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Ghostface is coming. I listened to the Brown Tape to review it asGhostface's new album. My feeling was this is dope, but I didn't follow the plotline of this or any other storytelling record.

The Adrian Younge album had a plotline where Ghost is fighting the Deluca Crime Family. Whatever the case, I was into the album because Adrian Younge makes music that sounds like what the RZA samples. Come to find out the Brown Tape is a rerelease of a Remix album Apollo Brown did in 2013 of the Adrian Young record. The Brown Tape is not as textured and more raw Hip Hop. Ghostface is never wack.

I even loved Ghost's R & B album “Wizard of Poetry.” Some didn't.

I think the validation for Wizard of Poetry can be found with Tyler, The Creator's Flowerboy record.

Ghostface is playing Columbus so expect to get all you joints from Ironman, Supreme Clientelle, and the Wu-Tang Albums.

Thousands of labor movement activists gathered together at the 2018 Labor Notesconference in Chicago on April 6-8. We were excited to be able to join them, representing CWA Local 4502. The conference gave us many ideas to bring back to our union and community, as we enter into "the best of times, the worst of times" for the labor and other social movements.

From the Bottom Up

The labor movement in the United States faces the worst of times as the Supreme Court is poised to rule on Janus v. AFSCME, potentially dealing a heavy blow to the ability of public-sector unions, the strongest bastion of organized US labor, to collect fair share fees for the purpose of fighting for the interest of all in our bargaining units, not just union members.

It is strange times indeed for Ohio politics. Richard Cordray is practically molded in the image of the perfect Democrat, and yet he is fighting for his life against someone that the Democratic elite had long dismissed as a sideshow, engaging in an escalating and bizarre series of character assassinations. Not that Aramis Malachi-Ture Sundiata, the Kucinich/Samples campaign’s state organizing director, is particularly concerned. “When I speak to the people, the questions on their tongues are not about Syria. I haven’t heard anything on the ground about that.”

Indeed, while he is not particularly concerned about the Cordray campaign and its hilarious-if-not-so-frightening clip-emptying attack ads, they should be concerned about him, for it is him and the team of veteran organizers that make up the Kucinich campaign staff that have given the ODP’s anointed one sleepless nights.

Howard Dean was seen as the first pioneer in waging a major electoral campaign through grassroots organizing, and Bernie Sanders is the most prominent example in recent history, but in both situations, it was more of a marketing term.

Tuesday, May 1, 7-11pm
Rehab Tavern, 456 W. Town St.
This Tuesday join Columbus DSA for a special May Day edition of Socialist Happy Hour! If you’re a lefty in Columbus come by, all are welcome, so come celebrate May Day with us at Rehab Tavern!

The Columbus Free Press joins many others worldwide in condemning the killing of 10 journalists in Afghanistan on Monday, April 30. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports: "At least nine journalists were among at least 25 people killed in a double suicide bomb attack carried out in the capital by the militant group Islamic State, according to media reports. A spokesperson for Kabul police said that about 30 minutes after the first attack, a bomber disguised as a member of the media set off his explosives among a group of journalists who had arrived to cover the earlier blast, Agence France-Presse reported."

It's 2018 and Columbus is gearing up for another year's Pride Celebration... But the question beckons even after last year's demonstration.

“Why do We need our own Pride?”

“Why can’t they compromise with Stonewall?”

“What could they possibly be mad about?”

And my all-time favorite: “Does anybody know who Marsha P. Johnson is?”

We all revere the Stonewall riots as one of the most popular and powerful demonstrations/riots that kicked off the "Gay Liberation" movement for the LGBTQIA community.

However, in all that glory and all that accomplishment, throughout all of these years, that's led us to where we are today. There still seems to be a misconception among the white gay community and a few folks of color (due to purposeful mis-education and whitewashing of our history) about who actually started the Stonewall riots – the very riots that the "Gay rights" movement for the LGBTQIA community is built on.

I work with the grassroots ballot initiative campaign, The Columbus Community Bill of Rights

We’re working to get 8,000 Columbus voter signatures before June 26, 2018 to put this City Ordinance on the November ballot, to stop toxic, radioactive Frack Waste Injection wells in the Columbus Watershed. This is Big!

When I read that one of my heroes, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was coming to Northern Ohio to support former Congressman, Dennis Kucinich’s run for Governor, I decided to take a road trip. 

Shortly after I moved back to Ohio from Oregon in 2016, I learned that Wayne National Forest, Ohio's only national forest, was under threat from the gas and oil industry.

After learning more about what was happening, visiting the area, and meeting some locals who will be directly impacted, I felt compelled to document what's being lost and the stories of the people to whom it matters most.

Over the past year, with some support from a Heartwood mini-grant, I have shot hours of footage of scenery and wildlife, as well as gas and oil infrastructure, and have recorded and transcribed a couple of interviews with people from the area who love the forest and are being directly impacted by the industrialization of this natural area.

My immediate goal is to conduct at least two more interviews and shoot some additional spring forest footage during the April and early May, and then edit together a piece by the end of May, in time to screen it at Heartwood's 28th Annual Forest Council in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

Sunday, April 29, 4pm
Genoa Park, 303 w. Broad
The Interfaith March for Peace & Justice is a nonpartisan event meant to affirm the freedom of religion and to condemn all acts of discrimination directed at people because of their religion, race, or place of origin. 

On April 29, stand up against racism and religious intolerance with people around the country and the world as we march together! The Columbus March will begin at Genoa Park at 4:30 PM! Attendees should arrive by 4 PM. 

Please contact us with any questions!
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Our Guiding Principles
1. We believe that all people should be free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination, intimidation, or reprisal.

2. We believe that multiple religions can coexist peacefully and contribute to the common good.

3. We believe that equal justice and equal protection under the law are rights to which all people are entitled regardless of race.

Bruce Thomas Duncanson “General Bruce” born December 20, 1958, passed on to peace and glory April 15, 2018. He was a passionate peace and environmental activist, loving son, brother and friend to all. He was a familiar face at the Free Press Second Saturday Salons and at Comfest each year. 

Bruce first got started with peace activism while living in Minnesota. He was a part of the anti-nuclear movement that was working to prevent nuclear war and eliminate the threat of nuclear bombs. It was here that he also came up with the idea for a Peace Army. Bruce had struggled with mental health and he realized the value that people who had mental health problems could contribute to society rather than being marginalized. His idea the Peace Army for Mental Health was one of the many inspirational ideas he came up with over his lifetime of activism. His work as an advocate for the peace army is how he became known as General Bruce to many in the anti-war movement. See Bruce describe it himself on YouTube at – https://youtu.be/kLL2_IOjdBs