miami, FL, both in ceramics. as playground for interacting lights and “I wanted to do pottery and live in the forest,” he shadows. The Creation of Humans, the says. “I became, however, quickly taken by sculptures as fine art objects and started creating them in outdoor and Day 6 sculpture, depicted 3 phases of life: birth, reproduction, death. Finke included in it personal elements, his father’s knee, his grandson’s navel, a vial of his and his new wife’s blood, thus indirectly commenting on his own journey. “Working on the Creation Stories, I was already reflecting on mortality and dissolution,” he Steven Finke stands in the forest in front of his sculpture, the Pedestal. says. “After birth comes death, Photo: Saad Ghosn. Saad Ghosn and it was natural that my work Contributing Writer progresses to address the imperfour separate sculptural elements, a Cabin, a Bridge, a manence of life.” Pedestal and a Vault, all connected to trace the journey before death, integrating forest, sculpture and human in indoor settings using various materials.” This is when Finke discovered the Tibetan Book of an aesthetic meditation on impermanence. Finke currently teaches sculpture at Northern Kenthe Dead and embarked on visualizing its content. He “I wanted to provide the serious visitor a place for tackled its first day which focuses on the Cessation of tucky University. reflection on mortality, loss and grief, hoping it leads to Breath, the moment before death. He created BreathRight after grad school, married and with two kids, greater insight into the nature of life, connection with ing Machine, a metallic structure that opens on a pair of Finke experienced the breakdown of his marriage and, the environment, inner peace,” states Finke, ”and at the mechanized lungs same time call attention to our responsible role in this world.” moving Starting the journey alone in the forest, the viewer forth and first experiences the solitude of the cabin, metaphor for back when one’s house, reminiscing on the inevitability of death; cranked, then borrows a path over a sculpted bridge, leading to a letting air pedestal composed of glass, metal skulls, a cast bronze in and cranium on which is engraved the Tibetan text describing out. The the moment before the last breath; then enters a sculpcycled air sounds like tural vault which shelters the breathing machine. “The impermanence of life is prevalent,” says Finke, breathing, “and we need to face it. Things come into being and also feeds others come out of being. We constantly die to the last a small fire moment and are reborn to the following one; and every started by moment affects the next. We have to be reminded that burning each of our actions affects our future and that of the a signifiearth.” cant item This is why Finke also wanted the forest to be the brought setting for his meditative artwork, the forest through its in by the constant living and dying a metaphor for life, also a link to viewer. the ecological protection of the land. By crankFinke will be working next on sculptures for the ing the Cessation of Pulse, the second day of the book. In the machine, meantime he is creating a series of small bronze pieces the viewer symbolical- he calls Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. Most have the recurrent image of a skull and include moving objects rely controls flecting the mechanics of life. They allude to death, to the his own Breathing Machine inside the Vault, mixed media sculptural installation. Artwork and Photo: Steven Finke nakedness of human beings, and are meant to be used breathing, as meditative toys during the viewer’s journey. in his mind, the disintegration of the myth of family. His and willingly parts with what may be considered impor“A root cause for our inability to live at peace with artwork, raw and expressionistic, became a narrative tant. each other and our environment is our avoidance or lack about his life, telling real stories with a mythological twist. Meant initially as a travelling piece, Finke later of understanding of the impermanent nature of exisIt reflected his personal feelings and the issues he was decided to include it in a permanent site specific artwork, tence,” says Finke. “By reflecting on mortality, we can dealing with, questioning where he stood and the part he The Cessation of Breath: A Mechanical Meditation on learn to live in a more sustainable way with our environplayed in the human condition. the Moment before Death. The installation stands in ment and a more compassionate way with each other. George and the Dragon, a large mosaic piece the middle of a forest on a 38 acre land he purchased This is what I would like my art to achieve.” from that period, depicts George holding a sword, and in the watershed of the Ohio River Valley. It consists of “ Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource May 27-June 9, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Celebrating Our history Pg 2: In My Shoes Pg 3: Distributor Program Pg 4: Who’s Talking? Making Music for a Cause Pg 5: Meetup Pg 6: Mark Twain was Right Pg 7: Streetvibes: A timeline Pg 8: Streetvibes: An Ever-Evolving Publication Pg 9: Past Covers Tell of Our History and Guide Our Future Pg 10: Caring for Criminals Pg 11: Happy Birthday Amnesty? Pg 12: Hail to the Chief? Pg 13: We Remember Buddy Gray Pg 14: U.S. Woman Documents Homelessness in Memoir Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Putting Life and Death into Perspective Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 27-June 9, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Susan Lakes Corey Gibson Josh Spring Jeni Jenkins Riccardo Taylor Willa Denise Jones Laura Osborne-Coffey Saad Ghosn Bonnie Nuemeier Buddy Gray Jessie Call Reuters Aimie WillHoite Saad Ghosn Jimmy Heath Steven Finke Dan Moore Seth Tobocman. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Amnesty Barack Obama Bonnie Nuemeier buddy gray Cincinnati Corey Gibson Criminals Dan Moore Jeni Jenkins Jessie Call Jimmy Heath Josh Spring Laura Osborne-Coffey Mark Twain Music Protests Reuters Riccardo Taylor Riots Saad Ghosn Seth Tobocman Steven Finke Streetvibes Susan Lakes Tags Jen Martin Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/705eb64c519990056dffc41ea3b1c949.pdf 58dbcd6f18a187c78d6034d3210e1c5a PDF Text Text Distributor Profile: ST RDavis EE T V IB E S Jerry Photo Essay Capturing the Moment J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 PG 3 J U N E 1 0 T H - 2 3 R D 2 0 11 PG 8 ISSUE 201 1 PG 16 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Tebbe Remembered SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer T he trees, planters, patio seating area and signs all look the same at Venice on Vine in downtown Cincinnati. So do the streetlights. The restaurant is still a hub of activity, serving up some hot pizza, organic coffee and a variety of meals while trainers train and learners learn. Opportunities to dine in or carry out remain, and the place still bills itself as “Good Food for a Good Cause,” with diversity, education, community and collaboration as guiding values. Things might look the same, but they aren’t. Tebbe isn’t there. Mary “Tebbe” Farrell, Venice on Vine’s beloved trainer, died May 20, 2011. The sting of the loss is still fresh for her co-workers, friends and those she dedicated her life to serving. The loss is real, but those close to her vow they’ll carry on. After all, that’s what the energetic playwright, video and music producer, Tebbe’s chair at Venice on Vine remains the same as it was when she arts promoter and used it. Photo: Josie Pickens educator would tive director for Venice on Vine/Venice want. Catering. Tebbe is gone but not forgotten. Tebbe brought special gifts and “There isn’t any place in this restautalents to the workplace, and many rant you won’t see the footprint of credit her work with making Venice a Tebbe,” said Rina Saperstein, execu- Mary “Tebbe” Farrell. Photo: Venice on Vine See Tebbe, page 5 Seeking Refuge in a Street Paper INÊS SANTINHOS GONÇALVES Street News Service www.streetnewsservice.org The reasons why people become street paper vendors are many and diverse. Some are homeless; others suffer mental or physical health problems, struggle with addiction or face unemployment. And some people do it because the magazines offer them the refuge they so desperately need. A round the world, street papers have been welcoming people who felt too insecure to stay in their home lands. Whether or not they have official refugee status in Isaac Nwankwere, who escaped from Nigeria, sells the street paper Augustin in Austria. their newly adopted countries, Photo: Mario Lang / Augustin what these vendors often have in common is the fear to return to See Seeking Refuge, page 10 The Failing American Dream PG 5 facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati Building Bridges Through Music PG 6 twitter.com/streetvibesnews Day by Day Calendar Project PG 11 streetvibes.wordpress.com �Editorial 2 BRIEF UPDATES STAFF REPORT ALEC Follow Up: In the May 13th edition #199, we introduced you to the American Legislative Executive Council or ALEC for short, when peaceful protesters marched on Fountain Square to demand accountability and transparency from the group of legislators and policy advocates who held a spring task force meeting in the Queen City April 29. The protesters made these demands from ALEC: •All donors of $200 and more, • ALEC members who hold elected office, •Full text of model legislation and public policy discussion leading up to the legislation, and •Disclosure of the cases in which ALEC model legislation is entered into bills, specifically the source of the legislative text. In a follow up email to Reagan Weber, director of public affairs for ALEC, we asked for the same information and more. Specifically, we’re interested in finding out just what the group accomplished when it met in Cincinnati and just who from our area is on the ALEC membership roll. Follow up is particularly important since ALEC billed the Cincinnati task force meeting this way: State Legislators Gather and Discuss State Policy Solutions to Lead the Nation to Economic Success and Stability. The ALEC representative has had four days to send her response or to direct us to a source who can respond. We’ve heard nothing so far. We’ll keep you updated on that request. Pet Companions Follow Up: After our pet story ran in the May 13th edition #199, we heard some good news about what one service organization is doing for people and pets. Senior Services of Northern Kentucky has a Animeals-OnWheels program where donated pet food is delivered to seniors who receive home meals. Animeals-On-Wheels began about five years ago after staff discovered that some seniors were sharing their home-delivered meals with their non-human friends. Senior Services put out a plea for pet food donations, and the public came to the rescue. Senior Services of Northern Kentucky needs your help. You can donate pet food at the Covington Office, located at 1032 Madison Avenue. Drop it off or call (859) 4910522 if you’d like to have it picked up. Senior Services also accepts people food donations. (shelf stable products), and welcomes new volunteers. ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 “Who Ya Gonna Call?!” Not the Ghostbusters if you’re trying to unclog a toilet o you call a plumber to wire a home? You certainly could pick up phone and call a plumber to come and wire a room in your home. Most plumbers would immediately say, “No, I can’t wire a home, I am a plumber not a certified electrician.” Most plumbers would say “If I wired your home I would put you in danger and my business in danger, because I am not qualified to safely do electricity.” But of course, nearly all of us would never call a plumber to do wiring. What stops us? Clearly common sense, a desire to do things sustainably correct and especially safe stop us. A sense that we want our home to be the best that it can, stops us. What would you do if a plumber knocked on your door and said, “Hey, I heard you need some wiring done, I’ll do the wiring for a discount and I’ll also bring some of my other plumber friends to help so the job get’s done quickly.” Would your eyes get wide and heart start beating fast because you found a way to get the job done quickly and cheaply? Or would common sense, a desire for sustainable quality and safety still click in? Most likely, you would so, “No, I’m going to call a certified electrician to do my wiring.” One more question, what if one of those “protect your money” programs came on the television and the topic was “How to Safely Wire your Home on Budget,” and immediately after the title flashed you saw a person with a snake, plunger and badge saying “certified plumber,” would you listen to her or his advice? Ok, just checking one more time, obviously you would not. Well guess what. In the city of Cincinnati and the county of Hamilton, we have an organization masquerading as something they are not. We have an organization acting as if they are experts on an area of study they have no certifiable training in. Currently 3CDC is parading about the region explaining that they are working to create better shelters and services for people who are homeless. They are claiming to be leading much of these processes and to know what people who are homeless need. This is interesting because nobody on their staff is a Social Worker, Counselor or has ever held a professional position in a shelter, affordable housing provider, jobs placement organization, etc. In addition they are the organization that has repeatedly put people out of their affordable homes and closed affordable housing, despite the fact that the primary cause of homelessness in America is a lack of affordable housing. You would think if they were experts on helping people who are homeless and they cared about ending homelessness, they would not put people out of their affordable homes and lessen the quantity of affordable housing. So why, when many of us hear 3CDC quoted in the paper, etc. talking about all their hard work for people who are homeless and their new ideas to fight homelessness, do many of us believe them, count their word as that from an expert and move on? The reason is that 3CDC not only looks progressive, colorful and inclusive on the surface, but their board includes many of our local Fortune 500 companies. Companies that not only horde money that the rest of us need, but companies that have spent many years figuring out how to market to all of us and convince that we need things we don’t and that they are the only companies that can properly fulfil those needs. We are being duped politically by professional advertisers, salespersons and connivers. We all have different roles, talents and responsibilities. If you are a social worker, do social work, if you are a plumber, do plumbing, if you are condo developer, develop condos (without putting others out), if you are sales person, sell things. It is when we cross these wires that we create role-confusion and conflict. Social workers should social work and not claim to be salespersons, and condo developers should not claim to be shelter experts. D Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) GCCH is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Staff Executive Director Josh Spring Director of Operations Catie Dargue Director of Education & Outreach, Design & Layout Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer Susan Lakes Civil Rights Outreach Coordinator Riccardo Taylor Reception & Office Admin Della Woolens, Ruby Goode Georgia Bohannon, Stephen Gentry Contributing Writers: Willa Denise Jones, Scott Switzer, Saad Ghosn, Jim Luken, Lee Mccoy,Inês Santinhos Gonçalves, Cleo Wombles Photography/Artwork: Melvin Grier, Susan Lakes, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Bill Howes, Anthony Williams Mario Lang, Paul Davis, Aimie Willhoite Summer Interns Journalism, Media & PR Jesse Call Journalism, Media & PR Jason Dean Journalism, Media & PR Mark Mendoza Research Alisa Balestra Education & Outreach Harrison Lott Development Corey Luthringer Statistics Brittany Fong Civil Rights/Social Justice Terique Scott �Distributor Program ST R EE T V IB E S 3 J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE THE PAPER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY AND SELL IT FOR A $1 DONATION, KEEPING THE PROFIT THEY HAVE EARNED. BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR IS A GREAT WAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY POOR TO GET BACK ON (OR STAY ON) THEIR FEET. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME FOR THOSE UNABLE TO SECURE OTHER EMPLOYMENT. MONEY EARNED HELPS MEET BASIC HOUSING, FOOD AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS. THE PROGRAM IS A HAND UP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN IN A PLACE OF GETTING ONLY A HAND OUT, OR EVEN NO HAND AT ALL. ALL DISTRIBUTORS WEAR A BADGE AND CAN BE FOUND SELLING THE PAPER IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, CLIFTON, NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND AREA CHURCHES. CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS Distributor Profile: Jerry Davis SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer J ALFRED BRANDON NELSON WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 SINCE 4/2008 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DAVID TOUGH 3/2011 DELESA HENDERSON NEW 5/2011 ELISA HILL SINCE 9/2010 GRADY COOK SINCE 8/2007 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES BYBEE SINCE 9/2010 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2003 JAMES MOORE SINCE 11/2010 JERRY DAVIS SINCE 5/2011 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 JULIE WALKER SINCE 6/2007 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 KIM GREEN SINCE 1/2010 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARK DAUGHTERY NEW 3/2011 MARK ANTHONY SHEARS SINCE 12/2007 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 PAMELA TAYLOR NEW 6/2011 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAY BREWER NEW 5/2011 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY LUNDY NEW 5/2011 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 SHANNON MOATS NEW 3/2011 TAMMY GRIES NEW 5/2011 TERRY RANSON SINCE10/2008 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 VICTORIA MINOR NEW 3/2011 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WILLIAM BURDINE SINCE 8/2009 W. KENNETH BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 erry Davis, 46, is so new to selling Streetvibes you haven’t seen his photo appear alongside ones of other vendors. He decided to take the job to meet people and make contacts for his landscaping business. That hasn’t happened yet, but he’s positive. “You never know when that might come,” he said. “Timing is everything.” When he’s not working, Davis reads and collects comic books. It’s a hobby he got hooked on as a child. He also watches Sci-Fi, and enjoys the old Alfred Hitchcock films. Davis is getting in a routine for Streetvibes sales. He’s found that early in the week, sales are slower, so he spends most of his time distributing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Jerry Davis, Streetvibes distributor. Photo: Susan Lakes Davis likes having the supplemental income, but there’s something besides the money that made him pick Streetvibes. “Maybe I can make a difference,” he said, adding that he enjoys reading the stories about people he knows. Davis picked another way to make a difference even before he decided to distribute the papers. He was one of first members of The Homeless Congress, a new initiative sponsored by The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. He did this at a time in his life when he lost his job and had to move into a local shelter. Davis will return to college in the fall to study information systems or landscaping/horticulture. He says he is prepared for the challenge this time around. THE DETAILS: To find out more about the Homeless Congress contact Riccardo Taylor at (513) 421-7803, or stop by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 117 East 12th Street in Cincinnati. Interested in becoming a Streetvibes Distributor? Follow these six simple steps to be on your way: 1) Pick up a Distributor packet at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, located at 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati. 2) Fill out the Distributor Application Form, and initial each statement on the Code of Conduct and sign & review the Disciplinary Policy 3) Read the most recent copy of Streetvibes. 4) Attend an Orientation Thursdays at 10AM 5) Take and pass the quiz Tuesdays at 10AM. 6) Receive approval and have your picture taken, a badge will be made and you will be provided with 10 free papers to get you started! Questions? Call: (513) 421-7803 � Commentary 4 The Meaning O ften we have to ask ourselves says life makes you. So, the meaning what is the meaning of life? will be as varied as the individuals. And without the expectation Far too often we are looking for of answers we start a those external search. A search that elements to starts outside of ourgive us true selves, always looking meaning, only for answers before we to find in time even present a question. that those So, I ask, are the anelements fade, swers to life’s questions or become external as we often outdated and seem to think, or are they we need to internal as the innate find replacerealms of our existence ments in order RICCARDO TAYLOR indicates? to satisfy their Staff Writer Well I suppose meanings. the answer can only be determined We continue to seek relief from our by investigation of our thoughts and stresses focusing on the symptoms beliefs. Therefore, the meaning of instead of the causes. Again, those life can be realized only through the outside factors which make things searching of the self, in so much to much more difficult to control, we say, embracing our uniqueness. The seemingly can never conclude, keep reality that everyone has uniqueness us from ever concluding exactly what that is relative to everyone else, yet it is that creates our problems. We so different is, the epitome of being. can play the blame game and never So you ask, what is it that I am talking accept the responsibility; if only the about exactly? Well, the simplest of world would change so that it would fit answers is the meaning of life. the way I would like it to be! SomeWhat is life? Beyond the biologithing is always going wrong, and cal and mental, life is a series of ups I know it has to be everybody and and downs, wins and losses. Some every thing but me! So the question say it’s what you make it while others remains! What is the meaning of life? ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 The idea of taking on responsibility has to play a part. We keep seeing that all those ifs, and, why’s continue to come out the same way! It’s the what’s, how’s and when’s that we have to account for. It is for that reason we have to stop looking for the meaning of life outside of us, and start to look for the meaning from within. Keeping up with the Jones’ makes you feel good but does it satisfy or take care of the things you need? Our indulgence of everything that appeals to our senses leads to discomforts and troubles. Immediate gratification comes from the outside, while true pleasure comes from within. Riccardo Taylor. Photo: GCCH Oh! finding that exact combination of the external founded by the meaning of life. and internal to grasp the correct formula for searching the self is in finality the only path for discovering the true riccardotaylor@cincihomeless.org meaning of life. So we search! (513) 421-7803 Ex. 15 Although I search with the tools of understanding I also am con- Who Is the Wizard Behind the Big Screen? LEE MCCOY Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor were coming back. Now here’s what got me hot: four minutes left in the game, Dallas’ lead had sunk from 20 to seven. I turned my head to say something to my friend, look back up at the screen and Lord forgive me for the things that spewed out of my mouth. Guess what Lee McCoy. Photo: Paul Davis Photography happened? They switched the game to Saturday ou can bet it’s not the Wizard Night Live. I couldn’t believe this. My of Oz—after all, we don’t live friends told me to calm down (they in Kansas. Only in Cincindo this all the time). I was too hot to nati do you have a wizard who has flunked wizard school. No one likes a listen. Off to find the Wizard—and I am not talking about the Wizard of person who is in control of what you Oz. watch. But let me explain why I am I found two of the ambassadors so hot at whoever is the controller of who clean up Cincinnati and they told The Big Screen on Fountain Square. me to go down to the garage and I am watching the Dallas/Oklahotalk to the people down there. Well ma game, game two, Dallas leading I found two guys behind this grass by 20 points the whole game. It was cage. When I tried to find out who a run away until the fourth quarter, controlled the Screen, it might as nine minutes left in the game, Oklawell have been a joke to them. But I homa down by 20 points, and all of was not laughing. Then, like a slap a sudden Oklahoma started to play in the face, I came back to reality. like it was the beginning of the game. Only in Cincinnati can something like Now I am sitting on the edge of my this happen. Even if Dorothy were seat. Some of my buddies hitting me here with me, clicking her heels three on the back, my arms telling me here times, it wouldn’t do any good. they come, and sure enough, they Y Okay, let’s move to May 29th, the Cincinnati Reds playing Atlanta. It’s a good pitching game, Atlanta up two to one in the seventh inning, and you won’t believe this. Déjà vu—this time we go to poker on the Screen. Now let me give you some background. People are drinking, eating Taste of Cincinnati, glaring at the game, some watching while drinking a beer. After that switch, I just started watching the people going to do something else. Only in Cincinnati do they tell you to come on down to downtown for the Wizard who flunked counting school changing channels like the lollypop kids. It costs an arm and a leg to park, and the biggest joke in the Land of Oz that they call Fountain Square: Why is the bathroom locked when you have something? People moving around, some drinking beer, coming out of windows, watching or just looking around the Square, but if they have to use the bathroom, “Sorry, Charlie.” If there is no event, the bathroom is closed by 9pm. Now I see why people relieve themselves in different doorways. I mean it does look better in somebody’s corner than on oneself. What would you do? And it’s not just the poor or the homeless. I see people with suits on, females lifting up their dress. But then again, doesn’t 3CDC run Fountain Square? Only in Cincinnati does the Wicked Witch live forever. Upon returning to Fountain Square, however, it would appear that the good witch Glenda did a nice turn for the folks of Cincinnati and landed a few porta-potties there; shame they didn’t squish the Wizard of the Big Screen. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �Commentary ST R EE T V IB E S 5 J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 The Failing American Dream Musings from an Outsider Looking In CATIE DARGUE Streetvibes Staff Writer spent the weekend in Loudoun County Virginia, it was beautiful; green rolling hills, lush trees, horses in pasture, vineyards that stretch as far as the eye can see, and houses. Those big American dream sort of houses with four garages on the side, three stories high, American flag flying outside the porch, swing set in the back, and a BBQ grill just begging to be used. But there was something very wrong with this picture. There were no people. The houses were all for sale, no cars in the garage, windows open with no furniture in sight, and no smoke on that BBQ. Whether the houses are new, people have moved, or they have been repossessedd, I have to ask myself, is this the American Dream? What happened? I have struggled for a long time my own personal definition of the “Ameri- Source: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/30/waking-up-from-the-american-dream/ can Dream” and though I think it’s difthat if I had a master’s degree I could no mortgage, no car, no babies on the ferent for every individual I do feel that way, and no burgers on the grill. there is a pressure from our country to earn even more money at what I was doing. How would I pay for the extra Most of my friends who were conform to a certain image, an image student loans? My really high paying actually making some money still that most people would say they are job would help me cover them surely. complained constantly that it wasn’t having trouble maintaining. enough while they seemed to disapIn high school I knew I would go to At this point I had seen most of my pear into a working depression where college because it was “the next step,” undergraduate friends compete for jobs in Starbucks and local restaurants life was dull, money was everything, but no one ever explained to me how and I thought, where were all these and passion was a dream of the past. to afford this. We were told (by our amazing high paying jobs we were My trust funder friends from university mentors, the Game of Life, and our assured? No bother, I’ll go back to all moved back in with their parents or country) that if we went to college and school and I’m sure they will await my lived in an apartment rented or bought got a degree we would get a better graduation. by their parents while they figured paying job. It wouldn’t matter what I was lucky to have a part time out what they wanted to do with their we took out in loans because our well job during grad school that then hired lives, and then complained that the paying job would pay them off for us. me full time after because again there $2000 month trust fund was no longer I got lucky, I received some federal were no jobs that I could apply for that enough to pay for their life style. My grants, a local scholarship, help from utilized my education and my skill set. poor friends have remained just that, my father (who selflessly extended Now I was about $70,000 in debt, no poor. Some of them were able to his own retirement to put me through promise of a better job on the horizon, pursue engineering degrees and land school) and I managed to emerge a no car, still renting and putting most good jobs that helped at least pull graduate with only $20,000 of debt, them out of poverty, but most of us are of my expenses on my credit cards only! I got an okay job about three in about the same place. Underapbecause I wasn’t getting paid enough months later which was the result of preciated, overworked, underpaid, and to live. And as it would happen I fell connections and not my job history or stuck for the next 30 years with debt new BA degree. Though I was earning in love and I got married, and then exthat we can’t seem to justify anymore. pretty good wages for myself loan pay- penses doubled with both of us fresh The sad part is, I still want that out of our master’s degrees and the ments were hard to swing along with ideal American Dream. I want that economy tanking. rent, credit card bills, and transportahouse that’s so big I don’t know what At this point I’m starting to take tion, though I never owned a car until I to do with all the space; I want the four stock of this supposed American was 28. Dream and where exactly I fit in. I was cars in the driveway (the practical car, A couple years later I got antsy. doing what I loved and not getting paid the fun car, my husband’s car, and I could, if I wanted, slowly climb the the one we’re fixing up on the weekfor it, getting underpaid to do a job I corporate ladder towards a job I could have done in high school, madly ends). Sometimes I find it so disgustnever imagined having and maybe ing to want all of this when I know so in love with my husband, badly in debt a comfortable salary, but that wasn’t many people just want a roof (any between both of us, traveling and me. I wanted to pursue my passion roof) over their heads and something having experiences that I knew many for theatre and perhaps get noticed. others were jealous of, no home base, to eat. Why does this dream get Additionally, I was keen to the buzz I Tebbe Remembered ingrained into so many of our brains? And why do we feel like if we’re not living up to it, we’ve failed somehow? Why is it that all my friends who have well paying, capitalist market jobs seem unhappy? All those friends with mortgages just want out, and so on. It seems that people forget that homelessness is just a few steps away from any of us at any moment, and that maybe this American dream we’re all chasing is like a helium balloon caught in a breeze – out of reach and impossible to chase after. Where in the American Dream does it say that you can have it all, but be sure to step on those below you to get it? Why is it that those with everything share so little and those who have nothing share it all? I want to know and I don’t know that I ever will. Through working at the Coalition my perspective on many things have been changed, and perhaps we as a nation need to change our American Dream to be less about greed and more about the intended life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If you’re reading this, try to be thankful today for something you have, and try to help someone else who may need a little extra. It can only make us a stronger nation as opposed to becoming divided by the dollar in pursuit of the impossible pipe dream. catiedargue@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 11 Continued from page 1 place that prioritizes learning in a special way. She was hired to coordinate tutoring and work with students/workers on GED and Adult Basic Education skills. Tebbe went way beyond her job description. She redesigned a menu, brought in musicians to fundraise, set up art exhibits, built up the volunteer worker base and headed up an empowering project that put students in charge of office space design. Tebbe talked about the whys of her job about a month before her death. “Why do I do this? I do this because I love so much what I do. And I learn so much from the people that I work with. It’s the greatest mission I’ve ever been involved with. And it has brought the best out in me.” The 55-year-old’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Venice planned to put her on the staff roster this fall when her time with AmeriCorps ended, Saper- stein said. She excelled in development, and Venice was going to have Tebbe head up that department “She loved this job,” said longtime friend, Mark Bennison. The two met in 1981 at Moles Records, the city’s first used record shop. True to Tebbe’s curious nature, she approached Mark and asked, “Who are you? I’ve seen you around.” The two spent time talking, but it was Christmas time that Bennison remembers. They reserved that time for a movie, but not just any film. It has to be something with a message, because that’s just the kind of person Tebbe was. She liked themes with causes and fought for what she believed in. Dennison will remember her as a “nefarious chameleon,” a multi-faceted person who adapted well to any situation. Another friend, Josie Pickens, remembers Tebbe as passionate and spunky. Tears rimmed Pickens eyes as she talked about what AmeriCorps meeting days are like now that Tebbe’s gone. “This past Wednesday was strange,” Pickens said quietly during a recent interview inside Venice. “It was the last time I didn’t come here to pick her up.” Pickens met Tebbe when they both joined the domestic Peace Corp, AmeriCorps. Although Tebbe drove, they ride shared to bi-weekly meetings for economic and social reasons. It was Pickens who did the driving after picking Tebbe up at her workplace. “She loved this job,” Pickens said. She even marked off personal space in the back room offices of the restaurant. Her chair with the words, “Tebbe’s chair” remains in her space that’s front and center below the big stacks of GED training materials. Trainee Daniel McEntee, 18, remembers what a help Tebbe was to him when he began training for GED in April. “She believed in me,” he said, adding she was a good influence. “She would help anyone who wanted the help.” McEntee hope for the best for Tebbe’s family though their grief. He’ll take his GED and finish the goal---the office space redesign--- he and Tebbe planned. “I think about her every time I look at that desk.” THE DETAILS: Contact Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Adult Education Fund, 701 Columbia Avenue for information about Tebbe’s memorial fund. �6 Local ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Little Hands:Big Hands Building Bridges Through Music SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer L ittle hands lugged violin cases. Big hands clutched backpacks and bags. Then, when the little hands glided smoothly over the strings and bows, music rang out, and the big hands let go of the cargo and life possessions long enough to clap. Some of those adults with the big hands even cheered “Bravo” and “Alright” as the small bodies with the little hands bowed and smiled. This was the scene at the DropInn Center, the area’s largest homeless shelter, on a recent Friday afternoon. Suzuki violin students from the city’s School of Performing Arts took center stage for an afternoon concert and reception. Dave Mason, faculty member for the school and director of the children’s’ orchestra, set a neighborly tone for the interaction between the big -handed shelter residents and the smaller –handed student musicians. “We’re here from the school next door,” he said. The Performing Arts Center moved into a new building a block away from the homeless shelter in 2010, creating some concern and tension. That tension about the school’s proximity to the shelter was the reason why a small informal committee formed. It is called SCPA/OTR and its goal is to build bridges, change attitudes and build a solid relationship be- tween the School for Performing Arts and the Over –TheRhine community as a whole. Understanding and education, not controversy, was what was on the mind of one of the young musician’s dads. Ricco Johnson said his daughter had some questions about the scheduled concert at the Drop Inn Center. Johnson, partner in the OverRhine-Business MIXX, planned to talk with his daughter, Mhilton after the visit and answer any of her Mhilton Johnson tunes her violin. Photo: Susan Lakes questions. “This is good Center residents were glad he for the community and the children,” picked The Drop Inn Center, too. ResiJohnson said about the concert. “A lot dent Jacklyn Jones heard the violin of people shy away [from homeless music, and it stirred some memories shelters], but it [homelessness] could from way back. “It reminds me of stuff happen to any of us.” I did in school,” she said. “It’s a nice Mason certainly didn’t shy away concert and the kids did a good job. It when he picked the concert venue. “I was entertaining.” told the kids they’d like playing here,” Once the music ended, the little he said, complimenting the lively hands clutched ice cream cones. So acoustics inside the shelter. did the big hands. susanlakes@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 12 THE DETAILS: For more information about the SCPA/OTR committee, contact Jeni Jenkins at (513) 421-7803 Ex.14 Lesson Learned: Students in Philanthropy Courses Graduate into Community Leaders JESSE CALL Streetvibes Intern Writer A local university has discovered that college students that participated in a student philanthropy project as part of an academic class are more likely to be engaged with non-profit charitable organizations after graduation. A recent research project by a faculty member has revealed that alumni who participated in the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project at Northern Kentucky University, a program designed to allow rates in volunteering, making financial contributions, and serving on an organization’s board of directors. Julie Olberding, an assistant professor teaching primarily graduate-level nonprofit management courses, polled alumni participants and compared her results to federal figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Olberding has taught Mayerson classes before. 71 percent of Mayerson alumni volunteer with nonprofit organizations, compared to only 28 percent nationally, according to the research study. Olberding also discov- Daryl Harris introduces members of his class, The Arts of Social Change, to present a Mayerson philanthropy award to the community agency of their choice. Photo: NKU students to use what they learn in courses to benefit community agencies, became involved in nonprofit organizations at much higher rates than the general U.S. population. These graduates exceeded national ered that three times as many Mayerson alumni served on the board of nonprofit organizations compared to the general population. “The evidence that we have collected shows that student philanthropy does have an impact on students in the long-term,” Olberding said. She said that she was glad to see “to what degree [student philanthropy] is changing students lives to be better doers and better citizens in the region of Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati.” Until now, there had been no research designed to measure if students continued to be engaged in the community after graduating. However, research and evaluations had indicated that students wanted to get more involved as a result of the courses. Nonetheless, Olberding remained cautious in her research findings. She said that her research shows that alumni get more involved, but does not necessarily prove that the Mayerson student philanthropy project was the main cause or catalyst. “Further study is needed,” she said. “One way to look at this further would be to look at them in a control group. We just looked at alumni who participated in the Mayerson project.” She said other factors that are part of the NKU education could be leading graduates to serve. However, she said she does not believe that the information is skewed by the kinds of students who would be willing to participate in a class which includes a philanthropy project. The Mayerson project incorporates a related philanthropy project into existing classes across courses in almost all of NKU’s academic departments. Olberding says many students do not even realize a philanthropy project is part of the class when they enroll in it. Mark Neikirk, the director of the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at NKU, which oversees the Mayerson project, was more optimistic about what the research indicates. He said the research “proves what I thought would be so... [and] what you would expect to be so.” He said Mayerson classes have already been show to increase engage- ment in the classroom when students feel what they learn is being used to make a difference. To him, it makes sense that that sentiment would linger beyond graduation. The movement to include community outreach as part of the academic process has been on the rise at colleges and universities in recent years, but not without a few naysayers that doubt its usefulness or feel it pressures students to care about certain causes and not others. But Neikirk said national research, and not just this recent NKU study, have demonstrated that service-learning works and benefits students, colleges and communities. Olberding said she has never felt any discouragement among NKU faculty for including service-learning in the curriculum. In fact, she feels it is expected under the university’s mission. “I just honestly haven’t heard criticism. That indicates [service-learning classes] are to be expected and people see it a positive light at NKU,” she said. Neikirk agreed. 