Speaker 1 00:00:01 The viewpoints expressed in this program are the opinions of the people expressing them and are not necessarily those of fresh air incorporated its staff or its board of directors.
Speaker 2 00:00:23 You can burn a whole thing down. I don't care if you are uncomfortable, we can burn a whole thing down. Couldn't care about another zone. You can burn a whole thing down. Y'all don't really care about a brother till we burn our own thing down.
Speaker 2 00:00:44 Yeah, we about to go to work. Yeah, we about to let it burn. Like send Quill. Yeah, I bet you will. Trying to skip it. They've been lynching us and till and that's really freaking generous cuz honestly they have been killing us since we were property. No stopping me from saying how it is. This ain the whizz ain't no easing down the road where we live. That the bizz, we can't go out for a jog or a swim fucking dog. Fall asleep in the car, fall asleep where we live. So we about to let it burn just like gusher. Say baby trying bud do not care what gusher say. Put in back screens up, make a few bucks. My life isn't marketing who you think you trying to play? Um, I like it better when like nerdy was all fun and stuff. This is really angry.
Speaker 2 00:01:26 Like don't you think you said enough? Well that's freaking tough cuz I'm being loud and the people are not playing with you now. Yeah, you can burn our whole thing down. Yes. Yeah. I don't care if you are uncomfortable, we can burn our whole thing down. You can burn our whole thing down. Couldn't care about a another zone. You can burn a whole thing down. Burn it down. Y'all don't really care about a brother until we burn whole thing down. Burn it down. Yeah, we about to go to work. Yeah we about to let it burn.
Speaker 3 00:01:57 No, come on the youngins. What I'm focused on. I'm so old then go then. I ain't know you was talking about Pokemon Ha. But I'm more like me and nerdy next to a burndown system with a candle of gas and a handful of matches and know we ain't miss some famous. Now my mission ladies be so watching all the leaders leading banking Nona Minions. But we taught you enough to take us and we give into survivors city of liars making black people compliant. <laugh> Coon Rapids. Who are you asking? I'm proof. Survive the boom trick bro. Ethics got me laughing at your message. Black Lives Matter. You would not get so defensive. We got cops and ths and robberies and gas light us. We are not the same. We on the scene we pass typing cuz y'all don't care about us and we ain't come to ask. We just mind our businessing and people be so stuck and mad. So pastor the gun and mask and pass the athe nu Y'all can really kill us for anything. Y'all just bend the laws the same performance art, the same performative saving the racist head of norm. It is. You
Speaker 2 00:02:55 Can burn, burn the the whole thing down. I don't care if y'all uncomfortable, we can burn a whole thing down. You can burn it, burn it, burn it down. Couldn't care about it. Not a zone. You can burn a whole thing down down. Y'all don't really care about a brother till we burn whole thing down.
Speaker 0 00:03:15 Burn
Speaker 2 00:03:15 It down. Yeah, we about to go to work. Yeah, we about to let it
Speaker 4 00:03:45 Views from the ground, views from the damn ground views from the ground views from the damn ground views from the ground views from the damn ground. And that's on that, on that on that. All right. <laugh> <laugh>. Alright, wait up. Thanks for the outro. Oh, y'all got a little solo going on <laugh>. Uh, so yeah. Um, solo. So this is dj, your agender host. I use they dumb pronouns.
Speaker 5 00:04:14 My name is Jalen. I use she her pronouns.
Speaker 4 00:04:17 My name is Brandon. I use he him pronouns. Yes. All right. With that we're gonna get directly into the weekly news segment.
Speaker 5 00:04:25 Yes. So today, well, so last week we talked about a couple of unfortunate but highly predictable under capitalism happenings in Mississippi, like the, uh, water crisis in Jackson. Uh, the Weel scan scandal, including the governor and um, and Lexington police chief getting fired after his racist rant was revealed. Um, this week we're going to, this week we're going to, um, take it a little bit. International DJ kind of started us off. Uh, so we're going to see how it goes. Um, I wanted to start, uh, with what's happening in Minnesota. Um, and yeah, then go international. I apologize. Um, and do a bit of recap now cuz it's the end of the day. Wednesday and reflection of the Minnesota Nurses Association strike that started this Monday, uh, September 12th and ended today. Um, I, they were, um, we passed, well they're at Riverside. A couple, I think 12 different hospitals total or maybe 16. There's a number of hospitals. About 15,000 nurses, uh, throughout the state of Minnesota, um, are going on strike. Um, and it was a three day they decided, they voted on. Um, it is, if my understanding, I believe one of the biggest work stoppages of the private sector.
Speaker 4 00:05:50 True. Yeah. True,
Speaker 5 00:05:51 True. Um, and so the three year contract expired in May. Um, and today's strikes follows a series of unsuccessful bargaining sessions. Uh, negotiations have been around retention, understaffing and, um, the overwork and also pay. Um, I'm, again, I haven't heard any updates in the last hour or so, but I guess tomorrow they go back and resume work. But yeah, I haven't heard about any deals reached or I don't know it getting anywhere in conversation, so to speak. Um, but I had the opportunity to join some of the nurses yesterday at Fairview Riverside. It was, um, a ton of fun. The sea of red, I don't know, I just love the uniform of colors. It was just like, you see the sea of green? See the sea of red. Uh, the nurses popped out. Uh, we, there was the bridge over 94 that had a ton of energy.
Speaker 5 00:06:40 My mom loves any chance to honk and she did. She did her due diligence. <laugh> and I could get supporting. If there was a medal to give, it would be given to my mom every time, hands down. So that was, uh, fun for both of us, but also the nurses cuz it was about the middle of the day. And it really is just like a great energizer to see that support from community. They were really surprised that I was there. They kept asking, do you work in, you know, unit, blah, blah, blah. What, which unit are you? And I'm like, oh, nope. I'm just in the community. I was born here many years ago. Um, just I, I see the, um, I see Sol, I guess this is really big in solidarity for me. Um, and showing up for, you know, the labor movement and with it being such a big strike, um, if the nurses are, I mean just like the teachers, if the teachers are striking under such conditions, the nurses are striking.
