IF A PICTURE IS WORTH ONE THOUSAND WORDS, THEN WHAT DO THESE DEPICT ??

The photographs sent to DCF Plantation Blog are interesting to view. from an objective point, these seem like ordinary scenes of women having fun at some event. Sources report however that the pictures -at least to them- depict boundaries being crossed between Connecticut Juvenile training School staff and management. There is a female in the picture with blond hair and wearing a green (?) dress that sources report is part of CJTS plantation management partying with those employees she oversees each week. Now there is nothing wrong with hanging out after work but with rank and file staff ? Just imagine coming to work Monday and taking directives from your boss that got loose at the club with employees. In the picture we see this same alleged supervisor with her hand placed clearly on the buttocks of an employee ( in tight black clothing ) and looking at the buttocks as if for some kind of revelation.

Again what message does this activity send to rank and file staff ? if you remember, lawmakers and members of the Child Advocate Office have been claiming resident abuse at CJTS from the actions of Youth Service Officers -during restraints. Sources report that various Units at CJTS are not uniform when it comes to restraint policy : if supervisors party hardy with staff, squeezing buttocks in playful camera scenes, is it any wonder policy and procedure is not followed by rank and file employees ?   Oh well, maybe after the pictures are published somewhere people can judge for themselves ?

I wonder if anyone in those pictures did the shimmy at that event like Tina Turner when she sang rolling on the river ?

BUILDING # 5 RESIDENT ASSAULTS STAFF, SUPERVISORS PARTYING WITH STAFF MIGHT BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE

The reports from Connecticut Juvenile Training School are focusing on a certain resident in building # 5 consistently assaulting staff. In the space of about two weeks the resident punched several staff and did not fear being restrained due to all the media attention given to the Whistle Blower's allegations [ Youth Service Officers are abusing residents ]. When this male attacks staff there are people standing nearby who will not seek to safeguard the health of another employee. Fear of losing their job due to micro- managing restraint procedures is one cause of not stopping these assaults.

This writer received numerous e-mail messages concerning a certain supervisor at CJTS who parties after work hours with employees that are directed by that particular administrator. Now there are policies prohibiting inappropriate relationships between supervisors and staff. There is nothing to stop employees from meeting in the community after work. However I am talking about a situation where a supervisor goes out to night clubs with employees and in photographed placing  a hand on the employee's arse [ Irish for butt ]. In these pictures something curious can be seen i.e. supervisor and employee boundaries being crossed. Now how can any supervisor go to work the day after such antics with other employees and then command respect ? It is possible to conclude that such club room antics could be one reason that each Unit follows different patterns of resident restraints. This writer has seen several pictures of this supervisor with employees and wonders about boundaries. Hmmmm !

THANKS FOR REMINDING ME OF WHO I AM IN AMERICA

“Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another
   -- Homer

I want to thank the white activist for reminding me of who I am in America. Since my involvement with Moral Monday CT and #BlackLivesMatter movements there has been a lot of backlash from some whites. Most whites claim all lives matter or just offer arguments based on incomprehensible logic that numbs my brain. However most recently events in Hartford put me in contact with whites claiming solidarity with MMCT etc. I have been invited to activists homes, sat in on difficult discussions about race in churches, argued about use of tactics and the need to follow black leadership. During all of this dialogue and interaction some whites claimed solidarity in fighting 400 plus years of social construction aimed at keeping blacks in their place in America.

There are times that being in close contact to whites can lull black people into a Rip Van Winkle like slumber, where all is right in the universe and we walk in lockstep with white allies. Then we are awakened from that somnolent state by words or actions of whites. I was in dialogue with some one about the current state of the black struggle and noticed certain words said to me. At first those words were overlooked but then I just asked in casual conversation what was meant by certain phrases. The exact wording revolved around "putting up barriers" as it related to me. Then the word "fear of the unknown" was used to describe interactions with me. Now in all fairness the person did explain they did not know me and the choice of words were bad. But that explanation only came after I inquired about those specific words "fear of the unknown" as reasons for putting barriers up i.e. keeping me at arms length until they got to know me. Hmmmm !

What is interesting is that since coming to Hartford fresh from theological school in 1991 I have been front and center as an activist. My skirmishes with drug dealers, gang members, politicians, black leaders and state run agencies over racism is a matter of public record. My voice and face dominated Hartford media and newspapers for over one decade; yet this white activist said "fear of the unknown" in describing me. Let me be clear. This article is not to beat up on white folks. However it is worth looking at the mindset that uttered those words. "fear of the unknown" as it relates to black people is what caused certain law enforcement agencies to destroy the Black Panther Party. It was not the BPPs Survival Programs or Breakfast Programs that scared America. It was the fact that these black militants were different than Negroes seen on the American landscape; ergo, they were feared. My interaction with the white activist who  claimed  verbal solidarity caused a deeper reaction below the level of their consciousness. Somewhere this person did not feel comfortable with me around issues of so called solidarity, this became apparent when the words "fear of the unknown " were used in the context of putting up barriers to check me out... until it was safe. Hey let me ask the question of this white activist ..safe from what?  I have been accused of being impertinent with language regarding social issues. There are times I also implement a take no prisoners strategy when dealing with social issues. Is that reason for the white activist to fear me?

America reacts to certain people of color that advocate strongly for social justice etc, just like the white activist reacted to me. However those feelings of unease around certain blacks are so submerged that whites do not know they exist. Then when something bubbles to the surface that resembles "the portrait of Dorian Gray" in it's hideousness, then whites back track on the language. Milton was correct in writing "truth comes to us first in hideous mien." In this case the truth from that white activist is a microcosm of what many whites feel.

