There's so much "it's time" and "finish the job" energy for the most destructive, vile, repressive policies ever... and so little of that energy for what might actually help people. I'm no senior strategist, but I do talk to regular people who think "it's time" to fight for them.

There are times when we are asked to speak and we should speak. There are other times we should decide to just listen. Something will be stirred.

In a heart-wrenching, outraging tragedy, a 3-year-old Black toddler fell to his death from an 8th-floor window in Independence MO after his parents had repeatedly asked their slumlord to fix the broken window. Yet, prosecutors jailed and charged the grieving Black parents. 🧵

We live in a world where the conditions destroy our babies and then blame us for the circumstances. Parker Webb neglected his property and the safety of his tenants and now a parent’s baby is dead and the state places blame at their feet. We deserve better. 💔

Tonight in KC! Join Decarcerate KC Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty and Melissa Ferrer (&)’s ANIE for a celebration of the poetry of Marcellus Khaliifah Williams. We’ll hear readings of Khaliifah’s poems from local KC poets. Doors open at 7, with performances starting at 8. Turnsol Books, 1664 Broadway Blvd

Been wild busy cooking up some exciting shit. Finally have time to circle back and ask madi — how many walks are we going on before winter comes??? I expect to see our foot prints here 🙃

A leader at Quality Hill Towers union meeting last night — “Some people will hear what is happening at QH and say just move. Well I did move and I ended up here. My question for them  is where do we go? What options do we have? Because for me it is looking grim.”

THE STRIKE IS ON More soon 👀

QUALITY HILL & INDEPENDENCE TOWERS, WE GOT YOUR BACK! Tenant Unions on #RentStrike are asking you to stand with us! Please join us this Friday at 5pm to hold the picket line at: Quality Hill Towers, 905 Jefferson St., KCMO 64105 WEAR YELLOW!

I want to live in a world where poor & working class people know our power & fight back. For tenants, our power is our rent. At Quality Hill & Independence Towers tenants are using that power. When we win it will change history for every tenant in this country. #RentStike

RENT STRIKE DAY 18: After a week of retaliation and lies, Quality Hill strikers delivered dirty sink and tub water, roaches, mice traps, and photos of structural damage to the management offices.

Rent strike day 24. FHFA promised bargaining with striking tenants and then scrapped the plan, instead prioritizing coordination with Fannie Mae, the entity they are meant to regulate. Gross negligence. More from Katy O'Donnell in POLITICO: subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024/1…

RENT STRIKE DAY 31. This month tenants in Kansas City launched strikes in federally-backed properties, targeting landlords AND federal regulator U.S. Federal Housing (FHFA). Rent is due again tomorrow, November 1. Tenants organizing in Michigan, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Montana, Illinois...

The federal regulator is cordially invited to sleepover at Quality Hill Towers or Independence Towers.

More jails don’t equal more safety! 🚫 BlaqOut stands with Decarcerate KC and over 20 local orgs in opposing the use of KC's public safety tax to fund a new detention center. Building more jails only expands a system that has historically harmed our communities.

Three tenant unions launched in the Kansas City area this week. They all share the same New York-based landlord, Capital Realty Group. Tenants have dealt with roaches, mice, flooding and unresponsive management. My latest: kcur.org/housing-develo…

HAPPENING NOW: The KCMO City Council will vote on a plan to build a $25 million, 100+ bed "modular jail" ahead of the 2025 World Cup. This comes after community members rallied widespread opposition to the jail at Tuesday's Finance Committee meeting. Updates posted below ⬇️⬇️⬇️