takebacktheland

SWAT Team executes eviction in Rochester, NY

2011-03-28T15:18:00.003-04:00

courtesy WHEC News 10 Rochester WHEC.com

The city of Rochester brought shock and awe into a residential community as they sent 25 police cars, including the Rochester SWAT team, to evict the Lennon-Griffin family- including Catherine Lennon, a grandmother, and 7 children- from a single family home.

Take Back the Land- Rochester members executed an eviction defense and suffered six (6) arrests. Charges are not yet known. Spokesperson Ryan Acuff was not arrested. In addition, an elderly neighbor, who lives across the street from the home at 9 Ravenwood Ave., was arrested- in her pajamas- for complaining loudly about the police overkill in her neighborhood.

Here is some media coverage:

The home is now owned and controlled by Fannie Mae, a quasi government agency created to spur homeownership. Fannie Mae received $90 billion in bailout money, more than any other financial institution.

Those arrested include: Jake Allen, Emily Good, Crescenzo Scipione, Ryan Gromkowski, Zora Gussow and Jake Spezio as well as an unidentified elderly neighbor. We do not yet know the charges.

Take Back the Land- Rochester is organizing a speak out tonight at the home followed by a candlelight vigil. The program begins at 6:00pm.

Defend the Lennon-Griffin family from a Fannie-Mae eviction with Take Back the Land- Rochester

2011-03-23T23:41:00.001-04:00

Take Back the Land- Rochester is making a call to action to defend the Lennon-Griffin family from foreclosure related eviction by Fannie-Mae, the single largest recipient of bailout money at $90 Billion(1). TBL- Rochester calls on you to call one or more of the Rochester, NY officials below and ask them to stop the eviction of the Lennon-Griffin family.

For the last 7 years, Catherine Lennon and her extended family of 11 have lived at 9 Ravenwood Ave., in Rochester, NY. After Catherine's husband, and family breadwinner, died of cancer, Countrywide Mortgage- which was absorbed by Bank of America and received an $8 Billion bailout- refused to renegotiate the mortgage, sending the family's home into foreclosure. In 2010, Bank of America sold the house to Fannie-Mae, who is now seeking to evict the Lennon-Griffin family, including 7 children, ages 2 to 11.

While the eviction was set for Monday, March 14, 2011, Take Back the Land- Rochester organized an eviction defense, where dozens blockaded the home, effectively holding off the eviction for more than a week. This “Positive Action” campaign is not a sit-in, but rather a “live-in” for the human right to housing.

WATCH ROCHESTER 8 NEWS COVERAGE HERE

Rochester, NY is overrun with vacant, boarded up homes, while families struggle to find living space. As such, TBL- Rochester is calling on Fannie-Mae to negotiate a solution to this standoff which does not result in the eviction of this family.

Take Back the Land- Rochester is calling on supporters to call local Rochester officials and ask them to stop the eviction and make Fannie-Mae negotiate with the Lennon family. Ryan Acuff provided these numbers, so please call one or more of the following:

Rochester Marshall responsible for evictions: Sande Macaluso at 585-544-4888

City Council member for the district: Dana Miller at 585-428-6048

Mayoral candidate Bill Johnson at 585-336-9921

Mayoral candidate Tom Richards at 585-697-0924

Mayoral candidate Alex White at 585-315- 7687

Take Back the Land- Rochester is part of the Take Back the Land- Movement, a trans-local network of independent organizations devoted to elevating housing to the level of a human right and securing community control over land through Positive Action campaigns. Click for more information about Take Back the Land- Rochester or watch this video about the Take Back the Land- Movement.

1. http://projects.propublica.org/bailout/list/simple

{takebacktheland.org} Support Take Back the Land TODAY!

2010-12-31T12:38:00.001-05:00

Greetings

In 2010, the housing crisis deepened and politicians continued to serve the interests of the financial industry over the needs of people. Through it all, Take Back the Land has stood tall and fought for what we believe: elevating housing to the level of a human right and community control over land.

As 2010 comes to a close and we walk into 2011, we are asking you to financially support our work with a year end tax-deductible contribution.

DONATE NOW TO TAKE BACK THE LAND

In 2010, Take Back the Land made headlines across the country with our May 2010 Month of Action, featuring housing liberations and eviction defenses in numerous cities across the US, including Portland, OR; Madison, WI; Toledo, OH; New Orleans, LA; Washington, DC; and Miami, FL.

We provide movement support- such as training, messaging and strategic campaign planning- to local organizations fighting for the human right to housing and for community control over land. We can intensify our efforts in 2011, but only with your help, so we are asking you to make a contribution today. If you make a contribution today, your gift is tax deductible for 2010. This could be your only chance to get the government to help in this fight.

DONATE NOW TO TAKE BACK THE LAND

So, please give generously and stay in touch at takebacktheland.org.

forward,

Max Rameau

In case you missed them, here are some of the newsworthy highlights from just the second half of 2010:

Monica Adams of Take Back the Land- Madison talks about the connections between Take Back the Land and the Landless Peoples' Movement (MST) in Brazil

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=181

Take Back the Land- Rochester liberates a home in New York

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=182

Take Back the Land on Pop & Politics with Farai Chideya

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=170

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{takebacktheland.org} Five Years Later... Join KIN to demand corporate accountability

2010-08-27T11:57:00.001-04:00

The media spotlight will yet again shine on the Gulf Coast ascommemoration events begin to unfold for the 5th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As the devastating impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill becomes clearer, we are once again reminded that corporate profiteering and government inaction continue to stand in the way of a just recovery for the Gulf and it's residents. And, yet again, Halliburton seems to be at the center of the latest preventable disaster to wreak havoc on the Gulf.

That's why, on KIN's 5th anniversary, we're launching a corporate accountability campaign to take on Halliburton, whose greed continues to thwart efforts toward a just recovery. Will you join us?

The federal government has been investigating the Halliburton corporation for allegedly making millions of dollars by defrauding taxpayers and overcharging on government contracts. So, why is Halliburton continuing to profit in the Gulf Coast from taxpayer funds and getting more government contracts?

This is not just about Halliburton--- this is about good governance.Too many companies are entrusted to do important public works and simply don't deliver. It's not fair and it wastes money. But, most importantly, it's costing lives and hurting the environment. We can't let reckless corporate profiteering continue.

Will you join our campaign and send a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, demanding that he freeze all contracts and payments to Halliburton until they are cleared of all charges?

The Halliburton Story

The federal government continues to do business with Halliburton at the same time it's under investigation for a laundry list of charges tied to corporate greed and negligence.

Halliburton has been accused of war profiteering by "criminally
overcharging" the US military for fuel; billing for products and
services never delivered; and delivering sub-standard services, such as contaminated water to US troops stationed in Iraq. (1)

Halliburton may also have a role in the Gulf's devastating oil spill. The company worked on the Deepwater Horizon oil well casing just 20
hours before it exploded, leaving some observers to believe Halliburton's
shoddy work is directly to blame for the explosion and subsequent spill. (2)

And the company may have figured out how to profit on the spill itself. Just 10 days prior to the explosion, Halliburton purchased Boots and Coots, the company contracted to clean up the disaster. (3)

Halliburton's already been found guilty of this kind of thievery. In 2009, Halliburton and KBR, its military contracting subsidiary, pled guilty to violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and ordered to to pay a record $579 million fine (4). The previous record was $44 million (5). Halliburton was charged with bribing Nigerian officials to the tune of $132 million in order to secure a lucrative $6 billion contract from the Nigerian government.

We know that Halliburton likes to get rich by playing outside the lines. Now, they're trying to profit from a disaster they may very well have helped create. We can't let them stand in the way of a just recovery in the Gulf by stealing our money. Tell them we're watching.

Act NOW and tell Interior Secretary Salazar to freeze all Halliburton contracts until Halliburton is cleared of wrongdoing.

In Solidarity,

KIN Team
katrinaaction.org

Katrina 5 Year Anniversary

http://www.katrinaaction.org/campaigns/hurricane-katrina-anniversary-commemoration?id=08n

Join the Katrina Information Network (KIN)

http://www.katrinaaction.org/5-minute-campaign-0

sources:
   1. http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12266
   2. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703572504575214593564769072.html
   3. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0618/As-oil-firms-grow-response-may-slow-to-crises-like-Gulf-oil-spill
   4. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a5SIJHgE3rXA
   5. http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/bribe/2009/02/kbr-hit-with-record-bribery-fine.html

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{takebacktheland.org} ONE DC Liberates Land in Nation's Capital

2010-07-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

VIEW FULL STORY PICTURES AND NEWS CLIPS ON TAKEBACKTHELAND.ORG
http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=162

Metro DC police plan to evict community from Tent City on Monday July 12

Community organization ONE DC "liberated" a vacant lot in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC on the afternoon of Saturday, July 10, 2010. The contentious Parcel 42, upon which Mayor Adrian Fenty promised to build affordable housing only to break the promise and sell to developers, was reclaimed by ONE DC, local residents and supporters. As of Saturday night, ONE DC and supporters are building a tent city on the land to house people. Police said they will "allow" protesters to remain "until Monday."

After starting the day with their annual block party, ONE DC upped the ante in the Shaw neighborhood, near Howard University, by marching approximately 200 people over to the corner of 7th and S Streets NW, entering Parcel 42 and building a tent city.

After denouncing Mayor Fenty for going against his promise, organizer Rosemary Ndubuizu led the crowd from the block party to the lot as member Franklin Brooks led the chants.

Following a few speeches and some celebration, DC police arrived with the special ops unit. Executive Director and police liaison Dominic Moulden asserted the right to engage in civil disobedience and won a stay from police action. The officer in charge stated that if people wanted to remain on the lot "that is fine- until Monday."

ONE DC is demanding Parcel 42 is used to build "truly affordable" housing- intended for families making under $50,000 and under $25,000 per year- in a community where such housing is badly needed. If Mayor Fenty and other officials are unwilling to build it, they argue, then the community must create such housing itself.

ONE DC is an autonomous organization which is affiliated with the Take Back the Land- Movement, a network of organizations fighting for the human right to housing.

VIEW FULL STORY PICTURES AND NEWS CLIPS ON TAKEBACKTHELAND.ORG
http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=162

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{takebacktheland.org} Take Back the Land- Miami Arrest Video. A MUST watch

2010-06-17T10:22:00.000-04:00

Ashaundra Young was arrested during a Take Back the Land- Miami eviction defense of her apartment complex, 830 NW 70th St. in Miami, FL, on June 15, 2010. After Take Back the Land member Max Rameau was arrested, Ashaundra led the protests and chants against the police. She was arrested and charged with a felony- inciting a riot- and spent the night in jail. We have secured the video of the arrest and the actions leading up to it. You must watch this shocking video.

For the rest of her life, Ashaundra Young must tell potential employers that she was arrested and charged with felony incitement to riot, an admission which will severely curtail her job opportunities. In addition, if convicted, she will lose her right to vote in Florida, due to the Florida felon disenfranchisement laws.

In the video, Ashaundra is clearly PREVENTING a riot, by calming down a young man upset by the eviction and preventing his arrest. However, because she is leading the protests, she is targeted and arrested herself. Take Back the Land considers her a political defendant and urges everyone to email and call State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and demand they drop the charges on Ashaundra Young.

email: katherinefernandezrundle@miamisao.com
phone:305-547-0100

The Take Back the Land Movement has arranged a lawyer for Ashaundra, but we need your support- including donations, which can be made at takebacktheland.org.

WATCH the video of the entire arrest and the actions leading up to that arrest at

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=161

See previous coverage of the protest itself, including photos, video and news stories at

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=160

Take Back the Land- Miami is part of the Take Back the Land Movement, a network of organizations devoted to elevating housing to the level of a human right and gaining community control over land. The network is coordinated by the US Human Rights Network (USHRNetwork.org). Get more information at takebacktheland.org.

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{takebacktheland.org} 2 Arrested in Take Back the Land- Miami Eviction Defense

2010-06-15T20:51:00.001-04:00

Two members of Take Back the Land- Miami were arrested on Tuesday, June 15th, during an action to defend a family from eviction. Max Rameau and Ashaundre Young were arrested and charged with disobeying a lawful order and starting a riot, respectively, when they refused to move so that the Miami-Dade County Sheriff could execute the eviction of a low income family and her children. Max was released almost immediately and Ashaundre is expected out in a few hours.

The action is part of a larger defense of two apartment complexes foreclosed upon by JP Morgan-Chase, through its wholly owned subsidiary, ECP Properties, Inc. ECP Properties is the toxic asset subsidiary of JP Morgan-Chase and formerly of Washington Mutual Bank.

READ THE FULL STORY, INCLUDING 2 VIDEOS AND A PHOTO SLIDE SHOW:

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=160

Take Back the Land- Miami, the residents of 820 and 830 NW 70th St., Miami, FL and their neighbors, committed to defending the home from eviction. The city of Miami arrived with 6 police cars, at least one of which remained on site from 8:00am until almost 2:00pm. The Miami-Dade County Sheriff came with the eviction officer, who called for even more backup after seeing the protesters at the complex. The eviction Sheriff remained on site from approximately 10:30am until almost 2:00pm.

In spite of the arrests, residents and neighbors considered the action a success and vowed to defend the other units from eviction.

The residents identified three (3) demands: 1). Stop the Evictions; 2). Allow residents to remain; and 3) elevate housing to the level of a human right through public policy changes.

After foreclosing on the property in September 2009, JP Morgan-Chase immediately began harassing tenants into leaving the apartment complex. After the eviction, more than half of the 20 apartments are vacant and boarded up and each remaining unit is awaiting eviction.

Worse still, the tenants did not take out mortgages they could not afford- they were paying their rent on time. ECP Properties then stopped making repairs in the building and stopped crediting tenants with rent payments. Conditions worsened quickly and some tenants left on their own, while others stopped paying rent in protest.

According to the New York Times, JP Morgan-Chase has a policy of evicting tenants from foreclosed rental units instead of renting to them. Consequently, low income renters feel the brunt of the foreclosure crisis.

VIEW DOCUMENTATION OF JP MORGAN-CHASE PRACTICES OF FORECLOSURE EVICTION OF APARTMENT RENTERS AND TENANTS

In the end, the laws which favor corporate profits over human needs are immoral and must be directly challenged.

Take Back the Land- Miami is part of the Take Back the Land Movement, a national network of local organizations engaged in the struggle to elevate housing to the level of a human right and gain community control over land. The Take Back the Land Movement is coordinated by the US Human Rights Network (USHRNetwork.org). Get more information at Takebacktheland.org

READ THE FULL STORY, INCLUDING 2 VIDEOS AND A PHOTO SLIDE SHOW:

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=160

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{takebacktheland.org} Survivors Village Protester Arrested on Trumped up Charges- CORRECTION: JASPER

2010-06-03T14:43:00.001-04:00

CORRECTION: SHARON JASPER. APOLOGIES FOR RESEND.

Photo of Sharon Jasper [http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JBp5egCKV35Z8RTPkb3ONg?feat=directlink]

Sharon Jasper, member of Survivors Village and MayDay New Orleans, was arrested by the New Orleans police, who brought the SWAT team to apprehend this elder Black woman from her home.

Ms. Sharon is being charged with assaulting a rental agent during an action organized by Survivors Village and MayDay New Orleans as part of the Take Back the Land Movement May 2010 Month of Action. On Friday, May 28th, a group entered the Columbia Parc rental office and held a sit-in demanding the right of former St. Bernard Housing Project residents to return to their homes.

SEE VIDEO OF THE PROTEST HERE- http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=156
SEE OTHER SURVIVORS VILLAGE AND TAKE BACK THE LAND ACTIONS HERE- Takebacktheland.org

The Columbia Parc development replaced the St. Bernard Housing Project after the City of New Orleans voted to demolish the 1,500 units of public housing and replace them with market housing. The action was part of the Right to Return Weekend in New Orleans. The Right of Return Weekend was organized in conjunction with the May month of actions called by Take Back the Land Movement (TBLM). TBLM is a network of autonomous organizations affiliated with the US Human Rights Network (USHRN) dedicated to realizing the human right to adequate housing and community control over land.

Police say Ms. Sharon assaulted a Columbia Parc rental agent during her entrance into the building. The rental agent did not complain about an assault and continued to work in the office the entire time of the occupation, including when police arrived. While there, police made no mention of an assault when explaining to the group why they should end their protest.

The truth is that the City of New Orleans did not arrest Sharon Jasper for assault, they arrested her because she dared to tell that truth and demand that public housing residents of New Orleans have the right to return to their homes. The arrest represents a clear effort by the City of New Orleans to represent the interests of the developers of the Columbia Parc while actively working against the former residents of New Orleans.

Survivors Village organizer Endesha Juakali and others are at the jail seeking Ms. Sharon's release. The Take Back the Land Movement has arranged for legal assistance for Sharon Jackson through the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York city and local New Orleans Attorneys.

The Take Back the Land Movement condemns this political motivated use of the public police in order to protect private developers from protests.

Survivors Village is protesting in front of Columbia Parc on Monday, June 7, at 12:00noon. Columbia Parc is on the 3600 block of St. Bernard Ave. in New Orleans.

Survivors Village is asking supporters to call Columbia Parc and demand 1). drop all charges against Sharon Jackson and 2). allow for the unconditional return of former St. Bernard Housing residents. Columbia Parc: (504) 284-4769, columbiaparc.com.

Video of Sharon Jasper's arrest, as well as updates on her legal situation, can be found by visiting Takebacktheland.org. Videos of the arrest are expected to be up on June 4.

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{takebacktheland.org} Survivors Village Protester Arrested on Trumped up Charges

2010-06-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

Photo of Sharon Jackson [http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JBp5egCKV35Z8RTPkb3ONg?feat=directlink]

Sharon Jackson, member of Survivors Village and MayDay New Orleans, was arrested by the New Orleans police, who brought the SWAT team to apprehend this elder Black woman from her home.

Ms. Sharon is being charged with assaulting a rental agent during an action organized by Survivors Village and MayDay New Orleans as part of the Take Back the Land Movement May 2010 Month of Action. On Friday, May 28th, a group entered the Columbia Parc rental office and held a sit-in demanding the right of former St. Bernard Housing Project residents to return to their homes.

SEE VIDEO OF THE PROTEST HERE- http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=156
SEE OTHER SURVIVORS VILLAGE AND TAKE BACK THE LAND ACTIONS HERE- Takebacktheland.org

The Columbia Parc development replaced the St. Bernard Housing Project after the City of New Orleans voted to demolish the 1,500 units of public housing and replace them with market housing. The action was part of the Right to Return Weekend in New Orleans. The Right of Return Weekend was organized in conjunction with the May month of actions called by Take Back the Land Movement (TBLM). TBLM is a network of autonomous organizations affiliated with the US Human Rights Network (USHRN) dedicated to realizing the human right to adequate housing and community control over land.

Police say Ms. Sharon assaulted a Columbia Parc rental agent during her entrance into the building. The rental agent did not complain about an assault and continued to work in the office the entire time of the occupation, including when police arrived. While there, police made no mention of an assault when explaining to the group why they should end their protest.

The truth is that the City of New Orleans did not arrest Sharon Jackson for assault, they arrested her because she dared to tell that truth and demand that public housing residents of New Orleans have the right to return to their homes. The arrest represents a clear effort by the City of New Orleans to represent the interests of the developers of the Columbia Parc while actively working against the former residents of New Orleans.

Survivors Village organizer Endesha Juakali and others are at the jail seeking Ms. Sharon's release. The Take Back the Land Movement has arranged for legal assistance for Sharon Jackson through the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York city and local New Orleans Attorneys.

The Take Back the Land Movement condemns this political motivated use of the public police in order to protect private developers from protests.

Survivors Village is protesting in front of Columbia Parc on Monday, June 7, at 12:00noon. Columbia Parc is on the 3600 block of St. Bernard Ave. in New Orleans.

Survivors Village is asking supporters to call Columbia Parc and demand 1). drop all charges against Sharon Jackson and 2). allow for the unconditional return of former St. Bernard Housing residents. Columbia Parc: (504) 284-4769, columbiaparc.com.

Video of Sharon Jackson's arrest, as well as updates on her legal situation, can be found by visiting Takebacktheland.org. Videos of the arrest are expected to be up on June 4.

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{takebacktheland.org} Survivors Village Takes Over former public housing site in New Orleans!

2010-05-28T14:18:00.000-04:00

Press Release

For immediate release

Friday, May 28^th, 2010

Survivors Village Takes Over Housing Office

Mass sit in demands the Right to Return for former

St. Bernard Housing Project Residents

forcibly removed after Hurricane Katrina

Friday, May 28, 2010, 2:00pm- At approximately 1:30pm, the Survivors Village organization stormed and sat in at the offices of the Columbia Village apartments today. The complex sits on top of the land of what used to be the St. Bernard public housing complex. The complex was destroyed after Hurricane Katrina and all 1,500 families were removed. The new units are primarily market rate housing with approximately 130 set aside for public housing.

Police on the scene were attempting to decide what to do: continue to allow Survivors Village to protest or arrest them for trespassing on what is still public land. Almost 100 protesters are in the lobby. Video and pictures will be up soon on takebacktheland.org.

The protest is part of Survivor's Village Right to Return Weekend, during which the organization asserts the unconditional right of return for all public housing residents forcibly relocated by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent public policy actions of the local and state governments.

Right to Return Weekend continues on Saturday, May 29^th with a protest against land grabs and on Sunday, May 30^th to demand an end to homelessness. Both action begin at 9:00am on the 3800 block of St. Bernard Ave. in St. Bernard Parish.

Survivor's Village is an autonomous organization affiliated with the Take Back the Land Movement (TBLM). TBLM is a network of local organizations dedicated to demanding people's fundamental human right to housing housing and community control over land.

