San Francisco January 22, 2013 -
"There's more than meets the eye." You be the judge! Did MoAD use the
ruse of entertainment to try to shutdown the First Amendment Right of
the "Freedom of Speech for Occupy Bernal, Occupy Noe and ACCE?" Listen
to the videos and read except taken from the midsection of the
commentary from Jackie Wright--- judge for yourself...
For complete "what happended was" Commentary ---Click Here. .....There was no plan for a noisy demonstration. (MoAD received a courtesy notice in just over an hour after media advisory was sent. Click here to read.)
We were just going to speak to the press and hand out flyers to
people attending the museum, people interested in stories about Black
people. We had a story that was unfolding, making history in our time
and they, the museum attendees, could be a part of it by picking up the
phone to call Wells Fargo Bank to help a soldier , a Tuskegee Airman,
Ben Reed, who served this country so they could have "life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness."
It
happened! The clash of "Freedom of Speech," but nothing as strident as
some that have occurred on the streets of San Francisco. I had
cordially spoken to the Executive Director and the PR consultant when I
arrived. As it was nearing time for the news conference, they both had
left the museum, so I spoke directly to the drummers that were assembled
as I gave them the flyer about our imminent action.
"We're
going to take a few minutes to briefly speak to the press about
creating a humanitarian solution to foreclosures and a Tuskegee Airman
who's home is threatened to be auctioned off in a couple of days," I
explained to the group of drummers.
In
a very thick African accent and hostile tone, the woman leading the
group with a cowbell, responded, "You do what you do over there. We do
what we do here. We will play."
"I'm
just asking that for a few minutes, let us talk to the media about this
90- year old Tuskegee Airman who could lose his home this week, if we
don't do something.
"We are going to play. We were hired to play. You do what you do over there!"
"Are you dismissing me," I asked.
"No, I am not dismissing you!" "We were hired to do this job."
The
outrage boiled up in me as her thick African accent rolled through my
ears and the sight of her 'I'm a conscious Black woman' big beautiful woolly afro
filled my eyes.
"Look,
let me tell you one thing," I responded in a equally stern voice. "You
would not even be here, if it were not for people like this Tuskegee
Airmen who sacrificed for this country and the thousands of people with
Dr. King who suffered during the Civil Rights Era." "You...."And then I
felt the pull of the back of my jacket and I went with the
tow....because it was beginning to wail up big and strong, my adverse
feelings about the "Motherland" that I expressed for the first time last
year to French-Cameroonian Filmmaker Jean Pierre Bekolo (
Conversations with International Film Director Jean Pierre Bekelo was
posted in the San Francisco Bayview Newspaper. (http://sfbayview.com/2012/conversation-with-international-film-director-jean-pierre-bekolo/).
"Africans sold us out!" There could not have been a slave trade
without African duplicity and direct involvement. As a result, I
personally never had that euphoric endearing feeling about visiting "the
Motherland." I did add that my stance had somewhat softened.
Before
me was an African immigrant getting in the way of a message to help a
descendant of former slaves on the very day we honor a leader that is a
descendant of former slaves, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. May I note
here, President Barack Obama, a Black man, is not a descendant of former
slaves, although his wife bears the blood of those who suffered cruelly
for generations as slaves.
My
fellow foreclosure fighting colleagues reassured me that the drummers were not
hired by MoAD as a tactic to "manage the protest," (thinking our protest
was going to be loud and wild as demonstrations in San Francisco can
be). The drumming entertainment was probably already planned. "Let's
just focus on the message and do the best if any media shows up given
everything that's going on today," said SF Filmmaker, Jacquie
Taliaferro, who repeated and reinforced our fellows' calming message to
me.
So
the drummers drummed on and all I could think of was a Johnny
Weismuller "Tarzan" film. Just before the Africans attacked the drums
began... drumming through the night... wearing down the intruders. In
this case, the African led drummers were intruding and I focused on the
business at hand, standing for a cause in the face of that awkward
resistance of a benign face that looks like you but impedes the way. No
wonder there is "the God of our silent tears" that James Weldon
Johnson wrote about.
The
experience with the drummers in front of MoAD reinforced for me the
sacredness of the battle with Wells Fargo Bank. As I mentioned to
assembled media (KPFA, Channels 2 and 11), "We stand in front of MoAD to
support Tuskegee Airman Ben Reed and others who are in danger of losing
their homes. We point out that on one hand, Wells Fargo gives pennies
to Arts organizations like MoAD to appear to be as a good citizen and on
the other they are committing bank robbery stealing the homes of
Americans. Wells Fargo Bank has moved away from its moral center.
There can be a humanitarian solution to foreclosure.".... For Complete Commentary CLICK HERE.
After Helping Ben Reed by Making Phone Calls and Speaking with Media about His Story,
Larry Faulks, now homeless, Shared His Dream About His
Family Home on MoAD's Sidewalk Chalk Board During
Free Museum Day Activity.
Wherever you are in the Bay Area or any other part of the country or world, you can help.
ACTION FLYER HAS PHONE NUMBERS TO CALL TO HELP BENJAMIN REED'S FAMILY!VIDEOS of ACTION (For Complete VIDEOS go to
http://occupytheauctions.org)
Also, Thank you to KTVU Channel 2, NBC 11 and KPFA for coverage of the
action...and their willingness to move about so that they could get the
story.
 |
Jackie Wright Speaks at Occupy Wells Fargo at MOAD on
Martin Luther King Jr Day, January 21, 2013 |
 |
Larry Faulks Speaks at Occupy Wells Fargo at MOAD on
Martin Luther King Jr Day, January 21, 2013 |
 |
| Ed Donaldson Speaks at Occupy Wells Fargo at MOAD on Martin Luther King Jr Day, January 21, 2013 |
Dr.
King told the AFL-CIO in 1961, "Our needs are identical with labor's
needs: Decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old-age
security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can
grow, have education for their children, and respect in the community."
"I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves." Harriett Tubman
Whether
MoAD's actions were intentional or not, they are worthy along with
other Arts organizations to receive more financial support from Wells
Fargo Bank and the general public.
I do hope it was just a case of them hiring "rude musicians."
Humbly Submitted!
Jackie Wright
1/28/13*** Note**** The African Drummers were a planned event at MoAD the Museum of the African Diaspora. It seems in deed that it was just a case of "rude musicians."
MoAD's advance publicity:
[Media Alert] • [MoAD Website] • [eBlast]
Articles of Interest
As
racism played a major role in the mortgage crisis, this New York Times
Article although not on the mortgage crisis, is interesting-Reverend
Greggory Brown of Oakland is quoted:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/us/politics/blacks-see-new-patience-and-high-expectations-for-obama.html?ref=todayspaper
Pastor Calls for Help/ Open Letter to Faith Leaders-USE POWER AGAINST FORECLOSURES
http://www.wrightnow.biz/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=78091&columnid=
"Django" and "Lincoln," Do they Call for Reparations?
http://www.wrightnow.biz/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=78056&columnid=
