Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

April 30 is the deadline for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, named after IWMFCourage in Journalism Award winner and Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003. The 2011-2012 Neuffer Fellow was Jackee Batanda from Uganda.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the goal of the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship? 2. Who is eligible to apply for the fellowship? 3. Where will the fellowship take place? 4. How many fellows will be selected? 5. How will the fellow be selected? 6. When will the selected fellow be notified? 7. When does the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship program begin? 8. What expenses will be covered by the fellowship? 9. Will family members be able to accompany the fellow? 10. How do I apply? 11. What is the application deadline? 1. What is the goal of the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship? The goal of the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship is to provide a woman journalist with a transformative experience that will impact her career by offering her the opportunity to conduct research at leading academic institutions and build journalistic skills. The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship seeks to impact public awareness of human rights journalism by encouraging dialogue and discussion about critical human rights issues. 2. Who is eligible to apply for the fellowship? The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship is open to women journalists worldwide whose work focuses on human rights and social justice. Journalists working in the print, broadcast and Internet media, including freelancers, are eligible to apply. Applicants must have a minimum of three years of experience in journalism. Non-native English speakers must also have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program. 3. Where will the fellowship take place? Each fellowship will be tailored specifically to the recipient. Working with the IWMF, the fellow will design a program that will enable her to pursue academic research while improving her ability to cover human rights and social justice by increasing her journalistic skills. The fellow will be based at the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a research associate during the research component of the fellowship. During the journalism portion of the fellowship, she may spend time at the Boston Globe, The New York Times, and other media outlets. 4. How many fellows will be selected? One journalist will be selected for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship each year. 5. How will the fellow be selected? The fellow will be selected by a committee made up of family and friends of Elizabeth Neuffer and IWMF Advisory Council members. Candidates will be judged on their completed applications, the caliber and promise of their work on human rights and social justice, and their personal statements explaining how the fellowship would be a transformative experience. Finalists for the fellowship may be interviewed by the IWMF. 6. When will the selected fellow be notified? All applicants will be notified about the committee’s selection by June 15, 2012. 7. When does the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship program begin? The seven-month program will begin in September 2012 and conclude in March 2013. The program will include both an orientation session at the start of the fellowship and a wrap-up at the end. The fellow must complete the entire program. 8. What expenses will be covered during the course of the fellowship? A fixed stipend will be provided to cover housing, meals and ground transportation during the fellowship. Round-trip economy airfare will be covered from the fellow's home country or city to Washington, D.C., and from Washington, D.C., to the fellowship city. The fellow will also receive health insurance during the program. The fellowship does not provide salary or honoraria. For fellows from outside of the United States, the fellowship also covers the costs of applying for and obtaining a U.S. visa. The fellow will be fully responsible for any additional incidental expenses and other costs. 9. Will family members be able to accompany the fellow? Family members are welcomed to accompany the fellow; however, IWMF will not be responsible for any arrangements or expenses related to family members, including support of visa applications. 10. How do I apply? The following items constitute a completed application: • Completed application form (including signature and date) • Two completed recommendation forms • English assessment form (for non-native English speakers only) • Current resume or CV • Three work samples   Applications should be submitted electronically to neuffer@iwmf.org. Electronic submission is strongly preferred.  If it is not possible to submit your application electronically, it can be submitted by mail, either regular post or international courier, to: Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship International Women's Media Foundation 1625 K Street, NW, Suite 1275 Washington, D.C. 20006 USA 11. What is the application deadline? Completed applications must be received by the IWMF on or before April 30, 2012. Incomplete applications and applications that arrive after the due date will not be considered. Questions Contact us at neuffer[at]iwmf.org.

Call for applications:

4th FEMWRITE

regional women writers'

residence (Africa)

Deadline: 30 April 2012

Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE) calls for submissions for her 4th Regional Women Writers Residence to be held in November 2012. This is an inspiring initiative that brings together upcoming African women writers. The main objectives of the residency are:

• To bring established writers to mentor upcoming African women writers

• To give upcoming Ugandan women writers the opportunity to interact with women writers from the continent

• To give African women writers conducive space and time pursue their writing projects

• To create opportunities for inter-cultural discourse among women writers

• To strengthen collaboration among women writers’ initiatives in Africa

• To generate short stories for publication in an anthology

At the end of the residence, we expect the writers to have:

• had mentoring sessions with an established writer

• improved at least one of their writing projects

• enriched each other’s manuscripts through discussion

• submitted their improved short story for the residency anthology

How to apply

Interested women are required to submit;

• Part of a novel / short Story collection in WORD document (40 pages, typed in Times New Roman, font 12, 1.5 spacing).