216 organizations have received funding from the Mayerson Project, including the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, the publisher of Streetvibes. Program organizers say total funding has exceeded $500,000 to organizations helping a wide range of charities including human services, animal and environmental protection, advocacy organizations, art groups and faith-based programs. The program is funded through the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation after a partnership was solicited by NKU’s president, James Votruba, and is in its 11th year. Northern Kentucky University is a public university located about seven minutes south of downtown Cincinnati in Highland Heights, KY media@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex.12 �ST R EE T V IB E S J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Meetup Homeless in Providence Meet Up There’s some bad people hang out around there.” Without bothering to correct the stereotype, I headed down JIM LUKEN Broad Street to find a nine-story building (the former YMCA) standing alone Contributing Writer on a street corner near the expressway. rovidence. The word is often Lots of people, mostly white and associated with the word “DiLatino were milling outside the buildvine,” as in Divine providence, ing. I locked my bike and entered the the beneficent gifts of God, gifts that cramped lobby, where 10 or 12 others come—if only occasionally to all huwere sitting or standing about. At the mans. “Providence” also implies luck, counter, I ask to speak to someone of the good variety. who might explain the local homeless I am unashamedly a poor guy who situation. They handed me a phone. lives in OTR and volunteers to write The person at the other end was for my favorite paper, Streetvibes. By Karen Santilli, the Vice President of the providence of my younger daughMarketing and Development at Crosster Sarah’s generosity, I found myself roads. She asks if I could come back recently flying to Providence, Rhode at another time. I tell her I am on a Island (RI) to meet up with my older bike, and that that might be difficult. So son, David, a native Cincinnatian like she agrees to talk to me in a conferme, who has been living along the ence room on the second floor. “Give Narragansett Bay near the city with his me ten minutes,” she says. And I sit girlfriend Katie. For five months of the down with a copy of Street Sights, the year they live on a small 40 year-old local homeless newspaper. The 20sailboat they named “Lady Poverty,” page paper is beautifully laid out, with for reasons that are too complicated to lots of poems and pieces by homeless explain. writers. Before I left on the trip, I had Santilli comes down and escorts decided to try to write an article for me to a conference room upstairs, Streetvibes on the homeless situaand—in about a half-hour’s time— she tion in the smallest state of the union, walks me through the facts and figures if possible. There were problems. I related to homelessness in Rhode had no car. I would have only a few Island, and to Crossroads itself, which days to do the research; and I knew is the primary provider of life services almost nothing about getting around in to homeless individuals and families— this large metropolitan area. Although using the continuum-of-care model--for located amidst a vacation-land by the the entire state. ocean, Providence is a working class “Crossroads has its roots in a town (about the size of Cincinnati), Traveler’s Aid organization that dates with large ethnic minorities of Portuback to 1894,” Santilli said. “Eight guese and Puerto Ricans. years ago we moved in here, which My son fixed up an old bike for was the former YMCA building. It was me, handed me a map, and pointed in dreadful shape.” me toward downtown, where I was They remodeled the entire build(relatively) certain to find the homeless ing which now provides 200 small population. I was soon to learn that in apartments, and 14 efficiencies, each this city, finding the homeless might be of which house individuals who were more difficult than I had expected. formerly homeless. The building also In the middle of town, I mentioned provides emergency shelter for as my Cincinnati roots to two motorcycle many as 100 individuals each night. policemen, standing by their bikes I was amazed to learn that the emernear the bus station. They joked gency shelter’s doors stay open all day about Cincinnati’s motorcycle cops, and all night, 365 days a year. There is whom—they had learned—didn’t ride no curfew. in the wintertime. In a heavy Boston “We provide storage lockers, so accent, one of them called our cops individuals can leave their belongings a name I can’t repeat here. They had in order to look for work, as well as no idea where the Coalition for the shower and laundry facilities,” Santilli Homeless might be, and had never said. heard of Street Sights, the RI homeCrossroads provides permanent less newspaper. But they sent me to a supportive housing for 57 families. nearby non-profit office where I got my And 15 more families are housed on bearings. an emergency basis. Santilli says that Several inquiries more and I was Crossroads works with many other on my way to Crossroads Rhode groups and agencies, but they are Island, the largest homeless services somewhat unique in that they are a agency in the state. I rode past the comprehensive model with all servicDunkin’ Donuts Civic Center only to es, including an outreach van, generfind myself lost again. I asked a slightly ated from the massive old “Y” building. threadbare gentleman close to my age She says that “a little” of their funding for additional directions and he sent comes from the state and city. They reme left from the crossroads where we ceive considerable corporate support, stood. Then came a warning. “I don’t and $2 million in private donations think you want to go over there, buddy. annually. When We serve as a creative outlet for women in need to I suguncover their talents and gested that build relationships while folks from making and selling jewelry, Cincinquilts, and other handcrafted nati, might items. We provide a want to welcoming environment and visit Rhode continuous support-our women do the rest. They are Island, and our voice. They are our see how mission. They are our Sarah Crossroads Center. Artists receive 50 % functions, from the sale of their items, Santilli while the rest goes towards was quick materials and other support. to agree. “Part of our 1618 Vine Street vision is to Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 HELPING WOMEN HELP THEMSELVES become a national For more information visit www.sfoutreach.org model in P Sarah Center the way we provide continuum of care at many levels.” After my interview, I went back downstairs to the tiny lobby outside the main desk at Crossroads. I needed to find a homeless person to share his or her story. For my “Meetup” columns at Streetvibes, I often sit down for lunch at Our Daily Bread, open up a conversation and then ask the person if he or she would like to be in the paper. So I sat down on the bench in the lobby, said hello to several people, but was quickly turned down by both. I went outside and saw a man who had greeted me earlier when asking me about my old bike. The guy had long, curly gray hair streaming out from under a baseball cap. “Are you homeless?” I asked. “I was until I moved in here.” “Are you willing to talk about it for the homeless newspaper in Cincinnati?” “Okay. Why not?” “Is there someplace where we can sit down for a few minutes?” He looked around. Apparently Crossroads did not want people loitering, so there were no benches anywhere. “We can go up to my apartment.” “Great!” I said, happy to get a chance to see the conditions there close up. I handed my driver’s license to the person at the front desk and we walked to the third floor apartment of 60 year-old Hector Gonzales. It was small, modern and very neat. We sat down at the kitchen table. Hector ate some chips and salsa as he answered my question in a somewhat agitated manner, flailing his arms about and chopping the edge of his hand into the table. Before coming to Crossroads, he had been homeless for a year and a half, following four or five other bouts with homelessness. At some point in the past he had been a pipe-fitter for ten years at the naval yard in Connecticut. I asked him what was the worst thing about being homeless. This may have been the wrong question to ask in this instance. “The worst thing is dealing with assholes,” he said, chopping the table hard. “Black, white, Spanish, Chinese. You meet all kinds of assholes. Pedophiles, rapists, macho-types. You meet all kinds. You gotta have twenty eyes. “Don’t get me wrong,” he yelled, “I’d call Wall Street guys ‘assholes’ too.” I asked him what the best thing in his life was. “The best thing is that I found Christ. Any religion that condemns homosexuality.” Hector was gesturing wildly at this point. “That’s a mortal sin. I don’t care what you say. I don’t believe in being racist, prejudiced against rich and poor. That’s just a way to escape, Everybody shits, you know. We get old. Things like that. Money’s shit. But money’s good. Don’t get me wrong, It don’t mean shit to me.” My interviewee was certainly not at a loss for words. I asked if he had any plans. “I’m too old to have plans. I just let God let me live as long as he wants. I’m not going to be a pussy for anything, anyone. I don’t let money rule my life.” The phone in his apartment rings, and I can hear the woman at the desk tell Hector he has guests. I can tell he wants the interview brought to a quick close. “Any thoughts to pass on to our readers?” I ask “Yeah. If something bad happens to you, turn it into something positive. Let’s go!” I follow him downstairs, where 7 two attractive younger women are waiting. He lets me out of the door and welcomes the two women in. “No wonder he wanted to end our little chat,” I think. I am anxious to learn about the local homeless newspaper. I learn that the paper, like Streetvibes, comes out of the Homeless Coalition office, an advocacy group, located—I’m told—way across town. No one is sure exactly where. I ask for a phone number, but no one can find one. Not even in the city’s directory. I am at a loss as to what to do. “Wait a minute,” someone says. “Here’s Stan. He works for the paper. You can talk to him.” Stan is Stan Kapelewski, a large man with a gray pony tail, also 60. He is on crutches, and has come to Crossroads to check the special mailbox for Street Sights, the local homeless newspaper. He tells me that he is the creative writing editor for the paper, and that they have a number of these boxes located around town for folks to submit their writing or comments. I comment that this is a great idea. Stan then comments that it is pure luck that I ran into him, in that there is no one from the paper at the Coalition office, except when they are laying out the newspaper, which is a monthly. He says that we can sit down at an office in the business district where homeless people gather in the mornings for coffee and conversation. I follow Stan, myself with my bike, and Stan cruising on his crutches to a nice office about ten long blocks from Crossroads. He explains that Street Sights is, according to research, the only homeless newspaper in the world that is provided free to readers, and is produced entirely by volunteers. I had noticed an absence of vendors in the city. Now I knew why. “It creates a bit of a problem. We like the idea of it being a free, but it would be good for the homeless to make a few bucks. We haven’t figured out a resolution,” Stan explains. We sit down at the George Hunt Center. A sign explains that folks can come and sit there in the morning for a maximum of fort-five minutes. Stan lays out his story in brief. He is a graduate of Syracuse University (Psychology/Philosophy) who, through a series of circumstances, found himself homeless from 2005 to 2009. “I moved from shelter to shelter,” then to transitional housing. Now I have my own apartment with another formerly homeless guy.” His life improved greatly, he says, after (public aid) finally agreed to pay for a hip replacement. Mostly he wants to talk about the newspaper. “It’s been around for four years, and I am a founding member. It’s work of the heart. We don’t even have a real office. In a sense, the paper itself is homeless,” Stan beams. “It is truly a work of the heart.” Kapelewski’s heart is in the creative pages. “What I love most about the paper is giving people their voice, and an opportunity to express themselves.” He says he works 40-60 hours a week. “I’ll work 20 more hours if I have to. We are not going to let this paper go down.” We wrap up the interview, and I ask Stan if there is a decent place to get a cheap lunch in the area. “Do you like Chinese?” he says. “The place next door is good. I’ll buy.” I try to convince him to let me buy, but he insists. I can’t quite believe a homeless guy is paying for my lunch. At the end of our meal, I crack open my fortune cookie. It reads: “Luck helps those who help themselves.” “Indeed,” I think. �8 Photo Essay ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Baby It's Hot Outside!! SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer Break out the sun dresses, water bottles, fans and icy drinks. Summer arrived a bit early to the Tri-State. The National Weather Service predicts the heat and humidity is here, at least for the immediate future. You might see a few storms sprinkled in with the sun. Heat? It's not bothering some. We found a few of them around town. Lakecia Robinson, 5, blows some bubbles to cool off in Avondale. Gabryal English, 7, sips on a cold drinK to stay cool in Avondale. �ST R EE T V IB E S Photo Essay 9 J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Zaryah Thompson poses wearing the cool sundress she picked out to wear on a day the temperature exceeeded the 90 degree mark. Dan Bryson checks the castor beans after one of the recent sweltering hot days. Jay and Carey Bother pick part sun and part shade to stay cool in downtown Cincinnati. Five year old twin brothers Javeayr and LaMar Spikes do some play dueling with Star Wars lightsabers to keep cool in Avondale. �10 International News ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Seeking Refuge Continued from page 1 Isaac Nwankwere uses the identity card from Augustin in his hat to have a different look from other street paper vendors.Photo: Mario Lang / Augustin where they came from. Marian Oshoshor does not like to talk about the reasons that took her to Austria. The Nigerian street paper vendor is cheerful and lively; she prefers to talk about her customers and how much her German has improved since she arrived - she even offers to sing because “if you have a heavy heart, music is the best healer”. But Marian, who still remembers how thin she was when she arrived in 2004, had serious reasons to fear staying in Nigeria. She grew up in a Yoruba family (a West African ethnic group) on the Niger delta, who lived from agriculture and fishing. When the time came, Marian knew she would be subjected to female genital mutilation, since no woman in the village was spared from this traditional practice. She was afraid because she knew that many girls died during the procedure. She asked a journalist to help her escape - she couldn’t guess at the time that she would one day end up working in the newspaper industry herself. Marian is happy she escaped, but she still remembers bitterly the reaction of the Austrian authorities when she arrived: “The Austrian asylum authorities did not believe me. They thought I was lying”. Tapiwa Chemhere has a different story, one of violence and poverty, but a common thread remains: fear. He escaped with Tapiwa Chemhere escaped from the violence and political repression in Zimbabwe. Photo: Ben Davies his family from Zimbabwe in 2005. little knowledge of the world, thought he was going “I lived in the city, but it was very violent. You were somewhere else. “They told me that I was on my forced to support the main party, and if you didn’t way to Austria. Only I didn’t know the difference they would bomb your house or kill you”. Tapiwa’s between Austria and Australia. I thought I was mother decided it was no heading for Australia.” longer safe for them to stay Even though the country was a bit different from in Zimbabwe and escaped what he expected - no sunny beaches or rugby fans with her four children to - Isaac was happy to be in Europe. But adapting Australia. Their story is far to the Austrian way of life was a challenge during from being exceptional: the the first period has a street paper vendor. “When economic meltdown and I started selling the Augustin [street paper] I was repressive political regime a black man in a country of white people and the of Robert Mugabe have norms of conduct, everything was different from led to a flood of refugees. what I had seen before in Africa. I approached my An estimated 3.4 million customers the way I was used to in Nigeria. I put Zimbabweans, a quarter on a lot of pressure. After two or three complaints of the population, had fled found their way to the Augustin office I changed my abroad by mid 2007. behaviour. Since then there have, luckily, been no complaints”. Today Isaac has a different problem: he is still single. “I just can’t believe that I’ve been in Vienna for so long and still don’t have a girlfriend. Every woman in Austria is taken!” he complains. He is Coming to a new country thankful, though, for the affection he gets from is might save people from customers: “I want to thank my customers. If I knew a potentially dangerous all their names I would name them one by one. The situation but it is not, by any Austrians are very, very nice people, very kind. A big means, a magical solution for thank you to Augustin too!” all problems. Many people Marian, who works for the same street paper, struggled before and even shares the feeling. The Nigerian refers to her regular during their work as a street customers as “family”. And she has her reasons paper vendor. Being a black for it. “One man brings me tea almost every day, woman in Austria, Marian because I have to protect myself against catching was told she had only one a cold, he says”. Marian has almost ten pairs of option to make money: gloves at home because people assume that “Every person I asked how African women are more vulnerable to the cold. One I could survive here said customer, who learned from Marian’s identity card ‘you have two options that she had the same birthday as him, invited her to prostitution in Prater, or his birthday party. And a teacher gave her what she prostitution at the West considers her “biggest gift”: she paid for German station’. But selling my body lessons, so that Marian could improve her language was not an option for me”. skills. Isaac Nwankwere’s On the other side of the globe, in Australia, problems started right Tapiwa got in touch with street paper The Big Issue upon arrival in Austria. He Australia, and soon started selling the magazine. escaped from Nigeria, trying He says the customers play an important role in to flee from a violent uncle. supporting street paper vendors in difficult times. The local church found the “I work for my customers. Some say ‘I’ll see on possible, although quite Thursday’ so I make sure I’m there. I would like to irregular, way to take him thank my customers for helping me out. Sometimes, out of the country: they if you chat with someone selling the street paper, it smuggled him onto to a ship. makes our day. It makes us feel very encouraged.” Marian Oshoshor sees some of her customers as family. Photo: Mario Lang / Augustin Isaac, who had at that point A family of customers �ST R EE T V IB E S Day by Day Calendar 11 J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Day by Day is an annual calendar which includes photographs and writing by homeless and formerly homeless individuals in Cincinnati and is distributed by Streetvibes distributors. Provide creative and economic opportunities for people experiencing poverty. The Day by Day pilot project began in 2010 as an effort to provide individuals who are financially poor with the opportunity to portray Cincinnati through their own eyes and provide an additional economic opportunity for all Streetvibes distributors. • Facilitate an open ended self expressive process for formerly and currently homeless individuals • Enrich lives by providing art education and building self-confidence • Build relationships throughout the community between diverse groups of people • Through the The Mayerson Service-Learning Program, connect program participants with students from diverse local high schools • Provide individuals who are financially poor with an economic opportunity • Raise awareness about homelessness and poverty • Create a full color 12 month calendar Program Participants 2010. Aimie Willhoite Photography Empower people to help themselves: During the pilot program 20 distributors sold 1000 calendars throughout the community, resulting in direct earnings of $2,500. This year we are determined to expand the program by increasing the print run of calendars to 2500, giving our Streetvibes Distributors the opportunity to earn up to $7,500. Show Cincinnati you care: Your sponsorship contributes to the development of a healthy community. By sponsoring Day by Day you connect yourself or your organization to a project that provides income to impoverished individuals within our own community. Enrich lives: Your sponsorship helps individuals who may not have the resources to be involved with the local arts community by providing them with a means of self-expression which, in turn, increases self-confidence and self-sufficiency. Promote understanding and build community: The 2012 calendar and exhibition will receive positive media attention and will create awareness of people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Receive recognition for aligning your organization or business with a cause: Your sponsorship will provide a great means of promoting your company’s image, prestige and credibility. Help us reach our goal of expanding the Day by Day calendar project. Your sponsorship will help offset the cost of printing 2500 calendars and showcase the creative work of our participants. All contributions to Day by Day are tax-deductible. As a participating sponsor your name or organization logo will be published on on each calendar, on all marketing materials (including banners, postcards, posters, PSA’s, website), and will be displayed at the release party and during the exhibition of work from the calendar at Prairie Gallery. All sponsors will also receive complimentary copies of the calendar and special mention at the October release party. Level Amount Platinum $1000 Gold $500 Silver $100 Recognition Calendar Sponsor: includes recognition on every month of the calendar Seasonal Sponsor: includes recognition on a season of the calendar Monthly Sponsorship: includes recognition on a month of the calendar Indicate season or month preference: (e.g. Autumn, July) Seasons and months will be designated in the order sponsorships are received. 