NEWS BRIEFS
experimented on black female slaves without anesthesia.
“I want to talk about this convergence of understanding
these legacies, not just capitalism on our bodies, but
commodification of the black female body and how
particular African American vegan woman use vegan
activism to decolonize their body,” Harper said.
Harper focused on Queen Afua, a prominent Afrocentric
natural health practitioner who wrote the book Sacred
Woman. Afua’s methods have helped heal thousands of
black women (including Harper who says Afua’s methods
decreased her fibroid tumors by 75 percent) from ailments
that Afua believes are caused by a Eurocentric meat-heavy
diet forced upon black slaves. In contemporary society, it
is corporations, not the slave-owning establishment, that
target African Americans with junk food, Afua argued and
she said that the pre-colonial southern Egyptian plant-
based diet is optimal for African-American health.
However, Harper also considers Afua’s claims are
problematic in that they focus on socio-economically
privileged black women who partner exclusively with
black men.
“It is implied in Sacred Woman that the colonizers’
carnocentric and refined foods diet causes black people to
have unhealthy relationships with their own sexuality and
desires which are assumed to be heterosexual,” says
Harper.
Harper believes that in Afua’s efforts to free the black
community from the remnants of slavery, she falls into the
trap of the colonized mind herself by focusing only on
heteronormative lifestyles. Harper hopes, through her
work with the Sistah Vegan Project, an online virtual
community that “focuses on how a plant-based consumptive
lifestyle is affected by factors of race, racisms, sexism,
heterosexism, classism and other social injustices within
the lives of black females,” that mainstream black vegan
America will shake its exclusivity to include the GLBT
community and interracial couples.
— Alexandra Notman
happening people
has deteriorated to a level of evil such that it is a threat to the
spiritual, moral and mental health of each child who is forced
to participate in it.”
The farm is also home to 10,000 Geiger counters,
according to Matthew’s brother Josh in a student profile on
Matthew Robinson says, “The main reason I’m running is
the OSU website. Art Robinson worked in civil defense in the
to promote more honesty in politics,” but that seems
1980s, according to Matthew, and he was contacted about the
disingenuous to those who question his last-minute entry into
counters after a radiological monitoring program ended
the May Democratic congressional primary against Rep. Peter
during the Clinton administration. Fire departments and
DeFazio.
police departments around Oregon had monitors that were
His father, Tea Party darling and Republican congressional
headed to the dump, but according to Robinson, his father was
candidate Art Robinson, is running again this year against
asked if he wanted them instead and he
DeFazio, and according to an email he
accepted. They’re now still in storage
sent to supporters, he did not ask his
in one of the farm buildings.
son to engage in a head-to-head with
Matthew Robinson switched to the
DeFazio for the Democratic primary.
Democratic Party in August 2011, but
Matthew Robinson is a Johnny-
his political stances hardly follow the
come-lately to the Democratic Party.
liberal party line. He does not agree
But that’s not the only weird thing
that contraceptives should be provided
about his campaign. He’s a nuclear
by insurance providers as part of
engineering doctoral student at OSU
President Obama’s health care plan,
and says he got all riled up when
and he says he got interested in politics
DeFazio labeled the Robinson family
after being upset over government
farm as a “survivalist compound”
spending to alleviate a spiraling
during the 2010 congressional
economy a few years ago. “They’re
campaign. Matthew insists the land his
not suppose to be doing things like
family owns in Cave Junction is
that,” he says.
nothing more than a sheep farm and
So why is he running as a Democrat?
the comment is an example of the
Although he might not be
dishonesty he intends to do away with.
completely onboard with the party
Matthew Robinson doesn’t see how
platform he doesn’t see it as a problem.
the “survivalist compound” designation
“As a candidate I think you’re suppose
came about. But there does seem to be
MATTHEW ROBINSON
to promote your own ideas,” he says.
an awful lot of odd items out on the
But this sort of tactic — or distraction — by the Robinsons
farm. “My dad’s chemistry lab is out here,” Matthew says.
hasn’t been lost on DeFazio. In a letter responding to a request
“But that really doesn’t qualify it as a compound.”
for a debate made by Robinson, DeFazio wrote: “Despite
The Robinson farm is home to the Robinson Curriculum,
your recent registration change to the Democratic Party, you
a home-schooling package Art Robinson sells because the
have repeatedly said you share the same values as your
“social and religious environment in most schools in America
ROBINSON THE YOUNGER
FOR CONGRESS?
BY PAUL NEEVEL
CORRECTIONS/
CLARIFICATIONS
In last week’s Chow! story “Angels in the Rye,”
the location of the restaurant called Rye was
incorrect. Co-owner Kiyallah Heatherstone tells
us the restaurant is at 444 E. 3rd Ave., just off
the Ferry Street Bridge. The phone number at
Rye is 953-3473.
LANE AREA
SPRAY SCHEDULE
• Weyerhaeuser Springfield, (541) 988-7502 or
974-2062, plans to ground spray Velpar DF, Accord
Concentrate, Transline, Garlon 4 Ultra on 5 acres
near Parsons Creek, T16S, R02W, S09. See ODF
notice 2012-771-00280.
• Lane Electric plans to spray Finale in and
around the Fox Hollow substation
Compiled by Jan Wroncy, Forestland Dwellers: 342-8332, www.for-
estlanddwellers.org
CHARLIE TEBBUTT
Growing up in Albany, N.Y., Charlie Tebbutt spent time in the summers with his grandparents along the St. Lawrence
River. He left high school at 16 for Simon’s Rock Early College in Massachusetts, later transferred to SUNY Albany, and
after graduation spent five years working with the group Save the River to protect the St. Lawrence. “I realized I needed
more tools to be effective as an activist,” says Tebbutt, who entered Syracuse Law School, got his degree in 1987, then
joined the Atlantic States Legal Foundation, suing corporations for violating environmental regulations. “It’s what I do
today.” He moved to Eugene in 1994 for a job with the Western Environmental Law Center, focusing on industrial
pollution, and he co-directed the center’s Campaign to End Field Burning that succeeded in the 2009 legislature. “I still
represent people and organizations to protect themselves and the planet,” says Tebbutt, who opened a private practice
in 2009 when hard times forced WELC to cut back. “At any one time, I have 10 to 30 active cases.” At last month’s
Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, Tebbutt was honored with the Kerry Rydberg Award for environmental
activism. Read about a judgment against Chevron and other recent cases at charlietebbutt.com
8 APRIL 12, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
LIGHTEN UP
It is rumored that after Justice Scalia suggested a
government which can require you to buy health
insurance can also force you to buy broccoli, Fox
News offered him a job as a news commentator.
BY R A FA E L A L DAV E
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM