Housing Authority Blocks Elderly & Disabled from Receiving Food

Today Mon, March 30th at 12 pm the Housing Authority of Baltimore City staff members  denied the Franciscan Center and other food pantries from delivering essential groceries to families and senior citizens living in Baltimore’s Douglas Homes public housing development.

Wednesday Thursday and Friday of last week HUD Resident Advisory Board Delegate for Douglas Homes, Reverend Annie Chambers coordinated with several food pantries, including Living Classrooms, the Power House, The Free Farm, and the Franciscan Center to deliver groceries to seniors, the disabled, mothers of newborns, and other Douglas Homes residents that are unable to make it to a grocery store. Food was also distributed to those who cannot afford groceries, as no one was turned away. These groceries include, bread, milk, diapers, infant formula, fresh produce, canned goods, and more.

Today an incident occurred around 12 pm. Several housing authority staff members assembled on the corner of Bond and Orleans street in Douglas Homes. They would not let the Franciscan Center deliver to food to the residents of Douglas Homes. The Housing Authority’s Cheryl Harrison Jackson said that giving away food on Housing Authority property violates Housing Authority rules. Food already delivered was instructed to be thorwn away by Ms. Harrison but the Housing Authority Staff members under her refused to comply.

The director of the Franciscan Center arrived to clarify that their center is an approved food pantry that is allowed by Baltimore City to distribute meals and food during this crisis. The Housing Authority Staff still denied him access to Douglas Home and said they will not allow them or other pantries to make food deliveries even during this crisis.

The Director of The Franciscan Center said “My understanding is that the Housing Authority is saying that you can’t give out food in a public housing setting. Our food consists of bagged lunches, and vegetables and that’s what we’re trying to give out.” The Franciscan Center is one of the many community locations designated by Baltimore City to provide food during this crisis.

The Housing Authority has made it clear that they will continue to deny drop offs from food pantries. Reverend Annie Chambers, who is coordinating the food drop offs, is vowing to do everything in her power to get these groceries to the people in need despite the Housing Authority trying to stop her. The Housing Authority has threatened to evict Rev Chambers when she attempts to distribute food tomorrow (March 31st) even though no evictions are currently allowed due to the Coronavirus Crisis.

Rev Chambers said “We’re here in public housing with no help and no support. Just for giving out food today they threatened to call the cops on us. They threatened to evict me. But I’ll be here again tomorrow to give out more food no matter what! We’re just trying to survive. People here have nothing.”

For more information call Reverend Annie Chambers at 443-768-7682 or text or call her team at 410-996-4848. Her address is 247 North Dallas Court, Baltimore, MD on the corner of Bond and Orleans Street.

National webinar to hear organizers on the front lines fighting for healthcare, against racism and repression, for workers’ rights and housing, in defense of prisoners and migrants. Learn what we can do to support our communities at this challenging time. Speakers included:*Mahtowin Munro, United American Indians of New England;* Frank Chapman, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression;* Meg Maloney, New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance;*Rasika, Baltimore Amazon warehouse worker; *Nana Gyamfi, Black Alliance for Just Immigration;* Larry Hales, In Defense of Our Lives; Adam Rice, Los Angeles Community Action Network;* Bernadette Ellorin, Spokesperson BAYAN USA;* Ron Gochez, Union del Barrio;* Rev. Annie Chambers, Peoples Power Assembly;* Fernando Figueroa, UPS worker and Teamster;* Pam Africa, MOVE Organization;* Omowale Clay, December 12th Movement; * Berta Joubert-Ceci, Puerto Rico Tribunal and Struggle-La Lucha newspaper;* Irvin McQueen, Pan African Community Action, Washington DC;* Tova Fry, Peoples Alliance (Bay Area);* Lucy Pagoada, Departamento 19 – Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular. The meeting was co-chaired by John Parker, Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice and Sharon Black, Peoples Power Assembly. Let’s build a fight-back network that can face the challenges confronting working people and oppressed communities today and in the weeks and months to come! Join and next steps go to http://www.PeoplesPowerAssembly.org

Baltimore Amazon Workers Organize Campaign in Defense of Workers Lives

Billionaire Jeff Bezos must do better for Amazon warehouse and contract workers during the corona virus crisis.  Below are five demands that local Baltimore and Maryland Amazon workers, present and past, and their supporters are demanding.  We hope you will sign our petition and circulate these demands widely to friends and neighbors. SIGN PETITION

Demand 1.