1stChoice____________________ 2ndChoice___________________ Name:_____________________________________ Title:_________________________ Organization:_____________________________________________________________ Phone:_____________________ Email:________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________________Zip:_____________________ Signature:________________________________________Date:___________________ Make checks payable to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Day by Day Calendar Project 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45223 For more information, contact Jeni Jenkins (513) 421-7803 Ex. 14 or David Rosenthal at (513) 582-9833 Email logo to jenijenkins@cincihomeless.org THANK YOU FOR YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT! �Games 12 Crossword: Put your advertisment here Sodoku: 1 3 2 5 9 7 8 9 5 1 7 2 1 3 3 7 #10509 Across 1. Singers 4. Public affairs channel 7. Majestic 10. In a menacing manner 11. Ethnic defense body 12. Conforms to 16. Article 17. Duplicate 20. Take flight 21. Annulus 22. Bring ashore 23. Snakelike fish 24. Not so much 27. Passed with flying colors 29. Gibbet 30. Confederate general 32. Show failing mental faculties 33. Fencing position 35. Obnoxious 36. Former South American civilization 37. Foul 38. Support for injury Down 2. Persia 3. Turn 4. Star sign 5. Inadvertent mistake 6. Not supple 8. Expression of agreement 9. False 13. Worse 14. Flirt 15. Detect 17. Stride 18. I will comply 19. Small picture in a larger one 24. Lieutenant Colonel (2,3) 25. Tastelessly showy 26. Blackballs 28. Submit 31. Go out 33. Fraud 34. Enclosure www.bmi.name ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Are you overweight? www.sudoku.name/ads/ 8 6 6 1 7 4 3 2 6 4 7 9 5 1 7 5 9 8 5 6 www.sudoku.name �Creative Corner ST R EE T V IB E S 13 J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Yesterday Opening my eyes WILLA DENISE JONES SCOTT SWITZER Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor Contributing Writer Yesterday is long gone and so very far behind Opening my eyes....has opened my heart. How? you may ask..... let me show you how to start. First by being able to see, all that has been right in front of you and of me..... Yesterday is something only in our minds does it shine Yesterday is when the elders had troubles far away Yesterday I accept is the past so I live only for today Someone said tomorrow is not promise and yesterday has past Someone said right now is what’s going on so tell me how long can it last I believe that a mixture of the past and the present in the world of today Is all we need to endure for the future belongs to only God I say So why not live one day at a time and each moment experience that treasure I believe our lives would be much easier, happier, and full of God’s love and pleasure! There he is once again ........ As you walk down the street, you are afraid to acknowledge or even let your eyes meet... Your mind misinformed knowing not what to say, as you try and look away..... you think to yourself, I see this every day! Suddenly...... You hear children laugh and giggle... down the street they go, as they dance and wiggle.. Their mom and dad calling for them, and they know it is time.... For yet again they all must stand in the line.. Your perception misleads, as you assume that they are safe.... Cause what you do not know, Is they have no food for their plate. Cleo’s Joke Corner CLEO WOMBLES Streetvibes Distributor Another night approaches, they have no place to go.... Because your eyes were not open, and today’s news failed to show... The plight of the homeless, is bigger than you know.... By accepting the stereotype, your mind tries to believe.... The misconception of who, is truly in need... Not just the visualization of a bum in a park but the realization of a family who has no place to lay their heads..... After dark. Q:Do you know what one peanut said to the other? A: He said that he was “ASALTED!” Q:Do you know what the hotdog said when he crossed the finish line in first place? A: He said he was a “WEINER!” ANTHONY WILLIAMS Streetvibes Distributor �Recipe 14 ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 UR... ONG! O M Y E SE NIGHT L FEED M E ALL JENKINS M D E I FE BY JEN The title of this column is taken from the 1986 film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this column is for people who feed on plants!! SAVORY BRUSCHETTA-ESQUE PIZZA G A LITTLE ITA BRIN LY H Funny thing about bruschetta, it’s not something that you really think about making for dinner. No, usually this tasty little Italian appetizer is served as finger food at parties and gatherings. But the great thing about it is that because it so closely resembles pizza it can serve you well as a main dish. For this recipe I actually went a different direction then I had originally intended because the Kroger I went shopping at didn’t have fresh basil or ripe tomatoes so I improvised. To my surprise, it turned out delish. If you are on a tight budget but craving something satisfying yet easy, you can try this as a main dish. Serving size, 4-5 bellies OM E ! Ingredients: Cost at Kroger: 1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, drained .77 1 loaf French bread, sliced down the middle 1.99 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil .60 2 tablespoons butter, softened .25 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced .20 LOREM Aliquam blandit Praesent molestie lorem Etiam ac libero 8 oz. Kroger brand shredded Italian cheese 1.50 IPSUM Anteseasoning magna vehicula Sed turpis 1 tablespoon Italian Approximate Cost: $5.31 •Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees •Lay bread face up on a baking sheet. •Combine olive oil, butter and garlic in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Brush garlic mixture on bread. •Spread the diced tomatoes evenly on bread. •Sprinkle bread with the cheese •Top with italian seasoning •Bake in oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes cheese is melted or until hot and bubbly •Voila, FEED! �Resources ST R EE T V IB E S 15 J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Shelter: Women and Children St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County 458-6670 PATH Outreach 977-4489 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Treatment: Men Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 921-1613 Other Resources 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Starting Over 961-2256 Anthony House (Youth) Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 First Step Home 961-4663 Goodwill industries 771-4800 Healing Connections 751-0600 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Both 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services 751-0643 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 621-5514 Treatment: Women 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Emmanuel Community Center 241-2563 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 St. Raephaels 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 Faces Without Places 363-3300 Stop AIDS 421-2437 ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 �Column 16 ST R EET VIBES J u n e 1 0 - 2 3 , 2 0 11 Capturing the Moment so It Will Last for Ever Melvin Grier uses his camera to document both news events and daily street life. M elvin Grier likes to quote African American civil rights writer James Baldwin who, reflecting on Richard Avedon’s photography, said: “For nothing is fixed forever and ever… Generations do not cease to be born and we’re responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they have.” This is the role Grier chose for himself. For over 30 years and as a photojournalist he has witnessed and recorded his time’s events, paying special attention to his native city’s street life and to the life of his fellow African American Cincinnatians. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Grier graduated from Martin DePorres, an all black boy’s high school in the West End. Later, he joined the Air Force, trained as a medic and based in England he worked in an obstetrical hospital at RAF Mildenhall. Saad Ghosn Contributing Writer There and during his off-duty time, he picked up photography and learned basic skills and technique at the photo hobby shop on the base. With a camera in hand and a stainless steel developing tank to reveal his images he experienced the power of pictures, discovering at the same time the potent social works of Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks Pokemon, color photograph Photo: Melvin Grier. and W. Eugene Smith. When discharged from the military and back in Cincinnati, Grier decided to work as a photographer. He joined briefly a commercial studio, worked for eight years for a printing company and finally landed at the Cincinnati Post as a full time photojournalist. “Working for the Post was a great experience,” he says. “I would Melvin Grier stands in front of his photograph Checkers Players. Photo: Bill Howes. be given says. “The agenda, as we know it, is to uproot the different assignments, some more fulfilling poor. It was important to be a voice for them.” than others, but most importantly the opporHomeless individuals and panhandlers also tunity every day to be out on the streets and often found their way in his photographs. Grier explore things on my own.” considers them part of what makes the city, and Grier likes to call himself a street photheir begging to earn a living similar to a job. His tographer. Driving the city on many of his photograph Pokemon represents a homeless man assignments, he would encounter and capof the same name, sitting under the snow, holding ture through his lens the ordinary and the a blessing sign and asking passer-bys for charity. less mundane, documenting regular black “Pokemon would sit there every single day, a people’s lives and activities as well as the constant feature of the city,” says Grier. “He surely societal ills that affected them. In the face of viowas not lazy; something else must have been golence and increased homicides among black youth, ing on in him. But if anything he added daily comhe photographed, for instance, the many street passion and humanity to the busy urban life.” memorials spontaneously erected for gun victims in Thanks to his job at the Post, Grier was also various neighborhoods. His series Unfinished Lives able to travel the world. He visited, among other was published in Cincinnati Magazine; it meant to countries, El Salvador, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, make readers reflect and become involved in the Vietnam, Cuba, Haiti… and at each of his abroad problem solving process. Grier assignments captured the human, social and poalso took pictures at Cease Fire litical issues of the place, amazed by the cultural Cincinnati vigils held at the sites of diversity, connecting with the local people. the shootings, sharing them with “There are obvious differences between culthe deceased’s family and friends tures,” he says. “If we ignore them and do not and printing them at some point in reach out to understand them, we become prejuthe Post, raising awareness about diced and develop a racist attitude.” the issue. His statement relates well to his own experiSensitive to the displacement ence having encountered wide spread racial disof poor people caused by the recrimination, intolerance and inequity growing up habbing of urban neighborhoods as a black child in the 50’s, training as a medic in and having seen many of his childMontgomery, Alabama, and witnessing the racial hood places, including the building violence of the 60’s. where he grew up, demolished in Even though his personal and private work order to “serve progress”, he took dealt primarily with African American subjects, the many pictures of the changing majority of Grier’s assignments as a photojournalstatus of Over The Rhine and the ist related to white people and resulted in photos resulting effects on its inhabitants. exclusively depicting them. He wanted thus to state history “I often would be the only black person presand resist, even if only symbolient and the one taking the pictures,” he says. He cally, the ongoing gentrification of recently showed in an exhibit titled White People the area. sixty of these pictures taken at different times. “Progress comes and poor Seen with the eyes of a minority individual, they people move on,” he says. “Parts again remind of diversity and of the need to reach of Over the Rhine are looking very out and learn about others. up-scale these days, unfortunately “Everything to me is about photography,” says at the expense of the disadvanGrier. “I used it for my job, but also to document taged, mostly African Americans, things I care about, the human condition in my who, in the process, lose part of city, its street life, the problems facing the African their past.” American community, jazz, store front churches… For the same reasons Grier It served also as my voice when I needed to make documented the deteriorating a statement, for instance when opposing the zoo’s condition of Washington Park. expansion at the expense of its residential neighInitially a welcoming green space borhood…” for the neighborhood, the park had Now retired, Grier continues his love affair become in the last few years a with the camera. He still wants his photographs neglected, littered and dangerous to touch emotionally and connect with the viewer, place to frequent. also capture the present moment and life as it “I was convinced this was degoes on. liberately allowed to happen,” he Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource June 10-23, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Tebbe Remembered Seeking Refuge in a Street Paper Pg 2: “Who Ya Gonna Call?!” Pg 3: Distributor Program Pg 4: The Meaning Pg 5: The Failing American Dream Pg 6: Little Hands: Big Hands Lesson Learned Pg 7: Meetup Pg 8: Photo Essay Pg 9: Photo Essay Continued Pg 10: Seeking Refuge Continued Pg 11: Day by Day Pg 12: Games Pg 13: Creative Corner Pg 14: Recipe Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Capturing the Moment So It Will Last for Ever Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 10-23, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Susan Lakes Riccardo Taylor Della Woolens Ruby Goode Georgia Bohannon Stephen Gentry Willa Denise Jones Scott Switzer Saad Ghosn Jim Luken Lee Mccoy Inês Santinhos Gonçalves Cleo Wombles Melvin Grier Bill Howes Anthony Williams Mario Lang Paul Davis Aimie Willhoite Jesse Call Jason Dean Mark Mendoza Alisa Balestra Harrison Lott Corey Luthringer Brittany Fong Terique Scott Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Alisa Balestra Anthony Williams Mario Lang Bill Howes Brittany Fong Catie Dargue Cleo Wombles Community Leaders Corey Luthringer Della Woolens Harrison Lott Inês Santinhos Gonçalves Jason Dean Jeni Jenkins Jesse Call Jim Luken Josh Spring Lee McCoy Mark Mendoza Melvin Grier Music Paul Davis Philanthropy Photography Recipe Refuge Riccardo Taylor Ruby Goode Georgia Bohannon Saad Ghosn Scott Switzer Stephen Gentry Students Susan Lakes Tebbe Terique Scott Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/715a8fba92df898365c4c2312b5fe160.pdf b540f3fbd0325727b34f79b2fe5f81b9 PDF Text Text Busted: Social Feed Me ST R EEScam T V IB Eon S Security Summer Salad J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Homeless Seymour PG 3 PG 8 J U N E 2 4 T H - J U LY 8 T H 2 0 11 Paulette Meier’s Songs for Justice 1 PG 16 ISSUE 202 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Clemency Granted SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer O hio has the unique distinction of being a northern state that has an active execution list, and active groups fighting to stop executions, according to Sister Alice Gerdeman, who coordinates the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center in Cincinnati. An arm of the center, Families That Matter, has reason to celebrate since Shawn Hawkins is alive today. His execution date was set for June 15, but Governor John Kasich followed the unanimous recommendation of the parole board, and commuted his death sentence to life in prison without parole. “In this case, at least a life was saved,” Gerdeman said during an interview on the very day Hawkins would have died. Hawkins, 42, was the first death row inmate granted clemency by the newly elected Republican governor. Number of executions in the United States since 1976. Figure: Harrison Lott, GCCH Three executions went ahead as scheduled. The news that Hawkin’s life had been spared came as no surprise to Gerdeman and staff, “we were expecting it,” she said. The governor’s office released the following statement about the Hawkins case. “There is no doubt that the defendant played a significant, material role in the heinous crime, but precise details of that role are frustratingly unclear to the point that Ohio shouldn’t deliver the ultimate penalty in this case. Therefore, I am ordering that he spend the rest of his life in prison and have no chance of ever getting out. As See Clemency Granted, page 4 Northside Community Seeks Justice for Shooting of Local Musician Over two months after a man was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Police officer, many in Northside are still demanding answers. MARK GRAUHUIS Staff Intern Writer I n the early morning hours of April 18, a 911 call was placed reporting a “cutting” at Chase and Georgia Avenues a few hours earlier. 40 year-old David Paul Hebert, affectionately known as ‘Bones’, was named as a suspect. Soon after the 911 call was placed, Hebert and a companion were apprehended by police. According to police statements, Hebert removed a switchblade from his pocket, “swiped” it, and lunged at officers. Sgt. Andrew Mitchell then fired two rounds into his upper left chest. Officers at the scene reported that Hebert initially denied having a weapon. Just thirteen minutes after the 911 On a recent visit to Northside, graphic artist Seth Tobocman drew this image of Bones’ death and the community response. City says YES! to City Gospel Mission Jobs Not Jail Protest! PG 5 facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati PG 5 twitter.com/streetvibesnews See Northside Seeks Justice, page 6 Mark Twain Was Right: pages from a graphic novel PG 10 streetvibes.wordpress.com �Editorial 2 Murder Is Okay? 22 The number of years Shawn Hawkins waited on death row before finally being granted clemency. Pages 1, 4. .01 The percentage of Green Township’s 22,000-plus housing units that are currently used for public housing. Page 5. $400 million The price tag of the new Horseshoe casino being built downtown Page 5. 1924 The year that City Gospel Mission first opened at its Vine Street location. Page 7. 23 The number of times a suspect has been killed by a Cincinnati police officer since 1995. Page 6. 309-261 The final score of a game of Scrabble won by Over-theRhine’s own Scrabble champ, Paul Diebold. Page14. 