A Missouri school teacher speaks out
Topic: Civil Rights
How public schools are designed to fail most low-income, nonwhite students
A discussion re: curriculum, instruction, testing, and discrimination
by Nancy Sayed and Doug Mann (edited by Doug Mann)

The full text is at
http://dougmannlnc.com/id44.html

A Missouri school teacher, Nancy Sayed discusses the dynamics of institutionalized racism in the public schools, and explains how testing is being used to promote an agenda of decentralizing and privatizing the public school system in urban areas, not as a tool to close the academic achievement gap.

Nancy Sayed has over 30 years experience as a classroom teacher in Missouri public schools.

Doug Mann for School Board
For information about the 2006 campaign for Minneapolis School Board, go to

Doug Mann for School Board
http://dougmannlnc.com/id21.html

Recent posts to the Minneapolis Issues listserv
http://dougmannlnc.com/id25.html

Independent Freedom Party
Now Playing: Comments by Doug Mann from an online discussion
Below are comments by Doug Mann from a discussion on the Minneapolis Issue list
Subj: Re: [Mpls] The time is now for the Independent Freedom Party
Date: 12/30/2005

Re: "political correctness"

There is a difference between defending the interests of people with privileges and defending the interests of people whose human rights are being systematically violated. That's the difference between the KKK and NAACP, for example.

It is my hope that folks involved with the IFP emphasize an approach that unites people in a fight for human rights for everyone, and focuses on demanding changes in government policy, such as proactive enforcement of fair employment and housing laws.

We also need more people to run for the school board who advocate changes in school district policy & practices necessary to make a high quality education accessible to all MPS students on an equal basis.

Subj: Re: [Mpls] The time is now for the Independent Freedom Party
Date: 12/31/2005

In a message dated 12/30/2005 10:40:55 PM Central Standard Time,
andy driscoll writes:
>Keep this in mind: racism = prejudice + power. When blacks acquire the
>equality we whites have enjoyed here for centuries, they will have the
>opportunity to attain the power to act on their prejudices and qualify for
>the term racist...

Racism: a belief that some races are, by nature, superior to others; also: discrimination based on such belief.
-The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 1994 edition

There isn't much anyone can do about racism if it is true that blacks are completely powerless to act
on their prejudices (and in their own interests), and if whites are racist by nature, i.e., utterly lacking free will, incapable of choosing to not act in accord with racist precepts.

There is certainly an unequal distribution of wealth and power between whites and blacks. Conventional political power is heavily concentrated in the hands of a very small, mostly white minority which has an interest in perpetuating racial inequality. And history teaches us that privileged classes do not give up their power without a fight.

In my opinion, a majority of whites and blacks have more in common with each other than they do with rich people who look like them. Although racial discrimination generally works to the advantage of whites, regardless of class, it also harms poor whites, including most "middle class" whites
who have to work for a living, because racial discrimination produces a large pool of last-hired, first fired workers that drives down wage rates across-the-board.

Subj: Re: [Mpls] The time is now for the Independent Freedom Party
Date: 12/31/2005

In a message dated 12/31/2005 4:09:51 PM Central Standard Time,
erik oines writes:
>I personally agree most with Andy Driscoll's post. There is a difference
>between prejudice and racism. We white folks have to own up, give it up, and
>stand with people of color in the struggle for equity and equality. It's not
>a "guilt" thing, it's a "justice" thing. It's not their problem, it's ours.

What? It's not their problem, it's ours?
You mean racism is the white man's burden?

Sounds like a "guilt thing" to me.

Subj: Re: [Mpls] The time is now for the Independent Freedom Party
Date: 1/1/2006

In a message dated 12/31/2005 6:56:58 PM Central Standard Time,
erkoines@hotmail.com writes:
>Yes, in America, racism is our problem. We made the rules, we enforce the
>rules, and we change the rules when it suits us. To deny that we benefit
>from 450 years of racial oppression is to be completely irresponsible.
>

Nothing will change if we pursue a strategy of waiting for racists to stop being racists. The people who make and enforce the rules also benefit from their application. History tells us that privileged classes don't simply give up their privileges and power, they must be forced to give them up by the oppressed classes.