Daily screening of all workers for fever and outward signs of COVID 19.  Weekly testing for all amazon warehouse workers. Amazon workers are now categorized as essential to public service. Workers must have guaranteed safety networks in place. At any given time there are three to four thousand workers in a single building; this is not just a health risk to those individuals but to the whole community.  Workers must be informed if there is an outbreak of COVID 19 or if a worker tests positive in a timely manner..

Demand 2.

We demand that a minimum of $15.00 an hour extra added to the 15 dollar base pay as hazard pay. Amazon now pays $2.00 extra during the quarantine but the company actually paid $2.40 extra during the holiday periods which is more than they are offering during these extreme health risks. During this crisis and  dangerous conditions it’s not enough. Amazon should not be making extra profit during this pandemic using exploited labor. 

Demand 3.

Workers who are elderly, disabled and have weaker immune systems should be able to stay home with full paid sick leave until the conditions are safe for them to return. We must protect vulnerable workers. 

Demand 4.

End write-ups for failing to meet productivity rates and quotas.  Workers need to have the time to physically sanitize their work areas, wash their hands when needed, and practice safety without fear that they will be written up for working too slow.  This not only protects workers; it protects the community that receives packages.

Demand 5. 

Extend all the above demands to  contract workers at all amazon facilities. As we know all facilities have third party contracted workers who make less than $15 who do all the housekeeping and other work including deliveries.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezo has bid 10 billion dollars to fight the Covid19 pandemic. This money is by definition exploited labor. We know Amazon has never paid their fair share in taxes and have profited trillions of dollars throughout the years. They must use some of the money towards the welfare of the workers and the community.  As of this post, workers have tested positive at 8 different warehouses.

Please go to Facebook event to register:  https://www.facebook.com/events/142736710469446/

We will be live stream from Peoples Power Assembly Facebook page.

Join us on a national webinar to hear from organizers on the front lines fighting for healthcare, against racism and repression, for workers’ rights and housing, in defense of prisoners and migrants. Learn what we can do to support our communities at this challenging time.

Sat. March 28: 6-9 p.m. Eastern / 5-8 p.m. Central / 3-6 p.m. Pacific

Speakers include:
*Mahtowin Munro, United American Indians of New England
* Frank Chapman, National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression
* Meg Maloney, New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance
* Adam Rice, Los Angeles Community Action Network
* Bernadette Ellorin, Spokesperson BAYAN USA
* Ron Gochez, Union del Barrio
* Rev. Annie Chambers, Baltimore Peoples Power Assembly
* Baltimore Amazon warehouse worker
* Fernando Figueroa, UPS worker and Teamster
* Pam Africa, MOVE Organization
* Omowale Clay, December 12th Movement
* Berta Joubert-Ceci, Puerto Rico Tribunal and Struggle-La Lucha newspaper
* Irvin McQueen, Pan African Community Action, Washington DC
* Terri Kay, Peoples Alliance (Bay Area)
* Lucy Pagoada, Departamento 19 – Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular
* Nana Gyamfi, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
* Larry Hales, In Defense of Our Lives
and more!

Let’s build a fight-back network that can face the challenges confronting working people and oppressed communities today and in the weeks and months to come!

The Peoples Power Assembly strongly condemns the racism emanating from the highest levels of the U.S. government which seeks to demonize and blame China during a world pandemic.

Targeting of Chinese and Asian people constitutes a hate crime; it has led to horrific attacks on Asian people both physical and verbal.  

The virus is not the “China or Wuhan virus” any more than it is the “Italian virus” or anywhere else in the world that has been impacted.  It is both shameful and cruel during a world crisis to use racism to divert workers and poor people from building badly needed solidarity.

One should remember that the “Spanish Flu” epidemic never originated in Spain but rather the United States; it was first publicly recognized by Spain.

Racist Neglect

We also condemn the racism inherent in the disregard of those who are most vulnerable, who are mostly Black and Brown people including prisoners, who already are disproportionately impacted by an unjust incarceration system referred to as “mass incarceration” and immigrants who are locked up in horrific detention camps, rightly referred to as concentration camps by many Jewish groups.

We continue to call for the release of prisoners, especially older prisoners, those who have not been tried and are languishing because of lack of bail, and all prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes.  Iran, a country demonized by the Trump regime as repressive, released all of its prisoners.  We continue to call to shut down all detention centers and end deportations.

Solidarity Needed — End Sanctions

The antidote to racism is solidarity both at home and abroad.  It is clear that with most of the world’s people impacted that we live in an interconnected global world that calls for new solutions and global cooperation.  

The United States sanctions and blockades have created hardship and suffering of people all around the globe from Iran to Venezuela, from Cuba to Zimbabwe, and many other countries especially during this pandemic.  The occupation of Palestine and continuing war in the Middle East intensifies death and destruction.

