Gainesville and Alachua County Build Belonging at Bo Diddley Plaza
[Correction Sep 25: originally incorrectly reported name and position of the Alachua County Language Access Coordinator]
On Sunday, September 22, Gainesville residents consisting of immigrants and citizens gathered at Bo-Diddley Plaza to celebrate their diversity and heritage.
The Building Belonging event was hosted by Gainesville Immigrant Neighbor Inclusion Initiative (GINI) of Rural Women’s Health Project, Alachua County, and the City of Gainesville.
GINI is housed in Rural Women's Health Project and is in an advocacy alliance with leaders from different organizations and backgrounds.
Building Belonging host Veronica Robleto introduced two immigrant liaisons from Alachua County and the City of Gainesville. Garcia Fernandez is the Immigrant and Language Access Coordinator for Alachua County, and John Yohan John is the Immigrant Affairs Manager of the City of Gainesville Office of Equity and Inclusion. Both positions were formed in June after GINI advocated for their creation.
Since its formation GINI has gotten the City of Gainesville and Alachua County to respectively allocate $350,000 and $875,000 to language access. Fernandez said GINI can help Gainesville immigrants with document preparation, language access, and other advocacy services. [Correction: Mistakenly reported that the City allocated $500,000 because that was what GINI proposed but the City decided on $350,000.]
“At the City of Gainesville and Alachua County we have a language access plan,” said John. “At the City we’re focused on eliminating language barriers accessing City services and information. That’s been our focus for the past year. Going forward we have a lot more improvements and services planned out.”
University of Florida (UF) plant pathology graduate student Belizaire Christ Mane spoke about being a Haitian immigrant in America amidst misinformation and falsehoods in politics. “Talking about Hati makes me feel emotional because I know that nowadays we have many bad words swirling in our community. My message today is a message of hope and peace because I know we’re a strong community when we represent with the Black community…. We’re supporting everyone here. This is our country and we’re going through many bad situations right now. Knowing we have a community that supports all Hatians. We are lovely people even if you heard many things about our community that are not true.”
She is correct. 45th President of the United States, convicted felon, and President elect Donald J. Trump’s claims about Hatians are verifiably untrue.
Convicted felon Trump said at the ABC Presidential Debate “look at what’s happening to the towns all over the United States. A lot of towns don’t wanna talk about it; not gonna be Aurora or Springfield…. In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in; they’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there….”
Convicted felon Trump was spreading false claims about Hatians since Ohio, Spingfeild is home to over 10,000 Haitian immigrants.
ABC News Moderator David Muir responded that “ABC news did reach out to [Ohio, Spingfeild’s] city manager and he told us there’s been no credible reports of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
Convicted felon Trump said that he “saw it on television.” Misinformation has contributed to his claims.
A video that people have regarded as “proof” shows an American, Ohio woman who is not Haitian being arrested over 100 miles away from Springfield for allegedly eating a cat.
The front-running musical performance heard from Haitian musician Mirddoson Jean-Gilles playing guitar and singing Ayiti pap peri as Mane and Jeftey Saint Fleur held a Haitian flag. The direct translation of the song’s name is “Hati Will Not Perish” and Mane said it shows that Haïti will stay strong whatever happens even if bad words are sullying the community.
Click here to access Mirddoson Jean-Gilles's Youtube account
The event went on to hear from local Afro Venezuelan electronics musician Venezonix. He’ll have a show at the How Bazar on September 28.
Click here to access Venezoniz's spotify.
Mayor Harvey Ward said he’s proud of what GINI has grown into over the years. Ward said “It's exciting to see lots of different types of folks which is really what our community is about…. UF is here and invites lots of different sorts of folks to our community…. Almost any kind of folks you can find here in Gainesville; we wanna help you at the City of Gainesville find your people and then build out from there…. The City of Gainesville is gonna continue to provide resources as we can and do everything we can to help everybody who is here understand that you belong in Gainesville, no matter where you came from initially, no matter what you look like, no matter what kind of music you are, culturally, uh most likely to have started with. We wanna help you move on and-and becoming apart of the bigger community so that you will enjoy being here.”
Robleto thanked Ward for his speech and said that it's important to see support from the City and County.
On October 23, 2023, Ward reportedly pledged Gainesville’s support to Israel (FL Alligator). Ward said “We all want peace, we all want an end to suffering, but we know that right now it is time we stand together.”
Ward told GnvInfo in an interview last month that he’s shaken hands with pro-Palestine protesters. Ward was asked if he would shake their hands in the same way he shook the hands of former Israeli soldiers Shlomi Kahana and Rom El-Hai.
video cred. gnvinfo
An activist outside City Hall said that Ward answered the question in a way that was “technically true,” saying he likely has shaken hands with Palestinians or pro-Palestine people but not in a way that’s related to the movement for Palestinian independence.
Robleto said she had the “honor to introduce” Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Corporal Gilberto Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said he’s “not much for titles,” and said “I believe it’s very important for all of you to know, to follow the words of Mayor Ward we want you all the feel safe. That’s where we come in at GPD. We have many different initiatives to make sure inclusion is our number one priority with everything we do, with every crime we investigate, to make sure that everybody feels safe and protected.”
Gonzalez said that if Gainesville and Alachua County residents have an encounter with a police officer that they have the right to a translator. He said that GPD works with UF to have a translator line available at all times.
“No matter what, we’re always gonna be able to translate for you,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is a certified Spanish Translator for GPD and he frequently appears on Tu Fiesta Radio. Gonzalez said he brings Gainesville “All the information he can on your safety.”
“We want you all to feel safe and welcome,” said Gonzalez. “Gainesville is very unique…. Please do not be afraid to follow law enforcement. Do not be afraid to contact should you be the victim of a crime. We’re here to help you and we have the resources to help you be safe and protected.”
Robleto introduced Alachua County Commissioner-Chair Mary Alford.
Alford said “Being an immigrant takes courage and tenacity. I know that there are challenges that come with that…. If you need information to help make decisions, or are worried that a landlord is taking advantage of you because that does happen in this town; our community support services are here to help. Depending on your circumstances we can connect you with resources to help you receive medical, vision, utility, housing, or any other special needs, we can provide that kind of help if you qualify and most of you do. We have non profit partners [and] emergency rental assistance we can connect you with. If you’re having issues as a tenant our legal services can help with landlord disputes. We have a tenet hotline if you’re experiencing discrimination and you can participate in our tenet’s rights workshops…. If you feel sad, isolated, or depressed from being away from home; for any reason, you can call the #988 number. That number is there to help prevent suicide and help people deal with personal crisis’. If you’re the victim of a crime you can receive counselling and support though Alachua County’s Victim Services. These are all services we provide at no cost.”
GnvInfo caught up with Alford as she was walking off stage and asked her if she’d be willing to call out the specific landlords who are taking advantage of local immigrants.
Alford called the issue “widespread,” and said she doesn’t have their names off the top of her head but indicated where to find them.
“There’s one or two really bad landlords,” said Alford,“but I don’t wanna give free reign to all the other landlords causing trouble. Feel free to call our community support services and ask for a Tenants Rights workshop, ask who is running that, and talk to them. I think that would be most helpful.”
video cred. gnvinfo
Alachua County’s Tenant Rights workshop is run through Florida Legal Services (FLS). GnvInfo left a message for FLS to ask for information on landlords with shady business practices and for more trustworthy alternatives. This article may be updated when that information is found.
Gainesville based Cuban artist at Tu Fiesta Radio DJ Elio Piedra closed out the event with a Fiesta.
As Piedra was throwing a Fiesta dance party, GnvInfo decided to ask Lauren Poe for an interview about some affiliations that have come to light.
Poe is the executive director of the Greater Gainesville International Chamber and was tabling for his organization at the Building Belonging event.
On June 23, the lead pastor of Ignite Life Center (ILC) Mark Vega talked about an email he received from a former Gainesville mayor.
Vega said, “I worked closely with him in Gainesville, and he stated, ‘listen you guys have championed advocacy from the immigrants [and] unaccompanied minors. I am involved in a program called…’ I don’t know the exact name, but it's ‘greater Gainesville’ [the former Gainesville mayor said] ‘We do the same kind of work, but we do it with families, like families of ten, families from Afghanistan, families from Europe, Asia, South America, Venezuela; different families.’ What we had was [we] were working with unaccompanied minors, but this is now work with the entire family. We said, ‘This is what we do [and have] been doing for ten years. Why don’t you come and meet? We’ll talk.’ We met last week, [the second week of June] and he took a tour and [asked] ‘Is there any way I can move my office here?... This is incredible and phenomenal.’ Their staff is now going to come on Tuesday to take a tour, so soon we believe we’ll be partnering and continuing the same work we’ve been doing with families. We expect our first family of about four from Afghanistan, and they’ll be staying.”
The sermon was deleted shortly after GnvInfo reported it happened. The 15 minutes where Vega went off about his plans was re-uploaded to Youtube.
Three people from the church have been arrested for committing sex crimes against underaged children: (1) convicted child molester Gabriel Hemenez; (2) Vega’s son, alleged rapist Christian Vargas; and (3) former associate pastor Jose Cruz’s son, alleged statutory rapist Noel Cruz.
If Poe really is working with Ignite Life Center, then he is actively putting immigrant communities at risk of illegal harm against them.
Seven anonymous whistleblowers have reported financial frauds, spiritual abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and the coverup of all the former. More recently, three former Ignite School of Ministry (ISM) students have come forward with their names to publicly back up the anonymous whistleblowers’ claims.
Jack Walden
Jack Walden
Jack Walden
GPD Captain Paris Owens said GPD is not regarding the civil lawsuits by three survivors of Hemenez’s sexual abuse.
The lawsuits state that one of the Plaintiffs called GPD up and asked them how the investigation into Hemenez’s cases were going and was told there wasn’t an investigation because ILC never reported it.
GPD Sergeant John Pandak said there’s “no probable cause to charge [ILC head pastor] Mark Vega with anything”
A sexual abuse survivor, and her father told GPD about Vega’s evidence concealment of sexual abuse. Vega had a private meeting instead of reporting the matter to police; GPD’s own Supplemental Report, which was supervised by Pandak himself says so.
Gnvinfo asked Poe for an interview about Ignite Life Center. He said no. Gnvinfo asked why? Poe raised his voice and said “I don’t have to tell you why.”
GnvInfo said okay, threw a business card on Poe’s desk, told him it’s there if he changes his mind, and left the Building Belonging event.
