Thug Life Army

Each month The Talking Drum Collective issues a "Call to Action" that addresses some problem that plagues the poor, disenfranchised, wrongfully imprisoned, undereducated, unemployed, culturally broken and politically destitute: many topics that hip-hop culture can relate to and that we experience.

We will be providing news and information on the Grassroots Call to Action - Monthly Action Alert Campaign, in the hopes of making you aware of the ongoing struggles and maybe helping you to decide to get involved.

Believing in the spirit of ACTION and the POWER of PEOPLE, we want to make you aware of this months Talking Drum Collective Call to Action

PLAN OF ACTION:

Raise $15,000 for Pan-Afrikan organizations who are providing direct aid to Afrikans impacted by Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Also facilitate the donation of $15,000 non-monetary donations like clothes, food, water, and transportation services in the following cities: Atlanta, St. Louis and Houston, which will then be transported to affected cities.

PURPOSE OF ACTION:

Many of 100,000s of families that impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will need assistance for as long as year. In some cases, longer. They will not only need basic emergency assistance (which is defined here as clothes, food, water), but they will also need various social services that provide job and housing referrals, transportation, family counseling, and small financial assistance. The purpose of this action is to support Afrikan-run organizations that have the desire, ability to support dislocated families and have expressed a willingness to report their activities to those that make donations of money, goods or services. These organizations will have lower overhead costs and are interested in our people beyond politics and headlines, unlike other large organizations like Red Cross, WorldVision, UNChildren etc.

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ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS

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Organization - Intended Use of Donations

Action CDC (TX) social services

Republic of New Afrika emergency assistance

First African Church (GA) emergency assistance

Shrine of the Black Madonna (TX) emergency assistance

Better Family Life (STL) social services

Others may be added throughout month

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW:

(1) Make a financial donation of any amount (preferably a minimum of $2) via our secure paypal system.

(2) If you have non-monetary donations and you live in Atlanta, St. Louis or Houston, contact us today so we can tell you where drop-off points are in your area.

(3) Ask at least five [5] friends to participate in this alert.

GOALS

* Collect $15,000 in monetary donations

* Collect $15,000 in non-monetary donations

OUTCOMES

* Strengthen preexisting Afrikan organizations abilities to serve.

* Provide clothes, food, water and basic supplies to 100 families.

* Provide social services to 100 families.

* Practice self-reliance, rather than dependence.

WHERE TO READ FULL ALERT AND MAKE A DONATION:

Oct Alert: www.assatashakur.org/1005.htm

Main Alert Page: www.assatashakur.org/resist.htm

TIME FRAME:

1 Month (Considering the seriousness of this alert we are asking you to continue to donating to this alert as often as possible throughout the year)

DON''T FORGET TO FILL OUT THE POLL ON THE ACTION ALERT PAGE!

WHY SUPPORT BLACK ORGANIZATIONS AND NOT OTHERS?

"George Bush doesn''t care about Black people." - Kanye West

"All of them that we see, are so poor and they are so black" - Wolfe Blitzer, CNN newsman

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them." - Barabra Bush, former First Lady

"New Orleans allowed development for decades that actually weakened the barrier islands and encouraged erosion. It clearly did not have an adequate evacuation plan, even though the city was fully aware that over 100,000 people there don''t have cars." - Karen Tumulty of Time magazine

"[T]hen, they called them "refugees.'''' Some bright light in the media came up with that one to further dehumanize poor black people in New Orleans." - Rep. Cynthia McKinney

"Merlene Maten's bail was set at $50,000 and she spent over two weeks [2 weeks ago was Sept. 2, 2005] jailed over a sausage. A 73-year-old [black] woman who was jailed for more than two weeks after authorities accused her of looting was released Friday evening." - GRETNA, La. (Sept. 16) AP

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco sent a directed warning that incoming guard troops "have M-16s and they''re locked and loaded ... [and they] know how to shoot and kill, and they are more than willing to do so, and I expect they will."

"Now is the time for us to come together with one another, to organize, to speak out and speak up on behalf of each other. There is no time to waste, while we debate, define, and discuss; the enemy continues his genocidal plan. We need to bear in mind the Ashanti proverb: ''Two men in a burning house must not stop to argue.'' " - Dr. Mutulu Shakur

AFRICA MUST UNITE! For more information visit the following:

Assata Speaks - http://www.assatashakur.org

Assata Shakur Forum - http://www.assatashakur.org/forum  

FTP Dollar A Month Club - http://www.ftpmovement.com/dollar.html  

Pan African TV - http://www.PanAfrican.TV  

The Talking Drum - http://www.thetalkingdrum.com