1991 The year that Paulette Meier released her first full-length social justice album. Page 16. urder. How do you define murder? Do you differentiate murder from killing? If so, (probably most of us do in some fashion) how do you make the discrimination? Far too often in the united states, any time the government takes the life of a human at best we label it “killing.” Worse, most of the time we use other even more indirect words such as war, or termination or necessary consequence or capital punishment. Undoubtedly, all of us would agree that murder is evil and wrong. We may also agree that ” The problem arises in how we define the word “killing.” Of course there are some instances in which one human takes the life of another without ever meaning to do so or with no act of malice. An example could be wrecking into another car when one’s brakes fail and killing the driver of the other car. Sure, perhaps the killer should have done more regular maintenance on her or his car, negligence may have been involved, but not malice and therefore in this example, the person in question killed another person, but did not murder that person. What about when the government takes a life (or many lives)- is that simply killing? Never within government or popular talk in the united states do we hear of the local, state or national government murdering someone. We are taught that when this government takes life it is “killing,” it is out of necessity to protect the rest of us. Somehow we see these actions as sovereign and unquestionable actions. The truth is that governments within the united states are constantly committing murder. Be it in war, lack of needed services or capital punishment. Capital punishment is murder. We are told that people who murder must be “pay for their actions” or “must be irrevocably removed from society to protect the rest us and to prevent further murders.” We are also told that capital punishment sends a signal to all other people that may potentially murder- that if they do they will be killed and therefore most of them chose to not murder- so we are all safer. The truth is that capital punishment has nothing to do with deterring murder and violence. There is no proof that the state murdering a human prevents others from murdering. In fact in some places the taking of life by people other than the government has gone up while at the same time the numbers of lives taken by the government in that locality have also gone up- hinting at an opposite trend. What if “capital punishment” were a deterrent to crime? Would that make a difference? Would that make it right? Would it make it okay for the state to take life; would it then definitely be “killing?” The truth is that when we murder someone under the guise of the state and under the term “capital punishment” we are truly just taking revenge- and that is malicious. But even beyond that, would it ever be okay? We, as humans, have to know our place. We are important and we are valuable but none of us is more important or more valuable than the next person. And none of us have the capability of choosing when another human should die. We simply don’t. None of us is good enough or pious enough or pure enough or patriotic enough or anything enough to choose when another person has been bad enough to die. To think that you, or I, or a governor, or a jury or a judge or a congress or a president or any human has the right or ability or even collective ability to decide when a human should die is centrism, haughtiness, selfishness, pretentiousness of the highest and foulest accord. This does not mean that when an individual or individuals commit murder it should not go unpunished- this simply means that none of us, on our own or with the agreement of every other living human are put here on this earth with the ability and power to decide that another human must die. We must know our place. We must throw off the idea that we are worthy of deciding between life and death for another human. We must search our heartswe all know murder is wrong. M ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Email: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Staff Executive Director Josh Spring Director of Development & Operations Catie Dargue Director of Education & Outreach, Design & Layout Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer Susan Lakes Civil Rights Outreach Coordinator Riccardo Taylor Reception & Office Administration Della Woolens, Rubye Goode Georgia Bohannon, Stephen Gentry Contributing Writers: Willa Denise Jones, Saad Ghosn, Jim Luken, Lee Mccoy Photography/Artwork: Susan Lakes, Jeni Jenkins, Josh Spring, Saad Ghosn, Bill Howes, Paul Davis, Aimie Willhoite Summer Interns Journalism, Media & PR Jesse Call Journalism, Media & PR J.P. Dean Journalism, Media & PR Mark Grauhuis Research Alisa Balestra Education & Outreach Harrison Lott Development Corey Luthringer Statistics Brittany Fong Civil Rights/Social Justice Terique Scott �ST R EE T V IB E S Distributor Program 3 J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE THE PAPER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY AND SELL IT FOR A $1 DONATION, KEEPING THE PROFIT THEY HAVE EARNED. BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR IS A GREAT WAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY POOR TO GET BACK ON (OR STAY ON) THEIR FEET. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME FOR THOSE UNABLE TO SECURE OTHER EMPLOYMENT. MONEY EARNED HELPS MEET BASIC HOUSING, FOOD AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS. THE PROGRAM IS A HAND UP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN IN A PLACE OF GETTING ONLY A HAND OUT, OR EVEN NO HAND AT ALL. ALL DISTRIBUTORS WEAR A BADGE AND CAN BE FOUND SELLING THE PAPER IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, CLIFTON, NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND AREA CHURCHES. CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS ALFRED BRANDON NELSON WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 SINCE 4/2008 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DAVID TOUGH 3/2011 DELESA HENDERSON NEW 5/2011 ELISA HILL SINCE 9/2010 GRADY COOK SINCE 8/2007 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES BYBEE SINCE 9/2010 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2003 JAMES MOORE SINCE 11/2010 JERRY DAVIS SINCE 5/2011 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 BUSTED SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer Tuesday, June 21, 2011 11:22 a.m. Homeless coalition director receives a call letting him know that some men are offering homeless people money in exchange for personal information, including their social security number. 11:24 a.m. Director calls police and walks to Our Daily Bread to check it out, Streetvibes photographer tagging along. They’re told the men left in a gray car with Michigan tags. 12:11 a.m. Tip comes in that the possible scammers are in a alley at Over-the-Rhine Kitchen, so director walks there, sees the men and gray car, and calls police. 12:13 p.m. Police arrive on bicycles, in cars and on motorcycles and begin questioning four men in connection with a possible id theft case that will be turned over to the fraud unit of the Cincinnati Police Department. Potential suspects being questioned by police. Photo: Josh Spring JULIE WALKER SINCE 6/2007 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 KIM GREEN SINCE 1/2010 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARK DAUGHTERY NEW 3/2011 MARK ANTHONY SHEARS SINCE 12/2007 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 PAMELA TAYLOR NEW 6/2011 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAY BREWER NEW 5/2011 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY LUNDY NEW 5/2011 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 SHANNON MOATS NEW 3/2011 TERRY RANSON SINCE10/2008 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 TOMMY THOMPSON SINCE 2/2009 VICTORIA MINOR NEW 3/2011 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WILLIAM BURDINE SINCE 8/2009 W. KENNETH BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 Tuesday morning, scam suspects were buying identities from vulnerable people. An hour later, the four suspects were answering questions and watching their rental car get towed down an alley. Speedy team work by a social service worker, police, some observant individuals and the executive director of the homeless coalition resulted in the beginning of a fraud investigation into a bogus charity and the men who were caught offering vulnerable people a small fee in exchange for personal information, including their social security numbers. Police questioned four men, two with local addresses and two with Michigan identifications, in an alley near Over-The-Rhine Kitchen within an hour of getting a report of suspicious activity going on with the men and their questionable charity, Heavenly Hope, of 150 West 5th Street. The men were seen lingering Tuesday morning outside Our Daily Bread and talking with some of the homeless people who hang out there for meals and activities. They offered bottled water, fruit and $5.00 donations to anyone willing to turn over their name, age, address and social security number to the supposed charity. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless pleads with you to never give your personal information away for money. Your identity is far too important to your future. If you were a victim of such a scam, please call the Cincinnati Police at 513-765-1212. You should also take the following steps: •Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 also www. ssa.gov- also check your Social Security records •Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-IDTHEFT or www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/ idtheft •Contact the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-9084490 or www.irs.gov/privacy/article/o...id=186436.00. html •File an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov •Pay attention to your credit reports If you would like assistance in completing any of these tasks, please come to the Coalition office (117 E. 12th) on Wednesday, June 29th between the hours of 1pm and 4pm or Wednesday July 6th between the hours of 1pm and 4pm. Ask for Riccardo Taylor. � 4 Local News ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Clemency Granted Continued from page 1 someone who has experienced sudden and tragic loss, I know the pain that comes with losing loved ones. My prayers go out to the families of Diamond Marteen and Terrance Richard in the hope that they may find peace.” Hawkins was indicted for the aggravated murders of Richard and Marteen in 1989, tried before a jury and sentenced to death. He’s been behind bars for nearly 22 years. Hawkin’s life was spared, but had the execution gone on as planned, Gerdeman and other antideath penalty advocates would have been outside the facility, holding a prayer vigil. “We pray for the warden, the execution team, the governor, the legislature, the community members and both families,” she said. If the state proceeds with every schedule execution this year, Ohio will land second in number of people killed, with only Texas having more. Thirty-four US states have death penalties and 16 do not. Illinois repealed its death sentence a few months ago, and New Mexico did the same in 2009. Here is Ohio’s execution schedule as it stands right now, but the dates are subject to legal developments. Clemency proceedings are automatic for inmates on death row, according to information from the governor’s office. The Supreme Court of Ohio schedules executions after the state of Ohio moves to set a date. •Kenneth Wayne Smith - Clemency hearing date is June 23, and the scheduled execution date is July 19. •Brett Xavier Hartman – Clemency hearing date is July 12, and the scheduled execution is August 16. •Billy Slagle – Clemency hearing is August 24, and the scheduled execution is September 20. •Joseph Murphy – Clemency hearing is September 15, and the scheduled execution date is October 18. •Reginald Brooks – Clemency hearing date is to be arranged, and the schedule execution date is November 15. Inmates that have been executed since Governor Kasich took office include Frank Spisak, Johnnie Baston, Clarence Carter and Daniel Bedford. Each time an execution takes place, Sister Alice and other antideath penalty advocates hold prayer vigil time outside the prison in Lucas- Judy & Charles Hogan hold a picture of their son Shawn Hawkins. Photo: Jim Luken ville where executions take place. ““The system itself is totally broken,” Gerdeman said, adding that having a death penalty sentence means society is acting out of lowest rather than highest instincts. When asked if she has some words of advice for the governor, she’d tell him to support legislation that abolishes death sentences. Alternatives to death, according to Gerdeman, include life in prison with parole or life sentences without parole for those individuals who would pose dangers if allowed to return to society. Hawkins status right now is life in prison without the possibility of parole. But he maintains his innocence. His parents Chuck and Judy Hogan said steps are underway to file appeals so that he can be retried and eventually set free to return home. They believe he’s innocent too. So does Gerdeman. susanlakes@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Ex. 12 THE DETAILS: To Find Out More Information about anti-death penalty groups, contact -Ohioans to stop executions – otse.org@gmail.com, or call (614) 560-0654 -Equal Justice USA – www.ejusa.org -Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation – www.mvfr.org -Nation Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty – www.ncadp.org -Families that Matter – www.ijpc-cincinnati.org SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer J udy Hogan waited by the phone for two days, but the call never came. Finally, on day three, a Wednesday just a week before her son was scheduled to die, the phone rang with the news that her secondborn’s life had been spared. “Thank you Jesus,” Hogan recalls saying as she wrapped up in a big comforter. “Saving a life has sunk in, and now I just want to get him home” Shawn Hawkins, 42, a man locked up and sentenced to death for crimes he maintains he did not commit, was the first death row inmate to be granted clemency by Ohio Governor John Kasich. Hawkins was moved from death row into the general prison population just days after the governor announced the decision to commute the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hawkin’s mother and father, Charles Hogan, along with friends, extended family and anti-death penalty advocates, including members of the local group, Families That Matter, worked years gathering signatures, writing letters and giving talks in support of Shawn. Many are relieved to see that a life was spared, but some, including the Hogan’s, want more. “Saving a life has sunk in, and now I just want to get him home,” said Charles Hogan. “It’s a step at a time with the appeal to get a new trial.” “He’s relieved he’s going to live, but it’s different now,” said his longtime friend, Ivette Abelman. “It’s culture shock for Shawn. (He’s) been sort of on an island for 22 years, then (he) goes to a place that’s overcrowded.” Abelman began corresponding with Hawkins from her home in The Netherlands about fifteen years ago. She took a month off work to spend time with Hawkin’s parents to support them during the recent clemency hearings and outcome. People are not sentenced to death where Abelman lives, and she has difficulty understanding the reasoning behind executions. “It’s barbaric,” she said. When she heard her friend would live, not die, she took a big, deep breath. Abel can’t imagine what it would be like to face death like Hawkins did. “When you’re sick and have pain, you can prepare,” she said. “But you can’t do that when you are healthy.” Both Judy and Charles Hawkins are grateful the governor sided with the unanimous decision of the parole board to let their son live, but they’re not stopping with seeing him spend his life idle and locked away. They will continue the fight to have Hawkins freed by taking steps for appeals. Throughout the two decades of wondering whether the next opportunity to hug her son would be as he stood or lay dead in a casket was difficult, Hawkin’s parents agreed. Judy, who Shawn has always called “Mama,” said it was her son who gave her strength to carry on. He never complained, she said, and spent the decades behind bars bettering himself through coursework and activities. She recalls him telling her to never give up, forgive people and pray for them and above all, never give up your faith in God. “He meant it,” said Judy Hawkins. Talking with Shawn made it okay.” He’d tell her that everybody had to meet their maker, and when he meets his, he wants the sun to be shining.” �Local News ST R EE T V IB E S 5 J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Affordable Housing Going Green? J.P. DEAN Staff Intern Writer J ust northwest of downtown Cincinnati sits 28 square miles of rolling green hills. It’s a suburb with 38% of its land classified as forested and 11% is farmland. There’s a lot of green in Green Township and soon there’s going to be more affordable housing there too thanks to a recent arbitration from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD’s recommendation came as the verdict on a dispute between Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and Hamilton County that began over a year and a half ago. In October 2009 accusations were filed against CMHA claiming that it was allowing Green Township to avoid adding any new public housing. The results of HUD’s investigation were released in February of this year and earlier this month CMHA voted 3-2 to accept a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with HUD’s decision. The plans are in motion to build public housing in the township. Of the 22,000 plus units that house the population of Green Township only 28 of them are currently public housing. This 0.01% puts the township far below the already low 4% average for Hamilton County. The discrepancy has been largely attributed to a certain conflict of interest, former CMHA board chairman Arnold Barnett is also a resident of Green Township. For several years Barnett managed to sidestep public housing in his “backyard” but now CMHA will comply with HUD’s recommendation and add the missing housing units that could have been there years before. Unfortunately this decision is being met with resistance by some residents. Recent newspaper articles have sensationalized fears of rising crime and falling house prices that come with the usual rhetoric against affordable housing, but the most drastic rebuttal to CMHA’s decision is a case of “cutting one’s nose to spite your face .” David Linnenberg, vice chairman of Green Township’s Board of Trustees, is threatening to withdraw the township from grant programs associated with HUD to avoid having to add more affordable housing in the future. Linnenberg and his associates would rather forego millions of dollars for roads, parks and other improvements than embrace this opportunity to improve the lives of several low income families. The board will vote on the issue later this month, but the facts seem to be getting muddled in the panic that some are creating. There is some confusion over the numbers. HUD has requested a minimum of 32 new units but some reports say 68 new units while other say that it will be a new total of 68 once the new units are built. Depending on what source you are reading the numbers either look modest or are made to seem high. According to Jessica Powell of the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio half of the confirmed 32 units will be subsidized housing which brings the number of public housing units down even further. But even if 68 new units were constructed this would still leave Green Township considerably below the county average for helping struggling families find affordable housing. Despite the fear mongering that seems to be surrounding the CMHA’s choice to build the housing units there are many in Green Township who recognize the positive potential of this move. When interviewed, former Green Township Sign. Photo: Lynne Ausman CMHA board member Lacretia Johnson has defended the benefits of affordable housing in the area. Johnson and her family curTHE DETAILS: rently live in one of the 28 public housing The next Board of Trustees meeting units to be found in Green Township and will be held on Monday, June 27 at 6303 therefore have witnessed firsthand the Harrison Avenue in Green Township. If benefits that scattered housing in financial secure neighborhoods can provide for you want to attend, the public forum is families seeking to better their lives. held between 5 p.m. and 5:25 p.m. and Legal Aid and others have congratupotential speakers are required to fill out lated CMHA and hope that the people of a speaker card if you wish to address the Green Township will see the good in this board. opportunity. journalism@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 Chanting for Jobs, Not Jails MARK GRAUHUIS & SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writers R on Brown, 52, wants a J-O-B, He believes so strongly that job creation and opportunities for everyone is what it will take to curb crime that he showed up for a rally long before others show up. “People won’t have time to steal when they’re working and making an honest living,” he said as he straddled his bike on the corner of a protest site. Brown pedaled eight miles and arrived at the “Jobs Not Jails” protest three hours early, long before about 50 likeminded protesters carried signs, shouted chants and listened to some organizers tell why job growth holds the key to safe and vibrant communities. “It’s hard enough to get a job when you haven’t done something wrong,” Brown said. The focus of the short protest on June 16, near where the new $400 million Horseshoe Casino is being built downtown Cincinnati, was employment equity for all---including people with felony records. Young leaders of the AMOS Project descended early on the site, declaring the casino a crime scene and marking it so with police-style “caution” tape. “The casino is a crime scene, tax-payers and returning citizens are the victims, and the Photo: Aimie Willhoite perpetrator is the state of Ohio,” said Richard Cook, AMOS Project leader and member of Christ Temple Baptist Church. “It’s a crime that people can’t work in the casino if they have criminal records. It’s another example of legal restrictions that keep ex-felons from providing for their families.” One of the protesters, Annie Campbell, held up a big sign that read, “Ex-felons, Know Your Rights.” Campbell a member of SEIU explained the dilemma faced by felons succinctly. “Some people still can’t get jobs, even years after they’ve done their time or had their record expunged.” Jobs Not Jail Rally. Photo: Aimie Willhoite Another protester gave his irrelevant criminal records. take on why the issue of jobs, not The booming voices started back up jail is important. “Jail time means they paid when Jackson finished. Passing motora debt (to society), but we still treat them as though they’re not part of society by de- ists were told “A working community is a nying them jobs,” said Robert Richardson. safe community” and participants wore t-shirts reading “I Need A Job” or asking The sign he waved said, “Jobs needed for an end to the Drug War. The demand badly.” for “Jobs and Justice” were paired in Job seeker, Jamie Ward knows what spirited fashion with “Faith and Democratic it feels like to need a job badly. He’s a Power”, as well as the popular chant: cook, concrete pourer, skilled in carpentry “John Kasich, you’re the worst. It’s time to and carrier of an OSHA safety certificate. put Ohio first.” Employers still don’t hire him, he said, Kasich, who has proposed privatizing because his record shows felony, but no at least five state prisons, promised during penitentiary number. Ward served jail time, but not prison time, he said. Potential his State of the State address to support giving job opportunities to ex-felons employers tell him that lack of a prison number makes a difference, but they don’t while allowing lower-risk felons back on tell him why that is. Ward has been looking the street earlier. In January of this year, Kasich chose Gary C. Mohr, who used to for a job for four years. work at a company that operates private The chanting quieted when Troy prisons, to run the Ohio Department of Jackson, of University Christian Church Rehabilitation and Correction. Just last and AMOS Project Director, took the mike month, ACLU of Ohio