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Uncle Brokin Cloud on his Self-made Bike from recycled parts- photo by Momii Palapaz Listen and Watch LoveUary for Brokin Cloud here By tiny Brokin Cloud aka Billy Simpson Jr, an Afro-Indigenous Elder, was a warrior, revolutionary, artist, teacher and povertyskola, but above all he was a survivor. Non-profit industrial complex workers and anti-social workers as i call them, would consider and label Uncle Cloud as they did me and my houseless mama, "Service Resistant" which is just a way that the system describes houseless, traumatized, often severely disabled, medically fragile houseless people who refuse and resist the harmful, unsafe temporary fixes such as Navigation Centers, Emergency Shelters, Transitional Housing, cabins and so many more solutions for houseless peoples created about us without us. Uncle Cloud, like many of us houseless and formerly houseless folks at POOR Magazine/Homefulness refuse those "resources" because they are dangerous places for vulnerable, barely holding on and residing on the street folks. Uncle Cloud was an indigenous Black man and like so many poor peoples of color had lost his families home to the violence of white laws and white lawyers, aka foreclosure and bankkksters and his large family was scattered to the wind. Many of them never recovered from that loss. Uncle Brokin Cloud struggled with severe trauma which manifested in the compulsive need to collect recycled trash, way more than he could ever manage or store or use, this is often referred to as Hoarder/Clutterer illness, yet another by product of decades of survival on the street and great loss experienced in your life. In any state or federal sponsored or funded "Housing project" he would have faced violations, criminalization and eviction, but Homefulness is informed by Poverty Scholarship (poor people-led theory of change and healing) so instead we launched a series of what we call Love Cleans , which supported Uncle Cloud to live in habitable living while we slowly worked with him to heal from the trauma of collecting and hoarding. These are just some of the multiple strategies we povertyskolaz at POOR Magazine employ to care for each others severe trauma that never engages the State or the PoLice or other agents of fear as we know that triggers more trauma and pain. After 25 years on the street, Uncle Brokin Cloud, like 24 other houseless youth, adults and elders found not only a home at HOMEfulness - he found healing, love , family, support, food, art, spirit, prayer, and hope. Uncle Brokin Cloud moved into his own beautiful unit we called the Luxury SRO ( Single Room Occupancy ) at Homefulness in September of 2022 when the City of Oakland finally allowed us to open our beautiful homeless peoples solution to homelessness, On July 5th, 2025 at 7pm Uncle Brokin Cloud joined the ancestors from heart damage related to his decades long survival on the street. We are supporting his Blood family with Cremation costs and will hold an all Nations Ceremony in his honor tomorro, Sunday , July 13th at 3pm on the sacred land us houseless peoples call Homefulness in Deep East Huchiun - 8032 BlackArthur Bl (MacArthur) , Deep East Huchiun (Oakland) LoveUaryFor Brokin Cloud aka Billy Simpson by tiny gray-garcia Sometimes the birds disappear So that we can see our way out of here Sometimes we get to touch the clouds Sometimes Tonateu collides with Omayacan and the wind calms us down Sometimes a coyote whispers sometimes a story becomes a dream In the shape of a man Hello little sister Sometimes trauma looks like love Sometimes pain grips us tight like a glove Sometimes waves talk to the moon and Sometimes -once in a lifetime  we r on the MOVE There is a memorial made of clouds In the shape of a bicycle At the entrance to a revolution called Homefulness Built by poor and houseless people For poor and houseless people Uncle Brokin Cloud brought it With all of the things he brought Broken tools, molded bread magic , revolution and more bicycle seats than anyone could ever sit on I know u are riding on one of your cloud chariots now Cloud And we will miss u everyday REST IN POWER BROKIN CLOUD aka Billy Ervin Simpson 9/13/1954 - 7/5/2025 Listen to the LoveUeary here Read the whole LoveUAry here

a HERstorical journey thru the visual and performance art of poor/houseless, indigenous peoples-led movement toward self-determination and land liberation. For Immediate Release: Contact: Muteado or Tiny/poormagazine  (510)-435-7500 In 1996, a houseless, indigenous mother and daughter began poetry and art workshops in homeless shelters, jail cells, street corners and lobbies of General Assistance offices in San Francisco and Oakland. Their movement grew, and has since built a homeless people’s solution to homelessness (housing 24 formerly houseless youth, adults and elders in rent-free forever homes), published numerous books, and released a feature length movie on the violence of sweeping houseless people like we are trash–to name just a few accomplishments. The scrappy but powerful multi-generational, multi-cultural poor, houseless, disabled movement members known as POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE, PoorNewsNetwork and Homefulness have produced a great body of cultural, performance, visual and literary art over the last 29 years.  On July 19 at 3pm, at the invitation of Swim Gallery in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, they invite the world into a HERstorical walk through this art which has served as a powerful resistance to the silencing, criminalizing and invisiblizing of houseless and poor people’s voices and solutions. The opening, in addition to beautiful works of visual art created over the last 29 years of revolutionary street-based work, will include a theatre performance presented by POOR Magazine’s Teatre de los Pobres, Indigenous prayer, Poetry from the Po Poets Project, food and more and will be dedicated to all of the ancestors of homelessness across so-called California.  The Art of HOMELessness installation will be up through July and will include street writing workshops for houseless youth and elders.   From 1996 when a houseless, indigenous mother and daughter began poetry and art workshops in homeless shelters, jail cells, street corners and lobbies of General Assistance offices in San Francisco and Oakland to the present day building of a homeless people’s solution to homelessness that houses 24 houseless youth, adults and elders in rent-free forever housing, publishing books and releasing a feature length movie on the violence of sweeping houseless people like we are trash (to name just a few of their accomplishments), the scrappy, but powerful multi-generational, multi-cultural poor, houseless, disabled movement members known as POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE, PoorNewsNetwork and Homefulness have produced a great body of cultural, performance, visual and literary art for the last 29 years.  Follow @poormagazine for livestream of event

The City Created a supposed  an alleged “solution” to homelessness which became a dangerous site of negligence and mismanagement and now the City is evicting houseless residents  What: Speak-out of residents and advocates   When: 8am Monday, July 14  Where The Cabins-  2601 Wood Street Oakland “Left for dead by B.O.S.S and the City of Oakland,  when does the madness stop? When does accountability start. When do we as a community stand united? Housed and unhoused and demand that this blatant act of irresponsiblness stop!!” John Janasko, formerly houseless Wood Street Commons resident and organizer  The City of Oakland created The Wood Street Cabins which they claimed was a solution to homelessness after violently evicting hundreds of houseless residents from one of the largest encampments in Oakland in the spring of 2023. Since it’s opening in 2023, the Cabins have struggled with mismanagement and negligence by contractoed service providers and abuse of the residents human rights. Now they are evicting all the already houseless residents to nowhere. “This has never been a solution, the City and the service providers got alot of money to “manage us” and they really have done nothing at all,” said Larry, one of the houseless residents of the Cabins. “We have nowhere to go but back to the streets,” he concluded. After struggling with live sewage in their walkways, broken plumbing and doors and locks never replaced or repaired and only one working bathroom for the whole community, The residents of the Cabins have now received an eviction notice to be out to nowhere on Monday, July 14th  “The poltricksters keep creating solutions about us without us, they are not infomed by Poverty Scholarship, love or dignity, they just want us out of sight, swept to nowhere like we are trash,” What continues to shock me is the lateral violence by the City of our houseless bodies, this violent War ON the poor, with no account for our lives,” said tiny gray-garcia, formerly hosueless co-founder of POOR Magazine and Homefulness.  Since the Supreme Court Ruling of Grants Pass vs Johnson which stated that Houseless residents of any city or town across the US, should not be afforded protection under the 8th amendment of the constitution and then the followup mandates by the Govenor of California, cities across California have been following this violent trajectory of Sweeps and Non-solutions that never last. To hear testimonies from current residents of the Cabins- click here   Follow  @poormagazine (for live stream of the event ) @Woodstreetcommons @Oakland.homeless.union

