Dunbar Village

FED UP WITH BEING VICTIMIZED! FED UP WITH BEING IGNORED!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Congressman Tim Mahoney to Host Roundtable at Dunbar Village on Rangel-Mahoney Bill to Give Interest-Free Loans to First-Time Homebuyers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Congressman Tim Mahoney, co-sponsor of the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, introduced by House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel, will host a roundtable on Monday, April 21, from 10-11.30 a.m. at Dunbar Village on legislation to give interest free loans to first time home buyers.

The Roundtable will be held in the boardroom of the West Palm Beach Housing Authority (1715 Division Ave, West Palm Beach).

"We welcome this opportunity to provide a platform for Congressman Mahoney to share his views on the proposed legislation to help stabilize the housing market, improve access to affordable housing and assist families in the purchase of their first home," Laurel Robinson, Executive Director of the West Palm Beach Housing Authority said.

The legislation which goes before the House of Representatives for consideration, provides tax credits to first-time homebuyers, improves access to low-income housing and allows families to deduct property taxes. The first-time homebuyer tax credit would provide individuals and families with a refundable credit (equivalent to an interest-free loan) of ten percent of the purchase price of their home (up to $7,500). Taxpayers would be required to repay any amount received under this provision to the government over 15 years in equal installments. The credit will be phased out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $70,000 ($110,000 in the case of a joint return).

With a mission to provide those with limited financial resources access to safe, decent and affordable public housing and programs to assist in transition to greater financial security, the West Palm Beach Housing Authority owns and operates 712 units in five housing developments: Dunbar Village, Southridge, Pleasant City, Twin Lakes and Robinson Village. More information about WPBHA and its programs is available at http://www.wpbha.org/

Media Contact: Mark Hopkinson NewsMark Public Relations mhopkinson@newsmarkpr.com 561-852-5767
West Palm Beach Housing Authority

Monday, March 31, 2008

Media shines light on the heat

Bloggers have not done this alone. Mainstream media, in the form of Tonyaa Weathersbee, Howard Witt, and Frank Cerabino have helped to sound the alarm against the disrespectful and sad stance of the West Palm Beach NAACP and National Action Network.

To them, thank you for seeing the error of these organizations' ways and having the character to write about it.

Now, if only other Black journalists besides Weathersbee had the conviction to call out these old school organizations.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Dunbar Village Propaganda: Alleged Rapists are Tender and Precious



This flier was passed out during the joint press conference held by the National Action Network and the West Palm Beach NAACP outside the State Attorney's Office on March 11, 2008. Click on the pictures to read the absolute foolishness!


Added to the fact that they were standing with the family members, it seems pretty clear what they were standing out there advocating for, doesn't it?

This is why people believe complaints about racism and inequality in the justice system are unfounded! How many movements will they set back with this case?

Don't believe the lies: Al Sharpton's backpedal

On Thursday, March 27, 2008 columnist Tonyaa Weathersbee and blogger SheCodes appeared on Al Sharpton's radio show to discuss the intense pressure Al Sharpton and the NAACP received from bloggers and their readers regarding their support of the four males who are accused of raping a mother and her child.

We must refute some statements and accusations Mr. Sharpton made regarding the blogger campaign to denounce his unfortunate and disrespectful position in the Dunbar Village (DV) gang rape.

CAMPAIGNING FOR EQUAL MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

Contrary to what Mr. Sharpton attempted to imply on his radio show, he did not stand before the courthouse to demand the Boca Raton rapists are denied bail. He was not complaining about preferential treatment on their behalf. If that were the case, he would have been flanked by the family members of the two girls who were raped in Boca Raton. Instead, he stood before the cameras flanked by the family members of the DV rapists and described the treatment the DV rapists have received as "unfair". He stood with them because he was advocating for them. What sense does it make to stand with the DV rapists families if he felt they should be denied bail? This backpedaling footwork would make an NFL Pro Bowl cornerback proud.

According to Nancy Othon of the Sun-Sentinel: He [Sharpton] repeatedly expressed his concern about the lack of bail for the Dunbar defendants.

According to Michael Bender of the Palm Beach Post the day before the press conference: Sharpton also will condemn the "unfair" treatment of the suspects in the Dunbar Village assaults, said the Rev. William Richardson, the Florida director of the National Action Network.

According to WPBF-TV, the local ABC affiliate: The Reverend Al Sharpton Tuesday said four black teens charged in the gang rape and beating of a West Palm Beach woman and her son were treated unfairly. Sharpton said the teens charged in the June 2007 attack in the Dunbar Village housing project should have been treated the same as five white teens recently accused of raping two young girls in Boca Raton after a party.

