tchallmedia-blog

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DC Trans Power Drops Banner During Rush Hour Traffic to Raise Awareness of Violence Faced by Trans Community | August 21st, 2015 | Washington, DC

Washington, DC — Friday, August 21st, 2015 — DC Trans Power – a collective of transgender activists and their allies – gathered in DuPont Circle this morning during rush hour to bring attention to the recent spate of violence against transgender individuals. Just this year, there have been 20 reported murders of transgender people, the majority of which have been black trans women. In addition, there have been numerous cases of trans people being driven by harassment into committing suicide. In order to raise awareness about these and other issues faced by the transgender community, activists dropped a banner proclaiming “Stop Killing Us; Trans People Demand Respect”.

“There is a war against transgender bodies”, says DC Trans Power organizer Jes Grobman (they/them pronouns). “We are killed off left and right and misgendered in death. Society tells us that our lives are worthless. We are here to stand up and demand that our voices be heard”.

“There is a lot of talk of solidarity with the trans community, but now is the time that people must show it”, says Peace House DC and Zulu Nation activist and artist Sima Lee (she/her pronouns). “We are going to keep coming back until trans people can live without fear of death for being who they are.”

#DCTransPower

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Upstream from the Hoover Dam | January 24th, 2015 | Clark County, NV

Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives. The dam was controversially named after President Herbert Hoover.

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PR7X LIVE II (Pirate Radio Live Broadcast & Performances) | December 24th, 2014 | Pittsburgh, PA

Art and music is Billy Pilgrim’s life. The painter/poet/rapper began this journey many moons ago, and today is reaping some fruits of his labor. His rap-rock band Mega Def has sent ripples through his hometown of Pittsburgh, he hosted his first visual arts show earlier this year where he presented a series of his paintings that highlighted African-American blues and jazz artists, and he’s been hosting a weekly open mic where years earlier he was developing his own rhyming and performing skills.

Pilgrim’s family has some history working in music. His granddad performed with jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, and his cousin toured as a DJ with Run DMC. Although Pilgrim showed a passion for music early in life, his mother wanted him to have a back-up plan, so he attained a degree in History from Slippery Rock University – his studies focused on Latin America, Africa, and China.

While he currently enjoys his role as an arts education mentor working with local youth, Pilgrim is determined to achieve some lofty music-related goals in his near future. One of those goals is going “ghetto gold,” which Pilgrim explains is selling 50,000 units independently worldwide. He adds: “The long-term benefit of a grassroots operation can be rewarding.” As he nears the completion of his latest music project, Pilgrim will be setting out on a tour to distribute and showcase the music and performance that he’s dedicated his life to.

PR7X.com – Pirate Radio is a 24-hour Internet Radio Station based out of Pittsburgh, PA featuring Events, DJs, interviews, Hip Hop, RnB, Reggae, Exclusives, Classics & Guests Hosts | PirateRadio@pr7x.com

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Morgan State University Homecoming - Jail Killer Cop David Lewis | October 18th, 2014 | Baltimore, MD

(Baltimore, MD) - October 18, 2014 - the West Coalition, Baltimore Public Safety Collective, and various other grassroots organizations assembled in front of the Northeast Baltimore Police District, calling for the suspension of multiple Violent repeat offenders from the district.

Violent repeat offenders such as Nicholas David Chapman and Jorge Omar Bernardez-Ruiz (from the plainclothes "Special Enforcement Section" unit) should have been suspended after they illegally stopped, beat, and arrested MSU alum Abdul Salaam on July 1, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqJkOIMAhcQ

However they were not, and 17 days later, less than five blocks away, the same offenders went on to beat Tyrone West to death on July 18, 2013. One of the offenders in the beating death of Tyrone West was Morgan State University police officer David Lewis.

David Lewis was the only officer who was not identified throughout the investigation. His identity was discovered over 200 days after Tyrone's killing, when the West Family obtained the MPIA files. They discovered that David Lewis refused to be interrogated by the State's Attorney's Office during the investigation. However, one of the officers who did cooperate gave a statement saying “David Lewis had been sitting on Mr. West’s back for over two minutes after he had been cuffed, until his face turned gray and stopped breathing.“

Still, David Lewis was not suspended or prosecuted and remains on active duty. As are Nicholas David Chapman, Jorge Omar Bernardez-Ruiz and many others in the city of Baltimore district and city.

The West Coalition and Baltimore Public Safety Collective mobilized to raise awareness among the Morgan State community and asked them to join the petitioning for Morgan State University’s President David Wilson, to fire Killer Cop David Lewis. Also for Officer Lewis to apologize to the Family of Tyrone West for his inaction.