For more information about Survivors Village, visit communitiesrising.wordpress.com. For more information about the Take Back the Land Movement visit takebacktheland.org.

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{takebacktheland.org} Take Back the Land hits New Orleans

2010-05-28T04:58:00.000-04:00

The Take Back the Land Movement May 2010 Month of Action to Elevate Housing to the Level of a Human Right kicked off on May 1st with Right 2 Survive in Portland, OR and will conclude with a bang as Survivor's Village hosts the Right to Return Weekend in New Orleans, LA.

The Right to Return Weekend was established to demand the unconditional right to come home for all former residents of public housing, many of whom were forced from their homes by Hurricane Katrina, while others were forced by cruel public policies and the economic forces of gentrification.

Survivor's Village is organizing three days of action, including:

Day 1: Saturday, May 28th • 12:00noon
Right to Return Rally & Protest
All former residents of public housing have an unconditional right to come home!
LET THE PEOPLE IN!
3800 St. Bernard Ave.

Day 2: Saturday, May 29th • 9:00am
Action against land grabs by developers & crooks!!
All vacant land should be developed by the community for the community
Our Communities Our Responsibility
3800 St. Bernard Ave.

Day 3: Sunday, May 30th • 9:00am
Action to fight against the problem of homelessness 60,000 vacant buildings, 20,000 people homeless
END HOMELESSNESS NOW!
3800 Block of St. Bernard Ave.

Survivors Village is affiliated with the national TAKE BACK THE LAND MOVEMENT

Right to Return Weekend co-sponsored by MAYDAY NEW ORLEANS

Get more information about Survivors Village at communitiesrising.wordpress.com

Get more information and ongoing updates about the action at takebacktheland.org.

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{takebacktheland.org} FUREE in the NY Times: Subsidize Housing not Hotels

2010-05-20T19:17:00.000-04:00

The May 2010 Month of Action is on in New York City.

Read the Full story at Takebacktheland.org or http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/with-sheraton-downtown-brooklyns-makeover-continues/

"What we're saying is, in the middle of an affordable housing crisis, stop bailing out hotels and major development and start focusing on low-income and working-class families in this country."

- FUREE executive director Valery Jean in the New York Times.

Chanting "Housing, not Hotels," members of Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) crashed the fancy grand opening of the Sheraton Hotel Brooklyn on Thursday, May 20. The 321 room hotel was feted with a food, elected officials and media, but not many local residents.

"If the city of New York has money to subsidize wealthy corporation like Sheraton to build luxury hotel rooms during a recession, they should have money to build housing that is affordable to residents of Brooklyn," argued Diana Smith, Board Secretary of FUREE.

Members and other residents continued the protest even after the Sheraton called in the police. The action is part of FUREE's "Take Back our CommUNITY" campaign for community control over land and housing.

Dignitaries at the ribbon cutting included Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership president Joe Chan, among others. FUREE members, however, were not as happy as the Sheraton Hotel corporation to see the dignitaries.

"Joe Chan and other politicians are taking buildings that people live in, destroying them and making big condos and hotels that no one can afford," complained 19 year old FUREE youth leader and Brooklyn resident Elvin Paulino. "We are mad, so we are recruiting new members and are going to take down these politicians and developers with whatever we can."

Founded in 2001, FUREE is a Brooklyn-based, membership led multi-racial organization of more than 500 families that organizes low-income and working families to promote equality, improve economic conditions, and build collective power to win systemic changes at the local, state and national level. Primarily led by women of color with an emphasis on community and family, FUREE uses direct action, leadership development, community organizing, and political education to achieve our vision and goals.

FUREE will host its annual convention on Saturday, May 22 at PS 67, located at 51 Edwards St. (between Myrtle Ave. & Tillary St.) in Brooklyn beginning at 12 noon. For more information, visit to FUREE.org, call 718-852-2960 or email info@furee.org.

FUREE is an autonomous organization which is also part of the Take Back the Land Movement. This action is part of the may 2010 National Month of Action to demand the human right to housing called for by the Take Back the Land Movement (takebacktheland.org), which is supported by the US Human Rights Network (USHRNetwork.org).

Read the Full story at Takebacktheland.org or http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/with-sheraton-downtown-brooklyns-makeover-continues/

{takebacktheland.org} 'If this isn’t neighborhood revitalization, I don’t know what is'- Desiree Wilson

2010-05-11T10:07:00.000-04:00

As part of the Take Back the Land Movement May 2010 Month of Action, Operation Welcome Home (OWH) hosted an open house celebration on May 10, 2010, and introduced the world to Desiree Wilson, an after-school program assistant supervisor. OWH spared this mother of two and her family from homelessness by moving them into a long abandoned foreclosed home on the westside of Madison, WI. OWH organizer Z! Haukeness said it well: "It's unjust and immoral that there's homeless people on one side of the street and empty buildings on the other side of the street."

Desiree Wilson said it best: "If this isn't neighborhood revitalization, I don't know what is."

Operation Welcome Home is asking police and local officials to refrain from evicting the Wilson family and, instead, work with them on finding real solutions to this extreme housing crisis. They also ask that instead of the scheduled May 18^th foreclosure sale, the property be handed over to a community land trust for the benefit of the community.

See the story, photos and video here: http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=142

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5dEKDRD_FA

On the 50^th anniversary of the first civil rights era "sit-ins," this "live-in" is a part of the Take Back the Land Movement May 2010 National Month of Action, where local community organizations "liberate" vacant homes or defend families from eviction, all in pursuit of elevating housing to the level of a human right.

May 2010 has already been a busy month, with actions including:

Right 2 Survive (right2survive.wordpress.com) seized a vacant lot in front of a long abandoned school in SE Portland and erected a tent city. Story and video: http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=127

The Toledo Foreclosure Defense League made national news as they helped Keith Sadler resist eviction before the SWAT team raided the home. There were no injuries and the Stony Ridge 7 are charged with 2 misdemeanors each. Story and video: takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newstory&newsid=143

The Atlanta chapter of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) disrupted a foreclosure sale on the courthouse steps. Story and video: http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=131

The Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign (chicagoantieviction.org)protested the HUD office for their attempts to evict a family from public housing, a campaign could eventually lead to a defense. Story and photos: http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=132

In Philadelphia, PA the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign liberated a vacant city owned house and moved in a family.

In Sacramento, CA a small faith based group continued their good works by moving two families into foreclosed homes in May.

In April, Homes Not Jails San Francisco liberated a home for an octogenarian facing homelessness. http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=115

Additional actions are planned for New York City, Boston, MA, Washington, DC, St. Petersburg, FL, New Orleans, LA and other locations.

The Take Back the Land Movement networks local organizations engaged in housing is a human right work. The Movement is supported with staff and technical assistance by the US Human Rights Network (USHRNetwork.org) and strategic partners the Ruckus Society (www.ruckus.org) and the Center for Constitutional Rights (www.ccrjustice.org). The network includes over a dozen organizations, including the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (www.economichumanrights.org). We urge you to join and support this movement.

What Can You Do?

Have your organization join the movement. Go to takebacktheland.org and join a growing movement for community control over land and housing as a human right.
Support the Take Back the Land Movement. Log in and sign the online petition to demonstrate broad support for the movement. Make a financial contribution to defray costs associated with training and support. Both can happen from takebacktheland.org.
Write, blog, tweet and re-post stories about the May 2010 Month of Action. Make sure people know about what is going on and grow the story and the movement.
The most important thing you can do is to be an active member of an organization fighting to elevate housing to the level of a human right. Find your local organization and ask them to join the struggle. If there are none in your area, start a new organization.

A movement is growing to elevate housing to the level of a human right, in our lifetime. Join the movement to Take Back the Land.

Community control over land!

Housing is a human right!

takebacktheland.org
takebacktheland@gmail.com
twitter.com/takebacktheland
groups.google.com/take-back-the-land

{takebacktheland.org} NEW POLICE RAID ON SADLER / TFDL HOME

2010-05-07T06:48:00.001-04:00

At 6:30AM Woods County Police arrived at the home of Keith Sadler to attempt to evict him and the 4 others sealed inside.

The Toledo Foreclosure Defense League is helping defend Keith Sadler from foreclosure related eviction. Sadler and supporters have been sealed in Sadler's Toledo area home since Sunday in order to defend against eviction. The action is supported by the Take Back the Land Movement and is part of the May 2010 Month of Action, with similar actions taking place in a dozen US cities.

The Take Back the Land Movement calls on people to immediately call the Wood County Sheriff at 419-354-9001 and demand an end to the raid of the Sadler Home.

Regular updates and previous coverage can be found at takebacktheland.org.

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{takebacktheland.org} Police attempt to swarm Toledo FDL Home- May 5

2010-05-05T13:48:00.000-04:00

At approximately 1:00EST, the Wood County Sherrif's department swarmed the property of Keith Sadler, shutting off the power and threatening arrests before media cameras showed. Just as quickly, police moved out. The presence, quick thinking and plan of the Toledo Foreclosure League (TFDL) successfully defended the Sadler home from eviction. No arrests were made, but as they pulled out, police announced they would be back.

Get the full story and the first pictures from takebacktheland.org. Additional picture updates, and possibly video, are coming soon.

The Toledo Foreclosure Defense League (TFDL) has been defending the home of Keith Sadler from foreclosure related eviction. Sadler and supporters sealed themselves in the home in order to prevent eviction, which was scheduled for May 3. Police refused to execute the eviction as the TFDL held a press conference and media awaited the police. This story has made national news in hundreds of newspapers and tv newscasts. The TFDL is supported by the Take Back the Land Movement and this defense is a part of the May 2010 National Month of Action.

The Take Back the Land Movement re-asserts support for the TFDL and the valiant struggle for housing as a human right by defending families from eviction.

We call on people to immediately call the Wood County Sherrif at 419-354-9001 and demand an end to the raid of the Sadler Home.

The TFDL is an autonomous organization which is also a part of the Take Back the Land Movement. The action is part of the May 2010 National Month of Action to demand the human right to housing, called for by the Take Back the Land Movement (takebacktheland.org). The Take Back the Land Movement is provided staff and technical support by the US Human Rights Network (USHRNetwork.org). The May Month of actions are expected in at least twelve (12) US cities and include housing takeovers and the defense of families facing eviction. The Movement is comprised of dozens of organizations and partners, notably the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC- economichumanrights.org).

Defending the fundamental human right to housing is challenging work and cannot be done without resources. Please visit takebacktheland.org or the ushrnetwork.org and donate generously today.

forward,

Max Rameau

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{takebacktheland.org} TBtL by Max Rameau at Sankofa Books Friday May 7 at 6PM

2010-05-03T19:21:00.000-04:00

After banks get billions in bailout money and families suffer from the housing crisis, thousands of foreclosures and new condos sit vacant. What are communities doing about it?

ONE DC and Empower DC invite you to the Take Back the Land Movement: a presentation by Max Rameau. The event includes presentations by ONE DC and Empower DC followed by a presentation and book signing by Max Rameau of Take Back the Land. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Sankofa Bookstore, 2714 Georgia Ave., Washington, DC and begins at 6:00PM.

The TBtL is a network of organizations devoted to community control of land and elevating housing to the level of a human right. In pursuit of these objectives, TBtL is coordinating a May 2010 Month of Action in which organizations "liberate" vacant government owned and foreclosed homes and move families into them or defend families from eviction in the first place. Successful actions have already taken place in Portland, OR and Toledo, OH (see Takebacktheland.org for details) and more are planned in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago, Madison, WI and Washington, DC. TBtL is supports both ONE DC and Empower DC.

Max Rameau is a part of the Take Back the Land Movement, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Associate Press, USA Today, CNN, ABC News, Democracy NOW! and the latest Michael Moore movie, Capitalism: A Love Story. He will talk about and sign his book Take Back the Land: Land, Gentrification and the Umoja Village Shantytown. This is Max's second book signing at Sankofa Bookstore.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit takebacktheland.org or http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107632045947324

ONE DC: onedconline.org
Empower DC: empowerdc.org

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Google Groups: You've been added to Take Back the Land

2010-04-05T11:05:00.004-04:00

May 2010 Month of Action to Take Back the Land

2010-04-05T11:05:00.003-04:00

See this article at www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=90

The housing bust and faulty government policies have immersed the United States in a full blown economic and housing crisis. The cruel irony of this crisis, and what makes it so profoundly immoral, is that the commodity at its root- housing- is not at all in scarcity. To the contrary, sufficient vacant housing stocks exist to accommodate virtually everyone in need, including families forced into overcrowded and substandard conditions as well as the homeless.

In the face of this severe economic crisis, people are rising up. They rail against the bailouts and bonuses, protest the lack of lending, rebel against unfair credit card rate hikes and, most dramatically, fight back against losing their homes.

The Take Back the Land Movement is calling for a May 2010 National Month of Action to assert the fundamental human right to housing and community control over land. Participating organizations, communities and families are asserting this right in two ways: by "liberating" government, foreclosed and warehoused homes, making them available for families with nowhere else to live, and by protecting families, our neighbors, from foreclosure related evictions from houses, apartments and condos as well as income related evictions from public housing.

Every family, indeed every human being, needs and deserves decent and adequate housing that they can afford, regardless of their income. However, instead of facilitating this need, federal, state and municipal governments are instituting policies and enacting legislation protecting the profits of corporations at the expense and exclusion of families. These policies serve only to compound, rather than end, the crisis. For example, the same financial institutions which caused the crisis, are both bailed out for their "toxic assets," and allowed to evict families and keep those assets vacant. In addition, federal and local governments are actively vacating, boarding up and demolishing public housing and underfunding rent subsidy programs in order to free up monies for bank bailouts and sports facilities.

This series of policies and laws not only allow human beings to live on the street while hundreds of thousands of houses sit vacant, but the bailouts effectively compel struggling families to finance their own evictions and then subsidize hefty bonuses to the executives evicting them.

In the context of a severe housing crisis, policies and laws which impede the human right to housing are morally indefensible and, as such, must be directly challenged until they are changed. The May Month of Action will challenge those laws which prioritize corporate profits over human needs. This is an historic crisis, one which merits an historic response.

On February 1, 1960, four North Carolina A&T students sat-in at a Greensboro Woolworths lunch counter and stepped into history, sparking a movement and changing this society forever. The "sit-in" campaigns were predicated on the notion that legal equality was a human right and, as such, laws violating those rights were morally wrong, and, therefore, must be directly challenged- and broken- in order to be changed.

Inspired by the 50^th anniversary of the first sit-ins, the Take Back the Land Movement asserts that housing is a human right and, as such, the policies which violate that right are morally wrong and, therefore, must be directly challenged. As such, this May, organizations across the US are engaging in "live-in" campaigns designed to house human beings and directly challenge those policies and laws that promote vacant housing during this housing crisis.

Civil disobedience campaigns directly challenge unjust laws by breaking them until they change. The Take Back the Land Movement and the live-in campaigns, however, encompass more than merely disobeying immoral laws: it is fundamentally about empowering communities to take control of their land and implementing the moral imperative of housing human beings. More than simple civil disobedience, the live-in campaign is, in fact, a movement of moral obedience.

Organizations in no less than ten (10) US cities will help their family, friends and neighbors "live-in" vacant government owned or foreclosed homes, buildings or land by either moving them in or preventing their eviction. Organizations in cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, will be joined by others in Chicago, Miami, Sacramento and New Orleans. Smaller cities include Toledo, Ohio, Madison, Wisconsin, St. Petersburg, Florida and Portland, Oregon.

Of course, no social justice movement has ever been won in a single month or by utilizing a single tactic or strategy. As such, May 2010 is not the totality, but rather the dawn of a movement whose aims are to elevate housing to the level of a human right and to win community control over land.

The solution to the housing crisis lies in your community, even on your block, and in your hands. The time has come to Take Back the Land.

forward,

Max Rameau

See this article at www.takebacktheland.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=90

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Take Back the Land in South Africa

2010-03-01T11:49:00.001-05:00

Take Back the Land is going to South Africa.

As a part of building our national Take Back the Land Movement, we asked the famed Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR- ccrjustice.org) to act as our legal Strategic Partner. As part of that responsibility, CCR invited me to join them on a trip to South Africa to research learn from organizations engaged in anti-eviction and land reform work.

This trip is particularly exciting for me both because of my Pan-African ideological perspective and because the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is one of the two organizations Take Back the Land Miami is modeled after (the other one is the MST in Brazil).

Our party of five will spend three days in Cape Town with the Anti-Eviction Campaign and Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) and three days in Durban with ABM. CCR will examine legal issues and responses there as well as look at how legal organizations provide support to social justice movements. For Take Back the Land, this trip has four (4) objectives:

Build an International Movement. We seek to realize housing as a human right for every person on this planet. As such, we seek to establish formal relationships with organizations fighting for those rights, thereby building an international movement for community control over land and housing as a human right.

Campaign Modeling. The WCAEC and ABM have executed mass campaigns to stop bulldozers and evictions. We in the US have much to learn from our sisters and brothers across the globe.

Network Modeling. South Africans have built a national anti-eviction and land reform movement. Take Back the Land strives to learn from their model and replicate their successes.

For the next week, I will post, email, blog, facebook, buzz and tweet from South Africa to share the experiences of Take Back the Land and the Center for Constitutional Rights.

This email is being sent from the airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Forward,

Max Rameau

www.takebacktheland.org

takebacktheland.blogspot.com

facebook.com/maxrameau

twitter.com/takebacktheland

google.com/profiles/takebacktheland

groups.google.com/group/take-back-the-land

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Picture the Homeless Liberates Land in Manhattan, NYC!

2009-07-23T11:54:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

Picture the Homeless, a New York City based homeless rights organization, has liberated a vacant lot in the Manhattan Borough of New York City and is currently building a Tent City there. I just spoke to Picture the Homeless leader and organizer Rob Robinson (rob@picturethehomeless.org) and he informed me they are erecting tents and moving homeless people into them. The land, located on the 115th St., between Madison and 5th Ave., is owned by JP Morgan/Chase, but it is not controlled by Picture the Homeless for the benefit of human beings, not corporations.

The movement to liberate land and elevate housing to the level of a human right is growing. Take Back the Land supports Picture the Homeless (www.picturethehomeless.org) and other organization working for the right to housing. Updates, including pictures of the liberation, are coming this afternoon.

What can you do to support?

If you are in NYC, go to 115th St., between Madison and 5th Ave. in Manhattan and show your support. A press conference is scheduled for 1:00pm.
Email your support to Picture the Homeless from their website (www.picturethehomeless.org).
Call Mayor Bloomberg's office and tell him to allow Picture the Homeless to house people on that lot. Hands Off Picture the Homeless! You must leave a message with 311-NYC by calling 212-639-9675.
Talk to people and organizations in your community about liberating land.

Housing is a human right!
Liberate land!
Land for people not for profit!

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tej Nagaraja <tej@picturethehomeless.org>
Date: Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Subject: [PTH friends] *breaking news* Homeless 'tent city' occupation in NYC [press release, July 23]
To: Tej Nagaraja <tej@picturethehomeless.org>

** Breaking News: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** Thursday, July 23, 2009

Contact: Tej Nagaraja (646) 302-5769
Updates: http://picturethehomeless.org/blog & http://twitter.com/pthny #tentcitynyc

Location—come!: 115th Street between Madison and 5th Avenues, Manhattan
First on-site press conference scheduled for 1pm—on-site PTH members and neighborhood residents available for interview at all times.

Homeless New Yorkers Occupy Vacant Lot, Create Tent City, Demand Change
Call for city government to meet need of low-income residents, not greed of big banks

MANHATTAN—On Thursday at 11:00 AM, members of Picture the Homeless orchestrated a spirited occupation of a warehoused (vacant) lot, currently owned by the firm JPMorgan Chase, a recent beneficiary of billions in taxpayer bailout money.

Homeless New Yorkers and their allies turned a fenced-off grassy lot in El Barrio/East Harlem into a vibrant Tent City, creatively adorned with makeshift dwellings, colorful art and banners. Under the slogan "NYC: A Place to Call Home," they demanded that warehoused lots and buildings be accounted for by the city, and transformed into housing for poor and homeless people.

Jean Rice, a homeless New Yorker: "Today, Picture the Homeless sends a message that land use must take into account the common good—as housing for the needy, not warehoused assets for the greedy."

Hundreds rallied in support of the bold action. The organizers have invited local musicians to perform, faith leaders and community activists to engage the crowd—and community members to feast on barbecue, and discuss and debate the challenges and struggles all low-income New Yorkers face.

Picture the Homeless members note that more families are homeless now than when Mayor Bloomberg took office. When confronted with his policy failures earlier this month, the Mayor could only say that so many remain homeless because he's made shelters "more attractive." For Chase's part, New York Times quoted an executive during the October bailout: "Twenty-five billion dollars is obviously going to help the folks who are struggling more than Chase."

Picture the Homeless member Sophia Bryant: "The government and banks have failed miserably. Homeless people know what the problems are, and we have ideas for the solutions. Since they won't listen, the time is now for people to take action. We don't want shelters—we want decent housing. We will build what we need!"

###

_______________________________________________
PTH list
Picture the Homeless
Post: PTH@lists.mayfirst.org
List info: https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/pth

Take Back the Land on PBS' NOW

2009-07-15T17:17:00.001-04:00

Greetings All:

As the foreclosure crisis festers, Take Back the Land continues to liberate vacant foreclosed homes. The movement to elevate housing to the status of a human right is picking up steam as other organizations- at least 14, according to Michael Stoop of the Washington DC based National Coalition for the Homeless (http://www.nationalhomeless.org)- execute liberation or defend the right of people to stay in their homes. Two organizations worth paying attention to include Picture the Homeless in New York City (www.picturethehomeless.org) and City Life/Vida Urbana in Boston (http://www.clvu.org).

