News & Public Affairs
Singing for Liberty
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04/19/10
Doris Norrito
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: peace, justice system, Sami Al-Arian, Temple Terrace, C onstitution, civic involvement, civil rights, Friends of Human Rights
It was a musical afternoon – no speeches, just a time to come together with the universal connector – music. Singing for Liberty was the theme, peace and justice the message played and sung by eight musical groups. One of the founders of Friends of Human Rights, Mel Underbakke, announced the first selection, a musical tribute to Sami Al-Arian. The former USF professor was acquitted of terrorism charges in 2005, but remains imprisoned under house arrest.
Singing for...
Be the first to commentCivil Rights Restoration Workshop in Tampa
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03/29/10
Concetta DeLuco
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: civil rights, ACLU, re-entry cooperative of America, disenfranchised
On Saturday, a civil rights restoration workshop was held in West Tampa.
Civil rights are defined as the liberties given to every individual set forth by the U.S. Constitution. Joyce Hamilton Henry is a director with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which organized the event. She said an individual loses many valuable rights when a felony is committed.
Be the first to comment*They lose their right to vote; they los...
Community forum on Pinellas schools
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02/25/10
Tom Baur
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: human rights, civil rights, education
Thursday night at the Dunedin High School auditorium, Pinellas educators sought the community’s ideas and concerns to help children be most successful.
In spite of an approaching cold front that brought strong winds and rain, almost three dozen citizens turned out for Wednesday night’s forum to question the panel of Pinellas educators on the state of Pinellas County schools. The event was sponsored by the [Pinellas Classroom...
Be the first to commentOmali Yeshitela celebration at USF St Pete
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01/22/10
Tom Baur
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: African American, civil rights, Uhurus, Omali Yeshitela, Joe Waller
In 1966, Joe Waller was so fed up with the City of St Petersburg’s refusal to remove a repugnant racist mural that he tore it down and fled with the police close behind. But last night, he was honored in the same city.
The mural Waller tore down depicted what many felt were grotesque images of black musicians playing for a white audience. Joe Waller, who later changed his name to Omali Yeshitela, was arrested that day and spent nearly 3 years on one of Florida’s...
5 commentsACLU slaps Pasco County Fair with discrimination lawsuit
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01/08/10
Tom Baur
WMNF Evening News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: race, civil rights, discrimination, mexican-american, ACLU
Today the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida announced their filing of a federal discrimination lawsuit. The ACLU accuses Pasco County Fair Association of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against three Mexican-American Pasco County residents.
The Federal lawsuit alleges that when three Pasco county residents wanted to rent a hall they were overcharged because they were...
Be the first to commentCivil Rights Icon Visits USF - St. Pete
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10/22/09
Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Women's rights, Barack Obama, Equal Pay, civil rights, Lilly Ledbetter, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Democratic National Convention, Supreme Court
The first bill President Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It allows workers to file legal action within 180 days after receiving any discriminatory paycheck – that is, wages based on unfair factors like gender. The legislation’s namesake spoke in St. Petersburg today.
The rural Alabama native had never intended to get into politics. Her plans, Ledbetter told a captive audience at USF St. Pete, hit a snag decades into her career. After nearly 20 years as a region...
Be the first to commentMichelle Goldberg's new book, 'The Means of Reproduction'
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04/13/09
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Women's issues, politics, reproduction, civil rights
For many women around the world, the choice of when to marry, or have sex, or when and how many children she will have is outside her control.
In journalist Michelle Goldberg’s new book, The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World, giving women the freedom to control and protect their bodies allows a better chance to stop the spread of AIDS, create economic opportunity and build more stable democracies.
WMNF spoke with Goldberg last week about her book. In her...
Be the first to commentProposed law would get DNA samples of all felony arrest suspects
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04/07/09
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Politics, DNA, fingerprinting, civil rights
This morning, a bill that would take the DNA of all people arrested for felonies in Florida won approval in committee, despite objections from the ACLU.
Currently, DNA is collected only of people convicted of felonies.
But Alachua County Republican Steve Oelrich, a retired sheriff, says his proposal would help protect Floridians from criminals who are repeat offenders.
And Oelrich said that his bill adds protections for the disclosures of DNA records and samples. Intentional disclo...
Be the first to commentReligious minority persecuted in Iran
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03/23/09
Jamie Kidder
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Clearwater, Iran, Religion, civil rights
The Bahá'í faith focuses on peace, justice and unity. But in Iran, Bahá'ís are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Bahá'ís are barred from higher education, unable to find work, and sometimes arrested and executed.
In Clearwater yesterday afternoon, a local Bahá'í center held a conference to raise awareness of this persecution.
The Bahá'í religion was founded in Persia in 1844, and it has more than 5 million followers all over the world. Since its origins, Bahá'ís have faced ...
Be the first to commentACLU issues report on restoration of felons' voting rights
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03/11/09
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Civil rights, felons' voting rights
Shortly after taking office in 2007, Gov. Charlie Crist made changes to the law making it easier for ex-felons to regain their voting rights. But according to the Florida ACLU, there are still severe impediments preventing thousands from getting the right to vote.
The new report by the ACLU of Florida released today says that many election office workers in every one of the state’s 67 counties don’t understand who is eligible to vote or the process through which former prisoners must go....
