Editor’s note: This piece was written by some abolitionists and published in zine form by Haters. Around here we’ve got our very own movement-killers, a.k.a. “Movement Leaders.” Mapping the Terrain Within the general context of The Movement™, abolition—whether through “Defund OPD,” policy campaigns, transformative justice, and policing alternatives—has become inescapable within Oakland’s left-progressive-liberal continuum. “We…
By Black Ink
Safiya Bukhari’s “Lest We Forget”
Editor’s note: for Black August 2022 we share both a facsimile PDF as well as a transcription of Safiya Bukhari‘s 1981 pamphlet Lest We Forget, which she wrote and published while incarcerated at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women. Introduction Constantly people of color are confronted with the reality that death is our ever-present companion.…
Stop the State Police Harassment and Targeting of Rev. Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor
April 7, 2022 To Governor Gretchen Whitmer, State Police Director Colonel Joseph Gafper, and DHHS Deputy Director David Knezek: We are greatly alarmed that Michigan State police are being sent to target and harass Rev. Edward Pinkney, the noted community activist in Benton Harbor, Michigan. On March 25, 2022 Sgt. Hayward of the Paw Paw…
Free H.H.! Prosecutorial Persecution and Pitfalls
[Submitted by Friends of H.H.] We can all take a deep breath, avert our gaze, and rest easy. Washtenaw County now has a progressive prosecutor—Eli Savit, whose platform claims that (1) coercive plea bargaining, (2) over-prosecution, (3) prolonged pre-trial detentions, (4) aggressive prosecution of drug possession charges, and (5) racial inequity are things of the…
Landlords Try to Play Games, Tenants Win
On Thursday, a group of tenants gathered for a cookout and speakout at Frissinger Park in opposition to a landlord picnic and Kickball game, hosted by the Washtenaw Area Apartment Association. The WA3 organizes landlords and hosts events on topics ranging from “priceless advice on evictions” to “empower[ing] your residents to task simple repairs.” The…
Gabriel Jermaine Vanlandingham-Dunn: Sounds of the High Sun
In the pandemic, playlists by loved ones and strangers have been not only a major solace, but also a way of not just feeling connected across walls and timezones, but a way of literally being connected. Even when a comrade turns us on to a single song (just now: “1 Thing” by Amerie), they just…
Jeff Clark: To Know Again
On May 18, Ypsilanti City Council voted to go over budget and hire 3 armed YPD officers and 1 YPD records clerk. The vote was split 4-3, with those opposed expressing concerns about adding to the budget deficit and lack of time for public input, including via the council’s own Police Oversight Commission. On June…
J.B. Miller: Little Boys, Little Bikes, Big Guns, Big Budgets
On May 18, Ypsilanti City Council voted to go over budget and hire 3 armed YPD officers and 1 YPD records clerk. The vote was split 4-3, with those opposed expressing concerns about adding to the budget deficit and lack of time for public input, including via the council’s own Police Oversight Commission. On June…
H.H. Gonzales: Does More Police Equal Security?
On May 18, Ypsilanti City Council voted to go over budget and hire 3 armed YPD officers and 1 YPD records clerk. The vote was split 4-3, with those opposed expressing concerns about adding to the budget deficit and lack of time for public input, including via the council’s own Police Oversight Commission. On June…
Marcina Cole: More Police Is Not the Answer
On May 18, Ypsilanti City Council voted to go over budget and hire 3 armed YPD officers and 1 YPD records clerk. The vote was split 4-3, with those opposed expressing concerns about adding to the budget deficit and lack of time for public input, including via the council’s own Police Oversight Commission. On June…