It is my opinion that a majority of whites are exploited and oppressed by a social and political system that is nourished by racism. They are generally less oppressed than blacks, however, their interests are not served by the perpetuation of institutionalized racism.

Redefining the term 'racist' as 'being white' eliminates the distinction between people of all colors who are consciously striving to bring about racial equality and those who support the status quo.

The formation of the Independent Freedom Party could be a very positive development, if the IFP demands immediate changes in public policy that can quickly bring about a closing of racial gaps in access to employment, housing and education, and other areas. That would force people to take sides.

Advocacy services for MPS parents & students
Topic: Mpls. Public Schools
I am currently working with others on an informal basis to provide cost-free advocacy services to MPS parents and students. I also want to reactivate the Minneapolis Parents Union or participate in some other advocacy project in the near future(hint to the Mpls NAACP branch).
for more information:
http://dougmannlnc.com/id18.html

And I plan to stand for election to the school board in 2006. For selected writings on K-12 Education policy, see
http://dougmannlnc.com/id12.html

Also see Minneapolis Issues Forum, topic "advocacy services for MPS parents and students"
http://forums.e-democracy.org/minneapolis/groups/mpls/messages/view_email?id=83400&show_thread=1

Minneapolis Issues forum, message index
http://forums.e-democracy.org/minneapolis/groups/mpls/messages/view_threads

Doug Mann quoted in Nation's Restaurant News
Topic: Civil Rights
Restaurant industry faces challenge of serving a diverse clientele, i.e., Pressure to change corporate culture results from being forced to serve black people.

http://dougmannlnc.com/blog

Doug Mann, Legal Nurse Consultant
I just finished a Legal Nurse Consulting course. I have about 20 years nursing experience, 9 years as a charge nurse. I also have some paralegal experience.

Web site address
http://dougmannlnc.com

CAMPAIGN 2006 STRATEGY (California)
Now Playing: part 1 of 10
Topic: Green Party
By Peter Miguel Camejo
September 14, 2005

On August 24, 2005, over thirty Greens from around the state met in
Oakland, California to work on developing a strategy for the 2006
Green Party statewide campaign. This exploratory committee put forth
an innovative vision that could help build the Green Party and
transform it into a more powerful political organization.

OUR VISION

The committee proposed building a statewide campaign that is
integrally linked to the living social movements and our potential
voting base. A campaign that helps builds those movements and turns
the Green Party more directly into the electoral expression of mass
social struggles.

The success of such an approach depends on the development of
strategic alliances with activists and movement leaders that
understand the failure of the two corporate parties to truly defend
and represent their communities or their issues and who are rooted in
mass movements or their communities. Today, there are Green Party
members in organizations fighting for peace, labor rights, social
justice, ecological balance, civil liberties and environmental justice
all over California but often they see these efforts as separate from
their support or involvement with the Green Party.

There is also a race and class divide. Large numbers of people are
voting for us and even registering Green but have no organizational
relationship or contact with us. It is not part of their experience,
especially those that have not been to college, to attend meetings or
get involved in organizational matters.

CAMPAIGN ORGANIZING EVENTS

To understand the concept we are proposing and how it differs from our
previous state wide electoral efforts let me give some examples of
what our 2006 state campaign meetings will be like. In particular,
when we hold a campaign meetings, representatives from select local
organizations such as anti-war activists (like from Cindy Sheehan's
organization), representatives from MAPA, Hermandad Mexicana, Centro
Azteca, CTA, ILWU, Muslim community leaders, environmentalists, etc,
will be asked to speak. In each case they will speak about their
specific community or issues. We do not want too long a list of
speakers but in each case we should have a few such speakers.

We will also encourage groups to table at our meetings and we will
provide people attending the meeting information on how to become
involved in those issue focused organizations.

