The same thing they did with Chico Mendes in Acre (environmental leader murdered in 1988) they want to do with me, the same thing they did with Sister Dorothy Stang (American missionary murdered in Pará in 2005) they want to do with me. I may be talking with you today and in a month time you can read on the news that I already died.”
- José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva (Rest in Power)
“It is in the discovery of the commonalities that movements for social change can be built upon, thru the recognition that our suffering is indeed linked.”
“Clips from the upcoming documentary exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color—-particularly dark skinned women, outside of and within the Black American culture.”
It’s so true and we choose not to address it at all. We are taught darker skin is unattractive and something not to be revered. I have experience most of these thing but I am happy to say I have never once wanted to lighten my skin, because I always loved it. But this did not stop people from trying to bring me down. this is such a deeply rooted poisonous thing, not only in the black community but society. It happens with Latinas, Asians, West Indians and all the other brown girls. I also know that people I know are either victims or guilty of this. I know I will continue loving my dark skin and have the sun kiss it everyday! Holla!
Cuando sonó la trompeta, estuvo
todo preparado en la tierra,
y Jehova repartió el mundo
a Coca-Cola Inc., Anaconda,
Ford Motors, y otras entidades:
la Compañía Frutera Inc.
se reservó lo más jugoso,
la costa central de mi tierra,
la dulce cintura de América.
Bautizó de nuevo sus tierras
como “Repúblicas Bananas,”
y sobre los muertos dormidos,
sobre los héroes inquietos
que conquistaron la grandeza,
la libertad y las banderas,
estableció la ópera bufa:
enajenó los albedríos
regaló coronas de César,
desenvainó la envidia, atrajo
la dictadora de las moscas,
moscas Trujillos, moscas Tachos,
moscas Carías, moscas Martínez,
moscas Ubico, moscas húmedas
de sangre humilde y mermelada,
moscas borrachas que zumban
sobre las tumbas populares,
moscas de circo, sabias moscas
entendidas en tiranía.
Entre las moscas sanguinarias
la Frutera desembarca,
arrasando el café y las frutas,
en sus barcos que deslizaron
como bandejas el tesoro
de nuestras tierras sumergidas.
Mientras tanto, por los abismos
azucarados de los puertos,
caían indios sepultados
en el vapor de la mañana:
un cuerpo rueda, una cosa
sin nombre, un número caído,
un racimo de fruta muerta
derramada en el pudridero.
SONG OF THE DAY: CUTUMAY CAMONES - NICARAGUA Y EL SALVADOR [EL SALVADOR, 1984]
“In my fervent heart beats the fury and courage of my people
A spring rages in my veins with the indigenous blood of El Salvador!”Friends, thanks for tuning in! This is going to be a shorter episode than I’ve done lately, but I hope you like it anyway. Today we’re going to return to El Salvador after a long hiatus, and in the process revisit the music of Cutumay Camones, who we previously discussed while listening to their song Dale Compañero. As always, I’d encourage you to look through the nueva canción archives, perhaps you’ll find something that interests you!
Cutumay Camones was active during the 1980s and was strongly affiliated with the
Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional. The FMLN was engaged in a civil war with the Salvadoran government from 1980 (when various groups merged to form the FMLN) until the Chapultepec Peace Accords, signed in 1992. During this time, the Frente controlled large areas of territory and was able to develop new forms of revolutionary culture. Cutumay Camones, named after a town where many FMLN martyrs fell, was ardent in its support of the guerrillas and became a semi-official group of the Frente along with Yolocamba I Ta and Los Torogoces de Morazan.
One of its members, former guerrilla and FMLN leading member Francisco Manzanares alias Paco Cutumay (pictured) was assassinated in 1996. He had been a squad chief for an armed unit that protected the operation of Radio Venceremos, the Frente’s news, culture, and propaganda arm, and coordinated electoral campaigns for the Frente in 1994.
The lyrics of this song are pretty straightforward: CC is talking about the unity of El Salvador and Nicaragua in their revolutionary struggles, which could spark off the rest of Central America. The revolutionaries of Nicaragua had already emerged victorious 5 years earlier than this song’s release, but the people’s war in El Salvador was to wage on for another 8 years.
Here are the lyrics for you all, I hope you enjoy it!