Uncle Brokin Cloud -a LoveUary.... Sometimes the birds disappear So that we can see our way out of here Sometimes we get to touch the clouds Sometimes Tonateu collides with Omayacan and the wind calms us down Sometimes a coyote whispers sometimes a story becomes a dream In the shape of a man Hello little sister Sometimes trauma looks like love Sometimes pain grips us tight like a glove Sometimes waves talk to the moon and Sometimes -once in a lifetime  we r on the MOVE There is a memorial made of clouds In the shape of a bicycle At the entrance to a revolution called Homefulness Built by poor and houseless people For poor and houseless people Uncle Brokin Cloud brought it With all of the things he brought Broken tools, molded bread magic , revolution and more bicycle seats than anyone could ever sit on I know u are riding on one of your cloud chariots now Cloud And we will miss u everyday REST IN POWER BROKIN CLOUD aka Billy Ervin Simpson 9/13/1954 - 7/5/2025 We will be holding a multinationed prayer ceremony and herb planting at HOMEfulness within a week -(date /time not yet confirmed ) and a Bike Ride for Brokin Cloud on July 27th at 10am -leaving HOMEfulness for Lake Merrit -His Blood family needs support with cremation -we r raising that for them thru the Bank Of ComeUnity reparations @poormagazine -pls redistribute to: POOR-magazine on Venmo Poormag@gmail.com on PayPal Brokin Cloud aka Billy Ervin Simpson 9/13/54-7/5/25 -houseless resident of Homefulness -powerful povertySkola, teacher , thinker, media producer, revolutionary Rest in Revolution And Power Forever On The Move At Homefulness Occupied Huchiun Turtle Island MamaEarth

On Juneteenth 2009, POOR Magazine began the two day herstoric revolutionary change session (that is now bi-yearly Peopleskool) that taught young wite privileged peoples the concept of Poverty scholarship, ComeUnity Reparations and radical redistribution which resulted in the creation of the powerFULL Solidarity family of Poor Magazine, the Bank Of ComeUnity Reparations that immediately implemented Poor people Reparations & created: the po mamaz Reparations fund for poor mamaz rent and utitilties and hoopties repair and so much more the HOMEfulness Hotel fund for houseless peoples to get in motel rooms, off the streets the poMamas panale /diaper fund and so many other emergencies And us poor/houseless Black/Brown/Disabled/Indigenous peoples received enuf blood stained dollars--that we transformed into love stained dollars--to "buy" then spiritually and legally unsell occupied land to mamafest HOMEfulness #1, which currently houses 24 houseless elders and families in rent-free forever housing with permission and guidance from 1st nations peoples on deep east Huchiun land, a tution free liberation school for low/no-income houseless children, a radio station, the sliding scale cafe, free food and groceries for all, and free media and education and healing for all the ComeUnity, and we r currently working in five other settler towns to bring the same template to their houseless povertyskolaz. #Juneteenth   #Herstory   #LaureMcElroy   #MamaDee   #PiriThomas   #BruceAllison   #KathyGalves #IdrissStelley #PapaBear   #KailaMoore   #LuisGongora   #LarryLattimore   #UncleAlRobles   #WoundedKneeDeOcampo   #JulioChavez  Iba Baba Iba Yeye Ase ahooooo ThankU so much SisStar Vivian Flaherty  and Carina Lomeli  for pics and your beautiful work and love and time and every povertySkola who walks this journey into self determination and Liberation.

Tiny aka @povertyskola Banner from a Powerful resistance protest organized by coalition on homelessness  I can’t rest  They are sweeping me to death One day its a tow The next day my home is bouncing in the road Then i end up in a tent  And then they want me dead  Then why take my RV  When it's us you don't want to see Now you've left us  Exposed    Why tow my home  When you have nowhere for me to go -excerpt of Towed by tiny 8th and harrison Berkeley -site of violent tows and then sweeps   “We can only hold two bags , choose one, screamed my mama to me over the shriek from a tow hitch scraping our already broken bumper against the asphalt “We don’t even have bags to put our stuff in,” I screamed back “Then grab whatever you can carry,” she motioned to my backpack and our one blanket we shared in the backseat when we slept to try to stay warm. But what about our bag of pictures, my favorite boots, her medicine, my emergency stuffie, I watched them all clunk down the road never to b seen again  This moment bled into so many trauma-filled moments of our houseless life, when i heard about the SFMTA “vote” to implement yet more laws making it illegal to live in your Recreation (read: survival) Vehicle (Read: home)  After a series of other anti-poor people actions like attempting to get rid