Speaker 5 00:07:32 We got the railroad workers I think this week or will happen sometime soon. Um, just these historic strikes. Um, and it was reiterated a couple different times. Like these things have, there's been things wrong in the system prior to the pandemic, but the pandemic really, um, made it apparent, I guess so to speak in a way. Um, and the I'm, well like I was saying, uh, there was really good energy. Um, the struggle is, or something that, something else that was reiterated is that this was, um, is is over unfair or unsafe working conditions. Uh, and so they are really asking, um, to be respected in what they're comfortable in the care that they're giving and supported and not just told to deal with something that they either don't have the, and I don't have the, um, knowledge base cause it's not that, but it's like under such stressful conditions, they still are full people and they have to go home and parent and they have to support their community and they're healing our community. And how do you do that under such stresses if you don't feel safe at work? And I think that's something we can all agree that is everyone's right. Um, DJ you I believe also had a little bit of time with the nurses. Yeah, I went,
Speaker 4 00:08:55 Um, on their first day on Monday, I went with my friend, um, Desiree, who's a nurse over at Norfolk Memorial Hospital. And you know, it was really nice to see, to see a red and, you know, see people energized, you know, um, you know, they're striking for better, um, working conditions and also for, um, to make things better for patients, right. Because a lot, um, of complaints I heard was there's just like not enough staff there and that they need more staff. Um, so they can do the rotation. So, so they can do things safely. They also need more like equipment because, um, I met a nurse who was talking about how she had threw her back out because her and a couple of nurses were trying to, um, pick up somebody that was like 600 pounds to move them because they didn't have a sling to do that with.
Speaker 4 00:09:43 Um, despite the fact that these CEOs of these private, um, of these private hospitals are getting like huge bonuses, so mm-hmm. <affirmative>, uh, so yeah, it's just really messed up the see them not like respecting the workers. Uh, you know, and so, you know, part of me, you know, a little complicated cuz you know, I, I do, uh, I don't really support like, you know, like a lot of like, like healthcare cuz I don't think that healthcare should be something that you can profit off of. But, you know, I'm always with the working class and if people are, are, you know, not letting people just be exploited for their labor. You know what I mean? So, um, so yeah, so I'm definitely, um, trying to do as much as I can to support them and much as I can to support them moving forward. Um, a lot of the peop um, a lot of the, um, people who are going on straight are actually, yeah.
Speaker 4 00:10:39 Like, like we were talking, uh, like Jaylen said, or in the private sector, which makes things, um, uh, interesting because like, uh, with the teachers, right? The teachers were on strike earlier this year, mft, uh, they're a public sector union. So when they go on strike, what they're doing is they're striking and they're battling for public opinion through the media, right? Because when they go on strike, what ends up happening is that the employer, Minneapolis Public Schools in that case was actually making more money because like they already got their tax money, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, so they already have their money are made. So, so the, the thing is Minneapolis public schools not providing the service that they, a public service that is required of them. And so the question is, how much pressure can the teachers put on them in the, uh, community members, right?
Speaker 4 00:11:27 With a private sector strike. Um, you know, there is no tax money. They're getting paid and funded, you know, kind of like a factory or anything like that. So when a lot of these private sector workers are going on strike, what we end up seeing is, um, the CEOs and the people who own these businesses is actually hurting their pockets because they're not making money those days. Uh, so, so, uh, I think it's, I feel like, you know, you know, there's some differences. There's differences between the public and private mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I personally feel like, um, the private sector has more bargaining room since they're hurting people's profits. But, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:12:08 And the support for it has been kind of interesting for me to see like, uh, Tim Waltz came out and, uh, talked about his support, but I'm like, wasn't he a teacher? I thought I was taking, and I don't <laugh> I don't think we saw him during the teacher strike. Mm-hmm. I don't know if we heard anything again, maybe he was quiet though. He was quiet and he was loud and proud brother
Speaker 4 00:12:28 Picket lot every day. He
Speaker 5 00:12:29 Was loud and proud for the nurses. And so it's just like, it's nuanced. It's for sure. I mean, like everything is, how much
Speaker 6 00:12:36 Of money of a surplus did we have as a state of Minnesota?
Speaker 5 00:12:39 That's a great question. I wanna say, well, don't get me this line. I was gonna say a billion. Yeah, a couple, couple.
Speaker 6 00:12:45 Close to a billion, something like that.
Speaker 4 00:12:47 Yeah. I, I, I, because the thing is like, if he supports the teachers, like the teachers are like, well, just give us the money then. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> cuz y'all got the surplus and it's a public sector thing. But since it's like most of it's like private sector, he's like, give them what they want. You know, I'm not the enemy now cause I'm not stopping you from getting the money. You know, like that type of stuff. You know, it's
Speaker 5 00:13:07 You politics,
Speaker 4 00:13:08 <laugh> a good politic here and there, you know? Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:13:11 The politics are politicing, <laugh>, <laugh> as I suppose is a, their job description. Um, sorry dj, I cut you off there.
Speaker 4 00:13:19 Yeah. Um, it was really interesting. So I, I went to a lot of picket lines with the teachers and then I went to a couple for, uh, cuz I work, uh, at, for the county, uh, when we were potentially going on strike, which we didn't end up doing. I was, we did a couple of pickets there, but it was really interesting to see this private sector because like the scabs were showing up. <laugh> like, like I was like, oh, oh snaps like, like the buses came and then they got off and, and, and then the, the scabs were coming out and they were counting them out to like 1, 2, 3. I'm like, what is going on? There's private security. The sheriff like, swarm it around cuz this is, I mean, it's a friendly reminder. Cause I know, you know, all the union people don't want to cure it, but, but the police ain't y'all friend. Okay. <laugh>. And, and if y'all don't believe me
Speaker 5 00:14:10 Historically, look it up, click
Speaker 4 00:14:12 Open up a book, like open up a history book of labor. Like what's a book
Speaker 5 00:14:16 <laugh>, there's plenty of YouTube videos or,
Speaker 4 00:14:19 Or, or if you're, or if you're younger, um, you know, Google a podcast <laugh>, you know,
Speaker 5 00:14:25 There's
Speaker 4 00:14:25 Tons. But, but yeah, like if, if it comes between supporting the workers or supporting the employers and the cops supporting the employers, because that's their job is to protect private company, you know, you know, capita and stuff like that and private property. So, so yeah. Um, so yeah, it was interesting to see the scabs coming in. Um, these traveling nurses, uh, that are crossing the picket line, which are getting paid outrageous amounts of money, like time and a half, the double time. Um, they're getting flown out. They're getting, um, their hotels paid for, they're getting their transportation paid for to go to these places. Like, it's just like, like it, the commitment to not give these people a livable wage and to not get these people the, the equipment and, uh, that they need to give the care to our community. Like the commitment to it is ridiculous. Like
Speaker 7 00:15:18 Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:15:19 The go
Speaker 7 00:15:19 Ahead. And, and not to mention that all of these nurses worked through the pandemic mm-hmm. Tireless. Like we, we talk about the conditions now. Yep. But we also need to, I mean, governor Wallace has the frontline worker pay, but that's at most $750 or whatever mm-hmm. <affirmative>, these individuals deserve compensation for all the work for, for being on the front lines of a global pandemic of a worldwide health crisis that had our hospitals in
Speaker 5 00:15:49 Still
Speaker 7 00:15:50 Do on the verge of shutting down. These were the people that were the glue, not the CEOs who are paying themselves the big dollars. Like, yeah, we got through it. No, y'all didn't do anything to get through it. Y'all got yourself a bigger paycheck through it. But these nurses were the ones who, who held it together a and showed up every day to care for people that needed to be cared for. So not only do they need better conditions and better pay for the work they're doing now, they need compensation for the work that they did in the last two years that no nurses have ever had to do in mm-hmm. <affirmative> recent times. Yep.
Speaker 5 00:16:24 And many of them had that sentiment of, you know, two years ago we were heroes. We were, you know, all these great things and you had so much respect as a society, why, you know, because that contract was in 2019 before the pandemic. They're asking the contract to reflect the times. Um, and why is that? Why is that hard? Why is that a struggle? Why is that a debate when we were heroes two years ago? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, and it's just exactly what she said. Like, how, if, if those words were true, what is this issue and why is this like that? Yeah. So
Speaker 4 00:16:57 My, my my favorite sign that I saw at the, um, picket line on Monday was a signed up on the nurse's head and it said essential with a question mark. And it said, I guess not. I was like, straight to the point.
Speaker 5 00:17:10 And that's on that,
Speaker 4 00:17:11 That's on that <laugh>.
Speaker 5 00:17:13 Um, so, so, um, then we're going to take it international real quick. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:17:19 Um, and you know, we got a little thing here.
Speaker 5 00:17:22 Yeah. We Okay. Opening song.
Speaker 4 00:17:30 All right. <laugh>.
Speaker 5 00:17:32 So it was either that or Lizzie's in a box chip, so we didn't do that. <laugh>. Um, so this event has been meed over mourned and critiqued, uh, is the death of Queen Elizabeth ii. She was the longest reigning monarch in British history. I think over 70 years, um, of, uh, rain, whatever that means. Um, there is a period of mourning in the United Kingdom right now, and I read some tweets of like people's, like, uh, surgeries have been getting rescheduled be to mourn the queen properly. And it's just like, I don't know. It, it seems wild. Cause we don't have the head of state similar to the United Kingdom, and it's just like, dang. Um, but the death of the queen comes outta time, uh, when there's calls to cut the ties with the monarchy, specifically in the Caribbean. Um, I know, uh, believe Barbados last year, uh, voted to become a republic.
Speaker 5 00:18:30 Um, let's see, I think Antigua, um, and Jamaica are on the list this year. Um, and many others just having the conversation. I think, um, they all officially, not they all, but I think most Caribbean countries put out like a formal statement, um, with their condolences to the queen. But I've, it's been really interested to hear the kind of the side of descent, um, calling for the Republic and why like the queen's death makes them think of the multitude, 70 years of tragedy. Someone said that her family went through and it's just like the British Empire touched nearly all corners of the world. Uh, and to have,
Speaker 7 00:19:12 And while touching it, destroying the people who live there, putting them in, in camps and, and taking all their resources. Not like, yeah, we can't
Speaker 5 00:19:23 Literally, like we have
Speaker 7 00:19:24 To say what it
Speaker 5 00:19:25 Was the day she became Queen, she was in Kenya and they were going through, um, an anti-colonial rebellion with I, I believe they're called the Mao Mao. And when she became, well, not became, but heard the news that her father had died. Um, she was in Kenya and they were, they had internment camps, like truly mm-hmm. <affirmative> with, and she was there overseeing it or for her royal tour. And there's a lot of folks that say, oh, she didn't know, or, oh, she didn't have the power to, but it's like influence is influence. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and a monarchy. Like, I don't know, like, I don't know how, how that's not powerful. Like people are just, taxpayers are paying like all this money for this family for symbolic reasons, solely. Um, and they like to say that she, you know, can't have a political opinion and doesn't influence parliament, but she has these weekly meetings that are closed doors. Nothing's typed up just once a week you get to meet with the prime Minister. Um, and it's just been, um, it's um, excuse me. So yeah, it's just been, um, interesting with the different debates. Um, and by design as much, uh, by the accident of her long life in her presence. She's been the head of state and the head of Commonwealth. Commonwealth, which I will not break down cause I can't say I understand it too much cuz we got a very
Speaker 4 00:20:45 Different, I mean, she gets a lot of free money,
Speaker 5 00:20:47 Uh, yeah. And a lot of black and brown colonies and or not colonies, territories, countries, um, the colonies. <laugh>. Yeah. I'm like, I just, like, they're all so particular in their terms and whatnot. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So let's try, it's hard to understand, um, colonies
Speaker 7 00:21:02 As in colonialism. Yes.
Speaker 5 00:21:04 The colonialism is alive and well. And I think, um, we need to, I guess call a colonist a colonist mm-hmm. <affirmative> and not be upset that people are doing that. And, um, I think this instead of kind, I don't know, romanticizing the idea that she had after her reign, there was this period of decolonization. We need to remember that there are people who fought to the death for that independence. Uh, and it wasn't just given by the graciousness of the queen, it was fought very hard and a lot of people died. And it wasn't just like, she's like, okay, you can be independent, like in some free freedom, uh, liberating way I should say. So yeah, just wanted to say that for the record <laugh>. Um, but yeah, it's like everything else, it's a bit nuanced, but actually not that nuanced for me. It's not nuance at all. Um, but
Speaker 4 00:21:59 Genocide is bad. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:22:01 Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:22:02 I, I hope that's not controversial anymore. But, you know, uh, it's Amer you know, it's the West, I should say.
Speaker 5 00:22:07 This is true. So we'll see what the new king does. I don't exactly know too, I didn't know who
Speaker 4 00:22:13 He was until it happened. Anyway,
Speaker 5 00:22:14 Honey, like, I mean, folks have already canceled her for, you know, in in favor of Miss Diana. So,
Speaker 7 00:22:21 And I think also, uh, I don't know if y'all were on social media the day that the Queen died, but Twitter was a pretty, uh, <laugh> crazy place. Um, it was a fun day and we can't talk about everything that happened without also talking about who was criticized for sharing their dissent for, for the queen's passing. Right? This is very true. Particularly black people were being told, oh, you need to have some class. Someone just died, blah, blah, blah. When literally, like all of their ancestors have been impacted by the queen. And, and the colonial rule that, uh, Britain hold held over the entire world. So like, you have to be classy after this person's bloodline killed your bloodline. You know? And, and even more particular like black women, you know, uh, who give their opinion as they so rightfully should what Jeff Bezos quoted a tweet from, um, a black woman who was a professor saying like, oh, this is so disgusting, blah, blah, blah. When literally all she said was she was a colonizer <laugh> and she killed people, blah,
Speaker 5 00:23:22 Blah, blah. Fucks are breaking it down real simple. Right? Not even real graphic. She said
Speaker 7 00:23:25 Everything truthfully. Yeah. And historically accurate. And Jeff Bezos, one of the, you know, most, the richest man whatever in the world, uh, you know, took the time to talk specifically about her, quoted her tweet and said, this is disgusting, essentially. Um, and we have to look at like, why is that? I mean, we don't have to look at it, but take a look for yourself. I think the answer's very obvious that white supremacy still, uh, uh, breeds in itself in any, any chance that it gets Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:23:56 They say white supremacy a right of right supremacy is a right to comfort. And so that's the, I guess influencing and putting that like they, the royals have a right to grieve and we need to grieve respectfully around them. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, so yeah, that's, well we'll see what the new king does. Hmm.
Speaker 4 00:24:14 Um, I I just wanted to share my little story at work real fast. Um, I was, I was real scared cuz they just was like, the queen's dead, the queen's dead. I was like, what happened to Beyonce <laugh>? They're like, no, Elizabeth. I was like, oh, where I'm celebrating tonight. You know what I mean? Like, what are y'all talking about?
Speaker 5 00:24:34 Not Queen Latifa <laugh>.
Speaker 4 00:24:35 Come on. The the only, come on. The only thing sad about her passing was that only one of the royal family members passed away. So anyway, um, moving on. Um, our next segment is gonna be the words of freedom segment. So go ahead and take it away. So
Speaker 7 00:24:50 Welcome to words of Freedom and a segment here on views from the ground. Views From
Speaker 4 00:24:55 The damn Ground.
Speaker 7 00:24:55 We give local poets a chance to free their minds, free their hearts, and liberate their souls with their words of freedom. Again. This month we have a Dearman Samii who is a second generation immigrant from Somalia. He uses his art to talk about his, uh, struggle with addiction, um, and how he has overcome and how he continues to inspire other people and, and, um, get rid of the stigma against drug abuse and addiction. Um, so we'll listen to a couple of his poems. The first one this week is titled, A Mountain called Grief
Speaker 10 00:25:34 Loss with words and Loss of Breath. Hard to explain how it's been since your death pain with sorrow can think about tomorrow. Your joy is heart. I wish I could borrow. It gets worse with time. You think it gets better. It just feels that way cuz you've become numb to the weather drenched and tearless rain. All I know is this pain. How I wish I could explain how I'm desensitized to pain. I feel so hopeless. Why do I feel so broken? I have a sense you've left my heart's been frozen. You think that it closes. In fact, you feel yourself coping until you remember the memories. The wound cuts wide open. It's a slippery slope. Sometimes you're filled with hope, but all it takes is a second just to tear up and choke. Sometimes you're filled with despair, but you hide it in fear of others thinking that you're weak.
Speaker 10 00:26:18 So you wipe off your tears. After years of detachment and hidden reactions, you start to feel better. No more faking and acting. You even start to believe that you're healing. No more hiding your feelings. Everything starts to feel real and your happiness is to the ceiling. Until you see that one picture and quickly get triggered, the memories start to rush and you're back in that blizzard. You start to feel so cold and everything gets so dull. You just feel so empty and it turns everything. So no, everything seems so bleak. Every day feels like a weak, somewhat of a streak that you can't quite seem to defeat. Seems like a never ending peak. So treacherous and so damn steep. Almost impossible to retreat from this mountain called grief.
Speaker 7 00:27:09 And this next piece is titled The Struggling Soul.
Speaker 10 00:27:14 Struggling So Restless, always feeling like I'm tested. So many thoughts overthinking got me thinking. To what am I destined? Is this a blessing, confusion, mixed with faith, trying to grasp the complexities of faith? I'm struggling to understand where do all these pieces fall in place? What does it take to be firm and believe that all these hardships come with ease? I truly believe, but I'm just wishing for that you king. That feeling of conviction. Were faced with an affliction. Understanding that he has a plan no matter what's your position, the perfection of submission battling within. Am I paying for all my sins? I'm struggling within. No longer cannot. I pretend sometimes I overcome, but mostly I just defend. And I don't always lose. But I feel lost even when I win. Struggling on this journey of learning to be content. Even when I thought I've healed. I can still see my scars trying to ride my wrongs. It feels like I'm aiming for the stars. Always been told you're strong for what you've done, but never for who you are. I'm feeling like I'm hopeless. I'm shackled behind these bars, struggling to find my peace as I write this piece in my poetic no more.
Speaker 7 00:28:23 And this next piece is titled Resilience.
Speaker 11 00:28:26 Blocked by my Thoughts. Hard to think up in the space. My tongue is twisted and caught. Can you see it in my face? It's hard to show you this clot. My arteries feel restrained. I know that it's a lot. My memories won't let me escape. Only way to escape is to let my mind flow through my pen. I'm living inside a jungle speaking my pain from the lines. Then. But what if I run out of ink? What will I do then? What can a plant do to survive if it's cut from its stem? Regard from my roots, I'm learning of the truth about myself and my childhood. I'm learning the sprout of new my branches and leaves flow outward in defiance. But the cold wind still blows. And I'm afraid of its violence. Hard to grow in my place when there's weeds in the ground.
Speaker 11 00:29:18 No nutrients or sun. I'm surprised I've managed to stay around hard to explain my struggle. But so much hatred inside the want to do better. The willingness to stay alive. How hard is it to just live? I feel like I'm dying within. My leaves are starting to change color. Is it my time to give in? I know what you'll say that there will be more sunny days. But you cannot live without the sun. If you do not receive the rain. I'm not saying that I'm deprived, I just feel dead inside more like my death is coming at me. I'm just struggling to survive. All of my friends are dying and it's not from natural causes, gunshots and overdoses. And my trauma just makes me cautious, hyper-vigilant. I'm cold and shivering. My tongue is twisted in. My pen is still riding. And to me it's Ritalin. Because even if I grow, I still don't know where to go because my pain is still with me and it's hard for me to let go.
Speaker 7 00:30:20 And this last piece today is titled Growing Pains.
Speaker 10 00:30:26 I'm confused. Do I have something to lose? Struggling to find myself. I'm tiptoeing around the fuse, scared to make a mistake. It's hard to eliminate this devil upon my shoulders is for someone, Nate thinking, is this myself or can it be someone else? Questioning my intentions. My mind is screaming for help. Some days I just wanna change. Others are just restrained, weakened by my desires. It's hard for me to regain hard for me to explain how hard it's been to maintain hard for me to obtain. It's harder to just obtain. It's harder for me to gain a heart that isn't detained, A heart that cannot be lost, A heart that can just be saved. I'm in desperate need of guidance. I've been struggling in silence. My heart's been numb to cry. And it's hard for me to deny it. It's harder for me to say that there will be better days.
Speaker 10 00:31:16 Hard to think the sun is coming when all that you've seen is rain. I'm feeling so conflicted. Just wishing for some forgiveness. A man seeking repentance. Just hoping that he could get it. Is it wishful thinking to think that this pain will go away? Does it make me ungrateful? If I can only think of my pain? I feel like I'm in an abyss, stuck in a sea of miss. This pain only seems to get deeper. It seems like it will never miss trials and tribulations. I'm conflicted by this hatred. Some seem as mistaken, but it's hard for me to make it. It's hard for me to take it judged by my mistakes. And it's hard for them to face it that I am just the creation. It's harder for me to believe that all of this will recede hard for me to achieve when all I can do is grieve.
Speaker 10 00:31:59 I just wish that I could retrieve a piece of the old meat times when I was carefree and times when I could just beat. Things were so simplistic. The memories were so vivid, things weren't as conflicted. But memories can't be relivent. Some things I better off in the past, but damn, I wish there could be a day without a worry in my way and I could just lay there in the grass. Not a damn thing on my mind except counting sheep in the sky and the lemonade and the Kool-Aid. Just wondering when will it be dinner time? Thinking about my adolescence and how it was so confined. Can't believe I wanted to grow up. Now I'm just wishing that I could rewind. But that was then and here is now. And in this darkness it seems I would reside. So until then, I lay in my bed. I stuck in my head just hoping that this sadness passes by.
Speaker 7 00:32:52 So again, that was Abdule man. War Sammi. Um, we're gonna hear his poetry again next week and then end of the month he'll be in for an in-person interview. If you want to catch up with his work in between now and then you can follow him on Instagram at a b d i r a h m a a n underscore underscore. So go check him out in the meantime. Uh, he'll be back. We, his poetry will be back next week and then he will be here with us in two weeks. So make sure y'all stay tuned.
Speaker 4 00:33:24 All right, well thank you so much. With that being said, we're gonna go to our next segment, um, the Nerdy Spotlight. So take it away. Nerdy.
Speaker 2 00:33:36 Hello everybody, it's your boy nerdy. And we are back again with the Artist Spotlight. This month we've been following T U V K Tuva. The word tuva is an incredibly talented mc blazing the mic. But not only that, as I've heard from a pretty reliable source, he is pretty dazzling on the drums as well. Anderson Pac better watch out because here comes Tu vk the word with his next song. Breathe.
Speaker 12 00:34:21 What would Tupac do? That's what Jesus said when he told me to keep moving. Don't believe in red What you think I die folk. Just show respect. Okay, I got you. Let me show these people. I'm a regret. Yeah, JE is up right now when I'm on deck. Like it is a sweet life. Hey, let's do with regret. Cause they know that re next cause this is my pretext to keep moving cuz this life don't give you reset. Why Keep the pace for my dreams beat. I will push my peace forward until King. I will keep speaking now until my people see me. I will never be the coolest rapper, but I'll be me copying soul TV like I'm Disney. Plus you can trust I'm going to be me. I can only hope that my folks will receive me hope. You gotta do the most of what can cope if need be. But I can't give enough until I sleep deep.
