Welcome and introduction to SPS

While there is a great deal of positive activist work going on many fronts,
there's a real need for improved communications among groups and, more
importantly, with sympathizers and independent and radical/progressive
writers and media. i have a modest proposal for all activists and groups
struggling for justice, liberation and the hearts and minds of our brothers
and sisters everywhere.

Former Black Panther and political prisoner Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, in a
manifesto he wrote while entombed in one of the most brutal prisons in the
USA, envisioned the creation an information bureau to network with
activists and supportive media to get liberation messages out to the
people. Put bluntly, the "mainstream" media, for all the right-wing howling
of liberalism and political correctness, very seldom documents, struggles
with and supports the efforts of people of color, the urban and rural poor
and radicals/progressives in their efforts for freedom and justice.
Instead, we're constantly treated to rightist talking heads distorting
reality and neo-Nazis being given free reign in "mainstream" media to
propagandize their opinions. What i am presenting is media on our own terms
through an idea i hope gets your support and participation.

The Salazar-Parsons Service (christened after the late Chicano journalist
Rubeun Salazar, who was killed by the LA Police Department, and Black
anarchist Lucy Parsons) is designed as an electronic gathering point for
news and opinions of radical/progressive, liberationist and independent
viewpoints. The service stays alive through your support. Activists,
organizations and progressive writers should forward news, opinion, alerts
and anything you wish for publication to SPS at the electronic mail address
serve@hic.net. From here, SPS forwards material in weekly "packages" to
media who've expressed interest in publishing articles from the service as
well as a list of e-mail addresses for activists and groups who can spread
the word and offer aid. Various progressive and independent media are
always looking for help, articles and ideas too, and SPS will occasionally
send over an address of someone needing your input. SPS is brand-new and
electronically-based (and thus limited in some respects) but it can be a
good start to more networking and information exchange among activists and
with those writers and media sympathetic to our viewpoints and willing to
support us. This endeavor deserves your support.

All correspondences (articles -- news, opinion, alerts, ideas, comments,
requests, etc.) should be forwarded to serve@hic.net. If you received this
message directly mailed to you, you're already a part of the network list;
if you don't wish to be included or want to recommend people to be, please
write serve@hic.net with e-mail addresses and such. Write if you've gotten
this message forwarded and want to join up. Those whose contributions can
receive credit if they wish. Please keep in mind that there's a need for
all kinds of articles -- analysis, news, alerts, activist reports,
commentaries and anything in between -- so everything is helpful.

You'll see most articles prefixed with a word. Categories are as follows:
NEWS: news item or news feature on a given topic
OPINION:  opinion piece or commentary on a given subject
ALERT: notice of a demonstration, street action or protests
ANNOUNCE: notice of a conference, social action or similar event
WORD:  bit of information that fits no category

This could be the beginning of a very positive project. Get involved!


