Collaboration: Join Up with Others!

This morning the notion of collaboration is both in my head and on my heart. From these two personal directions and from two arenas, the message is a personal one to me, and likewise it is to many of you.

Politically, partnering and collaborating is a must, in my opinion. As with you, I have my personal opinions about the nature of politics past, present, and future. While I will never abdicate my personal stances on things, and you will find some of those here on this page, I believe that we live in a time where we must join up with others who know how to create movements and mobilize people. So, please comment about that, and if you have joined any movements that advocate for causes important to you, please list them in the comments section. I will list several. I follow Dara Cooper and HEAL Food Alliance. You can find more information about Dara here. I am also prompted by her to pay attention to the Equal Justice Initiative. You can find it here.  She likes some folks who are near and dear to Charla and me. That counts in our book. 

Those friends of Dara's who are friends of mine are found with the Black Farmers Agriculturalists & Association. You can find them here.  One of their causes that is important to me you can find here. JUSTICE FOR MATTHEW & FLORENZA is as near our hearts as you can get. Another you can find here. We have known Eddie and Dorothy for a long time, since probably 2005. Their cause breaks for my heart. Both of these causes are important. Please consider contributing to them.

Charla and I also have much interest this group and its concern for Syrian immigrants. See their important work here on FB and their home page. The SARA organization seems to be doing it right. Please check them out.

On a larger stage, I am following politically another group that is shaking things up out there.  It is moveon.org.  Check them out here.  Another group that I follow is Color of Change.  Check them out here.

Charla and I follow friends on FB who stir us to do well in our corners of the world. Some do wonderful photography, attend events, summarize the latest themes in our world, repost them, and all make me want to do better.

This post has gone on long enough.  So, I'll stop here. It goes without saying that we live in perilous times. Whether we are to the left, right, or middle, we tend to agree on that one. We all love things that matter, including our country.  We love it in different ways. We let our love show in different ways. It also goes without saying that those who know me, know that I am not prone to vitriolic explosions of whatever at whatever. I do what I do and I do it the way I have generally always done things.  I read, ponder, decide, write, and advocate.  It has dawned on me that I cannot do everything but I can do some thing(s). I will not fall into the morass of "my vote doesn't count" or "just get over it" or "give him/them a chance." When things matter, things matter, and I will not be left ten years from now, in my older age, wondering what I could have done differently.

My small voice can be heart amongst the chorus of other voices.

My small vote can be noted via the gathering of other voters.

My few words can be read when people choose, here on this page.

If you live, and you do, you matter; if you breathe, and you do, you matter; if you think, and you do, you matter; if you feel, and you do, you matter; if you are a lover of God and people, you matter; if you matter, then you can voice, vote, march, write, read, scatter seeds of goodness abroad, in whatever fields you choose to sew.

That I believe.  That is where I stand.

Fund Raising, Glory Anticipated, and Farming While Black

For those of you who read the words on this page, I'd like to thank you and point you to an opportunity to make an additional contribution to justice in the world.

Since 1994 my fingers and soul have been in the black farmer world. Some of those stories are told over at this site. The stories and those posts mean a lot to me. Located within them is one particular farmer and family story.  You can locate that one here. If that doesn't work, go to November 17, 2007 and a story will unfold there.

The latest chapters of the story are told here. The short verse is that the USDA/DOJ settled their discrimination charges with this family on more than one occasion.  And, on more than one occasion, the feds finagled their way out of it. In the meantime, the living children of their deceased parents are continuing to fight for the land. That is an onerous task. It requires time, energy, and money.

They have one last chance to gain justice under the law. By going through an administrative route, they hope against hope to settle their parents' case. Though it has been settled, the power resides in the hands of the bureaucracy. That bureaucracy is powerful and has unlimited resources.

So, please follow the story here, on my FB page, and on the gofundme page.

Please also contribute whatever amount you can to the cause of justice. This route requires funds for travel, filing fees, and anything and everything related to dealing with USDA/DOJ in Washington, DC.

We long for that day when we can proclaim, "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Justice has arrived! Glory!"

Thanks for your consideration. It means a lot to the Grant family and to Charla and me.

Eddie and Dorothy Wise, Black Farmers, Americans, Justice for Some

One of my tasks with the Black Farmers & Agriculturalists Association is to serve occasionally as fundraiser. Until we get more proficient at this, we use www.gofundme.com.

A couple of years ago we raised some needed funds for a Black Farmers Summit at Howard University, Washington, DC. That event was a success. Contributors were told about their meaningful contributions before that page was taken down.

Now, we have been engaged in another fundraising cause since January of this year. It is a different sort of campaign. It has gotten personal, very personal.

I first met Eddie and Dorothy Wise back in 2005 or so when I first began what has been an amazing relationship with BFAA. At that time Eddie was actively involved in growing sweet potatoes and raising hogs in an environmentally safe manner. All he wanted to do was farm. My respect for him also is based upon his service in the US Army. I have a soldier grandson who is in the US Army. War is more real than ever before.

Their story of mistreatment at the hands of the USDA came next. I was given a copy of the document, "Wise v. Glickman, 2000."  There were multiple failures on the part of the USDA: "the failure to provide loan applications when requested, technical support and assistance in the application process, submission of applications in a timely fashion, information and assistance relative to guaranteed load opportunities, and timely processing of loan applications. The USDA denied loan applications purposefully, and retaliatory actions were taken by the county supervisor. Options for socially disadvantaged farmers in keeping with USDA policy were not offered. The USDA failed to investigate the county supervisor. The couple experienced loss of land, credit, mental and physical health, and public humiliation" (Hinson & Robinson, 2008, page 293.).

They have been removed from their land at gun point, lived in a motel for several months, and, now, she has had her legs amputated.

These and more details are found at https://www.gofundme.com/39m8623g.

Just read the updates. They tell the story.

You'll even see photos of guns held by men in black.

This is America. Land of the free. Justice for some.