Different Faces of Homelessness: Tonight's Homelessness Marathon Broadcast

Free Speech TV will be broadcasting LIVE from The Homelessness Marathon at 7pm Eastern Time, February 23rd, 2009.

Check it out at Dish 9415 and online at http://freespeech.org


Coming to Pass Christian, Mississippi to shoot for The Homelessness Marathon, we imagined taping loads of B-Roll of homeless folks to use in the broadcast. The funny thing about making television is that things don't always work out as expected. Homelessness looks really different in small towns than it does in big cities.

I think we all expected to see folks pushing shopping carts up the street, sleeping in cardboard boxes, passed out on grates, asking for change, and out in public holding signs that say "I'm Homeless. Help." Rather, what we've seen are the destroyed foundations of thousands of homes, many quite lavish, others poor. We've heard tales of rich people being the first to receive government assistance (sound familiar) and poor people still waiting to be evicted (familiar too).

We've seen the bright green, frightfully new MEMA Trailers sitting next to houses smashed up by the storm. Many folks may be pushed out of their houses in the next few months because the government is reclaiming the trailers (stealing homes). For people who've been waiting around for promised government grants to come through that never did, they're shit out of luck.

So what's going to happen to folks displaced by the storm? They'll be evicted, thrown out on the street, and joining millions of others left to die by a state that has more money to kill people in other countries than to help folks here.

So where are homeless folks? Tonight, during the live radio cast, I hope to get a better idea, to hear directly from the people most impacted by Katrina, those stranded outside with nothing left, broken and destroyed by the state. You can check out our broadcast at Free Speech TV.

As for iconic images of the homeless as seen above, they will be scarce in our broadcast. Rather than objectifying folks, we'll be providing a live, national platform for people to be heard. Hope you can check it out.

Update from Mississippi about Homelessness Marathon

I have a few moments to write so pardon the rush job.

We just finished shooting short docs for The Homelessness Marathon. We arrived back at the hotel we're staying at where Kevin and Erin are starting to log and capture footage from today's interview with Jeremy Alderson, AKA Nobody, founder and host of The Homelessness Marathon and other incredible community activists.

Seeing the devastation from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Gustav has been troubling. Knowing that so many people are without homes, stuck in MEMA trailers they're about to lose to a state whose bureaucracy has failed the people should compel all people to action.

This week I read an article in The Nation that discussed the term Kafkaesque. The government's massive failure to release money to the survivors of Katrina in Mississippi is a glaring reminder of how dysfunctional bureaucracies fail people.

We're all tired but excited for Monday night's broadcast that will be available on Dish 9415 and freespeech.org.

We're off to chill out. More updates later.

Headed to the Annual Homelessness Marathon TV Broadcast

Gentle Readers--

Thanks for understanding the lag. I've come down with a nasty cold and have been in recovery. That being said, I've done my best to sleep it off and hell or high water I'm headed down to Pass Christian, Mississippi to shoot the annual Homelessness Marathon Radio Broadcast with Free Speech TV. The show will be available on our regular channel on Dish Network (9415) and live online (fingers crossed) at Free Speech TV Monday 7pm EST-10pm EST.

This annual broadcast is an incredible event that brings the voices of homeless folks, advocates, and activists to radio listeners and tv viewers across the nation and puts pressure on local and national politicians and business people trying to screw the poor.

Our crew will be arriving in Houston Texas this afternoon and driving to Pass Christian. Tomorrow we will be up early to start filming interviews with a variety of folks at advocacy groups and Jeremy Alderson, the coordinator of the event.

The week should be interesting. Check back here for travel updates, observations, and other tidbits. I'll post as I have access!

The Last Few Months and The Next Few Weeks

The past 2 months have been filled with an incredible mixture of emotions that have virtually shut down my ability to blog as I have experienced a wide variety of love, intense friendship, friends leaving, and new folks coming to town. Next week I am traveling to Nashville to videotape the 11th annual Homelessness Marathon Radio Broadcast with Free Speech TV. I am eager to go as it will be my first live television production. I have been working hard on The Patriarchs and have laid down the last shot for the third time. The project will be concluded soon. Free Speech TV has gone through a pledge drive and I had the unique opportunity to talk with dozens of our generous donors about their support. I received a few hate calls as well. Unconventional Action Denver has finally agreed upon a Direct Action Strategy for the Democratic National Convention Protests. Friends appear to be coming from across the country. There is too much to write about and not enough time. I figured it would be worth giving you a few updates.