• A short story for publication in the residency anthology

• A brief bio (not more than 10 lines)

This call is open to African women living on the continent. Writers already attached to writers groups in their countries are encouraged to apply.

Please Note:

1. All applicants will receive notification by email once their manuscripts are received.

2. The Residency targets 15 writers

3. The Residency will last two weeks in November 2012

4. Successful applicants will be notified by 30th August 2012.

5. Successful published applicants will be kindly requested to donate copies of their works to the FEMRITE Resource Centre

6. Applicants should not have published more than one book.

7. FEMRITE will solicit support to meet costs of travel, accommodation, & meals.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@femriteug.org

For submissions: info@femriteug.org

Website: http://www.femriteug.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle School Chess Team

Wins National High School

Championship

 

 

April 16, 2012, 10:15 p.m.

By Theodoric Meyer

4:37 p.m. | Updated The chess team at Intermediate School 318 Eugenia Maria de Hostos in Williamsburg, a perennial powerhouse that has won so many championships that its coach can’t remember the number, managed to top its already-impressive record on Sunday by winning the National High School Championships.

The team’s victory is the chess-world equivalent of a scenario that was frequently tossed around by college basketball pundits several weeks ago: that the University of Kentucky Wildcats might be so good they could beat the Toronto Raptors or another of the worst N.B.A. teams. If anything, I.S. 318’s victory is even more impressive: they beat the best high school teams in the country.

“This is the greatest achievement we’ve ever had, and probably ever will have,” John Galvin, one of the coaches, said in a telephone interview from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The victory might be a first for a middle school chess team.

Bill Hall, the executive director of the United States Chess Federation, which organized the championships, said he had never heard of a middle school winning the high school championships. “To my knowledge, it has never happened before,” he said.

Officially, I.S. 318 and Hunter College High School are co-champions. They tied for first place, but I.S. 318 was able to take home the first place trophy because its team had better tie-breaker scores.

To achieve the co-championship, I.S. 318 beat several other city chess teams this weekend, including Stuyvesant High School and Edward R. Murrow High School.

The I.S. 318 team has won at least two dozen national championships of various types in the last 12 years, Mr. Galvin said. Two team members — Justus Williams and James Black, both 13 — are rated as masters. And the team is the subject of a new documentary, “Brooklyn Castle,” which had its debut last month at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where it won the audience award.

Isaac Barayev, 13, an eighth grader who lives in Forest Hills, Queens, said he and his 17 teammates were ecstatic when they found out they won Sunday evening.

“We were very excited,” said Isaac, who learned chess from his grandfather and has competed in tournaments since the third grade. “We were jumping up and down. It was crazy.”

But he said the victory had not surprised him. “We knew we had to win this,” he said. “This was our last year for the eighth graders. We wanted it a lot.”

After they collected their award on Sunday evening, Mr. Galvin and the team hopped in cabs to catch a 9 p.m. screening of “Brooklyn Castle,” which happened to be showing at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival across town. It was the first time many of them had seen it.

“They were on a total high,” said Katie Dellamaggiore, the director, who helped to arrange the screening. “They came straight from the tournament to the film festival theater.”

“Brooklyn Castle,” which Ms. Dellamaggiore said she hoped would be released in the fall, examines I.S. 318’s chess culture. (About half the school’s 1,600 students take chess classes, said Leander Windley, the school’s principal.)

“The chess geeks are the heroes of the school,” Ms. Dellamaggiore said. “It’s cool to be really smart; it’s cool to be into chess.”

The film also looks at the challenges I.S. 318’s longtime principal, Fortunato Rubino, known as Fred, who died suddenly earlier this month, faced in maintaining the team through a time of budget cuts. A $25,000 grant from the Brooklyn Navy Yard Cogeneration power plant helped pay for this year’s travel, Mr. Galvin said.

