Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 6-5-20

Feature
Black Elected Officials Discuss Black-On-Black Crime During Zoom Press Conference
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Tampa City Council- man Orlando Gudes hosted a ZOOM press conference last Wednesday (May 27th) to ad- dress the gun violence that has escalated in the African Amer- ican community.
Councilman Gudes was joined by other African Amer- ican elected officials and in- vited guests. Participating were: State Senator Darryl Rouson (D-19), State Repre- sentatives Dianne Hart (D- 61), Fentrice Driskell (D-63) and Wengay Newton (D-70); School Board Member Tamara Shamburger (D- 5); and Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller (D-3).
Participating from the community were: Ms. LaShawn Tims, Rechi But- ler, and Pastor Randy Ran- dolph.
Rep. Hart and Council- man Gudes met last month to discuss the same topic, but no solutions were developed. They asked the community to come to them with informa- tion or to get rid of weapons – no questions asked. But the vi- olence has continued.
Ms. LaShawn Tims, the mother of 3 adult sons (32, 30, 27), said she has not lost a son to gun violence, but each of her sons has been shot and survived.
Ms. Tims lost her godson, Antonio McGuire, Jr., in the gun violence at Curtis
LASHAWWN TIMS
Hixon Park 2 weeks ago. And, just last week, another friend lost her son, Jacoby Jack- son, in an early morning shooting.
Ms. Tims, who has been fighting against gun violence for many years, said, “I’m tired of crying for and with these mothers! They need some help. Too many of them are asking for help. They have no sense of hope!”
Ms. Tims wears a t-shirt with many of the young people whose lives have been lost. She started the shirt in 2015, when a close friend lost a son at the 18th St. Park. She had been fighting to stop the violence years before, however.
Rechi Butler, who works with young men as an individ- ual and through his founda- tion, “Get It Straight Foundation,” and business Irene & Joe’s Tree Service, said, “We’ve got to do some housekeeping on our own.”
Further explaining that, he said, “We’ve got to empower our brown boys. The fathers
Front of tee shirt that Ms. Tims wears with the faces of the young people who have been killed by gun violence in this community.
RECHI BUTLER
PASTOR RANDY RANDOLPH
Rep. Newton asked for the community’s help to get funding into the areas through the Legislature in Tallahassee, where needed with intern pro- grams. “Let’s talk about gangs another way – getting these kids into some work pro- grams.”
No one could pinpoint root causes of the violence, but Newton said, “Pursuit of money could be one, neighbor- hood snitching, psychologi- cal.” Rouson said there are many root causes.
School Board Member Shamburger said her desire is for the kids to use that same energy in the classroom that’s being used in the increasing violence...to stop the pipeline to prisons.
“We have a neighborhood full of hostile people who are ripping up the community. We’ve got to speak loudly and claim our community. Let’s stop the violence.”
Comm. Miller was pleased that the Black elected officials were able to unite. He has wanted that for many years. He shared his familiar- ity with gun violence, when his son was shot while a student at FAMU.
He went on to talk about gang violence, although many believe there is no gang prob- lem here. “We do have a gang problem in this community – neighborhoods against each other, but we’ve got to find so- lutions.”
are gone, and the mothers need to be careful about the fruit they pick. So many times the boys are told, ‘that’s not your father, you don’t have to do what he says.’ So we’re not teaching our children to re- spect anyone – the principal, teachers, pastors, other adults. Our children are angry, listen- ing to music that’s not good, music telling them to go and shoot someone, and doing other wrongs, while disre- specting our brown women. We need to let them know we care.”
To help many high school- ers, Butler offers them sum- mer employment. “Those trees don’t ask for no background check.”
Pastor Randy Ran-
dolph of Abundant Life En- richment Church, said young people commit crimes, but have no idea of what the con- sequences will be. “Our chil- dren have 2 emotions – happy and mad. As an educator, I know there are no grief coun- sels at school after these shoot- ings.
“We can bring celebrities in here to talk with and enter- tain them, but that will not get the impact needed and bring the awareness to what’s really going on,” he said.
Senator Rouson said he’s “frustrated along with the victims who are crying out for help.” He was pleased with the leaders, pastors and commu- nity persons who joined this discussion.
Rep. Hart said she re- sides about 3 miles from the most recent shooting. She talked about her visits to 55 prison facilities and COVID-19 is present in 19 of them. “These kids need to know that if they don’t stop, that’s where they’ll end up – in prison.”
She added, “Parents, the summer is coming, we’re beg- ging you to know what is com- ing into your home, check under your children’s beds. If there are guns in your house, turn them in – now questions asked. If you have a suggestion on how we can help this situa- tion, please reach out to us.”
Rep. Driskell said she, too, is saddened by what is happening in the community. “It’s time for action and solu- tions. Mixing real life with what you see on TV, leads to prison life.” She suggested partnering with a Gun Buy Back program.
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