Raising Funds for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Fifth Grade Classroom

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

The past week has been challenging. It seems like I haven't had a moment's rest.

Having to prepare assignments for my University of Michigan weekly creative writing workshop, working on various social justice campaigns, raising funds for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign and funds to help a Detroit fifth grade classroom purchase a new laptop and printer, have all been mentally taxing and time-consuming.

This Saturday, October 3, 2009 I will walk in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at the G. Robert Cotton Facility at 1 PM along with other prisoners who helped raise money for the campaign. In all we raised $1,046. That's a lot of money considering prison work assignment pay prisoners less than $50 per month on average.

I am pretty excited about my contribution to help purchase the laptop and printer for the Detroit elementary school classroom. I know the children who will benefit from it will be very grateful. Their school district could not afford these items, so the teacher was compelled to independently raise funds to acquire them. The teacher will use the laptop and printer as tools to teach ESL students how to make comic books.

According to the teacher, ""Making comic books can inspire an emerging ESL learner to spread his or hers artistic wings. They will learn to construct and understand the structure of the English language at their own pace. Reading aloud published work will instill a confidence to teach themselves to self correct their own grammatical errors."

She added, "Constructing comic books is a great role model for demonstrating parts of a story, defining characters, recognize setting, and coming up with some crazy plots and far-out solutions. Showing my students what the power of words can do for written text helps them develop an incredible eye for detail on their own writing. After a few months my shy students are no longer shy but are then replaced with imaginative artist and engaging authors."

The money I helped raise will be used to assist finding a cure and prevention to breast cancer, and also empower the lives of young people in school. I hope that it will also inspire others to help people in need. All our lives are enriched when we make even one contribution to helping make the world a better place.

Ending the Xicana/Latina Drop-Out Crisis

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Yesterday many schools opened across the nation to commence the new school year. For many it will mark new aspirations, for others it will signal the painful reality of dreams deferred and evaporating hopes.

August 27, 2009 a new report titled, "Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation," was released by the National Women’s Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

According to the report, "Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Forty-one percent of Latina students do not graduate with their class in four years—if they graduate at all. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. And the high teen pregnancy rate for Latinas (53% by the age of 20) reflects and reinforces the barriers they face."

The gravity of this disturbing reality is exacerbated by the fact that 80% of the students surveyed want to graduate from college and perhaps go further, and 98% reported they want to graduate from high school. One-third of the girls who were surveyed do not expect to achieve their educational goals.

To help combat the factors that are contributing to the drop-out rate of Xicana/Latina high school students and bring attention to this issue, I asked members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. to create a Facebook group on my behalf named, "I Pledge to Help Xicanas/Latinas Graduate."

With over 250 million Facebook users, according to Nielsen NetView, I felt it would be a great way to connect people who are serious about ending this cycle and offer them a platform to share ideas, resources, programs, and information about ways to accomplish this.

In just 11 days the group has reached 1,300 members and continues to grow each day. This is an indication that people are serious about wanting to end this crisis. Several people have expressed interest in the group and gratitude for conceptualizing the group's creation. People are already networking and sharing important information.

One group of students at Michigan State University is currently creating a mentoring group for Xicana/Latina students in the Lansing area. I recently spoke to the students and offered to help them in any way I can, including helping develop a workshop or offering relevant educational materials they can utilize.

Several students at various universities have also asked to publish my poem "The Wise Latina" in campus newspapers and feature it on their web site. I have granted permission for all of them to do it and have been grateful for the interest it has generated nationally.

I invite everyone to read "Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation" and share it with other parents, educators, clergy, community leaders, and others who can help contribute to the campaign to help Xicanas/Latinas graduate from high school and pursue their dreams.

This call to action is not only to assist members of my own family and friends, but for every other Xicana/Latina student who dreams of graduating from high school and matriculating at a university.

Xicana/Latina students across the nation are depending on us. We have to be their voice and advocates. We have a responsibility to them and it is our mission to fulfill it. Last year half the children born in this country were Xicano/Latino and that number is expected to rise each year.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. But, we also have a lot of hands, strong hearts and brilliant minds to do it.

Click here to join the Facebook group and become a part of this effort. Share the link with others, invite your contacts, and spread the word. You can also download all the reports and fact sheets related to this issue by visiting the MALDEF web site.

President Obama to Deliver Positive Message to School Children

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding President Obama's message to school children which will he plans to deliver to U.S. primary and secondary students via webcast and C-Span Tuesday, September 8, 2008 at 12 PM ET.