The team will travel to San Diego next week for the National Junior High Championships, he added, but the contest may be less exciting for the team than in years past. “It’s almost anticlimactic at this point because we’ve already won the high school championships,” he said.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this post had the incorrect spelling of Isaac Barayev’s name. It has also been updated to better explain its co-championship status with Hunter College High School.

Theodoric Meyer is a student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a SchoolBook intern. Follow him on Twitter @theodoricmeyer.

Stand Your Ground

Marissa Alexander

Marissa Alexander faces 20 years in prison for Standing Her Ground. Her husband beat her while she was pregnant. After yet another beating, Alexander fired a warning shot into the ceiling. That shot saved her life. Prosecutor Angela Corey did not take into account that Marissa Alexander: Had a court injunction against her crazed husband,Had Given Birth 9 Days Earlier,Was trained to use a weapon and earned a concealed weapons permit.

 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

In The State Of Florida

- Marissa Alexander Had A Gun Permit,

Stood Her Ground, Did Not Shoot Or Kill Anyone

and Faces 20 Years In Prison

 

Lincoln B. Alexander Jr on behalf of Marissa Alexander

Case No: 2010-CF-8579

Division: CR-G

 

April 3, 2012

 

Dear Supporters:

 

On August 1 2010, my premature baby girl, born nine days earlier, was in the Baptist South N.I.C.U. fighting for her life and I would too be fighting for my life in my own home against an attack from my husband.

My name is Marissa Alexander, I am a mother of three children, but at the present time, I am not able to be with them due to the following circumstances.  I am currently sitting in the Pretrial Detention Facility in Jacksonville FL, Duval County awaiting a sentence for three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with no intent to harm.  Before my life changed drastically on that August afternoon, I was in the perilous position of leaving an abusive relationship with my husband who has history of violence and documented domestic abuse towards women.  Our history included one which required me to place an injunction for protection against violence and was active during the month of August 2010.

In an unprovoked jealous rage, my husband violently confronted me while using the restroom.  He assaulted me, shoving, strangling and holding me against my will, preventing me from fleeing all while I begged for him to leave.  After a minute or two of trying to escape, I was able to make it to the garage where my truck was parked, but in my haste to leave I realized my keys were missing.  I tried to open the garage but there was a mechanical failure. I was unable to leave, trapped in the dark with no way out.  For protection against further assault I retrieved my weapon; which is registered and I have a concealed weapon permit.  Trapped, no phone, I entered back into my home to either leave through another exit or obtain my cell phone.

He and my two stepsons were supposed to be exiting the house thru the front door, but he didn’t leave.  Instead he came into the kitchen that leads to the garage and realized I was unable to leave.  Instead of leaving thru the front door where his vehicle was parked outside of the garage, he came into the kitchen by himself.  I was terrified from the first encounter and feared he came to do as he had threatened.  The weapon was in my right hand down by my side and he yelled, “Bitch I will kill you!”, and charged toward me.  In fear and desperate attempt, I lifted my weapon up, turned away and discharged a single shot in the wall up in the ceiling.  As I stood my ground it prevented him from doing what he threatened and he ran out of the home.  Outside of the home, he contacted the police and falsely reported that I shot at him and his sons.  The police arrived and I was taken into custody.

I was devastated and would continue to be for months following the incident.  I had to appear in court all the way up until trial as I plead not guilty and know that I acted in self-defense.  I believe my actions saved my life or prevented further harm, but preserved that of my husband who was completely irrational, extremely violent, and unpredictable that day.

Florida has a self-defense law and it includes the right to stand your ground.  Below are the facts of my concern with the incorrect way the law was applied and ultimately the injustice in my case.

·        The alleged victim, my husband, under sworn statement in November 2010, admitted he was the aggressor, threatened my life and was so enraged he didn’t know what he would do.

·        The alleged victim, my husband, was arrested for domestic violence two times, once for abuse against me.  The attack against me was so violent; I ended up in the hospital.

·        Prior to my arrest, I told the office I was in fear for my life due to the prior violence against me.  I also told the officer there was a domestic injunction in place to protect me against abuse from the alleged victim.  This information was written in detail by the officer in my arrest report, but ignored for some unknown reason.

