Thomas Merton Center Pittsburgh’s Peace and Social Justice Center
PITTSBURGH’S PEACE & JUSTICE NEWSPAPER VOL. 47 No. 2 March 2017
TMC 45 Years In the Struggle By Molly Rush
In 1970, the horrors of the Vietnam War and the Vatican II Council had inspired many Catholics to work for civil rights and peace. CEASE, Catholics for an End to Slaughter and Exploitation, was formed to protest the war. It soon became evident that there was a need for a full-time organization to support these and other issues: the grape boycott by the United Farmworkers Union, poverty, human and welfare
rights, Vibrations II, a prisoner visitation group, Earth Day events and actions regarding housing, education, and health care. In a statement entitled We Resist, “We the undersigned publicly declare we will withhold [federal] taxes of 10% on phone bills and, for some, to resist war taxes on income.” We set about raising funds for an office and staff. Among the donors were 44 priests who pledged monthly
donations of $5 to $20. Thirty priests trained as military draft counselors. We chose our name after the Trappist monk and celebrated writer, Thomas Merton. He was a strong opponent of war, nuclear weapons and racism. His spirituality and writings inspired millions. “Then share your peace with everyone so everyone will be in peace.” On March 12, 1972, thanks to the brilliant organizing of the first Director,
The Merton Center’s First Office on East Carson St in Pittsburgh. Photo courtesy of Molly Rush.
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Resisting the ‘Deadly Triplets’ of Racism, Militarism, and Materialism
In This Issue..
“The burning of fossil fuels,” says Wanda Guthrie, “has led to the emergence of corporations that have become so wealthy and powerful that the control, extraction, and selling of fuel has overcome all peaceful and just policy decisions. In fact, our new administration is doing its best to abolish all compassionate legislation and dismantle the agencies that protect citizens.” Guthrie is an organizer of 350Pittsburgh.org’s Unite100. The goal of this campaign, launched in response to the new administration in Washington, is to explore and emphasize the connections between climate justice and social justice. “We’re reaching out to climate, environment and justice groups,” explains Kate Fissell, another Unite100 organizer, “because we recognize the deep connections between social and environmental injustices. We hope that acknowledging those connections can lead to solutions.” Respect for the environment extends to respect for all of the world’s inhabitants, according to the campaign description. In addition, the devastating effects of climate change tend to be borne first, and more profoundly, by under-
By Ellen Wilson
served populations. Unite100 provides a vehicle for groups to come together over these issues and find common ground. Groups participating are asked to be ready to welcome newcomers to the events they have planned as part of Unite100, and to share information about their events with the campaign. “Rabbi Arthurs Waskow, a peace and social justice prophet, reminds us of the determination it takes to resist and create in unity,” Guthrie says. “The words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his profound sermon, ‘Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,’ laid it out very clearly. He named our affliction as the ‘deadly triplets’ of racism, militarism, and materialism. Rabbi Waskow asks us to recognize the truth in naming these triplets. These are life-patterns, sharing a great deal of DNA just like biological triplets. If we are to redeem and heal we must meet.” “The carbon corporate structures and their political supporters are unwilling to change course,” Guthrie adds, “even as they establish rules that will lead to climate chaos.” Unite100 is a recipient of one
Fighting for Clean Water…
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America’s Zeitgeist…
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Glenn Grayson Jr. ...
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Toxic Cultures…
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A Tale of Two Marches By Mollie March-Steinman and Marni Fritz
In solidarity with the January 21st Women’s March in D.C., sister marches began popping up in cities across the country. Here in Pittsburgh, we had two marches. One, organized originally by white women, sprang up in reaction to the D.C. march, while the other sprang up in reaction to the problematic planning of the first. A simple question on the original Facebook event page started it all: “Is this a white feminist thing?” White women organizers were immediately on the defensive, stressing that the proposed Pittsburgh march was a feminist issue and not a race issue, completely ignoring the fact that, for women of color, feminism and race are the same issue. Women of color were shut down and blocked from the page, and their comments were deleted. Concerns directed toward the Downtown march’s Facebook page regarding inclusion, silencing and intersec-
tional feminism were met with both defensiveness and genuine engagement. While valid criticisms were addressed on the event page, nothing was done to reconcile them. Leadership amongst the organizers shifted, the event page was deleted in its entirety (erasing evidence of criticism or wrongdoing), and a new event was created. Fake sponsors such as the August Wilson Center and the New Pittsburgh Courier, were cited without consent form the organizations to show there was support from the Black community, while the national organizers disendorsed the local march due to the way organizers handled the conflict. (The national organizers later re-endorsed Pittsburgh’s downtown march.). In response, the Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional Rally/March was organized, centering Black women and raising awareness around issues women face using an intersectional approach. There has been some criticism of Continued on Page 9…
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The Thomas Merton Center works to build a consciousness of values and to raise the moral questions involved in the issues of war, poverty, racism, classism, economic justice, oppression and environmental justice. TMC engages people of diverse philosophies and faiths who find common ground in the nonviolent struggle to bring about a more peaceful and just world.
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Neil Cosgrove, Michael Drohan, Russ Fedorka, Marni Fritz, Nijah Glenn, Jim McCarville, Bette McDevitt, Mollie March-Steinman, Krithika Pennathur, Joyce Rothermel, Molly Rush, Jacqueline Souza, Jo Tavener, Nina Young Executive Director: Antonio Lodico Finance Director / Project Liaison: Roslyn Maholland Director of Communications: Marni Fritz TMC Organizer/ Internship Coordinator: Gabriel McMorland Support Staff: Sr. Mary Clare Donnelly, Meagan McGill Activist & Office Volunteers: Raphael Cardamone, Christina Castillo, Monique Dietz, Nancy Gippert, Nijah Glenn, Lois Goldstein, Jordan Malloy, Joyce Rothermel, Judy Starr, Michael Telian New People Coordinator: Marni Fritz East End Community Thrift Store Managers: Shirley Gleditsch, Shawna Hammond, & Sr. Mary Clare Donnelly
Thomas Merton Center Interns: June Antley, Lucy Cheung, Krithika
2017 TMC Board of Directors
Ed Brett, Rob Conroy (President), Neil Cosgrove, Bill Chrisner, Mark Dixon, Antonia Dominga, Michael Drohan, Patrick Fenton, Nijah Glenn, Wanda Guthrie, anupama jain, Ken Joseph, Anne Kuhn, Jonah McAllister-Erickson, Jim McCarville, Jordan Malloy, Joyce Rothermel, Molly Rush (co-founder), Tyrone Scales, M. Shernell Smith.
Pittsburgh 350 350pittsburgh@gmail.com World.350.org/Pittsburgh
Pittsburghers for Public Transit 412-216-9659 info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org
Shalefield Stories (Friends of the Harmed) 412-422-0272 brigetshields@gmail.com
Steel Smiling
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens Group 724-837-0540 lfpochet@verizon.net
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Association of Pittsburgh Priests Sr. Barbara Finch 412-716-9750
412-848-3079
The Big Idea Bookstore 412-OUR-HEAD www.thebigideapgh.org The Black Political Empowerment Project Tim Stevens 412-758-7898 CeaseFire PA www.ceasefirepa.org—info@ceasefirepa.org Citizens for Social Responsibility of Greater Johnstown Larry Blalock, evolve@atlanticbb.net Global Solutions Pittsburgh 412-471-7852 dan@globalsolutionspgh.org www.globalsolutionspgh.org North Hills Anti-Racism Coalition 412-369-3961 email: info@arc.northpgh.org www.arc.northpgh.org PA United for Single-Payer Health Care www.healthcare4allPA.org www.PUSH-HC4allPa.blogspot.com 412-421-4242
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March 2017
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) 412-471-8919 www.ueunion.org Veterans for Peace kevinbharless@yahoo.com 252-646-4810 Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Eva 412-963-7163 edith.bell4@verizon.net
TMC is a Member of Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network 412-621-9230 office@piin.org Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty Martha Conley 412-361-7872, osterdm@earthlink.net TMC supports these organizations’ missions.
Page 15 A Tale of Two Marches Cont’d What Do You Do On Tuesdays? Syria: Revolution and Counter-Revolution SW PA Bread for the World to Host Annual Workshop April 23
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Religion and Labor Coalition 412-361-4793 ojomal@aol.com SWPA Bread for the World Joyce Rothermel 412-780-5118 rothermeljoyce@gmail.com
The Wheel of Justice Fr. Daniel Groody to Speak on Immigration 2017 Elections Calendar
Penn Plaza Rally & Press Conference Photos Pittsburgh Public School Students Strike
Page 11 Faith Community Mobilizes Resisting Deadly Triplets Cont’d City Theater and TMC Come Together for “The Guard” Page 12 I’m Thinking About Water (Poem)
www.pittsburghraginggrannies.homestead.com
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Environmental Justice Frequently Means Racial Injustice One Thousand Forty Days and Counting
Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee info@pittsburgh-psc.org www.pittsburgh-psc.org Raging Grannies 412-963-7163 eva.havlicsek@gmail.com
Your Racism is Plant-Based Talking With Glenn
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Today’s America: Afflicted by Class The Psychopathology in America’s Zeitgeist
Pittsburgh North People for Peace 412-760-9390 info@pnpp.northpgh.org www.pnpp.northpgh.org
Amnesty International info@amnestypgh.org - www.amnestypgh.org
For more information: Call 412-361-3022 or email newpeople@thomasmertoncenter.org.
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Pittsburgh BDS Coalition bdspittsburgh@gmail.com
Abolitionist Law Center 412-654-9070 abolitionistlawcenter.org
Battle of Homestead Foundation
To Submit an Event to the TMC Calendar: Visit www.thomasmertoncenter.org/calendar/submit-event
Merton Board Sets Goals for 2017 TMC 45 Years of Struggle Cont’d News from the Executive Director
Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi 412-761-4319 Pittsburgh Cuba Coalition 412-303-1247 lisacubasi@aol.com
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The New People is distributed each month to 3,000 people who belong to diverse organizations, businesses and groups. The deadline for all submissions is the 13th of the month for the following month’s issue.
TMC 45 Years in the Struggle Resisting the Deadly Triplets A Tale of Two Marches
Economic Justice
TMC Affiliates
Publish in The NewPeople
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Pittsburgh Campaign for Democracy NOW! 412-422-5377, sleator@cs.cmu.edu www.pcdn.org
Pittsburgh Anti-Sweatshop Community Alliance
We are mission driven volunteers who look to build love and community by serving others in times of need.
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Marcellus Shale Protest Group melpacker@aol.com 412-243-4545 marcellusprotest.org
Western PA Student Organizing Network (WPSON) andrew.woomer@gmail.com
The East End Community Thrift (Thrifty) is an all volunteer-run thrift shop which provides quality, low-cost, used clothing and household goods to the surrounding community. Thrifty needs volunteers and shoppers! Please contact us at (412) 361-6010 and ask for Shirley or Shawna, or stop in at 5123 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Email shawnapgh@aol.com.
