Tampa, FL – On February 28, the Tampa Bay chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a Black Lives Matter rally at the University of South Florida for the seventh anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s death. In 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, after returning from a nearby gas station. The trial of Zimmerman became a national phenomenon with him walking free due to Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law. The shooting is still fresh on Florida’s mind, with many questioning the judicial system that let a man off with murder.

The protest was aimed at the judicial system, the police, and the university’s administration, which is not unfamiliar with political scandal. Just last week, the USF administration came under fire for allowing the white supremacist Patriot Front to post flyers around campus and refused to condemn the group’s presence.

The protest saw many students from all backgrounds attend and stand against racism. The roar of the chants condemning the racist system resonated across campus.

“It’s important to hold these rallies so we don’t allow ourselves and our community to forget the vast corruption in our judicial system. You find that many students have not forgotten about it and are outraged at how this country politically functions,” said Tampa Bay SDS member Mia Montano.

The Tampa Bay SDS chapter continues to fight against racist policies and procedures that they face on their campus. This rally was one of many that SDS nationally put on to speak out against racism on campuses all over the country.

#TampaFL #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #SDS #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #TrayvonMartin #USF

Dallas, TX – On February 25, the North Texas Action Committee held a vigil for Trayvon Martin in downtown Dallas. Several speakers discussed the lasting impact of the Martin case as well as other murders of African Americans, nationally and in the Dallas area. “We can't let their stories disappear. We have to continue to say their names,” said NTAC president Syd Loving.

#DallasTX #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TrayvonMartin #NorthTexasActionCommittee

Jacksonville, FL – There is no U.S. state attorney that has caused more injustice, tried more juveniles as adults, and spat in the face of more Black people than Florida State Attorney Angela Corey.

Since being elected to the position in 2008, State Attorney Angela Corey’s record has been one of scandal and high-profile political trials. This means the people of Jacksonville have a special responsibility to make sure she loses her upcoming primary on Aug. 30, which is closed to all but Republican voters because of a dirty move by her office. Why is it so important to get rid of Angela Corey, and what’s the best way to get rid of her?

A look at Angela Corey’s work over the past few years demonstrates why she’s the worst State Attorney in the U.S. Studying community efforts will answer how Jacksonville can finally get rid of Corey and strike a blow against racist discrimination and national oppression in Florida.

Disappointing high-profile cases

Florida tries more juveniles as adults than any other state in the country and Jacksonville’s Angela Corey tries more juveniles as adults than any other city in the state.

In 2011, Angela Corey oversaw the case of Christian Fernandez, a 12-year-old Latino boy who accidentally killed his younger brother. Corey’s grand jury indicted Christian Fernandez as an adult on charges of first degree murder and aggravated child abuse. Christian did time in solitary confinement at an adult facility before his trial, where he eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

In 2012, Republican Governor of Florida Rick Scott appointed Angela Corey to the trial of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. Miraculously, unlike her case against 12-year-old Christian Fernandez, Corey famously failed to get a conviction of the killer and Zimmerman walked free. This injustice contributed to the creation of the Black Lives Matter slogan, organization and movement. Zimmerman has resurfaced in the media several times since he murdered Trayvon for additional misconduct.

In 2012, Corey also prosecuted a 31-year-old Black woman, Marissa Alexander, for firing a warning shot against her abusive husband. Although no one was harmed in the incident and the husband, Rico Gray, admitted to prosecutors that the abused Alexander tried to leave the home before things escalated, Corey had no problem convicting the innocent woman. After three years, Alexander eventually entered a plea deal and was released from prison.

In 2014, Corey was involved in the trial of Michael Dunn for the murder of Jordan Davis. Michael Dunn was a white killer who pulled a gun and fired ten shots into a car full of Black teenagers parked at a Jacksonville gas station after they refused Dunn’s demand that they turn off their loud music. None of the Black teenagers were armed, but thanks to Angela Corey, Dunn’s first trial resulted in a mistrial verdict. A mass movement brought the case national attention, and Dunn was eventually convicted of Jordan’s murder after a re-trial.

These are only a small handful of Corey’s worst cases, but they prove a point. If you are white and murder a Black youth, Angela Corey is going to protect you. If you are a young Black or Latino person, Angela Corey is probably going to try you as an adult and go for the harshest sentence possible. Chattel slavery and old Jim Crow laws have given way to a new system of Jim Crow discrimination in Jacksonville, with Angela Corey as a primary figurehead.

Rampant corruption and dirty politics

There have been several alleged scandals in Angela Corey’s office over the past few years.

According to some sources who worked for Corey in the past, her office may have hidden important information about Duval County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Margarita Arruza, who developed severe memory loss while on the job. Allegedly, this was kept secret from attorneys working with Arruza. If true, this means that hundreds of cases may be in question since the autopsy data Arruza collected may have been inaccurate.

In addition to that alleged corruption, Angela Corey’s current re-election campaign has also proven questionable. Angela Corey is running as a Republican against Melissa Nelson and Wes White, also Republicans, and a write-in Democratic party candidate.

Angela Corey’s campaign manager was exposed after personally filing paperwork for the Democratic party write-in candidate, who has no real chance of winning the office. Now that a Democrat has entered the State Attorney’s race, the primary has become closed and only those registered as Republicans can vote against Angela Corey on Aug. 30. Over 58% of Duval County citizens are not Republicans, and won’t get any say on Aug. 30. Effectively, whoever wins the Republican primary is almost sure to win against the underfunded and unorganized write-in candidate later this year. It’s worth noting that the write-in candidate is a long-time Angela Corey supporter and even donated money to her campaign in the past.

The story is as ridiculous as it sounds. Alexander Pantinakis resigned as Angela Corey’s campaign manager after local and national media broke the story.

