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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