School of the Americas Watch W. PA 412-271-8414 rothermeljoyce@gmail.com
Environmental Justice
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Pennathur, Mollie March-Steinman, Monica Silny, Jacqueline Souza
Anti-War Committee awc@thomasmertoncenter.org Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition jumphook@gmail.com; www.pittsburghdarfur.org
Fight for Lifers West fightforliferswest@gmail.com 412-607-1804 Fightforliferswest.org
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Anti-War/Anti-Imperialism
Poems on Immigration (Poem) Not On Our Watch In Solidarity for Justice Rape Culture, Blurred Lines and What Our Uni versities Are Doing About It An Appeal for Mental Health Recognition
Page 13 In Defense of Science
Lear, and Queeg, and Trump… Oh My! In memory Peace Round Table Formed Right Now
Merton Center News Merton Center Board Sets Goals for 2017 As the Thomas Merton Center Board of Directors gathered for their annual retreat the morning of January 28th, they knew they would be spending the day wrestling with a daunting question: Just what direction should the Center take in the coming year, at an historical moment when so many forces seemed to be threatening progress towards peace and justice? One choice the Board made by day’s end was not to obsess about the current occupant of the White House, because the Center’s focus is always on “long standing issues, not one politician.” “We want to make sure we are focused on making the world we want to live in, and not merely reacting against a world we do not want,” Executive Director Tony Lodico later observed. “We also want to continue to work to effect positive change where we can make a measurable difference, which these days is usually at the local level.” One of TMC’s external goals for 2017 is the further strengthening of our organizing capacities, including increased engagement with a diversity of communities and identity needs, such as advocating
for immigrants, Muslims, and other marginalized populations. The Center will seek to connect our issue work to other issues; for example, the connections between economic, social and environmental justice. “Clean water is a human right” will be one focus, addressing concerns about the privatization of public water systems and the safety of drinking water. The Merton Center seeks to improve both external and internal communications, and to increase fundraising and membership. Monthly meetings at the Center have already begun, with the next one scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14th. TMC Organizer Gabe McMorland says these meetings will contain four main activities. The first involves political education, during which participants will learn how current events and issues fit into encompassing systemic patterns, such as racism, capitalism and patriarchy. During this segment participants will also develop “activist skills” like knowing your rights, engaging in one-on-one conversations, talking to the media, and employing non-violent tactics. Meetings will also include presentations by the
TMC 45 Years in the Struggle Cont’d
By Molly Rush
Larry Kessler, we opened our office at 1213 East Carson St., Southside. Soon sisters from three religious communities joined as full -time staff members. The Urban League provided a receptionist. The front of the remodeled building housed a third-world gift shop with a display window. There was new office furniture and a meeting table and chairs, all provided by our landlord, Charlie Samaha. There was also a private office that was also used for counseling sessions. Downstairs was space large enough to accommodate training sessions and larger meetings and a copy machine.. Larry Kessler wrote: “Our hope is that this center, its programs and services and above all the community it sponsors, will help in some way to build a world that many have dreamed about and many have died for.” In February, The New People, our monthly newsletter, quoted Isaiah, “…and they shall beat their swords into plowshares.” The lead story in April was the mistrial of the Harrisburg 8, which included Fr. Philip Berrigan, Sister Elizabeth McAlister and Eqbal Ahmad. The FBI and its Director J. Edgar Hoover ludicrously accused the eight of a conspiracy to kidnap Henry Kissinger and blow up the heating pipes beneath Washington DC. Ahmad declared, “We shall be out on the streets as fast as we can to continue our anti-war demonstrations.” A number of TMC members went to Harrisburg during the trial and we returned with the same determination. Remember that just before the 1968 election, fearing Lyndon B. Johnson would be re-elected, Richard Nixon had ordered that a “monkey wrench” be used to undermine the peace talks then underway.[New Y ork Times 2-2-17]. He won the election and escalated the war. In 1972 Nixon was re-elected President, promising “peace with honor.” The war finally ended disastrously in 1975. Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese died from napalm dropped from U.S. planes, and up
to three million civilians died from Agent Orange, which continues to sicken and kill U.S. veterans. (My husband Bill’s cousin John, a draftee, just died, a victim of this terrible weapon.) Larry Kessler was in Washington for the 1973 Counter-Inaugural protest. He wrote, “No man, certainly, can strip me of my freedom and humanity. Resistance is the one way, perhaps the only way, to keep a grasp on one’s humanity. Resistance for me means continuing to work for the kind of society and world I dream of….and seeing things that never were and continue to say why not.” Good words for the situation we now find ourselves in. Many CEASE members were among the millions who protested the war. In January 1972, along with students from Pgh. Theological Seminary, they were among 600 delegates who attended the Ecumenical Witness in Kansas City. Civil rights veteran Andrew Young spoke on “Racism and the War.” Dom Helder Camara, bishop of Recife Brazil, and later a Merton awardee, said, “A small minority in every country are concerned with justice.” Throughout our forty-five years, the Center has addressed and supported many of these issues and others, such as labor struggles, minimum wage [which Nixon opposed], third world poverty, U.S. military interventions. Throughout, it has been the members, their financial support and volunteering that has sustained the Center through good times and bad. The challenges we now face require that our membership grow and donations increase. My own hope is that we’ll be able to increase our staffing, outreach and energetic volunteers, who will build that resistance in concert with the many thousands who have actively responded to today’s crises.
By Neil Cosgrove
Center’s projects and partners, and a review of the past month’s TMC actions. McMorland says each meeting will conclude with interactive discussion of how attendees can get involved in the Center’s actions during the coming month, through volunteering for the Center or forms of community activism. “It will be about things people can actually do,” McMorland said. Board members themselves have already begun working on 2017 goals through working groups and standing committees. After forty-five years of existence, the Merton Center has formed strong ties throughout the Pittsburgh region, but it hopes to deepen its immersion in activist communities still more. Human yearnings for peace and justice never fade, nor does the Center’s commitment to obtaining those ideals through adherence to the nonviolent spirituality articulated in the life and writings of Thomas Merton himself.
Neil Cosgrove is a member of The NewPeople Editorial Collective and the Merton Center Board.
News From the Executive Director By Antonio Lodico
In December of 2015, I became Executive Director of the Thomas Merton Center, fully intending to lead the organization for many years to come. However, last August, my partner returned to Chicago to continue on her career path. After six months of dealing with the stresses and challenges of a long distance relationship, both of us have come to the conclusion that it is untenable to remain apart longer than a few more months, while our jobs require us to be in different cities. After much reflection and deliberation, I have decided to move to Chicago this summer so my partner and I can be fully together again. Therefore, I am stepping down as Executive Director at the end of June, ensuring enough time for a full transition before leaving. I do want everyone to know that because of the Merton Center’s mission, because of the kind of work the Center has privileged me to do, and because of the relationships I have been able to build over the last 15 months, this decision has been much more difficult than it might otherwise have been. The board has already begun the search for a new Executive Director; I am confident that the Thomas Merton Center will find someone amazing to take the helm, someone quite capable of addressing the challenges to peace and justice that confront us all. Notice of the position, including a job description, will be released soon, will remain open through April, and will be posted at www.thomasmertoncenter.org/EDsearch.
Thank you to all who made Thrifty their 2017 Valentine. More than $4500 was contributed. It's not too late to send a 'Belated Valentine' check to Thrifty. We send all of you a Belated Valentine filled with joy and peace.
Molly Rush is co-founder and board member of the Thomas Merton Center March 2017
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Clean Water for All Environmental Injustice Frequently Means Racial Injustice By Mollie March-Steinman
Controversy has surrounded Pittsburgh being named America’s “most livable city” ever since the town proudly claimed the title. The same city that displaced thousands of Black residents due to gentrification and has not been proactive about providing affordable housing, healthcare, and quality education to underserved populations surely does not deserve to promote its livability. In the past few years, many of us have broadened our understanding of racism to understand how it poisons institutions in the United States. Racial injustice is essential for the maintenance of our current political, judicial, and economic systems. Our current power structures would not survive without racist voter suppression, gerrymandering, prejudices about white innocence and Black violence, underresourced schools in predominantly Black neighborhoods, and an economy that was built on centuries of slave labor. One addition to the elements of systemic racist violence is environmental injustice. By now, most of us are familiar with the Flint water crisis, with Flint, MI residents now in their third year without clean water. We are also aware of the crude oil pipeline that water protectors in Standing Rock, North Dakota have been battling against for nearly a year to defend their sovereignty and safety. Although these two injustices have been more widely publicized than most, we should not forget that environmental injustice is a national and global reality. The burdens of climate change are intentionally distributed amongst communities of Color, particularly those with limited access to resources or without wealth. In many cases, toxic waste is purposely dumped in more vulnerable communities, without community involvement in the decision-making process. It is crucial for privileged Pittsburgh residents to process this information, especially as the impact of climate change grows more severe. Some of us were recently awakened to the idea that there may be
an environmental problem in our city when the Pittsburgh Water and Sewage Authority (PWSA) issued a boiling water advisory to affluent as well as lowincome areas. However, white, affluent Pittsburgh residents did not express the same concern and outrage when the Pittsburgh Public School district tested water at each school location a few months ago, and found high levels of lead in 14 water fountains and 141 of the samples. This lack of outrage is an especially privileged reaction because the school with the highest lead levels was Langley K-8 School in Sheraden. One sample from the school tested 11 times higher for lead than the 20 parts per billion (ppb) recommended by the EPA. Students at Langley are predominantly Black children, with 89% of the student body eligible for the free lunch program. The city of Pittsburgh must do more to protect residents in every zip-code from environmental injustice. This requires more than building another LEED -certified skyscraper downtown. It means investing as much as necessary to make sure infrastructure is secure, water is clean, and air quality is safe. It means ensuring the environmental health of our city, even if federal regulations change. And it means never cutting corners when it comes to something as precious as clean water*. Dr. Molly Mehling, an ecologist, sustainability scientist, photographer and educator, notes, “Regarding the drinking water quality, my concern is that there may end up being a bias in fixing lead lines in affluent communities due to greater awareness, more monitoring data, and more political power in those areas. I am also concerned that the lead in water issue will, and has already, overshadowed the more important exposure pathways for young children: paint and dust.” A recent article from the Pittsburgh Tribune includes a map with neighborhoods that submitted water samples to the PWSA. While the neighborhoods varied in their affluence, Mehling was right
that lower-income neighborhoods didn’t submit as many tests. For example, residents in 15217 (Squirrel Hill/Greenfield), a predominantly wealthy area, submitted 763 tests, and had 11% of those samples return with high lead. On the other hand, residents in 15204 (Sheraden, Elliott, Esplen, Broadhead), which has an average household income of $42,593, submitted only nine tests, 11% of which were over the safety limit. The city cannot accurately assess the infrastructure in each neighborhood if there is an unequal distribution of water samples. One Squirrel Hill resident in the article remarks, "We had the means and resources to hire a private inspector to help us, but we found ourselves really concerned about a large portion of our community that wouldn't have that resource." Environmental injustice in Pittsburgh goes beyond lead in the water supply, the paint in our old homes, or the soil in our yards. It also includes food deserts, a lack of green spaces, and greater exposure to pollutants depending on one’s zip code. Dr. Mehling observes that “cities, such as Baltimore, MD, have taken a close, systematic approach to analyze spatial patterns of socioeconomics and environmental conditions.... Baltimore uses that data to plant trees across the city in a more just manner.” By taking small steps like the one Dr. Mehling suggests, Pittsburgh can commit to becoming a livable city for all. *For an in-depth focus on water privatization, refer to Jacqueline Souza’s article below. Mollie March-Steinman is currently self-designing an Economic Justice major at Chatham University. She is passionate about promoting peace and justice for all. Mollie is an intern with the NewPeople Editorial Collective.
One Thousand and Forty Days and Counting By Jacqueline Souza
That’s how many days have passed since the citizens of Flint, Michigan have had clean drinking water. In April 2014, members of the Flint community went to their local representatives to bring something urgent to their attention: the tap water coming out of their sinks and shower heads was severely discolored and odorous. Pipe corrosion caused unsafe levels of lead to infiltrate the water supply, which had recently been switched to the Flint River to save money, despite lingering questions about its cleanliness. Officials like Governor Rick Snyder and Dayne Walling, Flint’s former mayor, claimed to have no knowledge of the water’s contamination. In the seclusion of their workplaces, they and other government employees drank water out of plastic bottles. They knew. For privileged Americans, access to clean water has never been under attack. It is readily available in our homes, and most of us use it to drink, brush our teeth, and wash our bodies without hesitation. However, since 2014, Flint residents have not had this luxury: some residents were able to purchase water purifiers, but most chose to purchase bottled water instead. They use the bottled water for every task for which water is needed: bathing, oral hygiene, dish washing, and consumption. Recent documentaries provide a glimpse into residents’ homes, which often show kitchens or living rooms half-filled with packages of unopened water bottles. Despite the precautions which they’ve taken, the damage has been done for many Flint residents. They had been readily consuming the toxic water for months before government officials published their initial report. Parents were told to have their children tested for lead exposure, and hundreds of those tests came back positive. Due to financial and transportation obstacles, those in Flint who cannot afford bot4 - NEWPEOPLE March 2017
tled water drink that which comes from their tap- it’s still contaminated. After enduring nearly three years of lead contaminated water, mainstream media coverage on Flint’s status has all but ceased, and the majority of people do not realize that this issue was never fully resolved. It’s implausible that a predominantly white, middle to upper-class neighborhood would endure the same problem, as they have inordinate amounts of privilege and an abundance of representation in their local governments; but in a city where over forty percent of the population is impoverished and the majority of its residents are Black, it is a real threat that persists even today, over one thousand days after residents initially complained to their local representatives. The corroded pipes have not been replaced. The residents of Flint are being poisoned. Low-income residents of Detroit, who live just seventy miles from Flint, have experienced mass water shutoffs due to outsourcing and privatization. Nestle, whose Evart production site was recently approved to pump, package, and sell more of Michigan’s groundwater than ever before, makes extraordinary profits as Flint residents continue to go without clean water. Conveniently, Nestle’s former CEO and current chairman does not believe that access to clean water is a human right. His net worth is over three billion dollars. I guarantee that he trusts the water coming out of his faucet. In local meetings and press releases, race and class have been largely excluded from conversation pertaining to the water crisis. For residents, the lack of urgency is just another example of environmental racism that marginalized groups experience at disproportionate levels. John Eligon, a journalist for the New York Times, notes that “[environmental racism] is considered the result of poverty and segregation
that has relegated many [people of color] to some of the most industrialized and dilapidated environments.” While Flint’s residents may be aware of this societal tendency, there is not much they can do without the support of their local government. Their voices, while heard, are blatantly ignored. Despite their reluctance, they are forced to purchase bottled water from corporate water mongers, as they must prioritize their health at the detriment of their wallets. Many residents cannot move away, for the worsening infrastructure dilapidation and public controversy have driven the value of their homes into the ground. Flint’s residents have no clean water, no representation, and no way out. Jacqueline Souza is an intern for the NewPeople and also studies sociology and journalism at the University of Pittsburgh. She is interested in racial justice, social movements, and U.S. politics.
Become a TMC member or renew your membership today! Fill out the form on the back of this newspaper and mail it in! You can also go online to: thomasmertoncenter.org/join/become-amember/ As a member you receive our weekly Eblast and our monthly newspaper delivered to your door!
