community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
The Best of Rustbelt Radio for Summer 2007 (Rustbelt Radio for September 3, 2007)
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Monday, Sep. 03, 2007 at 8:35 PM
radio@indypgh.org (email address validated) 412-923-3000
Welcome to the Best of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots; news overlooked by the corporate media. This week, we will be presenting highlights of Rustbelt Radio stories from the Summer of 2007 including... * Pittsburgh's nomination as America's most livable city * Updates on the South Central Los Angeles Farm * A report from the activists and Media Makers at the 9th annual Allied Media Conference * How To Free a Political Prisoner -- a local benefit for Mumia * Let's Talk About Sex-- interviews and highlights from the 10th annual Sistersong conference * and more highlights from the past few months of Rustbelt Radio
audio link: 
MP3 at 27.3 mebibytes
Welcome to the Best of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots; news overlooked by the corporate media. This week, we will be presenting highlights of Rustbelt Radio stories from the Summer of 2007 including...
But before we begin, during our best-of show we always remind our listeners that our 3-year-old program is produced entirely by volunteers and we depend upon donations of equipment and funds to continue. If you can support us with recording equipment, computers, or funds for these supplies, please call 412-923-3000, or email us at radio@indypgh.org, or donate on our website, radio.indypgh.org.
You can also help with Rustbelt Radio and other independent media projects by getting involved with the Independent Media Center! We provide monthly trainings at our office on Penn Avenue, where new people can learn about media literacy, and basic audio recording and editing skills. If you enjoy listening to the show and would like to learn more about what happens behind the scenes, please contact us.
Rustbelt Radio airs live every Monday from 6-7 PM on WRCT 88.3 FM in Pittsburgh, PA, and again on Tuesday mornings 9-10 AM. We're also on Pacifica affiliate WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area, on Thursdays from 6-7 PM. And we can be heard on WPTS, 92.1 FM from the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, Wednesday mornings from 10-11 AM.
And starting this fall we'll also be on the air on some additional radio stations:
We're also available on the internet, both on WRCT's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
We turn now to highlights of our radio headlines from the past few months.
Saturday July 21st marked the second annual Pittsburgh Dyke March. About 75 participants marched from the Carnegie Mellon University campus down Fifth Avenue, and back up Forbes Avenue. Throughout the approximately forty minute march onlookers greeted marchers with applause and shows of support.
On our July 23rd show, Rustbelt Radio brought you the voice of Dyke activist Eli Kootie. She talked about why she organized the march and about what distinguishes it from the Gay Pride Parade:
The purpose of the march was perhaps summed up most succinctly by another participant, Virginia Paul:
To stay informed of other Dyke-friendly events in Pittsburgh, email queerevents @gmail.com.
On Saturday June 1, community groups in southwest Pennsylvania held a Dry Lake Festival at Ryerson Station State Park. The event was sponsored by The Center for Coalfield Justice, the Mountain Watershed Association, the Wheeling Creek Watershed Association, and the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club. On our June 11th show, Rebekah Weigel, community organizer with the Center for Coalfield Justice, explained what happened to the lake at Ryerson Station:
The festival was intended to be a day of family fun that brought attention to the loss of the lake and its impact on the community. It featured all the events one might expect at a summer lake festival- with a twist. Participants in the casting contest, for example, had to cast their lines towards a bucket sitting on dry land.
The Center For Coalfield Justice is asking that Ryerson Station State Park be restored to full public use, including the lake; that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources release its report on why the damage occurred; and that Consol be held responsible for the damages it caused. Rebekah Weigel:
Energy companies such as Consol have plans to conduct longwall mining under four-fifths of Greene County and large portions of Washington County. Current law places very few restrictions on where companies can do this type of mining, despite the widespread damages to homes, water bodies, and infrastructure caused by the "planned subsidence” it creates. To learn more, visit the Center for Coalfield Justice’s webpage, www.coalfieldjustice.org.
This spring the "The Places Rated Almanac" named Pittsburgh ‘America’s most livable city’ for the second time since 1985. Editors say they looked at nine categories: housing affordability and cost of living; transportation; jobs; education; climate; crime; health care; recreation; and ambiance and that Pittsburgh came out on top. The University of Pittsburgh’s Center on Race and Social Problems, however, sees things a little differently. This past June the Center published a study entitled ‘Pittsburgh’s Racial Demographics: Differences and Disparities.’ This study begs the question: America’s most livable city for whom?
Ralph Bangs of the Center for Race and Social Problems explained some of the findings on our July 23rd show:
Church and community groups had a similar reaction to Pittsburgh’s ‘most livable’ status. At the Kingsley Association in Wilkinsburg, a coalition of organizations and individuals came together for a press conference to address disparities in Pittsburgh living conditions.
Nate Brown of One HOOD spoke about Pittsburgh as he knows it:
That was Nate Brown from the group One HOOD. To read the report released by the Center on Race and Social Problems, visit www.crsp.pitt.edu.
You are listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. Today we are sharing some news highlights from the past few months' programs.