Angela Corey clearly needs to go – it’s time to take a look at how the people of Jacksonville can get her out of office.

Mass political struggle needed in August

There are three main aspects to the fight against Angela Corey from now through the primary. These three aspects are grassroots struggle, using the media and voting.

The most important factor that can help bring Angela Corey’s reign to an end is the mass political struggle growing in Jacksonville. The city of Chicago has proven that a mass movement to remove a state attorney can be victorious. Across Jacksonville, rallies, meetings and teach-ins have been held about the need to get Corey out of office. Readers are welcome to follow the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC) on Facebook for more information about upcoming events demanding Angela Corey out. By building a popular mass movement against the system of racial and national oppression Angela Corey represents, the people can defeat the rich and powerful supporters of a broken system.

There are three types of media coverage that will help get Angela Corey out of office – mainstream media coverage, independent media coverage, and social media coverage. Several local papers like the Folio and the Florida Times Union have been running articles that expose Angela Corey’s bad track record and corruption. Other sources like The Left Turn News Network and Fight Back! have been covering the fight against Corey from an independent perspective. Across Jacksonville and the entire nation, people are blogging and posting on social media about the terrible things Angela Corey has done and the corruption that is rampant in her office. Spreading the truth about Angela Corey makes it more likely she will lose power this year.

Several groups in town have banded together to form an alliance dedicated to getting everyone to temporarily change their party affiliation to Republican so they can vote Angela Corey out of office in the closed primary on Aug. 30. July 29 was the last day to change party affiliation and still vote in the primary, and reports indicate that efforts resulted in a few thousand citizens changing their party affiliation for the primary. This is good work that will help to strike a blow against the enemy, and will supplement other efforts to build a mass movement against Angela Corey.

Corey is running against Melissa Nelson and Wes White in the Republican primary. While neither Nelson nor White are the candidates Jacksonville deserves, Nelson defended 12-year-old Christian Fernandez back in 2012 and has the most support according to several polls. Wes White describes himself as a constitutional conservative and openly supports Donald Trump for president. Everyone should study the platforms of both candidates and ultimately vote against Angela Corey.

The road forward

People who can vote, should vote against Angela Corey on Aug. 30, and they should do even more to strike blows against her and the system she represents.

Getting Angela Corey out of office is not going to solve every problem Black and working-class people face in Jacksonville, but it will be a start. Across the nation, organizations are looking to the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) and their Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) initiative – which essentially boils down to a strong, democratically elected police review board with serious teeth that can withstand intimidation and co-option by the system.

History has shown us that the masses are the makers of history, and when the right political line is applied to a mass struggle, the people can win real victories and strike blows against oppression. Jacksonville will be a center of struggle over the next few weeks, and by relying on the people and organizing in the community, justice is sure to prevail.

#JacksonvilleFl #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #TrayvonMartin #Florida #Antiracism #AngelaCorey #AngelaCoreyOutNow #PoliceBruatality

The Jacksonville Progressive Coalition has called for two rallies that will target major financial backers of Corey's previous campaign for state attorney and slam the companies for supporting Corey's racist policies.

The first rally will take place outside of SafeTouch Security Systems on Feb. 21 at 1:00 p.m. The address for SafeTouch Security Systems is 9600 Sunbeam Center Drive, Jacksonville, Florida.

The second rally will take place outside of W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor on Feb. 28 at 1:00 p.m. The address for W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor is 524 Stockton Street, Jacksonville, Florida.

Fernando Figueroa of the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition had this to say about the upcoming events, “We are mobilizing community members and organizations from around Jacksonville who are tired of Angela Corey's reign of terror, where killers with badges are protected and Black people are oppressed. By protesting outside of her financial backers, we're looking to hit her next campaign for reelection in the pockets. I urge everyone who loves justice and equality to come speak out against Angela Corey. Our message is clear – we want Angela Corey out now!”

#JacksonvilleFL #TrayvonMartin #JacksonvilleProgressiveCoalition #AngelaCorey

The march through downtown Grand Rapids was sometimes somber, but sometimes joyful as spectators smiled, waved and encouraged the student protesters. The march stretched a block long with city notables and educators in the lead. It united African Americans with whites, Chicanos, Latinos and other nationalities. Students from Grand Rapids Christian High School and Northview High School enthusiastically participated, linking arms as they marched in the cold winter weather, sharing their message of opposing racist discrimination and police brutality.

Nearby, hundreds of college students marched silently across the GVSU campus, passing yard signs highlighting the life and struggles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There was quiet anticipation as the GVSU field house filled up to standing room only. After an inspiring rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing and introductory remarks, the crowd rose to their feet in thundering applause at the introduction of Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother.

Fulton opened with a moment of silence for Martin Luther King Jr. and others, like her son Trayvon Martin, killed by gun violence in the U.S. She was steadfast, “This could not happen to a more average family,” adding, “We should not be comfortable with burying our children.” She clarified her purpose, “So what happened to Trayvon, we don’t want to happen to any more of our children.”

Fulton, a labor union member, described discrimination on the basis of race, class, religion and gender, exhorting, “All of these things are a form of profiling, are a form of discrimination, and they need to be got rid of in the U.S.”

She finished by expressing, “It hurts my heart to see what continues to happen in our country. Are you going to sit back and just do nothing, or are you going to participate in what is happening in your country? We cannot continue to remain silent.”

In response to an audience question, Fulton gave an energetic response, “The community has played a big role, but more importantly the colleges and universities have played a big role because they were active in their protests, they were active in their marches...I give it to the college students who were on the social media and constantly keeping this story alive. Even before CNN and ABC and CBS and all of those networks that got involved, it was the college students that got involved first and they were fed up with what was going on.”

