Local Activist's Quest For Justice Leads to Jail Time

TRENTON-- Local political activist and blogger, Daryl Brooks, was jailed Thursday for not complying with his parole counselor's request that he admit to a crime he insists he did not commit according to close friends of the beleaguered activist.

Brooks, a former senate candidate, was convicted in 1998 on counts of lewdness, endangerment of a child, and sexual assault, a crime for which he has maintained his innocence.  After serving his time, the political firebrand has confronted issues plaguing urban and suburban neighborhoods alike: drugs, guns, gang violence, inadequate educational system, prison system, police corruption and poverty.

Brooks' most recent bout with the criminal justice system comes at a time when he had initiated a hunger strike protesting what he thought to be unjust treatment by the Mercer County Parole Board.

In a recent Occupy the Hood blog, Brooks said that his hunger strike was brought about by the parole board's decision to revoke his Internet privileges. According to Brooks, the parole board denied him the ability to appeal or challenge their decision. He reports that they will not let him or his attorney see or have a copy of the lie detector results. The activist views the parole board's actions as somewhat like what would happen in communist countries like China or North Korea, not in America.

Now as Brooks sits in jail, his friends and supporters demand an immediate investigation of the matter.

According to the embattled activist's mother Jane, his bail has been set at $1,000. She has already put together $500 of that amount.

Occupy Trenton Holds Trayvon Vigil

TRENTON-- On February 26th in Sanford, Florida. George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer,  tracked down and shot 17 year old Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager. Zimmerman still hasn't been arrested because local police have indicated that the neighborhood watch volunteer was 'standing his ground'.

According to the controversial 'stand your ground' law, citizens have the right to use deadly force anywhere they 'reasonably believe' it is necessary to stop another person from killing or hurting them badly. 

In response to this event, anger and outrage have swept the country. Marches and rallies have ensued involving prominent individuals like civil rights activist Al Sharpton and radio personality Michael Baisden. President Obama has even called the incident a "tragedy".

This tragic episode has also sparked local interest. Pastor Simeon Spencer of Union Baptist Church decided to have his congregation wear hoodies this Sunday in remembrance of  Trayvon.

On March 26th at 7 PM, area residents will hold a vigil on the one month anniversary of Trayvon's murder. The location will be the Occupy Trenton site at the World War II Memorial Park 136-140 West State Street (across from the New Jersey Statehouse). 

 People will light a candle, tell a story, sing a song or just quietly observe the moment. This is a space for people to peacefully mourn, share their anger, and give each other strength and hope in the long fight for justice.

Like citizens in many cities across the nation, members of the local Occupy the Hood movement seek to  remember Trayvon and countless others that have been wrongfully murdered because of prejudice and fear. 

Members of the Occupy movement say that, besides Trayvon Martin, there have been other prominent cases involving similar offenses. Cases involving individuals like Sean Bell,  Oscar Grant, Sakia Gunn, Brisenia Flores, and Luis Ramirez. They argue that there are many more out there that remain nameless, faceless victims of a corrupt, unjust society, which says some lives are just worth less than others.

For more information please contact Occupy Trenton at (609) 222-4790, Charles Hardy at (609) 635-1082 or Daryl Mikell Brooks at (609) 421-5439.

Please see video below:

Occupy the Hood NJ Holds Forum at Trenton Library

TRENTON-- Members of the Occupy the Hood New Jersey protest movement met at the Trenton Public Library Saturday morning to discuss issues affecting the community.

During the forum, meeting participants discussed an array of issues. They spoke about the prison industrial complex, education, crime, voting, and civic engagement.

Occupy the Hood was born out of dissatisfaction with the larger Occupy Wall Street movement. Occupy Wall Street originated in New York's financial district just three months ago, but has branched out into various cities across the United States (including Trenton) and abroad. 

Occupiers protest a variety of issues, including, but not limited, to debit card fees, the growing gap between the rich and poor, Wall Street bailouts and corporate influence in politics.

Members of the Occupy the Hood Movement argue that issues affecting the lives of 'minorities' and poor people were not being adequately addressed by the larger Occupy Wall Street protest movement.

Out of this dissatisfaction, the Occupy the Hood Movement was born. Hood occupiers speak to a whole host of issues that affect the day to day lives of people living in urban communities like Trenton, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Issues like crime, education, the prison industrial complex, and budget cuts, to name a few.

Saturday morning, members of the community engaged in a robust discussion.

During the forum, Rodney Jenkins, a city man said, that we need to hold our leaders accountable and not just vote during election years, but rather we need to get more involved in between elections.

Michael Johnson, a Ewing man said, he would like to see more young people get involved in the Occupy the Hood movement. He said, "I want to see more people become a part of the solution and not the problem".

Daryl Brooks, a city activist said, he wants the movement to not only raise awareness but also challenge the banks and challenge the prison industrial complex. He thinks this movement has the potential to become the next Civil Rights Movement.

To get involved, contact Occupy the Hood New Jersey by email: occupythehoodnj@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page by clicking here.

Please see videos below:

Should Trenton Occupy the Hood, That Is The Question

TRENTON-- For those that don't already know, there is a growing movement emerging all over the world. Members of this movement have been protesting a host of issues. From debit card fees and the growing gap between the rich and poor to Wall Street bailouts and corporate influence in politics, members of this movement are mad as hell and are not taking it anymore. That movement goes under the name, Occupy Wall Street.

Currently, there is an Occupy Trenton encampment located on North Warren Street in the state's capitol.

However, the impression many people have is that the movement is made up primarily of white, middle class individuals.

As a matter of fact, while standing at the North Warren Street encampment, I was greeted by an anonymous city man that said he was surprised to see me since I was a black male. Like others in the mainstream, he thought the movement was made up of 'young white kids' to use his words.

The city man and I began to dialogue about what the movement is about and he told me that what they need to be focusing on is the hell we [meaning African Americans] have been catching for years down here in Trenton.

He went on to tell me that for individuals that live in urban communities like Trenton, the Occupy Wall Street Movement and its protest of Wall Street executives, is far removed from the issues and problems that affect city dwellers on a day to day basis.

Issues like unemployment, police brutality, foreclosures, lack of educational opportunity, racial profiling, budget cuts, housing, human services, civic engagement and racism are more immediate problems that affect all too many minorities in urban communities like Trenton, he said.

Interestingly enough after this conversation, I stumbled upon a new movement that addresses the exact issues the city man and I were discussing. The Occupy the Hood protest movement has started to pop up in various urban communities like Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh, and the like.

Occupy the Hood is a growing protest movement that seeks to address issues affecting minorities. Members of this movement seek to bring those same issues to members of the Occupy Wall Street movement, not to compete with them, but to forge a more unified front.

Jason Latson, an individual from Roxbury, Massachussetts, said, "I didn't know anything about Occupy Boston before tonight. I heard a lot of chanting in the neighborhood and decided to come out to see what was going on. I think this was a wake-up call for everybody to stand up for equality and peace and justice for all people from all walks of life. Our common enemy is injustice".

The question becomes: Should Trentonians, like other urban dwellers across the country, start an Occupy the Hood protest movement here in the state capitol? Should we stand up and speak out to have our issues heard? The answer to those questions remains unanswered. Tell me what you think...

For more information on the Occupy the Hood Movement, visit their Facebook page here.