Many people initially objected to having President Obama deliver his speech. No such objection was made by Republicans when both George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan delivered their direct-to-the-classroom talks in the 1980s and '90s.

What is very disturbing about this manufactured controversy is the level of hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty being exhibited by people protesting President Obama's message. Some have even tried characterized his message as an attempt to indoctrinate children using subliminal messages cloaked in socialist ideology.

To quell the concerns of parents and educators the White House released the text of the President's prepared remarks on Monday. President Obama wanted to give people an opportunity to review the speech before making a decision about whether or not to allow students to view his message live on Tuesday.

One of the President's staunch opponents of delivering his message was Jim Greer, the Florida Republican party chairman. Last week Greer accused the president of trying to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."

After the text to the prepared remarks the President will deliver were shared with the public yesterday Greer now says he will let his children watch what he calls a "good speech," one the president "should give."

Greer added, "It encourages kids to stay in school and the importance of education and I think that's what a president should do when they're gonna talk to students across the country."

Obama's intentions for Tuesday is tantamount to a presidential pep talk about taking education seriously. The President's message is one that should resonate with every educator and parent across the country, and one that they should encourage children to view/hear.

People would be remiss in their responsibility to our nation's children to pass up this learning opportunity and positive message directed at encouraging children to succeed and do good in life.

Update 9/9/09: You can watch the video of President Obama's message delivered yesterday below.

Efrén Speaks to Youth in Toronto, Urges Calm

Saturday, August 15, 2009 Efrén spoke to 160 youth via phone at the Second Annual Justice for Alwy 3-on-3 basketball tournament held at Carlton Park in Toronto, Ontario (Canada).

The event is dedicated to all victims of police brutality. It began in 2008 in remembrance of 18-year-old Alwy al-Nadhir, an unarmed teen who was shot and killed by Toronto Police on Halloween night, October 31, 2007 in Riverdale Park, Toronto. Click here to read more about how Alwy died.

After Alwy's tragic death his family, friends, and other local community organizers saw the need to get organized to put an end to the siege on their communities. Together, they created the Justice for Alwy Campaign Against Police Brutality.

Since Alwy's murder tensions between the police and youth have escalated, resulting in conflicts and additional acts of police brutality towards youth. Many Toronto urban youth have conveyed experiences about the daily harassment, false arrests, brutal beatings and verbal confrontations many have had with the police.

Efrén was invited to speak to youth at this year's Justice for Alwy basketball tournament by Pablo Vivanco, community activist and producer at Barrio Nuevo, a Latino community radio program based in Toronto. Efrén has previously appeared on two Toronto-based radio programs, Barrio Nuevo and Radio BASICS, to discuss his case and the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles.

At the basketball tournament Efrén urged the youth to remain calm and exercise patience and restraint. He urged them to take a proactive approach to finding lasting resolutions to existing problems, and cautioned them against allowing themselves to be reactionaries responding to taunts and acts of aggression or unprofessional conduct by police.

Efrén told the youth that there would be serious consequences for acting impulsively and ignoring the future of their actions. He told them that they could end up like many prisoners he sees every day who are condemned to die in prison because of their impulsiveness and refusal to listen to reasoned advice.

During his message Efrén told the youth they should work to resolve conflicts intelligently and in a non-violent manner. He told them they should organize rallies and engage the community in meetings to bring attention to the injustices they are encountering. They can call on local and federal investigations, meet with legislators, file complaints against police officers, initiate legal action against them, and even file human rights charges against the violators in an international forum, if necessary.

Efrén wanted the youth to know that avenues for redress and improving matters exist. He did not want them to feel a sense of hopelessness and or believe that violence or rebelling were the vehicles for them to obtain an illusion of justice.

He told them if elected officials do not listen or respond to their grievances they can always seek to recall and replace them with officials who will fulfill the responsibilities of their office. There is a process for officials to take office, and a process for them to leave if they are ineffective or remiss in their duties.

The event was a success and it was a reminder to all who participated that through organizing and a shared vision we can create space and events we need to achieve a desired purpose.

As Efrén stated, "If the youth could all work together to organize the tournament in Alwy's memory, they can work together to make other things materialize in his honor as well. They just need guidance and encouragement along the way."

Efrén's voice transcending prison walls to reach the listening youth in Canada served to do just that.

