In spite of what a casual look around might cause you to think, democracy is not about making the world safe for the comfortable and well-off. It has something to do with a millenial dream of people working together creatively and respectfully to create solutions to problems with everyone's equal input.

Greens continue our solidarity with the "Take Back the Land Movement" and urge others to do the same. Here is an accounting of what happened on April 26 and a call to action which we support.

In the aftermath of the fire...
In the early morning hours of April 26th, only a few days after our 6 month anniversary and the announcement of our ambitious agenda, a fire completely burned down the Umoja Village.

In spirt of the progress we made and community we built, the crisis of gentrification and housing in Miami-Dade County remains. Neither the city nor the county have made signigicant steps to address the real crisis so many low-income people face.

This fight is not just for one piece of land, the fight is for land and housing for all.

While the physical structures are burned and gone, the spirit, community and significance of the Umoja Village live on. More importantly, people still need housing and people still have the right to control the land in their community.

We assert the right of the Umoja Village to rebuild, just the same as any other victims of a fire. While some residents were relocated into temporary shelters, others are back on the street. Most resident want to return to their home: the Umoja Village.

Take Back the Land and the Umoja Village ASSERT OUR RIGHT TO THE LAND, and demand PUBLIC LAND FOR PUBLIC USE, NOT DEVELOPERS.

Join this historic fight for land.

The Center for Pan-African Development
afrimax@gmail.com

see also: statement on Miami-Dade Housing Authority