And far as making the rape cases equal, therefore demanding equal treatment under the law I'll start with the words of Frank Cerabino, Palm Beach Post: To call these cases identical, as Sharpton did, is to ignore far too much. And to make martyrs of the Dunbar teenagers only trivializes real cases of racial injustice and further denigrates two black victims of unspeakable crimes.

The crimes in Dunbar Village were horrific, and its not that the boys in Boca Raton deserve less than the standard punishment, the boys in Dunbar Village deserve more. Their crime was heinous and they will continue to be described by me as a roving pack of armed animals seeking to inflict unimaginable pain and damage.

BLAME THE MESSENGER

I resent the idea that people would blame the messenger for the message, rather than looking at the content of the message itself. -Anita Hill

They would love for you to fall in line with their "blame the messenger" defense strategy. Blame the messenger because they don't know what they are talking about. Blame the messenger because they got it all wrong. Mr Sharpton you can continue to ignore the benefits that technology and blogging bring to activism, thats your prerogative. You can dismiss bloggers as inaccurate and unreliable, that, sir, will be to your detriment. But bloggers specifically and grassroots activists in general are the coattails you ride into town on.

Bloggers made Jena possible, not Al Sharpton. Dunbar Village will be remembered for the work of bloggers, not Al Sharpton. To characterize us as a mere group of bloggers who get it wrong will not work with this case. If indeed we did get it wrong, we were not alone. We are joined by The Palm Beach Post, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Associated Press, and Black America Web, to name a few. You saw some of the excerpts above. There is no grand conspiracy to manipulate Al Sharpton's words. We didn't get it wrong. If anyone got anything wrong it was Sharpton for failing to deliver an unambiguous delivery of his position.

The bloggers who have contacted reporters who were on the scene, local politicians and spoke with Dunbar Village residents do not provide false information to our readers. Everything we post on our blogs can be verified. We don't post hearsay.


PROBLEM OPERATION

If there is any group of people who can't seem to get their facts straight its Sharpton and his National Action Network employees. From contradictory statements between the NAACP and NAN on who held the press conference to lies about not receiving blogger requests for clarification, the NAN has mishandled this from the beginning.

Numerous emails, letters and phone calls were made to the National Action Network. Our need for clarification was ignored. No matter what they tell you, we reached out to them. We did it as a perfunctory but sincere move because we knew they thought very little of us, but we hoped to learn their stance. They decided we were nothing more than a minor annoyance that would go away. We won't go away.

Truly, in his rush to simply play a role, any role, in Dunbar Village, I don't believe Mr. Sharpton actually thought out what position he was willing to stand for.

Let this be the alarm for any man, woman or organization that decides to align itself with those who harm Black women and children - today is a new day. Today is the day you realize we are an omnipresent force to be reckoned with and respected.

I leave you with a few words from Bella Abzug:

...whatever I am —and this ought to be made very clear—I am a very serious woman.

Open Letter 3/28/2008 Update: A New Underground Railroad is Born

Subject: The Dunbar Village Atrocity

Synopsis:

In the past week, a rapidly-moving viral email campaign was launched, and thousands of concerned black citizens spread the word about a shocking crime against a Black woman and her 12 year old son, in which crimes against nature were committed. (read more details of the crime here)

This email, entitled “Stop Al Sharpton and the NAACP from endangering Black Women,” described a stunning betrayal in which the NAACP and Al Sharpton held a press conference and demanded bail consideration for three suspects in custody for the crime. (source1) (source2)

Concerned Black citizens all around the country were outraged by the actions of the NAACP and Al Sharpton, and many vowed to withdraw volunteering and financial support from these agencies “until they make the safety of Black women and children a priority.”

On March 24, 2008 an NAACP memo that attempted to defend this betrayal was sent to Beverly Neal, who is the Director of the NAACP’s Florida State Conference. The memo claims that the NAACP was brought into this fray by Rev. Al Sharpton. Moreover, the memo was written by Maude Ford Lee, who is President of the West Palm Beach Branch of the NAACP. (read the memo here)

On March 27,2008, activist Al Sharpton went on the air to clarify his position on the treatment of the Dunbar Village Suspects. He invited writer Tonyaa Weathersbee and blogger Arlene Fenton to his show, to discuss the matter. Rev. Sharpton claimed that he never said that the Dunbar Village suspects were being treated unfairly, and that he did not want bail for the suspects in question.

Ms Weathersbee and Ms Fenton said that their research indicated otherwise, as indicated by video footage, eyewitness accounts, and the reporting from the Florida Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post.

