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Minority & Small Business Week October 3, 2018 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Page 23 O PINION Fighting the Injustices of Mass Incarceration Prison strikes and why they are happening J anos m arton Earlier this spring, violence broke out in the Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina, resulting in seven deaths and many injuries. Incarcerated lead- ers in the prison system decided they had had enough. Brutal treat- ment from corrections officers, deteriorating prison conditions, and incredibly long, punitive sen- tences had led to a condition of hopelessness. Leaders within the South Caro- lina prison system began reaching out to incarcerated allies across the country, including the Free Alabama Movement, who had led a prison strike in 2016. A de- cision was made: It was time to launch a national prison strike to raise awareness around the brutal- ity of mass incarceration — from racist police practices to unjust sentencing laws to the lack of sup- port people experience when they come home from prison. by These demands include sig- nificantly reducing the number of people in jail and prison, im- proving prison conditions, prop- erly funding rehabilitation, and addressing racism throughout the criminal justice system. None of the demands, tak- en individually, is new to the criminal justice movement. Many organizations, includ- ing the ACLU, have fought against the rise of mass in- carceration and the horren- imprisoned them. The strike’s organizers empha- sized Demand #10, also known as the #Right2Vote campaign, a de- mand that all American citizens of voting age — including all people in jail, prison, or on parole — have the right to vote. One organizer noted that the right to vote was the right from which all other rights flowed and stressed the need for people outside of prison to support this change. Presently, only Maine of nonviolent disobedience with- in the prison system. This tactic is closely tied with a demand that prison labor be properly compen- sated, in contrast to what one of the organizers calls “slave labor,” referencing the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery but carved out an exception for people who The ACLU supports the pris- oner demands. We believe in lift- ing up the voices of those who are most directly impacted by the One organizer noted that the right to vote was the right from which all other rights flowed and stressed the need for people outside of prison to support this change. Presently, only Maine and Vermont permit all incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens the right to vote. dous conditions of American prisons. Yet this may be the first occasion in which incarcerated leaders have coordinated nation- ally to list their specific policy agenda to end the system that has and Vermont permit all incarcer- ated and formerly incarcerated citizens the right to vote. The term “strike” itself referred to incarcerated people across the country engaging in various types systems that oppress them. Those closest to the problem are clos- est to the solution, and nobody is closer than people living inside of America’s jails and prisons. And while the ACLU has no formal role in the prison strikes that occurred this August and September, ACLU staff and members have fought for decades for many of these issues in the streets, state legislatures, and the courtroom. Acts of civil disobedience in- side of prisons come with serious risks for participants, including severe punishment. Corrections officials should not respond with unjust retaliation. Peace- ful demonstrations challenging unjust conditions and practices do not merit placing participants into solitary confinement or add- ing time to their sentences. Incar- cerated people and corrections staff deserve safety, dignity, and the ability to express themselves. The American criminal justice system is broken. Our country is stronger when people more mar- ginalized and directly impacted by unjust policies organize and raise their voices to demand a better future. The courageous people who are bringing focused attention to America’s system of mass incar- ceration deserve our admiration. The time to listen is now. Janos Marton is the state cam- paigns manager for the ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice. Nike Makes Millions on Kaepernick’s Message That money should back the cause J essiCah p ierre Nike’s latest “Just Do It” ad campaign includes a num- ber of A-list athletes: LeBron James, Serena Williams, Odell Beckham Jr. — and most con- troversially, Colin Kaepernick. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Kaepernick — who played quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers — famously knelt during the national anthem before NFL games to protest police brutality toward African Americans. The blowback from his protest led to him being blackballed from the NFL. Kaepernick’s activism was audaciously displayed on a larger platform in Nike’s multi-national ad campaign, featuring a video and image of Kaepernick with the tagline: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Nike’s bold move led to more uproar from Kaepernick’s critics. Some white cus- tomers even ceremoniously burned their Nike apparel and called for a boycott of the company. But for Nike’s core customers — millennials and young urban men — this ad sent a strong message of solidarity. by Consumers and celebrities alike are now supporting Nike for giving Kaepernick that platform. In less than 24 hours after announcing Kaepernick as the face of their new marketing campaign, the sportswear company received more than $43 million worth of mostly positive media exposure, one report estimates. Since then, that total has only resistance! We need more corporate Amer- ica to stand up also.” According to Forbes, the company saw a 31 percent increase in sales just a few days after the ad became public. And while Nike’s stock initially dipped following the promotion release, it not only recovered but surpassed all stock records for 2018, trading at an all-time high of $83.90 a share. According to Forbes, the company saw a 31 percent increase in sales just a few days after the ad became public. And while Nike’s stock initially dipped following the promotion release, it not only recovered but surpassed all stock records for 2018, trading at an all- time high of $83.90 a share. grown. “What can I do that’s meaningful?” asked Blackish star Jenifer Lewis as she donned a Nike sweater on the Emmys red carpet. “I’ll wear Nike. I’ll wear Nike to say thank you. Thank you for leading the This has caused a number of people, including myself, to question Nike’s mo- tives. Guardian writer Arwa Mahdawi ac- cused Nike of the latest capitalistic trend, “woke-washing” — that is, using “progres- sive values as a marketing ploy, appropri- ating social activism as a form of adver- tising.” This wouldn’t be the first offense by a major corporation. Not long ago Pepsi pulled a controver- sial ad they said was meant to “project a global message of unity, peace, and under- standing” after it borrowed imagery from Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson. (But unlike Nike, this ad received strong backlash from police brutality protesters who accused the ad of being tone deaf.) Is it possible for a company to support racial justice without exploiting it for prof- it? Yes. Actually, there’s an easy way for Nike to prove that their latest ad isn’t just a form of woke washing: It can give the revenue from their “Kaepernick bump” right back to the cause they’re supposedly taking a stand for. The company can start by match- ing Colin Kaepernick’s own pledge to do- nate $1 million to organizations working in oppressed communities. Let’s applaud Nike for taking this very important stand. But we also need to chal- lenge corporations who use progressive messages in their advertising to put their money where their mouth is. Jessicah Pierre is the inequality media specialist at the Institute for Policy Stud- ies. Distributed by OtherWords.org.
