Last week, activists, religious leaders, and workers across the state held a variety of events to call attention to the struggle of “Excluded Workers” in New York.  From Albany to Ithaca, Brooklyn to Long Island, organizers are calling on state elected officials to address the crisis facing tens of thousands of workers who have been left out of federal and state aid packages. This includes undocumented immigrants, cash economy workers, and people recently released from state prison during this pandemic. The movement for excluded workers is demanding that the State Assembly and the Senate allocate up to 3.5-billion dollars in the upcoming state budget  for these workers. They have been ineligible to receive federal and state assistance during the past twelve months. There have been vigils and marches, as well as an ongoing hunger strike to call attention to the issue, all across New York State.

Recently, I spoke with attorney Nadia Marin, the executive director of National Day Laborers Organizing Network, who was at Thursday’s vigil at the New York State Office Building in Haupauge as part of this movement. I was also joined by activist Richard Koubek, the community outreach coordinator for Long Island Jobs With Justice. Nadia begins by telling us about this state-wide action taking place over the last several days.

Fund for Excluded Workers Deadline Approaching in NY

The idea of replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day came about in 1977, at a U.N.-sponsored conference in Geneva, Switzerland, focusing on discrimination against indigenous populations in the Americas. Fourteen years later, on the eve of the Quincentennial celebration of the conquest of the Western Hemisphere by Europeans, activists in Berkeley, CA, convinced the Berkeley City Council to declare October 12 a "Day of Solidarity with Indigenous People." Ever since, there has been a growing movement to rethink "Columbus Day" as "Indigenous People's Day," with many states (14 as of 2021), towns and municipalities adapting the name change officially. But there has also been a backlash by people and politicians who are not happy about recognizing Indigenous contributions and their ongoing presence, and not willing to recognize the history of oppression and violence a figure like Columbus represents to many people on this planet. I spoke recently to my good friend and long-time colleague, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota. He is a master of the ancient red cedar Lakota flute, incorporating spoken word to tell stories of American Indian culture. He's a long-time radio host and producer of First Voices Radio, heard on over 100 community and public radio stations across the U.S. and Canada. I first asked him to reflect on the significance of recognizing the holiday as Indigenous Peoples Day.

WIOX

The meaning of Indigenous Peoples Day, with Tiokasin Ghosthorse

This week, the Biden administration announced $800-million in additional aid to Ukraine, including artillery systems, artillery rounds, armored personnel carriers and unmanned coastal defense boats. This package broadens by a lot the scope of materiel being sent to Kyiv to include new types of heavy equipment. If this week's aid package is as large as expected, it would bring total U.S. military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February to well over $3 billion.
Now there is no doubt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought immense suffering to the people of Ukraine. The images of the bombing of cities, civilian deaths and refugees escaping the violence are heart wrenching and have led to calls for more assistance. But while the war may prove to be a tragedy for Ukraine and indeed the world, for U.S. arms contractors, these developments are like Christmas morning.

I spoke recently with two people who have been watching these developments closely, Julia Gledhill is an analyst at the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight. 

William Hartung, is a regular contributor to TomDispatch, and is a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Hartung is the author of Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military Industrial Complex. 

They co-authored a report for Tom Dispatch titled "The New Gold Rush
How Pentagon Contractors Are Cashing in on the Ukraine Crisis."

WIOX Rumba Therapy

William Hartung and Julia Gledhill, Ukraine and the Profits of War

WIOX WBAI WRHU

Progressive Candidate for Lt. Governor of NY Wants to Transform the State

The Twitter tailspin continues as we speak. Hours before a Thursday Deadline that Elon Musk gave Twitter employees to decide whether to stay or leave their jobs, the social media company witnessed a huge exodus of workers who decided to leave, and accept the three-month severance payout. This comes after Musk fired more than half of Twitter’s staff when he first purchased the social media service several weeks ago for 44-billion dollars. The disarray that Twitter finds itself in is forcing many of its users to consider abandoning it altogether, perhaps forever, and find other platforms to engage audiences, report on news events, and bring people together in virtual communities. 
This is especially impactful for many journalists who have relied on Twitter for their daily work. One example is veteran journalist Tanzina Vega, former reporter with NY Times, CNN, and  NPR. She wrote an op-ed piece for the Boston Globe on Wednesday which describes her love-hate relationship with Twitter as it goes through these difficult times. I spoke with her earlier and asked her to explain what she was getting at in her op-ed about Twitter:

R.I.P. Twitter? A Conversation with Journalist Tanzania Vega

Edwin "Pupa" Santiago has been performing his unique style of Jibaro Rock for over 40 years, from his days in the late 1980s/early 90s with A Band Called Loisaida in New York City to his solo performances which he has dubbed "Boricua Guitar Power." He's now sharing this experience within a whole new, dynamic musical, artistic and cultural community setting, in Cayey, Puerto Rico. I recently spoke with Pupa on the eve of his live performance at la Casa Histórica de la Música en Cayey, and asked him to tell us how this show is a continuation of what he's been doing musically for so many years!

