BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor
Several months ago, Brooks Charities selected several dates in which to host a community forum to address issues in the community. However, a series of violent crimes changed the focus of the first planned meeting.
Darrell Daniels, of the Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Programs said, “The Florida Consortium of Urban League Affiliates and Derrick Brooks Charities scheduled September 5 to host a community forum on education and school choice.
“When Councilman Frank Reddick and I talked about hosting a community forum, I suggested that the Hillsborough County Black Elected Officials participate in the September 5, forum and address preventing crime in the Black community as a part of the forum. The education forum was rescheduled and we continued with the crime prevention forum because the issue of crime in our community is equally as important. Studies have shown that areas with the highest amount of crime are usually areas with the highest amount of high school dropouts and illiteracy.”
Last month, after 49-year-old Horsley Shorter, Jr., a manager of an East Tampa Family Dollar Store was shot and killed during a robbery of the store. Demetrius Parks, 23, was arrested and charged with the murder.
City Councilman Frank Reddick was one of the individuals who spoke out against that crime as well as several others involving African Americans. At the time, Councilman Reddick stated planned to meet with community activists, police, individuals, and organizations who shared his desire to end the murders that have seemingly reached epidemic proportion.
On Thursday, September 5, beginning at 6 p.m., Derrick Brooks Charities, and local Black elected officials will host a Community Forum at Middleton High School, 4801 N. 22nd Street.
The purpose of the meeting is to address the systematic problems in the community and focus on the unusual number of Black males being killed by another Black male without reason or justification in the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.
Councilman Reddick said, “Black elected officials have been invited to share their concerns, visions and remedies for reducing the high number of Black on Black crime in the African American community.
“In a recent article written by City Editor of the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Iris B. Holton, she stated that ‘during the first six months of this year, law enforcement has investigated more than 40 violence-related deaths of young Black men. Twenty-eight (28) of those deaths took place in Hillsborough County.’
“Each day, more and more of our young Black men are dying of senseless and violent crimes. We must not be afraid to address this problem in the Black community,” he said.
Several members from the community have been invited to participate as part of a panel of professionals. Some of those include: State Senator Arthenia Joyner, State Rep. Betty Reed, County Commissioner Les Miller, Jr., Major Diane Hobley, of the Tampa Police Department; Walli Shabazz, of National Trust for Black Men; Dr. Keith Berry, Hillsborough Community College; Rechi Butler, of the Get It Straight Foundation; Bennie Holder, former Tampa Police Chief; Grief Advocates Elliott and Darla Saunders; Deacon Clarence Fort, retired Hillsborough County Deputy; Ernest Coney, Jr., President of the CDC, of Tampa, Inc.
Anyone wishing to obtain more information can contact Councilman Frank Reddick, at (813) 274-8189 or Darrell Daniels at (813) 241-1415.