Mobilizing for Eco Justice Faith Community Mobilizes By Wanda Guthrie and Claudia Detwiler
Attention: Leaders of Faith Communities Greenfaith is a national fellowship of people of diverse religious backgrounds who advocate for care of creation. Its work is based on the shared beliefs of world religions that protecting the earth is a religious value and environmental stewardship a moral responsibility. Greenfaith is mobilizing faith communities for the April 29th People’s Climate Movement Marches. The purpose of the marches is to demonstrate, once again, the passionate commitment of Americans for care of the earth and social justice. We believe that faith communities have a special place in this movement. Our special witness recognizes that all struggles for justice are a part of a single movement for creation care. Our faith traditions tell us that when we fail to care for creation we contribute to injustice in all communities. Many people from faith communities will join the April 29th march in D.C. This is wonderful. Also wonderful would be a large presence of people from the Pittsburgh faith community marching right here in Pittsburgh. We can be a powerful witness that people of faith are committed to a just world through care of creation. Will you work with us to engage your faith community in a Pittsburgh March for Climate Justice? Will you help us plan a multi-faith service prior to the march? Please let us know if you would like to help engage faith communities in a
Pittsburgh march for climate justice. Perhaps someone from your faith community would like to work with us. Please see the nine points to the platform of the People’s Climate Movement below. These nine points also reflect our own faith-based vision of Creation Justice. Please contact us at the addresses below if you, or someone you know, could help engage Pittsburgh faith communities in the march or the service just before the march.
Demand that every job pays a wage of at least $15 an hour, protects workers, and provides a good standard of living, pathways out of poverty, and a right to organize. Ensure that investments are targeted to create pathways for low-income people and people of color to access good jobs and improve the lives of communities of color, indigenous peoples, low-income people, small farmers, women, and workers. Make bold investments in the resilience of We can be reached at: wanda.guthrie@gmail.com; states, cities, tribes, and communities that are threatcdetwil@earthlink.net ened by climate change; including massive investWe look forward to working with you to show ments in infrastructure systems from water, transour city and our state the passionate commitment of portation, and solid waste to the electrical grid and Pittsburgh’s faith communities to climate justice. safe, green building and increasing energy efficiency Here are the nine platform positions for the that will also create millions of jobs in the public Peoples Climate Movement : and private sector. Directly and rapidly reduce greenhouse gas Reinvest in a domestic industrial base that and toxic pollution to successfully combat climate drives towards an equitable and sustainable New change and improve public health. Energy and Economic Future, and fight back against Mandate a transition to an equitable and sus- the corporate trade-induced global race to the bottainable New Energy and Economic Future that lim- tom. its the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius Market- and policy-based mechanisms must above pre-industrial levels. protect human rights and critical, native ecosystems Provide a Just Transition for communities and and reduce pollution at source. workers negatively impacted by the shift to a New Energy and Economic Future that includes targeted Wanda Guthrie is a GreenFaith Fellow. Claudia economic opportunity and provides stable income, Detwiler is a member of Greening Our Faith, health care, and education. EcoJustice Working Group.
Resisting the Deadly Triplets Cont’d By Ellen Wilson
of the Sprout Funds’ 100 Days of US awards (#100days). Launched in response to the 2016 election, 100 Days of US is a special initiative to empower people to act locally during the first 100 days of the new presidential administration to advance positive, solution-oriented responses to issues of national importance. Unite100 will be using the 100 Days of US meet-up calendar to post events (www.meetup.com/100DaysofUS). Upcoming events include: “We The People-2.0”, a film screening by Marcellus Protest, Friday, March 3; “Creating a Culture of Peace” a four hour workshop on constructive nonviolence and nonviolent resistance with Elliott Adams, Sat-
urday, March 4; and People’s Climate March in DC - https://peoplesclimate.org/ - with related events in Pittsburgh on Saturday, April 29 (see more on the April 29 events elsewhere in this newspaper). Unite100 asks that groups interested in participating contact them through 350pittsburgh@gmail.com. 350 Pittsburgh is the local chapter of 350.org, a global movement founded by environmentalist Bill McKibben, and is a project of the Thomas Merton Center. Ellen Wilson is one of the organizers of Unite100.
City Theatre and the Merton Center Come Together for “The Guard” By Neil Cosgrove An old connection between the Thomas Merton Center and Pittsburgh’s City Theatre has been re-established through the medium of City’s upcoming production of “The Guard” by Jessica Dickey. The theatre is providing TMC with a block of 20 tickets for the 1 p.m. performance on Saturday April 1st, to be distributed by the Center. Members and friends who receive these tickets are invited to make a donation for the benefit of the Center. That April 1st performance will be followed by a Merton Center “talk back.” The Center also plans to have volunteers at tables for the April 1st matinee and possibly “other dates where I think we can get the most out of tabling,” according to Merton Center Executive Director Tony Lodico. In addition, the City Theatre will award $5 ticket discounts to our readers who wish to attend the play “on any date” during its run from March 11 to April 2. To obtain discounted tickets, just type the code “MERTON” when purchasing tickets directly from City Theatre’s web site. A W ashington Post review of the “The Guard’s” debut at that city’s Ford Theatre described how the “punch lines fly” in the opening act of this “comedic drama,” while “the lens of ‘The Guard’ is death.” A museum guard, grieving over the terminal illness of his poet partner, responds to the goading of his companions by breaking a cardinal rule of art museums and touching a famous Rembrandt painting, in
which Aristotle is depicted with his hand on a bust of Homer. What ensues is a “time-bending” fantasy in which both the Dutch painter and the ancient Greek poet weigh in on grief, on human connection, and on the role of art itself in the way humans experience both life and death. What has drawn Tony Lodico to the play, however, is its timely exploration of “questions of authority and disobedience. When do we choose to disobey these rules? When do we reject our societal role for the sake of others? When do we go with what our heart and gut tell us is right? How do these power systems self-perpetuate? Protecting property under threat of death—what does that mean or say? The conversation generated by the play is important to us, to people in general, and at any time.” TMC last collaborated on talk backs with City Theatre for the 2003 world premiere of Leslie Ayvazian’s “Lovely Day,” according to Clare Drobot, City’s Director of New Play Development. “The play centered around a married couple’s divided opinions regarding war, peace, and the military,” Ms. Drobot reported. “Following each performance, City partnered with the Thomas Merton Center to host a postshow discussion.”
I’m Thinking About Water By Krithika Pennathur
I’m thinking about water. as I hear the advisory, “contamination in water, stay away. use bottled water instead.” I’m thinking about water. when I am in the motherland and every 3 days, water comes in buckets. I’m thinking about water. when I hear my friends and we complain about not having our coffee and tea and how grumpy we are. I’m thinking about water. when I am careful to close my faucets and not waste the bucketed water. I’m thinking about water. when my parents tell me having 24 hour water is a luxury and it’s something i’ll never understand. I’m thinking about water. when we are running low on bucketed water. I don’t even have time to think about coffee. I think about strategically how I will shower. I’m thinking about water. in my two homes. Krithika Pennathur is a sophomore English Writing (nonfiction track) and History major pursuing minors in Chemistry and Statistics and certificates in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies & Public and Professional Writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
Neil Cosgrove is a member of The NewPeople editorial collective and the Merton Center board. March 2017
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The Persistence of America Pathology Today's America: Afflicted by Class Nancy Isenberg’s W hite Trash: The 400-Year History of Class in America teaches us that the pundits, political operatives and academics should have been paying attention to the “white working class” long before 2016, for what that now closely examined cohort can tell us about America’s past, present, and future. Rather than a “classless society,” Isenberg says, America’s upper crust aimed from the beginning to sustain a clearly demarcated set of classes, habitually justifying the consequent lack of social mobility among the poor by characterizing them as “waste,” “trash,” “listless,” “inbred,” and so on. Ever since the 17th century, impoverished Americans not in bondage have been exploited by their “betters,” first when colonizing and settling the eastern seaboard, then during territorial expansion. Following the Civil War, a southern elite chose to preserve a semblance of their former “way of life” by keeping both freed slaves and poor whites “in their place,” through tenancy, substandard sanitation, and inadequate education. The parallels between Isenberg’s historical narrative and recent economic and political trends are readily apparent. Andrew Jackson’s election in 1828, following a near-miss in 1824, was a class rebellion situated in what was then the West, and is now the “rust belt” Appalachian and mid-section of the country, against effete coastal elites who had ruled the country for the previous forty years. Jackson’s forced expulsion of Native Americans is described by Isenberg as a way to make room for the “waste” population of poor whites too troublesome and socially irritating to leave landless in the more built-up areas east of the Appalachians. Tensions between poor whites in the Confederacy and a planter class which, like their wealthy northern counterparts, purchased exemptions from the bloody Civil War battlefields, is an unfamiliar
story worthy of Isenberg’s scrutiny. The failure of Reconstruction, she argues, owed at least as much to keeping southern white “scalawags” out of power as to the physical intimidation of now-free Blacks and northern “carpetbaggers.” A chapter on the Great Depression of the 1930s is equally revealing. Southern politicians balked at federal efforts to provide the impoverished with indoor plumbing, expressing fears of the debilitating effects of a “hand out” even while the privileged among them were born into property, trust funds, and access to the most refined education. Those same politicians also made sure that farm laborers were excluded from the Social Security system, a gross inequity that persists to this day. Present-day Republicans have mirrored the tactics of earlier Democratic politicians by directly appealing to racial fears, status anxiety, and related feelings of economic precariousness. Present-day Democrats, allegedly representing a bi-coastal elite of technocrats, academics, and privileged professionals, have too often ignored or been dismissive of the political acumen and general intellectual capacities of poor rural whites, despite the obvious political damage it has done on regional, state and now national levels. In Isenberg’s view, the party’s greatest electoral successes came during the Roosevelt and Johnson presidencies, when “poor whites were the beneficiaries of rehabilitative effort during the New Deal and in LBJ’s ‘Great Society.’” Isenberg spends time at both the beginning and the end of her book examining the persistent ridicule and humiliation inherent in caricatures of “trashy” rural whites. Television’s initial wave of situation comedies contained the “Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres, where Arnold the pig is the smartest resident of the hick town of Hooterville.” Recent depictions have evolved from fictional narrative to so-called “reality” programming in the mode of
By Neil Cosgrove
Honey Boo-Boo and “Duck Dynasty.” While 2008 witnessed Obama’s ascendancy, it was also when Sarah Palin became a national figure; her tortured syntax and wildly improvised policy analyses became the stuff of Saturday Night Live parody. Writing of Palin, Isenberg is ominously predictive: “When you turn an election into a three-ring circus,” she observes, “there’s always a chance that the dancing bear will win.” Extrapolating from Isenberg’s history can yield some useful insights. Take, for example, the reactions of rural and “working class” whites to the starkly contrasting personalities of Obama and Trump. Trump’s persona in his rallies and incessant tweets is a highly theatrical representation of his audience’s frustrations and resentments. Obama’s, despite his apparent decency and desire to connect with people very much like the grandparents from Kansas who helped raise him, has elements that made him suspect. Racial identity makes up a significant part of that suspicion, but not the only part. His coolness, his deliberate approach to whatever problems confronted him, and his hyper-articulate manner of expressing himself, all suggested a member of the Ivy League elite, the kind of person who had been ignoring or laughing at the “waste” white population for decades. Confronted with Obama’s initial success, Republicans knew it was time to stoke class resentment and anxiety once again, and that the best way to do so was to make the discussion all about Obama. It was the Obama stimulus and Obamacare. Personalize, then demonize, and if you’ve got suspicious, frightened voters who have endured centuries of class-based abuse and ridicule, you’re in business. Neil Cosgrove is a member of the NewPeople editorial collective and the Merton Center Board.
The Psychopathology in America’s Zeitgeist By Michael Drohan
In the present political turmoil in the US, epithets such as “paranoid,” “psychopath,” and “fascist” are bandied about as descriptions of the political actors within the Trump regime. Such loose use of language to describe the phenomenon is unhelpful as an analysis and amounts to little more than terms of abuse. There is no doubt room for scientific analysis by psychoanalysts and other experts in the field of social psychology of the personality of Donald Trump and his henchmen and women. In addition to being unhelpful in terms of analysis, however, such epithets probably will achieve little amelioration of the situation and will only harden attitudes and positions. A more helpful approach may be to analyze the social and economic forces that have produced Trump and his ilk, such as Silvio Berlusconi in Italy, Marine LePen in France and Nigel Farage in Great Britain. It is helpful to understand the Zeitgeist or Weltanschauung of the societies in which these movements have arisen. These technical terms refer to the prevailing collective consciousness of a society, composed of the accepted beliefs, biases, attitudes, prejudices and principles of that society. In the US the reality is that since the Vietnam War the country has lost power and influence in the world. The US has lost almost complete power in South and Central America since the 1980s. In the Middle East, despite 15 years of war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, the Yemen and Syria, the situation has only deteriorated and the puppet rulers are highly unpopular. In Asia, China is the rising star, wooing away more and more former allies. In Africa, China is building high speed railroads e.g. Djibouti to Addis Ababa ( 450 miles) and making trade 6 - NEWPEOPLE
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agreements while the US is trying to militarize the continent with Africa-Com. This loss of power is intimated by Trump in his inaugural address as the “American carnage” jeremiad. He brings to consciousness the repressed unconscious feeling of many that the days of the American century are over. Just as with Hitler in Germany in the 1930s, he, however, withholds the promise of the restoration of greatness with the slogan “make America great again.” It has great appeal to the true believers who have little consciousness of how much of a con job it all is, how it is merely rhetorical. Another aspect of the Zeitgeist of these times in the US is the belief that the US is being victimized by a whole set of actors who have ruined the country. Foremost in this category are immigrants “who have taken away our jobs.” Once more, this trope has great appeal no matter how weak or nonexistent are the arguments. The loss of American manufacturing and the hollowing out of the US economy is also seen as the product of victimization by the Chinese and others who “are stealing our jobs.” The fact that US corporations were the architects of “corporate globalization,” as they pursue the race to the bottom in wages, is almost totally lost in this calculus. US capitalism and corporations, including Trump Inc., have all prospered with the gutting of US manufacturing. But Trump has a good section of US workers drinking the kool-aid that it is the Chinese, the Germans, the Japanese and the Mexicans who have stolen our jobs. It is an extraordinary contra-factual narrative but a great slice of the US population fervently believe the rhetoric no matter how ludicrous.
