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this story
Gangsta
Profiling: Jerome Almon puts
his skills to good use
Of course the gangsta part
of hip hop is controversial. My views on violence are scattered
all over this website.
Racism is violent.
I came of age while the civil
rights movement was coming into its own. I lived to watch the
riots and the fires on TV -- and the wars.
I am on the famous Red List
which was begun in 1950 with the passing of the McCarren
Act. The Act was repealed during the 70s but they didn't
get rid of the list.
It is just that despite the
attempts of the U.S. government to place restrictions on our
right to travel, do business with one another and learn first
hand about the world that we are now able to communicate so quickly
with one another through the internet.
Canada is so lame and hypocritical,
claiming to stand up for the rights of its citizens and proclaiming
superiority to the U.S. on questions like civil liberties, war,
etc. It was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who gave my name
to U.S. Immigration, ratting me out for having visited the USSR
in 1962 -- (I was in Minneapolis and had cleverly left my passport
back in Canada) and that is how I got on the red list.
You know, if we all stand together,
we can be one helluva gang!--Sheila Steele
 Jerome
Almon's story
In
my letters to the the CHRC, Sen.
Levin, former Canadian Ministers for Immigration Dennis
Coderre, former Customs Elinor Caplan, and former Foreign Minister
Bill Graham I noted the following:
- I have traveled in and out
of Canada 120 times since 1999-and was stopped for secondary
inspections 117 times.
- I have actually been patted
down twice and had Windsor police called with guns drawn over
a CD from my company and profiling (as covered in by the Windsor
Star).
- I have business dealings and
contracts with 2 dozen Canadian companies including Healy Disc
in Ottawa, FLOW FM Toronto, and a large proposed deal with Much
Music.
- I have spent hundreds of thousands
of dollars with Canadian businesses.
- I have spend tens of thousands
of dollars on Canadian Hotels-with many of the personel knowing
me by name and face due the frequency of my visits.
- My label is a legitmately
registered tax paying business
- I have worked with the University
of Toronto on the Delphi project ( a study for the UN based out
of Belguim)
- I was contacted by the Windsor
city govt., and Tourism Toronto during the SARS crisis for advice
and solicited to come and spend more money in Toronto
- I have asked the State Dept
and the Congressional Black Caucus to issue a travel information
bulletin to African Americans entering Canada-as Canada has reagarding
its East Indian and Arab citizens (justifiably so) and as the
US State Dept.has for far less frequent and serious incidents
as what has happened to Selwyn Pieters, Dee Brown, DMX, Said
Jama Jama, etc.
Canada can't weazle out
of this one
Canada Immigration and
Customs continue to come up with multiple stories as to WHY they
have sought to bar me from the country. It initially was
stated that they were concerned I had a criminal record.
Both I and Sen Levin have repeatedly submitted police clearances
stating I have NO criminal record-period beginning in 1998).
Although the Immigration officer at the Canadian Consulate
in Detroit has acknowledged receiving the clearances on 3 seperate
occasions (1993)-Canada Immigration states I have never turned
them in.
Jim Lefebvre apologizes to me in 2001 and welcomes me back to
Canada after reviewing clearances and documentation.
Once you have been profiled,
you don't get off the list
As a reporter from the
Windsor Star said after repeatedly stating there must be another
reason after reviewing the documentation. As I told him
according to the Canadian Consulate, Sen Levin, and Mr. Lefebvre
from Canada Customs Ottawa -- there is no problem with me that
is legitmate, then it must be illegitmate -- he agreed it can't
be legitimate.
You are left with 2 things:
I am Black and I run a rap label.
What is the issue here?
The same as in all the other
cases-Canada Customs and Immigration has been caught and they
know it, and as in past cases they are seeking to get out of
it some way-but actually only making it worse once the matter
gets out to the general public, entertainment industry, and Hip
Hop world.
 It
is noted that during SARS 50 Cents and Jay Z were heavily lobbied
NOT to cancel their concerts (as many American performers did)
in Toronto. DMX put $50 million into the Toronto economy
with "Exit Wounds" -then is arrested and deported when
he came to do concerts in Calgary. The word is getting
out-and it is going to be a major financial blow to the Entertainment
industry in Canada if it is not addressed.
It is competely out of the
norm for DMX to be looked at let along stopped over something
like that. As I said he was in Canada on the movie shoot-and
the PROMOTER was responsible for getting the work permits and
submitting things to CA Customs and Immigration-they were LOOKING
for something to stop him on like Dee Brown, Kirk Johnson,etc.
