POOR Magazine

I’m everything but broke.

I’m trying to make it home too. Cause I’m riding around in the same car that the police pulled me over in and drawed guns on me and my children on March 3, 2017. I need someone to trail me home now and make sure I make it from East Oakland to West Oakland safe while I left my children’s school.

The Magical Negro is a trope created by white people; the character is typically but not always "in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint", often a janitor or prisoner.The character often has no past but simply appears one day to help the white protagonist.

On January 28, 2016, 19 year old Black Loved One, Christopher Kalonji, was in a mental health crisis and needed help.  His PTSD was in a flare up, and he became so anxious and distraught that he called 911 himself, requesting medical assistance.  Instead of getting help, police arrived and separated his family and friends from him, escalating the situation, and even called in a SWAT team.  Instead of providing help, police killed Christopher in his own home, where he had lived with his parents for 15 years.

(Espanol Sigue)

“What is your name,” a mechanical voice shouted through the receiver of my phone. Before  I could answer this bizarre beginning to a call, he added, “ What is your address, Where do you work, Do you have any other phone numbers…?” The barrage of accusatory questions with no basis continued for several minutes with me barely able to get a word in edgewise, and then.., “Do you have a 13 year old son?”, with this sentence… my heart began to race, my eyes started to blur and the the room began to warp.

Oakland - Tenant activists are urging low-income renters in HUD’s (Department of Housing and Urban Development) subsidized housing programs to contact their representatives during February 18 - February 26, to speak up in support of HUD’s subsidized housing programs. Massive budget cuts to the federal government are being proposed ranging from $6 trillion, to over $10 trillion during the next ten years. 

1) This slave rescued other slaves and brought them to freedom. Who is she? What was her disability?

2) This famous soul singer in 1997 he wrote a book called Truly Blessed, about his life before and after his accident. Who is he?

3) This African American is the first deaf professional baseball player. Who is he?

4) This Black actor is an inspirational speaker who played in Boyz N in the Hood. Who is he?

As Poor Magazine & Krip-Hop Nation celebrate their anniversay, Poor Magazine- 21 years & Krip-Hop Nation - 10 years, I thought it was a great time to look back of my work in the Bay Area since 1996.  I moved from CT/NY to SF, CA in 1991.  This is not to blow air in my head but to take time to track my work and give Black/Brown disabled youth a piece of plateform and mirror to build on or to make their own way.