The Welfare Poets

CAMPAIGNS

The Welfare Poets ripping "The Media" at a rally against the War in Iraq on Feb. 15, 2003, with over 250,000 people in attendance

Vieques - the campaign to completely get the Navy and the US out of Vieques and the rest of Puerto Rico, is still necessary, in particular making sure that the land is put back in the hands of to the people, decontaminated, and the repression ends against any Vieques activists.

South Bronx/ East Harlem clean air campaign - the people of the asthma belt of the United States are oganizing to free their communities from the polluton of bus depots, power plants, waste transfer stations and a unlivable amount of car exhaust, in violations of Federal Clean Air Act and our human rights. Please contact the Welfare Poets to volunteer organizing and doing outreach.

Political Prisoners - there are still over 100 political prisoners behind the walls and in the dungeons of the unites states prison system. There are still Puerto Rican poitical prisoners who have struggled and risked their freedom and lives for the independence of Puerto Rico and end to the Naval Occupation of Vieques.There are still Black Panthers, Move members, R.A.M (Revolutionary Action Movement) member and A.I.M members (American Indian Movement) held in violation of thier human rights in accordance with the Geneva Convention adn the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights. We will not forget them and will continue exposing the truth and contradictions. Contact us to join in this struggle.
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Education - we need to create our own institutions of learning that has to be community controlled. Schools have failed to do their job in meeting the needs of children and their familles. We will expand existing independent educational programs to address these needs with wholistic educational process. To Volunteer for our Hip Hop Workshop please contact us.

Media - from independent music to a liberated press, we are fighting to create our own outlets and vessels for the distribution of vital information necessary for liberation of the colonies in the americas and around the entire world Please look for our community newsletter which will be made available online. Also look for Radio Welfano, a stream of conscious, uplifting music for those struggling for freedom everywhere. Self-Producing, Self-Publishing and Self -distribution is Self-determination!

Police Brutality/Racial Profiling - the first line of defense to keep the masses of poor and black and brown people in line are the police. The utter brutality is an important part to the perpetuation of fear needed to maintain a police state many of us do not care to recognize. The psuedo war on terrorism has been transformed to a war on the poor and those who stand, speak and fight in opposition to the flagrant contradicitons of this backwards society. The Patriot Acts and Anti-terrorrisim Bill attempt to cement big brother's hold on the awakening masses. In the face of these threats on our civil liberties, our only option is to step up our efforts in destroying any legacy of this empire, american the unfruitful.

The Death Penalty - We fight for the abolishment of the death penalty; its racist application is a holdover from slave lynchings and is a violation of the 8th amendment to the constitution and the cruel and unusual punishment annotation. We fight for the freedom of Mumia Abu-Jamal (Freemumia.com), Hasan Shakur (Hasanshakur.com), Tony Egbuna Ford (Tonyford.org), and all brothers and sisters who are to be executed by this barbaric government. Click Here For More Information

Ray and Texas death row prisoner and activist Tony
Egbuna Ford, September 1, 2006

Recognition - The Welfare Poets was a 2003 Winner of the Union Square Award. The award was established to encourage grassroots activism as a means of strengthening communities in New York City. Award winners are visionaries and risk takers who, motivated by a passion for human rights and social justice, create projects and build organizations to address the city's social, political and economic issues.

The Union Square Awards program is a project of the Tides Center, a member of the Tides family of organizations. Its mission is to actively promote change toward a healthy society-one founded on principles of social justice, equal economic opportunity, a robust democratic process and environmental sustainability.
For more information, go to: www.unionsquareawards.org

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