Social media is part of the air we breathe in this century. We have experienced the proliferation of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Grindr. Donald Trump does not read books and no doubt knows little about high tech. However, there is one area where he and his minions have mastered the new age of high tech communication. I speak particularly of the use of Twitter. Through this medium, Trump communicates to a great swath of the population his peeves, his hurts, his resentments, his anger and his vindictive outbursts. It resembles an abusive partner or parent who is continually venting their anger and fury on his/her unfortunate victims. The press, in great part, manufactures its news from these constant outbursts of anger and fury. This is the base level to which statecraft has descended in the new cyber world. Psychoanalysts have used the term “psychic inflation” to describe the process whereby individuals identify themselves with roles and titles which expand their personalities, such as to make themselves appear superhuman or godlike. The ultimate in this kind of psychic abnormality was the Middle Ages monarch who declared “l’etat c’est moi.” With the demise of monarchy, one may have thought that such megalomania had died the death. With Hitler it got a kind of second life but in a tragic-comic sense. Now, however, in the 21st century in what we had thought were democratic societies ruled for, with and by the people, we see the resurgence of such “psychic inflation.” It puts all our democratic forces to the test.
Michael Drohan is a TMC Board Member and a member of the NewPeople editorial collective.
A Community Leader
Talking with Glenn
By Bette McDevitt
When the political climate becomes unbearable, of door knocking in various neighborhoods. “People and that is often, I think of The People’s Inaugurawere concerned with weeds next door, lack of jobs, tion, at Freedom Corner, Friday, January 20, 2017. I and violence. We pointed out that the weeds in the call to mind the joyful vacant lot are conmusic, the singing, the nected to the other drumming, and the young issues.” woman who spoke about From the People’s Inauguration At this time, the future. “Pay him no Glenn is focused on (Citizens Oath) mind,” she said, referring early childhood edto him who would be ucation for all chilpresident. I recall Miss dren within the city, We come from all corners of the world, and from all corners of Edna, older even than me, our country. and transforming dressed in bright red, the neighborhood We are fierce. We are strong. We are bold. leaning on her cane. I re- We are powerful, and we are united. We believe that diversity schools into commakes us stronger. call that I met Glenn munity schools that believe in justice and equality for all, and the transformative Grayson, Jr., that day, the We serve the neighborpower of love. gracious and inclusive hood in many ways, We vow to stand against hatred in any form. master of ceremonies. We vow to defend each other and fight for freedom, dignity and offering, among opportunity for all people That made the day. other things, mediOath of solidarity (Call and Response) I, ______________, do When I heard his cal services. These swear that I will faithfully execute the Duties of a Citiname, I knew his history. solemnly concerns make the zen of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preHe is one of three chilschool board elecserve, protect and defend the People of the United States. dren of Marsha Grayson, tions very iman attorney, and Glenn portant. As a 501-cGrayson, Sr., pastor of the Hill District's Wesley 4, One Pennsylvania can endorse candidates. HowCenter AME Zion Church, former president of Pitts- ever their members are focused on issue campaigns burgh Interfaith Impact Network, an advocate for and only endorse candidates when there is a clear youth and an opponent of gun violence. In a bitter distinction based on the issues that they care deeply twist of fate, young Glenn’s brother Jeron Xavier about. Grayson, a freshman at Howard University, was An upcoming concern they share with the Merkilled by an angry young man, excluded from a par- ton Center is the water quality in Pittsburgh. “We ty, who, acting out of anger, randomly shot through see the city looking at the possibility of a privatethe gathering in October 2010. public merger, and the problem would be in the disAnd here was Glenn Grayson, Jr., talking about tribution of water. That has to stay in the public arehope, justice and community. na. If privatized, it becomes profit over people.” The I wanted to know the rest of the story- how do recent water boiling order made Glenn aware of afyou pick up and move on - so I met Glenn at the of- fordability. “In that week, I spent about $75 on botfices of One Pennsylvania, formerly One Pittsburgh, tled water. Water bills need to be affordable.” He on the North Side, on a recent afternoon. He had 30 spoke of accrued debt that PWSA (Pittsburgh Water minutes to talk before he was due to pick up his 11 and Sewer Authority) has from past financial probmonth old son at daycare. We wasted no time. lems of past administrations. Glenn has been an organizer for One Pennsyl“We’re interested in national issues, like imvania for five years. He graduated from Winston migration, and others that we share with our union Salem State University, a historic black college. His brothers and sisters. The wage level is important first job was at Mellon Bank, dealing with data, on a for everyone. The problem is we have these night shift. “I was always interested in community CEO’s, who want to keep the money in their pockissues, and I found I couldn’t go to any meetings, ets. We have a lot of college grads who can’t afworking the night shift, so I was able to get this posi- ford to pay back their loans on a $7.25 hourly tion as an organizer with One Pennsylvania. We wage, let alone buy a home. Automation is a big have one office in Pittsburgh, and one in Philadelph- problem, in eliminating jobs, but we can grow ia, and hope to expand. without dismantling the workforce of the country.” “People in rural areas lost their jobs for the We spoke little about the tragedy that took same reason people in cities lost their jobs. What we place within his family. It seemed intrusive to ask, do is follow the money, confront the power and but he did tell me that on the day before he died, make the change. We try to give voice to the people Jeron had been in a terrible automobile accident. about their concerns in the community,” he said, Glenn had gone to the scene and his brother, gratedescribing the work he first did, which involved a lot ful to have survived, told him, “I have my own
Glenn Grayson Jr. at City Council. Photo courtesy of Bette McDevitt.
testimony.” That was their last conversation. Glenn’s views on social media were refreshing. “I’m a high tech guy, don’t get me wrong, but we have to stop arguing on Facebook. We have to actually talk to one another, face to face, so we can understand one another’s struggles. We have to stop fighting about our differences, and focus on what we all need to survive. Technology takes away from the human aspect. We are so caught up with our phone that we forget to have a conversation. When we come together, that’s when you see change.” Bette McDevitt is a member of the NewPeople Editorial Collective and of the Thomas Merton Center.
The Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) 2017 Meeting Schedule SECOND THURSDAY of each month 6:00 to 8:30 pm At FREEDOM UNLIMITED, INC. 2201 Wylie Avenue (beside NAACP/across from Central Baptist-15219 March 9, 2017 April 13, 2017 May 11, 2017 June 8, 2017 July 13, 2017 August 10, 2017 September 14, 2017 October 12, 2017 November 9, 2017 December 14, 2017
Miss Edna Council, referred to in the story, at the People’s Inauguration on January 20th. Photo by Bette McDevitt
For more information call the B-PEP Hotline 412-758-7898. March 2017
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Students Rise Up
Protestors rallied outside of the City-County Building on Monday, February 20th, to demand affordable housing options for residents of Penn Plaza being displaced due to rapid development and gentrification in East Liberty. The Penn Plaza Support Rally and Press Conference called on the city to make affordable housing a priority in Pittsburgh as the city continues to develop. The final countdown toward eviction of the remaining tenants at Penn Plaza Apartments has begun as March 31st draws closer. Many of the remaining residents are elderly, disabled, or do not have the resources available to pay for apartments in their home neighborhoods near friends, family, and critical needs such as grocery stores, public transit, and their health care providers. Their situation is a glaring example of the widespread displacement happening all across this city and its most damaging impacts. Photos by Nina Young
Pittsburgh Public School Students Strike By Mollie March-Steinman
Early on the morning of February 8th, over 350 students from all across the Pittsburgh Public School district gathered in Market Square to protest the confirmation of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. They then proceeded to march to Station Square to protest at Senator Pat Toomey’s office, who voted in favor of DeVos despite receiving thousands of calls and emails urging him to do the opposite. Students of Color from various intersectional backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ identities, organized this march. The central organizers are all juniors from Pittsburgh CAPA High School. As a CAPA alum, I am so proud to see young people continue to represent the school with courage and honor through a social justice mission. One of the organizers commented on the intersectional leadership of the march, saying, “We sought to uplift the point of view of those most oppressed and underprivileged in the school system,” and identified at-risk populations as “ESL students, disabled students, Black students, poor students,” to name a few. According to another student organizer, “We planned it in less than 24 hours through texting and social media.” As anyone with experience organizing knows, this is an incredible accomplishment. Getting 350 people to show up to anything is challenging. The fact that this march was assembled so quickly and efficiently demonstrates Pittsburgh students’ commitment to their education. All social justice activists should draw inspiration from these students’ powerful organizational skills and inclusive, intentionally intersectional leadership. The student organizers passed along the following list of demands to me:
“With the recent confirmation of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, many public school students are concerned about our futures and the safety of our public education system. It concerns us our own Senator Pat Toomey confirmed Secretary DeVos while many of his constituents reject her policies and her values. As Pittsburgh public school students, and on behalf of all Pennsylvania students, we demand that: 1. Senator Pat Toomey hears the concerns of his constituents, answers their calls, and meets with them. His constituents include countless students and our demands will not cease until they are heard and met. Students march to Senator Toomey’s office to protest his support of 2. Senator Toomey releases a Betsy DeVos’s nomination. Photo by Marni Fritz statement explaining how Betsy DeVos will improve public education in our state. is defeating the purpose.” Another said, “They are 3. Senator Toomey votes on behalf of his con- using it as an excuse to skip school. I am sure 95% stituents—not party or donor loyalties. of them have no idea who she is, let alone what her 4. Senator Toomey rolls out a clear plan to pro- job is. I can tell you, I could have cared less about tect the public education systems of Pennsylvania the secretary of education when I was in HS, but if it and others around the country. Once that plan is un- was a reason to be off, I'd sign up! .... and I was a veiled, we expect Senator Toomey to advocate for very good student in an excellent district.” this plan, gain public support, and eventually introOne student organizer has a thoughtful reduce a bill into the Senate. sponse to criticism about the march: “If we don't “These demands and this action are the first demand to be heard, there may not be a public steps in a student-led resistance. We will not give in school to be absent from.” Another organizer reand we will not give up. We demand that our repre- marks, “When we don't fill the desk at schools we sentatives represent our values as students, as Penn- are making a statement. Our presence is missed! sylvanians, and as people.” You should be mad that our Education Secretary is I found the march to be inunqualified! You should be mad that our state represpiring and beyond reproach, but sentative did not answer any phone calls and didn't unfortunately, not everyone felt care to respond to the people! If you're not upset, that way. A poll posted by the you are the problem!” As one young woman menWTAE-TV Pittsburgh Facebook tioned while speaking during the march, “When they page asking, “Should Pittsburgh don’t answer, we have to come to them, we have to Public School students who prolet our voice be heard.” tested this morning be reprimanded Please watch the video at the link below of for skipping school?” The embed- footage from the march and celebrate these brilliant ded screenshot was taken after young souls protecting their right to a public educamany students shared and comtion. http://bit.ly/2l1ZWhC mented on the post to try to make Check out the #pghstudentstrike hashtag on the results more favorable to the Instagram to see more! student organizers and participants. Mollie March-Steinman is currently self-designing Before supporters took notice, an Economic Justice major at Chatham University. however, most of the comments posted were nasty and condescend- She is passionate about promoting peace and jusing. One person responded, “They tice for all. Mollie is an intern with the NewPeople are complaining about their educa- Editorial Collective. tion, meanwhile, they are skipping Students gather the morning of February 8th at Market Square to class. Protest after class if you feel protest the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. the need. Skipping class to protest Photo by Rosalie Finkelstein. 8 - NEWPEOPLE
March 2017
Activist Tales A Tale of Two Marches Cont’d
By Mollie March-Steinman and Marni Fritz
the second march as being divisive. This criticism tends to come from well-intentioned white women who do not recognize the historical racism within feminism in the United States. They can’t understand why, during the age of Trump, women are having trouble unifying around a common goal. However, if you study the historical relationship between white women and women of color in America--particularly Black women--you will see that it parallels a story of white supremacy. Over and over again, white women have chosen loyalty to whiteness over defeating the violence of patriarchy for all women. This demographic has intentionally excluded and hurt people of color constantly, from the suffragists in the early 20th century to the 53% of white women who voted for Trump in 2016. When Sojourner Truth stood up to ask publicly, “Ain’t I A Woman?” white women asked her to take a seat and wait her turn. White women celebrate Susan B. Anthony, and disregard her staunch opposition to the 15th Amendment. One of the techniques of the suffrage movement was to align with white men to assert their equality, while distancing themselves from people of color in order to cement their “more deserving” status. It is ridiculous for white women to feel stung by any anger that is directed toward us. We have been the “divisive” ones all along, and it is our responsibility to listen, humble ourselves, and do whatever we can to build trust with our Black and Brown sisters. Intersectionality is complex, and it is messy. When there are so many systems of oppression in
place, we may find ourselves experiencing both privilege and injustice at the same time. Kimberle Crenshaw created the term intersectionality to describe the specific experiences Black women have, which are distinct from the experiences of nonBlack women and Black men. Ever since, the concept of intersectionality has been an important tool for combating oppressive institutions and uplifting marginalized communities. White people will inevitably experience white fragility, regardless of where one is on their antiracist journey. The key is not to dismiss these feelings because they are too hard, but rather to confront them. Anti-racist white people should not strive to be the “best” white person in the room, or to be perfect all the time. We need to commit ourselves to a life-long journey of education, listening and coconspiratorship. Mistakes are inevitable. It is up to the individual to learn from those mistakes and change behavior accordingly. There will be times when you feel like you can’t do anything right. We urge you to swallow your ego, and fully commit yourself to a life-long promise of anti-racist learning, action, and behavior. Don’t organize for people. If you are not directly affected by the issue you are organizing around, and you are the only point of leadership, there is a problem. It is our job as organizers and passionate people to center those most directly affected and follow their leadership. We need to build accountability within our movements. Otherwise who are we really doing this for? Listen. When people are telling you about their
experiences of oppression and marginalization, don’t get defensive. It isn’t about you. Respect this moment and learn from one another, whether you share similar experiences or not. Collectively we have so much knowledge and vital information stored in our experiences. We need to stop shutting these experiences out by talking over each other or refusing to hear what we can’t believe to be true. Speak and act with intention. Human lives are harmed every second by individual and institutional racism. Examine your daily behaviors and habits, and consider the ways you may benefit from, or perpetuate, racism. If you are organizing and at your first meeting you realize that the majority, if not all, of the participants are cis white women, start over. That’s not feminism. If you don’t have accountable relationships with enough women of color to create an equitable table, then step back from your organizing position. Breathe. The best apology is changed behavior. Start forming those relationships. Work in solidarity. Too much is at stake to leave each other behind. Mollie March-Steinman is currently selfdesigning an Economic Justice major at Chatham University. She is passionate about promoting peace and justice for all. Mollie is an intern with the NewPeople Editorial Collective. Marni Fritz is the NewPeople Coordinator and Director of Communications for the Thomas Merton Center.
