Update on Citoya from Dunbar Village

Dear Readers,

When I started the Relocation Fund to help activist Citoya Greenwood move out of the Dunbar Village neighborhood, I wasn't sure if anyone would respond to it. To my amazement, contributions began to pour in and donations have continued to come in, even up to yesterday.

Today, I am delighted to say that our collective readerships raised approximately $2000 in the past two weeks for this effort. That is astounding! I never dreamed that we would be able to raise that amount in such a small space of time.

Citoya is all packed and ready to leave Dunbar Village. She is currently negotiating for a lease in a two bedroom apt in a safer area in West Palm Beach. But here is the great news:

Habitat for Humanity has expressed serious interest in building a brand new home for Citoya, within the next couple of months.

Wow! A brand new house is something that I had not even dreamed possible... thank you to blkSeagoat for brainstorming and getting that ball rolling!

Message from Citoya:

Hello Everyone,

I would like to thank everybody for their support, and all of the encouraging emails. I'm moving forward with the process to get my own home built. I am also talking with a local landlord to get a short term lease to live in the meantime.

Thank you SO MUCH and God bless you all!

Citoya

Citoya has expressed her continued commitment to working for social justice and safety in neighborhoods like Dunbar Village -- no matter where she lives. So now the ball is now in Citoya's court; she has enough leads to start a brand new chapter of her life.

She is also leaving Dunbar Village better than how she found it. Her efforts, combined with the help of several bloggers, has raised the awareness level that was necessary to begin to cut through the stubborn gridlock, red tape, and governmental malaise. The residents now have a police officer who walks through the complex, and video cameras in the hallways.

However, there is much more to be done there. There are still the remaining six violent predators on the loose. There are the basic tenet squabbles and fights that are often found in Section 8 housing. Citoya's commitment to improving the quality of life in that housing complex stands firm, and she will continue to reach out on those issues when she leaves.

I would like to add a special thanks to my fellow bloggers (listed below), who linked to this effort on their respective websites. You all are setting the new gold standard for collaboration around Black Women's Issues. Thank you for making this effort possible.

Readers: please take the time to visit any of the following blogs, especially if you don't recognize them. Notice the stark differences of viewpoint and lifestyles. This list is a shining example of what can be done when very different kinds of people agree to do something to help black women.

Let this be a lesson to as all: We definitely do NOT need to be a monolith to create monolithic changes for black women! Let's stop the 'litmus tests' about who can advocate for us, and just start working together on the issues that we DO agree on.


Symphony Essential Presence
BlkSeagoat BlackSapience .02
Professor Tracey Aunt Jemima's Revenge
Tami WhatTamiSaid
Attorneymom CharacterCorner
Evia bfinterracialmarriage Ezine
tasha212 The Sowing Circle
MrShadow33 Universal Blackness
villager ElectronicVillage
The PrivyChairLady Privy Concepts
Gina What About our Daughters
WeNeedtoStop We Need to Stop
Miriam BlackFireWhiteFire
deesha Mamalicious
PioneerValleyWoman Episcopalienne
halima dateawhiteguy

If you linked to the Citoya Relocation Fund and your name isn't here, please let me know.