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Peaceful Protests in Ferguson, MO | August 20th, 2014 | Ferguson, MO

"Unc" - A resident of Ferguson who's been out protesting since day one. (Ferguson, MO) - August 20th, 2014 - About 350 protestors took the streets last night like they've been doing for the past 11 days. Stemming from the killing of 18-year old Mike Brown who was gunned down back Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. All and all it's been quiet for the past two nights with a heavy police presence accompanied by the National Guard who had 3 LRAD's (Long Range Acoustic Device). There was only one arrest that happened of a young black male, charged with "Unruly Behavior."

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National March on the White House: Stop the Massacre in Gaza! | August 2nd, 2014 | Washington, DC

(Washington, DC) – August 2nd, 2014 - Thousands of people from all over the country came to the nations capital to condemn the Israeli massacre in Gaza. They started out with speakers in Lafayette Park (across the street from The White House), as well as other activities that went on throughout the park. Prior to the march taking off there were a small group of counter-protestors via police barricade. They were escorted out shortly after. From there Pro-Palestinian protestors took the streets and headed towards the Washington Post.   When the protestors arrived back at The White House, there was a peaceful sit-in in the street on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Police forces brought in horses to break up the crowd. Some people got hurt during that time, not hospitalizations. Two arrests took place but as of right now one person is currently released. In conclusion: Israel receives $4 billion in “aid” from the United States each year. This money is being used to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza. More than 1,500 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 8,000 have been wounded from Israeli bombs and missiles. This has to end!

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Counter Protest of Israel Solidarity Rally | July 27th, 2014 | Pittsburgh, PA

(Pittsburgh, PA) – July 27th, 2014 - About 45 people came to protest the attacks on Gaza and the Palestinian people at the Jewish Community Center (JCC).  In the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh, about 300 pro-Israeli’s packed the JCC to support and hear religious and political leaders that support these killings. Not to mention Israel’s illegal usage of gases, the bombing of hospitals, schools, homes and UN shelters. As the death toll has reached 1,000 Palestinians in just under 3 weeks, activists rallied to demonstrate that public opinion has changed. They believe that the populous of Pittsburgh is educated and will be swayed no longer by Israeli hate and "self defense" rhetoric. While they pummel, rob, punish and suppress the people of Palestine.

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Protest at the Christians United for Israel Conference | July 21st, 2014 | Washington, DC

(Washington, DC) - July 21st, 2014 – CODEPINK, Jewish Voice for Peace and other activists rallied at the first day of Christians United for Israel Conference (CUFI). CUFI is an extreme ring-wing neo-conservative group who bases their ideologies off of the Book of Revelations. Around 30 protestors showed up to show CUFI who the real oppressors are within this terrible conflict. They asked for an immediate halt to the Israeli bombardment of besieged Gaza and U.S. military funding to Israel. That evening four people were able to infiltrate the CUFI conference to speak out about the atrocities happening in Gaza. They were met with “Mob Rules” type force. The protestors were choked and hit as well as detained.  This is minimal force if think about what Palestinians and Africans are being faced with on daily basis.

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EMERGENCY PROTEST Against the Bombing of Gaza | July 11th, 2014 | Washington, DC 

The rally was in front of the Israeli Embassy (3514 International Dr NW, Washington, DC 20008), July 11th, 2014. To call for an end to the recent bombing campaign of Gaza along with an end to the ongoing siege of Gaza. Since June 12th, 2014 Israel has engaged in a brutal campaign of collective punishment against the Palestinian people, bombing Gaza and raiding West Bank towns and villages, arresting hundreds of civilians, including children across the West Bank and 1948 Palestine. This past week we have witnessed the brutal deaths and beatings of dozens of Palestinians at the hands of both Israeli forces and Israeli settlers. This includes the horrific death of 15 year-old Muhammad Abu Khdeir, who was kidnapped, tortured, burned alive, and tossed in a field in an unbelievable act of savagery by Israeli settlers. Israel also began intensifying its bombing of Gaza in the most serious flare-up in the territory since November 2012. Israel has deemed their latest attacks “Operation Protective Edge”, and in ways that are horrifyingly reminiscent of the 2009 and 2012 attacks, they have called up 1,500 reservists in the Israeli military. Across Palestine, this wave of violence has also been met with a wave of protest and action. Palestinians are rising up and responding across all of historic Palestine including the West Bank, Gaza, and 1948 Palestine. Protest co-sponsors included CODEPINK, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the Washington Peace Center. TAKE ACTION:

Call the White House (202) 456-1111 and Secretary of State John Kerry (202) 647-4000 and demand condemnation of the Israeli assault on Gaza. Call the Israeli Embassy in DC too: (202) 364-5500

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D.C. Library on Wheels | July 17th, 2014 | Washington, DC

What is a library on wheels? A bookmobile or mobile library is a vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves in such a way that when the vehicle is parked readers can access them. Long before Amazon was bringing books to your doorstep, there was the bookmobile! A traveling library often used to provide books to villages and city suburbs that had no library buildings. The bookmobile went from a simple horse-drawn cart in the 19th century to large customized vehicles that became part of their culture and reached their height of popularity in the mid-twentieth century. The D.C. Library will be visiting different communities within the metropolitan area of Washington D.C. Provides books for different age groups, genres and hopefully helps to bring communities closer and encourage literacy. This Free Project is organized by The Peace House D.C. and is completely run on a volunteer basis. You are very welcome to keep the books you want to keep. A donation of your choice in exchange is appreciated. We accept book donations for future library runs at The Peace House, 1233 12th st. NW, Washington, DC 20005. Any and all ideas and suggestions are welcome.

