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Race and Gender in the Orginal King Kong Film
GUEST: Gail Dines, Prof of Sociology and Women’s Studies at Wheelock College in Boston

As movie fans prepare for this week’s release of Peter Jackson’s epic King Kong film, we go back about 70 years to the original film that gained a cult following. First appearing in 1933, King Kong was written for the big screen and directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper. While much has been said about the ground breaking technical effects of the film, most mainstream media commentary has left out the race and gender dimensions of this influential film.

From Gang Member to Community Leader
GUEST: Mel Hayward, Program Director for Venice 2000, former gang member.

Yesterday, the California Supreme Court decided against granting a stay in the scheduled execution of death row inmate Stanley “Tookie” Williams. After the decision, lawyers for Williams asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block his impending execution scheduled for early Tuesday morning one minute past midnight. A decision on that appeal is expected later today. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, on the other hand, has until midnight tonight to decide on clemency for Williams. Stanley “Tookie” Williams, was convicted for four murders committed in 1979. However, the NAACP will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. this morning to announce new information regarding the possible frame-up of Stanley “Tookie” Williams. With us today is a former gang member who now works in a community organization, Venice 2000.

Venice 2000 is located at 610 California Avenue in Venice. For more information email venice2000@sbcglobal.net, or call 310-823-6100, or visit www.venice2000.org.

Empire Notes
GUEST: Rahul Mahajan, author of Full Spectrum Dominance and The New Crusade

We go now to our weekly commentary Empire Notes by Rahul Mahajan, author of Full Spectrum Dominance and The New Crusade. Today’s commentary is about climate change.

Empire Notes is online at www.empirenotes.org.

LA Mission College Students Organize
GUESTS: Jose A. Maldonado, professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies and History, Cesar Miranda, MEChA secretary and LAMC student, both are with United for Education

Last week, students and community members held a 24-hour vigil at LA Mission College to call attention to what they called “the trustees’ abhorrent refusal to deal with the discrimination and academic failures of Mission College.” Students and faculty have formed an organization called United For Education, and are demanding student services, an American cultures department and more.

United for Education meets each Saturday morning at 10:30 am at Tia Chucha’s Cafe Cultural, at 12737 Glenoaks Blvd., #22, Sylmar, CA 91342. For more information email ufecoalition@yahoo.com.

Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:

“You may think your actions are meaningless and that they won’t help but that is no excuse, you must still act.” – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi