The 2007 National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis over the weekend of January 12-14, one day before Martin Luther King Day. CNPI reporter James Williams, with the Street Vendor Project, interviewed D'Army Bailey, a civil rights pioneer and founder of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, housed in the Lorraine Motel where King was shot.
Housing advocates in Brooklyn, New York are raising the red flag after the country's largest subsidized housing complex has been sold. James Williams of the Community News Production Institute reports.
James Williams Reports on NYPD Officer Involved in Sean Bell Killing
CNPI's James Williams, with the Street Vendor Project, reports on the indictments of three officers who were charged with the killing of Sean Bell and the shooting of Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman.
CNPI's Christine Lewis of Domestic Workers United hosts a half hour special on New York radio station WBAI. Marking International Working Women's Day, Christine brings to the airwaves the stories of the City's 200,000 domestic workers and nannies. She was joined by leaders of the domestic workers movement, all immigrant women of color, who detailed their struggle for basic labor rights.
CNPI's Teresa Gonzalez, of the Street Vendor Project, speaks to children of immigrants who turned out for the May Day immigrant rights' demonstration in New York City.
CNPI's Christine Lewis reports on the aftermath of two Indonesian domestic workers who were held captive in the home of their wealthy employer in Long Island
New CNPI Documentary Takes Domestic Worker Voices to a National Audience
CNPI's Christine Lewis and Radha Kanan produced a 13 minute Mothers' Day special on domestic workers for the nationally syndicated program Making Contact.
Hundreds of nannies and caregivers marched in New York over the weekend to call for State lawmakers to pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Currently domestic workers, who are mostly immigrant women of color, are written out of most standard labor laws. But there is a new movement spurred by the workers themselves to change that. CNPI's Christine Lewis reports.
In July 2007, New York City will launch a new program to replace the Housing Stability Plus Rental Program that assist people who live in the shelter system. While many believe it's time for a change, considering the number of families living in shelters is at an all time high, homeless activists aren't thrilled about the city's new plan known as Advantage New York. CNPI's Sekou Kessely speaks with Vivian Omobogie, both from the African immigrant rights group Nah We Yone, about how the changes could affect immigrants living in the shelter system.
CNPI's James Williams, of the Street Vendor Project, reports from the Red Hook Festival in Brooklyn.
CNPI'S Donald Anthonyson, with Families for Freedom, speaks with Gulf War Veteran Warren Joseph, a Green Card holder who has just won a victory against his deportation orders. Warren Joseph, originally from Trinidad served in the first Gulf War where he contracted the Gulf War Syndrome. As he returned home, Warren began using illegal drugs to help cope with illness, and as he is about to explain, things spiraled downwards and he eventually was arrested. The government then tried to deport him.
CNPI's James Williams of the Street Vendor Project reports on the formation of an International Tribunal to investigate crimes against humanity by the government's failures post Hurricane Katrina.
The Dream Act, a measure that could give some undocumented immigrant students to legally study, has been re-introduced in the Senate. CNPI's Abdulai Bah, of Nah We Yone, reports.
CNPI's Christine Lewis, of DWU, reports from protests in Brooklyn in response to the arrests of 32 youths of color.
The US Social Forum had over 10,000 activists from all types of struggles gathering for a common cause of social justice. CNPI's James Williams, with the Street Vendor Project, kicks off our coverage with the Forum's opening march where he caught up with several of the marchers.
Two of the major themes at the Forum was labor rights and immigration. CNPI's Teresa Gonzalez caught up with Lucas Benitez, an organizer with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which is launching a new campaign for farmworker rights against Burger King.
Why have the USSF in Atlanta? CNPI's James Williams speaks with one of the main organizers of the forum Alice Lovelace to find out.
While the country debates the logic of a guest-worker program, many don't realize that such a program already exists: it's the H2B VISA program. The program has brought hundreds of people from Latin America to rebuild New Orleans. Many of these workers arrive with great expectations. But soon they see they're left with little worker rights and often times return home more indept than before. CNPI's Teresa Gonzalez speaks with one such worker, Daniel Castellanos Coordinator of Trajabadores Huespedes Por La Dignidad.
At the USSF conference there are informational tables staffed by people talking about an end to war, an end to racism, an end to hunger, an end to homelessness and poverty. But just stroll outside the conference and you are suddenly confronted with the reality that poverty and homelessness is all around us here in Atlanta, Georgia. This afternoon homeless and worker activists gathered down town to demand fair wages for many of the city's construction workers who are living either in the streets or the city's dilapidated shelter system. James Williams was there and he brings us this report.
CNPI's Christine Lewis, Domestic Workers United, speaks with Guillermina Castellano, with the San Francisco Day Laborers Program, about domestic work from California to New York.
CNPI's Abdulai Bah, of Nah We Yone, speaks about CNPI on the French language community radio network AMARC.
Labor union leaders and employees at Verizon Business and Verzion Wireless have launched a campaign against the telecommunication giant to allow them to unionize. But union leaders and employees claim that CEO Ivan Seidenberg and his administration have been bullying employees who have expressed a desire to join a labor union. Abdulai Bah of the Community News Production Institute reports.
The Community News Production Institute goes live on the air, Tuesday March 25th at 10 am, on WBAI 99.5 FM. In partnership with Global Movements Urban Struggles, the amazing members of the Community News Production Institute are launching their inaugural monthly radio show. This month's show is hosted by Christine Lewis (Domestic Workers United) and Donald Anthonyson (Families for Freedom) and produced by Debra Cole (DWU), Abdulai Bah (Nah We Yone) and James Williams (Street Vendor Project).
In this powerful and lyrical piece, Debra Cole, a member of Domestic Workers United, explores the long history of music as a tool for resistance and social change. Tracing the role of music in struggle from slavery through the civil rights movment to the present, Debra mixes interviews, songs, and her own beautiful voice to create a unique meditation on the fight for a domestic workers bill of rights. Debra is a reporter for the Community News Production Institute, where she reports from the streets and parks of New York City, the gathering grounds for the city's domestic workers.
The Community News Production Institute aired its second live program on Tuesday April 29th at 10 am, on WBAI 99.5 FM. In partnership with Global Movements Urban Struggles, this month the members of CNPI covered the Sean Bell miscarriage of justice, DWU's trip to Albany, Amtrak's new tactic of allowing ICE to make immigration arrests on board, exclusive interviews with exploited guest workers from India, and last but not least, a quick interview with Angela Davis!
CNPI reporters, Donald Anthonyson of Families for Freedom, Teresa Gonzalez of The Street Vendor Project and Abdulai Bah of Nah We Yone recently interviewed victims of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many immigrant communities here in NYC and other cities across the country. These raids are not just leading to the arrest and deportation of immigrants, but they are also tearing families apart. The interviews were made into a radio story that recently aired on Making Contact.
The home and work place of many immigrant families are being raided by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recently, a New York City resident, whose identity is being concealed for security reasons, received an unwanted visit from immigration agents. CNPI reporter Donald Anthonyson of Families for Freedom recently sat down with the victim to find out what took place that early morning day.
CNPI reporter Abdulai Bah of Nah We Yone recently interviewed a gentleman who's home was raided by agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after they had claimed to be police officers. The victim asked his identity be withheld.
Not long ago, the home of Kathy McArdld and her husband Calvin, was raided by ICE Agents who detained and then deported Calvin back to his home country of Jamaica. He was never allowed to say good bye to his three year old son. Kathy, who has been forcibly separated from her husband by US immigration Officials, recently spoke to CNPI reporter Donald Anthonyson of Families for Freedom.
CNPI reporter Teresa Gonzales, a member of The Street Vendor Project, spoke with a lawful immigrant who's home was raided unlawfully by immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) agents. She asked her identity be concealed.
Thousands of migrant workers are regularly brought into the Gulf Coast by US based corporations that exploit them and then threaten to deport them if they complain. In April 2006, more than 500 workers from India were lured into this country under false promises. Early this year, some of the enslaved Indian workers walked from New Orleans to Washington DC to protest their illtreatment. They recently came to NYC to express their support for other immigrant workers. CNPI reporter Christine Lewis spoke to one of them, Aby Reju.
In celebration of workers' international day, CNPI reporters take a look at how Domestic Workers and Day Labors are being treated in their work place here in NYC.
Domestic Workers staged a protest in front of the home of an employer who is said to have abused her nanny. CNPI reporter Christine Lewis was there to compile these voices.
