Best Rose visits (2017-12-27)

These photos would have been impossible in April 2015 when Eunhee Park joined FSI (then TNKR).

We have met her many times--I can't recall ever having a meeting where we didn't feel more inspired after meeting her. Every meeting has laughs and jokes. But she is also an extremely thoughtful lady, so eventually, the topic gets serious.

She is a lady who wants to learn and enjoy her life.

Eunhee is one of our ambassadors, she has even raised money for the organization and hopes for the day we will have a strong organization. She joined us the year before we became an official organization and has been part of us growing.

Here's my Korea Times in 2016 as she was going through her metamorphosis. She was the first refugee in FSI to go from anonymous, nameless and faceless to a public figure. We were even on TV together earlier this year.

Eunhee and FSI co-founder Eunkoo Lee analyzing a profound quote that I had presented to them. We all laugh and joke, but with Eunhee the topic will eventually get serious.

Eunhee loves TNKR and vice-versa.

Yes, we were in a restaurant. Yes, she is hanging on, with her feet off the ground.

I loaned her my coat because she didn't bring a large coat with her. If you see a tiny lady wearing a coat several sizes too large, it may be Eunhee.

With Eunhee on "On My Way to Meet You" 이만갑 AKA 이제 만나러 갑니다 on 채널A

https://www.facebook.com/CaseyLartigue/videos/vb.100004020120914/1146250718852255/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab

Eunhee added this photo of herself.

#FreedomSpeakersInternational, #CaseyLartigueJr, #TNKR, #lovetnkr, #Eunkoo Lee, #Eunhee Park, #OnMyWaytoMeetYou, #이만갑, #이제만나러갑니다

www.lovetnkr.org/donate

2021 update: Donations are being matched. https://give.lovetnkr.com/Year-end-Matching-Donation-Challenge

From nothing to something super special (2023-02-10)

FSI has moved into a better institutional neighborhood where we are the poorest in the area. In August 2022, I was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and in January 2023 FSI achieved incorporation status in South Korea. This has meant that FSI must upgrade operations and structure and I am the one, as chairman and co-president, who will be blamed if it doesn’t happen. I really should not be the chairman, for a variety of reasons, but anyway I am. Eunkoo and I are not the typical executives of a growing organization. In addition to being mainly responsible for building and fundraising for the organization, we are the hands-on leaders who are constantly in contact with North Korean refugee speakers. We look forward to the day we can afford staff to handle many tasks. Until then we can expect to continue having more days like yesterday, even on Eunkoo’s birthday. 2023-02-10 Meeting #1: planning We started Eunkoo’s birthday with a planning...

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

Korea Times bloggers' night (2018-12-12)

There are some well-known media outlets in this world that occasionally stumble upon Freedom Speakers International (FSI). But they usually pick themselves up and carry on as if nothing had happened. They sometimes quote or mention us after we help with a story but more likely they don't (especially NPR and the New York Times). The most important media outlet in the world for Freedom Speakers International: The Korea Times. They occasionally write stories about our work. I have a monthly column and a regular blog there. Here's my blog at the Korea Times, "Voices from the North." http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sublist_728.html And my monthly column. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sublist_626.html Instead of the Korea Times stumbling across us from time to time, I get regular reminders from editors reminding me to send in my column and blog. I know that many of the people following FSI are clicking around the internet and following many organizati...

Scam? Yo Momma!

Note: This was originally posted shortly after Jesse Lee Peterson's book was published, reposted in 2005, and now because of a fight between black customers and a Korean merchant in Dallas, Texas. Scam? Yo Momma! During the summer of 2002 I was an observer to a dispute between the Asian owners of a Chinese takeout and some of their black customers in Washington, D.C. The month-long boycott began when a local activist accused a cook at a Chinese takeout of attempting to cook a piece of chicken he had allegedly dropped on the floor. Despite the best efforts of human rights activist Dick Gregory, popular talk-show host Joe Madison, and Rev. Walter Fauntroy, the protestors were unable to coax any media to report on the protest. On some days there were, by my unofficial count, as many as 100 people chanting songs and marching. But one key person was missing: Rev. Jesse Jackson. It was important to the foot soldiers at the boycott that someone from the media report on...

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