Category Archives: Articles

May Day 2025: Lessons and next steps for Gainesville

by Alachua County Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

On May 1, workers from all over the world celebrated and rallied for International Workers’ Day. 

In Turkey, thousands of people demonstrated on May 1 to protest the anti-democratic political arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the main competitor to President Erdogan in the next general election. In Germany, labor unions rallied against anti-immigration policies targeting minorities. In the Philippines, workers from all over the country gathered in the capital, Manila, to demand wage increases and demand protection of local industries from Trump’s tariffs. 

Lastly, Americans—including hundreds of Gainesvillians—organized protests against the Trump administration’s attacks on public services and federal workers. 

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Labor and Trump’s first 100 days

by Jason Bellamy-Fults, Recording Secretary, IBEW Local 1205, proud member of the North Central Florida Central Labor Council

With the Florida legislature still a mess as of the writing of this column, we’ll save a detailed analysis of this year’s session, how it will affect working people, and how our legislative delegation voted, for the July-August column. However, if you want to keep tabs in the meantime, we recommend Jason Garcia’s “Seeking Rents” substack (jasongarcia.substack.com/) as well as Florida for All (floridaforall.substack.com/) and Caring Class Revolt (caringclassrevolt.substack.com/).

For now, we’ll focus on Trump’s “historic” 100 days.

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A student perspective: UF’s DEI funding cuts unfair

by Autumn Johnstone

In 2024, the UF Student Senate agreed upon the importance of funding programs and clubs centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet, months after President Trump’s inauguration and several passed Florida state government bills later, we have found this to simply not be the case anymore. 

Funding for the welcome assemblies of several identity-based student organizations has been cut for the following year, such as the Pride Student Union and Black Student Union. 

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From the publisher… Oppression and illusions

by Joe Courter

All of us are facing the difficult task of processing all the disturbing news in the world these days. In my life I have found that the wisdom, insights, and power of music feed me and keep me going. Song writers, like poets and authors, can convey a lot with their art. But music has a brevity that comes with a beat, a melody, that goes inside you. I was struck by the number of messages of tribute from fellow artists to Jill Sobule, who tragically just died at 67, in a house fire. In her 30-year career as a performer, she supported so many important issues and collaborated with so many other artists. 

That brought to mind another artist, Ferron, another, now older woman, who touched many hearts. We still have her; she is 72. Besides her music, this quote from her always resonates in me: “Women live lives of oppression, men live lives of illusion.” The concept goes beyond just men and women. The illusion here is that the unfair situations of dominance and exploitation that exist are normal, in the view of the dominant political party or interest group. The oppressed, trapped in their status, often try to fight back for some freedom and justice. This relates to the concept “a better world is possible.” LGBTQ+ rights, DEI initiatives, bodily autonomy, health care, unvarnished history, all are under attack because that is the playbook of authoritarians. Repression is their game. Preserve the illusions.  

This “War on Woke” we are seeing hides the parts of history that expose the shameful truth that this “shining city on the hill” has greatly benefitted from stealing the land of Native people, and then importing and enslaving Black people from Africa. Fact: The real wealth of this nation was built on stolen land and stolen labor. Native people were banished to reservations, and Black people, after being “freed,” were further discriminated against and redlined out of family wealth. Nope, can’t talk about that. Over and over, authoritarians seek to control the culture and historical narrative.

The rapid rise of an authoritarian state is a stunningly produced everything-all-at-once strategy. There is a tendency to have it become normalized, unchallenged. Arrests and deportation of students and workers? Threats to and arrests of judges? Ignoring the Supreme Court? Ignoring the Constitution? Trashing DEI and decrying empathy? Executive order piled on executive order. They claim an emergency, but THEY are the emergency, and we are just starting to resist in the last month on any significant level. I am heartened by the fight back from Harvard and other universities, people in the streets, more and more legislators joining AOC, Bernie, Murphey, Stansbury, and Crockett. And I’m kind of glad that MAGA types may be feeling the pain soon from the tariffs affecting imports. There’s only so much right wing media can spin the effects of these changes. Meanwhile, so much has been destroyed … USAID, science and humanities funding, regulatory bodies. There will be real consequences. 