Fulton emphasized, “It is the young folks that keep this movement going, that say, ‘I’m just not going to take this anymore.’”

#GrandRapids #GrandRapidsMI #AfricanAmerican #MLK #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #Michigan #MartinLutherKingJrMLKDay

Two witnesses say that Michael had his hands up in the air when the police officer fired several shots, killing him. After murdering him, the police left his body for hours on the street, showing a total lack of respect. The next day, during a candlelight vigil, clashes broke out once again in Ferguson. The people's rebellion lasted late into the night. The police had wrongly murdered a community member and the people of Ferguson wanted justice.

The murder of Michael Brown, as well as the murder of others like Eric Garner, Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin, shows that the system of national oppression is alive and well in the U.S. The police are the day-to-day enforcers of this system and they remind us of this with every Black man they murder.

Just as one of the foundations of the U.S. economy was profits from slavery, the U.S. legal system began with a constitution that said that African Americans were only three-fifths of a person. In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African slaves and their children have no rights in the U.S., in the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford. Then in 1896, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was constitutional in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. And early last year, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, opening the door for racist local and state governments to exclude Black and Brown voters from the polls.

Even though an African American man has been elected president and there is a Black Attorney General, the law, the police and the courts are not about justice. They are there to protect the property, privilege and power of the monopoly capitalists – the richest 1% who own and control the companies and government that dominate the economy and society. They enforce the national oppression that African Americans face: the all-round, social, political and economic inequality of oppressed nationalities in the U.S.

The struggle for full equality and liberation by African Americans has been a powerful force for progress in the U.S. The sit-in by four African American college students at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter on Feb. 1, 1960 started a national movement of direct action to desegregate the South and to fight for Black political power. This movement, and the organization that arose out of it, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was an inspiration to other oppressed nationalities, especially Asian Americans, Chicanos, Native Americans and Puerto Ricans, as well as the women’s movement, and the struggle of LGBTQ people.

Our experience has shown us that justice does not mainly come from the courts or elections. Nor does it mainly come from economic struggles, like boycotts. The fight for justice advances when the masses of working class people organize and show their power in the streets through militant mass actions such as rallies, marches, pickets, occupations, strikes, etc.

The way to get justice for Michael Brown lies through these militant mass actions. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization is calling for rallies and marches to demand justice for Michael Brown and to demand that the murderous cop be jailed. The people, not the police, are the makers of history and they will make their justice in the streets.

Stop Police Terror! Jail the Killer Cop! Justice for Michael Brown!

#FergusonMO #PeoplesStruggles #Racism #TrayvonMartin #Antiracism #MichaelBrown #Missouri #MO #PoliceBrutality #JusticeForMichaelBrown

Jacksonville, FL – More than 20 people gathered at Chamblin's Uptown, a bookstore and coffee shop, July 27, to attend a Jacksonville Progressive Coalition's (JPC) educational event where a panel discussed Angela Corey's war on Black women.

Angela Corey is the State Attorney in Florida responsible for letting George Zimmerman walk after murdering Trayvon Martin and for failing to get a conviction for Michael Dunn after he murdered Jordan Davis at a Jacksonville gas station. Angela Corey is also responsible for locking up Marissa Alexander for firing a warning shot to defend herself from an abusive man. Corey is trying to put Alexander away for 60 years.

The panel discussed how Marissa Alexander was being abused for being Black and a woman. One of the speakers said that this was not the first time Angela Corey had attacked a Black woman for defending herself. Organizers in the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition have recently uncovered another case, the case of Carolyn Barnes, which has striking similarities to Alexander's case. The common thread was that both women were targets of Angela Corey's war on Black women.

Action News Jax sent a camera and a reporter to cover the event. The reporter interviewed JPC organizer Wells Todd about the Coalition's ongoing “Angela Corey Out Now!” campaign.

Chrisley Carpio, an organizer with Gainesville Students for a Democratic Society and a speaker on the panel, recounted her experiences organizing rallies and marches for Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, including two acts of civil disobedience undertaken with the Dream Defenders in Florida. “Only by organizing militant actions in the streets can we hope to get justice for Trayvon, Jordan, and now Marissa,” Carpio told the audience.

The discussion ended with a question and answer session for the panel. Activists vowed to keep fighting until Anglea Corey was out of office and justice was won for all her victims.

#JacksonvilleFl #JacksonvilleFL #PeoplesStruggles #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #MarissaAlexander #Florida #JordanDavis #AngelaCorey #ChrisleyCarpio #JacksonvilleProgressCoalition #JPC #AngelaCoreyOutNow #Campaign

Milwaukee, WI – Dozens of students at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee rallied on campus to protest racial injustice and racial profiling, February 26, the second anniversary of the murder of Trayvon Martin.

“What happened sixty years ago is still happening today,” said Rick Banks, president of BSU as he held a picture of Emmett Till, a 14-year old Black child brutally murdered in 1954 for allegedly speaking to a white woman.

Protesters held pictures of Trayvon Martin, Derek Williams, Corey Stingley, Marissa Alexander and Emmett Till. Protesters sang the Black national anthem and raised their fists in the air.

The rally was organized by the Black Student Union, and featured speakers from the United States Student Association, the Sankofa Squad, and AFSCME Local 82.

#MilwaukeeWI #AfricanAmerican #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #TrayvonMartin #Antiracism

Newark, NJ – The People’s Organization for Progress held a march here, Feb. 26, to commemorate the second anniversary of the murder of Trayvon Martin. Martin was murdered in Sanford, Florida. The state of Florida refused to convict his killer, George Zimmerman.

Dozens of people came out in the freezing cold for the protest. The acquittal of Michael Dunn for the murder of Jordan Davis, also in Florida, gave even greater impact to the march.

POP Chairman Lawrence Hamm told the gathering, “Never forget – because forgetting is the first step toward having it happen again. Violence has been used against us since the first slave ships tore families apart. More states are actually passing ‘stand your ground’ laws, but they all have to be repealed.”

#NewarkNJ #PeoplesOrganizationForProgress #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem

Jacksonville, FL – The steps of the Duval County Courthouse were filled with protesters and community members on Saturday, February 15. They waited to hear the verdict in the trial to convict Michael Dunn for murdering Jordan Davis. Groups ranging from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, to the New Black Panther Party (NBPP), to the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC) held up signs, gave speeches, demanded justice, and marched around the courthouse. The day of protest began with a 9:00 am press conference and lasted long into the evening. So many people showed up throughout the day, it was hard to find a spot to sit or stand on the giant steps leading to the courthouse.

Inside the court, the jury was deliberating for a fourth day over the November 23, 2012 murder of Jordan Davis. Jordan Davis and his friends were in their Dodge Durango outside a Jacksonville gas station, when Dunn fired eight times into their vehicle. Michael Dunn, a white man, drove over, parked next to them, and then brutally murdered Jordan Davis in cold blood “for playing his music too loud.”

All week outside the court, organizers and everyday working people, especially African American community members, gathered eagerly awaiting justice. Everyone was there to demand that Michael Dunn be found guilty of all charges, especially the charge for the first-degree murder. Sunday February 16 would have been Jordan Davis's nineteenth birthday, surely a difficult day for his parents.

On Saturday, the crowd grew more and more energetic as they chanted and listened to speakers. Then came an announcement that the jury was deadlocked on the charge of murder one for Michael Dunn. Protesters were stunned, but quickly identified the problem as State Attorney Angela Corey. Corey botched the prosecution of George Zimmerman who stalked and murdered Trayvon Martin. Corey’s mishandling allowed Zimmerman to walk free after killing the African-American youth in Sanford, FL. Now she was mishandling another prosecution.

In another problematic case, State Attorney Corey was aggressive in prosecuting Marissa Alexander, an African American woman given 20 years for defending herself against her abusive husband. Angela Corey also has a long history of locking up African American and Latino youth, and trying them as adults – as was the case for both Christian Fernandez and Travis Swanson.

Later on Saturday, another announcement was made from the doors of the courthouse. The nearly one hundred protesters turned their attention to the announcement: “On the count of murder one, a mistrial had been declared.” People grew outraged and began shouting “We want justice NOW!” and “Justice for Jordan Davis!”

Protesters rallied on the steps and issued statements to a big circle of news cameras. The Jacksonville Progressive Coalition called for an emergency march to Angela Corey's office to demand her resignation that same night. The New Black Panther Party called for civil disobedience and for people to wear black ribbons and black armbands this week on Black Ribbon Tuesday.

Protest leaders next drafted a letter on poster-board demanding Angela Corey's resignation. People crowded in to sign the letter to State Attorney Corey. Then the protesters took to the streets and marched in the roadways blocking traffic on their way to Angela Corey's office. Jacksonville Progressive Coalition member Tefa Galvis led the crowd chanting “Hey-Hey! Ho-Ho! Angela Corey has got to go!” and “Murder is a Crime! Michael Dunn should do the time!” The dozens of police officers present just watched, so visible was the crowd's anger and focused determination to get justice for Jordan Davis.

After marching for about a mile, the crowd gathered in front of Angela Corey's office and heard speakers denouncing the “mistrial” verdict. Activists placed the letter demanding Angela Corey's resignation in front of the revolving door at her fancy office building. Tefa Galvis urged the community to stay involved in the ongoing fight for Jordan Davis, and minister Mikhail Mohammad from the NBPP closed out the night with a prayer.

The fight for Jordan Davis is far from over, while Angela Corey's career is in question. Galvis said, “The people will determine whether justice is found for Jordan Davis. The people will also work to put an end to Angela Corey's reign of terror and repression against young African American and Latino men and women.”

Fight Back! News Service urges everyone to travel to Tallahassee on March 3, 2014 for Moral Monday. Look for more information from Fight Back! in the coming weeks about this important event.

#JacksonvilleFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem #JordanDavis #MichaelDunn #AngelaCorey

Jacksonville, FL – About 15 protesters assembled outside of the Duval County Courthouse, Feb. 6, as jurors heard opening statements in the first degree murder trial of Michael Dunn, the racist killer of 17-year-old African American youth Jordan Davis. Members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition and the New Jim Crow Movement held signs and spoke to people at the courthouse to demand “Justice for Jordan Davis.”

Protests began on Feb. 4 outside the courthouse as activists vowed to stop a repeat of the not-guilty verdict in last year's George Zimmerman trial, in which the killer of Trayvon Martin was acquitted on all charges.

“I came out to rally for justice for Jordan Davis,” said Biko Misabiko, a Jacksonville activist who protested the Zimmerman verdict in Sanford, Florida last year. “[I came out] to end the injustices of the legal system to the minority – not to allow this to be another mistrial case like what happened to Trayvon Martin. We will stand and demand justice for all.”

Dunn, a 45-year-old white racist, fired eight rounds from a handgun at a Gate gas station in Jacksonville in November 2012, killing Davis and injuring three passengers in the car with Davis. When asked by police, Dunn claimed that he felt threatened by Davis and fabricated a story about the four youths threatening him with a weapon. No weapons, guns or otherwise, were found in Davis' car. Dunn immediately left the scene of the crime to drive to Saint Augustine with his girlfriend, where they checked in to a hotel and ordered pizza just hours after slaying the African American teen. Dunn is charged with first degree murder and three additional counts of attempted murder.

Protesters held signs that read, “Stand up, fight back for Jordan Davis” and “Jail the killer.” Others held signs criticizing State Attorney Angela Corey, whose office is prosecuting Dunn. Although protesters are demanding a guilty verdict, many worry that her botched prosecution of Zimmerman, which allowed him to walk free, may repeat itself in the Dunn trial. Corey has also drawn criticism for disproportionately targeting African Americans for prosecution, including Marissa Alexander.

Despite attempts by Judge Russell Healey and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to restrict protesters and media access to the trial, people continued demonstrating on the front lawn of the courthouse.

Four members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense also rallied separately.

At a short press conference, rally organizers announced plans to continue building the movement for justice for Jordan Davis. The SCLC will continue having a presence outside the courthouse and other organizations will work towards mobilizing the Jacksonville community for larger events.

Legal analysts and courthouse staff believe that the trial will last fewer than two weeks, with a verdict delivered around Feb.14.

#JacksonvilleFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #InjusticeSystem #JordanDavis #MichaelDunn

Jacksonville, FL – Protesters from across Florida gathered in front of the Duval County Courthouse on October 31 for the first status hearing in the retrial of Marissa Alexander, the 33 year old African American mother who fired a warning shot to fend off her abusive husband.

The status hearing lasted just a few minutes as Judge James Daniel set November 8 as the date of Alexander's bail hearing.

Although protesters tried to enter the courtroom to show support for Alexander, Jacksonville police locked them out. The group of protesters regrouped outside for a press conference, where they discussed future plans to win freedom for Alexander.

Alexander's case drew national attention after the murder of Trayvon Martin and the not-guilty verdict in the trial of racist vigilante George Zimmerman, Martin's killer. Prosecuted under Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing laws, Alexander received a 20-year prison sentence for aggravated assault in 2012 despite only firing a shot in the air to defend herself from a domestic abuser. Zimmerman, on the other hand, received a not guilty verdict after murdering Martin, an African American youth. Protesters contrasted the cases to show the racist and sexist nature of the criminal injustice system.

The Zimmerman verdict brought new attention to Alexander's case, launching nationwide protests demanding her release. The Southern Movement Assembly led a 126-mile walk from Jacksonville to Sanford in August demanding Alexander's freedom and the resignation of State Attorney Angela Corey, who prosecuted her case. On September 26, 2013, a Florida appeals court ordered a new trial for Alexander.

Over 30 people attended the press conference afterwards, bringing together members of the Southern Movement Assembly, the New Jim Crow Movement, Sisterhood of Survivors from the Miami Workers Center, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Dream Defenders, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition, the New Black Panther Party, and Florida New Majority.

Speakers focused on domestic violence, the racist criminal justice system, the school-to-prison pipeline, and Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which disproportionately affect African Americans and other oppressed nationalities.

Shay Brown talked about domestic violence and pointed out that the state of Florida does not take the safety of women seriously. As a domestic violence survivor and victims' advocate, she pointed out that women and abuse survivors everywhere have an interest in seeing Alexander freed. Other speakers denounced the racist criminal injustice system for incarcerating Alexander in the first place.

“They had the white robes of the KKK in the 60s,” said Minister Richard Burton of the Epiphany Baptist Church in Jacksonville. “And they have the black and blue robes inside the Duval County Courthouse today.”

Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard sent a staff member to read a letter expressing his support for Alexander and demanding her freedom. “I urge you to drop the charges on Marissa Alexander,” read Bullard's letter, “and I urge you to drop the new trial.”

At the end of the press conference, chants broke out of “Free Marissa Now!” and “What do we want? Freedom for Marissa! When do we want it? Now!”

Protesters plan to rally at the courthouse for the November 8 bail hearing at 2:00pm and demand, “Free Marissa Now!”

#JacksonvilleFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #MarissaAlexander #InjusticeSystem

Speaking about the movement to get justice for Alexander, Octavia Littlejohn, an organizer with the New Jim Crow Movement and the Southern Movement Assembly in Jacksonville, stated, “I truly believe it helped Marissa's case...I pray she gets her freedom soon and very soon.”

Alexander, 32, discharged her licensed firearm when her husband attacked her at home just a week after giving birth to her daughter. The jury ignored her claim to self-defense against domestic abuse and found her guilty after deliberating for only 12 minutes. Under Florida's racist mandatory minimum laws, Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Alexander's case drew national attention in the wake of the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman, the white vigilante who murdered Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American. After shooting Martin, Zimmerman was not arrested by police and a nearly all white jury found him not guilty of second-degree murder, sparking nationwide protests. Many protesters contrasted Alexander and Zimmerman's treatment by the legal system to highlight the racist nature of the criminal injustice system.

State Attorney Angela Corey, who was widely criticized for her lackluster prosecution of Zimmerman, prosecuted Alexander and sought the maximum 20-year sentence for her conviction. Several progressive and civil rights groups in Jacksonville have demanded that she resign for targeting Alexander and disproportionately prosecuting African American youth.

Protests in Jacksonville by the Southern Movement Assembly, the New Jim Crow Movement, Florida New Majority and others helped bring attention to Alexander's case. Shortly after the Zimmerman verdict, more than 500 people in Jacksonville marched to the Duval County jail, where Alexander was held, and demanded her release.

In late July, protesters with the Southern Movement Assembly walked 126 miles from Jacksonville to Sanford to demand the release of Alexander and the resignation of Angela Corey.

Littlejohn, one of those who participated in the 'Walk for Dignity' to Sanford, states, “We stood for what we believe in, and we didn't let anybody or anyone – not even Angela Corey – defeat us or scare us away. I feel we got what we wanted and justice will be served for her.”

Groups in Jacksonville and across the country plan to ramp up the pressure to free Alexander as she faces her new trial.

