ERACISM Minute 10/11/2020 Henry Ohana

 

The 13^th amendment was passed in December of 1865.  The text of that amendments reads, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.”  This loophole was immediately exploited and many of the newly freed slaves were imprisoned for minor crimes such as loitering or vagrancy.  Thus, slave labor was allowed to continue and the notion of the “black criminal” was created.

 

This system of labor allows states to maintain their reliance on forced, uncompensated or undercompensated, and predominantly Black labor to this day.  Cheap prison labor is a powerful labor market incentive against criminal justice reform.   Private corporations are incentivized to lobby for policies that maximize prison populations in order to sustain a business model that is only profitable because they can exploit artificially deflated labor costs.

4100 corporations profit from prison labor and every state, except for Alaska, has a state-governed prison industries initiative.

 

Most inmates are engaged in in-house work within correctional facilities, such as food service and laundry, however around 63,000 inmates work in prison industries which produce goods for external sale. Work ranges from farm production and manufacturing to call centers and distribution services.  Those Idaho potatoes you may eat?  Prison labor.  McDonald’s containers, cutlery, and employee’s uniforms?  Also - prison labor.

 

Usually inmates are not “required” to work; however the consequences of not working are harsh.  They may lose their “privileges” such as family visits or even may end up in solitary confinement.  If the prisoners are paid, they can earn as little as 74 cents a day and are often required to pay for basic items such as soap, deodorant, and shoes. Inmates can have 80% of their measly pay taken for taxes, room and board, and restitution.

 

Here are some companies to avoid if you don’t want to support prison labor

Meeting Minutes 10/5/2020

 

BUF Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team

Business/Planning Meeting:  October 5, 2020

 

Present:  Mary Aldin, Genia Allen, Murray Bennett, Lauralee Carbone, David Curley, Claire Lending, Cat McIntyre

 

1. Eracism Minutes. 

10/11   Cat will ask Hank Ohana

10/18   David Curley

10/25   Lauralee Carbone

11/1      Cat McIntyre (about 8th Priniple 'whereas' statements)

 

2. Program for Oct. 12.  Kaitlin Davis will complete the three-part series, "Difficult Conversations. Genia would like to repeat this series in the new year, perhaps with facilitators.  This could also be a 'meet up' topic. 

 

3. Program for Nov.  9. Subject will be a talk by Ibram X Kendi. Genia encouraged whomever presents this to use enhanced audio. Lauralee and Genia will coordinate the technology, with help from Kevin Allen-Schmid. 

 

4. Phone Tree Report. Genia reports that she and Henry Ohana completed the phone tree list. It will initiate by Cat McIntyre calling eight people who will then each call 5 or 6 others. Calls will be selected for urgent actions that require a quick response. An example would be local shooting with vigil the same night.

 

5. Eighth Principle Update.  Five more listening sessions have been set up through November 8. Kara Black did a session on Sunday, Oct. 4 for Chalice Circle facilitators.  Two frequent questions are the format of the resolution, particularly concerning: 

a.    Accountability

b.    Whereas statements -- does one have to agree with all the statements to sign on to the principle? and

c.     Where is BUF regarding Beloved Community now, and how would that change under 8th Principle?

Upcoming Eracism minutes will address these questions.

 

6. Meeting with Whatcom Co. Prosecutor. Lauralee put together a power point presentation, some of which she showed to the group. Hank Ohana is working to add Grass Roots Law's Four Demands. Once the presentation is edited to focus on 2-3 items that the prosecutor has power over and could effect change, Lauralee will arrange the meeting.  Several people are interested in working on this, including Kara Black, who has already met with the prosecutor, C2C and Restorative Justice. The point of our meeting will be: although we are all white, we have a moral stance, we are allies, we care and we vote. 
 

Next BLM Program meeting: Oct 12 at 7 pm

Next BLM business/planning meeting: November 2 at 6 pm

 

Respectfully submitted,
Cat McIntyre, co-facilitator, BUF Black Lives Matter Ministry Action Team