Street roots
April 12, 2013
9
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KITCHEN DOOR, from page 8
S.J.: We very much think of ourselves in
this century as the manufacturing sector of
a hundred years ago. It’s the most visible
industry, setting standards for the rest of
the economy, and it will be intervention in
this industry that will ultimately lift
standards for the rest of the economy, same
as manufacturing a hundred years ago.
Those manufacturing jobs were bad jobs a
hundred years ago. It was union efforts that
lifted them. The unions of a hundred years
ago looked very much like what Restaurant
Opportunities Center is today, using all
kinds of different innovative strategies,
organizing consumers. You’ve heard of the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire — there was
a march in New York City of very wealthy
women who used the shirtwaists (a popular
button-down blouse) that were produced in
these factories. So there’s plenty of
examples of consumers standing by
workers.
Right now we have a campaign against
Darden, which is the world’s largest full-
service restaurant company. It owns all of
Darden restaurants including Red Lobster,
Capitol Grille steak houses. A few months
ago when ACA was ruled constitutional,
they announced that they were going to
reduce all of their workers’ hours to part-
time to evade ACA. We were part of
organizing consumer outrage on the issue.
Their Standard & Poor’s rating went down
because consumers were outraged and
Darden clarified their stance. They said
they’re not reducing anybody’s hours. It was
LIV WARFIELD, from page 1
influences on your work?
forgetting how to be genuine people.
write. See, writing is a freedom. We forget
that. It’s a luxury that most of my ancestors
fought for. Because I can use my voice as
well is a “Freedom” but what I do with it,
it’s important to me. What you speak and
put out into the world is defiantly energy
and I want my voice to paint love, p e a c e and
L.W.: First and foremost (soul singer)
Linda Hornbuckle, Andy Stokes, Storm
Large, Brian Foxworth, LaRohnda Steele,
Janice Scroggins, Patrick Lamb, to name s
few. But Linda, she is the catalyst to my
beginnings as a singer. I love her so much.
I’m truly grateful to a lot of people who’ve
S.Z.: Can you explain the energy exchange
that happens for you when you perform?
L.W.: It’s like a wave that comes over me,
a light and a love that washes over my spirit.
I see everyone who is engaged in my show
and it overwhelms me. I quickly get filled
a w a re n e ss to w h a t’s a ro u n d us. G osh,
b e e n e x tre m e ly in s tru m e n ta l to m y grow th.
up! You know, I h ad su rg e ry on m y th y ro id
Marvin Gaye did it. Sam Cooke too. They
sang all these beautiful songs but there was
a message! Our voice in this day and age
should carry a message. Music can inspire
change, that what I hope to do!
My bandmates (Sedell Jones, Tyrone
Hendrix, Sean Foote, AG Donaloia, Ashley,
Saeeda) over the years. Paul of Rumblefish,
Todd Rouse, JD & Jimmy from Jimmy Maks,
Joey Porter, Willamette Week and you too! I
could name so many people that will fill this
page up. They know who they are! I was
influenced by them in so many ways. I’m so
thankful.
last year. My doctor, Dr. Aliabadi, changed
my life. That surgery was so close to my
vocal chords. She told me she wasn’t sure if
I was going to be singing anymore. I broke
down. I prayed and I prayed to God to watch
over me. If it was meant for me to be
singing, then let it be! But I vowed to always
give my heart and soul at every
performance, because “of much is given,
much is required.” I’m Free when I
perform! I do what my soul tells me.
S.J.: Extreme fear of being fired. Also just
how busy people are. People are working
70-to 80-hour work weeks. There’s a lot of
turnover. We’ve managed to organize
workers despite all of these things.
M.W.: Are there divisions that show up
between different groups?
S.J.: There’s severe racial segregation. In
fine dining and casual restaurants, white
workers in the front, and workers of color in
lower-paid busser, runner, back-of-the-house
positions. A waiter generally considers
himself to be better than people in the back.