To find out more about the movement, please watch the recently aired NOW program about Take Back the Land and the housing liberation movement:
www.takebacktheland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81

Please watch out for more actions by Take Back the Land and our allied organizations coming this fall.

In order to continue our important work, Take Back the Land needs your support. Please visit our website at Takebacktheland.org and make a generous contribution. All contributions are made to Serve the People, a 501(c)3 organization, providing support services to Take Back the Land and other community organizations. Your contribution is fully tax deductible.

If you are not already a member, you can keep up with Take Back the Land by joining our list-serve at groups.google.com/group/take-back-the-land

www.takebacktheland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81

forward,

Max Rameau

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takebacktheland@gmail.com

Take Back the Land on ABC World News Tonight 04-12-09

2009-04-13T14:36:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

The current housing crisis is unlike any we have seen in generations. Sometimes a crisis occurs because there are too many houses and not enough families to move in them, deflating values and creating ghost towns. Most often, though, there are not enough homes to meet the needs of people and we demand more houses be built. In this crisis, however, there is a surplus of both vacant homes and families looking for vacant homes. Take Back the Land has been matching homeless people with people-less homes.

Find out more here:

ABC World News Tonight reported on Take Back the Land and our efforts to liberate housing on the April 12, 2009 broadcast. Follow the link below to see the story:

http://takebacktheland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74:abcworldnews041209&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=60

Also check out the New York Times story on the growing trend of squatting and other utilization of vacant foreclosed homes, including Take Back the Land:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/us/10squatter.html?_r=2&hp

In addition, check out this video of Take Back the Land moving the Conley-Trody family back into the home from which they were evicted:

http://www.justnews.com/news/18779255/detail.html#video

Take Back the Land asserts that housing is a human right and that it is immoral to keep homes vacant while there are human beings living on the street. This moral outrage is only compounded when one considers the banks who own these houses have already been paid billions of dollars for those homes already in the form of tax money from the same people who need homes in the first place.

A growing movement of organizations and individuals across the US are making good use of vacant houses by placing or defending the right of families to remain in foreclosed homes. Housing must fundamentally be about homes for human beings, not profits for corporations. Take Back the Land is inspired by the courageous families fighting for their right to housing and making a new more humane world possible.

A movement is building and we urge you to support and advance the struggle to elevate housing to the status of a human right.

Keep up to date at our website: takebacktheland.org. For regular (but not too frequent) email announcements, join our list-serv at
http://groups.google.com/group/take-back-the-land/

For those so inclined, you can support the work of Take Back the Land with a financial contribution. We ask that you make contributions to Serve the People, the not-for-profit which allows Take Back the Land and other organizations use of office space and other resources. Serve the People is a 501(c)3 organization and all contributions are fully tax-deductible. Support our work by contributing at www.takebacktheland.org and click on the "Donate" button.

forward,

Max Rameau
takebacktheland@gmail.com
takebacktheland.org

Take Back the Land on ABC World News 04-12-09

2009-04-13T13:09:00.001-04:00

Take Back the Land on Good Morning America 04-11-09

2009-04-11T17:56:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

Below is a link to the video of Take Back the Land featured on Good Morning America.

http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:gma011109&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=60

If you have not already seen and read the NY Times piece on Take Back the Land, you can read it here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/us/10squatter.html?_r=1

Keep up to date and support Take Back the Land at our website, Takebacktheland.org and join our list-serv at http://groups.google.com/group/take-back-the-land/

forward,

Max Rameau

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Take Back the Land in the New York Times 04-10-09

2009-04-10T13:26:00.001-04:00

Greetings All:

Please check out the Friday, April 10, 2009 edition of the New York Times, reporting on the growing necessity and trend of liberation housing in the US. This is the beginning of a real US land struggle and the social justice movement must come to grips with our relationship to that struggle.

As part of that story, the Times covers two families placed by Take Back the Land in Miami.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/10/us/10squatter.html?_r=1&hp

Please follow our progress at Takebacktheland.org and join our list-serv at http://groups.google.com/group/take-back-the-land.

forward,

Max Rameau

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takebacktheland@gmail.com

Fwd: Take Back the Land Liberates Another Home- Feb. 23 at 12noon

2009-02-23T12:02:00.001-05:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Max Rameau <afrimax@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Subject: Take Back the Land Liberates Another Home- Feb. 23 at 12noon
To: afrimax@gmail.com

Greetings:

At 12:00 noon today, February 23, Take Back the Land liberated a vacant house in order to move an extended family of 12, including six minors, back into the home they lost to foreclosure on Friday, February 20^th. The foreclosure was a result of a fraudulent refinance scheme by a predatory lender.

The home is located at 849 NW 137^th St. in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. As this message is sent, Take Back the Land is assisting the family in their move back into the home.

Take Back the Land identifies vacant government owned and foreclosed homes and moves homeless people into the people-less homes. The organization has been "liberating" foreclosed homes since October 2007, a year after liberating a vacant government owned piece of land and building the Umoja Village Shantytown, housing homeless individuals until a fire destroyed the community. Take Back the Land has liberated eight (8) homes to date.

After Mary's husband lost his job, the couple and their two teenage children were forced to move back in with her mother. Soon after, the contracting job market forced Mary's adult daughter and fiancee back to the house with their four children, all under 10. The crashing economy ultimately forced 12 relatives, spanning four generations, to cram into Grandma Carolyn's two bedroom one bath house.

Unbeknownst to the families, almost two years prior, Carolyn fell victim to a scam predatory lender. The salesman convinced her that with a new reverse mortgage she would only be compelled to pay the taxes on the house, significantly reducing her expenses as she entered retirement age. When they started receiving the foreclosure notices, it was too late, even with almost every adult in the house regaining employment.

The family was evicted from their home on February 20, upon which they called Take Back the Land requesting assistance. Since then, they have been sleeping together in a van and bread truck in the parking lot of a local supermarket. Local homeless shelters are full and not fitted for families and, therefore, can only split the family between Homestead and Miami and then divide the men and women.

The house itself is in need of repairs and there are at least three other vacant homes on that street and numerous others on adjacent streets. As such, the home is unlikely to be sold or occupied in the next year or even two years and will only contribute to blight and unsafe conditions in the neighborhood. Furthermore, homes vacant for even short periods of time are often vandalized and stripped for valuable parts and fixtures. The vacant house, therefore, does not help the family, the neighborhood or even the bank who owns a structure rapidly decreasing value.

It is inhumane and immoral to evict a family of 12 human beings, who are left to sleep in a truck, and not even fill the house with another family, but leave it vacant, potentially for years to come.

Housing is a human right which is threatened by corporate demands to maximize profits. Take Back the Land calls on people of good conscience to defend their communities and fight for the right of human beings to housing, particularly during this economic crisis.

To continue to receive these email updates, sign up for the Take Back the Land listserve at: http://groups.google.com/group/take-back-the-land. You can also get more information about Take Back the Land at our website, TakeBacktheLand.org.

forward,

Max Rameau

takebacktheland.org

takebacktheland@gmail.com

Fwd: Take Back the Land Liberates Another Home- Feb. 23 at 12noon

2009-02-23T11:57:00.001-05:00

Greetings:

The home is located at 849 NW 137^th St. in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. As this message is sent, Take Back the Land is assisting the family in their move back into the home.

It is inhumane and immoral to evict a family of 12 human beings, who are left to sleep in a truck, and not even fill the house with another family, but leave it vacant, potentially for years to come.

forward,

Max Rameau

takebacktheland.org

takebacktheland@gmail.com

Take Back the Land on CNN

2008-12-06T14:45:00.001-05:00

AP Story on Take Back the Land

2008-12-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Below is a link to an Associated Press (AP) story on Take Back the Land and the Take Back the Housing campaign, as it appears on the NPR website.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97660799

As a result of the crises of gentrification, housing and now foreclosures, Take Back the Land has been liberating public and foreclosed land and homes since 2006.

Each community has the right to control the land upon which people live, work, play, learn and worship. Take Back the Land is, therefore, asserting the right of the Black community to control the land in our community and use it for the benefit of our community, including, but not limited to, providing housing for our members in need. We urge every community to exercise the same right.

Take Back the Land further asserts it is immoral to maintain vacant homes for the purpose of profits in the future, while human beings are forced to live on the street today. The madness of such a policy is only compounded when one considers the owners of these vacant homes are not other people, but banks, the same banks receiving billions of dollars in bailouts without having to trade in the foreclosed homes for use by some of the people financing the bailouts. Additional government resources, including police and other government agencies, should not be used to evict low income people from homes in order to maintain vacant structures for bailed out banks to profit from some time in the future.

We call on communities to follow the lead of organizations like City Life/Vida Urbana in Boston and others, and defend families against foreclosures and evictions. For more information and to support the work work of Take Back the Land, please visit our website at www.takebacktheland.org.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97660799

forward,

Max Rameau
takebacktheland@gmail.com
takebacktheland.org
takebacktheland.blogspot.com

The Peoples' Bailout- Take Back the Housing

2008-11-26T08:19:00.001-05:00

Greetings:

As the government continues to bailout the mega corporations responsible for this economic crisis- by taking our tax money, without our permission, and giving it to the wealthy- some organizations and individuals are moving their own bailout.

Since October 2007, Take Back the Land has been identifying vacant government owned and foreclosed homes and liberating them by moving homeless people into people-less homes- without permission from the government or the banks. This is the real bailout.

So, as this country celebrates the Pilgrims- who took over land without permission from the owner- we must think about using land to benefit people, not just corporations. We assert that our right to housing supercedes the corporate right to profit.

Below are three stories about the Take Back the Housing campaign by Take Back the Land, including a news video from Tuesday, November 25. You can get more information at www.takebacktheland.org.

http://www.local10.com/video/18149053/index.html

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2008-11-20/news/squatters/

http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2008/05/foreclosure-nation-squatters-or-pioneers.html

forward,

Max Rameau

One Year Since Blackwood and Knight Killed by Miami-Dade- Vigil on Wednesday

2008-11-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

On November 12, 2007, Miami-Dade police shot and killed two unarmed Black men, surrounded by police while in an SUV facing a dead end. As Frisco Blackwood attempted to put the vehicle in park- following police orders- the car lurched slightly and police opened fire, killing him and Michael Knight and injuring a female passenger in the back seat.

The killings capped a 19 day span during which Miami-Dade police killed four (4) unarmed Black men, including BG Beaugris, a 19 year old shot and killed just yards from his front door while walking home with friends from doing his father's laundry, and Roger Brown, kicked and beaten on NW 79th St. after suffering a mental health crisis.

Join your community in honoring the lives lost to police violence on the one year anniversary of Frisco and Mike's death.

The vigil will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2008, at 6:00pm, at the location of their death, on the corner of 65th St. and North Miami Ave. in the Little Haiti section of Miami.

Justice for Frisco and Mike! Justice for victims of police violence!

forward,

Max Rameau

BUY THIS BOOK NOW: The Green Collar Economy by Van Jones

2008-10-05T19:47:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

I am writing to URGE you to order a new and important book by activist Van Jones: The Green Collar Economy: How one solution can fix America's two biggest problems (Published by HarperOne; ISBN 978-0-06-165075-8)

To order go to: http://www.vanjones.net/page.php?pageid=2

Providing the ultimate in win-win solutions, Jones, the leading voice for a "green economy" with a focus on "green collar jobs" centered in inner city communities, eloquently argues that creating green collar jobs will revive the stagnant US job market, as most of this work cannot be outsourced. As an added bonus, these clean, environmentally friendly jobs will be replacing those which previously contributed to the pollution and destruction of the planet.

You should order this book for two reasons: first, the information and analysis in the book is critical to our understanding of this global environmental crisis, and one of the potential solutions to the problem. As if that were not enough, the "green economy" takes on an even greater significance in the context of the potential collapse of the US financial system. And second, because when an important book is written by a person of conscience, we must support the effort or risk the system blocking future attempts at mass publishing.

In short, if you are one of those who complains about the state of mass media, TV and books and do not buy this book, you have no business complaining, because you are part of the reason they will not publish and promote good books. On the plus side, you will surely enjoy the latest books detailing the inside story of OJ Simpson in jail and Paris Hilton at the club.

To date, no Black author has ever written an environmental bestseller. Here, this long time activist has penned a thoughtful and thought provoking book which will likely provide a roadmap for a growing sector of the US economy in coming years. A Black author writing about the environment, with the Black community at the center of the solution. Help make this a best seller by ordering your book by Tuesday, October 7, shooting this book to the top of the sales charts. It is important on so many levels.

For the record, I know and respect Van, but receive no compensation or consideration for this email or your purchase of the book. I am asking you because I think the book is important and the subsequent opportunities for good political books are immeasurable. Put your money where your politics are and buy this book.

To order go to: http://www.vanjones.net/page.php?pageid=2

forward,

Max Rameau

Krystal Birdsong Remembrance- Thursday October 2 5:30pm

2008-09-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, October 2, 2008, you are invited to celebrate the life and contributions of ancestor Krystal Birdsong in two services.

The first service is a mass at the Barry University Chapel, located at 11300 NE 2^nd Ave. in Miami Shores, beginning at 11:00am.

The second event is a community celebration of Krystal's life and contributions to be held at the Take Back the Land office, 6819 NW 15^th Ave., in Liberty City. The program begins at 5:30pm, however, we will be welcoming friends as early as 2:30pm. Food will be provided.

Ancestor Krystal Birdsong was a Barry University grad student and beloved community activist with both Power U Center for Social Change and Take Back the Land. She worked tirelessly for social justice by organizing meetings, protests, service events and building community power.

Krystal's passing is a devastating loss for the community, organizations and individuals she touched. She will be fondly remembered. Come celebrate her life and continue her legacy.

Take Back the Land

Power U Center for Social Change

Gentrification is Dead: a proposition

2008-07-14T14:51:00.000-04:00

Greetings:

As you are aware, the current global economic crisis, and the accompanying housing crash, have led to significant changes in the market for housing and the development of land. As such, the economic outlook, particularly for the housing market, is drastically different today than it was just a few short years ago.

The economic cycle of gentrification, against which many organizations and individuals have struggled for years, is primarily defined by the ability of developers and speculators to buy land for cheap in low-income communities, displace the residents, and then flip the property for big profits. The recent collapse of the housing market severely compromises the ability of developers and speculators to continue this path (at least for now).

The movement must constantly assess the economic and social conditions on the ground and adjust our strategies and tactics accordingly.

Consequently, Take Back the Land, a project of the Center for Pan-African Development, propositions that the recent economic cycle of gentrification is effectively over. In the attached position paper, Gentrification is Dead, we define gentrification, identifying the elements and characteristics therein, and then lay out an argument as to why those elements and characteristics are no longer actively in existence. In addition, we attempt to identify what economic cycles might follow gentrification and how our strategies and tactics must change in order to meet the challenges of the new economic cycle.

This proposition is not intended to answer all questions or issue orders from the top. Instead, it is an attempt to begin an honest assessment of material conditions on the ground and shape appropriate responses to those conditions. As such, please forward this widely and discuss rigorously.

The piece can also be found, in its entirety, at:
http://www.thepanafrican.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsstory&newsletterID=18

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Live from Main Street- Town Hall Meeting, Saturday, July 12, 3pm, Lyric Theatre, Overtown

2008-07-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings:

Join us for a nationally televised townhall meeting in Miami on Saturday, July 12, 2008, beginning at 3:00pm, at the historic Lyric Theatre, 819 NW 2nd Ave. in Overtown, beginning at 3:00pm.

The event is called Live From Main Street, "Magic City, Hard Times: How is Miami Facing the Economic Crisis and Working Toward a Sustainable Future?" and is hosted by GritTV's Laura Flanders and 99Jamz Cheryl Mizell. The event will be taped for television and internet broadcast. The panel will focus on the housing and other crisis' facing our communities. Panelists include:

Gihan Perera, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Miami Workers Center
Max Rameau, Founder/ Author Take Back The Land
Darin Woods, Countrywide Mortgage Sales Manager
Denise Perry, Director of the Power U Center for Social Change
Barbara Jordan, Miami – Dade County Commissioner
Carolina Delgado, Jobs with Justice Campaign Membership Director
Sonia Succar, Chairperson of Emerging Green Builders of South Florida

The event is free, the audience will have the opportunity to participate and refreshements are served afterwards. COME AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

Live from Mainstreet Promo: http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveFromMainStreet
Previous Live from Mainstreet, Minneapolis, MN:

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

FWD: After Protest Party at Amendment XXI Miami

2008-06-19T14:35:00.000-04:00

In Miami for the Mayor's conference?

Come to the after party at AMENDMENT XXI, the local hangout for progressives at 190 NE 46th St., in Miami (on the corner of NE 2nd Ave. and 46th St.) Enjoy the great atmosphere, drinks and friends. Meet other progressives and great people.

We are celebrating everyone coming out to present the people's agenda to the Mayors. Come to protest the Mayors, stay for the drinks and music!

THURSDAY, JUNE 19

Happy Hour 5pm to 10pm

Music and drinks all night long

FRIDAY, JUNE 20

Happy Hour 5pm to 10pm

Music and drinks all night long

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Drink special: Sweet Justice- $5

Music and drinks all night long

Amendment XXI

190 NE 46th St., Miami

On the corner of 46th St. and NE 2nd Ave.

Take Back the Land in Mother Jones Magazine

2008-06-08T22:50:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

The May edition of Mother Jones Magazine features an article on Take Back the Land and our Take Back the Housing campaign.

You can find the article at:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2008/05/foreclosure-nation-squatters-or-pioneers.html

The piece describes our campaign of identifying vacant government owned or foreclosed homes and moving families into those locations, providing housing for otherwise homeless families. Here are the opening paragraphs:

"Mamyrah Prosper steps gingerly over ankle-high grass strewn with plastic bags and empty soda bottles in the yard of a vacant redbrick house in Miami's Liberty City. She peers through a gap in a boarded-up window. "It looks in good shape," she says. "I mean, the walls aren't falling down. This is definitely one of our stronger options."

Prosper means that if the place checks out, she and her colleagues from Take Back the Land, a local group that advocates for affordable housing, will break in, change the locks, paint and clean, innovate a way to connect water and electricity, and then move a homeless family into the house. The criminal laws they'll violate in the process range from trespassing to breaking and entering (even burglary, if the police get ambitious), which requires the organization to keep a pro bono lawyer on standby.

"We call it 'liberating the housing,'" says Take Back the Land's cofounder Max Rameau..."

Remember, you can get a copy of the book about Umoja Village entitled "Take Back the Land: Land, Gentrification and the Umoja Village Shantytown" at niapress.niainteractive.com, at Amazon.com or at Books and Books bookstore in Coral Gables.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2008/05/foreclosure-nation-squatters-or-pioneers.html

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

New Book on Umoja Village and Take Back the Land by Max Rameau

2008-03-27T02:04:00.000-04:00

Greetings:

On October 23, 2006, in response to one of the most severe epidemics of gentrification and low income housing in the United States, a small group of activists, members of Take Back The Land, seized control over public land, created the self-governed shantytown of Umoja Village, and started a movement.

Take Back the Land: Land Gentrification and the Umoja Village, the new book by Umoja Village organizer Max Rameau, is part political theory and part narrative, documenting the planning, development, struggles and triumphs endured by Take Back The Land activists and Umoja Village residents, and tackles the larger fundamental issues of land and power distribution in black communities.

In the wake of public housing vacancies, corrupt government officials and flawed federal programs, a community found the courage to fight back, offering a model for fighting against gentrification and for land. Detailing the thoughts, arrests, conflicts and the devastating fire which would reduce the village to ashes, the book describes how one community built Umoja. This book is a great tool for activist, organizers and historians.

The book is 134 pages and can be purchased directly from Nia Press or from Amazon.com. Buy the book NOW at:

http://niapress.niainteractive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=productdetail&productid=349

http://www.amazon.com/Take-Back-Land-Gentrification-Shantytown/dp/1434845567/

forward,

Max Rameau

LC7- Closing Arguements Wednesday, March 26

2008-03-24T21:44:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

After several weeks of testimony, the Liberty City 7 retrial is coming to a close. The government put on only a skeletal version of the show they performed during the last unsuccessful trial. So, here is the updated schedule.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008. There is no trial on Tuesday, therefore, we will not be protesting Tuesday morning. Tuesday's regular protest is cancelled.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008. Protest against the Liberty City 7 trial at 9:00am, in front of the federal courthouse, 301 N. Miami Ave. in downtown Miami. Then, as many people as possible will attend the first day of closing arguements.

Thursday, March 27, 2008. Final day of closing arguements. We need people to attend the final closing arguements.

If you are going into the courtroom, do not bring your cell phone, as they will not let you into the courtroom with a cell phone.

Please come and show your opposition to this witch-hunt and waste of our tax dollars.

forward,

Max Rameau

Take Back the Land on NPR- The Story

2008-03-19T15:43:00.000-04:00

Greetings:

Tonight, Wednesday, March 19, 2008, a tenant of Take Back the Land will be featured on The Story, an NPR program. In Miami, The Story is heard of WLRN 91.3FM at 8:00pm. Check your local listings at www.thestory.org.

As you are aware, since the fire which destroyed the Umoja Village, Take Back the land has continued our mission by moving families into vacant government owned and foreclosed homes. The Story will tell the story of one of those families tonight. Please take a listen.

forward,

Max Rameau

Rally for Community Control Over Housing- March 14 at 6PM

2008-03-12T09:54:00.000-04:00

Greetings:

On Friday, March 14, 2007, Take Back the Land is hosting a rally for community control over housing. The rally will be held at 6:00pm in front of the vacant public housing units on 46th St. and NW 25th Avenue and will feature food, music and a message of community empowerment.

