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Gaza Flotilla Tragedy: The Audio Story

By Liane Scott, on July 8th, 2010
Gaza Protest

Demonstration Against Gaza Flotilla Tragedy

What does the mainstream media tell us about the on-going crisis between the Palestinians and the state of Israel? As a busy community activist addressing issues that are close to home, I can honestly say I don’t know what’s going on there. But the difference between the bits and pieces I pick up from the mainstream press and the progressive alternative media is striking.

If you listen to the network news, who refuses to “pick sides” for fear of appearing less than “objective”, you’ll hear that the situation is basically hopeless and that the two sides will never reconcile. Perhaps it is due to time constraints built into the format of television news that makes it so difficult for the networks to educate their audience on the history of the conflict or even to present anything approaching a complete picture of the current conditions. An analysis of the military and economic interests that have compelled one US administration after the another to support the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to support Israel financially and to give only tacit rebukes when they continue to expand the settlements illegally, not to mention the human rights violations, is hard to come by. It may be the time constraints that make all of this difficult to report. It’s also possible that the corporations that own most of the news (General Electric, Westinghouse, Rupert Murdoch, et al) actually profit from the on-going conflict. But as I said, I don’t know what’s going on there.

I do know that I appreciate it when media activists like Netfa Freeman of the Institute of Policy Studies and contribution producer for the WPFW public affairs program Voices with Vision, not only make it to the demonstrations that I don’t have time for, but also report on them. His audio documentary on the Gaza flotilla tragedy, takes us to the demonstrations outside of the Israeli embassy after the event. This was of course back in May, but as President Obama assures the world that the relationship between Israel and his administration is all good, it might not be a bad idea to revisit this regrettable demonstration of Israel’s military policy. Gaza Flotilla Tragedy: The Audio Story

Comments are closed   International Issues   , , , , ,  

Maturing Mortgages. Sounds Like A Good Thing, Right?

By Liane Scott, on June 29th, 2010

For the homeowner who’s been beholden to the bank for 30 years, finally paying off that mortgage is definitely a good thing. But when a landlord who has a contract with HUD to provide affordable apartments, pays off his or her debt to the bank, not everybody wins.

Everybody knows that DC has an affordable housing crisis. One source of housing for moderate and low-income residents of Washington, DC has been apartments regulated by the department of Housing and Urban Development. DC residents whose income is less than the median of $57,936 have turned to HUD for rent subsidized apartments. Property owners, looking for a good deal on a multifamily unit have bought these buildings at reduced rates. In exchange, they made the apartments available to residents receiving rental assistance. That arrangement stands for as long as the mortgage on the property is still in service, but once the building belongs to the landlord outright, he or she can do whatever they want with it. So, where does that leave the residents who live in the property?

Empower DC’s Linda Leaks is educating tenants who live in HUD properties whose mortgages are on the verge of expiration about their rights, and lobbying Congress to implement legislation that would safeguard low- and moderate-income tenants. WPFW reporter Peter Tucker interviewed her on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. It’s another story that you won’t hear on the nightly news or even read about in the Washington Post, but we have it here. A Massive Maturing of Mortgages [audio:http://www.grassrootsdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Linda-Leaks-6-13-101.mp3]

Comments are closed   Affordable Housing, Gentrification, Public Housing   , , , , , , , ,  

Bruce Monroe Parent Confronts City Council

By Liane Scott, on June 18th, 2010
Isi Interviews Bruce Monroe Mom

Isi Obinna Ugorji Interviews parent Sequnely Gray

In Washington, DC, education is an issue that is complicated and controversial. Common lore holds that the public school system has been dysfunctional for decades and the result is the lowest test scores in the nation. Explanations for this are numerous. Some blame parents or “poor” communities; others blame administrators and teachers, but it’s never been true that all of DC’s public schools are bad.

Bruce Monroe Elementary School, when it was located on Georgia Avenue, regularly met its adequate yearly progress goals and has had an active school community organization the Parents and Friends of Bruce Monroe who worked diligently to raise funds for needed renovations to the forty year old school.

In 2008, only a few DC public schools could match Bruce Monroe’s academic achievement or the level of familial and community support that the school enjoyed. Despite this, school chancellor Michelle Rhee closed the school, ostensibly due to low enrollment, and moved the students to a 94-year-old, low-performing school blocks away from the main thoroughfare of Georgia Avenue. Parents, teachers and students have been fighting the decision ever since.

The audio segment below uses audio recorded on the day of the city council’s public hearing regarding the DCPS budget. DC Public school advocates lobbied the council to hold the hearing on a Saturday morning so that school stakeholders, most of whom work during the week, would be able to attend. Dozens of DC residents testified that day, but only three council members showed up–Vincent Gray who presided, David Catania, there in body if not in spirit, and Jim Graham who showed up about two hours late. The mainstream press was completely nonexistent.

Fortunately, Grassroots Media Project Producer Isi Obinna Ugorji was there, interviewing parents, other stakeholders and advocates. Isi, Grassroots Media Project contributor, Adrienne Lynch and I (the project coordinator) sifted through the audio. The result is the following audio segment.

[audio:http://www.grassrootsdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DCPS-Budget-Hearing-Bruce-Monroe.mp3]

A decent article that puts Bruce Monroe into the context of other school closings can be found at the following link – http://foreverdc.com/2010/03/23/three-closed-d-c-schools-wont-reopen-soon/

The Grassroots Media Project is always looking for citizen journalists who can cover issues like this, too often ignored or misrepresented by corporate-owned media. If you are interested in joining our team please contact Liane Scott, the project coordinator at liane@grassrootsdc.org.

Comments are closed   Bruce Monroe, DC School Closures, Education   , , , , , , , ,  
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