Speaker 13 00:35:10 Just breathe in. Just breathe out. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe down. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe out. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe down. Just breathe
Speaker 12 00:35:21 In. I gotta keep moving with the music cause it's righteous. I'm just serving you the truth. I hope that you can. God, I don't need your approval. Not no. My God bless when I speak up prophecies in my context. I know this life is not the contest. So I'm just trying to give them my best and pray that God has ordered my staff. You know why God? Do what God says. If you don't like it, you can leave this you. When my wife and you, when Jesus, you like the typo. Don't believe us. When we say we fight what they deep love. We're trying to close a gap between us. And we ain't asking you to free us. We are demanding that you treat us like we are equal to can be loved. I can't believe I have to preach this. My people tired of this treatment. So busy fighting with these heat things that we are struggling to breath in.
Speaker 13 00:36:10 Just breathing. Just breathe out. Just breath in. Just breathing. Just breathe down. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe out. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe down. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe out. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe down. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe out. Just breathe in. Just breathe in. Just breathe out. Breathe.
Speaker 15 00:36:38 World famous circus Ceia returns to Children's Theater Company with a brand new show. Watch an awe as this stunning display of athleticism celebrates Dtu. Tulu the first black African woman to win Olympic gold. Great for all ages. This dazzling spectacle of high-flying acrobatics is on stage. September 13th through October 23rd. Tickets at children's theater.org g.
Speaker 4 00:37:05 All right, so we're back here on views from the ground. Views from the
Speaker 5 00:37:10 Damn ground. Thanks for joining in.
Speaker 16 00:37:13 Thanks folks
Speaker 5 00:37:14 Are getting it
Speaker 4 00:37:16 <laugh>. Love it. So, uh, this week I am joined by my good friend Dechen, which is one of the um, co-founders of J ffa.
Speaker 15 00:37:28 Woohoo. Woo
Speaker 16 00:37:29 Woo. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 4 00:37:30 Yeah. And so, and so why don't you explain to the people what, um, justice Frontline Aid does? Yeah,
Speaker 16 00:37:39 So Justice Frontline aid, um, exists to, our mission statement is to aid and equip those who put their bodies on the frontline for justice. Um, so that looks like a couple of different things right now as far as on the ground support. So that is currently, um, helping Marshall protests. So putting on a vest, putting our bodies in front of harm's way, helping take down streets, um, safely. Sometimes that's deescalating, um, skills. We also provide medical support as needed. Um, have medics onsite with us and then also supply distribution. So it is very hot out in those trees or sometimes very cold. Um, so making sure people are hydrated, people are fed. If we people have, um, blood sugar issues, making sure we have food on hand for them. Um, supply also can mean everything from tables and canopies to whatever is needed, depending on what the organizers need for that event.
Speaker 16 00:38:42 So, um, that is what we do as far as that is concerned. We do have helped other sites when there was line three doing, um, supply distribution up there, collecting here stuff in the twin cities, sending it up. Um, hopefully moving now into more education and access as far as um, what people need to know before they go out and protest and making sure something, a passion of mine is making sure that's not in English only, but making sure we can get that out to the people that need to get out and not always thinking of English as a default for that. So yeah, that is that.
Speaker 4 00:39:26 Yeah. Um, and, and when you speak about also helping in other places, like, um, stop line three, you also helped out on Kenosha. Uh, correct.
Speaker 16 00:39:35 Yeah, we did. Uh, so that was a smaller team. It was me, Matt, who is not with us today, but with us in spirit and one of our medics who is out now. But, um, Tori had went out to Kenosha actually the day before the thing with Kyle Rittenhouse happened and handing out medical supplies and things that, protest kits that we created just for people who were gonna be out to be safe, making sure they had some type of protective eyewear, extra chains of clothes, water bottles, either just to drink if they're gonna be out all day or, um, to flush their eyes out if they got maced or any excessive tear gas. And um, just kind of helping their medical team out there get coordinated.
Speaker 4 00:40:18 Yeah. Your, um, second, um, co-founder is Matt Allen, which is a k a nerdy
Speaker 16 00:40:25 Yes.
Speaker 4 00:40:26 Yeah. <laugh>. Uh, that's also, um, super cool. So how can people, um, connect what you say, I'm someone that's organizing a protest and I want to like, reach out to you to get access to some of these. What would be the best way to reach you?
Speaker 16 00:40:43 Yep. So Jfa has a website, justice frontland aid.org. Um, on the website there is a Google form you could fill out basic information that we need for a protest. Um, is a time a place. Ideally let us know if this is a march. Marches are a little bit different in coordinating, um, versus just holding space or occupying a space. Um, and then what do you need from us? Is it primarily marshals? Do you need us to help you find medics? Bringing our own medics? And then like I said, what kind of supplies or what extra things do you need from us, um, to help support and make that happen?
Speaker 4 00:41:21 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And sometimes you even, um, y'all help people find sound systems.
Speaker 16 00:41:26 Yeah. If there's a sound systems be had, we can help you find it. <laugh>,
Speaker 4 00:41:29 <laugh>, um, which is very, so, um, talk about us, how Jfa was founded.
Speaker 16 00:41:37 Yeah. Give
Speaker 4 00:41:38 Us the origin story.
Speaker 16 00:41:39 Once upon a time, <laugh> on a dark night, actually a dark night long, long time ago. It's a long, long one of the dark in the year 2020, Ooh. Um, once a year in the middle of a target parking lot by cross the third precinct, the target, target, the target parking lot, target, uh, I got maced. Um, we're asking cops why they had maced somebody that was on the ground and was injured. Um, I was with a friend who got in touch with Matt. So Matt and I actually went to the same college and had kind of a loose group of mutual friends. Um, so word got out that I had been maced I could not drive at that time. It took like three gallons of milk just to, for able for me to come back to. Um, by the time Matt had got the word, it was on the way.