·        In July of 2011, a hearing was held, where I along with the alleged victims testified as it relates to the stand your ground law and its immunity from prosecution.

·        After the hearing, Judge Elizabeth Senterfitt denied my motion, citing that I could have exited the house thru the master bedroom window, front door, and/or sliding glass back door.  The law specifically states: No duty to retreat.

·        My attorney entered a standing objection on the record to the ruling and we proceeded to trial.

·        During that time, Angela Corey, our State Attorney met with the alleged victims.  I also along with my attorney met with Angela Corey, John Guy, and then prosecutor Christen Luikart.  I justified my actions to them and the truth as I have told it has remained the same.

·        Knowing our prior domestic abuse history, Angela Corey was hard pressed for the minimum mandatory, which provisions allow for prosecution to wave those stipulations.  I was not guilty, nor did I believe that was fair and just under the circumstances.  She also allowed for those same provisions in the State vs. Vonda Parker, same charges different circumstances which did not include self-defense.

·        Florida uses a law commonly known as 10-20-life as a sentencing guideline when a felony takes place with the use of a weapon.  Under this statute, my felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to harm carries a twenty year mandatory sentence.

·        Stand your ground law has been applied in multiple recent incidents, the following is just a couple of incidents.  Carl Kroppman Jr was allowed to use this law to avoid being arrested/charged during a road rage incident on the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville, FL in August of 2011.  Marqualle Woolbright of Ocala, FL avoided murder charges due to the stand your ground law when he shoot and killed someone.

I am a law abiding citizen and I take great pride in my liberty, rights, and privileges as one.  I have vehemently proclaimed my innocence and my actions that day.  The enigma I face since that fateful day I was charged through trial, does the law cover and apply to me too?

A step further and more importantly is in light of recent news, is justice for all include everyone, regardless of gender, race or aristocratic dichotomies.  I simply want my story heard, reviewed and the egregious way in which my case was handled from start to finish serve as an eye opener for all and especially those responsible for upholding judicial affairs.

The threat that day was very real, imminent, and the battery on me occurred minutes before the decision I made to protect myself.  That decision was a last resort, necessary and a reaction to the continued threat on my life.  I am a believer that grace allowed for my response to be carried out in a non-lethal manner.  This prevented the imminent threat and harm a non-fatal tactic, but not against an unknown attacker, rather my very own husband.  That was by far the most difficult position to be in nine days after giving birth to a six week premature infant.  My heart goes out for my two stepsons and always has had a hurt and sincere empathy for them being subjected innocently to that trauma.

 

The law states that I was justified in standing my ground and meeting force with force up to including deadly force, but political views and concerns states otherwise in the 4^th circuit court.

So my last questions and valid concerns are what was I supposed to do that day and the stand your ground law who is it for?

 

Sincerely,

Lincoln B. Alexander Jr on behalf of Marissa Alexander

 

Posted by Marissa Alexander

 

40 Years in

Solitary Confinement:

Two Members of Angola 3

Remain in Isolation

in Louisiana Prison

Herman Wallace, Robert King and Albert Woodfox in 2008, during a rare break from solitary

It’s been 40 years to the day — since April 17, 1972, or 14,600 days ago — that Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox have been held in solitary confinement in Louisiana. The state says they were guilty of murdering a guard at Angola Prison, but Wallace, Woodfox and their network of supporters say they were framed for their political activism as members of the Black Panthers. Woodfox and Wallace founded the Angola chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1971. A third prisoner, Robert King, joined them a year later. The three campaigned for better working conditions and racial solidarity between inmates, as well as an end to rape and sexual slavery. Today, to mark the 40th anniversary of their placement in solitary confinement, Amnesty USA says it will deliver a petition to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal that bears the signatures of tens of thousands of people from 125 countries. We speak to Robert King, who was released in 2001 when his conviction was overturned and he pleaded guilty to a lesser offense. "We want the state of Louisiana and we want the world to know that we are still focusing on this case. This is a total violation of human rights and civil rights," King says. "And it is ongoing." [includes rush transcript]

Links

• Angola 3 Website
• Herman's House Film
• Amnesty International on Angola 3

Rush Transcript

This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.Donate >

Transcript

Guests:

Robert King, the only freed member of the Angola 3. He spent 29 years in solitary confinement for a murder he did not commit. He was released in 2001 after his conviction was overturned.

