Tent cities in the United States of America covered by the BBC.
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Tent city in suburbs is cost of home crisis

The noisy, dusty camp sprang up in July with 20 residents and now numbers 200 people, including several children, growing as this region east of Los Angeles has been hit by the U.S. housing crisis.
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As more families throw in the towel and head to foreclosure here and across the nation, the social costs of collapse are adding up in the form of higher rates of homelessness, crime and even disease.
While no current residents claim to be victims of foreclosure, all agree that tent city is a symptom of the wider economic downturn. And it's just a matter of time before foreclosed families end up at tent city, local housing experts say.

Martin Luther King, Jr. came to Memphis in 1968 following the death of two sanitation workers that were crushed to death riding in the back of a trash truck. Their names are not as well known as Dr. King, but should be important to remember, Robert Walker, 30, and Echol Cole, 36. They worked for the Memphis Department of Public Works.

The workers were given no gloves, carried trash bins on their shoulders often from the backyards of homes, and rode in the back area of the trucks on the waste that filled it. They worked long hours for little pay.

Today they still work without any possible pension.   Yes Folk, this is 2008!  It is worthy of note here, that Memphis has had an African American Mayor since October 1991, Mayor Herenton, recently re-elected to his fifth term.

Also worthy of note, this is where Harold Ford, Jr.'s House of Representative District, TN-09 is.  

I often wonder why Mayor Herenton values the likes of the Fedex Forum, and Autozone Park baseball stadium, while seeming to forget the needs of city workers for a pension, or Memphis being high for infant mortality rates.

Saturday in Memphis, Representative Steve Cohen held a town hall meeting for TN-09 (Steve Cohen took Harold Ford, Jr's House seat) as part of the remembrance of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis 40 years ago.

It was held at Rhodes College Library, with three to four hundred present.  Steve started with brief statements introducing Representative John Conyers, Jr.,  MI-14. Rep. Conyers spoke of "protecting the voting process", and that a corrupt Justice Department - stops the democratic process. He said that Martin Luther King, Jr., was about three main ideas, 1) the question of Color in
American Society, 2) the question of Poverty in American Society, and 3) the question of how to fight war, disputes between nations with force.
Rep. Conyers went on to say that first, we need to know the history, second, decide what you can do. He said, "If you have a different way, then go that way, that is what democracy is all about".

Harry Belafonte talked about a poor immigrant mother, too young to have a child, but was forever committed to
doing better.

He talked about the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr., and "redefining democracy on our terms", "the highest level of service".

Mr. Belafonte said, "the battle we head toward now, is going to take more than the polls". "This moment we should carry the children along" and how "democracy is not synonymous with capitalism".  He talked about
how young Martin Luther King, Jr., was at 24, Mr. Belafonte being 26, sitting in a basement in N.Y. having discussions, and that he died at just 39 years old. He said, "the loss for all of us profound affect on economics,
freedom and justice.

He talked about several people sitting in Mr. Belafonte's home planning, discussing what was the next plan, "and Martin was sitting there, had been quite through the discussions, not saying a word. I asked him, Martin why have you been so quiet? He said, `I have been reviewing the journey, but now know that we are at our most dangerous encounter'."

Mr. Belafonte explained, "Dr. King called it, integrating a burning house".

Mr.  Belafonte said he asked, "then what will we do?" The reply from Dr. King, "we will just have to become firemen".

Mr. Belafonte said, "we lost our get out of the way power". Talking about today, "they build more prisons than schools".

His outlook, "if you are looking in the room, and can't find the solution, then step out of the room, step out of the box."

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He went into details about a group he has founded called "The Gathering For Justice", after the  incident in Florida about a 5 year old taken away in handcuffs.  

Last Month [April] police officers called in by school administrators put handcuffs on 5-year-old Ja'eisha Scott's wrists and ankles after a half-hour temper tantrum and took the 40-pound girl to the local police station before releasing her to her mother.   May 2005

He has met with Crips, Bloods, and several gangs, to help lead the way for our lost youth. The Gathering, is about learning, common issues, and moving forward in non violent methods following the lead of Martin Luther King, Jr..

The Gathering coming to LeMoyne-Owen
Civil rights activist and entertainer Harry Belafonte returns to Memphis for the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with The Gathering for Justice, the group he founded to help a younger generation set a civil rights agenda for the 21st century.
The Gathering for Justice, begun in 2005 to address the problem of incarcerated youth, will conduct meetings and workshops at LeMoyne-Owen College on April 5 and 6.
Belafonte said the genesis of the idea for The Gathering was the 2005 televised handcuffing of a St. Petersburg, Fla., kindergartner for what authorities called "unruly behavior."
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200 8/mar/06/the-gathering-coming-to-lemoyne -owen/

The Gathering For Justice
The Gathering's Mission

The Gathering: A Movement for Coordination to Engage Organizations in a Common Covenant for Justice and Ending Child Incarceration
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups; 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.

More information about "The Gathering"
http://www.belafonte-asiteofsites.com/pa ges/thegatheringforjustice/index.html

Danny Glover, born in 1946, spoke of parents that were in the postal service, believed in the dream and possibilities of America and moral conditioning. He said, "I didn't have to pick cotton, I went to school in September". He talked about what "we" should do.

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ,
ABC 24 TV

The 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is this week and the events leading up to April 4, 2008 are numerous.
The who's who of the Civil Rights Movement past and present, will be in town this week to honor Dr. King's legacy, including the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
"It's an exciting time because people can reconnect with this history and hopefully that will inspire them to go forth and make a difference from this site," says Beverly Robertson, President of The National Civil Rights Museum.
A march from Downtown, Memphis to the National Civil Rights Museum followed by a Candle Light Vigil will be the culmination of the week's events honoring the life of Dr. King.

For a list of the events through Sunday and a video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/loc al/story.aspx?content_id=17d3e56d-21e2-4 227-b931-ad8862b496fe

WREG TV Memphis
By:Stephanie Scurlock:
Activist Celebrities Honor King

People wanting to hear from activists who are inspired and who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. packed a Rhodes College library, Saturday.
Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte and the only politician Dr. King ever endorsed for public office took part in a town hall meeting sponsored by U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen. Belafonte and Glover both names and faces that have entertained us for years. However, it's their work off the stages and movie sets that brings them to Memphis this week.
Belafonte said, "I hope they walk away feeling it was worth coming."

Commercial Appeal article:
Speakers at Rhodes College's town hall meeting urge participation
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200 8/apr/06/martin-luther-king-jr-40-years- later-exploring/