Boricua Guitar Power on Rumba Therapy

A conversation with master pianist, arranger and bandleader Oscar Hernandez, who talks about his latest album with The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, "Swing Forever," their ninth recording together as one of the leading bands of Afro-Caribbean/Boricua/Salsa music. In an interview on WIOX Community Radio in the Catskill Mountains,(WIOXRadio.org), Oscar talks with host Mario Murillo about his musical coming of age alongside the great Ray Barretto, his years-long collaboration with Ruben Blades on Seis and Son del Solar, and his long time commitment to the revolutionary sounds of the Nuyorican/Latino experience in New York, keeping it fresh, vibrant and swinging all along the way.

WIOX - Rumba Therapy

El Maestro Oscar Hernandez on Rumba Therapy

In an interview on WIOX Community Radio in the Catskill Mountains,(WIOXRadio.org), Puerto Rican cuatrista, singer and composer, Fabiola Mendez previews her historic NYC debut performance at the Hostos Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx with host Mario A. Murillo. Mendez talks about her love for the beautiful traditional music of the Puerto Rican countryside, how she fell in love with the sweet sounds of the cuatro, and her passion for Puerto Rican art and culture. The concert featured many of the songs off her latest CD recording, "Flora Campesina," and in this conversation, she describes the origins of many of these wonderful songs.

Fabiola Mendez on her love for the Puerto Rican Cuatro

Immigrant rights organizers, activists and lawyers are preparing to fight back against Donald Trump’s plans to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history once he takes office again in January. 

Trump’s number one rallying cry throughout the campaign was immigration, promising to move forcefully on this issue on day one of his new administration. And from all indications, it looks like he is committed to fulfilling his promise. 

The president-elect has already named a number of well-known anti-immigration figures for his incoming administration who will be spearheading the plan. These include former ICE head Tom Homan, and Trump’s longtime aide, speechwriter, and anti-immigrant rabble rouser Stephen Miller. 

You may recall that Trump’s new picks played key roles in the family separations we saw during his first term in the White House. They were also behind the highly controversial Muslim ban. Indeed, Miller and Homan were among the loudest opponents of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, with both rhetorical and legal attacks on this Obama policy throughout the first Trump term. 

The President elect is also reportedly planning to greatly expand immigrant detention in private for-profit prisons. You may recall that during the campaign, he spoke of invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to speed up deportations. All of this points to concerns as to how this mass deportation process will be carried out, and what impact will this have on immigrant communities, both here on Long Island, throughout New York State, and across the country.

Host Mario A. Murillo speaks with a panel of organizers and activists from the NY Metropolitan Area about their concerns.
Melanie Creps, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN);
Javier Guzman, immigrant rights activist, and senior organizer for Make the Road New York;
Eliana Fernandez, long-time immigrant rights activist, Organizing Director of Make the Road New Jersey and a DACA recipient; she has been a national organizer on the issue of early childhood arrivals in the U.S.
Mario begins by asking Nadia Marin of NDLON what their organization is thinking about as we get closer to Trump's inauguration in January and his promise of mass deportations.

Immigrant Rights Activists Preparing for the Worst with New Administration

This is the second part of a roundtable discussion about immigrant rights and the new Trump Administration. Immigrant rights organizers, activists and lawyers on Long Island and throughout the metropolitan area are preparing to fight back against Donald Trump’s plans to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history once he takes office again in January.

Trump’s number one rallying cry throughout the campaign was immigration, promising to move forcefully on this issue on day one of his new administration. And from all indications, it looks like he is committed to fulfilling his promise.

The president-elect has already named a number of well-known anti-immigration figures for his incoming administration who will be spearheading the plan. These include former ICE head Tom Homan, and Trump’s longtime aide, speechwriter, and anti-immigrant rabble rouser Stephen Miller.

