On Election Day, voter turn out was unprecedented in many places across the country including Harlem in New York City. CNPI reporter Kristofer Ríos visited several polling stations, and spoke to some of the voters who came out in big numbers to cast their ballot on a historic day.
Several teenagers aged 17 and under gathered at City Hall on Election Day to ask that the voting age be lowered to 16. CNPI reporter Abdulai Bah was at the steps of City Hall to file this report for Free Speech Radio News.
Election Day turnout broke records, but not every voter in line was able to cast their ballot. In New Jersey, some voters were forced to return home without voting. CNPI reporter Ravi Ragbair was on the scene at polling stations that could not accommodate everyone. He filed this report for Free Speech Radio News.
On Thursday October 23rd, Amnesty International organized a worldwide rally to support Troy Davis, the African-American man accused of killing a police officer in Savannah, Georgia.
The Community News Production Institute in partnership with Global Movement Urban Struggles aired its monthly show on Tuesday October 28th at 10am on WBAI 99.5 FM. The hour-long show features Amy Gottlied of the American Friends Service Committee talking about immigration, an issue both presidential candidates have less addressed in their campaigns. Billy Wharton of The Coalition Against Privatization and Martin Holland of The Transport Workers Union address the privatization plan of GHI/HIP, two major health care providers servicing more than 4-million New Yorkers.
Next year, television broadcasters will move to digital broadcasting, automatically creating enormous unused spectrum between the channels. The unused spectrum, otherwise known as White Spaces, will allow the public to use it with broadband-enabled mobile devices that would significantly reduce the digital divide.
CNPI reporter, Christine Lewis of Domestic Workers United files this report for Free Speech Radio News.
There is a growing concern over school overcrowding in New York City, hundreds of them are said to be facing this escalating issue. CNPI reporter, Florence Wapimewah recently sat down with New York State Assemble Member Micah Z. Kellner to talk about the issue and the organizing that parents, students and some elected officials have been doing to address the problem.
The interview was aired on WBAI 99.5FM.
Abdulai Bah of the Community News Production Institute takes pre-paid calling cards to task and suggests that white space devices could save immigrants a load of cash.
CNPI reporter, Christine Lewis of DWU was recently in South Carolina for the commemoration of late Reverend Joseph Armstrong DeLaine, a Civil Rights Activist who led a crusade to desegregate public schools. Rev. DeLaine was one of the victorious plaintiffs in one of the cases that constituted the Brown decision, Briggs vs Elliot.
Christine files this story for Free Speech Radio News.
As hurricane Gustav made its landfall on New Orleans and other cities of the Gulf region, much of the media attention has focused on the never-seen-before evacuation organized by local authorities. But less has been said about victims who were unable to evacuate more than three years ago when both Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast and three years later are still struggling to rebuild their lives.
Right now, we are working with some amazing groups: Nah We Yone, Domestic Workers United, The Street Vendors Project, and the Katrina Evacuees Coalition of New York.
Debra is with Domestic Workers United, is from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. She came to the United States in the hopes to find a better life for herself and kids. She joined CNPI so to help tell the stories of the thousands of domestic workers who have come from the Caribbean.
Teresa has worked as a street vendor in New York City for the last 19 years and is a member of the Street Vendor Project, an organization that advocates for Vendor Rights in the City. Teresa has worked on radio projects that have aired both locally and nationally, including a national piece that compared the struggles for low-income workers in New York City and Hurricane Katrina survivors and on the plight of street vendors who lost their work location after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trace Center Towers.
Bilal is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee who moved to New York City after his home was destroyed in the storm. Bilal now works with the Huricane Katrina Survivors Coalition and is an original member of CNPI. Bilal has filed stories for a national audience concerning the plight of immigrant street vendors and has participated and produced stories looking at Katrina evacuees living in New York City. Bilal currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
James has worked as a street vendor for over 5 years and is a board member of the Street Vendor Project. James is a veteran of the first Gulf War. He has used that experience in an interview he conducted with an Iraq War veteran running for Congress in 2006 that was heard throughout the country. James has also begun conducting street vendor reviews for New York City local audience. He has also filed reports from New Orleans on the plight of Hurricane Katrina survivors.
