The “Dred Scott City of Refuge” resolution is modeled on successful Sanctuary City resolutions adopted by municipalities across the U.S. that pledge non-cooperation by local governments with federal immigration raids. The ‘Dred Scott’ resolution calls on St. Louis to pledge non-cooperation with the FBI or other federal agency targeting ‘Black community organizers and members for charges stemming from work for the betterment and upliftment of their community’.
On July 29, 2022 the FBI violently raided seven homes and offices of the Uhuru Movement, including the North St. Louis Home of Chairman Omali Yeshitela.
The Uhuru Movement is responsible for creating numerous community programs through the Black Power Blueprint in North St. Louis.
The city of St. Louis police department cooperated with the July 29 FBI raids on the Chairman’s house and three other properties.
In January of 2023, St. Louis 18th Ward Alderman Jesse Todd submitted to the Public Safety
Committee the Dred Scott City of Refuge resolution calling on the city to refuse to cooperate with the FBI and federal agencies in attacks on black community organizers working to uplift the community.
Some aldermen expressed their support for the programs of the Black Power Blueprint and called for a second hearing with the representative of the FBI and police department to hold them accountable.
One supportive council representative said, “For those members of this committee who are not close to that North Side area, all the work that is being done there is extremely well done. I probably stopped by, most especially during the summer months when there’s a lot of activity. Almost every Saturday there is something going on.”
The chair of the committee called on the clerk to contact the FBI and police.
A second hearing was held on February 8 where 22 individuals and organizations testified in support of the resolution.
Chairman Omali Yeshitela testified saying, “For the majority of my 81 years of life on this planet, I have fought here in the United States for the upliftment of African people, from the ubiquitous horrors stemming from the original sin of U.S domestic colonialism.”
New York City District 42 councilman Charles Barron joined the meeting as well saying, “You can say the spirit of this body. See sometimes that helps a lot. The spirit of this body is that you should not cooperate with people who are violating the human rights of people to live in peace and move about peacefully in their neighborhoods.”
St. Louis resident Ragina Gray said “This city resolution is an opportunity for redemption, to take a step in making right the acts of oppression that have been committed against the black community here in the city of St. Louis.”
That same day, the chair of the Public Safety Committee lied and claimed it was Alderman Todd’s responsibility to have called the FBI and police, something he wouldn’t have had the power to do.
Although initially the committee had a quorum to vote, the majority of the aldermen dropped out before a vote was held and even those who stayed were too cowardly to vote for it.
Why were the aldermen complicit with the vicious FBI and police attacks on one of the few organizations creating community programs, something the city has never done?
This is not over!
New York City District 42 councilman Charles Barron will sponsor this resolution in the New York City Council.
Donate to fund the legal defense for Chairman Omali Yeshitela and others facing indictment and arrest by the FBI on bogus charges, a continuation of COINTELPRO.
Go to HandsOffUhuru.org/Donate