You may recall that Trump’s new picks played key roles in the family separations we saw during his first term in the White House. They were also behind the highly controversial Muslim ban. Indeed, Miller and Homan were among the loudest opponents of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, with both rhetorical and legal attacks on this Obama policy throughout the first Trump term.

Professor Mario A. Murillo and Long Island Advocate assistant editor Jasmine Sellars spoke with a panel of organizers and activists from the NY Metropolitan Area about their concerns. The panelists include:
* Melanie Creps, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN);
* Javier Guzman, immigrant rights activist, and senior organizer for Make the Road New York;
* Eliana Fernandez, long-time immigrant rights activist, Organizing Director of Make the Road New Jersey and a DACA recipient; she has been a national organizer on the issue of early childhood arrivals in the U.S.
* Nadia Marin, co-executive director of the National Day Laborers Organizing Network, NDLON. 
This segment begins with Melanie Creps of CARECEN, describing the legal strategies her organization is considering as they gear up for what's to come.

Immigration Rights Activists Discuss the Forthcoming Mass Deportations

This is a brief audio montage produced by Nepalese indigenous media activist and organizer Dev Sunuwar, one of 20 participants in the Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders that took place in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta from December 11-18th, 2017. In this montage, you will hear the voices of indigenous leaders from the Kankuamo community of the Sierra, a pastoral activist from Senegal, Native American activist Ruth Anna Buffalo, representatives from Uganda and Cambodia, and many others talking about their resistance to extractive industries and mass scale development projects in their local communities, putting at risk water and livelihoods across the planet. The running theme for all is the protection of their rivers, as they recorded these interventions along the banks of the River Guatapuri in the Sierra Nevada.

Brief Reflections from the Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders

Un informe breve producido por Diara Mery Jembuél Morales, una comunicadora del pueblo Misak, con Sofy Fuentes y Su Sú Jimenez en el Taller Global para lideres indígenas, convocado por DeJusticia, desde el 11 al 18 diciembre 2017, en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. En este segmento, Diana conversa con dos lideres de la comunidad Kankuama en el pueblo de Chemesquemena, Diomedes Rafael Arias y Carolina Arias sobre la lucha de la comunidad y la importancia de defender la Madre Tierra.

DeJusticia

Tejedores de Vida: La Lucha Kankuama en La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

The Second Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders was held in Sarayaku territory, in the south-western part of the Ecuadoran Amazon, from December 14th through the 22nd. In this second segment, you’ll hear a brief reflection from Lakota youth activist Trenton Casillas, one of the workshop participants, who carried around an audio recorder throughout his stay in the Sarayaku territory, recording conversations and his impressions about this, his first experience in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. We’ll also hear a song about the rainforest, performed by Yaku Feliz Guateri, the director for International Relations of the Sarayaku, who says, along with community activism, his music is his second weapon in defending the community. And the segment closes out with a conversation with Cesar Rodriguez, director of the Bogota-based international human rights organization DeJusticia, which sponsored the weeklong workshop. He explains the concept behind holding the workshop in Sarayaku territory, and how this global network of resistance and solidarity continues to expand.

Sarayaku Global Workshop Progr

Sarayaku: Sounds from the Kasak Sacha - The Second Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders, Part 2

Sarayaku: Sounds from the Kasak Sacha - The Second Global Workshop for Indigenous Leaders, Part 3

Seventy-one years ago, the United Nations ratified the principle of cultural equity as a human right. As our nation reckons with a legacy of structural racism, oppression and discriminatory policies and practices, cultural equity is essential for achieving social justice. 

Covid-19 has once again laid bare the plight of communities suffering under an inequitable system. In this landscape, and at this time of crisis, grassroots cultural workers and organizations, nonprofit and informal alike, remain chronically underserved and underfunded. 

As grassroots artists, culture bearers, and community-based organizations, we are frontline workers intent on addressing structural inequities that maintain our communities under development. Our objectives are to spark dialogue, understanding, and foster social cohesion that will create the changes to address our communities needs. By engaging people from all walks of life in artistic, critical, and cultural experiences, we reclaim joy and celebrate the human spirit. Here is an interview I did with Marta Moreno Vega on my show Rumba Therapy over WIOX Radio last week. Please share if you can.

Marta Moreno Vega on Creative Justice Initiative

Interviews, commentaries and talk about current events, politics, social movements, culture and much more, from the world we live in! Featuring highlights from the Morning Show on WBAI Pacifica Radio in New York City, and other independent media outlets. Follow me on Twitter at @marioradio99 

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