Reflecting on this people's victory, Littlejohn added, “Marissa will be very pleased in our hard work and dedication. Our voices were heard. We overcame all obstacles, even if it meant for me being in the media and speaking on the truth, not giving a damn what the jurisdiction said about her. We fought for her freedom and her rights.”

#JacksonvilleFL #OppressedNationalities #Racism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #MarissaAlexander #InjusticeSystem #NewJimCrow #SouthernMovementAssembly

Jubilee Shine, Coalition for Community Control Over the Police, told the crowd, “W.E.B. DuBois wrote in The Souls of Black Folk, in 1903, 40 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, ‘Either America will admit Black people on the basis of democracy, or America will cease to exist.’ But America has never been a democracy.”

Shine continued, “Now, 50 years since Dr. King’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the Voting Rights Act has been overturned for the southern states, the submerged Black nation. And in Florida, where the Black vote went uncounted to make Bush president after he lost the election, a white supremacist investigation and prosecution and defense of a white supremacist terrorist named George Zimmerman – and don’t let the media tell you he’s Hispanic. Had he been named Jorge Zuniga, he’d be under the jail – they let Zimmerman waltz out of court.”

Shine concluded by saying, “All democratic people must in principle uphold the right to self-determination for the Black nation, and all oppressed nations. Trayvon Martin is murdered, and the killer acquitted and protected, precisely because of the imperialist relationship of the U.S. to the U.S. Black nation, geographically located in the Black Belt south. The Black nation, which emerged with the betrayal of the Reconstruction after the Civil War, has since been denied sovereignty and the opportunity to identify its relationship to the U.S. This denial of rights and theft of resources has been manifested in the collective oppression and super-exploitation of African Americans in the deep South, and replicated in the ghettos of the largest U.S. cities. Florida has the highest count of lynchings of any state. There can be no local justice for Trayvon in a Florida court. The federal Justice Department must intervene with Civil Rights charges. And the only solution to the historic and systemic oppression of Black people in the U.S. must be based on the right to national self-determination. Justice for Trayvon Martin, Federal charges now for terrorist George Zimmerman, Self-Determination for the Black nation!”

#LosAngelesCA #AntiRacism #USImperialism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #BlackBeltSouth

San José, CA – Another protest for demanding justice for Trayvon Martin was held here, Aug. 6. About 100 protesters of all nationalities gathered at San José City Hall for a rally and then marched through the streets of downtown San José, past the Federal Building and ending with a speak-out at César Chávez Plaza.

At San José City Hall, the rally began with Symone Jackson reading the five demands of San José Justice for Trayvon, which organized the protest, followed by a Spanish translation of her speech. She was followed by pastor Oscar Dace of the Bible Way Christian Center. Masao Suzuki of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) spoke about the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan – Aug. 6 was the 68th anniversary of the bombing – and explained the history of disregard for human life in Africa, Asia and the Americas, beginning with the genocidal policies towards the indigenous peoples of America, the African slave trade, and then the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. Other speakers included Michelle Cordova of the San José Peace and Justice Center and Victor Vasquez of the 50/50 collective.

#SanJoséCA #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem

As of Aug. 2, Dream Defenders have held steady in the office of Governor Rick Scott since then with no signs of leaving – even after Governor Scott meets with members of the organization just days after they started their occupation.

“The Governor tried to pacify us within the first week of us being here,” said Florida State University (FSU) Dream Defender President Brian Marshall. “He has shown that, under his reign, he has zero compassion for the lives of Black and Brown youth and has shown zero leadership in response to the Trayvon Martin tragedy. We aren't leaving until he answers for his crimes to the youth of this state.”

Dream Defenders are calling for Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature to pass a bill called Trayvon's Law, which would address factors of racism and national oppression that contribute to a climate that leads to the death of Black and Brown youth every day.

“We are demanding that laws be put in place to stop racial profiling practices by law enforcement officers, that the school-to-prison pipeline that ruins the life of millions of youth nationally be addressed in Florida by the repealing of zero tolerance laws and that the Stand Your Ground Law be repealed,” said Regina Joseph, Vice President of Dream Defenders at FSU. “All these laws create a climate of racial oppression that lead to the death of Trayvon Martin, but will continue to lead to more tragedy of Black and Brown life until we stop it.”

Aug. 2 marked day 17 of the Dream Defenders’ “Dream In” at the Florida capitol, with national support coming from everywhere.

“We have had youth from Philadelphia to the Bronx come out in full force to Tallahassee to support us here,” said Michael Sampson, an organizer with Tallahassee Dream Defenders. “The support is amazing as we understand that this action is an important step to building a real national movement against the racist practices of the school-to-prison pipeline and institutional racism.”

On July 26, civil rights icon Harry Belafonte paid a visit to the capitol to support the youth organization’s goals of Justice for Trayvon Martin. On July 30, another civil rights legend, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, flew into Tallahassee to support the Dream Defenders. Jackson even chanted with Dream Defenders as they yelled, “We believe that we will win!” and slept in the capitol with the activists.

“What's exciting is these students coming alive,” said Jackson. “We are in this sit-in so justice can stand up. This is an emergency. People are crying out and people are hurting,” in reference to the racist laws that plague communities of color in Florida, like voter suppression, the school-to-prison pipeline, the Stand Your Ground law and racial profiling.

One thing that is clear is that the Dream In shows no signs of letting up.

“If we don't stand up now for the injustices that people of color face in this state, and this country, we will never truly be free,” said Dream Defender Issis Alvarez. “The injustices may not be as evident as they were 60 years ago, but because of that it's even more important to bring them to the light and take action.”

For more information on how you can support Dream Defenders, visit dreamdefenders.org.