of funding for life-saving harm reduction services and getting “tough” in the Tenderloin on houseless people, Mayor Lurie  proposed a terrifying and violent plan to implement a ridiculous two hour limit on RV’s  To this act of violence I ask  Lurie in earnest -why tow us when u have nowhere for us to go? RV’s aren't a long term solution but they are a form of insideness. As I have often said when we are outside we suffer the violence of exposure -our lives and trauma, our belongings and struggles now up for scrutiny from the hating public. When we have our cars and RVs we are provided a modicum of shelter, of privacy. It is anti-poor people abuse to intentionally deprive us of the most minimum of a roof.why ? Because the RVs hurt your *starbukian eyes.  The settler myth of open road, RVs and travel is also clearly seen here.Certain RVs, the ones in over-priced “campsites” aren't ticketed. Their shiny new winnabego RVs aren't towed after two hours. Their dogs aren't killed by bulldozers and tow trucks like so many of our  houseless pets are in these violent sweeps and tows. And the reality is low-income/no-income & working class families who clean the bugie restaurant kitchens and clean San Francisco's  homes can't afford the insane rent in the Bay Area.  And god forbid we have a crisis and can't work.  “After Covid we ended up homeless, we had no money for the rent, “ said Alvaro T, formerly houseless San Francisco resident, povertySkola, Danzante and Janitor who is now homeful in rent free forever, healing  housing  at Homefulness after spending two years houselsss in his car in San Francisco. Homefulness is a homeless peoples solution to homelessness and currently houses 24 houseless youth , adults and elders with protocol and permission from 1st nations relatives of this land. We are trying to bring this powerful vision to SF, because we as poor people have solutions, maybe they could just listen to us and stop sweeping and towing us because we are not trash   “We don't need a sandwich or a navigation center we need a home, “ said junebug Kealoha, formerly houseless POOR magazine poverty Skola and community health worker in the Tenderloin working with me and so many more houseless mamas to bring a Homefulness to Occupied Yelamu aka San Francisco.  In so-called progressive Berkeley they just operated a viscious and violent sweep of houseless relatives in west Berkeley who used to live in RVs but after the city towed them all now they are in tents being subject to violent sweeps. Mama, where is your medicine,?  “I’m Sorry Ma’am it’s time, you can collect the rest of your stuff at the tow yard,”  - the tow hitch was dragging our home away, “Nooooooo,” I let out a silent scream knowing that just like the other times they towed our homes, there would be nothing left in the car by the time it got to the tow yard and most importantly that we could NEVER afford to get our home back. Our next home was a tent. Our next tow was a sweep. ## Houseless /poor mamas and papas present their poems to build HOMEfulness Yelamu (SF)

Photo: A. Camera, the guard employed by IPS On February 09, 2024 I was assaulted by Walmart's IPS armed security guard in San Leandro, CA at the Davis Street Store. While standing in line at the electronics department, deep inside the store, I noticed the armed guard posing in military position with his hand on his firearm. With children nearby yelling and playing in the aisles (I literally heard the kids close by). I asked the officer, “Can you please get your hand off your gun, Sir.” Gera's video of the incident The officer, as you will see in this video of the incident, flips out and walks quickly towards me yelling, “You don't tell me what to do, you hear me,” as he swings twice in an attempt to knock my phone out of my hand. I then replied, “Whoa buddy you just messed up. What's your name and badge number?” He said, “You just f***** yourself,” with an egotistical tone of voice. Just seconds later, he walks by me as if he was walking back towards the front of the store and mumbles “Get the f*** out of my face” (mind you I’m standing in line in the same spot and haven't moved). I told him one more time, “I need your name and badge number”, and before I could get out my final word he turned at me and punched me directly in my face causing my phone to go flying and injuries that still affect me to this very day over one year later. It is May, 2025 and this tyrant named A. Camera, his employer IPS (AKA International Protective Services Inc.) and WALMART have yet to be held accountable for this assault which resulted in personal, physical, and mental injuries. I went to the ER immediately after and have been receiving treatment for my injuries since the assault. An incident report was filed on the officer but no action has been taken.

