community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Rustbelt Radio for March 31, 2008
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2008 at 1:34 AM
radio@indypgh.org (email address validated) 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3FM
On this week's show... * The Family of 12-year-old Michael Ellerbe who was Murdered by Pennsylvania State Troopers is Awarded $28 Million * Longtime activists speak on funding grassroots movements *without* Foundation support * Word on the Street from the recent Anti-War march * and more...
audio link: 
MP3 at 27.3 mebibytes
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media.
On today's show...
Rustbelt Radio is broadcast live from WRCT studios every Monday at 6 PM on 88.3 FM in Pittsburgh, and the program airs again on WRCT every Tuesday morning at 9AM.
We can also be heard weekly on the following 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 from our website at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
We turn now to local stories.
First we bring you "Word on the Street" with Rustbelt Radio reporter Carlin Christy:
* antiwarWOTS.ogg: WOTS (4:50)
A jury in federal court unanimously ruled on March 11th that two Pennsylvania state police troopers used excessive force and intentionally shot 12-year-old Michael Ellerbe in Uniontown, Pennsylvania in December 2002. The jury awarded more than $28 million dollars in punitive and compensatory damages. Rustbelt Radio correspondent Andalusia Knoll has more.
And now for this week's report on the prison industrial complex, produced by Fed Up, the local chapter of The Human Rights Coalition.
For more on local stories, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.
You're listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
We now bring you an update on the ongoing struggle of Hill District residents to gain a Community Benefits Agreement with the Penguins.
Karl Redwood, chair of One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, sums up the recent history of the issue at a community meeting last Saturday at the Hill House.
Redwood on the current status of negotiations:
In February, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced that he had reached a community benefits agreement with the Penguins. However, Hill District representatives had not agreed to the document and were not even notified before the mayor’s announcement.
Saturday’s meeting focused on building a coalition broader than the Hill District itself to support the CBA. Pittsburgh United has members in the Hill District and beyond, and is part of the One Hill Coalition. Gabe Morgan, a Pittsburgh United representative who is on the negotiating team for One Hill, explains why groups outside the Hill District should care about the CBA:
Morgan speaks of the appropriate role for supporters:
Karl Redwood outlined the main demands of the Blueprint for a livable Hill:
Redwood said that the main sticking points in negotiations were the community fund and the guarantee of good jobs. He said the Penguins have been totally unwilling to consider these demands, while there has been some substantive discussion and agreement on other issues.
The discussion also touched on several points of controversy that have received media attention during the struggle, in order to clarify these issues for potential supporters. One issue was confusion over who represents the Hill District Community.
Karl Redwood.
*division.flac [1:11]
Reverend John Wells, president of the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network:
Another focus of discussion was One Hill’s demand that the Penguins contribute to a Community Fund for the Hill District. Some attendees wanted to know more about where the money would go. Redwood said it would be used to implement many of the ideas that community members brainstormed during the development of the Blueprint for a Livable Hill:
*fund.flac [0:20]
He also spoke about how the fund would be administered:
Over sixty labor and community advocacy groups were represented at the meeting, and most expressed strong support for the Hill District struggle. Patrick McMahan of the Amalgamated Transit Workers:
A One Hill representative explains what supporters can do now:
To reach David Morehouse, call 412-642-1300 and ask for his extension.
*help2.flac [0:17]
The petition is available online at: theleague.com/pa
To contact One Hill, call Pittsburgh United at 412-231-8648.
Plans are also in the works for a public demonstration outside the Mellon Arena before the Penguins’ first playoff game. Rustbelt Radio will provide updates as details are solidified.
Karl Redwood and Evan Zabor (pronounce: za – BORE) sum it up:
Grassroots organizations have always struggled with having enough money to fund their work. In recent years, many grassroots organizations have transitioned into federally recognized 501 c 3 -- or non-profit--organizations, thus opening themselves up to government and foundation funding. Discussions in activist communities across the country have now been held in regards to the effect this transition is having on social justice movements.
One organization who has written about and organized around this topic is the radical women of color group INCITE. This national grassroots organization utilizes direct action and critical dialogue to fight violence against women and communities of color.
The co-founder of INCITE is longtime anti-violence and Native American activist and scholar Andrea Smith. Dr. Smith has published widely on issues of violence against women of color and is one of the nation's leading experts on the topic.
In April of 2007, INCITE released the book "The Revolution will not be Funded". Andrea Smith contributed to this book, along with other scholars and activists who discuss what they call the 'non-profit industrial complex.' They describe this complex as a system of relationships between the state, the owning classes, foundations, and social service & social justice organizations that results in the surveillance, control, derailment, and everyday management of political movements.
At the National Conference on Organized Resistance, held earlier this month in Washington DC, Smith shared lessons she has learned from her years of organizing. While working in grassroots movements to end violence against women, her organizations faced challenges to their beliefs and strategies when the issue of government and foundation funding came up. Andrea first began talking about how the receipt of federal dollars came at a price, as the government could now dictate who the organization should form partnerships with. Andrea begins by mimicking the requests of the federal government to her organization:
Also speaking on the topic of "The Revolution will not be Funded" was Rachel Herzing of the prison abolition organization Critical Resistance. Rachel described how Critical Resistance was able to wean themselves off of foundation funding, and expand upon the base building organizing that Andrea Smith had earlier mentioned. As a result, they succeeded in growing the portion of their budget that came from individual supporters from 2% to 30% in just a couple of years:
That was Rachel Herzing of Critical Resistance speaking at the National Conference on Organized Resistance. For information on this topic, visit the south end press website where you can purchase the book "THe Revolution will not be funded." thats southend press.org
And now we present the Indymedia Calendar of Events:
[ Outro Music ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rustbelt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WPTS Pittsburgh, WNJR Washington, WVJW Benwood, WIUP Indiana and WKCO Gambier.
Our hosts this week are [ ] and [ ] with contributions from [ ]. This week's show was produced by [ ]. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To contact us, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. 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!
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
Rustbelt Radio for March 31, 2008 (ogg vorbis)
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Tuesday, Apr. 01, 2008 at 1:34 AM
radio@indypgh.org 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3FM
audio: ogg vorbis at 24.1 mebibytes
mp3 version of antiwar word on the street
by david
Sunday, Apr. 06, 2008 at 10:51 AM
audio link: MP3 at 3.3 mebibytes
![[masthead]](/images/masthead_140.png)