In conclusion, let me say to the white activist thanks for reminding me of who I am In America.


BEING A MAN IN AMERICA
Is it truly possible in this in this pseudo Christian land,
For a black male to stand up,
and act like a man ?

I don't want to be obsequious,
or act like some Uncle Tom,
in order to get along.

But when black males act like men,
Then whites say that's wrong.

It makes no difference to me
What you do or say,

I'm going to stand erect
and be a man anyway.

BLACK PANTHER DOCUMENTARY IN HARTFORD DRAWS WHITES SEEKING REVOLUTIONARY FERVOR THROUGH OSMOSIS

The Real Art Way Theatre in Hartford presented the new documentary of the Black Panther Party on October 9, 2015 5:30pm. Crowds of white people flowed into the theatre along with some blacks claiming to be Moors and other assorted folks. What is interesting is that for months members of Moral Monday CT have engaged whites in dialogue about being part of denouncing and ending oppression of blacks in America. Whites in response have questioned the ideological...theoretical concepts of the current black struggle plus used microscopes to examine our tactics. It took an act of Congress for some whites to finally relent enough to join MMCT street blockage of several major highways or die in at City Hall. So it is with amazement that I discovered so many white people stormed Real Art Ways Theatre to watch this BPP documentary. Oh the white folks were besides themselves being in a theatre with blacks and discussing revolution etc. However what intrigues me is when will whites actually become involved in some sort of revolutionary activity ?

It seems as if whites want to get revolutionary fervor through osmosis. Whites go to events discussing racism, they debate structural racism into the ground, but there is no solidarity with their so called black activists. Let me be clear. It is easy for whites to go see a damn documentary about how blacks sacrificed to gain freedom using BPP as a vehicle. Yet these same whites creep back to the safety of white privilege when asked to be down with the current revolution. These whites do not want to sacrifice or fight for black freedom; hell, they might become uncomfortable being real fighters for freedom. There are levels of sacrifice involved in being dedicated like members of the old BPP, at this juncture whites are not willing or able to make such a commitment.

At the end of the BPP documentary the eyes of white folk were ablaze with what they saw on the movie screen. Now the question must be asked are you down with the current revolution in America or just shucking and jiving?

All Power To The People !!

THE WHISTLE BLOWER PASSES NOTES, THE PANTY CAPER

PASSING NOTES

The rumors are flying around about how the Connecticut Juvenile Training School Whistle Blower has fallen from grace. It was only last week that the person who took hundreds of documents to the Child Advocate -and crying about resident abuse by employees- then caused investigations by media and lawmakers in Hartford. That same person was quoted in the media and walked around bragging "yeah I did it and so what." Now reports come to the DCF Plantation Blog about the Whistle Blower being out on administrative leave for passing a note from one resident with telephone number to another resident. What the heck did you say?  This writer wonders what will come of this latest episode [ one of many over the years ] in the life of the Whistle Blower.

PASSING  AROUND THAT PANTY

A relative of management is currently working at CJTS and made what some call "the boo boo." This CJTS employee placed a resident on the telephone in the  clinician's office and left that person unsupervised. In that office was the clinician's gym bag full of personal items. Residents rummaged through the bag and extracted one panty. At this juncture the residents passed that single panty around as some sort of trophy on exhibit. This writer can report that this violation of a clinician's personal clothing made residents happy. However what about the poor woman who found out about this panty caper. And what discipline will happen to the relative of that management person, who did not watch that resident while on the telephone?

In both of these cases cited above one can plainly understand why CJTS is dysfunctional. There are lapses in supervision by management and this causes chaos on the plantation.

YOUTH SERVICES OFFICERS AND OTHERS TELL THEIR STORY, BUT IS IT TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?

The chaotic scene at Connecticut Juvenile Training School is like some sort of nightmare from the Twilight Zone. A disgruntled whistle blower at CJTS feed documents of alleged abuse to state officials. Then there is an investigation that leads to public hearings; a black man is denounced as culprit over his use of restraints of residents. There is media frenzy over the issue when CJTS videos of restraints are mysteriously leaked. In their infinite wisdom, CJTS management et al., blame YSOs for all the problems at that facility.

Then all of a sudden YSOs plus teachers ban together to address how management has unfairly placed blame for that dysfunctional facility on rank and file members. The local Union gathered employees at their headquarters recently for some sort of panel discussion to address management's attempt at distorting what is really going on at DCF Plantation. However in this writer's opinion, the coming together process is too little, too late. In 2010 workers were trying to elicit support from CJTS employees for a class action lawsuit against the Department of Children and Families / CJTS for racism, hostile work environment... Civil Rights violations. Workers on the DCF Plantation refused to be part of any legal action and distanced themselves from the DCF Plantation Five... originators of the lawsuit. All workers were concerned about at that time consisted of working overtime and going to happy hour to consume chicken wings.

Now there is fear among CJTS workers due to the public image that management crafted in portraying YSOs as lawless thugs harming children. Oh, by the way CJTS picked a black man named Dupree as scapegoat for unlawful restraints. Well. Seems as if chickens have come home to roost; workers refused to organize in the past when then employee Cornell Lewis spoke about challenging management. Now the handwriting is on the wall and management has thrown CJTS employees under the bus. Before the Union meeting YSOs were begging one of the DCF Plantation Five .. Linette Gaunichaux to attend the meeting. "We need your voice" YSOs and teachers proclaimed. You did not need Linette in the past, but now that management has vilified YSOs you want Linette as your champion.


Now workers are fighting back. I maintain it is too little, too late.