Be the first to commentAmendment 2 critics to protest Crist nuptials
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12/08/08
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Amendment 2, Charlie Crist, LGBT, civil rights
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will no longer be a bachelor after Friday night.
Crist is marrying girlfriend Carole Rome at the First United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg. The reception will follow at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Mel Martinez, R-South Florida, are among those on the guest list.
Some uninvited guests also will be making their voices heard. Those would be protestors, unhappy about the governor’s sup...
Be the first to commentProtesters rally against ban on gay marriage
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11/17/08
Concetta DeLuco
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Amendment 2, LGBT rights, same-sex marriage, civil rights, Join the Impact
In protest of the passing of Amendment 2 that bans same-sex marriage in Florida, hundreds gathered at Mirror Lake Park in St. Petersburg on Saturday. Rallies were also held in Hillsborough County and in cities across the country on Saturday to protest similar laws that were passed in the recent election.
The protest was part of a larger movement across the country called “Join the Impact” which originated in California on Nov. 7 to protest the passing of Proposition 8, a law similar to Am...
Be the first to commentCAIR urges Muslims to define themselves
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11/17/08
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: CAIR, Keith Ellison, John Esposito, Muslims, civil rights, religion
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held its 6th annual banquet Saturday at the Tampa Convention Center. Speakers included Georgetown University professor John Esposito and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in Congress.
Following prayers, about 600 people gathered to hear about the theme American Muslims: Defining Ourselves. Ellison said that during the recent presidential campaign, others groups attempted to define Islam and what it means to be Muslim. Many even tried...
6 commentsGay rights advocates protest passage of Amendment 2
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11/11/08
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: 2008 election, Amendment 2, LGBT, gay rights, marriage amendment, civil rights
Last week, Floridians approved a measure that will ban same-sex marriage in Florida.
Today an activist group calling itself JusticeFirst Florida held a news conference in Broward County. They say the amendment’s passage will not silence them or their support for same-sex marriage.
John Peter Daily is a coordinator with the Justice First coalition.
Charles Martin is with the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition. He says he was not surprised that the measure passed as easily as ...
Be the first to commentLocal reaction to passage of Amendment 2
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11/10/08
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: 2008 election, Amendment 2, LGBT, gay rights, marriage amendment, civil rights
Last week, more than 62 percent of Florida voters supported Amendment 2.
The amendment defined marriage as between one man and one woman and also outlawed recognition of any partnership that is the substantial equivalent of marriage.
Today, WMNF spoke with supporters and opponents of Amendment 2 to get their reaction to its inclusion in the state’s constitution and what it might mean for Florida.
Terry Kemple is president of the Community Issues Council and volunteered with effort...
Be the first to commentHudson woman fired after wearing Obama T-shirt to work
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11/06/08
Mitch E. Perry
WMNF Evening News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, civil rights
A Spring Hill woman was fired from her nursing home job in Hernando County today, a day after wearing a homemade Barack Obama T-Shirt the day after the election.
Tracy Thomas has worked at the Windsor Woods Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center for nearly 10 years. She said she was wearing her usual white T-Shirt to work on Wednesday, where she had written in Obama’s name on one side of the shirt with a magic marker, and the phrase “We need a change” on the other side. She said as she was...
Be the first to commentSt. Pete police officer cleared in Dawson killing
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11/03/08
Seán Kinane and Lisa Marzilli
WMNF Evening News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Javon Dawson, African American, Race, civil rights, discrimination, racism, Uhurus, St. Petersburg Police
Police administrators have cleared St. Petersburg Police officer Terrance Nemeth of all wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Javon Dawson in June.
Nemeth had previously been cleared of wrongdoing by Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe. His supervisors were looking to see whether Nemeth had violated any departmental policy, while McCabe’s review focused on whether he broke any laws.
Both investigations concluded he was justified in shooting Dawson after the teen alle...
Be the first to commentA look at Amendment 2
10/25/08 Mary GlenneyWomen's Show
Tags: 2008 election, Amendment 2, LGBT, gay rights, marriage amendment, civil rights
We discussed the various ramifications of the proposed Amendment 2 on the upscoming November ballot with Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida.
Be the first to commentUhurus to protest at World Series
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10/21/08
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Javon Dawson, World Series, police violence, African American, civil rights, discrimination, racism, Uhurus, St. Petersburg Police
Several groups plan to challenge two new St. Petersburg ordinances before the first World Series game tomorrow night. One ordinance calls for a “Clean Zone” surrounding Tropicana Field, and the other forbids handing out fliers and other activities in street medians. Some groups, including the Justice for Javon Dawson Committee, said this morning that the success of their leafleting campaign to challenge what they call the cover-up of Dawson’s murder by a St. Petersburg Police officer in June ...
Be the first to commentBrother of slain teen says police harassed him
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09/03/08
Seán Kinane
WMNF Evening News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Javon Dawson, police violence, African American, Race, civil rights, discrimination, racism, Uhurus, St. Petersburg Police
In June, teenager Javon Dawson was shot twice in the back and killed by a St. Petersburg Police officer. Yesterday at school, his younger brother, Keon, was pulled out of class and his belongings were searched because the school received a tip that he had a gun.
Dawson’s family and supporters are calling it another example of the St. Pete Police harassing and intimidating people who witnessed his brother’s shooting.
At a press conference Wednesday morning at the Uhuru House in St. Pet...
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