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Die-In at The White House | July 17th, 2014 | Washington, DC

With over 200 Palestinians murdered in Gaza and over 1,200 injured, the DMV Students for Justice in Palestine and other organizations stood in solidarity with Gazans and held the U.S. government accountable for providing the Israeli government $3.1 billion annually. The goal was to raise awareness about the plight of the Palestinian people and expose the atrocities committed by the Israeli Occupation forces in occupied Palestine.

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Trans-Ally 201: A Workshop for the Community | June 21st, 2014 | Washington, DC

Kayley Whalen, Digital Strategies & Social Media Manager at The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Trans Ally 201 was an informative and interactive learning experience. It helped activists gain a deeper understanding of transgender issues and advocacy. They looked at how the trans community experiences oppression, including high rates of incarceration, harassment and hate crimes and high unemployment rates. Participants were challenged to gain a deeper understanding of gender and how it influences their lives as well as what it means to be a transgender ally.

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1156 presents: Andy D!! with Amoeba Knievel & Weird Paul | June 13th, 2014 | Pittsburgh, PA

Phat Man Dee, Andy D and Anna Vision Andy D fancies himself the anachronistic love child of Punky Brewster and Lee Van Cleef – the perfect amalgam of a fictional rogue and a real-life badass. He plays music this like he lives life and it sounds like Andrew WK meets Grand Master Melle Mel or Like Prince if he couldn’t sing that well and if he weren’t a hyper-talented multi-instrumentalist. This is what his music is all about: part epicurean hip-hop-dance songs and part sincere dance rock songs, being eclectic and catchy is the only goal. “God Loves Drunk Chicks” is a infectious dance ditty lamenting date rape culture and “Just Push Play” is a witty indictment of “the next big thing” trend in the music industry and pop culture in general (both tracks are from the debut album Choose Your Perversion). This is rap but not hip-hop. It rocks but it's not rap-rock. These songs are meaningful party songs but maximized! Andy D bends the genres but his influences are pretty apparent. And people take notice where ever he goes. From rapping about having sex with Werewolves to singing about knife fights in a roller rink, no subject is taboo in an Andy D song; and he gets raunchy with it. Half of the fun of Andy D is hearing what he will say next… the other half is dancing. Welcome to your new addiction!

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Open Mic at The New Bohemian | May 29th. 2014 | Pittsburgh, PA

LRAD performing The ladies of 1156, Danielle Robinson and Elizabeth Kivowitz, teamed up with the men of the New Bohemian, Billy Pilgrim and Bill Earl to present an open mic. Last Thursday's of the month at the New Bohemian located at 887 Progress street in the North Side. Billy Pilgrim is the host for the evening as well as the DJ. They welcome all to enjoy an eclectic evening of music, poetry, and comedy. Every month they feature a local performer to showcase their talents

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Return of S.I.N. features | May 15th, 2014 | Pittsburgh, PA

Shad Ali began writing creatively at age 9. Experimenting with poetry in personal journal entries, he found it to be a self-rewarding form of expression. Persisting to work on this hobby, his writing has become recognized as a developing talent. A passion for music has passed through Shad’s family tree. His father, an avid fan of jazz, can be credited for Shad’s soft spoken delivery of lyrics and his knack for an often jazzy selection of hip-hop instrumentals. His dedication to the pen and notepad expanded upon being introduced by an older sibling to many of the genres most praised lyricists. It was at this time, during his teenage years, that Shad’s curiosity guided him as a student of lyricism. He began researching the structure and usage of the words and stories told by varying artists. The ladies of 1156 brought back all 7 features that have performed at the S.I.N open mic. With special performances by: Hubbs, C.H.R.I.S., Jon Quest, Vaig, Blak Rapp Madusa, Parker Webb and Shad Ali. S.I.N (Service, Industry, Night) is an open mic on the second Sundays of every month at Howlers Coyote Cafe located at 4509 Liberty Ave Pittsburgh PA 15224. With a promise of a host, a DJ, and a band they allow the artist to choose whatever outlet they need to perform. It also has a monthly feature, that is chosen from the vast hip hop community. The feature and allowing performers to perform to their own music is what sets this open mic from the rest. SIN was created by 1156 Artist Management Company. Whose soul purpose is to “create and implement innovative management for performing and visual art professionals.”

