Occupy Detroit

My personal journey through the Occupy Detroit protest. In the end, it seems apathy will be the death of civilization.Native Detroiter, African-American, Female... I am the 99%

Real People, Real Facts

larepublicadedet:

Michigan Economy

So, as of October 1st Michigan families will only be able to receive cash assistance for 48 months. I don’t know if this is exclusive to new families receiving cash assistance only, so how will families be affected who have received cash assistance prior to Oct. 1st?

Either way, there are simply not enough jobs here. Michigan has an almost 11% unemployment rate. While cities like Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw - have unemployment rates through the roof! Detroit alone has a near 50% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE? We suffer a great deal of brain drain because even those with degrees struggle to get jobs or are underemployed. So imagine what it is like for those who don’t have degrees?

Youth unemployment nationwide was the highest it’s ever been last year since the mid 20th century. In the days where every kid seems to have an iphone, laptop, ipod, etc this may not seem to be true but there are kids without a phone let alone internet. Who was on Snyder’s advisory board for this shit?

This is a place once ruled by plants and factories. Where people could get paid $30/hr for positions now worth $12/hr fresh out of high school. And it’s not as easy to say “well, they should just go to school (not back!) and fix themselves.” We’re talking about men and women 45+ who have been laid off or suffered severe paycuts. Where will they get this money to simply go to school and fix their life magically?

In the city, Wayne State alone has reduced the amount of residents its taken in from the city by 20%. 

I just don’t understand what the state expects people to do. When people are hungry, have limited access - they must eat. And if people must survive in such dire conditions, we should not be surprised at the acts of desperation, illegal activity, etc that will likely rise in the city. 

I love my city, but being honest these conditions are not conducive for anybody’s living. Going home, alone, there are x-amount of burned down houses close to my mother’s house and we lived in a *good* neighborhood. If it’s looking bad for the middle class, what do people think it’s looking like for working class, working class poor, the underclass, etc??

How do you cut cash assistance, not bring in jobs, and close everything from elementary to public schools?? O_O … What are people supposed to do?

Jay-Z, as talented as he is, has the political sensibility of a hood rat and is a scrotum. To attempt to profit off of the first important social moment of 50 years with an overpriced piece of cotton is an insult to the fight for economic civil rights known as #occupywallstreet.

fuzzytek:

Fuzzytek has created three designs of the Nov 5 V Poster series. The timing on producing these is VERY tight as they target November 5 marches around the world. Please share this post on your blog.

The page to see all the posters and order them is http://thedetroitfactory.com/nov-5-v-posters or you can see them at fuzzytek.tumblr.com/v-poster. These posters are being sold at a celebratory rate of $5 each and are 18”x24” in size printed to 100# gloss text stock. Taxes and shipping are added expenses. If you are in the Detroit area your order can be picked up after November 3rd. Indicate you are picking it up in the special instructions. PRE-ORDERS ONLY AT THIS TIME.

thenewrepublic: Occupy the universities? With the costs of a college education astonishingly high and youth job prospects incredibly dim in this economy, is going to college worth it anymore? “The students in Zuccotti Park are right to focus on the injustices of student debt: Many of them are indentured to the very banks that destroyed the economy and along with it the jobs students need to pay their loans back. The banks were bailed out for their trouble, while students are left with debt that, thanks to financial industry lobbying, can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. Outstanding student loans in the United States are projected to reach $1 trillion this year, a larger sum than credit card debt.” - Kevin Carey “Why Obama Should Pay Attention To Occupy Wall Street’s Critique of Higher Education” Photo courtesy of Andy Wibbels.

thenewrepublic:

Occupy the universities?

With the costs of a college education astonishingly high and youth job prospects incredibly dim in this economy, is going to college worth it anymore?

“The students in Zuccotti Park are right to focus on the injustices of student debt: Many of them are indentured to the very banks that destroyed the economy and along with it the jobs students need to pay their loans back. The banks were bailed out for their trouble, while students are left with debt that, thanks to financial industry lobbying, can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. Outstanding student loans in the United States are projected to reach $1 trillion this year, a larger sum than credit card debt.”

- Kevin Carey “Why Obama Should Pay Attention To Occupy Wall Street’s Critique of Higher Education”

Photo courtesy of Andy Wibbels.

(via ilovecharts)

DETROIT — Angry Detroit protesters defied police and stalled international trade Thursday by forming a human blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, snarling truck traffic all the way back to Windsor. About 100 protesters, made up of Bridge Watch Detroit supporters and an Occupy Detroit contingent, locked hands, chanted slogans and blocked big rigs from exiting the bridge for nearly an hour. As they waved signs and argued with police — protesting the actions and influence of billionaire bridge owner Matty Moroun — a long line of motionless tractor trailers stretched back across to Huron Church Road. “Today we made sure our Windsor sisters and brothers knew we were doing this,” said Democratic State Representative Rashida Tlaib. “They’re tired as much as we are. They’re tired of the trucks rumbling through their community. They’re tired of the asthma rate increases. I mean we’re tired. We need respect. We may not be billionaires, but we have rights. We have power. The 99 per cent — we may not have money, but the power of the people matters.

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Detroit protesters block trucks on bridge

Tears all over the fucking place. HELL FUCKING YES. no coherent words right now, but this is big. This is SO big.

(via midwestmountainmama)

wow..

(via liquornspice)

Taken by me at Grand Circus Park.