Sanctions and blockades work in two ways, not only in creating terrible hardships in the targeted countries including death, but also in preventing workers and poor here in the United States from benefiting from blocked countries like Cuba.  The immune boosting antiviral drug alpha 2 b Interferon developed by Cuba was used in China and now Italy to help save patients. Nothing has been done by the United States government to work with Cuba to bring this medicine to patients in U.S. hospitals. 

The trillions spent on the Pentagon war machine could pay for healthcare for every single person in this country.  

It’s time to end all sanctions.

If you witness or are a victim of racism please call or text us @ 410-218-4835.

NO TO RACISM 

 

Baltimore Peoples Proposals for COVID 19
Press conference & community briefing:
Saturday, March 7, 12 noon at City Hall
100 Holliday Street, Baltimore, MD

As healthcare workers and advocates and as community, civil rights and union organizers we call on City and State officials to begin preparations to protect the people of Baltimore especially those most vulnerable for a COVID-19 outbreak in our community.

We believe there are special considerations to be addressed in Baltimore. For instance, most of our population are low wage workers living paycheck to paycheck; close to 25% live below the poverty line; and a large number of people regardless of age have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease that put them at greater risk for death.

Concerns for the elderly and the poor, the homeless, prisoners and our immigrant population need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

These considerations are not only critical for Baltimore but for workers and the poor across the State of Maryland. As such, we are disseminating this to the Governor, State and Senate Delegates also.

We therefore request a meeting with the Baltimore City Health Department — and other political officials and leaders so that we can jointly address our specific concerns and our proposals.

Concrete proposals and questions:

Full paid sick and family leave to all impacted workers for the duration of the time that workers are forced to be off their jobs. This includes workers who are sick or quarantined and also school workers including teacher support staff, custodial workers, etc. It includes parents who are forced to stay home with children.

No reprisals or job losses for workers who are sick, quarantined or taking care of school children or family members.

Halt evictions, foreclosures, water and utility shutoffs for those who are sick, quarantined or cannot work due to the crisis.

Develop a plan on how food can be distributed and delivered to vulnerable families and individuals who cannot stockpile supplies.

A large number of school children in Baltimore City depend on school provided lunches.  Implement a plan in each school to deliver lunches to children in the advent of school closing. Include teachers, their union, and parents in this plan.

Provide a phone hotline staffed by medical professionals so that those who do not have primary doctors or nurses can get clear health instructions so that testing and other home services can be coordinated.

Provide free broadband internet service through Comcast so that all city residents including students without service can be connected for emergency communication and school work.

Develop a free app that can be downloaded to phones and computers so that alerts can be sent out to dispel rumors and deliver people oriented preventative health education.

Make sure everyone is fully covered for all medical treatment including testing and suspend debt in the advent of a major crisis.

Protect all healthcare and front line workers; consult with union representatives from the National Nurses United, 1199 Healthcare Workers Union, United Food and Commercial Workers and with workers directly. Make sure that there is adequate personal protective equipment for all front line workers.

Develop and distribute an app for all willing and able health care providers, nurses, doctors, EMS from the broader community so that they may be called up to act as front line teams if needed.

Make special provisions now for undocumented and immigrant families who may be fearful in reporting illness due to fear of deportation. This includes suspending all deportations and consulting with the immigrant community.

Make sure that plans are being made to specifically service the homeless both in shelters and in the street.

Address the rights of those who are incarcerated especially those in City Jail to make sure that loved ones who are locked up are not forgotten and at risk.

What is being done by the Mass Transit Administration to ensure commuters and bus riders are as safe as possible i.e. frequently cleaning. .

We ask that the City and State Government dispel racism and racist stereotypes that have been promulgated during this pandemic and that accurate medical information be made widespread to the public now rather than later through TV and radio ads. It is critical that no community is targeted or blamed.

The people of Baltimore and the many organizations that they belong to are a tremendous resource that can be drawn on in a time of crisis.

The City and State government has the power to declare a State of Emergency to provide for the people and take action to promote not only people’s health and safety, but to protect people from evictions, job and wage losses, and much more.

