An organization started by young people of color in Collier County plans to hold a rally during Tuesday's Board of County Commissioners meeting.
WGCU's Andrea Perdomo spoke with one of the members of Collier Youth For Black Lives, Louissa Antoine, who is helping to organize the event.
Andrea Perdomo:
So Louissa, can you tell me a little bit about Collier Youth for Black Lives? How did that come to be?
Louissa Antoine:
It was kind of one of those things where everyone kind of have the same vision, but just different kind of aspects of the vision. Everyone had the same main goal, but different ways to help. So it came to the point where we all started to meet up and we started talking more and kind of educating each other. And through our education amongst each other, we kind of realized that we have the same goal and the same purpose, and that purpose is that Black lives matter and that the police department, especially in Naples, Collier County needs to be defunded. There's too much money going towards the police department when it can go towards so many other things. We have such bigger issues in our little city that need to be fixed, and it's never going to be fixed because we don't have the money and the support needed in order to fix them.
Andrea Perdomo:
So you guys kind of came together on this basis that there needed to be some very fundamental systematic reform in regards to law enforcement.
Louissa Antoine :
Yes, definitely.
Andrea Perdomo:
What are some of the objectives of Collier Youth for Black Lives? You touched on this a little bit, but I was hoping maybe you could elaborate on some of those.
Louissa Antoine:
One of our main goals is to defund the police. One of our other goals is to help that money go towards things that really can help change our community, like the education system.
Andrea Perdomo:
So you guys just want the funds to be redirected from law enforcement and put into other realms like education and community services and things like that?
Louissa Antoine:
Yes, definitely.
Andrea Perdomo:
And so Collier Youth for Black Lives is planning a rally during the Collier County Commission meeting July 14th. Why are you guys gathering at that specific location?
Louissa Antoine:
It's not really why, it's why not? It's kind of like we can gather anywhere, you need somewhere where your voice needs to be heard, and what's the better time than when they're trying to make their voice heard.
Andrea Perdomo:
So you guys are planning to go to this commission meeting, and I know it's not just so much about a demonstration, but you guys are also encouraging people to fill out the cards and actually participate in public comment. How are you guys going about that?
Louissa Antoine:
Yes. So anyone could come and put their little two cents in their comments, and that’s the reason why it's open to the public because everyone has their different form of opinions, and this way anyone could go out there and speak their truth or they can even educate someone else. So that's kind of how the rolling out of it that anyone can speak. Anyone can kind of say what they feel. If they want to get up and says to the public and to the commissioners and let them understand this is how we see it from our point of view. Because it's hard for them to understand because they're not us, they're not living our lives.
Andrea Perdomo:
I know that you guys are going to be out there trying to make some comments, but what else is going to be part of the rally that's going to be happening tomorrow?
Louissa Antoine:
Tomorrow we're going to have a lot of things. We'll have music, we'll have open mic people to read poetry, people that want to do raps. We want to make it kind of like an open environment. Not just people to speak their truth, but for education too. So people can go out there and meet, different individuals and educate each other and a place where people can bring their kids, their grandpas or grandma. We wanted to make it where every culture and everyone feels appreciated and loved and kind of help people understand what Black Lives Matter means and what our organization is trying to do for our community.