Executive Director and spoke of the “transformation” and “redemption” ordinary citizens create when Christine Link said privatizing prisons is helping to turn lives around to participate in seen as a quick remedy for states looking to alleviate budget concerns, but they are these jobs. “One mistake---a life senoften more costly to the state in the long tence,” he said, summing up the difficulrun. By condemning rehabilitated people ties felon face in the job search process. to unemployment and under-employment, Ohio must address over 900 collateral no-felon hiring policies will only end up sanctions, which are legal restrictions that increasing the burden on the city’s own ban employment in various sectors or overloaded criminal justice and public make getting a job extremely difficult for welfare systems. Ohio’s estimated two million individuals In addition, Kasich’s indecisiveness is with misdemeanor or felony convictions. It causing billions in new investment in Ohio is significant that the protesters were not asking for guaranteed jobs. They just want to be delayed – along with the relativelyhigh paying construction and casino jobs fair consideration for people with old and it would create. (No doubt Kasich’s long time friends from his Lehman Brothers days Doug Preisse and Robert Klaffky now working as lobbyists for the Belterra Indiana casinos and employed by Belterra owner Pinnacle Entertainment, are overjoyed at news of the ongoing delays.) While Ron Brown braves the elements and heavy traffic on his bicycle in search of a job, Kasich’s current casino commissioners are paid $60K/year to attend one meeting a month. THE DETAILS: For more information about the Amos Project, contact Richard Cook at (513) 628 – 7004 or Info.amosproject@gmail. com. If you have a criminal record and seek advice regarding employment visit: http://lasclev.org/wp-content/ uploads/2011/05/Understanding-andSealing-Criminal-Records-in-Ohio.pdf You can read more about Fair Hiring policy rules at www.ohiojpc.org. The Ohio Justice and Policy Center published a documentary about a client, Gene Mays, profiled in Nov. 1, 2009, of Streetvibes, and his struggles to find employment. Watch the film online at: http://vimeo.com/6055716 �6 ST R EET VIBES Local News J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Northside Seeks Justice Continued from page 1 F or friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers of David “Bones” Hebert, the events of April 18th and the weeks that have followed have been heart wrenching and baffling. Bones, a skinny tattooed drummer in an endless stream of Cincinnati punk and rock bands over the past 20 years, was known for his easy smile and good-natured mischief making. The life of any party, he made friends easily and kept them for life. He loved animals, especially his dog Shady, his constant companion to the end. He had no violent criminal record, no history of theft, assault, or resisting arrest, was never diagnosed or known to suffer from mental illness. He was a man trusted to babysit the children of his friends. We know that Hebert is one more person who has been injured or killed by members of the Cincinnati Police Department. We know that Cincinnati’s history of police brutality and excessive force is not unique and that this problem affects communities throughout the United States. We know that nothing we do will change the fact that Hebert is dead, and the finality of Sgt. Mitchell’s actions—whether found justified or not—can never be undone. But we also know that if it happened to Hebert, it could happen to any one of us. The outpouring of grief and demands for answers from the community, the jazz funeral procession of more than 400 people that marched through Northside [on Sunday afternoon, May 1st], the graffiti mural painted in memoriam on a wall near the corner of Knowlton and Hamilton Avenue, these must have taken the police by surprise. But what would have happened if Hebert had been an isolated and rootless man? Would anyone have noticed, much less questioned, how and why he was killed? David “Bones” Hebert. Photo submitted: courtesy of Rigel Behrens call, Hebert was pronounced dead at the scene. None of the officers were injured. Following the shooting, they were put on paid administrative leave as investigations were conducted by the Cincinnati Police Criminal Investigation Section, Internal Affairs, and the Citizen Complaint Authority. This is the 23rd time a suspect has been killed by a Cincinnati officer during a confrontation since 1995. Hebert, who was originally from New Orleans, had just moved back to Cincinnati in November. He worked for several years in the kitchen at The Comet in Northside and recently at NorthSlice Pizza. He initially came to Cincinnati decades ago as part of a Christian youth outreach group called Jesus People USA, and over the years he had covered his body in tattoos, many of which were a testament to his faith in Christ. Cincinnati Police District 5 Commander David Bailey and Sgt. Jason Voelkerding came to the Northside Community Council’s monthly meeting at McKie Recreation Center the night after mourners gathered to remember Bones. The plan was to share information about the community’s recent crime statistics but the officers had to face questions from a group of about 100 residents about the lethal police shooting. Many say there is good reason to believe that the death could have been avoided. Statements released by police and city officials have left many unanswered questions in the community. Many wonder why Hebert wasn’t searched before questioning and why one of the many non-lethal weapons CPD officers carried could have been used, such as a baton or stun gun. All four officers that responded said there was not enough time to use a nonlethal weapon. However, only Mitchell had his weapon drawn. Mitchell responded as back up to the scene and had only been on scene for about one minute before he fatally shot Hebert. Cruiser video released by the Cincinnati Police Department shows that Hebert, who has no previous history of violence, was still holding the leash of his beloved dog, Shady, when he was killed. The initial responding officer’s cruiser camera was not activated during the incident and the released video does not show Hebert, only a view of the officer. Some witnesses claim that Hebert wasn’t even standing when he was shot. Officers at the scene reported that Hebert initially denied having a weapon. Others wonder if an effort was made to save his life after he was shot and why his body laid uncovered and in full view for more than three hours. Mitchell has been investigated for use of force before. In 2006, Mitchell fired two shots at 22-year-old Antonio Harris, a burglary suspect in Westwood, after Harris raised a BB gun toward the officer. Mitchell was exonerated by the Citizen’s Complaint Authority. Investigations were done twice in January 2008 on Mitchell, first when a 14-year-old died after ingesting drugs while in Mitchell’s custody and then when he used a stun gun on a high Sincerely, Friends of David “Bones” Hebert who has known Hebert for 15 years. “The press conference – I’m glad they gave us some sort of information – but that’s not enough … We want everything.” The evidence on the scene raises many questions because the switchblade that police claim Hebert used was found in a row of hedges below a broken window. Police theorize the force of the shot caused the weapon to break the window and land there, but many residents say that is unlikely. The man who called 911 and solicited the search for Hebert, 37-year-old Jason Weller, laughs in his emergency call and gave dispatchers and investigators different versions of his story. He claims he was cut Mark Mallory. “It was close quarters for very rapid action on the part of this subject,” Janke said in defense of Mitchell’s use of deadly force, despite there being several investigations launched into the shooting. At the chief’s discretion, Mitchell went back to work after one week of administrative leave. Despite the fact that the outcomes of four investigations are still pending, he is currently supervising and patrolling in Northside. No efforts were made to inform the community of that decision. Northsiders have remained strong though the tragedy, using creative street stencils, posters, and music to celebrate the life of Bones. They have Jazz funeral procession for Bones on Sunday May 1, 2011. Photo submitted: courtesy of Rigel Behrens school student whom he mistook for a robbery suspect. An internal investigation found that, in at least one case: “Mitchell did not follow procedures or training. He did not verify there was a crime, and didn’t get a suspect description.” Despite these investigations, Mitchell was promoted to sergeant. On April 27, 42 people signed up to speak at City Hall about the shooting and many questioned how far the city really has come since the 2001 riots. “The community does not want this to be something that’s on the six o’clock news this evening and then falls off the page,” said Liam Dolan, and robbed by Weller and a female companion. The female companion has not been arrested and none of the items reported stole were found in their possession. Weller disappeared shortly after the shooting. Police may have been able to avoid the shooting if they had responded to an earlier call. About a half an hour before the shooting, 911 received a call of arguing and loud noise coming from the basement apartment of the building that Weller was staying in, but police were not dispatched. Acting Police Chief Richard Janke held a televised press conference on the shooting standing alongside City Manager Milton Dohoney and Mayor stood together to demand answers. Hebert’s body was laid to rest in a private funeral ceremony in New Orleans. His family is still seeking answers and awaiting a determination by the prosecutor’s office on any charges against the officers. THE DETAILS: For more information visit http://www. davidboneshebert.com/. If you have information pertinent to this investigation, please contact the City of Cincinnati Citizens’ Complaint Authority at (513) 352-1600. �ST R EE T V IB E S J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 A little bit of heaven SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer A little bit of heaven. That’s the way Emma Bushman describes the feeling she gets when the ingredients in the oven transform into freshly baked cookies. She likes the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies best. Peanut butter runs a close second. Emma’s twin sister Amy prefers eating snicker doodles and sugar cookies because those on the ones that smell really, really good when they are cooking. Their taste in cookies differs. But there’s two major point on which the entrepreneurial-minded young ladies agree. Cookie baking is fun stuff and easy to do if you have all the necessary ingredients readily on hand, and cookies might not turn out very well if you don’t have all the right stuff. With that in mind, Emma, Amy and their mom, Alison Bushman, founded a charity called Bake Me Home. They make up little kits that organizations can give to families when they move from homelessness into their own places. Alison Bushman described what’s in the kits, right down to the the vanilla powder. “All the families have everything they need,” she said. “They get the mix, the pan, the bowl, the spoon, the pot holder----and they even get toothbrushes and toothpaste to brush after they eat the cookies.” 7 Local News Families get a $20.00 gift card they can use to buy necessary perishables like butter and eggs. So between the kit and the gift cards, the families have the opportunity to experience that “little bit of heaven” scent in their new homes. A television program focused on kids starting businesses inspired the twins to start Bake Me Home. “I thought that (show) was really cool,” Emma said. She thought it was so cool that she posed a question to her mom. “Mom. Can kids really start businesses?” Her mom gave an encouraging answer. “You can do anything you want to do.” So they did, and now Bake Me Home’s rapid growth surprises all three. The charity has helped 550 families, and now stretches to ten agencies across four counties. It’s headquartered in Anderson Township, on the eastside of Cincinnati. The Bushman twins and the business they started three years ago received national attention. Amy and Emma were named recipients of a $5,000 scholarship from the foundation arm of a major corporation. THE DETAILS: Find out more about Bake Me Home from www.bakemehome or email cookiegirls@bakemehome.com. Twin sisters Amy and Emma Bushman founded an award winning not-for-profit company that supplies helping agencies make life easier for people who transition from homelessness to home. Photo submitted: courtesy Alison Bushman City says YES! to City Gospel Mission’s New Site MARK GRAUHUIS Staff Intern Writer City Gospel Mission (CGM), a fixture at Elm and Magnolia streets for 50 years, is going to relocate. On Tuesday, June 21st, with a recommendation in favour of CGM coming from the Planning Commission the Friday prior, City Hall hosted a meeting to hear the pros and cons of the proposed new site in the Queensgate area in the West End, on the corner of York St. and Dalton Av. As the presentations and moving testimony affirmed, CGM is a place where people learn to become good citizens and to give back to communities. Here the Livable Communities Committee of Council heard from those whose lives have been changed through and through by this crucial and well-respected social service — and those who walked through the doors in a suffering state and have chosen to devote the rest of their working lives to helping others in similar situations. In this struggle, as one witness suggested, CGM represents the best in all of us. CGM, which opened in 1924 on Vine Street, provides 36,000 nights of shelter annually, runs addiction recovery programs for men (Exodus) and women (Having the Courage to Change), and offers tutoring and mentoring services. The non-profit, which does not accept government or United Way funding, is supported both financially and with volunteers from dozens of suburban churches, including Northminster Presbyterian in Springfield Township. The Mission currently has 46 men’s beds in Over-the-Rhine. Its women’s program offers 46 beds at four locations in Mount Auburn. CGM serves breakfast and dinner every day of the year in Over-the-Rhine. The new site will provide 76 emergency beds for men, and 30 beds for Exodus. Opposition to the building project was represented by a few concerned small business owners and their lawyers. Most of the businesses in question are industrial supply and/or warehouses, with remarkably few tenants but fairly heavy traffic. Claiming that they “like the neighborhood the way it is now,” the opposition argued, through an attorney, that the traffic would put those attending CGM and the children of their employees at risk. (Why those who lack affordable housing or have parents in the manufacturing industry lack the skills necessary to be cautious pedestrians was not explained.) The building at 1805 Dalton is a former office building for a heating/ air conditioning company that has been vacant for 10 years. The York Street parcel is the former home of a school for disabled children run by a social service agency and has been empty for six years. The developers have promised to preserve whatever they can of any materials of historic value on the site. The opposition pointed out that zoning laws for the manufacturing district prevent “religious assembly” and religious edu- cation and that these religious aspects justify barring CGM from relocating in their backyard. While CGM, to the great credit of its present leadership, is no longer a “pray to stay” shelter, it certainly works to change people’s lives on a strong basis of faith. The new site will include Exodus Lord’s Gym and Lord’s Pantry as well as an impressive new shelter that can offer day services and programming. Currently, CGM has to turn people away once it reaches its currently low maximum capacity and during the day when it cannot offer consistent programming. Despite the opposition’s claim to the contrary, finding a new location has been a slow and methodical process, having taken the better part of 8 years to make a sound selection. The Lord’s facilities, the new CGM office and transitional housing are well within existing zoning laws, although the city solicitor has been asked to slightly amend the notwithstanding ordinance to suit the lessons learned during this process. As the meeting proceeded and some sat uncomfortably together in their seats, certain prejudices and tired misconceptions resurfaced, including the idea that Over the Rhine is the exclusive and permanent territory for a criminal class who refuse to live like the ‘rest of us’. (Simply false: City Gospel Mission and other shelters and housing organisations usually help people to find housing within 60 days, and resources such as housing vouchers and available work continue to end homelessness for among the larger ‘homeless’ population outside of the Over-the-Rhine community.) In addition, a resulting “rise in crime” was made to sound inevitable. One private resident of Westwood delivered a slightly bizarre testimony that included the suggestions that “the homeless” choose not to work and CGM’s plan is an example of “maiming the strong”. As speakers with experience in the issues reminded those in attendance, securing employment is not the only issue here. CGM’s holistic approach addresses bodies and minds that are often plagued with misfortunes; it helps people to exit homelessness and have sustainable living conditions. There is little doubt that these people will be better helped by being allowed to stay in the shelter during the day — when additional health care, addiction and job readiness services will be available. “We want to get people to an employable state,” City Gospel Mission’s Roger Howell said. “What better economic development is there than that?” While they continued to speak of some mythical generic entity called “the homeless,” conflated with criminal elements in society, it became rather plain that much needs to be done to address and mend the great disconnect and divisions that exists between Greater Cincinnati’s communities. Much understanding could be achieved by simply visiting and viewing the daily operations and good works of CGM, and one hopes that the concerned small business owners will make some concerted attempt to know their new neighbours. CGM assured the Committee that it remains dedicated to preventing loitering — as are most folks who work with those denied affordable housing — since it does not lead to the life-changing transformation that the Mission fosters. For this purpose, three locations inside the proposed site have been set aside for people to sit or stand and socialise, and the landscaping features include pedestrian walkways, increased accessibility (vans, and taxi and bus tokens will actually improve upon the existing location’s accessibility issues), and at least 70 parking spaces on-site. The move will require CGM to provide shuttle bus service for its clients and residents back to other services Downtown and in Overthe-Rhine. The opposition repeated the fear that “women and children” and a “hardworking” “business alliance” cannot — should not — be around those without affordable housing. A small group of business owners in the Queensgate area threatened that “jobs and the tax-base” will take flight and businesses will move. In response, CGM stated clearly that they would never put tenants’ lives in danger. Council firmly assured all those assembled that, should the businesses stay true to their barely veiled threat and relocate elsewhere within the city limits, they will do everything in their power to help with the moving arrangements. Members of the Job Plus network, providing their own examples of how employers can successfully use local labor, challenged the small business owners’ notion that business would be hurt. Among those who spoke in support of the new site was Liza Smitherman, who sits on the board of CGM and is no stranger to running a small business as president of Brewster Pumping, LLC and as VP of Professional Development at Jostin Construction, Inc. Expert witnesses testified that relocating CGM will not negatively effect property values. The move is expressly not based on political whims or “moving the problem” elsewhere, but as a means to provide better services all around, as detailed in the carefully though-out vision developed by CGM for the site. The opposition went further and suggested that the city is betraying the promise of a “safe and attractive” industrial park and making “mom and pop businesses” the victims of rushed, hazardous and unsafe planning as well as violating the vision of the Growth and Opportunities (GO) economic development plan. However, the Committee assured the opposition that there is little to fear from those associated with CGM or the homeless population in general, provided that the people of Cincinnati actively participate in social services and recovery programs in order to meet the needs of those most in need. With most of the opposition having already walked out, Council concluded by expressing the will to find an amicable arrangement between both parties. Council member Wayne Lippert, who was the only member to vote No, repeated the abstract mantra of “safety” — a strategy that lacked any specific details as to why those without affordable housing should pose any threat to the security of workers in a manufacturing district. Lippert also expressed, without intended irony, his preference for the site of an old jail. By a bizarre turn in their logic, the few small business owners argued that, by “teaming up” with Cincinnati Center City Development (3CDC), CGM is allied with forces bent on destroying neighborhood and manufacturing districts across Cincinnati. The fact is that it is regrettable that 3CDC will now own the crucial location of the former Mission just a stone’s throw from Washington Park. However, while this