All of us have personal challenges we face in our lives. I recently was at a burial out at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, had another valued friend just pass, and a couple serious illnesses in people close to me. They pale in comparison to what others are going through. I just saw “No Other Land,” the Oscar-winning, but suppressed, film about Palestinians in the West Bank, and also recently saw “Encampments,” about the campus protests over the Netanyahu genocide in Gaza. The all-out assault on the Palestinian people is powered by illusions, too … for some people as if fulfilling Bible prophecy. Every day it is a drumbeat of death, and make no mistake, Gaza is this period’s Viet Nam, especially for the young. The world can see their suffering, read and hear about it every day, and everyone can see the complicity of the U.S. government. This is yet another stain in our history that won’t be washed away, however they try.

The mighty strive to perpetuate the illusions that they believe in. The people the mighty are oppressing will continue to try and make a better world — in their communities, their states, and in the nation. This coup will not go away on its own; the resistance will grow in many forms. Will some Republican legislators flip, say “No!” to all this unconstitutional power grab? Will lawyers and judges stand up and resist? Will the economy start to hurt so many people that they rise up and say “No!”? How will Canada, Mexico, and other nations react?

Support each other, let’s work together and turn this around. No Kings. No Dictators. Reclaim Democracy and actually, for real, do it better. But first, we must get there. Preserve elections, support independent media, support local organizations and businesses, and stay sane and healthy. The fight has just begun.

DeSantis is the new Musk

by Philip “Tre” Mobley III, Santa Fe College Journalism Club President

It has been 3 months since tech billionaire, Elon Musk, first sent the “What have you done this week” email to his recently acquired Twitter staff before making major cutbacks. It has also been two months since Trump’s DOGE email was sent with the same goal. Next up to bat is Gov. Ron DeSantis and his new FL DOGE team as they address the state colleges with an ultimatum.

On April 4, an email was sent to the presidents of universities across Florida from the Office of the Governor, stating “The Executive Office of the Governor has established an EOG DOGE Team which will …. identify, review, and report on unnecessary spending, programs, courses, staff, and any other inefficiencies.” DeSantis is gearing up to make big changes in higher education, following closely in the footsteps of his superiors.

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GRU UPDATE: Democracy, affordability in the balance

by Let the Voters Decide

The fight for democracy, against privatization, for working-class people, for our environment, and for a well-functioning government isn’t just national, it’s right here in Gainesville.

Five months ago we, the people of Gainesville, voted to take back our local public utilities. Our community came together to run a grassroots campaign to take our power (and water) back from DeSantis. Since then, we’ve had a court case, rate changes, projects killed and money taken from the taxpayers. We wanted to give you an update of where GRU stands and the road forward.

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As ICE agents enter schools, who is being threatened?

by Rebecca Ragan, Sadie Matteucci, and Yanifel Sanchez, Gainesville High School teachers

The safety and well-being of students should always be a school district’s top priority. However, the presence of ICE in schools, particularly when their agents are given leeway to act without proper legal procedures, can traumatize students, disrupt learning, and impose undue burdens on educators and administrators. We must take immediate action to protect our children by demanding transparency, accountability and comprehensive safeguards when it comes to ICE operations within our schools.

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History and the people who make it: Dr. Paul Ortiz

This month, the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida features excerpts from a 2021 interview with Dr. Paul Ortiz [O], a UF professor and the director of the SPOHP at the time. Currently a professor of labor history at Cornell University, he has a personal and academic background in African American history, Latinx studies, and oral history. He was interviewed by George Topalidis [T]. Excerpt edited by Beth Grobman. For the full interview go to tinyurl.com/Iguana2149

T: What level of support did you find for the Oral History Program when you came to UF? 

O: We’re in a world class facility which was built with our needs in mind. We have space for production, recording suites. It’s a really nice piece of real estate for an oral history program to thrive. When I first met Sam Proctor in the mid-nineties, the UF Oral History was in the basement of Anderson Hall and the offices leaked … you could see the rain coming down the side of the walls; we’re in a much better space than we were back then. 

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Historic downtown block threatened

by Melanie Barr

The buildings in the 100 block of N. Main Street are threatened with demolition even though they are significant in terms of age, history and architecture. 

The two former houses were built in 1879. One was later used by the Wine and Cheese Gallery for 43 years, and the other was a law office for over 100 years. Destroying them is an odd way to celebrate Alachua County’s 200th anniversary this year.

The people who occupied the historic houses are significant. James B. Brown, who purchased a lot in 1873, was one of only two people who was the Mayor of Gainesville three times. He was Mayor in 1871, 1885 and 1888, and maneuvered the City through the aftermath of the fire that destroyed much of downtown. The population also doubled in the ten years from 1880 to 1890.

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Working people under attack

by Carmen Ward, President, ACEA, and Jason Bellamy-Fults, Recording Secretary, IBEW Local 1205, both proud members of the North Central Florida Central Labor Council

Unfortunately, working people in our community are currently facing formidable labor struggles at the local, state, and national levels.  Below are some updates and ways that you can be of support.

Support our Alachua County teachers! 

When it comes to bargaining in the public school system, things are very complicated. Most employees are represented by the union, Alachua County Education Association (ACEA), if they are education support professionals (e.g., food service workers, bus drivers, facilities staff, and paraprofessionals) or instructional employees (i.e., teachers). The ACEA negotiates with the School Board’s appointed district team for both units within ACEA. 

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From doomscrolling to doing: Our journey toward connection and action

by Voices for Common Ground members Tanya Mickler, Michele Gutierrez, Tamara Martin, Betsy Williams, and Lisa Wolcott

On a hot Gainesville day in July 2024, one of our founders sent out an email with deep resonance for many of us. She shared her thoughts on an alternative to the growing habit of “doomscrolling” — the act of mindlessly consuming negative news online, which had begun to feel like a futile attempt to make sense of the chaos around us. 

But doomscrolling wasn’t working because our feeds didn’t have the answer to the question we were grappling with: where is our country headed? Conversations with friends, family, and co-workers often seemed to lack common ground. The constant churn of divisive politics deepened the sense of helplessness. Was there a way to break the cycle of despair and paralysis?

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The Repurpose Project prepares to expand (again)

by Sarah Goff, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Repurpose Project

The dust has barely settled at Renovator Reuse (the third and newest thrift store), but The Repurpose Project is planning to expand again. This time, the goal is a bulk clearance store and donation processing center. Imagine clothing by-the-pound, electronics by-the-pound, and fill a bag or bucket deals. It will be one last chance for items. 

The Repurpose Project hopes it will be a material supply source for artists and innovators to help us exponentially expand the local circular economy. It’s dreamy, we know. Want to help us? Buy used! Tell your friends! Hang up a flyer! Share our social media posts! We need to raise funds to afford the electrical work and permitting required to occupy the 5,000 sq ft back building (that we own!) nestled behind the newly acquired Renovator Reuse building.

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Rise up, show up to preserve Social Security

by Mary Savage

The Trump-Musk-DOGE unholy trinity is sabotaging Social Security. Have you looked at the current Social Security Administration web site? Have you tried to set up your own account? What a confusing mess of cerebral-techno gibberish. How about a soon-to-be-retiree or a disabled person being able to speak to a live human being over the phone or in person instead of suffering through a confusing web site? The Trump-Musk-DOGE regime has made it difficult for seniors, the disabled and others to access their earned benefits and the services of the Social Security Administration. Watchdog groups and the still-free media are warning that Social Security is targeted for dismantling and privatization to Wall Street. But have you checked the stock market recently? Have you checked your 401(k)? The Trump economy has caused markets to tumble down. Wall Street keeps its fees while nest eggs decline in value. Do you want your Social Security dollars to go to a place of risky business called Wall Street? The answer is simple: NO YOU DO NOT.

