Bang4Change; Reviving the Struggle for Civil Rights

In an important first step towards the re awakening of the Civil Rights movement a rally of performers and speakers brought the struggle for human rights in San Francisco to Civic Center Plaza on Saturday.

The event was initiated and organized by the Idriss Stelley Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing about accountability of police brutality and murders especially in the oppressed communities of San Francisco. The foundation was founded by Mesha Monge-Iziarry and named after her son who was gunned down in the Metreon Theater in 2001.

Bang4Change brought together a wide range of progressive groups and performers who spoke and tabled at the event. While the underlying theme was an end to police brutality and racism, anti war groups helped organize the event to illustrate the connection between the war in Iraq and the war right here at home in communities like the Bay View.

The most moving part of the day was when the stage became filled with families who had lost a loved one to police murder. Saturday also brought together many rap groups from the Bay Area who had previously not worked together, including Gutta Mob, Kev Kelly, Black Steven and Bernadette_Ja’Net. Also performing was Michael Franti, Colored Ink and the reggae band Jah Kuumba. Pam Pam “the imposing one” was the MC.

Speakers included Bay View youth Gladys Gimadi, poet Meilani Clay, District 10 Youth Commissioner Cassandra James, Rachael Hereford from Youth and Student ANSWER, Ace Washington from the Fillmore, Pierre Labossiere and Duclos Benissoit representing the Haitian Community, SF BayView reporter Ebony Colbert,Valerie Tullier from Sen. Carol Migden’s office, Fred Hamption Jr. from the Prisoners of Conscience Committee, Gerald Smith from Cop Watch, SF Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, Delacy Davis from Black Cops Against Police Brutality, Families of Victims of Police of Police Brutality, Renee Saucedo from La Raza Centro Legal, Merle Woo from National Radical Women, transgender activist Sister Jazzie Collins and others. KPOO radio gave the event extensive coverage and it was covered live on KPFA free speech radio.

Bang4Change was sponsored and organized by the Idriss Stelley Foundation, Community First Coalition, ANSWER Coalition, American Friends Service Committee and was endorsed by a host of grassroots and progressive organizations.