Addressing these proposals protects the health of the entire population. Unless low wage workers, the poor and those most vulnerable are assured that they will not be stigmatized or suffer great losses, they will be less able and willing to self-quarantine. Unless we involve front line healthcare workers and community organizers in being part of the solution, we will be hampered in fighting an epidemic.

https://youtu.be/M2AYC83TdZA

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-activists-coronavirus-20200307-peoxdaunn5exfbgbqryz36baoy-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1ltHnnN9njTfi6b1m77dPVpGhpFjHt2yXeqmDCrE4EHB-BDHkE2DblkwE

 

Click here to add your organization as an endorser

Reclaim & honor Rev. Dr. King Jr. by resisting war & racism

A call to action on the Dr. King Jr. birthday week

STOP WAR ON IRAN 

BALTIMORE MARCH TO WASHINGTON D.C.: Jan 18 

Money for jobs, education, health care & people’s needs

In 1967 on April 15, Rev. Dr. King Jr., passionately spoke out against the Vietnam war. He exclaimed that the bombs in Vietnam also exploded at home in our decaying cities.

These words are just as true today. Donald Trump and the trillion dollar oil and fracking businesses stand to profit from a war on Iran and Iraq.while the people of the world suffer.

In Baltimore, we remember Trump’s hateful racism in describing our city and attacking Congressman Cummings. His insults hurled at our city are comparable to his attempts to demonize the people of Iran and Iraq to justify war for oil profits. 

This is the same white supremacist ideology that justifies the assassination of foreign officials of color and the nearly one million Iraqi children killed by U.S. war. These are war crimes. We will not be fooled by those who would dismiss the humanity of our international family.

If war is to be declared in our name, let it be a war on racism, police terror, low wages, homelessness and poverty. End anti-immigrant violence, sexism and LGBTQ2S bigotry. Close the detention camps.

FEED THE PEOPLE, NOT THE PENTAGON

• This April 700,000 people will lose food stamps; millions will get fewer benefits.  In Baltimore, 22.2% of people, many of them children, go to bed hungry. The loss of food stamps (SNAP benefits) will mean that many small grocery stores will have to close their doors. But not the Pentagon! This year the military got a $130 billion increase. In addition, social security disability will be cut.

EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE

• The children of Baltimore, DC and everywhere need clean lead-free drinking water, more and better paid teachers, books and decent schools. Redirect the billions for war to save our youth and pay for free universal health care for all.

LOW WAGES & WORKERS RIGHTS

• Close to half of the workers in the U.S. are poor!  53 million workers between the ages of 18 to 64 — 44% of all workers — qualify as low-wage. This amounts to a median income of $18,000 per year. Amazon and Walmart refuse to respect workers rights to unionize. Amazon even threatened to fire workers who spoke out against climate change.

PENTAGON, THE WORLD’S BIGGEST POLLUTER, SHUT IT DOWN

• Indigenous people courageously protected the Amazon rainforest from fires and destruction. Now Australia is engulfed in flames threatening the existence of an entire continent and killing millions of animals. Jakarta, Indonesia home to 30 million people is literally sinking, destroyed by flood waters. The capitalist climate crisis threatens the entire planet. The Pentagon with it’s 800+ military bases and endless wars is one of the world’s biggest polluters.  

WAR BREEDS REPRESSION 

• Police departments across this country are militarized, increasing racism and repression. Globally the US is number one in mass incarceration. Yet the problems of drug addiction, despair and violence continue. Instead of investing in the community, Johns Hopkins has hired a private armed police force.

ONLY THE PEOPLE CAN STOP THE WAR!  

The people of Baltimore are Marching on the Dr. King Jr. weekend. We invite you to join us. If you cannot come to Baltimore, and we expect that many can’t, please hold solidarity actions in your city, town, school or work place.   

Now is the time to reclaim and honor Rev. Dr. King Jr. by resisting war and racism.  

CLICK HERE TO ENDORSE THE CALL

Endorsers: Peoples Power Assembly; Rev. CD Witherspoon; Rev. Annie Chambers, Douglas Homes Community Leader; Youth Against War and Racism; Black Alliance for Peace, Baltimore; ICE Out of Baltimore; Prisoners Solidarity Committee; Marlyn Barnes Family; Baltimore Peace Action; CODE Pink; Union del Barrio; Puerto Rican Alliance; Popular Resistance; Union of Progressive Iranians; UNAC, United National Antiwar Coalition; Harvard Boulevard Block Club of South Central Los Angeles; Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice; Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ; Peoples Alliance, Bay area; Bail Out the People Movement, Wisconsin; Women in Struggle/Mujeres en Lucha; Solidarity with Novorossiya & Antifascists in Ukraine; Stand with Okinawa NY; International Concerned Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; Socialist Unity Party/Partido de Socialismo Unido; Struggle La Lucha;  Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, LA Province; Jennicet Gutierrez; Phil Wilayto, editor,The Virginia Defender;William Camarada, Comité de Solidaridad con Venezuela Alberto Lovera NYC; D19: Partido Libre USA Canada; Baltimore City Green Party; Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network; Familia: TQLM   (list in formation)

CLICK HERE TO DONATE 

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