As predicted the Blues Festival was canceld this year-no big
names would show up-the word had gotten out about Wilson Pickett-and
it is only going to get worse- if Toronto isn't careful it is
going to lose a lot of its movie and video biz -the talks of
boycott are serious. There is an entertainment boycott
against Cincinatti over racial profiling and it has devestated
the concert scene there. If this issue gets out -it could
be more devastating economically than SARS-that means a lot of
power to effect change
Jerome Almon
(Posted November 8, 2004 from
information and some photos provided by Jerome Almon, and some
editing by Sheila Steele).
Pickett may boycott Canada
over strip search
Toronto Star, July 18, 2001
OTTAWA (CP) - Wilson
Pickett's management group says the renowned blues musician may
never play Canada again after he was allegedly strip-searched
for drugs at Ottawa airport, CBC Radio reported Wednesday.
Pickett, 60, is known for songs like In the Midnight Hour and
Mustang Sally and travelled here last weekend to play at Bluesfest.
Mark Monahan, the event's executive director, said the treatment
Pickett experienced makes it difficult to attract musicians to
Canada.
''What it means is that musicians don't want to come here,''
Monahan told CBC. ''When someone gets treated like that, it just
leaves a bad taste in people's mouths. Then the word spreads
and it makes it more difficult for us to attract artists.''
Musicians are often treated differently at the border than other
travellers, Bluesfest organizers say. Canada Customs would not
comment on the specifics of the Pickett case, but a spokesperson
said all travellers are subject to the same rules.
The legendary musician, nicknamed
the Wicked Pickett, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame in 1991.
- DMX to play the Stampede
Corral Mar. 28
- DMX's Calgary gig
back on
by Mike Bell, Calgary
Sun, January 8, 2003
DMX is a go again. That's the word from local promoters who had
to cancel scheduled shows in Calgary and Saskatoon after the
hip hop artist was turned back at the Calgary International Airport.
Originally unwilling to take
a chance on a makeup date, Calgary promoters the Alliance Soundcrew
relented after a personal guarantee from DMX and his management
that he would make the show.
The new show has been set for Friday, March 28 at the Stampede
Corral with tickets going on sale early next week at all Ticketmaster
locations.
Tickets purchased for the original date that haven't yet been
returned for refund or contest winner tickets must be taken back
to Ticketmaster.
"It's back on - with assurances," says Alliance's Stephen
Deere, before qualifying those assurances as "pretty damn
solid."
Alliance received a signed contract Jan. 7 and has spoken extensively
with the artist's management.
"DMX is now going to be doing a nine-city tour ... so it's
worth about half a million U.S. to him. And I've been told by
his management team that it's very important he gets back in
Canada for his movie career."
Cradle 2 the Grave, DMX's new action film with Jet Li, is scheduled
to open in Canada on Feb. 28, which will require him to do publicity
including a scheduled MuchMusic visit a week prior to the rescheduled
Calgary show.
The trouble for DMX began a week and a half ago when the rapper,
whose real name is Earl Simmons, was stopped at the Calgary airport
by immigration officials and sent back to the U.S. the next morning
because, according to officials, he "didn't meet normal
immigration requirements."
DMX also reportedly became verbally abusive towards immigration
staff and was detained as a result.
No official comment on the specifics of the case was made at
the time, but DMX's woes may have stemmed from a reported arrest
on Christmas Eve in Harrison, N.Y., that wasn't included on his
immigration documents.
The website antiMusic has reported he was pulled over as a result
of an alleged unsafe lane change, and was arrested after providing
false or forged identification to police.
It is believed DMX was driving while his licence was under suspension,
something he was arrested for in 2000 and as a result spent a
brief period of time in jail for early in 2001.
Deere says DMX's management and Canadian immigration officials
have now worked everything out so, barring any other unforeseen
circumstances, entry into this country will be granted.
"All the charges are now on the Minister's Pardon and he's
not charged with anything else ...," says Deere of the document
required for those with criminal record's to enter this country.
"He should be able to get through no problem."
If and when he does, it will an opportunity for local hip hop
fans to see one of rap's biggest names.
All four of DMX's albums, including his most recent, 2000's The
Great Depression, have debuted at No. 1 on Billboard, and have
sold millions.
His forthcoming CD - it should be released in time for the Canadian
tour - is one of the year's most anticipated.
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Truth can never be told so as to be understood,
and not be believ'd. 