#TallahasseeFL #InJusticeSystem #AntiRacism #CivilRights #GovernorRickScott #TrayvonMartin #DreamDefenders #TrayvonsLaw

Sanford, FL – Defying rain, hateful counter-protesters and the Florida summer heat, more than 70 people on the 126-mile Walk for Dignity held a rally at the Trayvon Martin memorial in Sanford on July 27.

Protesters came from across Florida and other Southern states to demand the resignation of State Attorney Angela Corey and the immediate release of Marissa Alexander. Alexander is an African-American woman who got 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot in the air to fend off her abusive husband. Both Alexander and Zimmerman were prosecuted by Corey’s office.

The Walk for Dignity began on July 22 in Jacksonville, Florida. It spanned five days and passed through Saint Augustine, Bunnel and Daytona Beach before arriving in Sanford, where the Zimmerman trial took place.

“The march showed how we lead as a collective and how we can create systems to look out for each other as we walk our streets,” said Estefania Galvis, an activist who walked all five days to Sanford. “The people who walked are affected by the same oppressive system that put Marissa Alexander in prison. The people who walked identify Angela Corey as the representative of the judicial system incarcerating Black and Brown people. The long walk shows that we will do anything – march, scream, walk in the heat or rain – to demand justice, dignity and a new system for our communities.”

Organized by the Southern Movement Assembly, an alliance of activist groups around the South, and anchored by the Jacksonville-based New Jim Crow Movement, the walk brought together protesters from many states. Members from Project South, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Southerners on New Ground, the Ordinary People Society, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Coalition for Justice for Trayvon Martin, Alternate Roots and several other organizations walked or joined the assembly along the way.

The Walk For Dignity arrived at the Hickory Avenue Church of God in Sanford, which opened their doors to the scores of protesters to sleep, eat and hold assemblies. Throughout the walk, many African American churches provided food, shelter and supplies to the walkers. In Saint Augustine at the end of the first day, the walkers stayed at Saint Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rallied with civil rights protesters against segregation in 1964.

The walkers spent the afternoon of July 27 going door-to-door in Sanford’s predominantly African American neighborhoods talking with the people about their struggles. Many spoke about their experiences with racist police officers, while others spoke about relatives victimized by the criminal injustice system. Organizers from the Southern Movement Assembly invited Sanford residents out to the church to speak with others about their experiences.

“It’s a new thing for me to get involved, and see what it takes to get organized,” said Moses Daniels, a longtime resident of Sanford, who came out to the assembly after an organizer invited him on his doorstep. “I see things going on in Sanford, and I hear us all talk about it, but when it comes to doing something – to stand our ground – I didn’t know what it takes to stop the attacks.”

After a short assembly about organizing to fight racism, activists gathered in front of the church to start a mile march into historic Goldsboro to the Trayvon Martin memorial. As the second city after Eatonville founded by African Americans in Florida, Goldsboro was stripped of its charter by whites in the Sanford city government in 1911. The City of Sanford eliminated the Black-owned businesses and institutions of Goldsboro as a part of expanding racist Jim Crow laws. In 1923, whites infamously burned a similar town, Rosewood, Florida, to the ground after African Americans attempted to defend their families from white vigilantes. Today, Goldsboro remains predominantly African American and strongly supports justice for Trayvon Martin.

As afternoon storm clouds rolled off Lake Monroe in Sanford, the protesters marched on undeterred. Activists held several banners, reading “Walk for Dignity – enough is enough!” and “We will not be erased,” with the latter bearing the images of Trayvon Martin, Marissa Alexander, Jordan Davis and other youth victimized by the criminal injustice system. Many Sanford residents came outside their homes to watch and then joined the protesters in the streets.

With about a half mile to go, rain began to pour. Despite booming thunder and a constant downpour, not a single protester left the march. Chants of “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Angela Corey’s got to go!” and “Free Marissa now!” grew louder as the march approached the Trayvon Martin memorial. The storm passed and protesters spoke about the significance of the long march. Several Sanford residents spoke about their experiences with racial profiling.

Although every protester was soaked, spirits were high. “We started together, and we finished together,” sang Aleta Alston-Toure, an organizer with the New Jim Crow Movement in Jacksonville. Alston-Toure led a freedom song from the South African anti-apartheid struggle, and others paid tribute to fallen African American leaders like Malcolm X and Ella Baker.

Staff from the Goldsboro Westside Historical Museum warmly received the marchers with shelter from the rain and food. The Trayvon Martin Memorial, a brick and marble formation located at the Museum, was moved from the actual location of Trayvon Martin’s death. Several racist Zimmerman supporters and local police sabotaged the memorial six times, but the African-American community in Sanford united to defend it. Eventually, it was moved to the Goldsboro Westside Historical Museum and cared for by staff.

Activists see the Walk for Dignity and the July 27 march as a starting point for the movement against racism and national oppression across the country, while residents in Sanford felt empowered by the outside support. There is a call for a national march in Washington D.C. on August 24.

“I’m hopeful about the freedom movement in Sanford and everywhere,” said Daniels. “You have to give the movement some structure, so it’s impressive to me to be a part of an organization that seeks to make change happen.”

#SanfordFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem #NewJimCrow #SouthernMovementAssembly #WalkForDignity

Winston-Salem, NC – On July 25, people gathered here at the First Calvary Baptist Church to discuss the formation of a Young People Coalition for Justice. The meeting was organized to first bring people of the community together and talk on the issues currently going on and how they, as a community, should begin addressing them.

The main topic covered was the North Carolina voter suppression bill, HB 589. This bill, which is being pushed by the right wing, would bar people from voting who don’t have a approved photo ID; would eliminate same-day voter registration; eliminate an entire week in early voting; only permit citizens to vote in their specific precinct, etc. This bill is being labeled as the worst voter suppression bill in the nation.