When our candidates speak to large audiences especially on campuses it
would be so useful to immediately point them to tables where they can
get information on getting involved on specific issues. It immediately
gives a new kind of vision to what the Green Party is, an electoral
expression and organizing center for progressive movements, a party
that tells the truth about our political system and why these issues
exist to begin with.

In this way our campaign meetings become organizing events. They begin
to present the Green Party as an electoral expression of the movements
for peace, social justice, ecological sustainability, civil liberties,
gay and women's rights, labor rights and so on.

THE 2002-03 EXPERIENCE

During the 2002 and 2003 campaigns for Governor and my 2004 VP
campaign we gradually began to take steps to connect with
organizations and communities outside the party. I want to describe
some of those experiences so it becomes clear exactly why we think
this is possible and could be quite effective.

CAMPAIGN 2006 STRATEGY
Now Playing: part 2 of 10

THE LATINO COMMUNITY

Many Green Party members may not be aware that during 2002 there were
mass demonstrations in various cities among Mexican-American workers
with banners "Vote Verde" (Vote Green). How this happened is
instructive. I met with a small group of Mexican workers in Los
Angeles where one young worker told me, "You have to meet with Miguel
Araujo the leader of Centro Azteca." My first meeting with Miguel and
several other Centro Azteca leaders which lasted about 4 hours
revealed to me the great frustration they were having with the
Democratic Party and the shock it was to them to learn that the Green
Party in California was sympathetic to the rights of undocumented
workers and quite different from the Green Party in Mexico that
endorsed Fox for president.

This simple fact shows the importance of running candidates for
statewide office. It allows large numbers of people to learn about our
party and what it stands for.

From this meeting began a process of increasing collaboration between
the Green Party and many leaders in the struggle to defend migrant
rights. I found it particularly interesting once in San Jose when a
couple of really nice and supportive local elected progressive
Democrats (hopefully they will become Greens) came to a rally for the
right to a driver's license and they saw signs reading "Vote Green"
among the workers and the coordinators of the march shouting "Vote for
the Party that defense your rights, Vote Green." I think it not only
surprised them but made them aware of the growing strength and
sympathy for the Green Party. These marches had a deep impact on the
reporters that covered them as it completely altered their concept of
the Green Party.

Our work with the non-partisan organization Centro Azteca opened the
door not only to these demonstrations but to almost every single
Spanish language radio program and talk show. Today Miguel Araujo has
the second most popular talk show in Spanish in the Bay Area. The end
result was a sharp rise from our receiving 1% of the Latino vote in
2000 to 8% in the 2002 elections. In Northern California that figure
probably reached 15%.

It was not only Centro Azteca that drove our increasing reception in
the Latino community. South West Voter Registration Project, led by
Antonio Gonzalez helped us get exposure in the Latino community
starting with our first gubernatorial candidate Congressman Dan
Hamburg in 1998. Dan Hamburg did a marvelous job debating both the
Democrat and the Republican before 1,000 Latinos. Dan received
repeated ovations for his positions. With my run in 2002 this
continued in an expanded manner. Soon we were being endorsed by
Spanish language community papers and knowledge of the Green Party
reached much deeper into the Latino community. This led to a meeting
with the staff of La Opinion the largest Spanish language daily and
they began regular coverage of our campaign.

Matt Gonzalez's electoral and legislative achievements deepened the
support for the Green Party among Latinos. As the President of the
Board of Supervisor he became the highest elected official in our
party. In Matt's run for Mayor, for the first time the Latino
community voted overwhelmingly for a Green in a major US city. Out of
those efforts by Matt it became easier for Renee Saucedo's (her self a
leader in the community) excellent campaign in San Francisco for Board
of Supervisor and other Latino candidates throughout the State.

