If you are African American, Republicans don’t want you to vote. This hard-hitting poster quotes a State Representative in Michigan who commented to the Detroit Free Press that the Republicans needed to ‘suppress the Detroit vote’ to win Michigan for Bush this election. 25,000 copies of the poster have been hung or distributed in African American communities around the country. Copies of the African American poet Claudia Rankine’s book, Don't Let Me Be Lonely," were also handed out. To receive copies of the poster or the book for distribution, contact www.quemadura.net (or contact SpeakFirst.org and we will put you in touch with the artist).

Motivational Theme Song: "Kerry On (Don't Beat Around the Bush)”

Check out this motivational theme song for the Kerry campaign. Kerry On (Don't Beat Around the Bush) was composed expressly for the American election by Swing musicians in Europe and handed out in 500 copies by hip individuals across the U.S. This 3 minute song is a sure hook for radio stations and clubs, and downloadable for listening and distribution here: Kerry_on.mp3 (3MB). Pass on the link to friends in music, radio and nightclubs. If you’re someone who likes danceable lyrics, likes to sing in the shower, or if you strum a beat on tables with your hand, this song is for you. If none of the above, this song is REALLY for you.

"Kerry On (Don't Beat Around the Bush)" was made by MUZAK (D.Sighicelli / A.Chatin). You can reach them at ilovemuzak@hotmail.com.

Weekend Happenings in Portland and Seattle: Dance Hard, Vote Harder.

Weekend Happenings in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington designed for minorities, the under-35 crowd, the disillusioned, the tired, the poor, the dissenting, and the thirsty! The culminating event was on Saturday, October 23rd at Bossanova in Portland. Doors opened at nine, programming began at ten - political mumbo jumbo first - during which anyone and everyone had the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates, with music from the masterful dj brennschluss after. Some of the crew circulated giving out nifty prizes, such as “vote harder” t-shirts and the “vote” wristbands, as well as free drink tickets, and the stunning comedy troupe Killing My Lobster graciously donated some of their uncensored Election 2004 film shorts. This team was instrumental in registering never-before-registered Latino and African-American voters at a series of bar hops throughout October.

Public Theater ---Act Fast

ACT FAST is a PUBLIC THEATER group performing regionally-tailored theatre pieces at local shopping malls, bus terminals, public squares and other non-traditional venues. Participants include a racially diverse group of playwrights, poets and professional stage and screen actors who believe that the undecided status of voters in swing states provides a logical venue for discussing the process and meaning of voting. In Minnesota, audiences enjoyed the performers as Cowhands for Kerry at the Swing-sponsored cabaret party, including local artists, music and food – all for free! Act Fast performed Oct. 17-19 in Minneapolis with the Pangea World Theatre Studio, as far south as Albert Lea. October 20-27, Act Fast will be in North Carolina performing a new play looking at the relationship between religion and politics, What Would Jesus Do? On election night, November 2nd, Act Fast performs in New York City with the Missile Dick Chicks.

Poets to Polls Project

VOTERS IN PUBLIC HOUSING in West Palm Beach County, FL will be driven to the polls on election day by 17 San Francisco poets: Chet Wiener, Stacy Doris, Amick Boone, Brandon Brown, Baolin Cheng, Elise Ficarra, Tanesia Hale-Jones, Malia Jackson, Geraldine Kim, Susanna Kittredge, Kate Pringle, Barbara Jane Reyes, David Albracht, Neelanjana Banerjee, Hilary Kaplan, Daryl Lucas, and Lauren Shufran. This group of poets chose Florida because of the heightened needs of this state to make the chance to vote, and to have that vote count, a reality. The poetry of this work is the human interaction.

One Minute Radio Poem

This clock-stopping ONE-MINUTE RADIO POEM by Kristin Prevallet is available for you to hear and download for local venues. A series of different voices recites a list of recollections that begin with “I remember”: “I remember losing my job along with1.6 million other Americans.” “I remember when top officials in the the military warned President Bush not to go into Iraq because we didn’t have an exit plan.” Each line is punctuated by musical beeps created by sound artists Brian Conoly and Andrew Deutsch. This moving, forceful poem plays on radio stations in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Maine, reminding us at once of real emotions and unexpected hardships of the not-to-be-repeated last four years.

