A message to Black, Hispanic, and poor people in this age of COVID-19 from Mfalme Sikivu, Executive Minister of UFD.
Here we are, in 2020, still faced with the reality of racism and classism. The greatest and richest nation on earth can’t even protect all of its citizens equally. Why is it that every facet of life in America, that my black, Hispanic, and poor brothers and sisters always fare the worst? The coronavirus came along and once again revealed the truth. America isn’t fair to everyone. Black, Hispanic and poor people are the majority of those dying from the coronavirus. Why?.
We all know why. It’s because of institutional racism, social injustice, and economic inequality in this country. It isn’t going to change until we organize for wealth and power. All these damn politicians and policy pundants all talk about how to things need to change. It’s always the same old talk when a crisis or some sensational incident happens. Once it’s happened, it’s back to business as usual. Rich white people get richer and a few token minorities tag along but the rest of us, we get left behind. Who are we deceiving?
It’s time that the working people of this country rise up, unite together, and start a people’s movement for socioeconomic empowerment. UFD’s mission is to do exactly that. Our mission is to build a trillion dollar people’s movement with a million or more conscious and prosperous [transcriber could not parse]. We are inviting Black, Hispanic, and all disadvantaged people to organize together with us to walk in power, so we can finally achieve security and happiness for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Why should we be the ones always dying disproportionately from diseases? Why must we be the ones living from paycheck to paycheck? Why must we always be the last for everything? If we unite together in the spirit of harmony and combine and coordinate our knowledge, efforts, contacts, and resources we can all achieve success and prosperity. Our conscious money philosophy teaches us how to make it a reality.
The conscious money motto is: We succeed by helping each other succeed. We aim to help one another with the following things: one, to start and expand our own businesses. Two, to market our skills and talent like laughing and singing. Three, to earn money through investments. Four, to purchase a house or car. Five, to pay college tuition. Six, to get out of debt. Seven, to secure a good job or career. Eight, to secure affordable healthcare and childcare and much more.
As the saying goes, if you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go further, go as a group. It just makes so much for us right now. Those of us who are Black, Hispanic, and poor, we have been hurt the most by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not just because we’re the majority of those dying, but also because we’re the majority of those suffering financially. It’s going to be a much harder road for us to get back on our feet. The UFD can ease that journey if we come together. To learn more about UFD contact our acting deputy executive minister, Ricardo [Cromwell]. Our email is UFDeez@gmail.com. That is UFDeez@gmail.com. Again that is UFDeez@gmail.com.
You can also follow UFD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We have a website we need help relaunching. So we are looking for help doing this and more. And for the sake of full disclosure: I am still incarcerated and I founded the UFD in prison. Ricardo was released from prison four months ago after 12 years of incarceration. He was one of so many men I recruited, educated and mentored in prison when he was much younger. Together, we are looking to expand UFD beyond prison walls. With me in prison I cannot directly be involved in this effort due to rules against solicitation. So I coach, guide, direct and advise Ricardo on how to promote, expand, and manage UFD. Being a parolee and being recently released himself Ricardo is struggling, but he’s working hard to live right and do right and he could use your help.
I’m telling you all of this because UFD is no scheme, gimmick or con. I put my life in that. I didn’t want anybody thinking Ricardo or I, being convicts, are trying to mislead or scam you. We’re struggling too, but more so because of our status as prisoner and parolee. But we believe in UFD and our mission with all our hearts. And we know if you give us and UFD a chance by helping us to realize our vision we will all be much better off.
Please see past our criminal record because that’s our past, not now nor our future.
This is Dontie S. Mitchell, better known as Mfalme Sikivu reporting to you from Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, New York. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @freedontiemitchell. Thank you for listening. And God bless.
(Sound of a cell door closing.) These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
https://conta.cc/4ayDxlB](https://www.prisonradio.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)