Politics

Zimbabwe Economic Sanctions Protest Reaches White House

WASHINGTON INFORMER — On African Liberation Day, while Leteefah Carter and her comrades gathered at the African-American Civil War Memorial on U Street to protest the U.S. economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, she reflected on the struggle for housing and land ownership affecting people of African descent across the world.

Published

5 years ago

June 11, 2019

Sam P. K. Collins

By Sam P.K. Collins

On African Liberation Day, while Leteefah Carter and her comrades gathered at the African-American Civil War Memorial on U Street to protest the U.S. economic sanctions against Zimbabwe, she reflected on the struggle for housing and land ownership affecting people of African descent across the world.

That common issue, Carter said, would suffice in broadening concern about the Southeastern African nation’s current woes among Black people living in the District, her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, and other majority-Black communities across the United States that have been ravaged by gentrification since the turn of the century.

“We want to widen [knowledge] of the atrocities in Zimbabwe and the sanctions the U.S. has committed,” said Carter, a Bed-Stuy resident of 20 years who counted among more than 50 protesters donning army fatigue pants, Black fitted caps with an X emblazoned across it, and yellow bandanas tied around their necks last Saturday.

Along their two-mile march to the White House, Carter and other members of the December 12th Movement, joined by the D.C. chapter of the National Black United Front and other local organizations, waved the Pan-African and Zimbabwe flags and chanted mantras that evoked approving nods and inquiries from onlookers along U Street, and later 14th Street leading to Lafayette Square.

“The people [in Zimbabwe] are suffering because they’ve taken back what’s theirs,” Carter continued. “I want Black people here to be aware of what’s happening and do something about it. We need to be more aware of the ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

In March, President Donald Trump extended sanctions against Zimbabwe, in effect since the early 2000s, and a move supported by the Congressional Black Caucus. Opponents have long described the sanctions as punishment for the Zimbabwe’s 1980 land reforms during which white farmers lost several acres acquired through colonialism, and what Trump calls a threat to U.S. foreign policy.

The December 12th Movement gathering on Saturday, and previous events are organized to pressure the White House and CBC to revisit its stance on Zimbabwe. Protesters particularly expressed a desire for Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA 37), head of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, to host a hearing about the matter that prioritized the voice of the Zimbabwean people.

Though the U.S. government maintains that its sanctions exclusively target 141 people and entities, including Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and former President Robert Mugabe, opponents said the foreign policy decision has created hardship for most Zimbabweans.

Since 2001, Zimbabwe’s internal debt has expanded, and the country has experienced medical supply shortages. A recent UNICEF report showed that Cyclone Idai exacerbated the ongoing drought affecting more than 136,000 children in Zimbabwe, primarily because of the outbreak of cholera, malaria, and diarrhea.

The concept of using government resources to harm Black people struck a chord with Pam Africa, who has long advocated for the release of journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal and imprisoned members of MOVE, who survived the 1985 bombing on their Philadelphia compound by the local police department.

On Saturday, days after the release of Janine and Janet Africa and nearly a year after the release of Pam and Michael Africa Sr., she continued to express her solidarity with the Zimbabwean people.

“We have the same oppression as the people in Zimbabwe,” Pam Africa said.

“We are pulling together against one monster and Washington, D.C. is the hub. We are here to rock the boat and wake up people. [Some people] don’t want to show support because of the fear. I only fear that [the monster] will continue to exist unless we fight.”

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

Sam P. K. Collins

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

1 week ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.