Photo: Officer Gonzales of the Oakland Police Department Once again the Po-LICE, city workers, bulldozers, and accompLICES violently sweep our relatives in the East Oakland area near East 12th Street by the Burger King alongside the 880 freeway. This is an ongoing occurrence where they wipe away the houseless communities on ”STATE Property”, treating us–“the people”–like trash. Gera's video of the interaction “We don't see eye to eye on that topic,” said The Six Stripe (six body) Police Officer Gonzales of the Oakland Police Department, when I mentioned to him in this episode of KopWatch Aztlan Roofless Radio, how we know that he has killed at least 6 people including a 15 year old boy here in the City of Oakland. I asked him to please take it easy on the people and to please not get anymore stripes (bodies) in his career. This Tyrant Officer Gonzales is a cruel killer, typically leading these violent sweeps with a smirk on his face. His is at all locations that a sweep on the people is taking place. That’s because he obviously has no problem killing us.

In 2015, CDCR began to release hundreds of inmates out of the SHU (Security housing unit) through the dedicated work of inmates on hunger strike attorneys and family support. CDCR vowed to do away with long-term isolation (SHU) and gang validation. But time has passed, and things are beginning to change.  CDCR is still trying to lock down certain inmates, specifically those involved in the hunger strike. The only difference now is that CDCR is doing it underhandedly by transferring state inmates to BOP (Board of Prisons); they will be placed in the SHU (ADX Colorado).  Housed in the most restrictive conditions and denied CDCR rehabilitation programs. The CDCR secretary believes they have the power to relinquish the primary jurisdiction of state inmates without the Governor’s consent.  But, under state law, only the Governor or state sentencing courts can relinquish the primary jurisdiction of an inmate’s state life sentence. CDCR has abused its power and underhandedly worked with BOP to manipulate the system since California no longer houses inmates long-term in the SHU and BOP still does. CDCR is now saying they can relinquish primary jurisdiction so we can be housed in the SHU. CDCR California State Prison, Nacht & Lewis Photo Gallery Here is the proof:  in September 2022, CDCR agreed underhandedly, along with BOP, to transfer thirteen (13) California state inmates so they can be housed in the BOP in the most restrictive conditions.  All inmates were serving a state life sentence and had previously participated in the Pelican Bay SHU hunger strike. Even though at the time all inmates were only being charged in a federal racketeering case (Quiet Storm), CDCR already presumed they were all guilty and agreed to relinquish primary jurisdiction to BOP. In the eyes of CDCR, there was no innocent till proven guilty. This means CDCR believes they have the power to transfer any inmate to BOP SHU without even being found guilty of any federal crime. CDCR’s way of thinking is not only retaliatory but also biased. After almost three years of CDCR withholding the agreement, finally, in January 2025, a federal judge ordered CDCR to disclose it. The underhanded agreement showed what was believed. CDCR stated they are relinquishing the primary jurisdiction of (13) inmates who were being federally charged. CDCR’s purpose was so they can be housed in more restrictive conditions due to being purported gang members. CDCR did not want them to return to CDCR; most importantly, it showed the agreement was not signed by a court or Governor. It was not an official certified document.  The letter was solely signed by a former CDCR secretary named Kathleen Allison; see attached letters. The law of relinquishing primary jurisdiction of an inmate is complex and can be confusing. Let me explain in the simplest terms: relinquishing primary jurisdiction only happens when a sentence is complete, such as through release bail, dismissal of charges, parole or expiration of sentence.  This would mean the sentencing court or Governor can only relinquish primary jurisdiction of an inmate serving a life sentence. The CDCR secretary does not have the power to stop, interrupt, change or commute a state life sentence. The authority of the CDCR secretary is clearly outlined in Title 15 3076 (a) & (b).  The CDCR secretary only has the power to recommend a sentence. When relinquishing primary jurisdiction is not done correctly/unofficial, this means the inmates are still doing their state life sentence, but in BOP if this occurred, then CDCR violated their due process and equal protection rights by failing to ask each inmate for their consent in being transferred to another jurisdiction required under California penal code 2911.  What is more shocking is that when nine (9) of the inmates got federally sentenced (4 still pending), all received a federal “consecutive sentence”.  A federal consecutive sentence means it can only start under law once the first pre-existing sentence is complete.  In this case it would be their state life sentence. Instead of the inmates being returned to CDCR after federal court proceedings were terminated, they have all been transferred to BOP. CDCR ignored this court order and still forced the illegal transfer by placing a detainer on each inmate which states that their sentences are imposed to run concurrently, this NOT true. If this is not enough, the CDCR officers who gathered the intelligence to manipulate this transfer were demoted for officer misconduct. These CDCR officers and the Salinas Valley State Prison warden allowed inmates to have cell phones so long as they gave up intel within prison walls. This was self-admitted by the officer in the trial (case * United States v. Cervantes No. CR-21-0000328 YGR). These CDCR officers would text informants housed in prison and used that intel collected to federally indict the thirteen inmates' names in the agreement.  CDCR has gone to great lengths to keep this scandal from the public.  This is a warning to all those who opposed California’s long-term confinement (SHU) and defended prisoner’s rights. CDCR has not changed and will never change if we don’t continue to speak up and stand up against these dirty tactics. Right now, CDCR believes they are above the court system and Governor by transferring inmates to BOP with no due process. Please share this without others and make them aware. Authored by, SHU kick out in Solidarity *Those who would like to attend the sentencing hearing: June 17, 2025 8AM Northern District Court 1301 Clay Street Courtroom 1, 4th Floor Oakland, CA 94612