"The Wise Latina" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

The Wise Latina

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Saturday morning,
protected by the colossal frontal columns
of the nation's Supreme Court
that were once like prison bars
seeking to lock you out of its halls —
before the blinding glare
of flashing cameras
bouncing off adorned walls
absent any images celebrating
your likeness —
there you stood,
the Wise Latina.

Your confirmation hearing
the true identity politics,
the underpinnings of tilted scales,
an indictment of a racist patriarchal system
that stains justice
with its misogynist ways.

Opponents clamored to defame you,

attempted to relegate you
to a footnote in history,
dismissing you
as a child of affirmative action,
as another marginalized brown face,
like the ones they built the wall
along the Mexican border to keep out.

Somebody forgot to tell them
affirmative action
didn't do your homework,
didn't graduate you summa cum laude from Princeton,
didn't edit the Yale Law Journal for you,
didn't make difficult choices
or bequeath you wisdom.

Your strength and poise made us proud
as we were fixated to television screens
at viewing parties
in skyscrapers and barrios,
inspired by your courage,
displaying your buttons and posters,
watching you deflect
the barrage of attacks
you bravely endured
to become the nation's
111th U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

The eyes of many Latinas y Latinos
filled with tears,
as their exuberant smiles
brightened the morning sky.

Your detractors never gained an advantage,
even in their failed attempts to diminish you.
They couldn't erase our illustrious past
or replace it with illusions of inferiority.
They couldn't write our Quinceañeras
or love for arroz, maíz y frijoles
out of our rich culture and heritage.

Carrying a legacy of struggle on your back
you transcended the tide of ignorance,
the protests and intimidation,
and rallying cries for your defeat.
The impotent Kyls, McCains and Sessions
couldn't change destiny,
they could only fulfill it.

It was the Wise Latina who prevailed,
who captivated the world.
Speaking loudly through your elegance
and quiet strength
you silenced your critics,
scattering them like the winds
of a fierce Summer storm.

At that moment
we all briefly touched the sky,
danced in the sun's warm glow,
and summoned the Ancestors
to celebrate your victory.


Copyright © 2009 Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Click here to download a PDF version of this poem.

This poem was featured on the Latina Lista blog on 8/14/09. It was featured on La Raza Chronicles on 8/18/09 and most recently appeared on ¡LatinoLA! on 8/19/09. In the Fall the poem will be part of an exhibit at the Cesar Chavez Library, Chicano/Latino Studies Department, Michigan State University.


Update 8/18/09 11:25 PM EST










You can listen to an MP3 recording of Efrén reading this poem to celebrated poet, storyteller and independent media producer, Nina Serrano, on the show "La Raza Chronicles" below.

"Where We Still Discover" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Where We Still Discover

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Sitting on our mother's laps,
Speaking in a language
of only our own,
surrounded by the wonders of life,
we see the world
moving ...
shifting ...
Guiding us
as we expand our consciousness.

Our eyes open wide
inhaling the brisk morning air.
Thoughts percolating ...
Releasing the energy
that feeds new experiences.
Pulsating around us like tiny heartbeats ...
We slowly awaken.

Each moment is an opportunity.
A chance to learn
to build
to grow.
Life blossoms
and ushers in the unknown.

We travel
through time and places.
Corridors filled with infinite possibilities
waiting to receive us
with its tender hands
to carefully guide us
along our journey.

In our mistakes
we find lessons.
Like rocks polished to become gems
we enter each experience
and mine its treasures.
We make it a new part of us
and harness its power.

In our Winter years,
after experiencing the fullness of life,
exploring the complexities of its winding roads,
swimming through its vast ocean of dreams,
we find,
this magical place.

It never eludes us,
never far away.
Like the air we breathe,
it is,
in the end,
as in the beginning,
Each Moment,
the place,
where we still discover.


Copyright © 2009 by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Mario Rocha: Another Tragic Story of Injustice Revealed

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

For the past month the documentary, "Mario's Story," has been featured on the cable television network Showtime. It will continue to air each Monday through the end of this month.

The documentary is about Mario Rocha, a 16-year-old student at a Los Angeles high school, who was accused of opening fire at a party in 1996 that resulted in the death of a high school student. Mario was tried as an adult and sentenced to two life sentences in prison. Two others were also convicted.

Mario has always maintained his innocence and adamant that he did not commit the crime he was accused of committing. Several witnesses at the party where the killing took place say they saw Mario run for cover when the shots were fired. They say he had nothing to do with the shooting.