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Expansion of legal assistance program for county residents

Alachua County is expanding its free legal assistance program to better support tenants facing legal challenges.

Funded through the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), this initiative provides no-cost legal aid to county residents dealing with evictions or legal barriers that threaten their housing stability. The program will be sunset in September 2025.

Previously, eligibility for assistance was limited to tenants within a specific area median income (AMI) threshold.

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What can you do?

by Janice Garry, President, League of Women Voters of Alachua County

Hear ye, hear ye (bells ringing vigorously!) The League of Women Voters of Alachua County is standing up and speaking out! We are answering the daunting question “What can I do?” in response to the current avalanche of information and the despair of having our country and democracy ransacked.

What can you do? Be a member of the What You Can Do Campaign created by your local League! We survey information, digest it (belch), and put it into succinct, scripted messages for our readers. In ten minutes or less you can read and act. Lots of recommended phone calls to legislators about specific topics. Also, info about local protests or issues. Whatever rises to the surface as useful and actionable.

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Amendment 4, abortion rights: demand more

This is an excerpt of a speech by Kendra Vincent, who spoke representing National Women’s Liberation, given on March 8 at the Democratic Women’s Club Luncheon at the Best Western in Gainesville. NWL was asked to speak about Amendment 4 and abortion. Representative Angie Nixon was the keynote speaker and Representative Yvonne Hayes Hinson also spoke. 

National Women’s Liberation is a feminist group for cis and trans women and trans people who do not benefit from male supremacy who want to fight back and build a mass movement for our liberation. 

We believe the inequalities and injustices we face due to male supremacy, white supremacy, and capitalism are political problems requiring a collective solution. We believe that change comes from the actions of everyday people. And this is one of the many reasons we organized a coalition and helped lead on Amendment 4 in Gainesville. 

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From the publisher… The need to resist

by Joe Courter

And here we still are: in a rapidly unfolding coup bent on overturning what has taken so long to build. I won’t repeat what I wrote last month, but here is a link to it: tinyurl.com/Iguana2174 … it holds up well.

What are our tools? How do we connect enough of us to focus our dissatisfaction in a meaningful way? How do we overcome our fears and seeming helplessness? We need to be able to communicate, to organize resistance. This has made me think about how we used to do that. Go back in history to the nation’s founding, there were letters, pamphlets and newspapers, but principally oration at meetings or churches. Yet they got organized and got stuff done. The twentieth century had its first major change in organizing with amplified sound and then radio, words from one individual could be heard by thousands, even millions at the same time. 

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Hands off!

by Joe Courter

Whether in hot sunny Florida, a rainy wet new York City, the cold of Burlington, Vermont, or whatever other weather across the country, and even in Europe, the turn outs at the Hands Off! rally on April 5 were huge. In cities big and small, the call was out to reign in and reverse the cut backs being imposed by the now rogue Trump/Musk et al. regime. An estimated 5 million people participated in Hands Off! rallies that day. 

In Gainesville, well over 1,000 people turned out for the rally near the Cade Museum at the large roundabout intersection of South Main Street and Depot Avenue.  

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Fighting Oligarchy

by Jenn Powell

There is something to be said about Bernie Sanders attracting a crowd of 34,000 in Denver last month. That is a record, and he’s not even running for anything. 

WE need to pay attention, we need to stop challenging and gate keeping, we need to follow his lead. I had the pleasure of leading the local grassroots campaign for Bernie Sanders in 2015 and assisted organizers in 2020. I was elected as a delegate in 2016 and appointed in 2020. What we accomplished in 2016 was amazing, with no help from the Dem party, with no money from the official campaign, we only lost Alachua County by 45 votes. We accomplished this with the PEOPLE, not any PACs, but with small dollar grassroots donations. We paid for all our printing, our yard signs, our events, even rented an office fully funded by local Bernie supporters. The energy behind this was nothing I had ever seen. I long to feel that level of HOPE for the future again. 

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May/June 2025 Gainesville Iguana

The May/June issue of the Iguana is now available, and you can access it here! If you want to get your hands on a hard copy, check out our distro locations here.