We’ve heard the story of “The Bird Man of Alcatraz,” by Robert Stroud. Prison folklore has it the Bird Man smuggled bird eggs and fledglings (baby birds) inside his coat into the cell house on “The [...] Continue Reading
Local & State
Class Action Rally and March in Fresno
Students, faculty and their allies held a rally and march at Fresno State on April 13 protesting fee increases; demanding the resignation of Dr. Charles B. Reed, chancellor of the California State [...] Continue Reading
Grassroots: Profiles of Local Activist Leaders
Pam Whalen, of all the people I’ve interviewed, has perhaps the clearest vision of what her work as an activist is directed toward: “A workers’ paradise.” For her entire life, she has been propelled [...] Continue Reading
Academy in West Fresno Teaches Leadership and Comradeship
This spring, the Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development (FWCED) has sponsored the Black Men and Boys Leadership Academy (BMB). Keith Kelley, CEO/president of the FWCED says, “We are very [...] Continue Reading
California Redistricting: Open to the Public for the First Time
With the California electorate passing Prop 11 in 2008 and Prop 20 in 2010, the landscape for redistricting is significantly different than was the case in previous decades. Prop 11 shifted the [...] Continue Reading
California Seniors Group Fighting to Save Retirement
The future of retirement is on the line, according to the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA), a progressive grassroots advocacy organization. Nan Brasmer, president of the California [...] Continue Reading
Movement for Immigration Reform Struggles On
The May Day Committee as part of the movement for immigrants’ rights is conscious that comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level eludes us at this time. However, there are several bills at [...] Continue Reading
The Pledge of Allegiance Was Really a Marketing Ploy
Fresno State student gadfly Neil O’Brien recently got exercised by Associated Students Vice President for Finance Cesar Sanchez’s comments on video that the Pledge of Allegiance was originally a scam, [...] Continue Reading
Abolishing Homelessness in Merced: Lessons from 10-Year Plans in Other Cities
On April 9, more than 110 people attended a forum titled “Abolishing Homelessness” at the UC Merced campus. In attendance were homeless persons from Merced; veterans of homeless struggles in [...] Continue Reading
Secure Communities Program Makes Our Communities Insecure
There are many tools that the government is using to remove undocumented people from the United States. The Secure Communities (S-Comm) program is one of these programs, which is being implemented by [...] Continue Reading
The Interfaith Social Justice Collaborative Faith Calendar
ISJC Mission Statement: To network and collaborate as we work to serve and promote systemic change for the common good; to educate and inspire one another to positive actions; to model interfaith [...] Continue Reading
In Memoriam
Marion Metcalf Young (April 29, 1927–March 12, 2011) Marion Young, one of the founders of the Fig Tree Gallery and a member of the local progressive community, died unexpectedly on March 12 after a [...] Continue Reading