Miami-Dade County has one of the highest rates of public housing vacancies in the United States, a rate which has not diminished since the federal government took over the housing agency. A symbol of this failure to provide housing during a housing crisis lies in the vacant and boarded up units of public housing on 46th St. and NW 25th Ave. The fact that there are tens of thousands of families on the housing assistance wait list while over a thousand units of public housing sit vacant is nothing short of criminal. These units should- and must- be filled immediately.

However, because local governments do not want to provide housing for low income people, the only solution to the problem of vacant public housing units is not federal or county control, but community control over the public housing stock.

We invite the entire community to come out and support the call for direct community control over housing.

Land
Self-Determination
Housing as a Human Right
Community Control Over Housing

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Liberty City 7 Trial- Call to Action for Tuesday, March 11

2008-03-10T11:28:00.001-04:00

Protest the LC7 trial on Tuesday March 11th and 18th at 9:00am in front of the courthouse, 301 N. Miami Ave.!
Pack the courthouse to show opposition to politically motivated trials! Court is Tuesday to Fridays, 9:30am to 5:00pm!

Greetings:

As you are aware, the Liberty City 7 retrial has been ongoing for over a month. Last week, the prosecution rested after presenting the same lame case which earned one acquittal and a hung jury in the first trial. The judge continues to rule overwhelmingly against the defense and the government is making a federal case out of seven impoverished young men with access to no weapons or training, while allowing right wing Cuban paramilitary groups to train to attack hotels and tourist destinations, unmolested.

This will likely be remembered as one of the more significant trials of our time, determining the boundaries for politically motivated prosecution of organizations and individuals across the country. That is to say, if noone cares when the government entraps a group with no intention and no capacity to commit terrorist acts, and then throws tremendous federal resources behind a flawed and weak case, you and your organization might be next.

This week, the accused present their defense with one or more of the Liberty City 7 testifying in court. We must be there to find out, first hand what happened, and show opposition to this type of politically motivated prosecution.

As such, as this case winds down, CopWatch is calling on people of good conscience to do two things:

- Protest against the Liberty City 7 case. We protest every Tuesday morning at 9:00am in front of the federal courthouse, 301 N. Miami Ave. in downtown. Please make plans to protest this Tuesday, March 11 and next Tuesday, March 18.

- Pack the courtroom. Attend the trial. Listen for yourself. Show the world and the federal government that people are watching and care about the outcome of this case. Trial is held Tuesday through Friday from 9:30am to 5:00pm. Come with your organization or friends. We must pack the courtroom to show our opposition to this case. The trial is held at the federal courthouse, 301 N. Miami Ave. in downtown Miami. No cellphones are allowed in the courthouse, so please leave yours in your car.

Please make plans to protest and attend this trial during the next two weeks.

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Edison Students to Protest Monday March 3

2008-03-02T22:25:00.001-05:00

After successfully propelling themselves onto the stage of a public meeting regarding police attacks on protesters, Miami Edison Senior High School students are preparing to boycott what they call an "unsafe" environment at the school. The boycott starts on Monday, March 3, 2007 at 7:30am at Athalie Range Park, across the street from the school on 62nd Street and NW 5th Avenue.

In response to the incidents of Friday, February 29, when school, city of Miami and Miami-Dade County police brutally beat, tased and sicked K9 dogs on students protesting police brutality on campus, the school principal called an open meeting on Sunday, March 2 at the school. She began the meeting by announcing that students will be heard on Monday, at a school assembly, but not at the public meeting. In addition, the public was not allowed into the school assembly, a clear attempt to prevent the student's from publicly relaying the events of the 29th.

Students, however, maintained their protest spirit, chanting until the Principal agreed to allow students to speak. While she promised the police would be available to answer questions, neither Chief Darling of Miami-Dade Public Schools or any other police officer answered questions from students, parents or the public.

Student leader Chris Green spoke eloquently about what he witnessed and the biased media reporting on the story. Green also laid out the student demands, including the arrest of assistant principal Perez for assault on a student; dropping all charges on those arrested Friday; No retaliation against students; and the institution of Restorative Justice as a problem solving model, instead of arresting more young people in the future.

In addition, Green and other students announced the boycott. Students are asked to arrive on time and in full uniform for school, but instead of reporting to school, gathering at the Range Park across the street. Many students and parents expressed concern that they were to return to the same school and police force responsible for the violence on Friday. Organizations supporting the student movement are organizing workshops and classes at the park. Students say the boycott will continue until all demands are met and they feel safe at the school.

Defying charges of apathy and lack of civic involvement, the youth of Edison saw a wrong and organized to stand up for their rights. Instead of talking to the students and working towards a solution, the administration ordered the police to beat and arrest the mostly Black students. These young people are on the front line of a new wave of student activist and need our support and understanding, not beatings and jail time.

CopWatch is calling on activists to show up at the Athalie Range Park, with video and still cameras, to support the students and protect them from other potential attacks by the school administration and police. Students are gathering at 7:30am Monday and will remain throughout the school day.

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
afrimax@gmail.com

Students Protest and Police Riot- Edison Sr. High School

2008-02-29T12:34:00.001-05:00

Greetings:

Miami and Miami-Dade School police are rioting against students of Edison Senior High School on the morning of Friday, February 29th. The story is all over local and national news, but is being skewed against the students. Here is the real deal:

On Thursday, February 28th, a teacher apparently put a student in a choke-hold during school, according to eye witnesses and CBS 4 News (http://cbs4.com/local/disturbance.miami.edison.2.665835.html "One student told reporters that the fight started after students staged a protest Friday morning against a teacher at the high school who allegedly placed a student in a choke-hold Thursday.") Then, police enter the classroom and brutalize the student before arresting him in front of classmates and a teacher, according to eye witnesses and the Miami Herald (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/438888.html "The student, she [an unnamed teacher] said, was handcuffed in front of his classmates and teacher."''They felt as though the way the young man was handled wasn't proper; they felt it was too brutal,'' said the teacher, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she did not have permission to talk with the press.")

The mostly black and largely Haitian-American Miami Edison students organized a protest this morning at the school courtyard. According to all accounts, the protest was peaceful, possibly including civil disobedience (Miami Herald: "The incident apparently began as a peaceful protest, according to a teacher inside the school, but got out of hand." CBS4: "The student said police were called to the school to respond to the protest, and when students objected a scuffle broke out, escalating quickly into an all out fight between students and officers.").

Police were called in to break up the protest and when the students refused- exercising their right to protest- school and city of Miami police attacked them and the students defended themselves against attacks by police.

While the media is trying very hard to connect this police riot to instances of violence at Miami-Dade schools over the past two days, it is clear that in this case the schools themselves started the fights and inflicted the majority of the violence. CNN.com is calling this a "school fight."

There are currently over 70 police cars at Miami Edison and police are arresting large numbers of students. No police or administrators have been arrested for assaulting students.

CopWatch and the Power U Center for Social Change are calling on people to support students' right to protest and condemn school police for mistreating students.

Please call the Miami-Dade County school board to complain about this police abuse: 305-995-1000.

Also, please go to the school tonight, Friday, February 29 at 6:00pm to protest police abuse and support student rights to free speech.

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Picket to Support the Liberty City 7- Tuesday 9am Federal Courthouse Miami, FL

2008-02-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

CopWatch and other community organizations are organizing a picket to demand the acquittal and immediate release of the Liberty City 7 (LC7). The re-trial of the six remaining defendants begins today (Friday, February 1, 2008). The picket will take place on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at the federal courthouse, 301 N. Miami, Ave. in downtown Miami, beginning at 9:00am.

The LC7 were arrested amidst great fanfare during the summer of 2006, with then attorney general Alberto Gonzalez calling them Muslim terrorists. It was quickly discovered that the men were neither Muslim nor terrorists. While the Bush administration trumpeted the arrests as a significant advancement in the "war on terror," the case clearly lacked substance: the men were never in contact with Al Qaeda; they lacked the capacity to carry out the acts they were charged with planning; it was clear the government agent, not the LC7, was leading the planning; there were no weapons or bomb making materials found in their possession; and the group dismantled itself more than a month prior to the arrests.

While the case was lacking, the motivation for bringing the case was obvious. On Friday June 23, 2006, The New York Times planned to release a story about the Bush Administration spying on the financial transactions of millions of American citizens, without a warrant. On Thursday, June 22nd, FBI Director Rober Mueller announced the raid of the LC7 warehouse (none of the them were in the building at the time) on live television during an interview. The next day, instead of focusing on the Bush Administration spying scandal, the media and general public only talked about the seven "terrorists" in Miami. As George W. Bush might say, "mission accomplished."

The first trial ended in one acquittal and a mistrial for the other six. The judge immediately called for and set a date for a new trial. In addition, the judget put in place a number of "security measures," such as refering to jurors by number instead of name and ordering the jury escorted by armed marshalls, which do not protect the jury- there was no tampering during the last trial- but, instead, is designed to intimidate the jury into thinking the men pose a security risk. It was extremely telling that in this politically charged climate, the government was unable to secure even on conviction of a Black man charged with terrorism.

The LC7 case is important because it directly targets Black organizations and movements under the guise of fighting the war on terror. If this travesty is allowed to proceed unchallenged, every organization pushing a progressive agenda will be targeted and charged with conspiracy. Make no mistake about it: this is the new McCarthy Red Scare in this day and age.

Future generations will demand to know what YOU did during the time the government targeted innocent people and charged them with terror related conspiracies. How will you respond?

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Rally to Release the Liberty City 7- Monday, January 7 at 9AM

2008-01-04T06:32:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

On Monday, December 7, 2008, CopWatch and other community organizations will protest the first day of the re-trial of the Liberty City 7 (LC7). The picket line will take place at the federal courthouse, 301 N. Miami, Ave., in downtown Miami beginning at 9:00am.

We are calling for the immediate release of all of the men and that the government drop the trumped up, politically motivated charges, thereby ending the re-trial.

During the first trial, which ended in December 2007, the jury saw through the sham charges and acquitted one of the men, Lyglenson Lemorin, outright and deadlocked on charges against the other six. Not surprisingly, the judge continued to push the official government line by calling for a new trial in less than 30 days. Lemorin remains in federal custody, held by immigration who will try him again on the same charges. Lemorin is a legal US resident.

During the summer of 2006, seven men, mostly of Haitian decent, were arrested and charged with planning to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago as well as federal buildings in Miami. The arrests were timed to coincide with FBI Director Robert Mueller's appearance on the Larry King television show, and the government falsely reported the men were part of a "radical Muslim group" in order to foster suspicion and anti-Muslim sentiment in the general public.

Of course, none of the men were Muslim and no weapons or bomb making materials were found in their possession and the "plot" was primarily crafted by an FBI informant, not the men. Most importantly, the group disbanded shortly after the infamous "Al Qaeda oath," which was orchestrated by the FBI informant and during which several of the men expressed confusion about the wording of the oath and at least one slept through the ceremony, exhausted from working all day.

The arrests were a politically motivated ploy to divert attention from the story, released the following day by the New York Times, detailing the Bush administration's spying on ATM and credit card transactions of millions of American citizens. The diversion worked as media outlets turned their attention to the story of "homegrown terrorists.

Even in this current political climate, the US government was unable to secure even one conviction against seven Black men. You know that if you cannot convict seven Black men of conspiring to do something, your case has some problems.

Taking no chances for the second trial, the judge called for a new trial to begin less than 30 days after the first one ended. In addition, she plans to sequester to jury and provide armed escorts for the jury to and from the courthouse. Neither one of these measures were in place during the first trial and no incidents occurred. Clearly, the judge is looking to intimidate the jury, using the beefed up security to create an atmosphere of fear in an attempt to make jurors think that if all this security is required, there must be a threat associated with the men. The worse part is that none of this is making anyone safer.

This is no idle exercise to show support for seven confused young men. The so-called "war on terror" has served primarily to increase the power of government to do what they were unable to do pre-September 11: spy on us without fear of public outrage. The potential for utilizing the Justice Department to quell political dissent and activism- all in the name of fighting terror- is real and will fundamentally undermine the ability of political activists to receive a fair trial, either in court or in the court of public opinion.

This case is clearly a trial balloon to determine what people will tolerate from the US government. The target- seven impoverished black men- was obviously selected in order to minimize public sentiment and support. When arrests on flimsy, politically motivated charges of terrorism become common place, you will be unable to argue that you did not see this coming.

We demand the immediate release of all the men and the dropping of these politically motivated charges. Please make plans to attend the rally in support of the LC7 and against this gross violation of justice.

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
afrimax@gmail.com

Community Calls for Freedom for Liberty City 7

2007-12-23T12:31:00.001-05:00

Press Release
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Community Activists Demand Freedom For the Liberty City 7
for immediate release

CopWatch and other community organizations, led by CopWatch, are calling for the Justice Department to drop all charges against the Liberty City 7 and to release all seven men so they can spend the holiday with their loved ones. The press conference will be held on Monday, December 24, 2007 at 10:00AM in front of the warehouse used by the group on NW 15th Ave. at 63rd St.

Following the highly publicized arrests in the summer of 2006, including a press conference by then Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, community members and legal experts raised questions about the quality of those arrests, given the dubious charges and claims by prosecutors that seven impoverished and unarmed black men concocted a viable plan to overthrow the United States government.

Days after the arrests, CopWatch organized a press conference raising questions about the political nature of the charges, rhetoric and timing of the raid, set to coincide with an appearance of the FBI director on the Larry King show. At the time, the New York Times was set to release a story about the Bush Administration spying on the financial transactions of millions of American citizens. Subsequent media coverage of seven "home grown terrorists" easily outpaced that of stories recounting government spying on US citizens. Since then, the Justice Department has been hammered with accuasations of politically motivated investigations and arrests, ultimately resulting in the resignation of Attorney General Gonzalez.

Since then, the seven men faced prosecutors and a jury which could not find six of the men guilty, but did acquit one defendant, Lyglenson Lemorin, outright. In spite of his acquittal, Lemorin remains in the custody of federal immigration officials and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, even though he is a legal resident found guilty of no crimes. Community organizations argue that the arrests were motivated by political considerations, not national security. The men are no threat to anyone, and, therefore, all charges should be dropped.

"In this political climate, the fact that a jury refused to convict a group of men charged with terrorism speaks volumes about the weakness of the case against them," says Max Rameau of CopWatch. "The US government is using the 'war on terror' to advance a domestic political agenda. In addition to costing time and money, in addition to ruining the lives of these men and their families, this is not making anyone safer."

The groups are calling on the Justice Department to drop all charges and cancel the upcoming new trial set for January 7, 2008. Community organizations and individuals will speak at the event.

Contact:

Max Rameau, CopWatch
afrimax@gmail.com

Killer cops back on the street

2007-12-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

In the midst of what Miami-Dade police cynically call an
"investigation" into whether cops unlawfully shot and killed two men
and injured one woman, those same two cops are back on the street
where they can shoot even more unarmed people in cars- and they did.

On November 12, 2007 Officers Michael Mendez and Ryan Robinson killed
Frisco Blackwood and Michael Knight, and injured a female passenger,
in a barrage of bullets targeting the SUV in which they sat. Less than
30 days later, the pair was at it again, this time shooting, but
fortunately not killing, Robert De Armas, who was in a car as well, on
23rd St. and NW 18th Ave.

This means that two police officers, under an ongoing investigation
ostensibly designed to determine if they murdered two civilians, were
allowed back on patrol, this time under the auspices of an aggressive
police program, the RID, commonly known as the "jumpouts."

The development is disturb ing on many levels, none so more than this:
Miami-Dade blatantly disregards community will, outrage and the
possible wrongdoing by officers in the line of duty. Top brass
continues blind support of cops who commit wrongdoings under the color
of law, as the Black community continues to bury young men killed at
the hands of police.

The community is outraged and hurt by the rash of police shootings and
the police responds by putting the cops at whom the outrage is
directed back on the streets in our community. During an ongoing
investigation of wrongdoing.

The harsh truth is that there is no credible investigation of any of
the deaths at the hands of police being conducted either by Miami-Dade
police or the State Attorney's office. They are not investigating
Christopher Villano, the cop who killed BG Beaugris in North Miami.
Nor the cops who tased, kicked, beat and hogtied Roger Brown prior to
his death. And, obviously, there is no serious investigation of
Michael Mendez and Ryan Robinson, together shooting at Michael Knight
and Frisco Blackwood over 20 times.

It appears as if when a cop is involved in the shooting of unarmed
Black people, a shooting invoking controversy and outrage in the
broader community, Miami-Dade police take those cops off of uniformed
duty and place them, instead, on undercover duty, as "jumpouts," in a
Black or Latino community, from where they can shoot, and possibly
kill more Blacks and other people of color.

The Black and broader community must understand that when the police
say they are conducting a thorough investigation of their own, they
are lying. There is no good faith investigation or even intent to
conduct a thorough investigation. Now it is evident that there is not
even an attempt to pretend as if there is an ongoing investigation.

Equally as important, after police complete an "investigation" of
other police and clear them of all wrongdoing, they are lying.

We are not children and have no interest in being humored or
patronized. The police regularly lie to us about fair and thorough
investigations, and that practice must stop. Instead of lying before
the community and the media about intentions to conduct an
"investigation," the police should simply state the truth: police are
allowed to shoot Black people virtually at will, and, therefore, there
is no need for an investigation.

This honesty will improve police-community relations as the community
realizes the police are no longer lying to us. In addition, the move
will save countless administrative hours and money currently wasted on
fake investigations and meaningless reports on behalf of the police
and the state attorney's office.

In the mean time, there is a fundamental unfairness in forcing members
of the Black community to pay taxes for a police force unwilling to
adhere to our demands and cries. The fundamental power relationship
between the police and the community is askew. The Black community
must, therefore, develop alternate means of securing our communities,
including against out of control police forces with no respect for our
rights.

Forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Umoja Village Photo Book

2007-12-12T07:19:00.001-05:00

Greetings:

I am proud to announce the release of the Umoja Village Photo Book and invite you to purchase your own copy at:

http://www.lulu.com/content/1578519

The book tells the story of the Umoja Village Shantytown, from the frantic first days all the way through the fire- and the protests which followed. This photo essay includes 25 pages of professionally shot photographs donated by Jhon Luna, Rolfe Ross, Cindy Karp and Noelle Theard.

See the shanties, the residents, the victories and the results of the devastating fire, all in a full color 9 x 7 photo book. The story is compelling and the photographs are beautiful.

The Umoja Village Photo Book is just $30 (plus shipping) from Lulu.com and a portion of the proceeds will go to Take Back the Land to continue our great work. Thank you for your interest and support.

http://www.lulu.com/content/1578519

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
www.takebacktheland.net

Community Outraged at Police Beating 74 year old Activist into a Coma

2007-12-04T17:07:00.000-05:00

CopWatch and other community organizations and individuals are holding a press conference to condemn the beating of 74 year old Bernie Dyer by the Miami Beach Police. The beating takes place shortly after Miami-Dade police killed four (4) unarmed black men in 19 days. The press conference will be held on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 2:00pm in front of Bernie's apartment building, 1745 Marseille Dr. in Miami Beach.

On Friday, November 23, Dyer was suffering a mental health crisis in his Miami Beach apartment. When his family heard the news, they came to explain to police Dyer's history of mental health crisis, dating back to his service in Vietnam. The family explained Dyer was of no threat to anyone, and that if allowed, at 74 years old, he would eventually wear himself out and fall asleep. After assurances that the police understood the situation, family members left the scene. Police then lobbed several canisters of tear gas into the one bedroom apartment before storming in and beating Bernie Dyer.

After more than a week, Bernie Dyer remains in a coma at Mt. Sinai Hospital. At the press conference, Bernie's family will speak about his condition and prognosis.

After organizing in Harlem, NY, Bernie Dyer moved to Miami in the mid 1960s, eventually directing the Liberty City Community Council, an organization financed by the Christian Community Service Agency, located on 62nd St. and NW 12th Ave. in the heart of Liberty City. Dyer played a significant role in restoring calm following civil unrest in 1968 and 1980. His role in calling out injustice was so controversial that his family was forced to flee the country, briefly, in order to avoid persecution by the police and others in positions of power.

Dyer also played a significant role in building the community, helping to found a number of organizations, including the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation.

The attack on Bernie Dyer raises serious questions about the actions and attitudes of police, such as why Miami Beach police required several cans of tear gas, a swat team and physical brutality to "subdue" a 74 year old man; what are appropriate responses to people enduring a mental health crisis; and is this beating part of a larger trend of police abuse, one which already has taken the lives of 4 black men in 19 days in Miami-Dade County.

Several community members and organizations will speak at the event.

To reach the location from Miami, take 79th St. across the causeway and into the Normandy Isles neighborhood. At the light, turn LEFT at Esplanalde and then another LEFT at Marseille Dr.

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Rally Against Police Abuse on Saturday 4:00PM. 4 Dead in 19 Days.

2007-11-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

In just 19 days, 4 unarmed Black men died at the hands of one department: Miami-Dade Police. And they want the right to carry shotguns.

On Saturday, November 24, 2007, beginning at 4:00PM, the community will rally for justice and against police abuse at the Miami-Dade Police Intracoastal Station, located on Biscayne Blvd. and 156th St. in North Miami. The rally will follow the funerals of Michael Knight and Frisco Blackwood, two men shot dead by Miami-Dade Police on November 12.

Virtually anywhere else, the violent deaths of four unarmed people by one police department would trigger headline news and federal investigations. However, in 2007's Miami-Dade County, the deaths have not been tied together by the media or even elicited any public statements by elected officials, not even the Black ones. The shocking silence of the elected officials and the unwillingness of the media to ask questions, speaks volumes about the state of Black people in this part of the United States.