Then Nativo Lopez, leader of the oldest Mexican American association
for political endorsements, MAPA, (Mexican American Political
Association) called for a general strike of the Latino community in
part because of the driver's license issue. The call spread throughout
California and hundreds of thousands responded. Schools were half to
some times two thirds emptied in Los Angeles and other communities.
Demonstrations seemed to sprout almost spontaneously throughout
California. Senator Gilbert Cedillo who has led the fight in
Sacramento for the drivers license told me how he was looking out the
window at the capitol and saw a demonstration passing by so he ran out
to join them to cheers from the marchers.

Nativo Lopez in collaboration with Centro Azteca called a meeting in
San Mateo at a church with some 15 or so community organizations to
report on the strike's success. Matt Gonzalez and I were seated on the
stage and offered an opportunity to speak to the community leaders.
Nativo told the gathering how the Latino community had responded
massively to his call but only the Green Party in the political world
had defended our community. Soon after, Nativo Lopez held a press
conference at the Secretary of State's office announcing he was
changing his registration to the Green Party.

Among those present at that meetings were the leaders from Stockton
California, led by Luis Magana, who work among the undocumented
workers. Their group organized a tour for my campaign among
undocumented workers covered by major TV stations.

We are so proud to have Miguel Araujo and Matt Gonzalez speak at our
first gathering forming the exploratory committee and the
collaboration of Nativo Lopez who wanted to attend but was unable to
do so.

At our meetings during the 2006 campaign we want leaders like Miguel,
Luis, Renee and Nativo to speak on the issues of the Latino community
as well as younger activist leading the efforts against the Minute
Men.. As leaders of non-partisan organizations they should request the
same opportunity from the Democrats and Republican campaigns. We
should inform those attending our meetings how they can get involved
with MAPA, Centro Azteca and other organizations.

THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

A similar story can be told about what has been happening in the
Muslim community. In great part through the work of Jo Chamberlain of
San Mateo County, the Green Party's relationship with this community
has continued to grow rapidly. In 2002 I was given the opportunity to
speak to several thousand in San Francisco at an annual gathering of
the Pakistani community. From the podium the leaders of the event
asked the gathering to formally endorse the Green Party candidate for
Governor as the only candidate defending the Bill of Rights and their
community. The Muslim color is green. From the podium they called
out; "Just remember the color green and who defends our rights".

In 2004 Jo Chamberlain and I spoke to thousands of Muslim at their
massive annual gathering in Chicago.

At our August 24th gathering forming the 2006 Exploratory Committee
Agha Saeed, President of the AMA (American Muslim Association)
addressed us through a speaker phone, informing the Green organizers
that polls now showed 22% of the Muslim community consider themselves
supporters of the Green Party, by far our largest percentage wise mass
support.

This support is critically tied to our opposition to the USA Patriot
Act and our consistent demand for full rights for Arab Americans and
the Muslim religion and community.

We need to invite leaders of the Muslim community to speak out on
attacks being committed against American Muslims. While many of their
leaders will not be in a position to endorse any candidate the fact we
offer our support to their critical issues will continue to win the
hearts and minds of their community to the Green Party.

CAMPAIGN 2006 STRATEGY
Now Playing: part 3 of 10
Topic: Green Party

ANTI-THREE STRIKES MOVEMENT

During the Gubernatorial and the 2004 campaign whereever possible I
tried to raise the issue of the death penalty and three strikes. At
some of my campaign meetings Geri Silva the Executive Director of
FACTS (Families to Amend Three Strikes) spoke with me. At one meeting
Donna Warren brought Harold Hall an African American who served 18
years in prison until it was discovered he was innocent. Watching
several hundred young people listening to Harold Hall himself explain
how such injustices occur in our society has an educational impact
that cannot be easily expressed in words.

Leading this work and educating the Green Party on Three Strikes has
been Donna Warren the African American Green leader from South Central
LA. As our candidate for Lt. Governor she was the only African
American in 2002 running for a State office and made such an enormous
difference to the perception of our campaign and Party.