On April 25, judge Arthur Cooperman cleared three NYPD police officers of all charges in the killing of Sean Bell, a 23-year-old Black male who was gunned down in November 2006 hours after his bachelor party in a Queens club. CNPI reporter Abdulai Bah files this report for FSRN.
The Community News Production Institute in partnership with Global Movements Urban Struggles aired its monthly show on Tuesday June 24th on Pacifica station WBAI, 99.5 on your FM dial. The show featured voices from the fourth-annual National Conference for Media Reform held in Minneapolis early this month, the first ever National Congress held by domestic workers in NYC, and the impact gentrification is having on drummers in Harlem.
On June 26th, a judge sentenced a Long Island couple for the abuse of two Indonesian domestic workers. Christine Lewis (Domestic Workers United) files this report for Free Speech Radio News.
It's Called Renaissance Village. But don't let the name fool you. It's the largest FEMA trailer park in the country. It's located about a hundred miles north of New Orleans in Baker, Louisiana. RIght after Hurricane Katrina and Rita, thousands were sent to live there. PPH trainees in the Gulf Coast produced stories that were aired by the nationally syndicated program Making Contact.
The Community News Production Institute in partnership with Global Movements Urban Struggles aired its monthly show on Tuesday August 26th at 10 am on WBAI 99.5 FM. This month's show features Lynn Lewis, director of Picture the Homeless, Edgar DeJesus of District Council 37, Katrina evacuee Lena Beard, and Brumit DeLaine, the son of late Rev. Joseph Armstrong of South Carolina.
As hurricane Gustav made its landfall on New Orleans and other cities of the Gulf region, much of the media attention has focused on the never-seen-before evacuation organized by local authorities. But less has been said about victims who were unable to evacuate more than three years ago when both Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast and three years later are still struggling to rebuild their lives.
CNPI reporter, Christine Lewis of DWU was recently in South Carolina for the commemoration of late Reverend Joseph Armstrong DeLaine, a Civil Rights Activist who led a crusade to desegregate public schools. Rev. DeLaine was one of the victorious plaintiffs in one of the cases that constituted the Brown decision, Briggs vs Elliot.
Christine files this story for Free Speech Radio News.
There is a growing concern over school overcrowding in New York City, hundreds of them are said to be facing this escalating issue. CNPI reporter, Florence Wapimewah recently sat down with New York State Assemble Member Micah Z. Kellner to talk about the issue and the organizing that parents, students and some elected officials have been doing to address the problem.
The interview was aired on WBAI 99.5FM.
Next year, television broadcasters will move to digital broadcasting, automatically creating enormous unused spectrum between the channels. The unused spectrum, otherwise known as White Spaces, will allow the public to use it with broadband-enabled mobile devices that would significantly reduce the digital divide.
CNPI reporter, Christine Lewis of Domestic Workers United files this report for Free Speech Radio News.
The Community News Production Institute in partnership with Global Movement Urban Struggles aired its monthly show on Tuesday October 28th at 10am on WBAI 99.5 FM. The hour-long show features Amy Gottlied of the American Friends Service Committee talking about immigration, an issue both presidential candidates have less addressed in their campaigns. Billy Wharton of The Coalition Against Privatization and Martin Holland of The Transport Workers Union address the privatization plan of GHI/HIP, two major health care providers servicing more than 4-million New Yorkers.
On Thursday October 23rd, Amnesty International organized a worldwide rally to support Troy Davis, the African-American man accused of killing a police officer in Savannah, Georgia.
The Community News Production Institute [CNPI] in partnership with "Global Movements, Urban Struggles" aired its monthly show on WBAI 99.5FM at 10AM.
This month's show reflects on the historic presidential election through a mini documentary from People's Production House; the increasing homelessness in NYC combined with high food prices and difficult economic conditions forcing many New Yorkers to change plans for Thanksgiving; the stabbing of Marcelo Lucero, the Ecuadorian immigrant; and the sudden death of South African singer, Miriam Makeba, in Italy.
Children of nannies and those raised by Domestic workers are calling on NY State lawmakers to pass a Bill of Rights first introduced to the state legislature in 2004. The bill was issued by Domestic Workers United, a membership-based organization fighting for power, respect, and fair labor standard for domestic workers. CNPI reporter, Christine Lewis was at the event to file this story for Free Speech Radio News.