Tag: Solidarity

Ahjamu Umi’s “The Courage Equation” Probes Race, Violence

By Pete Shaw Frederick Douglass once stated that power concedes nothing without a struggle, and history certainly bears that out. The struggle to wrest power away from those who hoard it in vast disproportion is a story that is given short shrift in US history textbooks, the preferred narrative being a combination of the myth…

The System Fiddles While We Burn

Story and photos by Pete Shaw The Fennica has left Portland despite the noble and courageous efforts of the kayaktivists and Greenpeace climbers whose blockade cost Shell Oil two days of profits. But while ultimately failing to keep the boat moored in Portland, they showed people that they can stand up to the large energy…

Opponents Doubling Down Against TPP in Wake of Fast Track

Story and photos by Pete Shaw While Congress has given President Obama Fast Track authority for negotiating trade laws, the fight against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) continues with a tighter focus. Prior to Fast Track’s approval, opponents were concentrating on both it and the TPP, understanding that Fast Track was the linchpin since it…

15 Now Rally Riding Momentum of Worker Pressure to Raise Wages

Story and photos by Pete Shaw Building janitors, City workers, and supporters held two coordinated rallies in downtown Portland on June 17 demanding a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour and greater respect for workers’ rights to unionize. The rallies marked the most recent of many local actions and were also part…

Sweetness and Light

by Peter Shaw May Day, 2015, 2:12 AM   Let us sing songs of remembrance Let us praise great people Not the ones in the great books But the ones of the great stories The stories we tell The stories we write The stories we create and re-create   My Friend Greg does not have…