Speaker 16 00:42:33 I had been okay enough to drive myself to my friend's place to go shower and get out of the mace clothes and kind of call it a night. Um, but Matt showed up still. He had already been planning to be there with another one of my friends Nathan. And that was when the AutoZone had caught fire. There had been a medical team or some type of team that had been in the parking lot prior to that. I don't know, it sounds like they were spooked after the AutoZone caught fire. And so Matt and Nathan showed up there cuz that's where I said I had been. And people were rushing to that site because it was just a stockpile of milk and water and these different things. And so Matt just took it upon himself of these people need help. These people are coming to us, I guess where the water and eye washing station now.
Speaker 16 00:43:24 And so kind of just rolled up his sleeves. Him and Nathan kind of just stayed the rest of the night making sure people were getting their face washed out and coordinating and making sure these people were able to get home safe. The next day Matt and I connected, I, one of the pictures that was taken of me kind of went viral and so I got a lot of donations. That was first 48 hours. Matt being nerdy and having his connections through the city also had people donating to him. So he and I talked the next day along with a couple of other people of why don't we have a spot that is centralized in the target parking lot where people can pick up supplies, but also a spot where people can get medical attention. When I had been there the first day or during the day, um, there was the church that was pretty close by to the third precinct, but it was kind of tucked away.
Speaker 16 00:44:22 And then people were telling us, Hey, there's a medic over here, there's a medic over here, there's a medic over here. But watching it in real time, people were getting shot in the chest or, or getting shot in the head and out of panic people were just picking them up and running. There wasn't a centralized area that was runable that people can say, Hey, if you need help, go here. Um, especially in the middle of all the chaos. Yeah. And so we kind of just decided let's be that. Um, so we got some tents from Menards and put them up, made sure to get there early enough for people to be able to see us and we were visible. And those next couple nights, it was just a group of us. Uh, we had a combat medic, we had people who were nurses. I have more of a mental health background, so I was there more so for just people talking and trauma, um, kind of just banded together and we just kept doing that.
Speaker 16 00:45:20 Luckily Matt had a connection through Modest Brewery. They had hosted a couple of events for his music. They let us use their space since they had just got shut down for Covid. And so for the next week and a half, two weeks, we were running this huge makeshift food shelf out of a brewery. We'd kind of take a nap and then at night we would go out to, was at first the third precinct once that fell, went down to the fifth precinct and wherever else we was needed during those first two weeks. And then the larger conversation started happening of is this something that we see as a need for our community for the next month or so? Or do we think we have enough people resources and see the need for this to be an ongoing support? And so that was kind of the start conversations we started having of can we make this sustainable? And we decided to do that. Um, originally we just called ourselves Justice Frontline Crew, and then that kind of expanded to the work that we do and less of who we were. And so we decided to call ourselves Justice Frontline Aid. And so we began probably officially what we say on the books is June 3rd, 2020.
Speaker 4 00:46:44 Yeah. And, and, and that's like so powerful. Like just how grassroots it was. Like this is something that I see that the community needs and that I'm going to fill in this space for the community. And, um, it really shows like, you know, we, we, we chant sometimes we say this is what community looks like. This is literally what like community looks like. You know, stepping up and saying that I could provide this safety because I see that people are being hurt. And I think that is just so powerful. Um, because, and, and we just extremely appreciate it because Jfa has helped so many different organizations locally, you know, be able to do the march and be able to help organize like, like this is a vital like org for the entire like, um, movement, like this service that y'all are providing. And we just extremely appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. And I just really wanna let you know that. Oh,
Speaker 16 00:47:45 Thank you.
Speaker 4 00:47:47 Um, so,
Speaker 5 00:47:50 Um, yeah, I had a question. Cool. Um, can you tell us about an empowering moment? It can be an event, it can be I guess conversation, just kind of something that made you feel like, okay, like I guess you could say every time like, yeah, I know this is why I'm here and this is why we're doing it, but like something particular that sticks out.
Speaker 16 00:48:10 I think, so one of the things, and I think everybody in this room can attest to is the amount of, um, trauma. We already probably came into 2020 with mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but expanding on that, um, we did a workshop with the combat medic that had helped us of coming back to the why. And one of the things she made me do, or all of us do, is write something significant. And I put on my card the name Eros. So the first couple two weeks that we were, um, just a rag tag group of kids with walk talkies, <laugh>, um,
Speaker 5 00:48:48 Adults,
Speaker 16 00:48:49 <laugh> adult, fully trained, capable adults was, um, it was a first, I wanna say the first night of curfew. And they were coming out of the fifth precinct with the National Guard tanks and everything. Just spraying everyone with rubber bullets. Yep. Right in front of the Kmart parking lot. We had connected with a couple other medic groups there. Um, we thought they weren't gonna shoot medics, we were wrong. Oh yeah. And so we just booked it into a front of mine's apartment, um, the right behind the Kmart. And there was a couple, um, I would say probably late teens, early twenties, both Hispanic, um, they were on their way home from a protest. They weren't even part of this larger crowd that had been out trying to look for their car. They were trying to head back to Disney Hall and she got hit in the eye with a rubber bullet, just kind of just fell to the ground, cried.
Speaker 16 00:49:50 And people had found her luckily and pulled her into the building that we had been. And, um, we just, like with our cell phones, we had taken her, all of us were kind of just hiding in the, the laundry room of this apartment complex. Um, and my friend was able to, who was a nurse, it was able to work on her. We were able to get her to, um, the hospital. Um, and she later talked about like she, if we hadn't been there, what would, what wouldn't have happened. Um, she actually lit around, sued the city in Juan, like thousands of dollars. And so for me, re reminding our myself of her, um, there was also in Brooklyn Center, I had kind of helped do more of the logistical end of what Jfa would do as far as like an emergency crisis routine. And I had like said, okay, we're going to, this is gonna be our home base.
Speaker 16 00:50:56 This is where station one for medics is, this is gonna be station two medics. And had talked about my car being there to help transport people who, hey, we, this person really can't be treated here in the middle of getting gased every chaos, two, three minutes. We need to get them to the church or we need to get them out. And I had just parked my car and, uh, Matt, cj, another member of J ffa just screaming like, Hey Ron, like, we need help. They pulled this girl, we had these sleds who was having seizures, um, and being able to put her in the back of my car and drive her as quickly as we could to, um, H C M C at that time. So I think those two moments of like, oh wow, this isn't just us. And not that those things are necessarily not valuable in none themselves, but for me of we are literally saving people's lives.