Everette Thompson, the Southern regional director with Amnesty International USA.

AMY GOODMAN: It won’t receive much attention in the corporate media, but today marks a four-decade milestone that critics see as a national shame. It’s been 40 years to the day, April 17th, 1972, or 14,600 days ago, that Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox have been held in solitary confinement in Louisiana. The state says they were guilty of murdering a guard at Angola Prison, but Wallace, Woodfox and their network of supporters say they were framed for their political activism as members of the Black Panthers.

Woodfox and Wallace founded the Angola chapter of the Black Panther Party in ’71. A third prisoner, Robert King, joined them a year later. The three campaigned for better working conditions and racial solidarity between inmates, as well as an end to rape and sexual slavery. But their organizing came to a halt after all three were charged and found guilty of committing murders inside the prison. King was held for 29 years in solitary confinement after prison officials framed him for a different murder. He was finally released in 2001 when his conviction was overturned. He pleaded guilty to a lesser offense. Woodfox and Wallace remain behind bars to this day, despite no physical evidence tying them to the crime scene and accusations that prison guards coerced incriminating testimony from other prisoners.

This is how Amnesty International describes their imprisonment in solitary confinement: quote, "23 hours a day isolated in a small cell, four steps long, three steps across. Three times a week for exercise in an outdoor cage, weather permitting. A few hours every week to shower or simply walk. Rare, fleeting human contact with prison guards, let alone with family. No human being deserves this," Amnesty wrote.

In recent years, Woodfox has won appeals overturning his conviction, only to see those rulings reversed. But the struggle for justice in the Angola 3 case continues. Today, to mark this 40-year anniversary of their placement in solitary confinement, Amnesty International says it will deliver a petition to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal that bears the signatures of tens of thousands of people from 125 countries.

We’re going right now to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where we’re joined by two guests. Robert King, the only freed member of the Angola 3, he was released in 2001. He had spent 31 years in prison, 29 in solitary confinement. And we’re joined by Everette Thompson, Southern regional director with Amnesty International USA. They’re joining us from the studios of Louisiana Public Broadcasting in Baton Rouge.

We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Robert King, the significance of this day, in solitary for 40 years today?

ROBERT KING: Yes. Thank you, Amy. We’re proud to be here. Thanks for having us.

And, yes, this day, April the 17, mark 40 years in which Albert and Herman has been held in Louisiana State Prison at Angola in solitary confinement in a cell, six by nine by 12, for 40 years. And beyond today, we’ll be counting. And so, this day mark—it’s significant, because it’s 40 years, and we want the state of Louisiana and we want the world to know that we are still focusing on this case. This is a total violation of human rights and civil rights, and it is ongoing. And we are commemorating this, and we want to make sure that, again, that the public officials here understand that we’ll continue to make sure that this case stays out—

AMY GOODMAN: I want to—

ROBERT KING: —in front of the public, because public opinion matters.

AMY GOODMAN: I want to go to an excerpt of Herman Wallace speaking in a recording he made by telephone describing his prison cell.

HERMAN WALLACE: You know, where we stay, we’re usually in the cell for 23 hours, you know, and an hour out. I’m not "out." I may come out of the hole here, but I’m still locked up on that unit. I’m locked up. I can’t get around that. Anywhere I go, I have to be in chains. I mean, chains has become a part of my—my existence. And that’s one of the things that, you know, I think people have to fully understand. But understanding it is one thing, but experiencing it is quite another.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Herman Wallace, in solitary confinement today for 40 years. Everette Thompson, why is Amnesty International involved with this case?

EVERETTE THOMPSON: Yeah, thank you again, Amy Goodman, for inviting us here, and it’s truly an honor to be here for Angola 3 to lift up human rights.

Amnesty International believes that solitary confinement should only be used in the most extreme cases. And when we look at Albert and Herman, they have spent over 14,500 days in solitary confinement—four decades. Truly, this is cruel, this is inhumane, and this is degrading. This is not uplifting human rights of any person. And we believe that human rights is—you know, is for everyone. It doesn’t end if you’re in prison. It doesn’t end if you’re on a playground. But everywhere you exist, your human rights should be carried with you. This is a true violation of their human rights.