What Do You Do on Tuesdays? By Joyce Rothermel
Left Photo: Landon DePaulo speaks about the discrimination trans people face in the U.S. on a daily basis and urges the crowd to speak with their representatives regarding antiLGBTQAI legislation. Photo taken by Emily Voelker. Right Photo: The Raging Grannies sing protest songs at Toomey Tuesdays. Photo taken by Landon DePaulo. Bottom Photo: Crowds gather every Tuesday outside of Senator Toomey’s Pittsburgh office to protest his decision to support legislation that continues to harm people and the environment. Photo taken by Landon DePaulo.
Since the new session in Congress has begun, constituents of Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania have been gathering outside his offices across the Commonwealth, including his Pittsburgh location in the Landmark Building at Station Square (noon – 1 PM). Carrying posters with messages asking Sen. Toomey to listen and address the needs of all Pennsylvanians, concerned people have come together in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Allentown, Scranton, Johnstown and Pittsburgh. The goal is to keep Senator Toomey from becoming a rubber stamp for the new administration’s agenda. Pennsylvania voters have been attempting to contact Pat Toomey at his various offices in Pennsylvania and in Washington DC in response to Donald Trump's cabinet picks and several other issues. Toomey has not held an in-person town hall in Pennsylvania since 2013. A telephone town hall meeting was held on February 16th with very short notice. Because voters are no longer convinced that Senator Toomey is listening to the messages left with his office, on social media, or via fax (when it is possible to get through) they are demanding that he speak to them directly. During the telephone town meeting, Toomey responded to ten questions. Jennifer McDowell, who has been organizing the Tuesday rallies, said such efforts would have no impact on future “Tuesday with Toomey” events, because questions couldn’t be asked on a range of topics like climate change. Organizers recommend scheduling a meeting with Sen. Toomey’s staff with up to five people on an issue of collective concern. They invite others to join them for the Tuesday gatherings. Usually a different issue is targeted each week. To find out details about each Tuesday, go to www.tuesdayswithtoomey.com If you are unable to attend, you are encouraged to write to the Senator each week. Sample letters are available. Those participating in person can deliver your letter. Usually one or two people are able to go to the Senator’s office, and hand deliver the letters. Toomey has said he will be moving his Pittsburgh office, the location not yet known to the public. Stay tuned and let your voice be heard!
Joyce Rothermel is a member of The NewPeople Editorial Collective. March 2017
NEWPEOPLE - 9
Syria’s Troubled Recent History Syria: Revolution and CounterRevolution By Michael Drohan
Review of book “Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War” by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila Al-Shami, Pluto Press, 2016 Robin Yassin-Kassab is a British based journalist and novelist of Syrian descent and Leila AlShami is a human rights worker, also of Syrian descent and living in Britain. Their book presents a very informed account of the Syrian Revolution through its various stages from peaceful protest through militarization and the entry of foreign actors and powers. The book is dedicated to two heroes of the Syrian Revolution: Razan Zaitouneh and Samira Khalil, two women who contributed so much to transformng that country from brutal autocracy to democracy. Tragically both of them, together with two other activists, were abducted on December 9, 2013 and never heard of since. The authors interpret the kidnapping as follows: “Samira and Razan’s abduction symbolizes the twofold character of the battle imposed on Syrians: Against the Assadist necktie fascists and against the Islamist long-bearded fascists.” The tenor of the book is revealed in this characterization of the Assadist regime and its nemesis, the Islamic State. The early chapters of the book provide the historical background to the 2011 revolution, from the coup in 1967 which brought Hafez al-Assad to power. By the end of his reign, with his death in June 2000, all organized opposition had been crushed and civil society had been co-opted and become quiescent. When Hafez’s son, Basher al-Assad took power there was a brief interlude when civil society pushed for human and civil rights. This became known as the Damascus Spring but it was shortlived. Neoliberal policies were implemented favoring the elite and increasing poverty; disillusionment and anger prevailed among the masses. The authors describe the situation on the eve of the revolution as
follows: “The labor movement had been destroyed by the Baathist regime and no independent unions existed. The Syrian left, through the co-opted Stalinist parties, were regime apologists and thus thoroughly discredited.” The pent-up anger and rage exploded in 2011 when on January 28, in the town of Hasakeh, Hassan Ali Akleh set himself alight in protest against the regime. This act mirrored that of Mohamed Bouzizi in Tunisia ten weeks prior but received little international attention. With the action of Ali Akleh, protests popped up all over the country. For a people who had been so oppressed and subjugated, an extraordinary flourishing of organizing took place practically overnight. All over the country, Local Coordination Committees (LCC) were formed, giving structure to the revolution. Although the Arab Spring in Egypt, especially with the drama of Tahrir Square in January 2011 received enormous international publicity, the organization behind the Syrian Spring was even more dramatic. The authors describe it as follows: “In 2011 and 2012, despite the brutal repression, Syria witnessed an explosion of creativity, expression and debate unlike anything in its history.” With the intensity and increasing violence of the repression, the Arab Spring in Syria and the revolution against Assad turned to violence and military means. By the spring of 2012 the armed struggle had come to dominate. Civil society was adamant in rejecting the militarization and sticking to non-violent means. The LCCs declared “while we understand the motivation to take up arms or call for military intervention, we specifically reject this position as we find it unacceptable politically, nationally, and ethically.” The authors describe what followed as “militarization – more specifically the scramble for weapons and funds – transformed the revolution
from a leaderless movement into a cacophony of a thousand competing leaders, from horizontalism to a jostle of hierarchies.” The book details the spaghetti soup of military organizations, some Islamist and some secular in great detail. Some pleaded for military assistance from abroad; some did not. To all this mix came foreign interests in a variety of brands, each one seeing the Syrian struggle for democracy through the lens of their own self-interest. In response, the Assadist regime increased its ferocity and barbarous attacks on rebel-held areas. On August 21, 2013, the chemical weapon sarin was released on the western suburb of Moadamiya, Damascus. It is estimated that 1,729 people were killed in the attack, which seems to have been incontrovertibly carried out by the Assad military. It was the worst use of chemical weapons since that of Iraqi use against the Kurds in 1989. The book’s narrative ends with events up to October 2015. On September 30, 2015 Russia entered the war militarily on the side of Assad. According to the authors, “its public rhetoric was of stopping ISIS but it hit nowhere near ISIS positions.” Rather Russia struck communities which had driven ISIS out. When we put this analysis together with the massive onslaught on Eastern Aleppo in December 2016 by Russian and Syrian war planes, it is difficult to see a silver lining to Russian intervention. This book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to get a better handle on understanding the complex history of the Syrian revolution that for now has been derailed. Michael Drohan is a member of the editorial collective and the board of the Thomas Merton Center.
SW PA Bread for the World to Host Annual Workshop April 23 By Joyce Rothermel
It is not too early to put the 2017 SW PA Bread for the World Workshop on your calendar for Sunday, April 23 from 1 – 4 PM at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. With the change in administration in Washington, D.C., it is important that those who are committed to food security at home and abroad work together and focus our collective energies to continue to build on the successes we have achieved over Bread for the World’s long history. This year we will welcome Sheena Rolle, Bread’s Regional Representative, to her first Bread workshop here in the Pittsburgh area. She will present this year’s topic for the annual Offering of Letters campaign to our members of Congress and share with participants the strategy for this year’s Bread for the World efforts. Three afternoon breakout sessions will be offered. We will be joined by Rachel Schneider from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, who will address advocacy in the new administration with best practices to have our voices heard. Sr. Mary Hall, a Sister of St. Joseph, will assist those new to the offering of letters on the “How To’s” in conducting an offering of letters within your congregation. The third session on summer food programs will be led by Chris West from the SW PA Food Security Partnership. The workshop will conclude with a full group facilitated conversation on “Innovative Strategies for Food Insecurity” right here in SW PA. This afternoon event is open to the public and free of charge. For more information and to register, call Joyce Rothermel at 412-780-5118 or by email at rothermeljoyce@gmail.com What Is Bread for the World? Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity 10 - NEWPEOPLE
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far beyond the communities where we live. We can the World Team is a regional Bread for the World end hunger in our time. Everyone, including our Chapter. The Bread Team meets periodically at government, must do their part. Christian Associates of SW PA, with offices located With the stroke of a pen, policies are made that at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. They host an redirect millions of dollars and affect millions of annual Bread for the World Workshop in the spring lives. By making our voices heard in Congress, we and promote the annual offering of letters in area make our nation’s laws more fair and compassionate Christian Churches and Congregations, meet with to people in need. US Senators and Representatives in their local officBread for the World members write personal es, and attend the annual Bread for the World Lobby letters and emails and meet with our members of Day in early June. Congress. Working through our churches, campuses, and other organizations, we engage more people Joyce Rothermel serves as Co-Convener of the SW in advocacy. Each year, Bread for the World invites PA Bread for the World Team. churches across the country to take up a nationwide Offering of Letters to Congress on an issue that is important to hungry and Intern with the NewPeople this summer! poor people. As a non-profit, The NewPeople is a monthly print publication reaching about 3,000 Bread for the people in Pittsburgh and throughout the country, written and edited World works in by an open collective of volunteers since 1979. Articles cover local a bipartisan and global issues related to peace, human rights, and racial, environway. Our netmental, and economic justice. Apply today! http://bit.ly/1Z7cCmw work of thouPositions include: sands of individual memJournalism: W rite blogs and articles for the New P eople! Y ou bers, churches, will have the opportunity to cover protests, events and social justice and denomina- issues as they happen. tions ensures In-Print Editing Intern: This is a great w ay to help coordinate Bread’s presence in all U.S. the paper, solicit articles, edit articles and see how the newspaper comes together! congressional districts. Together, we build Digital Media Editor: This person w orks to coordinate the blogs and support our digital and social media presence! the political commitment Social Media/Communications: Get out information for events, needed to over- support the work of TMC and the NewPeople, manage social media, come hunger share our blogs, work closely with a wide range of people and issues and poverty. at TMC! The SW Contact Marni Fritz with any questions! marnifritz@thomasmertoncenter.org PA Bread for
In Solidarity Poems on Immigration Not On Our Watch By Krithika Pennathur
1. My mother’s curry filled with spices she buys everyday from the vendors rich spices I can taste them even when asleep she cooks with love. all the love she has left in her. 2. Dupatta. She puts the dupatta on as she walks to the airport. trying not to cry. My aunt wailing in the background. she stays strong. she leaves everything she has ever known. for a better life they say. 3. Excuse me, do you speak English? I don’t understand you with your thick accent. Go back to where you came from. Terrorist. Sand N----.
