CITY COUNCILMAN LUIS VIERA
BY GWEN HAYES
Sentinel Editor
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera (District 7) spent several months speaking with community organizations and members of the community about his idea to propose to his fellow City Council members the establishment of a “Racial Reconciliation Committee.”
Last Thursday, February 22, 2024, the Council members agreed with Viera’s proposal and passed the proposal 7-0 to establish the committee, which is in the planning stages. Viera and the Council are looking to do this in a collaborative effort with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. Hopefully, over the next 30 days they will have discussed the proposal with Mayor Castor.
“I do believe this is something that, if done correctly, can yield good results for our city and a much-needed continued discussion on pivotal issues,” Viera stated.
Viera believes there should be specific issues addressed and he suggested the following 6:
- Affordable and accessible housing.
- Returning citizens.
- Economic development, empowerment, and entrepreneurship (and this can include training/apprenticeships, small business growth, capital access, contracting, etc.)
- The school to prison pipeline and our youth (and this can include youth employment and training).
- Civic engagement and restoration of rights.
- Historical “truth telling” (much like the Equal Justice Initiative project, this involves having a good discussion on our painful and ignored Tampa history as it pertains to African Americans with public education on same.)
When asked about members of the committee, Viera said there can be discussion on this; however, his idea is that each council member recommend one person, the mayor recommend a person, a couple of core organizations in the community recommend a person; and one person will serve as a facilitator.
Viera explained that the proposed committee is in the planning stages, and “I look forward to a good discussion on these issues.”