I think we’re able to overcome that by
having people come together and see how
they can work.
M.W.: Restaurants seem to have become the
first point of arrival for immigrants, like
sweatshops used to be.
S.Z.: What social issues are important to
you?
L.W.: Literacy and mental health, gun
control and learning to survive off the land.
I need to become better at that. I also
support Girls, Inc. and ReBuild the Dream,
an organization that focuses on redefining
the American dream and works on building
up communities. Portland is a beautiful city
in that way. I would love to bring the
Portland energy to my hometown Peoria, IL.
We need it!
S.Z.: What or who are some of the local
S.Z.: As you travel the world on tour, what
do you notice about the state we, as humans,
are in?
L.W.: Good question. We are walking
around like we are dreaming. Our heads are
down in iPhones and laptops now, that we
don’t have the time to say hello to each
other anymore. It’s sad sometimes. We are
slowly becoming programmed or we already
are. We are lacking social skills. People are
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a big victory, and it showed consumers have
tremendous power.
M.W.: Did you ever work a restaurant job?
S J .: Only in Colors (Restaurant
Opportunities Center’s cooperative and
training restaurant).
M.W.: Did you like restaurant work?
S J .: Yeah. It’s hard, hard work. That’s
what people don’t realize. People take great
pride in it. There are people who are much
better at it than me. It’s not a job that
people are in because they just can’t find
anything else. People take great pride in
hospitality, and we want to make it a
profession, not just a job.
M.W.: Were there experiences that
contributed to your passion for social justice?
S.J.: My parents are immigrants. I grew
up in a working-class community in East
L.A. My parents struggled a lot as
immigrants, faced a lot of discrimination. I
had a lot of anger as a child and tried to
channel it into something positive.
M.W.: What made you angry?
S.Z.: And BD503 Handbags? You have
your own line of purses. Tell me about working
with Bianca Pettinari and what inspires your
handbag designs.
Bianca is the greatest! I met her at
Portland FashioNXT Event. She is a genius
and so talented. We immediately clicked
when I saw her handbags. They were
S J .: During the first Gulf War being
screamed at by kids, “go back to Iraq,” and
we’re not Iraqi. Even if we were ... Driving
through Utah, and our car broke down,
there were seven different mechanics, and
nobody would help us.
The thing that’s so infuriating is the
mythology about being this country where
anybody’s welcome and anybody can make
it, everybody has opportunity, when it’s just,
in my experience, so not true. It boggles
the mind how there are some things that
are true for half the country that are just
completely not true for the other half. So,
restaurant workers, people have no idea
what’s happening behind the kitchen door.
Before I helped found ROC, I was
organizing factory workers and custodial
workers. But it’s funny, even as a labor
organizer I would go out to eat every
evening and never think about the people
touching my food. So it wasn’t until I really
got to know restaurant workers and their
lives that my dining experience changed,
which is why I decided to write the book.
Reprinted from Real Change News, Seattle,
Wash.
different and looked so edgy. I mean these
handbags were made out of re-purposed
leather! How awesome is that! In creating
the handbag line we thought about music
icons and what kind of handbag they carry.
Like what would Chaka Khan carry or even
Joni Mitchell? After that we launched an
exclusive “Liv Warfield” by BD503
collection! Next up, look out for my T-shirt
line. I love to stay busy and stay creative!
S.Z.: Share a story that exemplifies life in
the studio, on the road or on the stage with
your friend, boss and mentor, Prince.
L.W.: Hmm. Just know that it’s such a
beautiful surprise to work with him. I
recently wrote the single to “Live Out Loud”
for this upcoming tour. I was so excited he
wanted to use my lyrics.. I was shocked. I’m
so elated because he believes in me.
Just be in the moment with him.
Everyone tries to figure him out. It’s quite
funny.
S.Z.: The music never seems to stop for you.
Where do you go from here?
L.W.: Just expect the unexpected.