reporter is under no delusions regarding 3CDC’s explicit profit-driven motives, there is no doubt that CGM is moving because they desire to empathetically serve more people and to create greater amounts of successful and sustainable outcomes for the community. It seems unlikely that this particular relocation will kick-start the drain of social-service agencies and poor residents from Over-the-Rhine and Downtown, although the danger remains, making the Drop Inn Center’s current location and services all the more important to sustain. CGM should be commended for having taken all the necessary measures to ensure that the site benefits the local business community as well as addressing existing problems with the current location of the Mission. They continue to provide an exemplary model for how other social services might work with the city in dealing with the direct causes of economic and social hardship. Particularly impressive is their willingness to negotiate an amicable and open agreement with Museum Center/ Union Terminal (this is important in light of the fact that opponents of CityLink have spread lies about “sexual predators” being welcomed into the West End — utter nonsense, since “sexual offenders” are not permitted to live in CGM shelters). Museum Center has said that security and transport remain issues, and received assurance from CGM that the new services are not simply being “dropped” into Queensgate without regard for how to improve the neighborhood. Indeed, the Committee expressed an understanding that this is a magnificent opportunity to take a bold step forward and learn from past mistakes, as well as to support programming that will directly improve Cincinnati communities. Wednesday, June 22nd with a seven of nine vote (Ghiz and Lippert voting no), Council passed the needed Not Withstanding Ordinance in favour of CGM. publicrelations@cincihomeless.org (513) 421-7803 �Recipe 8 ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 ... MOUR T LONG! S Y E S E H IN FEED M LL NIG JENI JENK A E M Y B FEED The title of this column is taken from the 1986 film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this column is for people who feed on plants!! ALMOND, STRAWBERRY, FETA & SPINACH SALAD Fresh Summer S During the summer as the heat rises I find it difficult to eat a heavy dinner, so the perfect solution is something fresh from your garden or a local farmer’s market. I personally love salads and in particular I love the ability to mix it up a bit each time using a variety of ingredients. Here is the first from my fresh summer salad series I hope you enjoy! Serving size, 4-5 bellies. ala d ! Ingredients: 1 bunch spinach, rinsed with stems removed, and chopped in bite size pieces LOREM Praesent molestie loremsize Etiam ac libero 2 cups leafy romaine lettuce rinsed and chopped in bite pieces 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced IPSUM Sed turpis 1 cup sliced almonds ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped garlic ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper ¼ cup Feta Cheese • • • • • • In a large bowl toss the spinach and romaine together Layer the sliced strawberries and almonds In a separate small bowl whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad Top with feta Voila, FEED! OFFICIAL distributor Tommy Thompson Only Purchase STREETVIBES from BADGED Distributors �Community Happenings ST R EE T V IB E S 9 J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Join us OTR residents and/or business owners. . . for a picnic in the park Due to the closing of the restrooms in Washington Park, residents and visitors are now without those necessary facilities. The outcome has resulted in an upsurge in public indecency by using doorways and alleyways for toilet facilities. Everyone uses the toilet. Everyone deserves to have those facilities available. We as a community need to come together to create a solution. We encourage you to attend this fun-filled public picnic event to promote awareness and community problem solving. Be the PU B LICPICN IC JU N E 26TH @1PM Z IEto: GLE RPARK first This is a family event FREE food and beverages Live entertainment and performances (Including a reading of Taro Gomi’s book “Everyone Poops”). We hope you will attend! SATURDAY Saturday, AUGUST Aug.13TH 13 Registration 8:30AM8:30 Registration 9:30 Walk begins 9:30AM11:30 Walk Reception begins 11:30AM Reception AM AM AM For more info visit: www.lys.org Lighthouse Youth Services provides a continuum of services for homeless youth, including Anthony House, a drop-in center for homeless youth between the ages 18 to 24. Visiting youth can eat a warm meal, visit the nurse, take a shower, and collect clothing and other vital supplies. Our drop-in center was visited almost 4,000 times in the past year. The young people served by the program often walk miles just to eat a warm meal or visit their case managers, regardless of the weather. Proceeds from Walk the Walk will provide the basic supplies – sturdy walking shoes, new socks, bus tokens, etc. – that make this daily trek possible. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com Lighthouse on Highland is under construction to become the first homeless shelter for 18 – 24 year olds. It will include the current drop-in center and expand to allow up to 28 individuals to stay overnight. Participants of Walk the Walk will be among the first to preview the facility, scheduled to open this fall. To celebrate Streetvibes publishing its 200th edition (we are offering special advertising rates for Summer 2011. Ads can be purchased for as little as $35. Make sure Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky know your business or organization supports those overcoming homelessness in your backyard! For more informartion, contact Catie Dargue at catiedargue@cincihomeless.org or 513-421-7803, ext. 11 �10 Graphic Voice ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Mark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest DAN MOORE Author & Illustrator ark Twain Was Right: Stories from the 2001 Cincinnati Riots and Unrest is a soon to be released graphic novel about United States’ first urban uprising in the 21st century. The story is told in a series of first-person perspectives from people who became intimately involved, from community leaders to random bystanders. Tying these narratives together is commentary by the author himself, then a budding radical teenager who finds the urban unrest influencing his life. Drawing on interviews and primary resources, a picture is painted of how one kid’s solitary death in a ghetto alley grows to impact every resident of the region. Mark Twain Was Right follows the sometimes contradictory and hard-to-comprehend developments from the day of the killing to Thomas’s funeral six days later, including the marches, posturing, organizing, brutality, looting, prayer, curfews and analysis that commanded international attention, inspiring ghetto residents and tormenting city leaders. M One reason why the week after Timothy Thomas’s death caught so much attention throughout the country was because of the property destruction and violence that occurred. Many people were divided between those who saw the violence either as an extension of the social frustration or as opportunistic. Regardless of the motives of those who participated, there is no doubt that violence and property destruction played a large role in forcing many people who were indifferent to the frustrations of the black community to pay attention. The following excerpt from Mark Twain was Right highlights the debate that raged about the role of property destruction and violence as a protest tactic. THE DETAILS: For more information about the complete graphic novel Mark Twain Was Right, email cincinnatiriotsbook@gmail. com for information and updates about the release of the completed novel. �ST R EE T V IB E S Graphic Voice 11 J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 41 Shots SETH TOBOCMON Author & Illustrator Cleveland, Ohio native Seth Tobocman is an artist and graphic novelist working out of New York City where he is actively involved in his community. Tobocman teaches at the New York School of Visual Arts. His Books include: War in the Neighborhood; You Don’t Have to Fuck People Over to Survive; World War 3 Illustrated 1980-1988; Disaster and Resistance; Portraits of Israelis and Palestinians; Three Cities Against the Wall World War 3 Illustrated: Confrontational Comics. He is the founding editor of World War 3 Illustrated. His magazine publications include: Heavy Metal, The Village Voice, Tikkun, Maximum Rock n’ Roll, The New York Times, Internazionale and The Nation. On February 4, 1999 Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant, was shot and killed by four plain clothed New York City police officers. The shooting of Diallo, who was unarmed, in a barrage of 41 bullets outside his apartment in the Soundview section of the Bronx led to mass demonstrations against the police, including huge rallies outside police headquarters in which celebrities and well-known New Yorkers were among more than 1,000 people arrested. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani reacted with a vigorous defense of the police force. All four officers were later acquitted at trial in Albany, New York. Summary by J.P. Dean. THE DETAILS: For more information about Seth Tobocmon’s work, including his newly released book UNDERSTANDING THE CRASH,visit www.sethtobocman.com. �12 Street Voice A Day in the Life O verwhelmed, I address the street is open to interpretation. For day! Ah! Sounds like a line as many individuals who live the from a distressed position. lifestyle there are that many interWell, let’s say that, that is pretations. subject to interpretation. A single Street life is in and day can of itself a stressful and make the unpredictable way of difference living, without rewards between or guarantees it is the success and reality of many people. failure in The order of the day is the struggle one of disarray, yet it for survival; has it’s structure, the therefore, RICCARDO TAYLOR flow is not routine, yet, one has to Staff Writer desires are filled and be mindful missions accomplished! Sounds disof where they want to be and where torted I suppose? Well, the certainty they are headed. And last but not of distortion is the starting point of least, where do we want to be tomoreach and everyday in the life. So, row. let’s take a look at a day in the life. A day in the life starts out As the sunrises so shall I! Up typically. A thousand and one ideas and moving before the birds start running through your mind trying to their ritual morning call I am lookdetermine what is the best option for ing for a line to stand in, to receive a little relief? Now we have the necone of the services I’ll surely need essaries that we have to prioritize, a before the day ends. Everything few dollars in my pockets, a shower, from a shower to a meal has to be or a meal, in what order are they concluded before I can call this day needed? Well, let’s see. The few a success, so I take on that old so dollars can take me much farther, so familiar shuffle, hurrying to be first in I need to go to work. Again we do the line. Hesitations, or procrastinahave some options, but I think that tions result in setbacks; your survival money is always the top priority, so and welfare depend on being timely. by the end of the day I have a plan! So, one would think that in being I need to work today, so upon homeless, or a street person as I awakening at the chirping of the prefer, that life has to be easy! Well, birds, I am off to the labor hall. It’s of course we have the usual pains first come first served; if you will, so and pleasures, the ups and downs I standing in line at a quarter to five. like every other group, yet there is After I am signed in I can take that much more to it than just having a bathroom break to freshen up. Toutplace to rest your head or a bowl to ing my shoulder bag, which contains eat from. It’s about surviving! Ah! all my worldly possessions and is Again that idea of interpretation apart of my dress, I can prepare for comes into play, we have to underthe day. A quick washing of hands stand from whose point of view are and face allows me to be presentlooking. Having that understanding able on the job. I have a sense of of what makes for success in the appreciation; getting this opportunity to get in a days work, will allow me to access the few things I need for comfort and give me a start tomorrow. So I spend the day laboring for minimum wage! Well, it’s like I always say, if you don’t work you don’t eat! By the end of the workday I am tired and hungry! It was at the break of dawn that I started this day and now it’s after six in the evening; a productive one in the sense that I did get to make a few dollars, ah A few dollars indeed! Generally by this time all I can think of is a bit to eat and somewhere to lay my head. A few dollars indeed! After all the taxation and rental fees for equipment I have a total of twenty -eight dollars Riccardo Taylor. Photo: GCCH and extremely tired feet! I have to be both frugal and mindful with this payment, as I don’t riccardotaylor@cincihomeless.org know when I’ll have the chance, or (513) 421-7803 Ex. 15 opportunity to spend a whole day at work again. I just have to keep with the flow, and do as needed when I can. All told I can say that today was a success, although it didn’t change E. HAYDEN much in my life circumstance, how Contributing Writer ever I can feel pretty good when I lay down with these few dollars knowwas in Ralph’s courting I have a start for tomorrow. Ah, room waiting my turn, tomorrow! Another day in the life! you know? That is what Yeah, well we will just have to wait and see what tomorrow truly us felonies do, well and pray brings. One thing is for sure it will that he is in a good mood; I was be totally different from today. Same thinking that he looks too bored destinies, options and results; life’s to be a judge. Why is he here? expectations, we shall do it again I bet he would like to say to half just using another way for getting of them that are trying to explain there. Praying Mom I Distributing Hope & Good News LEE MCCOY Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor But today let’s talk about a different Lee McCoy. I’m still a distributor on the streets, but now I sell Streetvibes and deliver some hope and good news, not only to my customers, but also to myself. For a little over two years I have had a Lee McCoy. Photo: Paul Davis Photography purpose in my life and two y name is Lee McCoy. What big plusses. Firstly, I like meeting I used to be would shock people and talking to people. Secmost people; I should have ondly, Streetvibes is a supplement been dead quite a few times over to fix an income, so do the math and during the 41 years when all I knew you’ll see it make Lee McCoy tick. was jail, getting high, selling drugs I am also a member of the and running drugs by trick or trade. Homeless Congress and interact That was the way of life for me back with different organizations. My peer then, but now I am 59 years young project is the Cold Shelter where I sit thanks to the Lord. M ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 on the board and work with the financial planning. I am still new to this, almost like a baby to it, but I’ve never been a quitter, so despite challenges I’m going to stick with it. Like a child learning something for the first time I take my steps one at a time and I get better at what needs to be done. I have been homeless too many times to list them all. I might not have everything I want but now I have a roof over my head; all my praises go to God and I am content. Last year I took photos for the 2011 Day-by-Day calendar project and now I am taking new ones for the 2012 calendar. I hope that you’ll love my picture for the 2012 one as much, or if not more, than the one that appears in this year’s calendar. I also write and contribute regular articles to Streetvibes. Ten have been published so far to my credit and I have one editorial. The inspiration for my writing has come from my faith in God, so if He is willing I shall write some more. Coming to a paper near you soon will be my twelfth piece, look out for it in a couple of weeks. But for now, “That’s all Folks!” what happen, just shut up and go to jail. This lady was sitting in front of me; she had a book on her lap that read Law and The Courtroom on the front of it. I said to myself, ‘cause that’s what bi-polar people do, we talk to ourselves, the ones that answer themselves are the ones you have to watch out for, “That’s a praying sis.” You know the ones; they don’t start the car until they pray. Or they wake up in the middle of the night and they know something is wrong in the family. Instead of calling around, they drop to their knees and start praying. They really do have a look about them, like don’t mess with me, I have a personal phone line to God. Anyway, the bailiff brings in this young boy about 20 or 22 years of age and this lady goes stands beside him. I’m thinking where is his lawyer? Aren’t you supposed to have a lawyer to see a judge? Then it hits me, okay I’m slow, she is his mother. I look at this lady with the law book in the front of her and the Lord got her back and I think that child is going to be alright. �ST R EE T V IB E S Street Voice 13 J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Lessons In Being Good/ Bad Neighbors STEPHEN SNOW GENTRY Contributing Writer ntil very recently, I briefly and barely followed the Anna Louise Inn saga. Because I believe in and have great respect for Cincinnati Union Bethel’s mission and the rewards reaped through the success of the services that they provide, I expected the “… storm to blow OVER!!” U However, a letter to the editor (The Cincinnati Enquirer, June 5, 2011 – Western and Southern covets property – Elizabeth Brown) brought absolute clarity. Western and Southern has begun to display true “addictive behavior.” They want what they want … right NOW, by any means necessary! When their initial “offer” to buy the property was refused, a series of strategic attacks against the Inn’s management, residents, as well as, current and proposed services surfaced. Western and Southern has even attempted to gain the sympathy of its neighbors by playing “the crime card” and placing little value on the lives of certain human beings. According to W & S officials the Inn’s programs are “… out of character, “ not in keeping with their plan to attract, “… decision makers” to the area. They, also, envision making the neighborhood “… a real community.” Are these meant to be well meaning comments and observations about the current and potential program participants? What view does W & S have about the program residents who have coexisted in the neighborhood for over a century? Their effort has culminated in a lawsuit against the city. the Inn, Cincinnati Union Bethel and two city employees: Amit Ghosh, the city’s chief building officer and Margaret Wuerstle, the city’s zoning hearing examiner. It claims that the named parties failed to conduct proper “… reviews to make certain the social service agency conforms to the city’s zoning, permitting and licensing regulations.” In an e-mail dated January 21, 2011, Michael J. Laatsch, Vice President of Public Relations & Corporate Communications, Western and Southern Group questions “… the best way for that work (non-profit social service) to be carried out that creates the most benefits for our community?” Would “… an expensive,taxpayer funded renovation of the current A L I do serious harm to the efforts to revitalize the Lytle Park neighborhood and threaten the creation of hundreds of jobs and millions in tax revenue?” The answers to both questions lie in the systematic attitude of exclusion. To suggest that expansion of A L I services “… may be unsuitable,” is akin to putting the wagon ahead of the horse. Yes, the A L I facility was originally intended to be a temporary residence for single working women. “ It is now providing additional services to many with mental health issues, prostitutes and homeless families seeking shelter or (and, in most cases) to turn their lives around.” These PEOPLE are individuals in need of assistance and support as a direct result of the dismal economic times we are experiencing. I can think of no better use of “… these taxpayer dollars” when I mirror this expenditure against the tax abatements and renovation dollars for the Phelps Apartments. Are my tax dollars being well spent paying to defend against a frivolous lawsuit aimed at property OWNED by my neighbor? To suggest that Cincinnati Union Bethel should invite Western and Southern to the table to make decisions about their property is ludicrous. Is this something that W & S would do? I THINK NOT!! I see different players with the same face, that of exclusion and segregation. You Western and Southern lend credence to the saying “… NOT in MY backyard.” Intern-nal Thoughts on the Death Penalty J.P. DEAN Staff Intern Writer “ An eye for eye, and a tooth for a tooth” seems to be the dominant ideology in the justice system of 38 states in the union where the death penalty is still legal. “Let the punishment fit the crime,” is the sentiment of 64% of Americans polled last year by Gallop who approve of capital punishment in the case of murder. It would seem that a steep majority of people think that the threat of execution is the means of preventing people from murdering each other, but in all these years this tactic to protect the public does not seem to work; people still kill other people in each one of those 38 states. As with a large number of things in the United States the death penalty is perceived as being somehow inevitable or even natural; that’s just the way it’s done, always has, always will . . . for a nation founded on progressive ideals about human rights, it frequently finds itself slow to accept the possibility of doing things another way. Of all the economically developed nations on the planet, Japan is the only other country where the death penalty is still used. The countries of