I haven’t posted because it’s all too rapid to post.
Saturday I spoke to the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists.
And WMNF 88.5 interviewed me.
The St. Pete Times is running a story about me in Thursday’s Floridian.
Creative Loafing also has something in this week’s paper.
I’m doing a phone interview with the Florida Courier tomorrow morning (or is it this morning?)
Guys, I haven’t said anything new. And… for what it’s worth, I think it’s great that so many people have read what I’ve written. But I’m getting damn tired of trying to convince folks I’m a racist. I never- NEVER- wanted to be a poster child for racism.
But… here, courtesy of the American Collegiate Dictionary:
racism: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability…
NOWHERE does it say that “racists” DON’T feel bad about how they feel or acquiesce to their feelings. Just because someone doesn’t like it or fights it doesn’t mean they are NOT a racist.
Now… please… please… can you turn your attention to what’s wrong in the south side and forget about me? I am one person and I do not like how I feel. I’m working on it, I promise. I never said less. Unless the Daily Show calls, I am done. I have nothing new to say; anything more will rehash the issues. Bring them up at the next St. Pete city meeting; ask them why they haven’t gotten more aggressive with crime in south side neighborhoods. Ask them why they’re not upping the number of officers. Ask them why police KNOW that crack houses exist, know WHERE they exist, and then ask WHY they haven’t shut them down. Ask them why they allow slum lords to rent to the lowlifes. Ask them why they praise a Sweetbay and herald it as a flagship of redevelopment… but ignore the people less than a mile away who are crying for help to clean the drugs out of their neighborhoods. And ask them why NONE of the elected officials who talk about how great midtown is have taken a chance and moved to the “midtown” they say is the next best thing.
Those are the real questions. Not me. I do not matter, not in this issue.