AMY GOODMAN: Robert King, explain how you came to be known as the Angola 3. You’re the only one of the three who is out of prison right now.

ROBERT KING: Yes. Well, we became known as the Angola 3 actually because of a former comrade and friend, Malik Rahim. He was a former member of the Black Panther Party who remembered that, after three decades, we were still in prison. And so, what he did was form a group. He went to some former Panthers and activists and decided to form a support group. And from the support group, the name derived. We were connected, because we were all members of the Black Panther Party. We did not have the same charges. We went to prison on different charges.

And after we got the support and after, you know, people came on board, they decided that we would be known as the Angola 3, because it was designated by the state officials that we would be held in solitary confinement throughout our period in Angola. If that meant the rest of our life, so be it. And because of this and the group felt that Angola tabbed us—they dubbed us, because of our belief, because of our political belief. And as you pointed out, Herman and Albert and other folks recognized the violation of human rights in prison, and they were trying to achieve a better prison and living conditions. And as a result of that, they were targeted. But we became known as a result of—we didn’t name ourselves, and we did not have the—we weren’t charged, we did not go to court at the same time, but we were dubbed, you know, Angola 3. The name stuck, and—

AMY GOODMAN: Well, Robert, while they are in solitary confinement now for 40 years, you were in solitary confinement for almost 30, for 29 years. Describe that experience. What does that mean?

ROBERT KING: Well, I can tell you, Amy, as I’ve described in former writings and—being in solitary confinement is not—is not easy. If the soul cry, if you could hear the soul cry, you know, if you’re in that type of condition, you can feel it. You can hear the soul cry, or know literal tears. You’re in a position and a condition, circumstances that you will never be released from. And like Herman described, everywhere you go, you’re bound, you’re in chains, you’re in a cell, six by nine by 12. There is not much—there’s not much room. You have to become acclimated to short distances. And, you know, there are lots of things, you know, thoughts that you can have, because you have lots of time. And I think your thoughts are the thoughts about your condition, about all that you have. They don’t have much other accommodation in prison, because the bare minimum, the necessities, you don’t have that.

AMY GOODMAN: Everette Thompson, does Amnesty International consider the Angola 2 now, because Robert King is out, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, political prisoners?

EVERETTE THOMPSON: We consider—we consider Angola 3 and Angola 2 as individual at risk. We are very—we’re deeply concerned with everything that is happening to them, particularly their violation of human rights and the use of solitary confinement in their case. We have continued to monitor this case for years. They have been a part of the Amnesty International case dossiers for a long time. And we are committed to fighting for justice in this case and to make sure that Albert and Herman are released from solitary confinement and that Governor Jindal continue to look at this and examine what is happening in their case and be on the right side of justice.

AMY GOODMAN: What is the rationale for them being in solitary confinement for 40 years?

ROBERT KING: Actually, Amy, there is really no rationale. I think the rationale comes with the attorney general, the state’s attorney general. As has been pointed out and you must know, that this case has been—Albert Woodfox’s case has been overturned twice. Herman Wallace’s case has been recommended to be overturned twice. There are judges that have—state judges that have overturned Herman’s case. There is no rationale for being held in solitary confinement. Of course, the warden of the state of Louisiana, Angola State Prison, has asserted on many occasions, in deposition, to quote, that Albert Woodfox is allegedly "one of the most dangerous men in the world." Of course, Albert Woodfox has been in solitary confinement for 40 years now. The write-ups are minimum. The last time Albert Woodfox had a write-up probably was 25 years ago, if that. Or no disciplinary records at all, is exemplary. And yet and still, they’re still being held in solitary-like conditions in prison. And there is no rationale, no logical rationale, no logical or penological reason why they should be held in solitary confinement—or, for that matter, in prison. This is a double whammy. We are dealing with a double whammy here. We are not just focusing on Herman’s and Albert’s civil or human rights violation, but there is question also as to whether or not they committed this crime. All the evidence has been undermined in this case. And they are still being held, you know, irrationally, in solitary confinement.

