This morning when I checked my Blackberry for today’s headlines in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, I was stunned to read this one:  “"Battle lines drawn over homeless in Sarasota park."  As a former military wife whose husband deployed to Afghanistan, the metaphor of “battle lines” still gets me in the gut, and when it is used to describe present-day conflicts within the United States, it is particularly disturbing. 

My gut reaction was then confirmed when I read the article.  It reported that in response to the enduring pattern of suffering that exists with regard to homelessness in Sarasota, one hundred downtown residents and merchants gathered this week to discuss their concerns and possible responses.  Evidently the police were on hand as well; the article did not indicate whether people who are homeless, or the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, were also invited or present at the meeting. 

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Supporters of human rights for African people alerted to protest if the government attempts to deter the delegation.  

Be prepared to take action! Call in to the US, British and Sierra Leone embassies—numbers below! Watch Uhuru News for timely updates on this situation. 
 

On Saturday, November 7^th, a “shindig” was held for St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker. The private party, which cost between $125 and $10,000 to attend, was meant to celebrate the successes of mayor Baker. The party was originally scheduled to take place at Williams Park, a popular spot for the city’s homeless. After local activists pointed out the absurdity of kicking out homeless people from a park to hold a celebration for a mayor who has been anti-homeless and vowing to protest the celebration, organizers feared the negative attention and moved the event to Demen’s Landing, a less-accessible venue.

It is imperative that we take an ethical stand and change the way that we treat and live with undocumented immigrants. The time has come where all of us must understand how personal ignorance, political misrepresentations, and social misconceptions are pivotal parts of the everyday injustices displaced people, immigrants, and refuges must bear.

Nevertheless, we must also recognize that youth-led initiatives are fundamental to the solution: for example, students across Florida and the United states are organizing to end the oppressive and dehumanizing conditions faced by immigrants and to extend educational accessibility for ALL, including undocumented and/or underprivileged youth. 

The line has been drawn in St. Petersburg between free speech activists and corporate interests. At issue is a sidewalk in front of baywalk, a downtown entertainment complex. Baywalk’s owners, CW Capital, have lobbied the city of St. Petersburg to privatize the sidewalk for the expressed purpose of stopping protests.