In my senior year of high school, Seacrest (Delray Beach) was finally integrated. by one black girl--a sophomore. Why they put her out there alone--I have no clue. I remember a track meet in which this girl competed. I recall her tripping and falling as the runners headed for the finish line. Then something remarkable happened. A number of other girls on both teams stopped to help her up. Then the entire crowd broke into applause.
This is one of those moments that probably went unrecorded--until now. That is why writing and story-telling are so important. They shine a light on the past, and that light expands to illuminate the present.
That moment in time was shaped by the actions of countless individuals in the past--including the members of the Supreme Court who voted to end the legal doctrine of separate but equal--in 1954. That moment in time was shaped by the bravery of Rosa Parks and the leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, John Kennedy, Robery Kennedy, and others...
Fast forward to 2009
In Imokalee, Florida, there is evidence of some of the migrant bosses holding migrants prisoner--forcing them, in effect, to work as slaves. A number of these incidents are documented. The governor (who i like!) has ignored these incidents. Some say they don't occur often enough to warrent further action.
From my past work as a teacher in Belle Glade in the late sixties, I know that there is a long history of these kind of incidents. It must be less frequent now, but is apparently still occuring. I read about this in the Tallahassee Democrat on my current visit too Florida. If you Google slavery, Imokalee, migrant workers...something like that, you may find more information.
Understand this: whatever has been reported, it is probably the tip of the iceberg...based on my past experience. This reminds me of a recent incident at a teen boot camp in the Panhandle that resulted in boot camps involving a teen being "restrained," who subsequently died...
Governor Crist, please launch a formal investogation of the Imokalee incidents, and issue a statement condemning the abuse and illegal detainment of form workers.
PatrickFrank
patrickgfrank@gmail.com