AMY GOODMAN: To coincide—

EVERETTE THOMPSON: And I’d like to add, I mean, even—even with Herman and Albert, in 1996, Louisiana did prison policy reform, and it stated that there—that you can no longer use the original cause for lockdown as a way to keep people in solitary confinement. What we have noticed with Albert and in Herman’s case, that each time they come up for review to released from solitary confinement, they get stamped right back. They cannot be released from solitary confinement, because of original cause of lockdown. And that is a violation of their own policy that Louisiana has actually implemented, never mind the fact that this violates international covenant on civil and political rights as well as the U.N. Convention Against Torture. This is a clear, a grave abuse of human rights, and happening with Albert and Herman right now.

AMY GOODMAN: To coincide with the 40th anniversary, a new documentary is being released on the Angola 3 called Herman’s House. It’s based on phone conversations with Herman Wallace documenting and reflecting on his life in solitary confinement. In this clip, he works with a group of architects to draw up plans for a house for him to live in, only in his mind. This is Herman Wallace describing that house.

HERMAN WALLACE: Jackie, in your letter, you asked me, what sort of house does a man who lives in a six-foot-by-nine-foot cell dream of? In the front of the house, I have three squares of gardens. The gardens are the easiest for me to imagine, and I can see they would be certain to be full of gardenias, carnations and tulips. This is of the utmost importance. I would like for guests to be able to smile and walk through flowers all year long. On the wall shared with the kitchen is the wall of revolutionary fame. I would like to see three to five portraits with these revolutionaries, such as Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, John Brown and, of course, Harriet Tubman. Into the upstairs master bedroom, there is a king-size bed, African art and mirrored ceilings. There is a door leading from the master bedroom to the master bathroom, with a six-foot-by-nine-foot hot tub. The cell I presently live in is but six feet by eight feet.

AMY GOODMAN: That was Herman Wallace, a new documentary about the Angola 3. I want to thank Everette Thompson of Amnesty International USA and Robert King for joining us from Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox have been in solitary confinement today, April 17th, for 40 years.

This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we will talk about the trial of the anti-Muslim extremist in Norway who killed 77 people last summer. We’ll speak with Norwegian peace activist, peace scholar, Johan Galtung. Stay with us.

SNCC's legacy:

A civil rights history

Swedish minister causes stir

over cutting a cake depicting

a naked black woman

 

Minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth cuts cake depicting a black woman: Photo, Facebook

The National Association of Afro-Swedes calls for the resignation of Culture Minister Lena Adelsohn Roth. At the celebration of World Art Day April 15 she cut up a cake portraying a naked black woman. According to the association, she participated in a "tasteless racist manifestation."

According to Afro Swedes' Association the cake represented a racist caricature of a black woman. According to the Modern Museum, the intention was to problematise female circumcision.

To say that you did this with good intention only amplifies the mockery of people who suffer from racism and against women who are victims of circumcision, says Kitimbwa Sabuni, who is spokesperson for The National Association of Afro-Swedes.

One cannot see how it benefits those people to degrade them in this way with racist caricatures in this kind of mocking spectacle, says Kitimbwa Sabuni.

The National Association of Afro-Swedes demands that the Culture Minister resigns.The confidence for her is exhausted. It is such a serious infraction. She as a minister must have sense and must be able to say enough is enough and not participate in this as a representative of the Swedish Government, he said.

We will seek clarification from the Prime Minister, says Kitimbwa Sabuni.

Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth understands the reactions. I understand very well that this provokes, and it was a very bizarre situation. I was invited to speak at World Art Day on artistic freedom and the right to provoke. And then they wanted me to cut up a cake first, she said.

The National Association of Afro-Swedes believes it was a racist caricature of the woman. If so, then they have to turn to the artist, I do not review art, but I can very well understand that the whole situation can be misinterpreted.

The Swedish paper Espressen asked the Minister why she still cut the cake? "In any case, everyone did, but it was perhaps a bit of a shocking situation and that was also what the artist wanted to achieve I suppose. He claims that it challenges a romantic and exotifying approach from the West at what is really about violence and racism. That's what I have learned about the artwork afterwards. The art must be allowed to be provocative," says Adelsohn Roth. (source Urbanlife)

Response of the artist Makode Linde

The artist Makode Linde, who is black,  believes that Afro Swedes National Association misunderstood his artwork, which he regrets, according to Expressen

Makode Linde is known for in his art, which is based on racism, xenophobia and slavery. The cake, which was part of his work, was to make a Western perception of Africa in contrast to the real picture of slavery and oppression. He also stresses that the main purpose of the cake was not to depict mutilation.

