Pictured Above: Jalessa Blackshear, a senior political science major at USF St. Petersburg, leads the St. Pete Peace Demonstration down 5th St. N through downtown St. Petersburg.
Annalise Anderson | The Crow’s Nest
By Molly Ryan
On Sept. 16, about 25 demonstrators gathered around St. Petersburg City Hall to march in advocacy for civic engagement and the protection of black communities.
A small crowd had already been established by 10:30 a.m., 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of the march.
Although it had only been scheduled the day before, there was an organized route, and many members made sure everything went as planned.
“We are advocating and raising awareness for the city budget meeting, which is (being held Sept.17),” St. Petersburg resident and march organizer Miracl Carroll said.
“Right now, we are the St. Pete Peace Demonstration, but our name is still pending; the most important thing is that we are an unbiased group that stands for peace and equality,” they added.
The march began with the notable mantra, “If we don’t get no justice, then we don’t get no peace!”
Jalessa Blacksheer, a senior majoring in political science at USF St. Petersburg, led and organized the Sept. 16 march, and has a different perspective on the future of advocacy.
“The (St. Pete Peace Protest) is all about equity…,” Blackshear said. “Here in the city of St. Petersburg, the municipal charter was founded in 1931 and it was revised in 1971 – and neither of those years were for my advancement, or for my father’s, or for my grandfather’s…
“We have to continue to come out here and make a stance as well as keep our city officials accountable.”
Blackshear added that she often gets the question; “Why not just call it ‘Black Lives Matter?’”
“You can name different things different names, but the mission remains the same…” Blackshear said in reference to the name of her group. “(With) the name (Black Lives Matter), people take that and say ‘it’s a terrorist organization’ because there are people infiltrating that movement and causing harm. I would never advocate for people to burn down buildings. I would never advocate to burn my city down.”
Blackshear has also helped orchestrate many local marches in the past, starting in early June.
“My first march was June 2 but they started in the city that Friday before,” Blackshear said. “I helped harness the St. Pete Peace Demonstrations… I created the Facebook page and I have helped harness this momentum along with my peers to bring us here today.”
Heading south of Central Avenue, the march sought to raise awareness of the development that was eventually going to take place in the area.
“There needs to be a plan for equity,” Blackshear said. “Because when you quarantine people, you cut off the socioeconomic tributaries that feed them… there’s money being stolen from the black communities.
“The Community Redevelopment Agency, the CRA, codified in it its policy, which is 169-8, to perpetuate poverty. This is the agency that is supposed to help (black communities), but it’s taking the dollars away and giving them to the developers…”
According to a Tampa Bay Times article published in January, “the (St. Petersburg) population grew almost 5 percent in five years, from 256,681 in 2015 to 269,357 last year,” and, “the number of (what) residents aged 20 to 39 grew at nearly 17 percent over the last five years.”
Evidently, the city has accommodated this growth with new high rises and apartment complexes – but at a cost for many, according to Blackshear.
“In this upcoming budget… I want the (city) to propose a resolution or a referendum that will define affordable housing and cap it,” Blackshear said. “If you are planning on developing and the rent goes up further than $775, that’s not affordable housing.”
The next day, Sept. 17, the city council’s budgetary hearing took place over Zoom.
Blackshear’s proposals were voiced at the meeting via email, beginning with, “As a descendant of the Historic Methodist Town residents, I come to you humbly and implore you, to define the term ‘Affordable Housing’ through codification of a resolution…”
Blackshear told The Crow’s Nest, “Most of the residents pointed at flaws and concerns within the new CAL (Community Assistant Liaison) program/policy…”
“Reducing the current (St. Petersburg) Police Budget even by 15 percent… will create an opportunity for more home ownership rewards (grant) programs to flourish…” Blackshear said in the email.
“Please take this under serious consideration. We love our city and want to stay! The lives of our children are at stake!”
Blackshear’s email was read by the city council during the budget meeting on Sept. 17; however, according to Blackshear, “We were not heard…”
“I think they choose not to understand, based up on their own political alternative motives,” said Blackshear in an email to The Crow’s Nest.
“It was very transparent that the Council, who unanimously approved the proposed budget… made their minds up weeks ago…while we were marching in the streets for the last 4 months… for equity and equality… the Administration lobbied the legislative body. The Police were granted 40% of the city’s General Fund,” Blackshear said of the council.
However, the fight does not stop here.
“I do feel change is coming along but it will be through an electoral process to change the leadership within the Administration and Council over the next 3 years,” Blackshear said. “It will take persistent, active, civic engagement, city wide to accomplish the greater good.”