However, in a real demonstration of people power, the Haitian-American and African-American communities, along with people of good will of every race and nationality, are joining for a single rally for justice for all victims of police brutality. This rally might usher in a new day in communities fighting injustice together, rather than separately.

Over the past few months, Miami-Dade Police have launched a series of aggressive police sweeps, targeting Black communities and people. These aggressive police units- locally known as the "jumpouts"- feature police jumping out of unmarked cars with guns drawn and pointed while barking orders to scared and confused people. Men, women and children in Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown, North Miami and other Black communities are forced to lay down on the ground, take off their shoes and socks and endure disrespectful treatment, even when doing nothing wrong at all. The end result was predictable: the same police encouraged to and rewarded when engaged in overly-aggressive police tactics, killed four unarmed Black men in 19 days.

On October 25, 19 year old BG Beaugris talked with his younger brother and two friends a mere 100 feet from his own apartment, having just completed his father's laundry. Undercover "jumpout" Christopher Villano saw four Black men and, according to Villano's lawyer, considered them "suspicious." Villano jumped out of his unmarked car, gun drawn, and ordered the young men against the wall. After finding nothing illegal or dangerous, Villano engaged in a verbal argument with BG before jumping on him and placing him in a headlock. With his free hand, Villano drew his weapon and shot BG once. As he lay on the ground injured, Villano shot BG twice more, killing him.

On November 7, Roger Brown was apparently driving erratically before being stopped by school and Miami-Dade police. Several cops jumped on the 40 year old Brown, claiming he was resistant, behavior typical of individuals suffering a mental health crisis. According to witnesses, after tasing Brown, police kicked him in the face and beat him with night sticks before placing him in a "hogtie" position and throwing him in the back of a cruiser. Brown stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

On November 12, Frisco Blackwood and Michael Knight were dropping a friend off at her Little Haiti home. A marked Miami-Dade police car followed them and eventually pulled them over, allegedly for running a red light. The rented SUV pulled into a dead end- leaving the three with nowhere to run, even if they wanted to- and the police jumped out of their cruiser with guns drawn on the car, all for running a red light. The guns and barked orders made Blackwood nervous and police open fired when the vehicle did not do exactly what the cops wanted it to. After getting hit by multiple bullets, Blackwood's body convulsed uncontrollably, throwing the vehicle into reverse. The female passenger in the back seat was shot in the leg and survived watching her friends die at the hands of the police.

These deaths would not happen in wealthy white neighborhoods, not because there are no criminals there, but because police do not jumpout with guns drawn on traffic stops or on white people doing their laundry. We urge all people of justice to demand an end to the unfair police practices in the Black community.

Attend the rally on Saturday, November 24, 4:00pm at the Miami-Dade Intracoastal Station, Biscayne Blvd. and 156th St. We also urge you to attend services for Frisco and Michael.

Services for Michael Knight
Viewing • Friday, November 23 • 6:00PM-9:00PM • Poitier Funeral Home • 2321 NW 62nd St. • Liberty City, FL
Funeral • Saturday, November 24 • 10:00AM • Jordan Grove Baptist • 5946 NW 12th Ave • Liberty City, FL

Services for Frisco Blackwood
Viewing • Friday, November 23 • 9:00AM-9:00PM • Wright Funeral Home • 15332 NW 7th Ave. • Miami, FL
Funeral • Saturday, November 24 • 2:00PM • Westview Baptist • 13301 NW 24th Ave. • Opa-Locka, FL

CopWatch • Haitian American Grassroots Coalition • Power U Youth • Miami Workers Center • Haiti Solidarity Committee • Bolivarian Youth • Veye-Yo • South Florida Peace & Justice Network • Miami-Dade NAACP

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

4 Dead in 19 Days. Rally Against Police Abuse Saturday 4:00PM

2007-11-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

In just 19 days, 4 unarmed Black men died at the hands of one department: Miami-Dade Police. And they want the right to carry shotguns.

On Saturday, November 24, 2007, beginning at 4:00PM, the community will rally for justice and against police abuse at the Miami-Dade Police Intracoastal Station, located on Biscayne Blvd. and 156th St. in North Miami. The rally will follow the funerals of Michael Knight and Frisco Blackwood, two men shot dead by Miami-Dade Police on November 12.

Virtually anywhere else, the violent deaths of four unarmed people by one police department would trigger headline news and federal investigations. However, in 2007's Miami-Dade County, the deaths have not been tied together by the media or even elicited any public statements by elected officials, not even the Black ones. The shocking silence of the elected officials and the unwillingness of the media to ask questions, speaks volumes about the state of Black people in this part of the United States.

However, in a real demonstration of people power, the Haitian-American and African-American communities, along with people of good will of every race and nationality, are joining for a single rally for justice for all victims of police brutality. This rally might usher in a new day in communities fighting injustice together, rather than separately.

Over the past few months, Miami-Dade Police have launched a series of aggressive police sweeps, targeting Black communities and people. These aggressive police units- locally known as the "jumpouts"- feature police jumping out of unmarked cars with guns drawn and pointed while barking orders to scared and confused people. Men, women and children in Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown, North Miami and other Black communities are forced to lay down on the ground, take off their shoes and socks and endure disrespectful treatment, even when doing nothing wrong at all. The end result was predictable: the same police encouraged to and rewarded when engaged in overly-aggressive police tactics, killed four unarmed Black men in 19 days.

On October 25, 19 year old BG Beaugris talked with his younger brother and two friends a mere 100 feet from his own apartment, having just completed his father's laundry. Undercover "jumpout" Christopher Villano saw four Black men and, according to Villano's lawyer, considered them "suspicious." Villano jumped out of his unmarked car, gun drawn, and ordered the young men against the wall. After finding nothing illegal or dangerous, Villano engaged in a verbal argument with BG before jumping on him and placing him in a headlock. With his free hand, Villano drew his weapon and shot BG once. As he lay on the ground injured, Villano shot BG twice more, killing him.

On November 7, Roger Brown was apparently driving erratically before being stopped by school and Miami-Dade police. Several cops jumped on the 40 year old Brown, claiming he was resistant, behavior typical of individuals suffering a mental health crisis. According to witnesses, after tasing Brown, police kicked him in the face and beat him with night sticks before placing him in a "hogtie" position and throwing him in the back of a cruiser. Brown stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

On November 12, Frisco Blackwood and Michael Knight were dropping a friend off at her Little Haiti home. A marked Miami-Dade police car followed them and eventually pulled them over, allegedly for running a red light. The rented SUV pulled into a dead end- leaving the three with nowhere to run, even if they wanted to- and the police jumped out of their cruiser with guns drawn on the car, all for running a red light. The guns and barked orders made Blackwood nervous and police open fired when the vehicle did not do exactly what the cops wanted it to. After getting hit by multiple bullets, Blackwood's body convulsed uncontrollably, throwing the vehicle into reverse. The female passenger in the back seat was shot in the leg and survived watching her friends die at the hands of the police.

These deaths would not happen in wealthy white neighborhoods, not because there are no criminals there, but because police do not jumpout with guns drawn on traffic stops or on white people doing their laundry. We urge all people of justice to demand an end to the unfair police practices in the Black community.

Attend the rally on Saturday, November 24, 4:00pm at the Miami-Dade Intracoastal Station, Biscayne Blvd. and 156th St. We also urge you to attend services for Frisco and Michael.

Services for Michael Knight
Viewing • Friday, November 23 • 6:00PM-9:00PM • Poitier Funeral Home • 2321 NW 62nd St. • Liberty City, FL
Funeral • Saturday, November 24 • 10:00AM • Jordan Grove Baptist • 5946 NW 12th Ave • Liberty City, FL

Services for Frisco Blackwood
Viewing • Friday, November 23 • 9:00AM-9:00PM • Wright Funeral Home • 15332 NW 7th Ave. • Miami, FL
Funeral • Saturday, November 24 • 2:00PM • Westview Baptist • 13301 NW 24th Ave. • Opa-Locka, FL

CopWatch • Haitian American Grassroots Coalition • Power U Youth • Miami Workers Center • Haiti Solidarity Committee • Bolivarian Youth • Veye-Yo • South Florida Peace & Justice Network • Miami-Dade NAACP

forward,

Max Rameau

BG Beaugris Funeral Saturday 10AM

2007-11-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

The funeral for Gracia "BG" Beaugris, killed by Miami-Dade police office Christopher Villano, will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 10:00am at the New Birth Baptist Church, 2300 NW 135^th St. in Opa-Locka.

BG was shot to death on October 25, less than 100 feet from his own front door. After completing his father's laundry, BG stood yards from his home with his brother and two friends when Miami-Dade police officer Christopher Villano jumpout out of his unmarked cars because the young men looked "suspicious." After searching each of them, Villano found nothing- no weapons, drugs or stolen goods- and the youth began asking why they were targeted. Villano physically attacked BG, ultimately shooting him a total of three times, two while BG lie on the ground.

Since BG's slaying, three others have been killed by Miami-Dade police, including Roger Brown who on November 8 was tased, kicked in the face and beaten with batons before being hogtied and thrown in the back of a police car on 95^th Street and NW 17^th Ave. Brown died a short time after.

Childhood friends Michael Knight and Frisco Blackwood were driving a friend home on November 11 when police stopped the vehicle, allegedly for running a red light, and surrounded it with weapons drawn. Fearful for his life, Blackwood followed orders to lower his window, but he accidentally put the vehicle in neutral rather than in park. As the SUV resettled on the uneven ground, police open fired, killing the two unarmed men and wounding the female passenger.

These killings are the direct result of the latest round of aggressive police tactics targeting Black communities such as Liberty City, Little Haiti, North Miami and elsewhere.

Several community organizations, including CopWatch, planned a demonstration in front of the Miami-Dade police station for Saturday to protest BG's killing. However, due to the funeral arrangements, the protest will be postponed. That means the 2:00pm protest at the Miami-Dade police station is canceled.

The viewing for BG Beaugris will be held on Friday, November 16, 2007 from 6:00pm until 10:00pm, at the St Fort Funeral Home, 16480 NE 19th Ave.

We encourage everyone to attend the funeral.

Forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Vigil for 2 Killed by Miami-Dade Police Monday

2007-11-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

Candlelight Vigil for 2 Men Shot Dead by Miami-Dade Police

Once again, community members and organizations join a grieving family to remember an unarmed person shot and killed by Miami-Dade police. The candlelight vigil will commemorate the lives of Michael Knight and Frisco Blackwood, both killed in a hail of Miami-Dade County Police bullets. Another passenger was shot, but survived. The vigil will be held on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 6:00pm at the location of the killing, 65^th St. and North Miami Avenue in Little Haiti.

Police were conducting a traffic stop on the evening of Monday, November 12. After the car pulled over without incident, police surrounded it with weapons drawn. The driver followed police orders to lower his window, but when told to put the car in park, he accidentally shifted into neutral instead. As the vehicle re-settled from the gear shift, police opened with a barrage of shots, mortally wounding both men.

While police claim they fired because the vehicle backed up into a police car, witnesses believe the vehicle did not move backwards until after the shooting began, raising the possibility that gunshots forced the driver into shifting gears and accidentally hitting the gas pedal.

The killings mark the third and fourth deaths at the hands of Miami-Dade police in less than 20 days. On October 25, Miami-Dade "jumpout" police stopped and searched an unarmed 19 year old Gracia "BG" Beaugris, who stood 100 feet from his own front door talking to his brother and two friends. After finding nothing, officer Christopher Villano shot Beaugris three times, including twice while Beaugris laid on the ground. On November 7^th, Miami-Dade police surrounded 40 year old Roger Brown on 95^th St. and NW 17^th Ave., for acting "erratically." According to witnesses, Brown was tasered, kicked in the face and beaten with night sticks before being hogtied and thrown into a police car. Brown died at North Shore Medical Center.

The men killed by Miami-Dade police were unarmed and no drugs were in the vehicle. Michael Knight celebrated his 21st birthday on Friday.

The vigil is being organized by CopWatch, which is not only concerned about this shooting, but the aggressive police tactics police are employing in Black communities. Liberty City, Little Haiti, North Miami and other Black communities are flooded with cops behaving aggressively as they pull over cars for minor, or no, infractions and force men, women and children onto the streets at gun point. These tactics are not being employed in wealthy white neighborhoods.

These types of shooting deaths are the direct result of the public policy of aggressive police tactics. Jumpouts and other aggressive forces are encouraged to make large numbers of arrests and are rewarded for abusing the rights of the poor and the Black. Because the victims are poor and Black, neither internal affairs nor the state attorney nor the courts nor the media believe them when they complain of police misconduct.

As these police tactics continue- in fact they seem to be escalating, not declining- there will be more unarmed dead Black men across Miami-Dade County and no cop will ever be punished, and certainly not by Katherine Fernandez Rundle. We must take to the streets and demand justice for the victims and their families. Equally as important, we must demand an end to the aggressive police programs which generate those victims.

JUSTICE FOR MICHAEL KNIGHT AND FRISCO BLACKWOOD!
PUT KILLER COPS IN JAIL!
END THE JUMPOUTS!

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch

Rally for Justice for BG Beaugris

2007-11-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Join the Committee for Justice for BG Beaugris for the Rally for Justice on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 2:00pm at the Miami-Dade Police Intracoastal Station, located on Biscayne Blvd. and 156th St.

On Thursday October 25, 2007, an unarmed BG Beaugris was shot in the head by Miami-Dade police, after picking up his father's laundry, just a few steps from his home.

Miami-Dade "Jumpouts" harassed and searched several young black men who were talking to each other. Police found NOTHING on the men and started beating on BG. Office Christopher Villano then shot BG once in the chest and twice again while he lay on the ground. This was a murder.

DEMAND JUSTICE FOR BG AND HIS FAMILY!

Prosecute Christopher Villano!
Stop Harassment of Youth in North Miami!
End the Jumpouts!
Stop Police Brutality!

Committee for Justice for BG Beaugris
CopWatch • Haitian American Grassroots Coalition • Veye Yo • Power U Youth • Haiti Solidarity • Bolivarian Youth • Miami-Dade NAACP

Vigil for 19 yr old shot in head by Miami-Dade Police- Tuesday 6pm in North Miami

2007-10-29T14:27:00.000-04:00

Candlelight Vigil for Garcia "BG" Beaugris

Miami CopWatch and the Haitian American Grassroots Coalition invites you to a candlelight vigil to commemorate the life of Garcia "BG" Beaugris and demand justice for him and his family. BG was brutally shot and killed by Miami-Dade police on Friday just a few feet from his North Miami home. BG's death will likely be remembered as one of the most brutal police killings in recent memory. The Vigil is set for Tuesday, October 29, 2007 at 5:30pm on the corner of 128^th St. and NE 7^th Ave., just off of West Dixie Highway.

According to multiple eye witnesses, BG was shot once in the chest and then twice again as he lay wounded on the ground, at virtually point blank range, while he was talking to friends just 100 feet from his home.

Miami-Dade "jumpout" police rolled up on several young black males talking to one another next to BG's home. After searching the teens and finding nothing, Miami-Dade cop Christopher Villano verbally harassed and then physically attacked BG, ultimately shooting him dead.

The community is gathering to commemorate the life of BG Beaugris and to demand justice for him and his family. We demand the immediate arrest of Christopher Villano, with the appropriate charges of murder, and the end to the "jumpout" police programs in low income black communities.

BG's death will be remembered as one of the most notorious police shootings in Miami-Dade County. Join the fight to stop police brutality and win justice for BG Beaugris.

What: Candlelight Vigil for BG Beaugris

When: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 5:30pm

Where: 128^th St. and NE 7^th Ave. (just off of West Dixie Highway), North Miami, FL

Why: an unarmed BG Beaugris was shot dead by Miami-Dade police

forward,

Max Rameau
CopWatch
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Take Back the Housing

2007-10-24T14:26:00.001-04:00

Miami Herald Story on the Housing Takeover by Take Back the Land: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/282253.html

October 23, 2007 marks one year since the rise of the Umoja Village Shantytown in the Liberty City section of Miami in response to the crisis of gentrification and low income housing. In the year since this "people power" action, much has changed and much more remains the same. Black and other poor communities are ravaged by the crisis of gentrification and low-income housing while the same government which extracts taxes from us, does nothing to alleviate the crisis. One year later, the issue of community control over land remains fundamental in solving the crisis.

As the real estate bubble explodes around us, vacant foreclosed homes litter our communities and speculators choose to hold onto vacant houses and apartments, waiting for the next market swing in order to make their millions. For it's part, in spite of all the scandal and crisis, Miami-Dade County doggedly maintains an unconscionable and immoral stockpile of vacant public housing units, units which otherwise would shelter some of the 41,000 families languishing on the housing assistance waiting list.

All the while, the homeless population grows, particularly among the "under-housed," those not living on the street, but doubling and tripling up in single family homes, including public housing, where the extra families live illegally, endangering the housing security of the entire extended family, sometimes right next door to a boarded up, vacant unit.

We are forced to conclude that Miami-Dade County intentionally leaves units vacant, or tears down public housing all together- exemplified by the HOPE VI funded Scott-Carver public housing project demolition- as a means of fueling the real estate "boom." When governments take units of low-income housing off of the market, the value of the remaining privately held units increases, as families scramble to find new living arrangements. This is nothing short of tax financed market manipulation, designed to decrease supply at a time when demand is sky high, resulting in a government sponsored- not market driven- real estate "boom."

In the end, human beings are homeless because developers and speculators seek to profit from the misery of the poor. The laws allow it and the government provides direct assistance. There should be no right to profit from human misery.

In spite of the crisis, scandal and controversy, the reality is that local governments continue to enrich wealthy developers and have intentionally failed to address this crisis in any meaningful way. Neither Miami-Dade County nor the federal government operates based on the interests of poor Black people. As such, we are left with no other option than to provide for the people for whom the government is not providing.

Take Back the Land, again, asserts the right of the Black community to control land in the Black community. In order to provide housing for people, not for profit, this community control over land must now take the form of direct community control over housing.

Consequently, Take Back the Land has initiated the process of moving families and individuals into vacant housing, whether public, foreclosed upon or privately owned and intentionally vacated.

As of this writing, several families have already been moved into housing and several more are desperately awaiting their turn. We will move families and individuals into vacant housing units all across Miami-Dade County.

Housing is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy. Housing is a human right, and we, hereby, assert our humanity.

Miami Herald Story on the Housing Takeover by Take Back the Land: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/282253.html

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
www.TakeBacktheLand.net

Umoja Village Anniversary Event

2007-10-23T11:09:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

Take Back the Land cordially invites you to attend a rally in commemoration of the one year anniversary of the founding of the Umoja Village Shantytown. The rally starts at 5:00pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, and we have moved the location to our new office at 6819 NW 15th Ave., in the Liberty City section of Miami, FL.

Come join us as we announce our next efforts to Take Back the Land and how you can support. The event will include food, music and speakers from numerous organizations.

We are also accepting donations and volunteers for our political work and for the former residents of Umoja Village.

forward,

Max Rameau

CORRECTION- Umoja Village 1 Year Anniversary 5PM October 23rd

2007-10-18T16:15:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

I apologize for the resend. Please not the CORRECT TIME: 5:00PM on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007. Thank you.

forward,

Max Rameau

Greetings:

Take Back the Land cordially invites you to attend a rally in commemoration of the one year anniversary of the founding of the Umoja Village Shantytown. The rally starts at 5:00pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, on the corner of 15th Ave. and NW 62nd Terr., in the Liberty City section of Miami, FL.

On October 23, 2006, Take Back the Land seized control over public land on the corner of 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in Liberty City, building the Umoja Village Shantytown, providing housing for as many as 53 otherwise homeless people at one time, and close to 150 people in all. Residents of the Village did not live in opulence, but they did live in dignity, with their own shanties and running the village themselves in a direct democracy. The Village survived numerous attempts by government officials to shut it down.

On April 26, 2007, just three days after its six month anniversary celebration, the Umoja Village burned to the ground in a suspicious fire. While the physical structures burned, the Umoja- Swahili for 'Unity'- we built cannot be destroyed.

The crisis of gentrification and housing which spurred the creation of the Village rages on today. During the rally, Take Back the Land will announce future plans to address the crisis. The event will include food, music and speakers from numerous organizations. We are also accepting donations for our political work and for the former residents of Umoja Village.

forward,

Max Rameau

Umoja Village 1 Year Anniversary

2007-10-18T10:46:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

Take Back the Land cordially invites you to attend a rally in commemoration of the one year anniversary of the founding of the Umoja Village Shantytown. The rally starts at 6:00pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, on the corner of 15th Ave. and NW 62nd Terr., in the Liberty City section of Miami, FL.

On October 23, 2006, Take Back the Land seized control over public land on the corner of 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in Liberty City, building the Umoja Village Shantytown, providing housing for as many as 53 otherwise homeless people at one time, and close to 150 people in all. Residents of the Village did not live in opulence, but they did live in dignity, with their own shanties and running the village themselves in a direct democracy. The Village survived numerous attempts by government officials to shut it down.

On April 26, 2007, just three days after its six month anniversary celebration, the Umoja Village burned to the ground in a suspicious fire. While the physical structures burned, the Umoja- Swahili for 'Unity'- we built cannot be destroyed.

The crisis of gentrification and housing which spurred the creation of the Village rages on today. During the rally, Take Back the Land will announce future plans to address the crisis. The event will include food, music and speakers from numerous organizations. We are also accepting donations for our political work and for the former residents of Umoja Village.

forward,

Max Rameau

Community Demands Control Over MDHA

2007-09-28T15:18:00.000-04:00

Friday, September 28, 2007

The deal announced today between Miami-Dade County and the federal government, finalizing short and long term control over Miami-Dade Housing Authority (MDHA), and the millions of dollars earmarked for low-income and subsidized housing, fails the needs of this community and is doomed to deepen the crisis of gentrification and low income housing for tens of thousands of people.