Speaker 4 00:51:54 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. Um, my next question's gonna be about, so we see, uh, uh, a lot of the marshals, um, end up being, um, white and so and so talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 16 00:52:08 Yeah, I, I did talk with Matt about this. Matt talks a lot, a lot about this more, but the kind of, the necessity of the role to be that. And it's not that we bar any type of, um, black, brown, indigenous, other persons of color from that role. I mean, I have filled it Matt, I feel that they're, um, I think Jaylen has filled it, but it's, the reality of what that role is is putting your body more often than not between the crowd and police or the crowd in some other type of outside agitator. And not to say that it's can't, but asking black and brown bodies who, whose bodies are already under attack from a lot of those things to be that person is a big ask. Versus, um, putting a white body person in that role, there is less of a chance.
Speaker 16 00:53:09 Not that that is a guarantee. There have been a number of we've of people who've acted in that role, who've paid it for it with their life. Um, but less of a chance that a, a police officer or a racist agitator is gonna, they're gonna think maybe at least twice about running that person over or hurting that person versus if it was a black and brown body in there. I think it helps, at least for our white allies, put their money where their mouth is, um, and stepping into that role and it's just a natural deterrent versus, and we talked to, I think me and you more so I just, I think it also opens up space for black and brown people to have other leadership roles or be able to speak versus having to worry about traffic.
Speaker 7 00:54:09 Yeah. Um, my question, um, sorry to kind of veer away from that topic. Oh, you're fine. Um, so throughout the movement people and like the things that they do in their roles, like kind of change over time mm-hmm. <affirmative>, right? Like, I just started showing up and then I started chanting, then I started speaking and then more recently I've hosted like artist events and yeah, whatever. DJ started speaking, chanting, and then does the radio show, um, how has your role changed throughout the course of the movement from the time you joined it and where would you maybe potentially like it to change to further? Like, are there things that you would like to do surrounding like, uh, social justice work that you like, haven't got the chance to do yet? Or like you some work that you would like to do that you haven't done or have tried doing? Or
Speaker 16 00:54:58 Are you asking about me as an individual or jfa as the organization? You
Speaker 7 00:55:02 As an individual.
Speaker 16 00:55:03 Oh, okay. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, it was a lot. So I have a lot of fun in the design and implementation stage. So everything from how do we onboard volunteers, how do we create a manual for our volunteers, how do we do training, how do we conduct deescalation? A lot of the behind the scenes work for creating an organization and then doing it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> so very much was a workhorse throughout 2020. We were just pulling these ridiculous hours. My role now, so many diagrams, so many diagrams, <laugh>, she loves her diagrams, me and a white Ford and some ice coffee is a good time. I love it. <laugh>. Uh, so now it's been a lot more kind of going into, like I said, the education piece. How do we, for me at least, how do we take the knowledge that we've accumulated over the last two years and just write that down and be able to, to crowdsource that and be able to give that to anyone of, Hey, that's great if you wanna use Jfa, but here's also just a Marshall handbook as one of the big projects I've been trying to do.
Speaker 16 00:56:18 Just so you can also just do that on your own. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Um, for me personally, like I said, the first thing that I saw in kind of my personal why of J FFA was the first person I saw at Teargas at the third precinct was a small black boy, about 11 or 12 with his dad just crying in the middle of Lake Street with these two women pouring milk down his face. And just watching all of this in real time and just really thinking about that kid and being like, this isn't trauma that's gonna be here this week, this is years of this that this community is gonna have to live through in process. There was another moment, I think the next day at the third precinct, there was a woman who was just kneeling in front of this line of cops just sobbing and me just like taking a minute to like come behind the like fencing that we were in and just like holding her and letting her like just break down and just be like, I'm here with you.
Speaker 16 00:57:21 Nothing is gonna happen to you. You're like, your community is behind you. So for me personally, I try to think of everything through a trauma lens. I work with Radius Health now. Um, so mental health for me, even just talking with my friends who are in the activist space, how do we talk about trauma? How do we talk about secondary trauma and burnout And are we, is mental health accessible? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>? Um, so me personally, I would love to start my own practice, um, and be able to work primarily with bi iPOC folks who've experienced trauma.
Speaker 7 00:57:57 Very cool. Very inspiring as well.
Speaker 4 00:57:59 Yes. We need it <laugh>. We need it. So my, um, and once again, can you just remind people, um, uh, so we're talking with Justice Frontline Aid. Just, um, remind people the type of services you provide and where they can reach out to you if they want.
Speaker 16 00:58:14 Yeah. Just a frontline aid, aid in encrypting the Fight for Justice. You can find
[email protected]. We help kind of just put on protests throughout to Twin Cities, whether that's marshaling supplies or medics. We got your back.
Speaker 4 00:58:31 All right. Well, thank you so much Dechen for joining us here today. Um, special shout out to Matt Allen, nerd. Woo. Whoop whoop the other co-founder of J ffa. And thank you for Brandon and Jaylen for bringing y'all excellent segments today. With that, we are our team. With that, we are gonna be out of here <laugh>. So I'll see you later. <laugh>,
Speaker 17 00:59:00 Between the protests, we protest and realize, yes, we have to organize, organize, organize. We lights, all the lights come with the take. And the 45 in between the protests, we protest every your life. Yes. You have to follow me. Follow me, follow me. It's my philosophy that white law monopoly makes democracy hypocrisy in a capitalist economy, it's no democracy. I demand to return to my sovereignty. No apology, independence, autonomy. No need to mommy me. I could run my own country. If you could just stop bombing me, gimme my lamb back, give my gold back my heritage, my birthright. You outright stole that. Organized, organized, organized. Do what with all the lies. All the lies. All the lies. They come in with the act of the black and the 45 in between the protests. We protest at Rio Lawyers. Yes, we are. We organized, organized, do away with all the lies. All the lies. All the lies they come in with the tear blacks and 45 in between the protest.