Unfortunately, Martin Esquivel Hernandez was deported to Mexico on February 7th. This heartbreaking tragedy defies the entire community’s values and undercuts the people who fought to reunite Martin with his family in Pittsburgh. For nine months, Martin resisted ICE's unjust attempt to tear apart his family. Moving forward, we must come together with love and strength to honor Martin and the Esquivel family. We owe Martin so much for his determination to stay in Pittsburgh. He and his family made this a better place to live for ALL of us. This is, no doubt, a tremendous loss to Pittsburgh. As human rights activists, we grieve for our losses, but always with the determination to fight on. Martin vive, y la lucha sigue. Together, we must stop the separation of families. Because they criminalize our leaders, Martin. Because they criminalize our communities. Our faith. They make claims that we are less than. That our actions are backwards and somehow what we do to survive somehow impacts others negatively. And they will be consistent in their propaganda. Ordinary, well-meaning people will believe it. Horrible things will happen to said communities because people will believe it's justified.
They are coming for our neighbors, They are coming for our friends, They are coming for our families. We MUST intervene. After Martin, we say never again. Not on our watch. Not on my watch. Not on your watch. All people deserve a safe place to live and thrive, and we must continue fighting until all families are truly safe in our community. Stay tuned for more updates on how you can help Pittsburgh's immigrant community. We need your support, especially moving forward as we fight for ALL undocumented immigrants. Sincerely, The Coalition to Bring Martin Home, which includes: The Thomas Merton Center LCLAA (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement) Casa San Jose USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) ARYSE (Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education) ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Pittsburgh United
4. Oceans and oceans away. lies her heart. filled with all the spices in the midst of a third world country. Last month, the School of the Americas istration in June 2012 that allows certain where water is scarce Watch issued the following statement. Our illegal immigrants to the U.S. who entered but the love is stronger.
In Solidarity for Justice
5. Immigrant. they find out she’s an immigrant. they look at her differently. they assume she knows nothing of this culture. they think she is stealing their jobs, their space, their land. 6. What is here for me? only hatred. I am part of a country that does not even want me. part of a country that is promoting hatred. My family is scared for me and I am scared for my family. 7. I try to cook food. my mother’s curry. with all the love that she gives me. it doesn’t taste the same with a broken heart. 8. The only love i’ve ever known is two newlywed people leaving everything that they have ever known and moving somewhere they know nothing about, devoting their lives to giving a better life for their kids and for themselves. It’s the most poetic most confusing most real and sacrificial love that my parents hold for me and my brother Krithika Pennathur is a sophomore English Writing (nonfiction track) and History major pursuing minors in Chemistry and Statistics and certificates in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies & Public and Professional Writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
SW PA chapter stands with them in solidari- the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from ty. deportation and eligibility for a work permint), and all refugees regardless of immiSOA Watch strongly condemns the actions taken by President Donald Trump, gration status or place of origin. U.S. immiwhich violate the integrity and lives of hun- gration and border control policies attempt dreds of thousands of people inside and out- to disguise the root causes of migration: the side the U.S. Faced with fear and hatred, we ruthless economic, political, and military reiterate our commitment to stand in soliintervention in Latin America that forces darity with all who fight for their right to hundreds of thousands of people to escape the violence of war and poverty. We continlive a just and peaceful life. We are in solidarity with LGBTQ com- ue our commitment to the border communimunities, migrant and refugee communities, ties and all who face physical and virtual walls that violate their human dignity and Muslim communities, African American quality of life. We strongly denounce the communities, indigenous peoples, and all people who have faced violence due to their threats of Donald Trump against the people skin color, birthplace, defense of land and of Mexico! natural resources, or religion. We will continue to fight against training at SOA/ WHINSEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) and against U.S. military bases in Latin America. We will continue to join the global community in the struggle for a peaceful and just world. We are in solidarity with Muslim communities and oppose any kind of regulation that prohibits the entry of people into the U.S. based on hatred, racism and xenophobia. The disastrous ban ignores the constant wars that have forced the departure of hundreds of thousands of refugees caused by U.S. policymakers, regardless of their political party. We are in solidarity with Standing Rock and strongly oppose the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. We call for Join labor, community and political support of indigenous peoples in the Amerileaders at the 2nd Annual Labor Radio cas, who have historically been the first line Dinner, on MARCH 24th, hosted by of defense of the land and to whom political The Union Edge, Labor's Talk Radio. expediency and capitalist interests have challenged their right to life. From Oceti We'll be celebrating 10 years of broadSakowin to Ushuahia, we demand respect casting, and we will have a live string for the dignity and self-determination of quartet with members of the Pittsburgh indigenous peoples. We continue to stand in solidarity with Symphony, delicious yinzer food and migrant communities, all those who are drinks! beneficiaries of DACA (Deferred Action for Buy tickets and find at out more Childhood Arrivals- an American immigra- at https://theunionedge.com/shop/2ndtion policy started by the Obama adminannual-labor-radio-dinner/
OUR VOICES ARE LOUDER THAN EVER!
March 2017
NEWPEOPLE - 11
Toxic Cultures Rape Culture, Blurred Lines and What Our Universities Are Doing About It By Krithika Pennathur
The United States Department of Justice defines sexual assault as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” The definition is clear: sexual assault is a non-consensual, sexual act forced upon someone. Yet we live in an era where it is so prominent and it is still an issue. If you are an individual who is college-age (from 18-24), you are at a higher risk of sexual assault. One in five women experience a form of sexual assault on campus. One in sixteen men experience a form of sexual assault on campus. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, more than 90% of victims within this age group do not report their assaults. I want to draw attention to the last statisticmore than 90% of victims do not report their assaults. In order to talk about sexual assault, we need to talk about the culture that allows this to happen at such high rates. Rape culture. The term is garnering buzz lately, but what does it really mean? Rape culture is an environment in which rape is normalized yet often excused by the media, pop culture, and influential figures in society. It involves the way we collectively think of rape, not only the actions. As a society, most of us do not publicly engage in sexual violence. Instead, situations involving rape are talked about in such a normalized manner while people who come forward with their experiences are often stigmatized. Too often, these stories are ignored, and some are even made to seem humorous. One example is a publicized rape that took place in Steubenville, Ohio. In August 2012, a high school girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted by two
high school football players, with evidence that was documented and posted on social media. The media was mourning the end of the rapists’ football careers rather than discussing the horrendous act they committed. The Steubenville case was one of many cases where the athletes who were charged with rape garnered more support and the victims were deemed as “career-destroyers”. As a society, we seem to care more about the end of a football career and the end of someone’s fame. We are mourning the rapists, rather than mourning their detrimental actions. We portray rape as an acceptable act by sympathizing with the rapists. Looking at pop culture, music influences these notions as well. Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” is the most publicized example. There are three striking lines in the chorus of the song: “I know you want it,” “Can't let it get past me,” “I hate these blurred lines (of consent).” These phrases mimic the actual phrases of rapists. It is telling women “you know you want it” because of these “blurred lines.” And despite all the outrage and the controversy, the song charted at number one on U.S. Top 40 charts for twelve weeks, and on several other countries’ charts as well. The song glamorizes rape and the encounters women have before sexual assault can occur. Instead of creating pieces that condemn these actions, glorifying these actions garners more attention and approval from the public. As more women are courageously reporting their rapes to police officials, they are more often than not deemed as giving falsified information or not taken seriously. Terms such as “legitimate rape” and statements claiming that “it isn’t rape if she’s unconscious” are clear examples of rape culture in society. There is no factor of “legitimacy” when talking about rape. Rape is rape, even if she is not
fully conscious. A woman should not be told, “You were drinking, what did you expect?” Even if the woman was drinking, no one should expect she will be raped. Her drinking is not an excuse for a man to violate her body. Similarly, a woman should not be asked, “What were you wearing at the time?” Using the woman’s outfit as an excuse to perform a despicable action is horrifying. The objectification of and violence against the woman is the real offense. It is almost as if her clothing is being used to blame the woman for being raped. Having said this, there is a significant improvement in the amount of resources for sexual assault survivors on campus. Many universities have Title IX offices and specified counselors who deal with sexual assault cases. For example, at the University of Pittsburgh, there is a Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Education (SHARE) office, special counselors at the counseling center who help sexual assault victims, and direct connections with the Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR). Although this is a step in the right direction, many women are still hesitant to report. Instead of blaming the victims, we should be rehabilitating the victims. Instead of debating the existence of this culture, we should be trying to change the way we think about rape. Rape isn’t a song topic for a number #1 hit. Rape isn’t a career ending event; rape is much more than that. And I sincerely hope something will be changed to end this culture. Krithika Pennathur is a sophomore English Writing (nonfiction track) and History major pursuing minors in Chemistry and Statistics and certificates in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies & Public and Professional Writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
An Appeal for Mental Health Recognition By Nijah Glenn
We live in quite a time to be alive. As a society, we can boast energy efficient cars; we have the ability to FaceTime our friends continents away, and we can watch the PGA classic from a few years ago via YouTube on silent during a lecture (I have witnessed this, unbelievably). However advanced we are technologically, we have a glaring flaw as a society: the inability to acknowledge mental health without stigma. Mental disorders are a part of life; quite literally. They are brought on by the chemistry of the human brain, genetics, and environmental factors. Are they frightening? Surely-- for those who face both the ramifications of them as well as the stigma of having the disorder. Think of the phrase “mentally ill;” what comes to mind? Is the person you picture young? Old? Academically successful? Financially unstable? Mental illness doesn't discriminate, but our societal biases do. In a 2015 systematic review and meta-analysis published by the Journal of the A merican Medical Association, the "summary estimate of the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among resident physicians was 28.8%, ranging from 20.9% to 43.2% depending on the instrument used, and increased with calendar year" (Mata et al. 2015). It's rather frightening to think overworked residents who may see you during your ER visit themselves are suffering from depression, not because you are afraid they may not do their job correctly, but that their job is slowly harming them. Despite the provisions of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act which are meant to protect individuals interviewing for jobs from discrimination based on their mental health, such questions are allowed in board licensing (Carroll 2016). And it is not only an issue by profession. As per the American Psychological Association major depressive disorder affects 14.8 million (6.7% of the population) Americans who are 18 and over, while anxiety affects 18.1% of the population of adults in the United 12 - NEWPEOPLE
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States. Studies from the Center for Disease Control solidarity and stewardship. Nellie Bly could never (CDC) note that approximately 25% of the US pop- have imagined when she went undercover to expose ulation has a mental illness. mental health abuses that we would make the adIf one in four Americans has a mental illness, vancements we have today, or that we would have a this must mean that we are having open conversasociety willing to discuss mental health. However, tions, right? As per the CDC, only 25% of people we still fall short in terms of what our approaches with mental illnesses interviewed believe that people are. People with mental illnesses are not an other; are "sympathetic and caring to those with mental they are our neighbors, our coworkers, our directors, illnesses". From the way I've watched professors and our professors, our cousins, our doctors, ourselves. peers change the way they treat those they deem as We must find it in ourselves to be human, and prac"crazy," from the jokes I've heard about peers taking tice empathy rather than scorn. Without empathy, Xanax recreationally while stating that they weren't we simply cannot advance. "one of those crazy people on drugs," and from the way professors refused to acknowledge the existence Nijah Glenn is a senior biology major and dedicated youth activist. She is a TMC board member, a of such disorders, I cannot say such a result is member of the NewPeople editorial collective, avid shocking. It does, however, speak volumes about coffee consumer, literature/film/music critic, and is our society. We cannot advocate for mental health positivity dedicated to making both the scientific field and while simultaneously shunning those with disorders world more equitable. ranging from anxiety to schizophrenia. We cannot pretend to be an accepting society, knowing that we treat those with mental disorders differently. The nature of our world is ON TV EVERY MONDAY AT 9 PM in MARCH changing. Our lives and lifeCOMCAST 21 and VERIZON FIOS 47 styles are uncertain. As things (In city limits) become harder for us as a society, we can bet that people will "JEREMY SCAHILL " TMC Banquet 2014 become more anxious. We can http://bit.ly/2lNo7op guarantee that more people will have Obsessive CompulVideographer/Editor Rich Fishkin, You Tube richfishpgh sive Disorder (OCD) or deProgressive Pgh Notebook TV Series producer Carlana Rhoten, pression as the pressure to be tvnotebook@gmail.com 412-363-7472 perfect from a young age burden our society further, and we can guarantee that people will still be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and a multitude of other disorders. Societies exist in the vein of
Challenging Assumptions In Defense of Science By Nijah Glenn
Science has always been a field of controversy. From the beginnings of modern science in the ancient world to the Middle Ages to the recent autism vaccine controversy, one needn't look far to know what any scientist acknowledges. Not unlike previous eras, science is not only under scrutiny by the powers that fund it, but by the masses. While a mob and pitchfork mentality towards science may have been acceptable in the days of the Inquisition, how could such a mentality persist in the modern day? Much of this animosity can be attributed to the inability to accept information in the age of information. As a STEM major, I constantly see posts on social media about something of a scientific nature, only to watch people distort its meaning or refute it all together if it is not compatible with their worldview. Perhaps somewhat worse is the scenario where someone who has possibly read two scientific journal articles in their lifetime will argue with me about a subject I have studied at length in my program. While I initially would debate until the other side gave up, I realized this did neither side any favors, simply because the other side did not engage with the intention of listening. In the age in which we live, the impact of science is undeniable. Without science and technology, we would lack our cellphones, laptops, vaccinations, pasteurized milk, cleaning products, and countless other items that contribute to health or daily routine. However, the regressive mentality that has taken hold is dangerous. A scientific writing class I took noted that much of the general population is actually not very well educated on scientific matters. While apathy is partially to blame, scientific
literacy is low because much of science is under lock and key. For instance, many articles are not open access (accessible without buying), and even if they were, a phrase such as "examining effluent from a specialized nitrogen extraction system" doesn't go over too well without prior knowledge of effluents or extraction systems. When scientific literacy is low, it is easy for science to then be distorted by entities with an agenda, and creates an undeserved mistrust of those within the scientific profession. An example of this would be the controversy surrounding fracking. Despite the furor around the quality of water after fracking, the public is still easily divided. In its 2015 draft, the EPA stated that they “did not find evidence that these mechanisms [fracking] have led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States;” after further revision, the EPA itself also realized the limitations of its study and revoked this sentence. Despite the EPA investigating fracking and releasing information to the public about its dangers, many (including a peer in a science writing course) take this sentence in a draft as proof that the EPA does not critique fracking, protecting the interests of big oil and shale. Students, professors, physicians, and researchers are all seen as suspects, rather than authorities, unless the science fits the agenda of the entity manipulating information. By touting a single credible, peer-reviewed study, it becomes easy to then spout information that seems veritable enough to not factcheck. The danger of this move, however, comes into play when the public refuses to admit that global warming exists, or that lead is indeed toxic, regardless of the level. In an age of disinformation,
science remains as a stalwart which prides itself on the ability to remain honest regardless of public opinion. I fear that despite our technological advancements, we are going in the exact opposite direction of progress. Rather than fear a Brave New W orld of scientific intervention in every aspect of life in the future, and a proliferation of information, we may very well face the fate H.G. Wells outlined in The Time Machine, in which humanity moved forward in year, and regressed in knowledge. Without scientific investigation, we would lack the regulations which ensure proper food safety; we would not have proper sewage regulations, and would still worry about smallpox and perfectly treatable diseases on a mass scale. Before you think of denying any piece of science, challenge yourself; do you know what you are challenging? Are you familiar with why it is important? Are you neutrally examining your stance and reputable information, or spouting off in accordance with your personal views? It is important that in an age of technology, we continue to challenge what we know and to investigate and grow, not simply google what fits our immediate interest and discard the rest. Our lives and those of the planet and posterity depend upon it. Nijah Glenn is a senior biology major and dedicated youth activist. She is a TMC board member, member of the NewPeople editorial collective, avid coffee consumer, literature/film/music critic, and is dedicated to making both the scientific field & world more equitable.
