This week on COVID, Race, & Democracy:
On Friday, August 26, 2022, thousands of farmworkers and their supporters rallied in Sacramento for a bill to benefit farm workers.
The rally came after a march of 338 miles from the Central Valley to Sacramento. They were demanding that Governor Newsom support Assembly Bill 2183 that would allow farmworkers to vote for a union by mail ballot and allow unions to get the names and addresses of all farmworkers.
Miguel Molina and Frank Sterling were there on the march and rally recording for KPFA’s Flashpoints.
***
On Wednesday, August 24, thousands of workers and community members throughout South Africa went on a day of strike action and protest.
Ayesha Raja who is the chairperson of the Sofasonke Community Civic Organization spoke with Pacifica about the conditions that led to the walk out in South Africa.
***
The United Automobile Workers’ recently wrapped up their Constitutional Convention which saw major changes from previous conventions from both – outside and inside the union. Externally, as part of an ongoing corruption scandal, a federally imposed Monitor is overseeing the finances and operations of the international union from early 2021 until 2027. Internally, as a result of membership pressure and the emergence of a significant reform caucus – UAWD.
UAW’s rank and file membership will, for the first time in their union’s history, directly elect the leadership of the union as embodied in its International Executive Board (IEB). These changes, while promising a more democratic structure in the union, are not occurring evenly nor without resistance from the ruling Administration Caucus, still entrenched in certain locals. Mail balloting is scheduled for late October to November 28. WPFW’s Thomas O’Rourke spoke to UAW Local 1264 President LaShawn English who is running for UAW Regional Director 1 in Detroit and UAW Local 909’s retired President Frank Hammer about union corruption, electoral intimidation and manipulation, as well as some of the challenges facing new union officers, board members, and rank and file workers.
***
The increasing behavioral health problems are affecting millions, including healthcare workers. Since August 15, two thousand National Union Of Healthcare Workers therapists at the Kaiser HMO in Northern California and Hawaii have been on strike for their patients and their own healthcare.
Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer has been covering their actions and their rally at Kaiser headquarters on January 19th.
***
Dr. Garvey, son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, is leading an effort along with thousands of supporters to clear his fathers name. The Honorable Marcus Garvey, born on August 17, 1887 in Jamaica.
Marcus Garvey was a Pan African activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association *UNIA, and the African Communities League.
He was a visionary and entrepreneur who believed Africans must be financially independent of European colonizers at home and abroad. He created several businessis in the U.S., including the Negro Factories Corporation and the Negro World newspaper.
In 1919, Garvey became President of the Black Star Line shipping and passenger company.
In 1923 Garvey was wrongfully convicted of mail fraud for selling the company’s stock, and he was caged in United States Penitentiary, Atlanta for approximately two years. Marcus Garvey supporters have always maintained his innocence. Many believed Garvey was targeted by J Edgar Hoover because of his political beliefs. Marcus Garvey transitioned on 10 June 1940 in the U.K.
We hear from Garland Nixon (News Views, WPFW), along with Dr. Juliius Garvey, son of Marcus Mosian Garvey. Dr. Garvey is a surgeon who practices in New York, and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has been on several educational and medical missions to Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Mali, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Haiti, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Recently, he delivered the 10th Annual Robert Sobukwe Lecture at Fort Hare University at Eastern Cape, South Africa jointly sponsored by the Steve Biko Foundation.
Dr. Garvey lectures on the life and legacy of his father, The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Find out more about the Marcus Garvey petition on Twitter @justice4garvey.
***
We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. This program was produced by the executive producers of CRD, Akua Holt, Polina Vasiliev, and Steve Zeltzer and hosted by Akua Holt.
Music:
No nos moverán, Los Lobos and friends
Stand Together, Ceolbeg
Rally Round, Steel Pulse (Ode to Marcus Garvey)