SPANISH:
En mi pecho vibrante palpita
de mi pueblo el coraje y el valor
Un caudal en mis venas se agita
sangre india de El Salvador
Suena al viento el tañer de campanas
anunciando la feliz rendición
de una más de las cinco hermanas
que estrenará su liberación
Nicaragua y El Salvador
Unidos en la revolución
Patria libre por eso luchamos
No queremos al Yanqui invasor
Por la patria la vida ofrendamos
con coraje y mucho valor
Todo el pueblo en un mismo camino
sacudiendo el yugo opresor
Farabundo Martí y Sandino
Nicaragua y El SalvadorENGLISH:
In my fervent heart beats
the fury and courage of my people
A spring rages in my veins
with the indigenous blood of El Salvador
The clanging of bells sounds
announcing the happy redemption
of one more of the five sisters*
who will celebrate its liberation
Nicaragua and El Salvador
United in the revolution!
A free homeland is what we struggle for
We don’t want the Yankee invader
We offer our lives to the homeland
with fury and much courage
All the people travel the same road
throwing off the oppressor’s yoke
Farabundo Marti and Sandino
Nicaragua and El Salvador*The five other countries of Spanish-speaking Central America: Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.
The mothers who lost sons.
The mothers who lost husbands.
The mothers of the Mohamed Bouazizis and the Mohamed Nabbous’. The mothers of the Iman Al Obeidy’s and the mothers of the Zainab Al Khawajas. The mothers of the Mohamed Ben Saadiks’ and the Hamadi Herwees’.
The mothers who…
1. Ask permission to ask questions. Even if you think you know they are comfortable answering, they may actually not be or maybe not in that setting, and it is just rude and pretty off-putting to not ask. Say, “Hey do you mind if I ask you some things about your transition? I’ve been a little curious – feel free to not answer or say no.”
2. Avoid private and personal questions. Even a so-called open book like me doesn’t want to discuss my sex life with most anyone. If you really want to know about trans men and sex, ask in general terms – i.e. “Are many trans men ‘stone butch’ in bed?” vs. “Are you stone butch in bed?” BIG difference.
3. Do not ask questions that in any way challenge the trans person’s gender identity or expression or could obviously lead to dysphoria. Do NOT, for example, ask if a trans man will grow to be ‘average male height’ or if a trans woman is uncomfortable with the size of her hands. I’ve gotten, “Are you ever going to look your age?” Ouch, honey.
4. Phrase your questions in a way that affirms a trans person’s gender. And avoid anything that defines the trans person in terms of who they once “were.” This is pretty simple, actually. Instead of asking if someone is “still legally female,” ask what the steps are to becoming legally male and if they have completed them.
5. Avoid comparisons to non-trans people and never use the term “real” in distinguishing between transgender and non-transgender people. “Cisgender” or “non-trans” are the only appropriate ways to signify non-trans status.
6. If it is a general question, try Google first. There is a lot of information on the internet and an open trans person should not be a stand-in for your own research.
7. Do not ask what the person’s birth name was. There is absolutely no reason for you to need to know this and it is likely something this person wants distance from. It is a particularly offensive question when phrased, “What is your REAL name.” After all, Sebastian is my real name and has been since I started asking people to use it.
8. Request specific permission to ask questions relating to genitalia, even if you’ve already received general permission to ask other personal questions. “Are you comfortable discussing your genitalia?” Chances are they aren’t. After all, do you want to talk about yours? But some people are and I acknowledge that there is definitely education needed on the topic so I am not opposed entirely to asking questions, as long as you get extra permission first.
9. Be wary of your phrasing. If you aren’t sure how to talk about trans issues, you need to announce that in the beginning. Be open to correction and don’t get defensive if a trans person is offended by something you say. As a heads up, don’t refer to a trans person as their previously-assigned gender – don’t say “when you were a girl” to a trans man for example. A more accurate and safer route is “before you transitioned” or “when you were living as a girl.”
10. Be aware of your setting. These are private conversations. Don’t approach someone at a crowded party or in algebra class and expect them to have a trans chat with you.
11. Be sensitive to the person’s comfort level throughout the conversation. If they’ve given you permission but are obviously growing uncomfortable discussing things, don’t press. Be grateful for the information you’ve gained and change the subject.
12. Respect the person’s privacy. Unless this person stated otherwise, the personal information they gave you is not for you to share with the world.