Your Racism Is Plant-Based By Jacqueline Souza
Veganism is a microculture that has garnered a significant amount of attention in recent years. Vegetarians account for roughly three percent of the U.S. adult population, and within that percentage, vegans account for about half of a percent. Many choose to modify their diets in order to live more sustainably, but most change so that they can actively protest the animal cruelty that deeply permeates the U.S. meat and dairy industries. Vegan individuals are often incredibly passionate, and rightfully so. However, white people within this food subculture often end up ignoring the opinions and needs of vegans of color, and by doing so, perpetuate racism within this already socioeconomically privileged demographic. This may seem like a bold claim initially, but the unwavering prioritization of animal liberation should be criticized because of how it manifests throughout the white vegan community. Throughout social media, animal consumption is regularly equated to societal forms of violence and abuse. For example, one popular vegan blog posts an infographic which claims that “Racism = Speciesism = Sexism.” A vegan Twitter account makes the argument that “black lives matter... more than chicken or cow lives, apparently” and another Twitter account posts a cartoon depiction of a black man and a cow sideby-side, each hanging from a tree by a noose, explaining that over the last few decades, “only the victims have changed” in regards to brutality and discrimination. The equation of animal cruelty to the types of discrimination and oppression that Black Americans have experienced is deplorable, but it is present, front-and-center in mainstream vegan culture. The fact of the matter is, people often go vegan so that they can fight for a cause: the elimination of animal cruelty, and perhaps even the consumption of meat and dairy on a national level. These objectives are well-intended, but the problem stems from the single-issue tunnel vision that white vegans seem to intensely adopt as time wears on. It is estimated that out of the three percent of self-identifying vegetarian and vegan adults within the U.S. population, over sixty percent of those people are white. While a predominant interest in animal liberation is not inherently racist, the unexamined privilege of white ve-
gans allows them to choose animal liberation as their thin.” main priority as activists. With that choice comes So, how do we make veganism more inclusive? obliviousness to more socially pressing issues, many How do we amplify the voices of vegans of color of those which affect vegans of color, who strive for who already contribute to the movement? For startvisibility in the vegan community. All social move- ers, white vegans, as the majority, need to shift the ments must have a main objective to be successful argument for such a drastic dietary change. In conand, of course, veganism was intended to directly versation, we must focus on conveying the economic protest the mistreatment and consumption of aniand health benefits of making the switch so that we mals. However, by ignoring the needs, motivations, can appeal to people of all backgrounds. Instead of and other social priorities of vegans of color, we are expecting every person of color to align with the pretending that part of our community is nonexistent exact priorities of white vegans, we should be makand unimportant, which does nothing to stop racism ing space for them to voice their personal objectives, within the community. should they be different than our own. Additionally, In order to gain some insight as to the experiwhite vegans need to recognize that not all oppresences of black vegans in our local community, I sion is created equal, and while some of us may be reached out to members of a private online Facebook able to prioritize animal liberation, we need to keep group, Pittsburgh Vegans, which has surpassed over our eyes open in regards to the oppression of human one thousand individual members. Rasheda Davisbeings. Gordon, a black woman aged forty-four, just celeJacqueline Souza is an intern for New People and brated her first year as a vegan. Having suffered also studies sociology and journalism at the Unifrom obesity, kidney disease, and high blood sugar versity of Pittsburgh. She is interested in racial jusand cholesterol levels, she decided to go vegan in order to improve her health. “A lot of people of col- tice, social movements, and U.S. politics. or don’t think they can give up meat and dairy,” she noted, “usually because of geographical location, cost, and lack of access to transportation and educaA Peace & Social Justice Active Spiritual Community tion.” While the invites you to join us Sundays 10:30AM for waiting local vegan community may worship be strong, she does note its lack of diversity. “People of 4836 Ellsworth Ave color are grossPittsburgh, PA 15213 ly underreprePhone: (412) 683-2669 sented [in the community], as most local vegans are young, www.quaker.orgpghpamm/ white, collegeage, and very
The Religious Society of Friends (better known as QUAKERS)
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Turning Wheels The Wheel of Justice The title of this piece combines the names of two tarot cards in the Major Arcana: Wheel of Fortune and Justice. In these distressing, disheartening, disastrous times, I am finding comfort in binding these two together, meditating on ways to weave together my activism with my religious path of Paganism. It may seem a little odd, reading a column from a Pagan in a newspaper of a center that’s named after a Catholic monk. But this whole world is turning a little odd – who knew that Park Rangers, immigration lawyers, and climate scientists would play leading parts in the Revolution? First, a little bit of background on me: I discovered there was a word for what I believed - namely, Paganism - when I was a sophomore in college. It just seemed right. A religion that honors the Earth, the divine Feminine, and has a tradition of working for justice and against oppression? Sign me up in that Book of Spells! I’ve spent the last 18 years weaving together my love of history and social justice, and Pagan spirituality into an elemental quilt Earth for grounding, Air for knowledge, Fire for passion, Water for compassion, and Spirit for unity. This article is the first foray into moving my spellcraft from the personal to the political. The Wheel represents the cycle of change. We all know that nothing stays the same forever. A lot of us woke up to drastic, unwelcome change in November of last year. For some, with many layers of oppression, it was just confirmation of the white supremacist patriarchal society in which we live. For others, it was a realization of just how fragile the recognition of all aspects of our humanity can
By Anne Lynch
be. Shock, dismay, anger, and a desire for action woke a sleeping dragon in strengths virtually unknown since the era of the Vietnam War protests. But how do we harness that energy, raised from the turning of the Wheel? We saw a record number of people speak up for women the day after the inauguration, complete with not one but two marches here in Pittsburgh. So many actions spring up on a daily basis that I can barely get them all into Three Rivers Community Fund’s calendar in time, and we all have trouble figuring out where our time is best spent when there are conflicting events. It’s time to turn to what Justice can teach us. Justice takes no nonsense – it is the truth or nothing. The truth is we can’t be everywhere all the time. Yes, all that’s happening at the national, state, and local levels is important. Yes, we want to stand up for public transit in Pittsburgh and against deportations. We must fight the legislature in Pennsylvania to increase the minimum wage, pass a statewide LGBTQ non-discrimination bill, and keep abortions legal. We’re called to demolish the Muslim ban, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency. Lady Justice looks us in the eye and forces us to accept that, as angry as we are over all of this, we must choose. So I ask you today – look into your heart, and pick two or three issues that are your passion, and focus your efforts there. Accept the responsibility that Justice expects from each of us, and harness your energy to those selected causes. And if anyone challenges your decisions, know that you are being true to yourself. Modern day Pagans have had to fight to have
access to books and ritual tools in prisons, to have our religious iconography allowed on military graves, and even to just worship freely. Our traditions are frequently misunderstood – just by openly wearing a pentagram, I’ve been asked if I worship Satan or sacrifice animals. We talk about being in or out of the broom closet, and are careful about photographs at events because some people risk being fired or losing custody of children if others find out they are Pagan. So when we see a ban on Muslims (which the executive travel ban is, honestly), or discrimination against people who identify as LGBTQ, we immediately see a kinship. As a decentralized, individual-heavy group of different sects, it’s hard for us to come together to be politically active. But we must be accomplices to other groups facing persecution – after all, we’ve been there before. We just celebrated the holiday of Imbolc in early February, recognized by many as a time to honor Brighid, an Irish goddess of many aspects, one of which is a warrior for just causes. Brighid is also a poet and goddess of illumination. We have stood silent for too long. We must call upon increasing light of day to light our way, work with Lady Justice to determine what makes our hearts sing, and with Brighid to inspire and give us the strength of warriors in this new social justice work we undertake. We must mean it for all when we say, “Never again the burning times.” Anne E. Lynch is the Manager of Operations at Three Rivers Community Foundation, the Vegan Goddess, and co-chair of Greater Pittsburgh Pagan Pride Day
Fr.. Daniel Groody to Speak on Immigration, April 2 By Joyce Rothermel
The Association of Pittsburgh Priests (APP) is offering an excellent program on immigration on Sunday, April 2 at 2 PM at the Kearns Spirituality Center, 9000 Babcock Blvd. in Allison Park. At long last, the APP has managed to schedule Fr. Daniel Groody to speak in the Pittsburgh area. Daniel Groody, C.S.C., Ph.D. has chosen “Passing Over: Migration, Theology and the Eucharist” as the title of his talk. With the credentials of priest, scholar, Notre Dame professor, international lecturer, award
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winning author and film producer, Director of Immigration Initiatives at the Institute for Latino Studies, it’s difficult to imagine anyone, anywhere more qualified and better prepared than Daniel Groody to address the complex migration issues of today. In his talk, Groody will view the “Age of Migration” through a compelling four-fold lens: looking at God who migrated to our world in the Incarnation, our own migration through this world in discipleship and our responses to migrants among us, and our connection to each other in the Body of Christ. What are the gifts and challenges of an era in which 65 million refugees are seeking refuge? How are we to look at this enormous challenge from the perspective of faith? Speaking on these and other such aspects of migration, Groody will be drawing upon his years of experience at the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as his work with Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the World Council of Churches, and the Vatican on issues of theology, globalization, and migration. Do not miss this rare opportunity for God-centered input from an internationally soughtafter expert on migration. Daniel Groody’s books include, translated into five languages, Border of Death, Valley of Life: An Immigrant Journey of Heart and Spirit, Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice: Navigating the Path to Peace, and The Option for the Poor: An Interdisciplinary Reader. He has edited A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey: Theological Perspectives on Migration, co-edited internationally acclaimed films: “One Border, One Body: Immigration and the Eucharist” and “Dying to Live: A Migrant Journey”.