The next AC Transit Board Meeting will be Wednesday June 11 at 5 pm at 1600 Franklin Avenue, 2nd floor in Downtown Oakland. Public comment is immediately opened at 5 pm, so we need to be there at 4:30 or 4:45 pm to check in and sign a speakers' form to make public comment.  Our problem is that AC Transit has moved/re-moved TWO bus stops that end the safety of elderly and disabled persons going to and coming from the Wednesday and Friday Pantry sessions, and in so doing AC Transit has violated the ADA law that seeks to retain and/or provide "reasonable accommodations" for Seniors, Disabled, and others who would NOT be able to enter or leave our Agency, Telegraph Community Ministry Center, 5316 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland California , without incurring INCREASED RISK Of INJURY and DEATH, because AC Transit first removed the bus stop from in front of the Temescal Oakland Library, which was only ONE stop light crossing for the Elders, Disabled, and Parents w/ young children to cross to catch the Southbound #6 bus.  That #6 bus stop was moved, from a solid sidewalk in front of the library at 52nd and Telegraph, to a detached concrete island beyond 51st and Telegraph: TWO whole additional streets south of the Library AND across two additional, very dangerous intersections (1) at Telegraph and 52nd Street which the is the short-cut to the 980 Freeway entrance at 51st and Shattuck; and (2) at Telegraph about a 1/2 block beyond 51st Street which is a very wide, four- lane, intersection with staggered traffic "go" and "left turn" timed-signal starts and stops.    As if that was not bad enough, the Southbound #6 bus stop at 55th Street is equally as treacherous and dangerous because it is 4 full blocks farther north of that bus island at 51st Street, and people walking to that bus stop with grocery carts full of food frequently have had to RUN to 55th and then negotiate two signal lights that control cars at both the #6 AND the #12 bus stops, turning left from 55th, north toward the 24 Freeway,  cars driving straight across the 55th Street Crosswalk into the gas station, AND the #12 bus, turning right from 55th onto Southbound Telegraph. So now, the AC Transit Board of Directors has removed the Southbound #6 and #12 bus stop at Claremont, yet again from a solid sidewalk, backward one block so that shoppers, Elders, disabled persons and parents with minor children will be endangered ONCE again, arriving at Telegraph and Claremont to shop at our Agency's Pantry three times per week,  because they will be forced to dodge traffic turning right onto Claremont to go northeast rapidly toward the Rockridge area. The danger here for ALL walkers trying to cross Claremont at Telegraph is that far too many drivers, bike riders and motor bikers do not really observe the law when making a right turn: they simply barrel through the crosswalk, on a red or a green light, and accelerate as fast as possible, either in route to DMV or some other sacred venue.  Maybe the drivers will see the pedestrians attempting to cross the street on a green light and maybe they won't, resulting in screeching tires and bus-dependent riders running for their lives all day every day. Whoever planned these bus stop removals and redistributions did not study the usage patterns of thistle North Oakland, Temescal population. Instead, the planners simply looked at WHAT SEEMED to be expedient, cost saving, commercially beneficial for the new Whole Foods (a.k.a. Whole Paycheck) store that now will surely benefit from having the Northbound #6, #12, #800 bus stop right in front of its door, no matter whose lives are inconvenienced or lost in the process! Please restore the bus stop in front of the Temescal Oakland Library, and please do NOT cancel the original Telegraph at Claremont bus stop.  Err on the side of humane morality, respect for Seniors/Disabled/Working Class Parents with Children, and the integrity of our Community. Thank you. Peace and Health Equity with Justice and       Courageous Respect for Everyone,  Ms. S. Omowale Fowles, Housing Director  MANNA From Heaven Breakfast Program/  "A ROOF Over Their Heads" Emergency-to-  Permanent Housing Program at Telegraph  Community Ministry Center (TCMC)

I will never intentionally use generative AI. My writing comes from a place of authentic expression. I notice that people use AI because they are not confident in their writing skills. Personally, I would rather fail due to my own human error than rely upon the often factually incorrect product that comes from AI. Machines such as ChatGPT cannot replicate the hurt, pain, trauma, and growth that comes from transforming my life experiences into reflective pieces of art. As an individual, I am committed to journalistic integrity and artistic creativity, and will never replace my human voice with generative AI. —------------- POOR Magazine and the content of its website, radio shows, and articles will never contain generative AI. As poor people, intellectual property is often the only property we own and that must be protected. Machines such as ChatGPT cannot replicate the hurt, pain, trauma, and growth that comes from transforming our experiences with poverty into reflective pieces of art and healing. POOR Magazine is committed to journalistic integrity and artistic creativity, and will never replace the human voice with generative AI.

