Detroit youth demand respect for elder
Published Mar 29, 2007 12:14 AM
On March 23 militant African-American youth silenced the lunchtime cash
register at Epicurus Place. On Feb. 28, respected community elder and artist
Aaron Ibn Pori Pitts was assaulted by an employee of this restaurant near Wayne
State University in Detroit. Demonstrators are demanding a verbal apology to
Ibn by the owners of the restaurant, a written apology, a televised public
apology and training for the owners and staff so they can serve the community
with respect and sensitivity.
According to the Pan African News Wire blog
(http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/), “For the past two weeks, a few of
Ibn’s supporters have protested daily, urging people of conscience to
boycott the restaurant. Ibn has filed a criminal complaint, which is currently
in the hands of the Wayne County prosecutor. He has also initiated steps to
file a civil lawsuit.
Detroit City Council members Kwame Kenyatta and JoAnn Watson and Wayne County
Commission Chair Jewel Ware have expressed their support for Pitts in his
struggle for justice.
“Ibn is 65-year-old artist who was recently honored as the Artist of the
Year by the Metro Times Newspaper. He is a longtime activist, having been a
member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, the National Conference of
Artists and numerous other organizations. He is a member of the Council of
Elders of the African Community of Detroit. Pitts has traveled to the Canary
Islands, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ghana.”
The boycott and demonstrations will continue until the community’s
demands are met.
—Report and photos by Cheryl
LaBash
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