A donation of $20 is requested for the program. It is free for students and low income attendees. Reservations can be made prior to the event or at the door the day of the event. For more information and to register, call Fr. John Oesterle at 412-232-7512. Reservations can also be made online at assocpghpriests@gmail.com and pay at the door. Association of Pittsburgh Priests is a diocesanwide organization of ordained and non-ordained women and men who act on our baptismal call to be priests and prophets. Our mission, rooted in the Gospel and the Spirit of Vatican II, is to carry out a ministry of justice and renewal in ourselves, the Church and the world. The APP has been a Progressive Voice in the Diocese of Pittsburgh since 1966. Upcoming date for the APP Fall 2017 Speakers Series: September 11: Karen Clifton, President of the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty and Promote Restorative Justice, "Restorative Justice.” October 2: John Haught, retired as the Distinguished Professor of Theology at Georgetown University and the author of fifteen books, “Evolution and Faith: What is at Stake?” November 9: Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, Professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, author, candidate for public office, a Lutheran, and a pacifist, “Faith in Violence: Religion is Killing Us.”
Joyce Rothermel serves as the Chair of the Church Renewal Committee of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests.
A Mad King? LEAR, and QUEEG, and TRUMP... OH MY !!! By Robert Jedrzejewski
It is difficult to decide which of two fictional literary characters Donald Trump more closely resembles: King Lear or Captain Queeg. Among Shakespeare's plays, "King Lear" represents the pinnacle of tragic vision. From many perspectives, the pinnacle of U.S. modern political tragedy is the ascendence of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. How can one deny the stark likeness of Trump to Lear as described by Colin McGinn, prominent British philosopher in his book "Shakespeare's Philosophy" (2006): "He (Lear) is arrogant, ignorant, unheeding, callous, vain, blinkered, intemperate, and ludicrous." One can match each of the pejoratives above with a statement or action of Trump, not just during the campaign, but also with his tweets, Executive Orders, and his advisers' remarks since taking office. Abounding are Draconian statements and actions, like deporting all undocumented immigrants, re-introducing torture, tariffs on Mexican and Chinese exports, increasing nuclear weapons, embracing Putin, moving Israel's capital to Jerusalem - and so many topics on which he is woefully misinformed. His surrogates scramble to walk back or explain to an astonished public audience what their champion's obsessive early morning tweets really mean. McGinn could be describing Trump, when he continues: "Lear's ignorance is most thoroughgoing; not only does he misunderstand almost everyone around him, he fails in knowledge of himself. He is a man in need of a complete cognitive overhaul." As "captain" of the ship of state, Trump, also begs comparison with Philip Francis Queeg, the paranoid captain in Herman Wouk's novel, "The Caine Mutiny" (1951). Paranoia is characterized as a
chronic psychosis marked by delusions of grandeur, feelings of persecution, exaggerated self-importance and suspicions and mistrust of people or their actions, without evidence of justification. Closely allied with paranoia, in Trump's case, is his biased perception of the world, shown in his beliefs that we are being played for suckers by the “dead-beats” of NATO and his claim that other countries profit at our expense in trade deals. Add to this, abundant evidence over the past nineteen months of a narcissistic personality disorder characterized by excessive need for admiration. No more cogent example of Trump's persecution complex is the vociferous intrepid insistence by himself and his surrogates that the media is out to get him. Trump gives the impression that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, with its insistence on freedom of the press, is a gargantuan roadblock to his idea of governing. The episode of the "strawberries and the missing key" on the USS Caine resembles Trump's insistence on rampant voter fraud and his expensive plan to investigate this non-existent phenomenon. When strawberries go missing from the officers' mess, Queeg is convinced that a sailor has made a duplicate key to the food locker and orders the crew strip-searched to find it. He is privately informed that the mess boys ate the strawberries, but insists on following through with his plan to find the nonexistent key. Other episodes reveal his incompetence, but also the dictatorial power Queeg possesses by virtue of his position as ship's captain. Power and paranoia represent a recipe for potential disaster on the USS Caine and lead to the "mutiny." King Lear eventually goes mad, his kingdom in
ruins. Captain Queeg, his ship fortunately saved from foundering in a storm by the crew's' mutiny, is exposed as a paranoiac and relieved of command. Will four years of a Trump Presidency result in a "kingdom" in ruins? Will Trump as "captain" be allowed to guide the ship of state to eventual foundering? Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese writes in the National Catholic Reporter that" (many) are responding to Trump in the same way that people respond to death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance." He could have added "mutiny" also - as a continuous "mutiny" by patriotic, reasonable people might be able to restore the "ship" to safety and guide it away from the rocky shoals of national and international disaster. If the recent Women's March is any indication, the mutiny has already begun. If past is prelude, it's not clear that the Republic can abide four complete years of Trump's manner of presidential behavior. King Lear or Captain Queeg? Trump personifies the worst qualities of both . Our 45th President, Donald Trump, must be aggressively resisted and called to account when he exhibits his overbearing and paranoid Lear/Queeg-like behavior. The recognition that this is not fiction but cold reality must be faced. The scary spectacle of the recent January 26th action by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists of advancing the "Doomsday Clock" (a measure of how close humanity is to destroying our civilization) to two and a half minutes to midnight should make us sit up and take notice. Our country's and the world's survival depends on it Robert Jedrzejewski is a retired college instructor of philosophy, theology and literature
By Anne E. Lynch
An interfaith gathering of prayer and celebration with immigrants, refugees, and allies was held on February 20 at St. Benedict the Moor Roman Catholic Church in the Lower Hill District. The event was held as a morning of worship and story-telling representing the many diverse faiths and cultures in our community. The service encompassed readings from various sacred texts, music, prayer, and personal stories shared by members of our local immigrant communities. Left Photo: Ms. Shayla Esquivel Brigido and Guillermo Perez . Center Photo: Participants listen to Pastor Linda of Casa San Jose. Right Photo: Rev. Dr. Lamar Lee, St. Mark's AME Zion Church, Wilkinsburg addresses the audience. Photos By Nina Young
In Memory
Peace Round Table Formed Right Now
Long time Merton Center member, friend, past board member and treasurer passed away last month. Phil Joyce was a lifelong Catholic who lived out his faith with a special witness of peace and social justice. He read and was inspired by the writings of Thomas Merton. As a certified public accountant, Phil provided professional services through his firm to the Merton Center for many years. People who knew him will remember his warmth, openness, acceptance, generosity, humor, and love. For the past few years, Phil has been an active member of St. James Church in Wilkinsburg where he supported the work of its Social Justice and Peace Commit-
Last December, the TMC Anti-War Committee (AWC) and Anti-Drone Warfare Coalition (ADWC) brought together several representatives from area peace groups to form a loose coalition advocating the cause of peace and bringing an end to U.S. wars and imperialism. They are called the Peace Round Table. They hope to work together to come up with effective actions to challenge the US military industrial complex. In addition to the AWC and ADWC, representatives attended from such groups as Veterans for Peace, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the Quakers Friends Meeting and its affiliation with American Friends Service Committee, Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi, Pittsburgh Anti-Imperialist League, and others. The Round Table met a second time in January and will gather on March 4 at 11 AM in the Law Building at the University of Pittsburgh for the third time.
tee. Most recently Phil sponsored those going from Pittsburgh through the Merton Center to witness at the US Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona with the School of the Americas Watch. We are grateful for Phil’s meaningful and fruitful life. He has made a difference and his legacy will live on through his family, his friends, his faith community, and the work of the Thomas Merton Center.
The AWC and ADWC continue to hold monthly meetings on the fourth Saturday at 11 AM at the Merton Center, 5129 Penn Avenue in Garfield. Ron Read serves as the group’s organizer and convener of the Peace Round Table. All are welcome. To find out more information about the Peace Round Table and the AWC and ADWC, write to awc@thomasmertoncenter.org Donations are welcome and can be made at www.thomasmertoncenter.org or by sending a check to TMC and noting AWC/ ADWC in the memo section of the check. March 2017
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Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
“You might not get the validation you hunger for. Stepping outside of the smoke and mirrors of racial privilege is hard, but so is living within the electrified fences of racial oppression– and no one gets cookies for that. The thing is that when you help put out a fire, the people whose home was in flames may be too upset to thank and praise you– especially when you look a lot like the folks who set the fire. That’s OK. This is about something so much bigger than that”
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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Disability Day of Mourning– 7-9 pm– William Pitt Union, University of PIttsburgh
Muslim Ally Training– 6-8 pm – Union Project, 801 N Negley Ave
Stronger Together: Tools to Make Your Voice Count 5-8 pm—AIR, 518 Foreland St, Pgh 51212
Peace Round Table Meeting– 11 am— 1pm—3900 Barcow Law Building
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Roxanne Gay, Author of Bad Feminist & Hunger Speaks— 7:30 pm – Pgh Arts & Lectures 301 S Craig St
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National Women’s Strike! Ladies stay home today!
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We the People 2.0 Film– 6:30 PM– Pgh Mennonite Church, 2018 S. Braddock
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Gerrymandering & Unfair Representation 3:00 pm– Kearns Spirituality Center
1933– First modern AfricanAmerican Daily newspaper,
Women Only SelfDefense Seminar–
Atlanta Daily World, starts
11:30 am—1:00 pmMark Cherico’s Martial Arts & Fitness Academy, 4573 Campbell’s Run Rd, Pgh 15205
publishing
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Intersectional Feminist Panel – 5-7pm– Point Park University
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1968– Mai Lai massacre in Vietnam– US troops shoot 500 civillians
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11 Performance of “The Guard” Begin, City Theater
Native Nations March, Washington D.C.
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Nonviolent Resistance WOrkshop—9:30 am—2:00 pm– Friends Meeting House 4836 Ellsworth Ave Feminist Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon 10:30 Am—4:00 PM– Carnegie Museum of Art
-Ricardo Levins Morales via Borderland/ La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa
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Regular Meetings Sundays: Book’Em: Books to Prisoners Project First three Sundays of the month at TMC, 46pm Contact: bookempgh@gmail.com
Mondays: SW Healthcare 4 All PA /PUSH Meeting 3rd Monday, 6:30 —8 pm Squirrel Hill Library Contact: bmason@gmail.com Association of Pittsburgh Priests 2nd Monday, 7—9 pm, Prince of Peace Rectory 162 South 15th, Southside, Pgh. PA 15203 Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILP) 2nd Monday, 7:00 PM Thomas Merton Center, 5129 Penn Ave Amnesty International #39 2nd Wednesday, 7—9 pm First Unitarian Church, Morewood Ave. 15219
Wednesdays: Darfur Coalition Meeting 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Meeting Room C Carnegie Library, Squirrel Hill 412-784-0256 Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (PADP) 1st Wednesdays, 7-8pm, First Unitarian Church, Ellsworth & Morewood Avenues, Shadyside Pittsburghers for Public Transit 2nd Wednesday, 7pm, 1 Smithfield St., lower level
Thursdays:
1938– Mexico expropriates property of 17 US and British oil companies for failure to pay fair wages.
Just Harvest Empty Bowls First day of Spring! Dinner 2017– 1:30—6:00 pm – Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave
March 2017
International Socialist Organization Every Thursday, 7:30-9:30 pm at the Thomas Merton Center Global Pittsburgh Happy Hour 1st Thursday, 5:30 to 8 pm, Roland's Seafood Grill, 1904 Penn Ave, Strip District Green Party Meeting 1st Thursday, 7 to 9 pm, 2121 Murray, 2nd floor, Squirrel Hill Black Political Empowerment Project 2nd Thursday, 6 pm: Planning Council Meeting, Hill House, Conference Room B
Fridays:
25 José Can Speak – 3-7 pm– KST Alloy Studios, 5530 Penn
Unblurred Gallery Crawl 1st Friday after 6 pm, Penn Avenue Arts District, 4800-5500 Penn Ave., Friendship and Garfield 15224 Hill District Consensus Group 2nd Friday, 10 am — 12 pm, Elsie Hillman Auditorium, Kaufmann Center 1825 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 People of Prisoners in Need of Support 3rd Friday, 7:00pm New Hope Methodist Church, 114 W. North Ave, Pittsburgh 15212
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Project to End Human Trafficking 2nd Sat., Carlow University, Antonian Room #502 Fight for Lifers West 1st & 3rd Saturday, 1 pm, East Liberty Presbyterian Church
Saturdays:
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Revolutionary SHEro: A Conversation with Kathleen Cleaver and Denise OliverVelez– 7-8pm– August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Ave
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Our Disability Must Be Intersectional– 6-7pm– East Liberty Presbyterian Church (ELPC), 116 S. Highland Ave
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mailed to your home or sent to your email account. You will also receive weekly e-blasts focusing on peace and justice events in Pittsburgh, and special invitations to membership activities. Now is the time to stand for peace and justice!
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We’ll See You In Court! ACLU Meeting– 7-8 pm– August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Ave
Subscribe to The NewPeople by becoming a member of the Thomas Merton Center today! As a member, The NewPeople newspaper will be
Join online at www.thomasmertoncenter.org/ join-donate or fill out this form, cut out, and mail in. Select your membership level: ____$15 Low Income Membership ____$15 Youth / Student Membership
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Fr Groody Speaks on Immigration2 pm—Kearns Spirituality Center
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Anti-War and Anti-Drone Warfare Coalition 3rd Saturday at 11:00 am at TMC, 5129 Penn Ave., Garfield, PA 15224
Please note: If you were a financial contributor to the Thomas Merton Center in 2016, and you would like to claim your donation for tax purposes, please call (412) 361-3022 and let us know so that we can process an acknowledgement letter for you.
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Mail to TMC, 5129 Penn Ave. Pgh. PA 15224 Call (412) 361-3022 for more information.