Climate change has been at the forefront of the news this year and the concept of environmental sustainability has now finally reached mainstream America. As the awareness of this issue expands, large-scale public events have been held to draw attention to the global climate crisis. However, some of these events are contributing more to environmental damage than sustainability.
On August 6th Rustbelt Radio interviewed one organization that is trying to incorporate sustainable practices into their culture.
* solar hip hop (4:00)
You were just listening to an interview with Hip Hop Sustains, which aired on our August 6th show.
For 14 years, South Central Los Angeles was home to the country's largest urban community farm. Over the last few years, the farmers found themselves in the midst of a legal dispute for the ownership of the land. While the struggle received widespread support from Los Angeles residents, the farmers were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts to keep the land. On our June 18th show, Rustbelt Radio gave an update on the status of the farm.
You can also hear archived stories about the South Central Farm at radio.indypgh.org
There are an estimated 200,000 domestic workers in the New York Metropolitan area. These women have been organizing to denounce the slave wages and unsafe living conditions that plague their line of employment. Marina Lopez is just one of many immigrant women who have sought work in the US, only to be severely exploited by her employer. Lopez -- with the support of the organization Domestic Workers United -- has taken her former employer, Carmela Meluzio, to federal court for two and a half years of back wages.
Rustbelt Radio brought you this story on our July 30th show:
For updates on this story, please visit www. domestic workers united. org. And for a more in depth look at the lives of domestic workers, you can listen to our June 18th show.
Otro Guerrillero
You're listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
25 years ago, award-winning journalist and Black Panther Party member Mumia Amu-Jamal was convicted for the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner, and was imprisoned. In the years since then, his case has received attention from human rights activists worldwide. Mumia is currently on Death Row at SCI Greene in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania --- a mere 45 minutes by car from the city of Pittsburgh. On July 28th, the Pittsburgh Committee to Free Mumia held a beneift performance -- “How to Free a Political Prisoner.” The show highlighted struggles of political prisoners around the world, with a focus on efforts to free Mumia. Rustbelt brought you voices from that performance:
That was Johanna Fernandes, with updates on Mumia's case.
Spoken word poet Vanessa German also performed at the benefit:
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to deliver a verdict on Mumia's case. When they do, it will be a landmark decision, which could result in anything from a new trial to an execution date for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Stay tuned to future editions of Rustbelt Radio for updates on political prisoners.
Media makers and social justice activists gathered in Detroit Michigan in June for the 9th annual Allied Media Conference. The theme this year was "Breaking Silence, Building Movements". Workshops, panel discussions, performances, and skillshares brought participants together for 3 days of dialogues, strategizing, coalition building and media making. Our June 25th show featured the voices of many performers and participants at the conference. Versiz, a Detroit based poet and hiphop artist, kicked off the opening night of the event:
You were just listening to a report from the 9th annual Allied Media Conference. For the full story, you can listen to our June 25th show.
The topic of reproductive justice: what it looks like, and how people struggle to achieve it, has been featured in several Rustbelt stories this past year. We now bring you summer highlights. First, we hear from local reproductive justice activists in Pittsburgh right before their trip to Chicago for Let's Talk About Sex, a conference sponsored by the Sistersong Women's Reproductive Health Collective.
That was Cinnamon, a local reproductive justice activist and doula.
Regina Harrington, an intern with New Voices Pittsburgh, had another another definition of reproductive justice:
Maria Graziani shared her thoughts on sex education:
Here's La'Tasha Mayes of New Voices Pittsburgh, at the Sistersong Conference in Chicago this summer:
In June, the Trojan corporation decided to test run a condom commercial in two cities: Seattle and Pittsburgh. Local affiliates of three major networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC, refused to air the commercial in Pittsburgh (Seattle's major network affiliates agreed to air the ad). Rustbelt spoke to La'Tasha Mayes about this controversy:
La'Tasha's thoughts on the depiction of safer sex practices in mainstream media:
To hear more from the Sistersong Conference, check out the August 13th edition of Rustbelt Radio. Stay tuned to future editions fo Rustbelt for updates on reproductive justice.
And now we present the Indymedia Calendar of Events:
[ Outro Music ]
Thanks for tuning in to the Best of Rustbelt Radio, Summer 2007, here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WVJW Benwood and WPTS Pittsburgh.
Our hosts this week are Vani Natarajan and Matt Toups. This show featured the work of Carlin Christy, Vani Natarajan, Ellen Pierson, Andalusia Knoll, Jessica McPherson, and Lizzie Anderson. This week's show was produced by Matt Toups. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
Every week Rustbelt Radio features the music of Antibalas and the Hungry March Band.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! We need more field reporters, copy editors, audio technicians, and other volunteers. To contact us, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG.
We also need your help to keep our volunteers equipped with the tools they need. Equipment and monetary donations are welcome, please call 412-923-3000 or visit our website.
All of our shows are available for download or podcast on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!
Stay tuned this fall for new episodes of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
Rustbelt Radio for September 3, 2007 (ogg vorbis)
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Monday, Sep. 03, 2007 at 8:35 PM
radio@indypgh.org 412-923-3000
audio: ogg vorbis at 23.5 mebibytesaudio: ogg vorbis at 23.5 mebibytes
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