Following a summer and fall of over 27 town hall meetings congregations and local agencies, a newly formed coalition called Gadsden United, met the end of October with their County Commissioners to share concerns from 800 people who attended this fall’s meetings. The primarily African American churches and pastors asked two attending County Commissioners to respond to the platform’s concerns. The other three Commissioners did not attend but one agreed to support the demands of the organization. This included televising BOCC meetings, banning the box asking job applicants to identify as convicts and agreeing to overturn the county’s Citizen Bill of Rights that requires a super majority votes on some County funding items.
The clergy leaders also announced community improvements agreements including resurfacing of local roads, air conditioning in a number of schools, and Gadsden Technical Institute agreed to offer evening carpentry and GED classes. Congratulations to Pastor Charles Morris and the other ministers on this historic effort in a rural county often bypassed by community organizing. Gadsden County, Florida, population 46,000 a predominately African American county to the west of Tallahassee
See local story: Groups shares concerns, goals with county leaders
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