Under her guidance I raised at every televised debate in 2003 the
issue of three strikes. The impact this had was reflected when African
Americans became the racial group delivering the largest vote
(percentage wise) for the Green Party in the recall election (6%),
Latinos came a close second at 5%. Keep in mind the Democrats were
running a Latino for Governor, Cruz Bustamente. For the Green Party to
receive such a solid vote in the Latino community reflected the
support we are gaining. Our largest support was demographically from
youth and the poorest people in California (9% for each category).

Again we need to continue our efforts on these issues. I especially
want to raise the case of Santo Reyes now doing life in prison for
cheating on a DMV test trying to get a driver's license so he could
work as a roofer to support his family.

LABOR AND THE MINIMUM WAGE

Thanks to the relentless work of a group of Greens, especially Tim
Smith of Sonoma, and also Cres Fallucci and Pat Driscoll from
Sacramento the Green Party with other allies is now petitioning to try
and place a referendum on the ballot to raise the minimum wage. Just
to match what it was in 1968 the minimum wage needs to be increased to
$8.65 per hour. This effort will result in many benefits for working
people's perception of our Party. It will provide a way for
progressive leaders in the labor movement to break ranks with the
Democratic Party's control over the Unions and join with us in an
effort desperately needed and supported by millions of Californians
possibly a majority. We should welcome sympathetic labor leaders to
come to our rallies and speak on this issue.

Most of the speakers we want to bring to the podium will be strategic
allies of ours even if they cannot endorse us. Let us become the
vehicle to educate the labor movement on what having a party that is
independent from the corporate rulers can mean. When Matt Gonzalez ran
for Mayor the AFL CIO would not endorse him but some union locals and
union leaders did. In Matt's race they all so Greens can win. They
need to see we can organize and that people are listening to us.

When Aimee Allison ran for city council in Oakland California an
historic bolt of lightening occurred when a large meeting of long
shore men at their union meeting endorsed her and said they were
endorsing her because she is a Green and will no longer automatically
endorse Democrats!

CAMPAIGN 2006 STRATEGY
Now Playing: part 4 of 10

ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT

One of the most important ways our campaign can link up to the living
movements is by including anti-war movement leaders at our meetings.
Todd Chretien, who led the effort to put College Not Combat on the
ballot in San Francisco, has suggested many ways we could make this
link. For example through his effort the famous anti-war MP from
England, Galloway, is coming to California. He has also suggested that
we try to get student anti-war activists to run slates of candidates
on their campuses opposing recruiters and the war. Our campaign will
support them and offer them a podium to explain their campaigns when
we organize meetings on campuses.

There are many other local issues, such as medical marijuana, that we
can include in our campaign. I had the opportunity during a campaign
event in Chico to have a leader of this movement speak before a large
audience. One of them did go to jail for a year. Our campaign needs to
let our people know about all of these issues. We need to have
campaign meetings and our message focused on certain critical issues.
But before our candidates speak having a small selection of
representatives on a series of issues can be of great value.

There are more and more Green Party locals that have been establishing
a base for our party throughout California, like the Green Party of
Butte County, a strong local due to the leadership of two women,
Marybeth Wuerthner and Marilyn Ditmanson. There are many other
counties doing great work from Humboldt to Nevada to San Diego.

Well I could go on and on about different issues and communities we
can now involve because of the gains we have been making to both build
those movements and build the influence of our party.

There are many other similar experiences by Green Party activists and
candidates. They are all moving in the direction of broadening our
original base to a growing layer of communities. There is probably not
a single one of our campaigns that has not had some experiences like
the ones I am referring to.

However, the culture and structure of our party has kept most of the
people beginning to support and sympathize with us at arms length. How
many members of Centro Azteca today are serving on a Green County
Councils or even attend Green Party meetings? How many of the
activists from Three Strikes attend Green Party meetings or have been
elected to any of our leadership bodies?

The answer is probably none yet. We hope to begin changing this and
thus changing our party. But to do that we need to look at the Party
in a new way, with a new vision.