Photo: A Scene in a Library by William Henry Fox Talbot By Ananda  Homeroom and another morning free-write I had already decided not to do. I sat waiting for my classmates to finish while I stared at the clock, ignoring the teacher's looks. He walks to my desk and I prepare for a lecture…but today he asked me to get up and go to the counselors office? I walk down the halls, thinking about my missed assignments, reach the outside of the office and see my sister waiting on the bench outside. We both laugh, surprised to see each other. We were very different students, both freshmen and already set on opposite tracks. I was pulled out of my remedial classes often to make an ‘action plan’ to recover my GPA. I rarely saw my sister during the school day–something very serious had to have happened to take her out of AP prep. Jokes and joy turn into confusion. What could this be about? She doesn't know either. The door opens. The school counselor, Miss Ambros, is there. She once told my sister she “reads too much and people who read as much as her must be using it as an escape to not have to deal with their real issues.” She gestures us into the office, where a woman I have never seen is already sitting and smiling at us. Immediately, I knew we were on trial. Fear, embarrassment and anger all rushed through me at once and in that same moment I knew I couldn’t show it. She introduces herself and tells us we're not in trouble. She asks us about school, about mom and about home. Home. Our tiny two bedroom apartment–the first place we ever called our own. Loud neighbors, warm kitchen, big couch, the occasional mouse (mom was gonna get more traps soon) and two bathrooms! One for us and one that was just for mom. She worked for years to get us out of Haven House and promised we would have our own place someday. It was hard at first, she always found a way to make rent but there were weeks with no food in the fridge. All my siblings struggled through middle school–all ‘bright’ but ‘undisciplined’. At that time, we only saw her a few hours a day. We got ourselves to school and back. Got home and threw our homework to the side for cartoons. She would get home later that night, see our messy room and unfinished homework and we would get spanked and sent to bed. That was the rule and that's how things went day by day. Sometimes we would do our work, but most of the time we didn’t. My sister wrote about this in a poetry assignment in her high school English class. So there we were, Miss Ambros printed out the poem and read out the parts she found ‘concerning’ and asked my sister if what she wrote was true. I had passed on every morning free write assignment for the first half of the school year. I didn’t realize our words, or lack thereof, were being monitored. What wasn’t I saying? How much dread I felt over my future, how impossible it felt to keep up with my school work, how I felt like giving up and really already had. My bad attitude around school was constant and something I was expecting to grow out of, like one day it would just click for me the same way it seemed to for my sister and everyone else. Until then I was just a bad student, choosing to fail, waiting to prove them wrong. But this was different, did they think I was failing because of mom? Because she was abusing us? My mom who had survived so much and did everything for us. Could they really take us away from her? In the following weeks, the social worker follows up with a home visit. Mom tells her about those difficult years–how she worked on her anger on her own. I remember she had even apologized to us for hitting us years before. We get a passing grade and mom gets a child abuse investigation report on her permanent record. School is back to normal and we are free to go along our tracks as planned. I flunk out and get my diploma at a finishing school. My sister goes on to be the only black student to qualify for and pass an AP program in the entire school district her graduating year.