Sanza, thanks for the tip!

 

Ed Bland’s Avant-Garde

National

US Film Registry-Preserved

“The Cry Of Jazz”

Features by Tambay | April 16, 2012

 

One of the 25 films to be inducted for preservation in the 2010 National Film Registry of the Library of Congress (Spike Lee's Malcolm X was on the short list that year), the experimental film titled The Cry Of Jazz - a fascinating 34-minute critical analysis of Jazz music, directed by Ed Bland (an African American) - his only film.

He went on to a career as a composer, arranger, and producer for the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, and on films like A Raisin In The Sun, Ganja And Hess, and The Cool World.

Shot on 16mm black-and-white, on really no budget, with a volunteer cast and crew, the film is essentially a thesis on the structural correlation between black life in America and jazz music.

Indeed, Bland wrote a book on the matter, titled, The Fruits of the Death of Jazz, and the characters in the film serve as mouthpieces for his declarations, which must have been startling at the time the film was made, in 1959.

In watching the film, I immediately thought of another title that would have been just as alarming in its day - John Cassavetes' Shadows (also made in 1959 by the way). Both films were at the forefront of the then American cinema avant-garde; although Bland's film doesn't seem to have enjoyed the same kind of repertory status as Cassavetes' seminal work.

At the center of The Cry Of Jazz is a debate between black intellectuals and white jazz fans in some unknown living space, on the history of jazz as the story of the "fantastic ingenuity of the Negro in America."

Music is provided by Sun Ra and his Arkestra, who are seen and heard performing while in their prime.

The film is available for sale on Amazon.com for about $15. But I found the entire piece on YouTube, which I embedded below, split into 4 parts, so watch it now:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Sentinel Literary Quarterly

Poetry Competition (April 2012)

Nigerian Entrants

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Sentinel_Nigeria

Entry Guidelines for writers in Nigeria

About the competition: The Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition has been held every 3 months since July 2009 for previously unpublished poems in English Language on any subject in any style up to 50 lines long (Excluding title). Poems entered must not have been accepted or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and must not be simultaneously entered into another poetry competition. The poems must also not have been posted to any publicly accessible website or blog. Entries from Nigeria will go into the general pool with entries from every other part of the world.

Prizes: N39,750.00 (£150.00) First Prize, N19,875.00 (£75.00) Second Prize, N13,250.00 (£50.00) Third Prize, N2,650.00 (£10.00) x 3 High Commendation. All winning and commended poems also receive publication in Sentinel Champions magazine in print and eBook formats.

Entry Fees: 1 poem N795.00 (£3.00), 2 poems N1,590.00 (£6.00), 3 poems N2,385.00 (£9.00), 4 poems N2,915.00 (£11.00), and 5 poems N3,180.00. You may enter as many poems as you wish.

Closing Date: 5-April-2012

Results due: 30-April-2012 announced in Sentinel Literary Quarterly www.sentinelquarterly.com/competitions

Judge: Miles Cain – author of The Border.

How to Enter

1. Go to any Mainstreet Bank, formerly Afribank and pay the applicable entry fee as stated above. Enter as many poems as you wish. Payment in favour of SKOONEF BUSINESS LTD. A/C Number 0032868337628. In the Depositor’s Name field, write your name followed in brackets by SLQPOE0412. e.g. Depositor’s Name: Naija Poet (SLQPOE0412).

2. Send your poem or poems, together with your Cover Note stating your name, postal address, email address, telephone number and title(s) of your poem(s) as Word or rtf attachments to competitions@sentinelpoetry.org.uk Please note: Your name or any other identifying mark must not appear on the poem. If you are unable to attach your work, please type them in the body of the e-mail. In the subject line of your e-mail please type: SLQ POETRY APRIL 2012 (SKF)

3. Entries must reach us before midnight 5th April, 2012

 

PLEASE NOTE: The entry fees and prizes are based on a fixed exchange rate of N265 to £1.00 and will be maintained whether rates rise or fall. This makes it easy for entrants and Sentinel.