Europe, Canada, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and others do not use execution as means of legal punishment against its citizens, but here a “majority” of people think that it is acceptable for a nation to terminate its own people under certain circumstances. It baffles me. A couple of months ago, after living in sin with the United States for last 16 years, I finally went ahead said my marriage vows to the country and became a citizen. Prior to being a permanent resident (aka legal alien) I lived and grew up in Britain where the last execution was in 1964 and where guns are near nonexistent outside of the military (another concept that blows some people’s minds in this country). As a young lad in England, the idea of my country killing me was as foreign and crazy a concept as most folks in this country would feel about the idea of public stoning for adulterers or cutting the hand off a thief. Admittedly the absence of the death penalty in Britain has not eradicated murder there, but nor has it resulted in an outbreak of mayhem these last 47 years; actually the murder rate in Britain is considerably lower than the United States. But perhaps my bias against the state committing murder against a murderer is merely a result of this Anglo-centric upbringing. Some readers, both the progressive who regularly buys this paper and the conservative who loves to hate this paper are probably puzzled as to why I stick around in a country to which I seem so critical. Even though it got a shaky start and has an ugly history, the United States was founded on progressive ideals about liberty and social justice, but the development of the country did not end with the drafting of the Constitution. America needs its liberals to continue the work. Freedom and justice do not have to be maintained through the threat of death. There is more power in forgiveness and redemption, but it’s not easy. But those are just my thoughts, so let’s end with another saying, “An eye for eye leaves the world blinded.” The Understanding WILLA DENISE JONES Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Distributor U nderstanding today about life and its meaning have come a very long way with me. I had to come into the understanding that there was nothing outside myself that could make my life better! I had to understand that I have a choice. To know that I was no longer incarcerated by my own being and no longer restricted by my own soul! I could either come into the realization that to live is right now because death is inediable!! We as adults can never forget that growing up as children everything was external. As children we were nothing more than human sponges!! Therefore whatever the adults in our childhood fed us, we trustily ate. I believe that’s what they fed us became out internal instincts. Through my growing school, jail, being homeless, I eventually came to the understanding ofthe meaning of choice. I had to understand that there is none other like me, only I could make the changes necessary to allow my uniqueness to shine. For I am unique! One of a kind! Understandingmy uniqueness, understanding I have choices in this world only justified my decision to live and not die! These realizations seem to wake up my self esteem and many positive aspects for me. I Suddenly remembered that I did go to church, I remembered some of the best teaching of the bible whether it was about Moses or Mohammand. My understanding of life today is G.O.D. meaning Good Orderly Direction!! I understand today that to live now is my only necessity, for why kill myself or commit suicide when death for all is a sure thing. It’s gonna happen! To live is a job and I take it on with great pride. Keep in mind that you are the most important one and to know your size, your height, your weight, Hair color and so forth is what makes you. So my meaning is my understanding that: I Am Unique I Am Blessed I Am Living Until Death Do Me Part �14 Meetup: P-A-U-L Meetup ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 JIM LUKEN Contributing Writer plays the word “Zin.” These two are really serious!] While Paul is thinking, Linda explains that in their rural community, there is some poverty, but not much awareness of homelessness. “Being here, all the girls have a new perception about what poor people are like,” she says. “It’s very good for us to be here.” [Paul tells her he appreciates what she is saying, as he places the word “Ion”]. Paul explains to me that he has been a roofer on and off for most of his life. He shattered his hip a number of years ago in a fall from a roof he was working on. The leg was put back together poorly, and he must now use a crutch. He finally got approved for government assistance through SSI and hopes to have a leg operation soon.[Linda plays the word “Pagan”] She describes Over-the-Rhine Scrabble enthusiast, Paul Diebold, faces an Iowan visitor Linda Gent in a friendly Scrabble meet up at herself and a “farm Canticle Cafe. Photo: Jim Luken wife” and mother, cross she is wearing. She says they unteered for March of Dimes and a lot with a part-time are staying at a Franciscan place in of other things. job as the parish youth minister. She St. Bernard, called the “Tao House.” “She died suddenly when she was loves farm life on the 800 acre place All the girls were given the famous 51. I blamed my Dad. He was a mean, she calls “smallish.” [Paul explains to Franciscan cross to wear. [Paul plays drinking, fighting cuss. Sometimes he her that in Scrabble each letter of the the word “hoarded.” ] drank a fifth every day. We had a fallalphabet is considered a word and its I ask Paul to tell us the best thing ing out. It was right after she died, and plural can also be a word. So he adds in his life right now. He pauses for a we spent the afternoon together. He an “S” onto an “R” and then extends moment, then, almost shyly, he says, was drinking heavily, and I would drive six letters down from the “S,” forming “I have a new girlfriend. We had a around the block every now and then “Swindle.” A seven letter word, earnrough time over the winter. She got and smoke a joint, ‘cause he hated ing him 76 points. No wonder he’s the kicked out of the [Drop Inn Center] pot. (former) champ!] because of me. Now she has a place “Í was bummed out. Everybody He tells us that he was one of the was bummed. She had just died. Dad first people selected for the new Jimmy of her own. Every day we get closer and closer.” He is almost beaming. started telling me stuff about my Mom. Heath House on Odion Street. “Life is “Now life is so easy. I love her. At first I didn’t need to hear it. I knew he was so much better now,” he says. “At the she was shy. I make her laugh. She’s doing it just to piss me off. He was trybeginning, there wasn’t much commufunny.” ing to piss me off! nity. Now there’s a sense of connectIt’s closing time at the cafe. One “So I walked inside, and he was edness among the 25 residents. We of the teenagers brings donuts around following right behind me. I had this have meetings. We have cookouts on coffee cup in my hand. I was so mad. Sunday.” He tells Linda that, in order to for one last chance. Linda adds her final letter to the board. The game I turned around and I was going to get an apartment at the Jimmy Heath has ended just in time. She tallies the swing it at him, smash him in the face. House, you have to be able to prove score. 309-261. Ohio over Iowa, sort But there on the counter was his next that you are chronically homeless and of. Both players states agree it was a glass of whiskey. And there was this a documented alcoholic. “None of us fun match, despite the intrusions of the chandelier right above it, and it made started out homeless,” he points out. reporter. We say our thank-yous and that glass of whiskey kind of glow, you “ Once you dig yourself so deep, it’s prepare to leave. know. It looked almost beautiful, shimhard to But Paul isn’t ready. He’s as much mering there, catching the light. get out.” We serve as a creative outlet a storyteller as Scrabble player, and “It was all so symbolic. I was mad [Linda plays for women in need to he tells me he has one more story to at the whiskey, not at him. So I took uncover their talents and “omen.” I build relationships while share It’s a kind of Father’s Day story. my cup and smashed it against that can see making and selling jewelry, He was hoping to tell it on the Bill Cun- glass. It shattered in a thousand piecshe unquilts, and other handcrafted ningham radio show earlier in the day, es. Some of them flew into his eyes. derstands items. We provide a but had been cut off. He had just had cataract surgery, and that there welcoming environment and he was hurt and bleeding. I helped get He says it is about reconciliation, continuous support-our is somewomen do the rest. They are to the hospital. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t and a hard kind of redemption. We go thing much our voice. They are our him. It was the whiskey. outside. In the bright sunlight, at the more than mission. They are our Sarah “So we had this falling out. It corner of Liberty and Vine, Paul talks a game of Center. Artists receive 50 % lasted years. But I was lucky. Not long and I write. Scrabble from the sale of their items, before he died at 71, I went to see him “My Mom was very smart. She while the rest goes towards going on and we had this reconciliation. I’m glad grew up in Ashland, Kentucky, and all materials and other support. there at we did.” through school, each year, she got the corner So Paul Diebold didn’t get to tell the award for being the best student. cafe]. 1618 Vine Street his story on raido. So the Scrabble All twelve years. Then she got scholCincinnati, Ohio 45202 I ask HELPING WOMEN HELP THEMSELVES champ told it to you, the readers of Linda about arships to Mt. Saint Joe and then For more information visit www.sfoutreach.org Streetvibes. Thomas More. She was valedictorian the “Tao” twice. And she was so nice. She vol- Farm life and city life collided in a heated but friendly board game meet up recently at Canticle Cafe, located in Over-the-Rhine. Over-the-Rhine’s own Paul Deibold, a guy who totes around a little two minute egg timer and his own worn copy of “The Official Scrabble Dictionary,” squared off against Iowa’s own Linda Gent. Gent, a farm person, who spent some time in Over-theRhine as part of a mission trip. It was probably the most unusual interview I have ever conducted. I had gone to the Canticle Cafe a week earlier to do a story about the undisputed Scrabble champion of Over-theRhine. When I arrived, I found that, in an intense game, still in progress, the champion was being un-crowned. Perhaps “over-worded” might apply better to a Scrabble Jam. But I had tried to meet up with Paul Diebold since I first heard him speak at the opening of the Jimmy Heath House in November. “Everyone has a story,” Paul had said during his remarks to the gathered crowd. I was certain he was correct. Thus this column was born. This reporter has yet to interview a downtowner who doesn’t live up to Diebold’s assertion. When I met him a week later, at the same place, it didn’t seem to matter to Paul that he was no longer unbeaten. This time he was playing Scrabble with a woman from the far-off farming town of Washington, Iowa. I could see that the only way I would get my story was to interview them both during the game. So while the one player was determining her/his next word. I asked a question or two of the other player. [I hope both of them forgive me if I have gotten a few of their Scrabble words wrong]. Linda Gent had come to OTR with a group of six teenage girls from her parish in Iowa. The young women were spending the week by involving themselves in inner city projects set up by Franciscans for the Poor. On this day, the girls were serving donuts and desserts to clients of the St. Francis Seraph Ministries in the pleasant surroundings of the Canticle Cafe. They had spent the morning house cleaning the entire room from top to bottom. [Paul inserts the word “Quag”]. Now Paul is free to talk. He is 55 years old, and has been homeless off and on since the mid ‘90s. He lived on the streets for eight months, but then found a place at the Jimmy Heath House. He makes no bones about telling Linda his opponent about his alcoholism. “Just beer,” he says. “When I drink the hard stuff I really go crazy. Alcohol is the hardest drug in the world that I know of to get off of.” [Linda Sarah Center �Resources ST R EE T V IB E S 15 J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 Shelter: Women and Children St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County 458-6670 PATH Outreach 977-4489 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Treatment: Men Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 921-1613 Other Resources 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Starting Over 961-2256 Anthony House (Youth) Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 First Step Home 961-4663 Goodwill industries 771-4800 Healing Connections 751-0600 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Both 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services 751-0643 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 621-5514 Treatment: Women 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Emmanuel Community Center 241-2563 AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 Faces Without Places 363-3300 Stop AIDS 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 �Column 16 ST R EET VIBES J u n e 2 4 - J u l y 8 , 2 0 11 LessonSongs for Peacemaking and Understanding Paulette Meier sings for social justice and a better world “F or me, art is the expression of an underlying truth, of that which is usually hidden or not noticed much,” says Paulette Meier. “It can make us aware of the inner conditions of others’ lives, and can open our hearts to strangers, as well as to our own deeper selves.” And the truth that Meier alludes to, and which she strives to attain in her life, is the one uncovered by compassion, love, understanding and the power of the “Spirit”. A Quaker singer/songwriter, peace educator, and spiritual social activist, Meier has devoted much of her life to singing and working for peace, equality, the rights of the oppressed and the protection of the vulnerable and invisible in our society, particularly children. She grew up in Northern Kentucky in a large Catholic family, attended private Catholic schools, and developed, as a result, a strong spiritual inclination and sense of morality. A semester in Germany in college in 1971 shook her rather parochial worldview, and she returned home with new awareness of injustice, both in the Church and in her country. Church choir and family reunions introduced her early on to singing, but it was moving to Washington, DC, in 1980 and living in a communal household of women musicians that opened her eyes to a vision of herself as a political folk singer. “The women sang with a group called ‘Heresy’ ” she says. “They were progressive, engaged in women’s issues, social justice and spirituality. They affirmed my voice and strongly encouraged me to sing.” Saad Ghosn Contributing Writer Meier had been involved in activist work already in the ‘70s. While working on her Master’s Degree at the University of Cincinnati (UC) in German and Education, she helped organize a union for teaching assistants, and later, as a teacher in CPS, was very involved with the teachers’ union. In the late ‘70s, she became very active in opposing the construction of the Zimmer Nuclear Plant on the Ohio River, which prompted her move to Washington, D.C. to work on national nuclear energy issues. Back to Cincinnati in 1984, Meier befriended many of the activists she had met earlier at UC or through the local community. They included buddy gray and Bonnie Neumeier of the Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement, as well as Reverend Maurice McCrackin, a civil rights activist and pastor of Community Church in the West End. Diana Porter, a friend and fellow teacher’s union activist, had cofounded a new women’s choir, MUSE, which Paulette joined. With her new passion for political folk songs, she and some friends started a Cincinnati chapter of the People’s Music Network, sponsoring monthly song gatherings in different homes to share and teach songs with social justice themes. With Ginny Frazier, a fellow MUSE member whom she had met earlier campaigning against nuclear power, Meier began performing in coffee houses, rallies for the homeless and refugees, at peace demonstrations, labor, the environment, and women’s rights events. In 1991 they produced a recording: Ginny and Paulette: Harmony for Social Justice, which included many of their songs among which “The Power Shuffle,” they had written to Paulette Meier singing at SOS Art 2011. Photo by Bill Howes protest the 1st Gulf War. It was sung with gusto at many local demonstrations: “We put the teachers in, we take the missiles out… we march and sing and shout. We do the power shuffle, we turn this world around and that’s what it’s all about!” One of the first songs Paulette wrote in 1989, “Green Bins,” was actually used by “Keep Cincinnati Beautiful” to promote the city’s new recycling program. She also wrote songs in opposition to the death penalty, and sang them at many protests and vigils. “No Killing in My Name” is a call to stop state sponsored murders, and “Born to Love” is a plea in compassion with families of murdered victims. In 2004, she wrote “It’s the Race to the Bottom”, a song about privatizing government jobs. Meier recently added a verse to this song about teachers, in opposition to Ohio’s Senate Bill 5 which is aimed at limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees. Its chorus sings: “It’s the race to the bottom (3x) Where they’re cuttin’ public service while their private profits rise.” An area of concern for Paulette is the emotional health of children, that she sees directly related to peace in the world. In 1989 she began working in the field of social-emotional learning and focused on it for over 20 years, including many years as a trainer in peace education. She started writing songs to augment her lessons, and in 2002, released a CD, Come Join the Circle: LessonSongs for Peacemaking. The album received national acclaim and several awards and is now used in classrooms all around the country. Paulette would like to do another CD for children, to include songs she’s written about media violence (“Cool to be Cruel?”), compassion and understanding (“Don’t Judge Them”), and healing past hurts (“Triggered”). A more recent musical endeavor for Paulette relates to her spiritual path. About ten years ago, she began attending Quaker meetings and learning about the Religious Society of Friends. “The Quaker faith emphasizes spiritual experience instead of dogma,” she says. “Still solidly rooted in the wisdom of Jesus, it integrates an inward seeking spiritual practice with an outward movement towards peace and compassion in the world. I also appreciate the equal role women had in spiritual leadership since its beginnings.” In 2004, Paulette was awarded an Artist in Residence scholarship for a year at Pendle Hill in Philadelphia, where she studied Quaker theology. She recently released, with Quaker Press, Timeless Quaker Wisdom in Plainsong, a CD of 21 quotations from 17th century Quaker leaders, she set to music and sings a cappella. “I would like my art to raise awareness of the inherent goodness that every child is born with and what we do that helps that goodness shine or get shadowed over,” says Meier; “also to open hearts and build empathy for those who are oppressed. I want my songs to inspire listeners to see things more clearly, and to take action, no matter how small, to support this planet in all its beauty.” Throughout her life, Meier has worked towards all these goals and her voice has always been as lucid and strong as her beautiful “lessonsongs for peacemaking and understanding”. (www.lessonsongs.com) “Don’t Judge Them” (Verse and Chorus) Song by Paulette Meier “Maria’s gettin’ mean with the girls at school, ‘cause no one wants to be her friend. She’s in everybody’s business and acts like she’s in charge of them. If they knew about her life at home, they’d see how she got this way. She’s the oldest of six with a single mom, She doesn’t really know how to play. So don’t judge her; she may be doing the best that she can. Yeah, let’s not judge her, though she may need a helping hand. Don’t judge her, when we don’t know where she’s been. Yeah, let’s not judge her, If we’ve never been in her skin.” Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource June 24-July 8, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Clemency Granted Northside Community Seeks Justice for Shooting of Local Musician Pg 2: Murder is Okay? Pg 3: Distributor Program Pg 4: Clemency Granted Pg 5: Affordable Housing Going Green? Chanting for Jobs, Not Jails Pg 6: Northside Seeks Justice Pg 7: A Little bit of heaven City Says Yes! Pg 8: Recipe Pg 9: Community Happenings Pg 10: Mark Twain was Right Pg 11: Graphic Voice Pg 12: A Day in the Life Distributing Hope & Good News Pg 13: Intern-nal thoughts on the Death Penalty Pg 14: Meetup: Paul Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: LessonSongs for Peacemaking and Understanding Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 24-July 8, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Susan Lakes Riccardo Taylor Della Woolens Rubye Goode Georgia Bohannon Stephen Gentry Willa Denise Jones Saad Ghosn Jim Luken Lee Mccoy Bill Howes Paul Davis Aimie Willhoite Jesse Call J.P. Dean Mark Grauhuis Alisa Balestra Harrison Lott Corey Luthringer Brittany Fong Terique Scott Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF ¬¬¬Catie Dargue affordable housing Aimie Willhoite Alisa Balestra Bill Howes Brittany Fong Cincinnati Clemency Corey Luthringer Death Penalty Della Woolens Georgia Bohannon Harrison Lott J.P. Dean Jeni Jenkins Jesse Call Jim Luken Josh Spring Lee McCoy Mark Grauhuis Mark Twain Music Northside Paul Davis Protests Riccardo Taylor Riots Rubye Goode Saad Ghosn Stephen Gentry Susan Lakes Terique Scott Willa Denise Jones