Nicole Little, local organizer and Wake Forest University grad, stated, “Officially, according to this new bill, parents will be prosecuted if they were to allow their child to vote outside of their district. They can face criminal charges just for allowing their child to vote in another district. It’s insane.” She added, “This will affect the poor, low-income communities as well, especially those who are handicapped or with disabilities who can’t get up in the morning and go out to vote as early as the bill demands.”

Talks of the next Justice for Trayvon Martin rally were held. Local organizers dubbed it as the NEXT Rally.

Delinzia Upson, a foreclosure prevention coordinator and writer for BE Winston Salem news blog, talked about the upcoming rally, “This event right here is about connecting people with individual sets and come up with a general solution. We’ve got in contact with the NAACP and Occupy Winston-Salem. We’ve been in touch with the political people running for office this year, including organizations who’ve worked with women, children and men to come along as well.”

Upson continued, “The idea is that, in having these political groups present, they can all tell the people what they’re fighting for, so that those people can connect with them and begin joining in with that fight.”

The NEXT Rally will be Saturday, July 27, at 11 a.m. on 1415 East 14th Street in Winston-Salem. The next meeting for the Young People Coalition for Justice will be held July 30, at 6 p.m. at First Calvary Baptist Church on 401 Woodland Avenue.

#WinstonSalemNC #voterSuppression #TrayvonMartin #InjusticeSystem #YoungPeopleCoalitionForJustice

Tampa, FL – In the wake of intense Justice for Trayvon protests, community members gathered in front of a police substation here on July 22, the one-year anniversary of Javon Neal's murder by Tampa police. Neal, a 16-year-old African American student, was shot more than 19 times by the police.

In the heart of the African American community, the rally started with 20 people and speeches and chants like, “No justice no peace, no racist police!” Police began to appear from their offices and more community members came from their houses and apartments hearing the chants.

Life Malcolm of the Justice for Trayvon Coalition of Tampa said this about Neal's murder, “Nobody was in a body bag before the police showed up. The same people who have body armor and all sorts of weapons of mass destruction, act as if they're scared.”

More and more people began to appear from their houses, videotaping, watching and cheering. At one point three women appeared with hoodies, in remembrance of Trayvon Martin.

Malcolm went on, “We need all the things other communities have, instead we get a police substation, as if we don't have enough police already. We can be responsible for ourselves, because every time we see the police they either take our money, our freedom, or the life of our loved ones.”

The protesters continued with chanting, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” A man came from the houses across the street and spoke to the rally. He told of how police were hitting an African American with a wrench, and how it only stopped because people began to record it with their cell phones. “We have to come outside our houses! I'm not scared. Nothing good comes from them being around and we're tired of it!” He continued with a quote from Malcolm X, “If you don't stand for something, then you'll fall for anything!”

From there the protesters marched to a busy intersection. Holding signs and a banner that read, “Justice for Javon, Justice for Trayvon,” those rallying at the intersection saw cheers and heard the blaring of horns. People continued chanting. As the sun set, the group planned for more actions, including a Cop Watch campaign, in which people record the police every time they harass or come into contact with the community. The organizers planned to meet the following day.

#TampaFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem #JavonNeal

Jacksonville, FL – Even the summer afternoon rain couldn’t stop more than 25 activists from meeting in downtown Jacksonville’s Hemming Plaza, July 22, to begin a five-day walk to Sanford, Florida. Activists took the first steps in the “Walk for Dignity – Enough is Enough” event, demanding justice for Trayvon Martin and the resignation of State Attorney Angela Corey, who prosecuted the George Zimmerman case.

Called by the Southern Movement Assembly, a network of activist groups around the South that met in Jacksonville last April, the walk will end with a large rally in Sanford. Activists from the Jacksonville-based New Jim Crow Movement, Project South, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the Coalition for Justice for Trayvon, Southerners on New Ground and other organizations are participating in the walk.

“We recognize that people are feeling outrage and heartbreak after hearing a verdict that legitimizes the public lynching of Trayvon Martin and the impunity of his murderers,” said Emery Wright, the co-director of Project South in a statement about the walk. “Our response must not be restrained. Our collective response must be ‘Enough is enough’ – our human dignity is at stake, and we will come together to demand fundamental change.”

The walk began with an energetic assembly, in which each of the walkers spoke about their reasons for participating. Activists from as far as San Antonio, Texas spoke, as did walkers from Jacksonville, all uniting around the demand for justice for Trayvon Martin and other African-American youth victimized by the racist criminal injustice system.

“We walk for dignity,” said Synobia Williams, an organizer with Project South from Jacksonville. “We walk to lift our voices and be heard, demand the rights of all people and stand our ground.”

Organizers worked to mobilize community support in Jacksonville for the walk. Several labor unions, including AFSCME and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, along with some local businesses donated water, food, coolers and other supplies.

On the first day, the protesters walked to Saint Augustine and stayed at the Saint Mary’s Missionary Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rallied with civil rights protesters in 1964. During the Civil Rights Movement, Saint Augustine became the center of the battle against segregation.

Throughout the walk, activists hope to engage the communities in the movement for justice for Trayvon Martin and build towards the final rally in Sanford. “We are all committed to walk while we engage and empower the communities that we stop in by listening to their stories,” said Tefa Galvis, an organizer with the Coalition for Justice for Trayvon. “We’re all learning about the history of the land and the freedom movement in Florida and we’re assembling every night to figure out the next steps for our movement.”

Caravans of activists from Jacksonville will leave every day to join the walk in-progress.

The walkers plan to stop in Flagler Beach and Daytona Beach before reaching Sanford for the final rally on July 27.

“We started together and we are going to finish together,” added Galvis.

#JacksonvilleFL #OppressedNationalities #AntiRacism #CivilRights #TrayvonMartin #GeorgeZimmerman #InjusticeSystem #WalkForDignity