An Open Letter Rejecting White Supremacy and Hate Violence
Equality Florida and the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg have released a letter, joined by several local leaders and hundreds of people, condemning white supremacy and hate violence.
A full list of signers can be found below.
You can add your name to the list of signers here.
The letter reads in full:
An Open Letter Rejecting White Supremacy and Hate Violence
In the first presidential debate, Americans looked on in shock as the sitting US President refused to denounce white supremacy. Worse, he told armed, white supremacist groups to “stand by” as the election draws near.
The message was received loud and clear and social media quickly filled with gun-toting right-wing groups using the “Stand By” slogan in their posts and even in merchandise.
We have watched time and time again as this president refuses to condemn in unambiguous words the hateful rhetoric and violent actions of these hate groups. The lack of moral leadership comes as our nation experiences a dramatic increase in hate violence. It comes as one such group has begun recruiting armed vigilantes to come to our city to follow, provoke and intimidate peaceful protestors who are drawing attention to inequities and police brutality nationwide.
We support the free speech rights of all people and we stand with those who support peaceful protest with an unapologetic call for justice. We stand apart from those who would cloud that clarion call by damaging property or causing willful injury to others.
But let us say this with absolute clarity: there is no equivalence between those who seek justice and those who seek to intimidate and provoke violence.
The arrival of gun-toting white supremacist vigilantes to intimidate, threaten, stalk and harass our residents is unacceptable and must be repudiated clearly and forcefully by the community, faith, business and elected leaders.
We cannot as Dr King warned accept “a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice”.
We stand together in calling for justice, calling for equity, and rejecting in one voice those who seek to provoke hatred, sow division and sustain inequality.
SIGNED BY:
Nadine Smith, Equality Florida, Executive Director
Randall Russell, President & CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
Jeff Johnson, Love Not Fear President
Rick Kriseman, Mayor
Jennifer Webb, Florida State Representative
Michele Rayner-Goolsby, Representative-Elect for HD 70
Darden Rice, City Council Member
Terri Lipsey Scott, Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, Executive Director
Rene Flowers, Elected Official
Bekah Vigil, Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership, Administrative Specialist
Sally Zeh, Board member, Pace Center for girls & Beth Dillinger Foundation
Maria Scruggs, Candidate Pinellas County Commission Dist.7
Linda Mckinnon, Central Florida Behavioral Health Network
Elaine Hartin, Central Oak Park NA, President
Karen Chassin, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
Vincent Lisbon, Bethel Community Foundation, Executive Director
Dara Eckart, CEO, Friends of Strays
Brad Miller, CEO, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
Lorna Taylor, CEO, Premier Eye Care
Brandi Gabbard, City of St Petersburg
Lendel Bright, City of St Petersburg Community Affairs
RobertCo- Lux, Co-chair Holy Trinity Episcopsl Outreach Committee
Mandy Keyes, Community Cafe, owner
Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, Councilmember
Jennifer Teoli, Counselor
Kanika Tomalin, Deputy Mayor, City of St. Petersburg
Susan Jenkins, DOH: Tobacco Policy Coordinator
Susan McGrath, Florida Consumer Action Network Foundation Executive Director
Christopher Jones, Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Ellen McDonald, Florida Resurrection House
Carol Martin Brown, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
Maureen McDole, Founder and Executive Director of Keep St. Pete Lit
Carla Bristol, Gallerie 909 – Owner
Darla Otey, Girls Inc of Pinellas
Jennifer Loyd, Gulf Coast
COUTAVAS, HEALTHY START COALITION, PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Susan Myers, Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas
Mei Clarkson, Housing Specialist
Michael Thomas, Indivisible FL-13 – Organizer
J.C. Pritchett, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance/President
Kim Wells, Lakewood United Church of Christ
Allison Pinto, Licensed Infant & Child Psychologist
Precshard Williams, Metro Inclusive Health/ Prevention & Sexual Health Team Lead
Jack Donovan, Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, Florida
Belinthia Berry, National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc.
Charles Imbergamo, Nonprofit Leadership Center, Director of Strategic Programs
Andy Oliver, Pastor of Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg
Gretchen Johnson, Peaces of the World, Creator
Courtney Covington, PEMHS, Director of Community & Family Services
Ken Welch, Pinellas County Commissioner
Watson Haynes, Pinellas County Urban League, President/CEO
Denise Mortellaro, Pinellas Education Foundation
Linda Darin, Pinellas NOW
Dr. Ricardo Davis, President, Concerned Organization for Quality Education of Black/Hispanic Students
Jacqueline Hubbard, President, St. Petersburg Branch of ASALH, Inc.
