In my childhood my favorite uncle was often dismissed by other family members as quirky, contrarian and downright nuts. I was always drawn to him, deeply impressed by his willingness to challenge mainstream narratives. The topics discussed are long forgotten, but he always spoke with a smile on his face, displaying fascination with problem solving and love for humanity.
I see challenging deceptive mainstream narratives as a primary function of KPFA. As an LSB member I will advocate for a wider range of programming that breaks through the corporate media hype; no corporate or strings-attached foundation underwriting; better financial transparency and accountability; bargaining rights for both paid and unpaid staff; and a democratic program council with broad listener and staff input so that popular programs (like CounterSpin, Guns and Butter, and Twit Wit Radio) cannot be eliminated without due process. Please vote for me and my Rescue Pacifica running mates. Read about us and our platform at www.rescuepacifica.net.
Local organizing and international solidarity have been my focus for the past 20 years. A co-founder of the Richmond Progressive Alliance in 2003, I continue to serve on its steering committee, and was employed as a community advocate in the office of Richmond’s former Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, achieving stricter regulation of the Chevron refinery and California’s first rent control ordinance in 30 years in Richmond. As an active member of the Haiti Action Committee, Taskforce on the Americas and School of the Americas Watch I have helped shine a light on US state-sponsored terrorism in our hemisphere.
Rescue Pacifica’s fervent anti-war stance is near and dear to me. If analyzed at the roots, peaceful solutions to global conflicts can always be found. As a volunteer on the GI Rights Hotline I learned first-hand how military structures inflict lasting wounds on soldiers and civilians. I have worked as a community mediator in Contra Costa County and am a member of the Transcend international network for nonviolent conflict transformation. At Transcend Media Service www.transcend.org/tms search on my name for my writings.
The world I want for future generations will ensure a dignified and fulfilling life for everyone, free of greed-fueled wars and exploitation. It can only be achieved when more and more people become aware of the grave crimes against humanity being perpetrated with impunity by agents of the super-rich and powerful, and unite to put a stop to them. I have gotten to know people in Haiti, El Salvador, the Great Lakes region of Africa and my own community of Richmond, CA who suffer from and valiantly resist the oppressive forces of corporate imperialism and neoliberalism. Their stories and more need to be amplified. I see KPFA and the Pacifica network as the vehicle for exposing pervasive corporate media deceptions and envisioning a better and more humane way of living on our planet.