Weekend Homework Assignment #617

Okay, More like 17...

Looking at my logs in the past week and some change I've been to Chicago, Cincinnati, Lima and Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, Hebron and Bloomington, IN, Detroit, MI, San Francisco, CA, Medford and Portland Oregon and Green Bay WI.

I forgot French Lick, IN (niiice casino), Louisville and Lexington, KY. Warmer weather and good food does that to ya.

I am tired, but I cannot stop. The movement moves on and so will I. With memory foam insoles.

Tomorrow I head to one of my favorite spots in the world, Atlanta, GA to rep the Chicago contingent, bump heads with the FTP Movement, press the flesh with the ATL brothers and sisters of the Hip Hop Caucus, hear the wisdom of Various members of the SCLC, attend the Sunday premier of Brave New Films' newest documentary in the 'The War On Greed' series and get down and dirty on its subject matter with various pundits and brown bloggers. I will close my nationally celebrated holiday out Monday at the King center paying tribute to a man and his wife who gave their lives so that I have the freedom to do exactly what I do. Travel, politic and blog about it.

I am truly honored and blessed that I do what I do. I am also thankful to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , his wife Coretta, his sons and daughters and others for fighting and continuing to fight. I am also thankful to my wife for letting me roam the earth like Kane from Kung-Fu. Get your shoes woman... Next time you come with and see for yourself.

I planned on getting deep with the subject of non-urban dictates and how you spend your money but that can wait until next week. When Nichole Wicks from Brave New Films (Peace sis! guest blogging opportunity coming soon) hit me up last week and informed me of the premier, I knew that striking out against private equity firms and informing y'all was the thing to do at this time that we pay tribute to Dr. King who 40 years ago was attending and speaking to folks in Memphis about labor and equality and was observing and attempting to mediate a garbage worker's strike. Dr. King spoke many a time on how a fair paycheck for a honest day's work was necessary for both the betterment of our community and our sanity.

No way we can continue to work so damn hard when we get nothing in return.

And plus, I know someone dear to me who works for a private equity firm. You know what they do, right? If not, do some homework this weekend and find out if marginalization and streamlining is right for your employer and think about the outcome and benefits. Who does it benefit and how will you deal with its outcome?

There is a film clip of the documentary and a press release that tells a part of what I'll be doing this weekend. I hope you are doing something just as constructive this weekend, and if you're in the area... I'll be watching the Jones/Trinidad fight someplace special Saturday night.

I hope y'all find me...

From Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films: Black American Workers to Private Equity Firms & Henry Kravis - Greed is Not Good

(Atlanta, GA) – From the producers of Walmart: the High Cost of Low Prices and OutFoxed, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., filmmaker Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films will escalate his media campaign against the leveraged buyout industry with the premiere of a new short documentary video with a message for the presidential candidates. Partnering with the Hip-Hop Caucus and the Service Employees International Union, along with community leaders and members will gather on the eve of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday, Sunday, January 20^th, at Rev. Timothy McDonald’s 1^st Iconium Baptist Church at 2pm EST. This screening will serve as a first of a series of community actions that are expected to place economic injustice on the presidential candidate’s radar. Prominent African-American Leaders, including Dr. Steele from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Rev. Yearwood, and various Atlanta City Council members, will be present.

A strong advocate of economic justice, Dr. King was a proponent of workers’ rights, especially as it relates to racial economic justice. With the ever-increasing global economy many Black American workers are being impoverished as a direct result of corporate buy-outs and in particular, the corporate dealings of Henry Kravis’ KKR and other Private Equity Firms. Our War on Greed series illustrates the severe economic disparities of the concentrated wealth and power in so few hands while so many Black workers struggle to pay a mortgage, student loans, medical costs, and even basics necessities like groceries and toiletries. The film also addresses the fact that some worker unions have become obsolete in the face of this international greed.

“One guy needed a couple of days off because his mom was on her deathbed or his mom was gonna die… They (company representative) asked, “Is she dead yet? If not, get back to work!”

In addition, Brave New Films has also partnered some of the most influential Black bloggers and opinion-leaders in an attempt to invite presidential hopefuls to the premiere and pressure candidates into pledging to address the tax loop-hole that so many wealthy corporate CEO’s like Henry Kravis enjoy. Presidential candidates and their advisors have been invited to this screening.

Finally, to address the issue of some presidential candidates taking the Black VOTE for granted, through this film and a series of other community actions we are hoping to engage black community members and policy makers, as well as presidential candidates in a dialogue that will benefit Black workers.

ABOUT BRAVE NEW FILMS

Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films (BNF) is committed to being at the forefront in creating a just America. Using cutting-edge new internet video campaigns, Brave New Films has created a quick-strike capability that challenges corporate media with the truth and empowers political action nationwide. BNF has garnered significant media and political attention from the likes of CNN, MSNBC, the Tom Joyner Morning Show and the New York Times. Our organization has continued contact with major political candidates because we’ve often captured the ‘pulse’ of the social and economic tone of the American people and their attention with our videos garnering over 10 million hits. Our most recent video: FOX Attacks Obama Staffer reached over 300,000 hits in 24 hours.