Mario was represented pro bono by a legal team from the high-profile law firm Latham & Watkins. Their work on Mario's appeals for nearly eight years resulted in the reversal of his conviction in 2006 on the grounds of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.

After an appeals court reversal in August 2006 pending the re-filing of charges by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Mario was released on a $1 million bond. Los Angeles County prosecutors announced October 28, 2009 that they would not retry the case and dismissed the charges.

Since his release from prison Mario has been actively involved in several progressive projects and a wide range of social activism. He currently resides in Washington, DC, and is attending George Washington University where he is pursuing a degree in International Affairs and Communications.

Mario is currently working with Bruce Saito, Executive Director, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, developing a re-entry program for ex-offenders in California for people ages 18-25. Last Summer he traveled to Washington, D.C., to teach creative writing in a juvenile correctional facility.

April 9, 2009 Mario appeared at Berkeley Law School where his documentary, "Mario's Story," was screened. After the screening he was interviewed, during which time he discussed his case and problems in the criminal justice system. The event was hosted by the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal.

Mario is a member of the The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. and a staunch supporter of my campaign for freedom. In March 2008 he organized an event in Los Angeles during the Fast for Freedom which was observed on my behalf globally. He has discussed my case during several radio interviews and presentations about the subjects of wrongful convictions or juvenile life without parole sentences.

I am proud to know Mario and call him a friend. His unyielding commitment to pursuing justice is an inspiration to others who have been wrongly convicted. He is also an example to the world that young people who go to prison — unlawfully or otherwise — can and still do positive things with their lives and be productive citizens, if given the opportunity.

Mario is a positive role model for Xicano/Latino youth and he continues to use his life to help others. Though he has lost many years of his own life to wrongful imprisonment, he persists sharing the freedom he was restored only a few years ago to improve the future of our youth. These are selfless acts of generosity that could only be borne in the heart of a person who has unadulterated love for humanity and an intense desire to foster its perpetual evolution.

When I spoke to Mario via phone two weeks ago he expressed a strong interest in visiting Michigan in the coming weeks to help garner additional support for my release and to share his personal experience with people in the Midwest. We look forward to Mario visiting Michigan in the coming weeks.

To learn more about Mario you can view the "Mario's Story" documentary trailer below and visit the "Mario's Story" web site at: http://www.mariostory.org.

Support Generated at 2009 Día de la Mujer Conference

The 16th Annual Día de la Mujer (DDLM) Conference, celebrating the lives of Latina women, was held Saturday, March 28, 2009. The theme of this year's conference was "La Mujer Maravilla" (Our Everyday Superheroes). The one-day conference hosted workshops for hundreds of Latina women from all over the Midwest. It was held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, on the campus of Michigan State University.

According to the DDLM web site, "This annual conference has provided a much needed space for Latinas in Michigan to affect social change and to highlight their accomplishments. Keynote presenters, forums and workshops facilitated by Latina women will provide conference participants with networking opportunities for employment, education and sharing life experiences."

The keynote speaker at this year's conference was one of my friends and supporters, Favianna Rodriguez. Favianna is an artist-entrepreneur who has helped foster resurgence in political arts and media both locally and internationally. Named by UTNE Magazine as "one of the countries leading visionary artists," Favianna is renown for her leadership in establishing innovative institutions that promote education and engage new audiences in the arts.

Favianna is renown for her vibrant posters dealing with issues such as war, immigration, globalization, and social movements. By creating lasting popular symbols - where each work is the multiplicand and its location the multiplier - her work interposes private and public space, as the art viewer becomes the participant carrying art beyond the borders of the museum. She has lectured widely on the use of art in civic engagement and the work of artists who, like herself, are building bridges between the community and museum.

Favianna discussed my case during her speech and urged the hundreds of people in attendance to sign a letter or petition addressed to Gov. Granholm expressing support for my release. Below is a video of her remarks.



Later that afternoon a workshop was conducted at the conference inspiring Latina mothers to advocate for their incarcerated family members. My mother, Velia, sat on the panel, along with other wonderful members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. They discussed a wide range of topics involving organizing, public relations, and other ways to gather support and convey their story. They also helped gather postcards of support and passed out hundreds of flyers and dozens of Free Efrén posters to those in attendance.

A special thanks to the conference organizers for their support, and for creating space for us at the event.