MP4 Recording: Radio Poem MP4file (2.6MB)
Windows Media File: Radio Poem .wma file (1.0MB)

Current Radio Schedule:

NEW HAMPSHIRE
10/25-10/29
M-F 6am-6pm
Portsmouth, NH
WBYY-98.7FM Adult Contemporary

OHIO
10/25-10/29
M-F 6am-6pm
Cleveland, OH
WCLV-104.9FM Classical

PENNSYLANIA
10/25-10/29
M-F 6am-6pm
Philadelphia, PA
WXTU-92.5FM Country

Wilkes Barre, PA
WILK 980FM
WOGY 1300AM
WGBI 910AM All News simulcast

WISCONSIN
10/25-10/29
M-F 6am-6pm
Madison, WI
WOLX-94.9FM Oldies

Wausau, WI
WLJY-106.5FM Adult Contemporary
MAINE
10/18-10/24
WGAN-560AM - All News
WPOR-101.9 FM - Country

Fact Labels

Why do we not look at the hard facts? Packets of FACT LABELS and rubber stamps with crucial data about the American economy and current policy have been sent to one hundred addressed around the country. In the weeks leading up to November 2nd, volunteers who received these labels and stamps are finding creative ways to make these facts visible to the public in their own communities, as well as stamping envelopes with figures about the crippled state of the economy. This campaign was started by Iowa artists who realized the importance of cutting through a haze of slogans and campaign rhetoric, and creating positive energy for change by the simplicity of embracing the simple facts in a neutral way. Ready for your own experience of the facts? Look at Mission Accomplished? a month by month article in www.dissentmagazine.org.

Fortune Cookies

Thousands of Chinese FORTUNE COOKIES with facts about the current administration are printed in English and Spanish and personally delivered to Latino communities in the Miami area. In restaurants, coffee shops and classromms, these cookies provoke conversations and thoughts about the future, as well as present a hard look at what has been happening to Floridian families in regard to the economy and healthcare, as well as nationally. Test your facts in Spanish: La Guerra ha matado mil americanos, diez mil iraqueses y ha costado $191 billones. EL ingreso de las familias de la Florida ha bajado $2,534.40.

Cards from Around the World

4 out of 5 people around the worldwide would vote for a change of American president on November 2nd www.globescan.com). A team of artists hand out balloons and free gifts on their road trip from Michigan to New Jersey with signed CARDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. Small Polaroid photos of citizens from Romania, Italy, Lebanon, Argentine and beyond – all the countries whose future is at stake in the choice of America’s president but cannot vote – have individually handwritten messages to dramatize that YES, when you vote on behalf of a whole planetful of people, please think of us. They represent the interests of people from around the world, express their love for the American people, and the wish that we use our great power to steer the world’s future toward positive change.

Plant an Apple Seed for Change Nov. 2nd

Packets of seed from hand-cored apples are handed tovoters with this sentiment attached, to plant in their own backyards. The tree-planting campaign is being enacted by a poet who is following the route walked by Johnny Appleseed from western Pennsylvania to eastern Iowa years before. An info-sheet on the history of Johnny Appleseed's frontier journey, along with the natural history of the apple, explains how apples are not native to America. It was one man’s wild seed and his faith that lies behind America's astonishingly diverse stock of hardy, “self-made” eating apples. Over 2500 varieties of apple come from this original seed, as different climates and soils cast their own evolutionary votes. For the apple tree, staying the course has entailed change and adaptability, along with faith in the American land. Voters are encouraged, for the sake of apples and the American pie they represent, to plant a seed for change on November 2nd.

Ad Campaign: Stark Numbers in Ohio

Twice weekly until the election, when Ohio voters open their local newspaper, they are greeted with a stark white number on a black background that climbs as the election nears. That number is the number of American soldiers who have been killed in the war against Iraq. Under the number is a fact relating to that number: Of the 1086 fallen, 37 of them called Ohio home or of the 1093 who lost their lives, 222 of will never see their 21st birthday. Each fact is followed by a request to please remember them when you vote on November 2nd. This Swing artist believes that when face-to-face with the visceral truth of war, the lies a government has told its people cannot be believed for long – hopefully not beyond November 2nd.

The SpeakFirst reading is an event conceived of by the same collective who inspired The Swing in response to public hunger for more thoughtfulness in political discourse. Swing members, along with the support of a talented group of like-minded friends, will host a collective reading to happen across America and the World on Tuesday October 26th – one week before the presidential elections.