Once again the powers-that-be on the local and federal level have worked out a deal, through closed door negotiations, without the participation of, or regard for, those impacted by the policies and actions of MDHA and who will bear the brunt of this agreement. The beneficiaries of MDHA, including public housing residents, section 8 recipients, subsidized housing and former Scott-Carver residents, must be included in every step of the decision making process, including representation in court mandated mediation, the results of which could severely impact their lives.

More to the point, the agreement achieves the goals and needs of the two parties involved in the negotiation, but does not address the fundamental problem of the disconnect between the needs of low income people and the actions of government officials, local and federal.

Clearly, the feds achieved their objective of wresting temporary control over MDHA from the County. Conversely, the agreement secured the county's two main objectives: first, ensuring the feds do not sell any properties the county wants to sell, or give away to wealthy developers, themselves; and second, assuring that at the end of the process, power over MDHA, and it multi-million dollar budget, returns to the county and not to an independent trust or board, as is common practice throughout the United States.

The only entity which achieved none of their objectives- no local control, no clear end to public corruption and, most importantly, no change in public policy resulting in adequate amounts of low-income housing- are those in need of low-income housing and their supporters.

This community has been presented a false choice: either accept federal control over MDHA or allow the county, those responsible for the dis-function of the agency in the first place, to retain control. The only viable option, minimizing risk of public corruption and maximizing the opportunity to build adequate amounts of housing, is for community control over MDHA via an independent and autonomous Trust.

We demand community representation in every aspect of the hand-over and ultimate community control over MDHA. MDHA must be used to benefit the people, not political connected developers.

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land

Denise Perry
Power U

Delores Turner
Miami ACORN board chair

Mae Singerman
Community Benefits Coalition

123,564

2007-09-02T10:11:00.001-04:00

123,564

Miami-Dade's airwaves, op-ed pages and water cooler discussions are alive with vigorous condemnations of the gross public corruption and pilfering of funds earmarked for low-income housing. While such discussion is just and appropriate, particularly in the context of a devastating crisis of gentrification and low-income housing, not nearly enough time, energy and brain power is devoted to solving the housing crisis itself.

While shocking, immoral and criminal, the reality is that the impact of public corruption on the crisis pales in comparison to the impact of bad public policy on the crisis. If government officials stop stealing tomorrow, or, God forbid, they are actually charged with stealing, the crisis itself would continue, unabated, because there is neither the political will nor the plan to build enough low-income housing to meet the demand. Therefore, ending corruption is important, but insufficient, in addressing this crisis.

In October 2006, the Miami-Dade Department of Planning and Zoning updated its 25 year Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP), outlining challenges, goals and objectives for several strategic 'elements,' including transportation, conservation, waste management and the like. On page one of the Housing Element of the CDMP, census and housing data is used to conclude the county "will require 294,200 new housing units" by 2025, of which "about 42 percent... will be needed by very low and low-income households."

123,564.

To adequately address the continuing crisis of gentrification and housing, 123,564 new low and very low income housing units must be built. This number, the CDMP stresses, will not address the current crisis, only the future.

This is not a stunt promoted by radical fringes or a conjured total invented by special interest groups. 123,564 is derived by professional staff paid to develop public policy objectives based on measurable needs and without regard for political considerations.

During this time of budget cuts and housing busts, the notion of building 123,564 housing units, substantially subsidized by public money, is a grand idea whose time has come. This idea requires shifting budget priorities, focusing talent, pooling resources and, yes, ending public corruption.

The lofty objective of providing housing for human beings, our neighbors, friends and even family, is not something one county or large city can accomplish alone. Every municipality, even the wealthy ones, must contribute their fair share to the total; Corporations must reinvest profits back into the communities which enrich them; professionals must contribute their talents and skills; social justice organizations must dedicate their organized energy; and individuals must give of their time; all for the greater good.

Experience teaches us that simply building the requisite number of units will not resolve this dire situation. Thus, the 123,564 new units must be built inside of at least three parameters.

First, once built, the units must be occupied by low and very low income residents, not sold to politically connected developers who "flip" the units into profitability for them and out of affordability for the poor. Second, development must mesh with other common objectives, such as mass transportation and meeting the unique social and cultural needs of the community the project serves, not the developer or gentrifyers.

Third, in function and in form, the new wave of development must be both humanitarian and green. In times of water shortages, spiraling energy costs and other environmental impacts, a socially conscious green wave of development is the only way to ensure the sustainable economic and social growth of a community and the survival of our planet. Development must take place with reverence for green spaces, animal habitats and our finite water supply, among other factors.

Two things are needed to accomplish this objective: first, the political will and a solid plan. But ready or not, by 2025 over 100,000 additional families will need low income housing in South Florida, and the conditions under which they will live then- in clean, safe housing or in shantytowns- will be determined by what we do now.

Too much money? Too much trouble? What is the alternative?

Today, approximately 50,000 luxury condos prepare for grand opening, presumably followed by foreclosure and indefinite vacancy. Meanwhile, over 40,000 families languish on the county's housing assistance wait list, a number, according to the CDMP, which will grow exponentially. What happens when tens of thousands of home-less people suddenly realize they are living in the shadow of people-less homes?

The question is not what is the alternative to building all of those units, but rather what is the alternative to what will happen when they are not built. The answer is as easy as
123,564.

We invite and challenge every organization and individual concerned with the crisis of gentrification and housing to join the effort to build 123,564 new low and very-low income units in Miami-Dade County by 2025.

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
www.TakeBacktheLand.net
afrimax@gmail.com

Miami-Dade County CDMP Housing Element
http://www.miamidade.gov/planzone/cdmp/plan/III-%20Housing%20Element.pdf

Community Groups Storm HUD office in New Orleans

2007-08-31T13:14:00.001-04:00

Community Groups Storm and Take Over New Orleans HUD Office

Several community organizations, including Power U Center and the Miami Worker's Center from Miami, took over the US HUD administrative office in New Orleans today, Friday August 31, 2007 at around 12:30pm. The groups are in New Orleans to commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The groups and residents are demanding that HUD open St Bernard's Parish housing project, which serves low-income Black residents. Two years after the area was evacuated in the post-Katrina floods,the housing project remains empty. Residents and groups have been prevented from rehabilitating and filling the vacant units, and the federal government has refused to do so.

US military vehicles, including armed Hummers, have surrounded the 25 people encamped inside, who refused to leave the building unless HUD officials acquiesce to community demands.The community effort to open St. Bernard's Parish is symbolic effort of the dislocated Black community of New Orleans to return to home. Residents such as former public housing residents have been met ignored, criminalized and otherwise excluded from the rebuilding of New Orleans.

Denise Perry, executive director of Power U, is in the building and available by phone: 305-491-7764.

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development

Umoja Fire Trial- Monday Aug. 13, 11:30AM

2007-08-12T10:58:00.001-04:00

Press Release
for immediate release
Sunday, August 12, 2007

Umoja Village Arrest Trial Set for Monday, August 13, 2007

Long time resident John Cata on trial for disorderly conduct arrest following shantytown fire

Former Umoja Village resident John Cata is set to go to trial for his arrest which followed the fire which destroyed Miami's shantytown. The trial is set for Monday, August 13, 2007 beginning at 11:30am, at the Richard Gerstein Justice building, 1351 NW 12^th St. in court room 2-11.

A devastating fire destroyed the Umoja Village Shantytown on April 26, 2007, just three days after the village's six month anniversary. Over one hundred community members turned out to support the residents and defend the Village before city of Miami police arrested 11 people, including John Cata. Cata was charged with disorderly conduct for attempting to retrieve his belongings from the ashes of the fire and with resisting arrest without violence after his weakened condition obligated police to carry him to the police car. Cata subsequently fainted and was taken to the VA hospital instead of jail.

While the lot remained vacant for eight (8) years, the city of Miami was able to erect a fence around the lot within hours of the first arrest.

In 1968, a 25 year old John Cata lead the team negotiating the first contract for 1,000 newly unionized Jackson Memorial Hospital workers. After successfully winning higher wages for Jackson workers, Cata was drafted and sent to Vietnam where he served two tours of duty. In 2006, Cata returned to South Florida and, due to the lack of viable options afforded by his pension, lived in a vacant lot for months prior to discovering the Umoja Village.

Umoja Village was created on October 23, 2006 in response to the crisis of gentrification and housing in Miami-Dade County. The shantytown housed as many as 50 otherwise homeless people at a time, serving both as a solution and living protest to the housing crisis and the government corruption which contributed to the crisis.

The trials of village organizers Max Rameau and Amanda Seaton are set for later in August. Other arrestees have settled their cases.

- end -

Umoja Village Burned Again

2007-08-01T21:58:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

Less than one week after voting 4-0 to support the conveyance of land to the Umoja Village residents, city of Miami officials completely reversed themselves after a wealthy, high powered lobbyist unilaterally killed the entire deal. The political settlement won by Take Back the Land was scrapped as those with the real power vetoed the vote and maintained the status quo, to the benefit of those in power and at the expense of the black community.

The Umoja Village Shantytown stood for just over six months, directly feeding and housing people and challenging the notion that developers should control land in the black community, before it burned in a tragic fire on April 26, 2007. After the fire, the city offered the land to the residents and organizers of Umoja, in order to build supportive housing, a deal ultimately accepted by Take Back the Land.

The city was embarrassed and hostile towards the Umoja Village, however, overwhelming community support and attention forced officials to deal with the crisis. After months of planning and last minute wrangling, the city of Miami Commission voted to support the conveyance of the land to the residents and organizers. Technically, the vote approved of the idea, and ordered the city Manager to work out the details for a final and official vote in less than a week. The implications of the victory, which was now within grasp, for the black power and broader social justice movements are significant, a fact not lost on local gatekeepers and power brokers.

Just hours after the initial vote, the real powers-that-be went to work. Ron Book, one of the most powerful lobbyists in the state of Florida and operating as the chair of the Homeless Trust, employed his lobbying skills to kill the deal. He not only registered his opposition to city and county officials, but he intimidated the development partner, who depends on Trust for their funding. Equally as significant, he used his position as the chair of the Trust to threaten the funding. With the project funding gone- valued at up to $20 million- the development partner ready to bail, and elected officials on notice, the deal was effectively dead the very next day.

Book's justification for his stand was that no public land should be conveyed to an organization without a bid process, and that the Homeless Trust does not financially support no bid deals, even when legal and transparent and even when the Trust does not own the land in question. The obvious question arose: has Ron Book or the Homeless Trust ever supported a no-bid deal?

With Book, with multiple clients and a controversial professional record, finding instances of his support for numerous no-bid contracts was easy. More importantly, in February 2006, an apartment building located at 6000 NW 12^th Ave., just seven blocks from the Umoja Village site, was conveyed to New Horizons for use as supportive housing, for free by the city of Miami in a no-bid process. In that virtually identical situation, the Trust supported the deal and continues to fund the project today. Not surprisingly, in addition to being the chair of the Homeless Trust, which directly funds New Horizons and others, Ron Book is also a paid lobbyist for New Horizons. He was paid no less than $40,000 by the non-profit organization in 2006, while making decisions about their contracts.

This information was brought to the Miami Herald, the local paper of record, including citations and public records proving the allegation. While a reporter supposedly worked on the story for at least four days, the story was never published.

The fact is that the black community built enough power to win a significant political victory at the city of Miami, the alleged decision making body. However, there are unelected forces with more power than lowly local governments, who make unilateral decisions without public hearings, and those powers have an interest in ensuring the black community cannot exercise self-determination. A wealthy white power broker and an unelected agency effectively vetoed the political settlement approved by a city government, a move with serious implications for the social justice movement and basic democratic rights.

This turn of events also confirms a truism of power: once a set of rules begin to benefit the people instead of those in power, those rules are subject to change.

In the mean time, the crisis of gentrification and low-income housing rages across Miami-Dade County and the US. We have an obligation to feed and house people in our community, and obligation which is only heightened by the refusal of governments to provide those services. Having failed at engagement with the system, Take Back the Land will continue to meet our obligations.

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
www.takebacktheland.net

check out the chronology of events and longer pieces at
www.takebacktheland.net or takebacktheland.blogspot.com

Support Umoja Village- Wednesday Aug. 1, 10am City of Miami

2007-07-30T10:55:00.001-04:00

Take Back the Land

WHAT: Vote on Umoja Rising, the development to rebuild the Umoja Village as up to code low-income, supportive housing with ground floor retail/commercial.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 1, 2007, 10:00AM

WHERE: City of Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan-American Drive, Coconut Grove. We are also doing a caravan, leaving from the Umoja Village land (62^nd St. and NW 17^th Ave.) at 9:00AM.

Come Voice your support for the Umoja Rising! Witness this historic vote! Speak out against Ron Book and the Homeless Trust efforts to undermine this historic proposal!

Support Umoja Rising

After six months of housing and feeding otherwise homeless people, the Umoja Village Shantytown, built on the corner of 62^nd St. and NW 17^th Ave., was destroyed by a devastating fire. The Umoja Village was part protest, part living symbol of the crisis of gentrification and low-income housing and all home for almost 50 people.

Subsequently, Umoja Village organizers and residents proposed building up to code low-income supportive housing on the land. On Wednesday, August 1, 2007, the Miami City Commission will vote on a resolution proposed by Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones to convey the land for the Umoja Rising project, conditioned upon proper financing for about 60 housing units and ground floor retail/commercial space.

The vote is nothing short of historic, particularly for the black community, which endures the brunt of the crisis. The vote is transparent, open to the public and a fair response to the extreme housing crisis.

In spite of this ground breaking political solution, to the direct benefit of the Liberty City community, the powers that be at the Homeless Trust are preparing to use their status as gatekeepers to unilaterally crush the Umoja Rising. The Trust claims it only opposes the lack of a bid process in conveying the land, however, it is clear this argument is only a front used to legitimize what is opposition to the project based on petty, not principled, reasons. Not only is there no written policy against local governments offering no-bid contracts or land, the Trust's chairman has personally lobbied for no-bid contracts in the past, while the Trust itself continues to support and fund two agencies who received no-bid contracts. Not surprisingly, the Trust's chair is on the payroll of one of those organizations, while the other one votes to give him money.

The Homeless Trust is the clearinghouse for agencies and programs impacting the homeless in Miami-Dade County. Ron Book, the chair of the Trust, argues that the publicly owned lot should be put out to bid instead of directly conveyed. To be sure, this is not an unreasonable position, in and of itself, particularly in the context of recent corruption scandals. However, it must also be noted that most of the scandals recently reported have involved cases in which bids were used. The bid process is not free from the corrupting influences of money, crooked politicians or unethical lobbyists.

In this instance, direct conveyance is not only appropriate, it is the right thing to do and supported by the impacted community. Those who disagree are free, and encouraged, to voice their opinion at the Commission meeting. What Book and the Trust are doing, however, is not just voicing, or even lobbying for, their position. They are circumventing the political process in order to make unilateral decisions, behind closed doors, which will doom the project regardless of its support in the community or by elected officials.

In order to finance low-income supportive housing, builders must apply for state tax credits, a process which requires the signature of the Homeless Trust. Even if the land is properly and legally conveyed, enjoys broad community support and meets all other requirements, the Homeless Trust can unilaterally, without an open and transparent process kill the entire deal, simply by refusing to sign. The project will not qualify for tax credits, which are, incidentally, awarded via competitive bid by the state of Florida, not the Homeless Trust.

Consequently, even if the black community garners the political power to win the land, Ron Book and the Trust can kill the deal by denying us the funding required to build on the land.

Two fundamental issues are at stake with the Ron Book/Homeless Trust opposition to the Umoja Rising conveyance.

First, there are serious public policy implications involved when an unelected county agency unilaterally imposes demands on the political process of sovereign municipal governments. When local elected governmental bodies determine processes by which they award contracts or convey land, and the process is legal and not corrupt, the mayor can veto and the courts can overturn. If the Trust has its way here, unelected agencies could use the power of the purse to trump decisions made by elected officials.

When unsatisfied with housing policies, community organizations petitioned local elected governments for changes in policies, laws and budget priorities. Who elects Ron Book? How are the policies of the Homeless Trust determined? Where are those polices published (they are not on the Homeless Trust website)? What is the recourse if those policies are bad or unpopular or themselves illegal or corrupt?

Worse still, what happens when two or more agencies enforce conflicting policy demands? What if, due to recent revelations of influence peddling during the bidding process, Community Development demands all contracts must be awarded by direct votes of the commission, without bids? With each agency refusing to approve projects which fail to meet their own internal, and secret, policy objectives, the level of gridlock would ensure no project ever proceeds.

The second issue at stake is simple fairness and consistency. Does the Homeless Trust have a written, verifiable policy opposing no-bid contracts, for products/services or land and second, has the Trust ever continued a relationship with an agency which received a no-bid contract for products/services or land?

Prior to addressing the Trust itself, because Ron Book is personally advocating, it is appropriate to explore his own personal commitment to this position. Given Miami-Dade County's reputation for influence peddling, it would be difficult to imagine that a high powered lobbyist has never advocated for a no-bid contract.

In early 2001, South Stevedoring, Inc. was awarded a 20-year cargo terminal operating lease from the Broward County Commission, without a bidding procedure or process. The award was controversial not only because one of South Stevedoring's founders was indicted on corruption charges related to that company's work in the Port of Miami, but because another firm vied for the contract by offering Broward County $750,000 more per year in return. Ron Book represented South Stevedoring, arguing that the company should get the contract in spite of the controversy and without a bid process.

The Miami Herald reported: "There was no bidding procedure... South Stevedoring has hired well-connected lobbyists and political consultants Ron Book and Judy Stern to convince the County Commission to endorse that choice." Clearly, there is no principled opposition to the no-bid process.

The Homeless Trust Supports No-Bid Winners

As far as we have been able to determine, the Homeless Trust does not have an official policy regarding the manner in which contracts or land is awarded to agencies outside of the Homeless Trust itself. That is to say, even if the Homeless Trust itself only awards contracts and conveys land via the bid process, it does not have a policy requiring its agencies to win all other contracts and land in the same manner from other sources. Such a policy would appear invasive not only of the agency, but of local governments as well. The merits of the policy aside, it does not seem to actually exist.

None-the-less, the Trust, through chair Ron Book, is claiming that they "don't support giving any deal"- presumably land or other financial contract- without a bid process. In practice, however, the Trust has, and continues to support those deals.

JESCA

The James E Scott Community Association, whose executive director is Miami-Dade Commissioner Dorrin Rolle, under a constant ethical cloud for his dealings with land and housing issues, is in the Homeless Trust continuum of care, even after reports of severe financial mismanagement, including accounts overdrawn by over $300,000. More germane here, JESCA has been awarded multiple no bid contracts by Miami-Dade County, including one by the infamous Miami-Dade Housing Corporation.ⁱ In all, JESCA received approximately $220,000 per year in no-bid grants from Miami-Dade Countyⁱⁱ, the government which funds and houses the Homeless Trust.

In spite of these facts, well documented in the media, the Trust continues to include JESCA in its continuum of care, even listing them on the Trust's official directory of supportive housing services,ⁱⁱⁱ the same directory in which the Umoja Rising development would one day be listed.

New Horizons

During the November 3, 2005 meeting, then District 5 Commissioner Jeffery Allen motioned to give both the land and the apartment complex on the land, located on the corner of 60^th St. and NW 12^th Ave., just seven blocks from the Umoja Village, to New Horizons, for free.^iv The commission approved, with support from the Mayor's office, and the land was conveyed in February 2006 for $0.00^v. The apartment complex is currently used as supportive housing and New Horizons is on the Homeless Trust continuum of care and directory of supportive housing services.

In neither instance was the Trust recorded as either opposing the no-bid deal or, more importantly, the agency's subsequent inclusion in the continuum of care, and the benefits included therein.

Why the nonchalance regarding no-bid contracts one minute and the hard line opposition to them the next? Perhaps one reason is that both agencies are exceptions to the "policy," is that they both, in one way or another, have paid Ron Book.

Ron Book is a paid lobbyist for Miami-Dade County, a contract for which he was paid $200,000 in 2006 for his work in Tallahassee alone^vi. Dorrin Rolle is not only the executive director of JESCA, he sits on the board that votes to give Book the $200,000.

Oddly enough, Book is also a paid lobbyist for New Horizons. In 2006, when their land deal was consummated, Book was paid approximately $40,000 by New Horizons to lobby on their behalf in Tallahassee. During this same time, Book, as Chair of the Trust, is helping make decisions about how much support to provide to his client, New Horizons.

We have been unable to find a Homeless Trust policy regarding board members who vote on Trust agencies while simultaneously receiving checks from them, but this would probably represent a better use of their time than trying to control the way government bodies convey their land.

In the context of the crisis of gentrification and low-income housing, direct conveyance of land for the building of Umoja Rising is legal, proper, appropriate and the right thing to do. There is legitimate concern as to whether the organized and powerful opposition to the project is based on principle, or if the "bid policy" argument is merely a smokescreen used to justify unprincipled opposition.

We implore the city Commission to vote for the conveyance of land for the Umoja Rising project and people of good conscience to come out and support the proposal.

Note: Serve the People, Inc., a 501(c)3 pending organization, is partnering with Carrfour Supportive Housing, the (a) premier supportive housing building in the state of Florida, and NANA, the premier small business support organization in Miami-Dade County, to build Umoja Rising.

i The Miami Herald, House of Lies: County official's agency gets cut, County Commissioner

Dorrin Rolle's nonprofit agency won a lucrative food-services contract with no bid required

by Debbie Cenziper, July 2006

ii Miami New Times, The Ghetto Governor, Dorrin Rolle's dedication to his district is in question by Francisco Alvarado, July 20, 2006

iii http://www.miamidade.gov/homeless/directory.asp

iv City of Miami Commission Agenda Minutes, Page 65, Item: 05-01218a, Thursday, November 3, 2006

v Miami-Dade County County Property Records, http://gisims2.miamidade.gov/myhome/propmap.asp, address: 6000 NW 12^th Ave., Miami, FL,

Folio: 01-3114-043-0580

vi http://www.floridalobbyistdirectory.com/LobbyistDetails.aspx?id=1362

Umoja Rising Story- Miami Herald

2007-07-27T01:20:00.001-04:00

http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/183900.html

Activists for homeless closer to getting site for housing

BY LISA ARTHUR

larthur@MiamiHerald.com

The Umoja Village activists are one step closer to winning the land where their Liberty City shantytown once stood so they can develop it as transitional housing for the homeless.

The Miami City Commission passed a motion late Thursday night to support a project called Umoja Rising, that would be built in partnership with Carrfour Supportive Housing, a Miami-based organization with a track record.

The commissioners stopped short of conveying the land at the corner of 62nd Street and Northwest 17th Avenue to the group. That step will come up at a commission meeting Wednesday after the Umoja proposal is hammered out between city staff and the activists.

Opposition could come from other developers of affordable housing and homeless housing, because the city-owned land would not be put out to bid to give all interested builders a chance to compete.

But several commissioners said other land has been conveyed without going out to bid to non-profit groups in the past, and the Umoja activists deserve special consideration.

Umoja Village was founded in October 2006 by community organizer Max Rameau, who took a page from the playbook of activists in Brazil, South Africa and Mexico and strategically selected a piece of public land to seize and give to ''the people'' after he became frustrated with the county's lack of response to the region's affordable housing crisis and allegations of mismanagement and possible malfeasance in Miami-Dade's public housing agency.

Rameau and the homeless built a community on the lot out of cardboard, wood and stubborn hope. They voted on rules, like evicting disruptive residents. They grew collard greens and spinach and cooked their own food. They planted sunflowers. College students donated enough books for a library. Social service agencies offered help -- and have placed about 30 former residents in permanent housing.

The government-owned lot at 6201 NW 17th Ave. was once the home of a building of affordable apartments. The apartments were bulldozed years earlier and new apartments promised for the poor never materialized.

For six months, the Umoja communal existence drew international attention. Then one night in April, a candle tipped over and the shantytown burned to the ground. No one was injured.

Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones has worked with the Umoja activists since the fire to come up with a plan to build housing for the homeless and other support services on the site.

''I know we aren't going to convey this land here tonight at 10:45, but I'd like to make a motion asking my fellow commissioners if they will support this when it comes back August 1,'' she said.

Commissioner Tomas Regalado pledged his support and praised Rameau. He said after last summer's expose by The Miami Herald of deep problems in the Miami Dade Housing Agency, Rameau could have gone home and written a letter to the editor.

''But instead he did another thing,'' Regalado said. ``He focused the attention nationally on this housing crisis here.... We have a lot of good things in Miami, but we can't hide our problems. And now because of Umoja and because of a newspaper, things are moving in the right direction.''

The commission unanimously passed Spence-Jones' motion asking for support of the Umoja proposal when it comes back Wednesday.

Take Back the Land, the Rameau group that founded Umoja, has formed a sister agency, Serve the People, Inc., which has a 501(c)3 non-profit application pending. The non-profit would serve as a landtrust and take ownership of the lots at corner of 62nd Street and Northwest 17th Avenue.

A preliminary proposal calls for $3 million in financing from the city and $7 million from Miami-Dade County. The bottom floor of the development would include some type of commercial space for small businesses and for social service agencies. The housing above would include a mix of transitional, low-income and possibly workforce housing, depending on what the Liberty City community wants.

Outreach surveys are being done by the Umoja activits to get community input.

The proposal from the activists says they would include a clause that would require the land and money to revert back to the city and county if malfeasance is found, or there is a general lack of progress in the development.

Rameau thanked commissioners for their pledge of support, and promised that the project, if approved, would meet the needs of those living in Liberty City and of any of the 44 Umoja residents who decide to return.

''It will meet the needs of the people already in the community, not the needs of people who want to come in and move out the people already there,'' he said.

Umoja Rises!

2007-07-27T01:14:00.001-04:00

Greetings All:

At approximately 11:00pm on Thursday, July 26, 2007, exactly three months after the devastating fire which destroyed the Umoja Village Shantytown, the Miami City Commission voted 4-0 to direct the city manager to craft a resolution to convey the land on the corner of 62^nd St. and NW 17^th Ave. to the residents and organizers of the Umoja Village.

The motion was sponsored by District 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones. The vote on the official resolution to convey the land will happen on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at a time to be determined.

This is a significant victory for the residents of the Umoja Village, all of Liberty City, for low-income housing in South Florida and for the entire social justice movement, particularly those engaged in land-based struggles against gentrification and for low-income housing.

The Umoja Village Shantytown was founded by Take Back the Land on October 23, 2006, and for six months housed and fed otherwise homeless people. Our political objectives are to house and feed people; assert the right of the black community to control land in the black community; and to build a new society. Residents ran and managed the village, were responsible for building and maintenance and voted on rules for the village in which they lived.

Umoja was something special, inspiring residents, supporters and visitors alike. Building the village also changed the terms of the struggle against gentrification, squarely addressing the issue of control over land as a means of addressing a housing crisis. After a fire destroyed the village, real questions emerged about what constitutes a logical conclusion to the campaign. This agreement provides some answers to those questions.

The land will be conveyed to Serve the People, Inc. and developed by Carrfour Supportive Housing with small business technical support provided by Neighbors And Neighbors Association, Inc. The ground floor of the development will be devoted to economic development, in the form of retail/commercial space, with the upper floors offering supportive and low-income housing.

While the vote and conveyance represents a significant victory for the Umoja Village, Liberty City and the broader movement, this is not a done deal. The vote did not actually convey the land, only direct the manager to prepare a resolution to convey the land. The final resolution must be approved by the commission on Wednesday, August 1, 2007. While our chances look good, we cannot become complacent.

Please keep informed about and support this important campaign. More updates coming soon!

forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
www.TakeBacktheLand.net

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=umoja+village&search=

Support Umoja Village at City Commission Meeting

2007-07-23T06:11:00.001-04:00

Greetings:

Take Back the Land is calling on supporters to attend the city of Miami Commission meeting on Thursday, July 26, 2007, beginning at 3:00pm. Miami City Hall is located at 3500 Pan-American Drive, in Coconut Grove. At the meeting, the Commission will vote on the fate of the Umoja Village Shantytown's land.

After promising to convey the land to the residents and organizers of Umoja, Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones is going back on her promise and putting the lot out for bid, a notoriously corrupt process in the city of Miami. We demand that the city keep its word, and convey the land to the Umoja Village.

Following the tragic fire which destroyed the Umoja Village, Miami Commissioner Spence-Jones contacted Umoja Village, met with organizer Max Rameau and resident John Cata, and offered direct conveyance of the land, without a bid process. She also agreed to provide immediate housing for former Umoja residents, and the deal was reported in the Miami Herald and Miami Times.

After intense debate, we called off our planned protests and accepted the offer. We met with potential partners and crafted a proposal, which we submitted to Spence-Jones, as agreed, and tried to confirm the item for the July 26^th Commission meeting.

Instead, Spence-Jones unilaterally and without explanation, nixed the deal and put the lot out to bid. Miami's bid process is notoriously rigged and corrupt, as often reported in the media, giving politically connected developers the inside track to use this public land for a gentrification project.

This is the same kind of double dealing which got us into this mess in the first place. Umoja was a tremendous victory for this community, and will not be swept under the rug.

Show your support for Umoja by attending this meeting and demanding elected officials live up to their commitments and convey the land directly to the residents and organizers of the Umoja Village. If officials are able to continue to lie to us and get away with it, we will be forced to resort to more drastic measures to house people ourselves.

Forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
a project of the Center for Pan-African Development
www.TakeBacktheLand.net

A Cafe Hosts Fundraiser June 20th to Benefit Take Back the Land

2007-06-16T17:43:00.000-04:00

Fundraiser to benefit
Take Back the Land at

A Cafe Organic French Carribean Cuisine

Wednesday, June 20th
5PM- to Midnight

4582 NE 2nd Ave
A Cafe Best Natural Food Restaurant, Best of the Best, Miami New Times 2007

Music by DJ Juan 51 and Live Performances by:
Live Poets Society, AfroBeta, Adolfo and Katrina and Lyrical Impress

Join us for a evening of amazing food, cultural performances, and updates on Take Back the Land and Umoja Village

Press Conference: Response to Manny's "no crisis in housing" assertion

2007-06-12T07:15:00.001-04:00

Press Release

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

for immediate release

contacts: Denise Perry: 305-491-7764

Community to Manny Diaz:

There is a crisis in housing

Community responds to Diaz' contention that there is "no crisis in housing"

Low-income residents, activists and community organizations are holding a press conference to protest the City of Miami's housing policies and gross corruption in the arena of low-income housing development. In addition, community members are set to respond to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz's opinion piece, recently published in the Miami Herald, titled "There is no crisis in housing." The press conference, organized by the Power U Center for Social Change, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at 11:00am in front of Miami's City Hall, located at 3500 Pan American Drive in Coconut Grove. Participating organizations include Umoja Village's Take Back the Land, the Miami Worker's Center, ACORN and Jobs with Justice.

In his piece, Diaz minimized the scandals detailed in recent media articles and dismisses the impact of this corruption on the poor. In spite of Miami's status as the least affordable city in the nation, Diaz contends there is "absolutely not" a crisis in housing. Not surprisingly, Diaz is the darling of big money developers and the frequent target of low-income people and housing advocates. Howard Watts, long time Miami resident, and member of Power U, who is living the housing crisis says, "I couldn't find any place to live. Not even a shelter would take me because they are over crowded or because of my disability. Manny Diaz needs to walk in my shoes for a day."

Activists demand Manny Diaz publicly admit that there is a housing crisis and take steps, along with City Commissioners, to concretely address the crisis by committing funds to build low-income housing, ending public corruption by the administration and ending public subsidies of luxury condos, such as the proposed the Crosswinds condos in Overtown. "Manny Diaz' disregard for the peoples reality in the city of Miami in order to protect his own image and profit is a crime," contends Denise Perry, executive director of the Power U Center for Social Change.

During a time of record housing prices and construction of high rise luxury condos in Miami, many projects with the personal blessing of Manny Diaz, and huge profits on the part of developers, over 41,000 families are on the Miami-Dade County housing assistance wait list. The local housing market has been seen as a boom for developers and a serious crisis for the poor and the majority of Miami's residents. Diaz himself is a developer and is not on the housing assistance wait list.

"Manny Diaz and his friends have all gotten rich from government subsidized development," says Max Rameau of Take Back the Land. "For them, there has been no crisis. He is the mayor of the rich and out of touch with the suffering of poor people."

Ban the N-Impact

2007-05-15T16:59:00.000-04:00

The Pan-African Perspective: Ban the N-Impact

In a move designed to garner headlines instead of results, Miami-Dade County District 1 Commissioner Barbara Jordan has proposed criminalizing, albeit without penalties, the use of the n-word. Like so many other acts debated and passed by government bodies, this one will take up time, space and public interest, but will have no beneficial impact whatsoever on the lives of poor, black people.

Like every other word in any other language, the n-word is a string of letters combined to make a particular sound, which is associated with a specific meaning. This is not an attempt to minimize the importance, value and impact of words or language, and that goes double for this word. However, what makes this word so ugly and harmful is not the combination of letters or even the enunciation (either ending with "a" or "er"), it is the devastating history of actions and impacts associated with the word.

Let's be blunt. Nigger means lynching. It means hundreds of white people, including children, gathered to watch a black man, a human being, dragged, beaten, hung from a tree and cooked alive. It means grinding poverty. Today- not 30 years ago, but today- blacks are disproportionately poor, hungry and die of illnesses which do not kill whites. This is true on planet earth, the United States and right here in Miami-Dade County. It means police harassment and brutality. Being pulled over by the police for lesser, or no transgressions; being shot 41 times after going for your wallet; it means a toilet plunger; it means a disproportionate number of black people arrested, convicted and imprisoned.

Why do other ethnic slurs, such as 'cracker,' fail to engender the same passion as the n-word? That's easy: there is no widespread association between those words and murder, torture, abject poverty, discrimination and other inhumane impacts. The word is highly problematic, to be sure, but the word is not the problem.

If all we had to do to end racism, sexism, poverty and oppression was to ban a few words, this would be a wonderful planet, full of happy people with a delightfully limited vocabulary. However, banning the n-bomb does not ban the racist collateral damage which that word has come to represent. And, in the final analysis, what is so harmful and degrading to the black community are the racist sentiments, actions and impacts, not the individual words which brutally encapsulate those sentiments, represent those actions and foreshadow those impacts.

This is not a defense of the use of the n-word, but it is a call to stop fighting for symbols as a means of drawing attention away from the fact that you are not fighting for anything of substance. If forced to choose between getting rid of the word and getting rid of the very real impacts and conditions the word represents, most sane and rational beings, of any race, would vote to keep the word. The truth is that if everyone stopped using the word tomorrow, we would still have poor, hungry, undereducated and unemployed black people living in squalid slums.

Society as a whole, and the black community in particular, must condemn and sanction people who use racial, sexists, homophobic and classist epitaphs. However, as it relates to racism, it is not the government's job to control what people say, it is their job to stop racist actions and correct or change the impacts of those actions.

Jordan and the BCC have no power at all over the use of this, or most other, words, but are spending valuable time, money and brain power on a fight which, at the end of the day, is symbolic at best and irrelevant at worse. What is so infuriating is that Jordan and the BCC do have the power to change the conditions which give the n-word such horrific value to this day, but are not trying to change the conditions over which they have power, only the symbols over which they have none. It is insulting to think that the BCC contemplating a symbolic ban on this word, is the same one which has consistently diverted tax dollars earmarked for the black community over to wealthy white business interests. I submit that banning the latter activity will do more to defend the integrity of the black community than banning the former.

If the Commission really wants to defend the black community, they should:

Ban Poverty. Instead of banning a word, the county can end the degradation of the black community by banning poverty. Instead of stealing public money, feed and provide housing for the poor black people who should not be called by the n-word.
Provide jobs. Those who used the word in the past did not want to hire black people. Show your opposition to the word by providing jobs for those same black people.
Stop police brutality and the criminalization of the black community. Racists used the police to intimidate and attack the n-people, a practice which has not significantly abated.
End racist government policies. The only thing worse than being robbed by someone who calls you the n-word is being robbed by someone who calls you buddy. Don't just stop use of the word, stop the exploitation and oppression.

Max Rameau
The Center for Pan-African Development

The Real MDHA Takeover

2007-05-09T07:14:00.001-04:00

Pan-African Perspective: The Real MDHA Takeover

The recent talk regarding the proposed takeover of Miami-Dade Housing Agency (MDHA) is framed around offering residents of Miami-Dade County, including victims of the crisis of gentrification and low-income housing, a false choice: choose between the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners (BCC) or the federal government in their big money power play over control of MDHA. Neither choice is good. The only viable solution is community control over MDHA.

Determined to takeover, the feds forwarded three demands: first, strip the BCC of power over MDHA; Second, give MDHA independent legal representation instead of the county attorneys, who represent and can be fired by the BCC; And third, give HUD the power to appoint the MDHA administrator, thereby taking power from the Mayor.

The first two demands are not only reasonable, given the dire situation, but have already been proposed by community organizations fighting for low-income housing. To be plain, the BCC is responsible for this housing mess. The only issue left to debate is whether Commissioner Dorrin Rolle, and the economic development committee he chaired, simply failed to exercise proper oversight or actually encouraged the corruption and abuses at the agency.

Equally significant, the BCC approved public policy disasters, including HOPE VI, which destroyed a net of over 750 units of public housing during a housing crisis. It should be no surprise that Rolle gets most of his campaign contributions from wealthy developers who do not live in his district, but financially benefit from their, um, I mean his, initiatives.

And, while Mayor Alvarez has promised the county will refrain from stealing more money from housing- which, in this town, counts as a major moral stand- he has failed to provide any leadership or vision in determining what MDHA would actually do, once they are no longer busy stealing and covering up. He has not proposed public policy initiatives resulting in more low-income housing for those in need. While refraining from public corruption is a step up from the status quo, it simply does not address the current housing crisis.

On the other side, federal takeovers of housing in New Orleans and elsewhere are disasters. Little consideration for local voices; powerful national corporations monopolizing contracts; and disconnected and unclear housing policies have frustrated residents and failed to serve the needy. Equally as important, the feds appear on a mission to privatize public housing and vouchers, handing over the reigns of power to greedy business interests, a move which would all but pull the plug on a already critical patient.

Consequently, while most endorse the idea of stripping the County of its power over the housing agency, just as many have serious reservations about handing that power over to the feds. And just because the County is removed from power, does not necessarily mean the feds should inherit it.

So, the BCC is out, the feds are not much better and the Mayor has done nothing to earn it. The third, and only viable, option is that the community must control the housing agency.

A number of community organizations wage the fight for the housing rights of low-income people. Those organizations have earned the trust of this community and should be given an opportunity to put some action behind their intentions. In addition, room must be explicitly created for the housing agency 'clients' to play a significant role in determining housing agency polcies.

A community housing trust will serve as the board governing the housing agency, with power to set policy and hire and fire key staff, including the director or administrator. The trust is advised by their independent attorney and consultants and compels MDHA to work for the benefit of families in need of housing rather than developers in need of extra profit.

Such a trust will provide immediate relief from the corruption, address local concerns and empower people to make decisions about their community. More than that, the trust will change public policy so that the housing agency responds positively to the housing crisis and to the families in need of relief. The feds say they want to protect local families and the County government and others pleads for local control. Both objectives are met.

While there is a clear need for intervention to stave off further disaster, the feds never bothered to query the stakeholders of this process. We ask HUD: are you doing this with us, for us or to us? If HUD truly "intends to take any and all necessary steps to protect the interests of Miami's most vulnerable families" then take this step: join us in demanding community, not federal, control over the housing agency. Do not make decisions about us without consulting with the community you claim to be representing.

Community control over housing. An idea whose time has come.

Max Rameau
The Center for Pan-African Development
afrimax@gmail.com

Umoja Village on NBC Nightly News and the AP

2007-01-27T05:26:00.000-05:00

Umoja Village was featured on the national NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. In addition, the AP story is listed below as well.

Follow the links to see the video and the story.

NBC Nightly News January 26, 2007

AP- Glitz and Glamour Overshadows Majority of Miami's Population

Week of Action Calendar

2007-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Here is what you have been waiting for... the calender of events for the Week of Action Against Gentrification and For Low-Income Housing. This is the first draft, and will be updated regularly as we add actions and events, so check our blog, takebacktheland.blogspot.com, on a regular basis.

The objective of the Week of Action is to expose the crisis of gentrification and low-income housing in South Florida, especially the role local government and government officials- such as Miami-Dade County and County Commissioner Dorrin Rolle- have played in making the crisis worse. While most people think government should help the poor, some people believe the role of government is to steal money from the poor and give it to wealthy, politically connected campaign contributors who also hire your friends and relatives.

The events are independently organized. This is not one centrally ran campaign. If you have events you want to include in the Week of Action calendar, please email afrimax@gmail.com with all pertinent information.

As you will note, some of the actions only have a meeting place and time. When you arrive, you will find out more about the action. Here is a quick rundown of events:

HERE IS CALENDER IN PDF FORMAT

Monday, January 29
• 6pm Spokescouncil Meeting
Arcola Lakes Park, 1301 NW 83 St., Miami
• Guerilla Art/Superbowl Party
9pm @ Umoja Village, 6201 NW 17th Ave.

Tuesday, January 30
• 10am. Banner/Sign/Puppet Making
Umoja Village Shantytown
• 6pm. Gentrification Teach In
Umoja Village Shantytown
• Guerilla Art/Superbowl Party
9pm @ Umoja Village

Wednesday, January 31
• 9am. Anti-Coal Conference Action
• 10am. Tour of Shame
• 3pm. Set Up Tent City at County Hall
111 NW First St., Miami
• 7pm. Global Land Struggles Discussion
Tap-Tap Rest. • 819 5th St., South Beach

Thursday, February 1
• Action Against Gentrification and For Low-Income Housing
12 noon at Power U Center for Social Change
1633 NW 3rd Ave.
• Glitz and Glam Granny Cheer Squad
3:30pm @ NFL YET Center
70th St. and NW 22nd Ave.
• Guerilla Art/Superbowl Party
8pm @ Tent City

Friday, February 2
• 7am. Vets for Peace War Memorial
Ocean Drive between 8th & 10th st. Place tombstones on South Beach
• Guerilla Art/Superbowl Party
8pm @ Tent City

Saturday, February 3
• 1pm Free Speech Rally
South Florida Peace & Justice, Torch of Friendship • Biscayne Blvd. and SW 1st St., downtown Miami
• Tent City Party
• Guerilla Art/Superbowl Party
8pm @ Tent City

January 2007 Media

2007-01-16T06:36:00.000-05:00

Here is media coverage of the rally and other items:

The New York Times January 16, 2007

Miami Herald Op-Ed January 17, 2007

Youtube.com Video by Matthew Mireless

Miami Herald January 11, 2007

Miami Herald January 12, 2007

Miami Sun Post

Rebecca Wakefield Column in the Miami Sun Post

SouthFlorida.com

The Final Call Newspaper

EyeonMiami 1

EyeonMiami 2

Miami New Times Blog

Category305.com profile on Max

January 11 Umoja Rally

2007-01-16T06:18:00.000-05:00

Instead of heading to the city commission chambers to defend our right to exist, about 150 people rallied at the Umoja Village on January 11th. Residents and supporters spoke at the event, expressing relief that we can move beyond the anti-shantytown ordinance and looking forward to our next steps.

Remarking that the US cannot find enough money for social programs or to build enough low-income housing but can find $300 billion to bomb people in Iraq and now Somalia, Max Rameau directly linked the national housing crisis to the war.

Speakers also discussed some of the highlights and future steps of the Umoja Village: We found jobs for several residents and are looking to place a dozen or so during the weeks of the superbowl; we want to coordinate social services for residents; we want to improve living conditions here for residents.

We are now free to focus on three major areas: first, we want to improve living conditions for the residents (jobs, social services, physical conditions); second, we want to redirect attention to the biggest offender in the housing scandal, Miami-Dade County and the County Commission; and third, we want to concentrate on building the Week of Action Against Gentrification and For Low Income Housing, the week of January 29th through February 4th, which is also Superbowl week in Miami.

Stay tuned for more Week of Action updates and how you can participate!

VICTORY FOR TAKE BACK THE LAND!

2007-01-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

Anti-shantytown ordinance is pulled, will not be voted on

After initially sponsoring the item, city commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones pulled the "anti-shantytown" ordinance from the January 11 agenda. This means the new law will not be voted on and, therefore, the Umoja Village Shantytown is safe- for now.

Take Back the Land is organizing a press conference to announce the legal victory and next steps. The press conference is scheduled for Monday, January 8, 2007, beginning at 4:00pm at the Umoja Village, on the corner of 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in the Liberty City section of Miami. We will also host a rally at the Umoja Village on Thursday night at 6:00pm. See details at the end of this message.

There is no two ways about it: this is a clear and major victory for Take Back the Land and our supporters. This item was pulled due to the tremendous and overwhelming opposition to the ordinance. We thank each and every one of you for your support, calls, emails, petition signatures, support and contributions of time, goods and money.

WE WON THE BATTLE, BUT THE WAR IS NOT OVER! The ordinance was pulled, but it was not voted down. As such, it can be revived at any time in the future, or different tactics can be used to try to bring down the village. Our support network and legal team remain intact and ready to activate.

In response to the crisis in gentrification and low-income housing, and the role local government policies and corruption played in exacerbating that crisis, on October 23, 2006, several organizations and individuals took control over the vacant publicly owned lot on the corner of 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in Liberty City. Using the legal protections afforded in the landmark Pottinger Settlement, the Umoja Village currently houses and feeds over 40 otherwise homeless people in wood frame shanties.

Acknowledging our legal rights to the land, the Miami city attorney crafted the ordinance to outlaw "assemblies" of any size on vacant public lots. In addition to restricting the public's right to free assembly, the ordinance would have, theoretically, outlawed the shantytown and set up a showdown and potential raid of the village.

The pulled item allows Take Back the Land to refocus energies on improve the quality of life for residents of the Umoja Village and taking on new initiatives, some of which will be discussed at the press conference on Monday and rally on Thursday. Please come to the events and check your email for important updates.

In recognition of this new development, Take Back the Land is hosting a celebration rally on the day the vote was to take place. On Thursday, January 11th, 2007, at 6:00pm, at the Umoja Village, we rally in celebration of our victory and continue our march forward. We ask that you bring a side dish to share and bring a donation to the village, such as money, bottled water, canned meat, blankets, dish soap, bleach, large trash bags (39 gallons or larger), clothes and money. All are invited and welcome, so come rally in support of the village, against gentrification and for housing for all and celebrate our victory- YOUR victory- with us on Thursday.

Take Back the Land runs entirely off of donations, so please contribute generously in person or by donating online via a secure paypal payment.

Forward,

Max Rameau
Take Back the Land
A project of the Center for Pan-African Development
Takebacktheland.blogspot.com

Umoja Village Media

2007-01-03T07:19:00.000-05:00

More Media Coverage of the Umoja Village:

Great Op-Ed in Miami Herald Defending Umoja Village

Daily Business Review

Category305.com's Profile of Max

The Final Call Newspaper

Category305.com on the arts and shantytown

Miami Commissioner Regalado: 'Arrest Me First'

2007-01-03T07:08:00.000-05:00

In a stunning development, City of Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado has stated that if the city of Miami votes on January 11 to outlaw the Umoja Village Shantytown, he will walk off the dias, go to the shantytown and wait for the police, who will have to arrest him first.

We are not alone! We have support!

Make your support known by calling the City of Miami Commissioners and the Mayor to tell them to vote no on the anti-shantytown ordinance. The numbers are found in this blog.

Here are media reports of the Regalado statement:

CBS 4 Miami TV News Video

Daniel Ricker's Watchdog Report in the Miami Herald

NBC 6 Miami TV News

Coverage of City Attempts to Raid

2006-12-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

Here is some local media coverage of the city of Miami's attempt to pass a law which will enable them to raid the Umoja Village Shantytown. The ordinance would declare that there can be no "assembly" on any public property, including vacant lots. That means that if you are going to the store with a friend, and you cut across a vacant lot, which is publicly owned, the police can declare your trip an "assembly" and arrest you for not having a permit.

Miami Herald

NBC 6 TV

How to stop the raid

2006-12-15T14:28:00.000-05:00

Here is what you can do to stop the raid:

The city of Miami commission will vote in January, at the second reading, on a new law to make it illegal for people to "assemble" on vacant lots without a permit from the police. There are already laws against tresspassing, etc. The ordinance is clearly and openly designed to set the stage for an attack on the shantytown.

Please call, fax and email city of Miami officials and tell them to vote against the anti-shantytown law. Tell them the shantytown is needed because there is no low income housing in Miami and the city should build some. Most of all, tell them not to raid the Umoja Village Shantytown.

Mayor Manny Diaz (tell him to veto the anti-shantytown law)
phone: 305-250-5300
fax: 305-854-4001
email: mannydiaz@ci.miami.fl.us

District 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence Jones
phone: 305-250-5390
fax: 305-250-5399
email: mspence@ci.miami.fl.us

District 1 Commissioner Angel Gonzalez
phone: 305-250-5430
fax:
email: agonzalez@ci.miami.fl.us

District 2 Commissioner Marc Sarnoff
phone: 305-250-5333
fax:
email: msarnoff@miamigov.com

District 3 Commissioner Joe Sanchez
phone: 305-250-5380
fax: 305-250-5386
email: jsanchez@ci.miami.fl.us

District 4 Commissioner Tomas Regalado
phone: 305-250-5420
fax:
email: tr.ci.miami.fl.us

City Plans to Raid Umoja Village

2006-12-15T08:04:00.000-05:00

The city of Miami laid bare its plan to raid the Umoja Village Shantytown during its commission meeting on Thursday, December 14, 2006. The city attorney introduced an "emergency ordinance"- which did not appear on the agenda, making it impossible for community residents to organize a response- to change the definition of public land, laying the groundwork for the future raid.

The passed ordinance essentially alters "exempt public property" definitions. Specifically, the public has a right to assemble or walk through public property, except for exempt property. Exempt property includes city hall, fire stations, police stations and hospitals. The new ordinance adds vacant lots owned by the city to that list. This is totally brainless.

Worse still, District 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones is slandering the residents of Umoja Village. In spite of the fact that she has not even been to the shantytown in her district, she claims the place is full of drug users and potential child molesters. For the record, the homes and apartments around us send their children to the site virtually every afternoon for after school snacks and play time.

While Spence-Jones claims that Take Back the Land is "less concerned with solving homelessness than they are with making a political statement." For the record, Spence-Jones, a sitting elected official who oversees the poorest district in one of the poorest cities in the US, has so far proposed exactly ZERO dollars and ZERO cents in government subsidies for new homes for the poor or homeless.

Spence-Jones has, however, pushed and voted for millions in subsidies for the Crosswinds project, a multi-million dollar project which features one bedroom condos for $300,000 each. She has the nerve to say 'Please do not use the backs of my people and my community to make a point.'

Well, commissioner, we have a message for you: stop using the backs of our people to make a fortune from your rich developer friends. Here is another message: build housing for low income people. Here is a third: stop lying. Don't run for office saying you are going to vote against Crosswinds only to vote for it once you get in office.

The truth is, Manny Diaz is the commissioner for District 5, he just lets Michelle Spence-Jones vote once in a while. Diaz wants to move all of the poor out of Miami and provide subsidies for wealthy developers. That agenda is gentrifying the Black community and hurting the poor.

Take Back the Land is doing the city's job and the city hates it. Now they are planning to raid us.

Umoja Village on YouTube.com

2006-12-02T12:45:00.000-05:00

Take Back the Land and Umoja Village are featured on several documentaries on YouTube.com. Here are a few:

Umoja Village Full to Capacity

2006-11-28T17:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

After just one month and four days, the Take Back the Land Umoja Village Shantytown is built and occupied to full capacity. We have no more land on which to build and we have already turned away no less than three (3) homeless people looking for permanent shelter.

The Umoja Village Shantytown houses approximately 35 full time residents who, otherwise, would have no where to live. These are people who CHOOSE to live in a wooden structure and work for free building and maintaining a shantytown in the United States. We have no more land onto which we can safely build on our side of the lot.

This turn of events is important because it shows the critical need in South Florida for low-income housing and the extent to which local governments are unresponsive to the needs of the people. The needs of each and every developer are met upon arrival, yet the needs of the poor- especially in the Black community- languish.

This does not mean we do not need your support- in fact, quite the opposite. We ask people of good conscience to do one or more of the following:

VISIT THE UMOJA VILLAGE SHANTYTOWN. Come see what has been built and feel the love and buy in of the residents. Make the Umoja Village a permanent part of Miami by visiting and granting us legitimacy.

MAKE A CASH DONATION. We have several things we need to build and purchase on the lot besides additional units. You can make that happen by making a cash donation. Donate via PayPal on our blog (takebacktheland.blogspot.com) or by following this link:
Take Back the Land PayPal Donation

DONATE STAPLE GOODS. We are always in need of the basics: fresh food; canned food; water; ice; hand soap; forks and knives; clothing; shoes; large garbage bags; plastic tarps; plywood and 2x4s; and anything else needed to run a city.

DONATE A BIG TICKET ITEM: We need some other items, including: twin sized mattresses; a metal shed; carpet; wooden doors; two 150 gallon water containers with spouts; a 55 gallon drum; four pop-up canopies;

TELL THE GOVERNMENT: HANDS OFF UMOJA VILLAGE. In spite of doing the government’s job for free, the city of Miami continues to send agencies and provocateurs to the shantytown in an effort to disrupt us and our neighbors. WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THEY WILL RAID AND DESTROY UMOJA VILLAGE. You can stop them. Contact Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and tell him to keep his hands off of Umoja Village. You can help by:
1. Visiting Umoja Village and signing our petition.
2. Sign our on-line petition (www.ipetitions.com/petition/TakeBacktheLand/index.html).
3. Email and call Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and tell him to keep his Hands Off Umoja Village (email: mannydiaz@ci.miami.fl.us; phone: 305-250-5300).
4. Email and call Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and tell him to keep his Hands Off Umoja Village (email: mayor@miamidade.gov; phone: 305-375-5071).
Let them know we are providing a needed service and should be left alone. If they know we have support, it decreases the chances of them attacking us.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Forward,

Max Rameau
Center for Pan-African Development
Take Back the Land
Takebacktheland.blogspot.com
afrimax@gmail.com

Defede Show and More

2006-11-27T09:01:00.000-05:00

We were recently featured on the popular Jim Defede radio show as well as on other media stories. So, here are the links to the media:

Jim Defede Show

Take Back the Land on the Jim Defede Show

Miami Herald Coverage of Umoja Holiday Dinner

Miami Sun Post

Thankstaking, er, Thanksgiving Dinner

2006-11-22T02:40:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again: the time to celebrate made up stories of imperialist settlers offering food to the Natives they had not yet killed. We call it Thanksgiving, but it was Thanks-taking for the pilgrims.

In spite of the shady pedigree, the Umoja Village Shantytown is planning a full dinner for our residents and neighbors on land we took over ourselves. We have turkeys out of our collective wazoo, however, we are in need of some contributions from you.

If the spirit moves you, we need the following items for Thursday, November 23, 2006:

- Money. Cash, check and paypal contributions are needed to complete our meals.
- Side items (cranberry sauce; mashed potatoes; potato salad; macaroni and cheese; dessert; fresh fruits and vegetables; any side item you and your family would enjoy. Store bought items are welcome)
- Blankets. It is still very cold and we are still picking up additional guests. We need blankets.
- Drinks. Water, juice, soda and any other non-alcoholic drinks are needed.
- Paper plates, paper cups and napkins.
- Time. Spend some time serving and cleaning up.

We are eating at 3:00pm on Thursday, so drop your contribution anytime on Tuesday or before 3:00pm on Thursday. Thank you!

UMOJA (unity) Village!

2006-11-16T21:26:00.000-05:00

After much anticipation and debate, the Liberty City shantytown has a name: the Umoja Village.

Umoja is the Swahili word for "unity" and one of the principles of Kwanzaa. It is also the name of the Shantytown built in Liberty City.

The naming ceremony was attended by about 50 people, followed by a catered dinner. After the celebration and cleanup, residents are getting ready for bed and another potential rainstorm.

Thank you to everyone who attended the naming ceremony and to all else who sent their well wishes.

Forward from the Umoja Village.

Shanytown Naming Ceremony

2006-11-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

Fed up with the government corruption, housing crisis and gentrification, a group of organizations and individuals took control over public land on Monday, October 23, 2006. Today, the lot on the corner of 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in the Liberty City Section of Miami is full of life and providing housing and food for the homeless.

Take Back the Land invites all to the Shantytown Naming Ceremony on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 6:00PM, at the Shantytown on 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. There will be free food and fun as we give name to the land we liberated.

Please make plans to attend.

forward,

Max Rameau

What we need- Donations List

2006-11-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

In order to move our shantytown to the next level, there are a number of big ticket items we need to get a hold of. We will ALWAYS need the following:

- Money
- food (canned and fresh)
- dinner (cooked dinner for 25 people)
- water
- blankets
- firewood

However, there are some bigger items that we need to get out hands on, including:

- two (2) 150 gallon water containers with spouts. They cost $150 each.
- two (2) 55 gallon oil drums
- large tarps
- four (4) pop up canopies
- small metal shed for storage
- twenty (24) single sized mattresses (no boxspring, just the mattress)
- tons of nails
- plywood sheets 8 feet long
- 2 x 4 wood planks

Thank you for your donations.

Progress

2006-11-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

We have made a great deal of progress at the shantytown. Thanks to ten (10!) volunteers from University of Miami who stayed several hours on Saturday and three who drove down from University of Florida in Gainesville (!) for the entire weekend, we were able to build out and clean up quite a bit.

As it stands, we have 12 shanties built, for a total of 23 living units, and one shanty still under construction. We also have three tents.

We have been quoting 9 - 15 residents staying per night, however, over the past four nights, we have not had less than 13 residents, and we may have risen above 15 last night, so we have to rethink our numbers.

In addition, we are almost done with our shower, the kitchen is fully functional and we have a full purpose storage room.

Thank everyone for the gifts of money, time and goods. Keep it coming because more people need shelter and food.

More pictures are coming soon!

Media Coverage

2006-11-13T12:48:00.000-05:00

Here are links to media coverage of the Take Back the Land effort

Indy Media

Orlando Sentinel

Biscayne Boulevard Times

forward,

Max Rameau

Grand Welcoming Report

2006-11-03T06:57:00.000-05:00

We were all concerned about the turnout for our official Grand Welcoming because it rained all day long. On top of that, we recieved a donation of a dumptruck full of mulch just a few hours before the event. So, we had to spread it all out before the event and during the rain.

All our worries were baseless. The community turned out for our Grand Welcoming. We had over 100 people show up to celebrate taking back the land and our shantytown. The residents worked hard all day long preparing the ground for guests.

The evening saw inspiring presentations by supporters, neighbors and shantytown residents alike. It was a heartwarming night.

Because we recieved support from local radio (thank you WTPS! thank you HOT105!), we attracted two more residents last night. As such, we have more residents than we have structures built. We must get more structures up quick, fast and in a hurry to keep up with the demand. The donations we have collected thus far will allow us to keep up with the demand.

Media Coverage

2006-10-31T15:36:00.000-05:00

Category305.com

CBS 4 Miami Video

Miami Herald

Infoshop.org

Grand Welcoming- Everyone Invited

2006-10-31T15:11:00.000-05:00

You are cordially invited to the Take Back the Land Grand Welcoming celebration.

The event will be held on Thursday, November 2, 2006 beginning at 6:00pm at the Take Back the Land Shantytown, on the corner of 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in Liberty City.

Come experience the Power of the People as we celebrate the liberation of public land for the public good.

In response to the severe housing crisis, and the active role played by government officials in exacerbating the crisis, several organizations, led by the Center for Pan-African Development, took control of publicly owned land on NW 62nd St. and NW 17th Ave. in the Liberty City section of Miami.

Since then, we have provided food for the hungry and housing for the homeless on a daily basis.

Come meet our hard working residents, our wonderful neighbors and our dedicated volunteers as we celebrate a new way to address social issues- by solving the problem ourselves.

We look forward to seeing you there. Donations are welcome.

forward,

Max Rameau
Center for Pan-African Development
afrimax@gmail.com

blog, petition, pictures and donations:
takebacktheland.blogspot.com

Article and more pictures

2006-10-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Category305.com did a piece on the Shantytown, including some wonderful pictures. Take a look at

http://www.category305.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=348&Itemid=147

forward,

Max

Shantytown Pictures

2006-10-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

No, Take Back the Land and the Shantytown are not some elaborate internet hoax. To prove it, and in response to overwhelming requests, here are pictures of the Liberated land. I hope you enjoy the pictures and support the cause.

forward,

Max Rameau

Anti-War Rally at Shantytown

2006-10-28T00:32:00.000-04:00

DEMAND MONEY FOR HOUSING
NOT FOR WAR!

HEAR CARLOS & MELINDA ARREDONDO
SPEAK IN LIBERTY CITY

SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY WITH THE "TAKE BACK THE LAND" ACTION

SATURDAY 4 PM
TAKE BACK THE LAND SHANTYTOWN
NW 62 ST AND NW 17 AVE, MIAMI
Exit I-95 at NW 62 St Exit and travel 10 blocks west- NE corner

The South Florida Peace & Justice Network's "Peace SpeakingTour" will be stopping in Liberty City this Saturday afternoon at 4PM were Carlos and Melida Arredondo will join the "Take Back The Land" squatters and protesters to demand "Money For Housing Not For War!"

We will be focusing in on the corruption that is behind both the City of Miami housing crisis and the war in Iraq and on the need to build grassroots movements that put people before profits.

Please join us and take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet with both the organizers of the Liberty City protest and the Arredondos.

Carlos Arredondo became famous as the Hollywood father who, when advised of the death in Iraq of his son, Lcpl. Alexander Arredondo USMC, responded out of anguish and grief by setting fire to a US Marine van and to himself. Melida Arredondo is Carlos' wife and stepmother to Alexander. The Arredondos began speaking about the tragedy of becoming a Gold Star Family at the one-year anniversary of Alexander's death. They have traveled throughout the US speaking in both English and Spanish and have had numerous articles written chronicling their work.

A visit from the Miami CRB

2006-10-28T00:31:00.001-04:00

The Miami Community Relations Board (CRB) paid a little visit to the shanty town on Thursday. They came in, sat down and wanted to talk about our concerns and problems.

Several of us, including me, had no interest what-so-ever in the conversation for at least a few reasons: first, we have nothing to discuss. They know our issues and the know our only demand (Leave us Alone), and if we discuss that demand, then they will not actually be leaving us alone, now would they? And second, if we were to negotiate, they do not have the power for us to negotiate with them.

In any event, several volunteers, activists, residents and neighbors were at the site talking, so they CRB talked to them. While we missed most of the conversation, this one snippet we caught was great:

A CRB member said she wanted to address the issues because the shanty town was unsafe for adults and children. One of our neighbors from the complex behind the lot got hot under the collar quick. She said: "Unsafe? My child has been bitten several times by rats right in our apartment! The shanty town is safer than my apartment. You (the City of Miami) should shut down my apartment complex and leave the shanty town alone."

Surely the CRB members were disgusted when all involved demanded they take a tour of the dilapidated apartment complex. Of course, we all know the CRB was not there to address the issues of poverty and housing, they were there to shut down the shanty town and reclaim government land.

Nice try!

Community Support

2006-10-28T00:31:00.000-04:00

Community support for the Take Back the Land shanty town has been incredible.

First of all, immediately behind our lot is a dilapidated apartment complex. The residents are very unhappy with the conditions of the complex and fully support our mission. On the first day, they, without being asked, took up a collection and gave us our first donation. Since then, they have helped us cook and build our housing structures.

Several individuals have offered to provide food, including two ladies who cooked twice for us, so far, in four days. They drive from downtown, past our location during rush hour traffice, get home, cook for us, then go back home for the evening.

Total strangers drive by, pull over and help carry things, donate clothing, water, food or money and lend their emotional support. Small businesses donate some of their goods to us. And one contractor stopped by with roofing materials and four roofers to make our kitchen and housing units water proof.

Each stop is a huge moral boost for our volunteers and residents who see, in a concrete manner, that we are supported by the community around us. We would not be able to do this without their support and know we are doing the right thing as we continue to recieve it.