Posted on 07/31/2013 10:40:21 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In a recent article I called for economic sanctions against Florida to compel business and political leaders in that state to change the “Stand Your Ground Law” that provided the basis for the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. There are times when there is a convergence of ideas, a meeting of minds, such that a particular strategy has the potential to galvanize a movement. This appears to be one of those times.
The idea of boycotting Florida is not a Ron Daniels idea or Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) call. Rather, it is one that is on the minds of many Black people all across the country.
Dr. Patricia Newton, president emeritus, National Association of Black Psychiatrists, was so outraged by the Zimmerman verdict that she walked away from a $1 million dollar contract she was about to sign for a conference in Florida.
I met an elderly Black professional couple at Penn Station in Baltimore who were returning from a conference in Jacksonville, Fla.. When I asked if they would be going back to Florida next year, I had hardly gotten the words out of my mouth.
When the wife said that they discussed the murder of Trayvon Martin at the conference and had already resolved that they would not hold another convention in that state until there is significant change.
Of course, music legend Stevie Wonder said at a concert in Canada, “Until the Stand Your Ground Law is abolished, I will never perform there again.” Since his pronouncement Eddie LaVert, Stephanie Mills, Dionne Warwick and Mary Mary are among the artists who have publicly stated they will follow Stevie’s lead.
While celebrities add credibility for the boycott, it will be the actions of the multitude of conscious, committed convention-goers, vacationers and consumers who will make the campaign effective. Economic sanctions against Florida is an idea whose time has come.
Just as Katrina ripped the scab off and exposed the raw naked structural/institutional racism in distressed Black neighborhoods in America, the murder of Trayvon Martin has ripped the scab off the persistent phenomenon of the criminalization of young Black men, racial profiling, stop-and-frisk and the structural/institutional racism in America’s criminal justice system. The problem is that despite episodic protests and periodic mobilizations, there has not been a persistent sense of urgency in Black America about these issues. The murder of Trayvon Martin may be a decisive turning point.
One week after the Zimmerman verdict, rallies and prayer vigils were held across the country to demand that the Justice Department bring criminal charges against George Zimmerman for violating Trayvon Martin’s civil rights. While we agree that this is a correct strategy, there is little likelihood that this will happen.
At the end of the day, not only must we seek a conviction of Zimmerman, we must also indict and fight to change the law that is so flawed that it would permit an armed adult to pursue an unarmed teenager deemed “suspicious” and permit a grown man to kill a kid who fearfully sought to stand his ground against a menacing stranger.
Fighting to change this flawed law is about justice for Trayvon Martin, but it is also about all of the Trayvons in the state of Florida and across the nation who are victims of criminalization and racial profiling. It is about Black people consciously and collectively standing our ground against the attacks on the gains of the civil rights/human rights/Black power movements, the abandonment and disinvestment in distressed Black communities and the daily indignities we have quietly suffered for far too long.
The major component of the campaign should be to shut off tourism to Florida. This means Black organizations should not schedule conferences/conventions in that state until the law is changed. Groups that have already scheduled conferences six months to a year out should seek to cancel the agreements and notify the venues that Black people no longer feel safe to travel to Florida, particularly with their sons.
An option is to hold conferences/conventions at a Black College/University or Black owned retreat centers. In the event that your conference is already scheduled in the next few months, resolve to spend as little money/cash in the state as possible.
This campaign requires that kind of discipline. Do not schedule a vacation in Florida until victory is won. Do not travel to an amusement park in the “tragic kingdom” or golf tournament until victory is won. And don’t purchase or drink any Florida orange juice.
IBW has posted a petition on its website www.ibw21.org where organizations, leaders and individuals can sign a pledge to boycott Florida.
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Ron Daniels is president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. To send a message, arrange media interviews or speaking engagements, he can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org
The communist DemocRATS in Virginia say it’s time to boycott Florida! Just more of Barack the Kenyan’s Unity Program for Amerika!
It might be worth pointing out that the “The Norfolk New Journal and Guide” is a “Black Newspaper” as opposed to a real newspaper.
She could use those $$ to promote economic literacy.
I’ll bet Las Vegas is glad that the attention is off of them.
I quit reading right there.
Supposedly, they boycotted us here in Arizona too. At least that’s what I heard.
This is good news really. The ghetto animals boycotting FL?? I wished they would boycott L.A. but that’s a pipe dream.
Hate to tell you this, Ron baby, but "Stand Your Ground" was not used in Zimmerman's defense.
It would really be nice if you and people like you got your facts straight before you demagogue an issue but I know when it comes to the Left and its rabble rousers I am asking way too much.
I guess if a boycott happens and people don’t notice..it doesn’t count does it? :)
This guy is a liar..and he knows it. He's a race baiter seeking fame and wealth over trying to divide all Americans.
George Zimmerman was not guilty of any crime.
He saw someone suspicious. He reported it. he kept an eye on them until he lost them and was then returning to his car. Nothing illegal about any of that.
Trayvon Martin was walking through the neighborhood at night. Nothing wrong with that either So far there was no foul and no crime.
But then Trayvon turned back. He confronted Zimmerman because he did not like the fact that Zimmerman was watching him...which was not illegal for him to do. He decided to get some whitey smackdown and assaulted Zimmerman, beating him mercilessly. This was illegal...and it continued on for some time, relentlessly. At any time Trayvon could have gotten up from the man he had punched, broken his nose, and was pummeling...but he didn't. He kept on until Zimmerman, fearing for his life, pulled his gun and shot the gangsta wannabe punk teenage kid.
That's what happened. It's sad...but George Zimmerman defended himself in as clear cut and straightforward a case of self defense as you can find.
But that does not buy fame and money as a race baiter. So this guy joins the ranks of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and others to try and make a financial killing on it.
This would likely hurt blacks more than anybody else, as many of these black customers tend to spend more of their money in black owned businesses than elsewhere, if they can help it.
Yes, yes, punish people who did nothing wrong because a jury who did nothing wrong did not punish a man who did nothing wrong.
If that punishment means -you- stay out of our state, then please, punish us for the rest of time.
I am certain that waiters, waitresses, police officers and innocent people minding their own business will be very pleased with their punishment.
Whoa!..Stop right there!!......The stand your ground law was never a part of the defense...just as the insanity law was not part of the defense
This is how ignorant the so called press is now....but in thinking about it..they're not ignorant at all....they're just prejudice and biased and somehow feel that's a good thing!!....Makes me sick!
Liberals always think that if they threaten to stay away from you, that’s going to make you NOT do something.
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