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Welcome Home Celebration & Fundraiser for Eddie Conway | May 8th, 2014 | Baltimore, MD

Mr. Conway was convicted of the April 1970 killing of a Baltimore police officer. Conway has always maintained his innocence. At the time of his arrest and trial, he was a prominent member of the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party, the militant black-rights organization that was the principal focus of COINTELPRO, the FBI’s illegal “counterintelligence program.” The FBI, under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, surveilled and infiltrated Black Panther chapters from coast to coast, disrupting their organizing activities, often with violence. The prosecution alleged Conway was behind the fatal shooting of Baltimore police officer Donald Sager. The case hinged on the testimony of a police officer and a jailhouse informant, who claimed Conway described the crime while they were sharing a cell. Former Baltimore NAACP President Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, a longtime supporter of Conway’s, told The Baltimore Sun: “This was when the COINTEL program was at its height. ... They did not have a witness who saw him there. They had no fingerprints or evidence there. They basically convicted him on the basis of what we now call an informant.” A global movement grew calling for Conway’s release. In 2001, the Baltimore City Council passed a resolution asking the Maryland governor to pardon him. Conway’s arrest happened a full year before a group of anti-war activists broke into the FBI field office in Media, PA., and took thousands of pages of classified FBI documents and released them to the press. The word “COINTELPRO” was exposed for the first time. One of Conway’s attorneys for more than 20 years, Bob Boyle, explained: “Mr. Conway’s trial took place in January of 1971. The break-in at the office in Media, Pennsylvania, which led to the disclosures concerning COINTELPRO, did not occur until April of 1971. So Eddie went to trial at a time when COINTELPRO was still active and the jury did not know that there was this campaign to neutralize the leadership and the organization of the Black Panther Party.” It was in this environment that the Baltimore chapter of the Black Panther Party was created. Conway had been in the U.S. Army in Germany and was bound for Vietnam. Then, in the summer of 1967, he saw a photo of the riots in Newark, N.J. and said, “They put armored personnel carriers in the center of the black community, and they pointed .50 caliber machine guns at about 25 or 30 black women standing on a corner ... something was wrong with that picture, and I could probably come home and help join some efforts to reform that.” He joined the NAACP, and he joined CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality). He continued: “I looked at all the different organizations, and the Black Panther Party represented at least a serious attempt to start feeding the children, to start educating the population, to start organizing health care and stuff like that. So I joined and started working with them.” What Conway didn’t know was that the Baltimore chapter of the Panthers was actually created by a police infiltrator. Conway became suspicious of one of the local Black Panther leaders. He told me: “There was a defense captain named Warren Hart, he worked for the National Security Agency. ... I was instrumental in exposing him after a lengthy investigation, and he fled the country.” Not long after exposing the agent, Conway was arrested for the charges that ultimately landed him in prison for close to 44 years.

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2014/3/6/44_years_a_prisoner_the_case

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Washington, D.C. Community Rallies for Kidnapped Nigerian Girls | May 6th, 2014 | Washington DC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Supporters rallied at the Embassy of Nigeria on May 6, 2014 at 10 am to pressure idle government officials to take measurable actions to save the newly estimated 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants in the northeastern Nigerian village of Chibok. Insufficient response from the Nigerian Government in the two weeks following the abduction prompted organizers to plan a public demonstration demanding that the Nigerian military and police uphold their duty to deploy search and rescue efforts. This act of solidarity in the nation’s capital followed the bold example set by hundreds of mothers who marched for their missing daughters in the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria on April 30. Following the march in Abuja, BBC News Africa reported that more than 20 senators requested a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan. No details of their discussions are known yet, but this action suggests forward progress made by government officials. Ralliers in Washington, D.C. hoped to incite similar political action from His Excellency Adebowale Adefuye, the ambassador from Nigeria to the United States, and his colleagues at the consulate. All reports stated that over 200 teenage girls were taking a final exam at their school on April 14, when they were abducted by armed members of the terrorist group Boko Haram. According to the Guardian, the kidnapped girls are being taken as brides by the militants. Rally organizer Lola Adele-Oso remarks, “Anyone can relate to this story because those girls could be your sisters, daughters, or cousins; and you wouldn’t just sit on your hands while they’re being brutalized simply for going to school.” She believed that the rally attracted not just Nigerian Americans like herself, but also a diverse crowd of men and women who champion a range of social justice causes like women’s empowerment, sex trafficking, education, and connecting the African diaspora. The protest occurred on the eve of the World Economic Forum on Africa, which will be held in Abuja on May 7-9. Adele-Oso and co-organizers intended to mount pressure and media attention on Nigeria as global leaders descend upon Africa’s largest economy.