At the end of the radio show, Al Sharpton strongly condemned any activity that would promote bail consideration for the suspects in question. Rev. Sharpton admitted that “if the suspects were white, he would have been there sooner.” He stated that this is a problem with many black civil rights organizations. He apologized and vowed to uphold his prior promise to advocate for the residents of Dunbar Village. He also challenged all activists, bloggers, and writers to be accountable to each other.

To date, the NAACP has not made an official statement denouncing the Dunbar Village Atrocity, nor have they officially expressed regret to the victim. The NAACP also has not officially retracted their statement requesting bail consideration for the alleged rapists/torturers. To our understanding, neither agency has contributed to the Victim’s Assistance Fund or created a reward program geared toward the apprehension of the remaining rapists/torturers.


Conclusion

WE ARE SATISFIED with Al Sharpton’s qualifying statements that he made on his radio show on 3/27/2008. We will watch to see if he fulfills his promise to advocate for the residents of Dunbar Village, and we are willing to assist any effort that promotes safer black neighborhoods in West Palm Beach, FL.


WE ARE NOT CONTENT with the reckless, irresponsible actions of the NAACP (West Palm Beach chapter). We continue to urge all black people, women especially, to refrain from volunteering or giving financially to this organization until they take our safety seriously.


WHAT WE WANT

We want law enforcement to make a concerted, sustained effort to apprehend the remaining suspects. We want to see a genuine reward system in place to encourage members of the community to come forward with the knowledge of the whereabouts of the remaining suspects.

We want the NAACP (West Palm Beach chapter) to reverse their position that the alleged rapists/torturers of this case should be considered for bail.

We want both the NAACP and the National Action Network to cease downgrading the gang rape/torture/atrocity of the Dunbar Village by comparing it to an unrelated gang rape, in which guns, maiming, and forced incest were not involved.

We want to see genuine victim advocacy in the form of financial support for the relocation, medical expenses, and mental therapy for the true victims in this case.


The Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund

Individuals who would like to donate money to the victims can go to any Wachovia Bank and donate to the St. Ann’s Victim’s Assistance Fund. Donations will go directly to the mother and her son.

St. Ann’s Catholic Church will also accept donations. Checks can be made payable to the "Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund - St. Ann’s".

Donations can be mailed to: St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 310 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

For more information about this Dunbar Village Campaign, you can visit any of the following blogs:

http://www.dunbarvillage.blogspot.com/
http://adifferentstory.wordpress.com/
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com/
http://auntjemimasrevenge.blogspot.com/
http://blackfirewhitefire.blogspot.com/
http://blackwomenvote.blogspot.com/
http://charactercorner.blogspot.com/
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/
http://episcopalienne.blogspot.com/
http://essentialpresence.blogspot.com/
http://focusedpurpose.blogspot.com/
http://h-essays.blogspot.com/
http://lareinacobre.blogspot.com/
http://mynewblog-ravenelvenlady.blogspot.com/
http://politicalseason.blogspot.com/
http://privyconcepts.blogspot.com/
http://thesowingcircle.blogspot.com/
http://tributetoblackwomen.com/news
http://web.mac.com/roslynholcomb/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
http://whataboutourdaughters.com/
http://whattamisaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.blacksapience.blogspot.com/
http://yanmommasaid.blogspot.com/
http://www.somethingwithin.com/blog

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

NAN says we got it wrong

If Al Sharpton doesn't support the Dunbar Village rapists then why did he stand there with their families?

Bumbling tap dances won't get you out of this one Al. You never should have said a word.

In West Palm Beach, Sharpton also will condemn the "unfair" treatment of the suspects in the Dunbar Village assaults, said the Rev. William Richardson, the Florida director of the National Action Network. (Palm Beach Post)

Rape is rape but your new friends are more than rapists. They were an armed roving pack of animals who decided to victimize a mother and child--it could have been anyone, they were simply looking to degrade, defile, and harm. They can't be trusted. They weren't treated unfairly. To be treated unfairly means something is wrong with the treatment you've received. Thus far, their treatment has been JUST.

Now, if you want to go to Boca and say those boys are receiving preferential treatment (and I have issues with that, but thats not my fight) then go ahead.

I believe in the need to battle unequal justice, you simply chose the wrong criminals to frame as victims of 'THE MAN'. Step away from this one.

Note to Al: You might want to look at how the NAACP is throwing you under the bus. But I guess there is no love between you already (remembers you stomping off like a child when they wanted to speak).

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Al Sharpton where are you?

You went back to West Palm Beach but only to speak on behalf of the rapists. When are you going to fulfill your PROMISE to listen to the concerns of the Dunbar Village residents? When is the date for the new town hall meeting?

I would love to know so I can make plans to be there like I was in February. I kept my promise to Citoya. When are you going to do the same?