Lisa Starks, Professor, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg campus
Makeba Huntington-Symons, Program Manager
Diane Egner, Publisher and Managing Editor, 83 Degrees Media
Lillie McFarley, R’club Child Care, Inc
Philip Weintraub, Rabbi
Carol Bee, retired educator
MONICA STYNCHULA, REUNIONCare, Inc.
Jim Andrews, Reverend
Samuel Picard, Reverend, Missio Dei
Sallie Parks, Rotary Club of Dunedin
Beau Maysey, Select your title
Walter Evans, Shihan School of Survival
Deja-Denice Sherrod, St Pete Peace Protest
Meli Piechocki, St Pete Peace Protest Activist
Barbara Andryusky, St. Pete Timebank
Gina Driscoll , St. Petersburg City Council Vice Chair
Will Baldwin, St. Petersburg College
Tashika Griffith , St. Petersburg College
Deborah Figgs-Sanders , St. Petersburg Council Member District 5
Gypsy Gallardo, The 2020 Plan/One Community Plan
Faye Tippy, The Braintrust
SharonJoy Kleitsch, The Connection Partners, Inc.
Dr. Christine Cantrell, The Institute of Equity Competence, Senior Education Consultant
Bilan Joseph, Thrive By Five
Tim Dutton, UNITE Pinellas
Donna Oglesby, United States Foreign Service (ret.)
Peggy Smith, University of South Florida
Meredith Mechanik, University of South Florida
Dr. Michelle Madden, University of South Florida
Erik Ruiz, University of South Florida – Predoctoral Fellow in the College of Public Health
Tiffany Chenneville, University of South Florida Psychology Professor
Geveryl Robinson, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg
Cynthia Edwards, University of South Florida, Assistant Director of Student Success Center
Jill Brown, USF
Anita Sahgal, USF St Petersburg
Heather Duncan, USF St Petersburg, faculty
Martin Tadlock, USF St. Petersburg
Therese Wisoff, USF St. Petersburg campus
Rebecca Johns, USF, Associate Professor
Richard Steinberg, WestCare Foundation, President & CEO
Jane Bunker, Woodson Warriors Scholarship Program founder
Sharon Preston-Folta, WUSF Public Media
Nancy Day
Charlie Gerdes
Jake Geffon
Betsy Wells
Olivia Lambert
Jeanne Koopman
Sandi Rodman
Julie Rocco
Sheron Brown
Susana Darwin
Caroline Hepburn-Brown
Anne Hogan
Julia Lewis
Josette Green
Regina Pheil
Christine Durrance
David Davidson
Judy Benjamin
Michele Routh
Erin Richards
bryanna tramontana
Molly Smith
Sandy Walling
Steve Mitchell
Megan Holmes
Aaron Crall
LaTasha Cohen
Karen Coleman
Carolyn Lane
LOLITA Dash-Pitts
Sedionia Boone
Paul Carder
Michael Killoren
Joe DiDomenico
Linda Stoller
Rosemary Wiley
Cory Adler
Margaret Murray
Keith Widmer
Susan Lee
Karen Berman
Janet Prueitt
Amy Foster
Walter Lindauer
Tawnee Walling
V. Anita Holifield
Deborah Anderson
Robert Dinwiddie
Marti Zeitz
Julee Sims
Ann Pelishek
Teresa Kelly
Karen Donnelly
Donna LaBarge
Sherry Bagley
Christina Russell
Sandal Aronson
Nancy Little
Beth Houghton
Ellen Mullarkey
Miriam Pardoll
Claudia Gonzalez
Annette Wylie
Lawrence Biddle
Jayme Joslyn
Julie Rocco
James Hartzell
Hannah Berman
Raffi Darrow
KERRY KRISEMAN
Nancy Poucher
Julia Lewis
Alison Barlow
Anita Pernell-Arnold
Erika Spohrer
Nicole Carr
Ann Pelishek
Avery Slyker
Jan Dice
Jodi Groth
Susie Paterson
Deb Close
Alison Oberne
Sarah Johnson
Derrick Kearney
Sarah Stelter
Caprice Edmond
Caryn Nesmith
V. Anita Holifield
Jeanette Bright
Suzanne Peikin
Andrew Springer
Maria DeJesus
Deanna Michael
Katie Johnson
Rachel Hagenbaugh
Michael Cruz
Kathy Connelly
