Adam Britt’s Equality Ride Journey

Hi y’all!

I am not sure anyone reads this anymore, but I just wanted to give folks a tiny update about what i am up to currently.

Right now I am doing a lot of work with a local non profit group, The Center for Artistic Revolution, CAR. I have working with them for quite a while now and owe more to this group than I will ever be able to return. If everyone could check out the website and sign up for the e-mailing list, that would be great and you would be able to keep up to date with all of CAR’s news.

Thanks!

Love,

Adam Britt
www.ArtisticRevolution.org

After the incidents with the police yesterday, Katie and Jarrett sent letters out to all of the huge Queer groups in America, telling them to send a letter to the mayor (basically) saying that the nation is watching what he is doing and we need to be treated with respect. All of those letters came in today and we haven’t had any more problems. The following letter was also sent to Dunn Lampton, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Mississippi
Chief Don Byington, City of Clinton Police Department, Sheriff Maclom McMillin, Hinds County Sheriff Department
John S. Williams, Staff Attorney, ACLU Mississippi and Mississippi Attorney General.

March 23, 2007

Attorney General Jim Hood
MS Attorney General’s Office
Carroll Gartin Justice Building
450 High Street
Jackson, MS 39201

Sent Via: Facsimile

Re: “Get out of town”

Dear Attorney General Hood,

We write today out of deep concern for the actions of the Clinton Mississippi Police Department. We are the Co-Directors of the Soulforce Equality Ride, a bus tour of college students who are crossing the country to advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality. As a group we are committed to and trained in the principles of nonviolence, and have a history of peaceful dialogue and respectful interaction with college students and administrations across the country. Soulforce has an outstanding relationship with many police departments and honors the hard work that law enforcement officials put into their lives everyday.

Last night, while in the town of Clinton, Mississippi, we experienced a distressing form of police intimidation. After a day of dialogue at nearby Mississippi College, we parked our bus in downtown Clinton. We were waiting for the return of some of the members of our tour from area coffee shops. While waiting, a police vehicle approached the bus with its lights flashing, signaling us to move. Our bus driver immediately turned down the nearest road and into a church parking lot to await the Equality Riders. The same officer once again followed us into the parking lot, with his lights on and asked our driver to speak with him. The officer was quite aggressive in demanding that we “go on and get out of town.” Our driver explained that we were still waiting on the remainder of our group, but was still forced to move the bus. At that time, we drove and parked the bus in a lot that was previously designated by the city of Clinton. For the third time, a police vehicle approached us with flashing lights. The officer who approached us was extremely indignant and asked us “what is your problem? We have already given you breaks today.” Our driver explained that we were in the space the City provided for us. In response, the officer asserted that our driver would be arrested if he were to take us anywhere else and not leave the city of Clinton immediately. Soon after, a community member arrived with the rest of the Equality Riders and we left promptly. We are prepared to provide sworn affidavits from ten people who can attest to the above series of events.

This behavior on the part of a Clinton police officer is unacceptable and we consider it a violation of our civil rights. Law abiding citizens should be allowed to safely assemble in any town in America. Such actions on the part of a law enforcement agent serve to make gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people feel unsafe in the city of Clinton. The role of a police officer is to protect members of the public, not threaten or intimidate them.

These concerns are augmented by the fact that several days prior to our arrival in Clinton, we received a document from the Clinton Police Department that set restrictions on our First Amendment right to assemble. After being contacted by the American Civil Liberties Union, the city rescinded the unconstitutional restrictions and shamefully applauded Soulforce for “playing the game well.”

We are planning on returning to the city of Clinton today for a preplanned community picnic and we will not tolerate a repeat of this sort of behavior from the Clinton Police Department. If threatened with arrest for lawful assembly today members of the Soulforce Equality Ride are prepared and willing to submit to such an arrest. Any arrests for lawful assembly would be challenged by us in court and followed up with a lawsuit on our behalf against the city of Clinton for violation of our civil rights.

We hope that you will take swift action by informing the city of Clinton that such behavior by the Clinton Police is unlawful and will not be tolerated in the State of Mississippi.

Jarrett Lucas & Katie Higgins

cc. Dunn Lampton, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Mississippi
Chief Don Byington, City of Clinton Police Department
Sheriff Maclom McMillin, Hinds County Sheriff Department
John S. Williams, Staff Attorney, ACLU Mississippi
(end of letter)

Today was a wonderful day. We had our picnic in the park and there were a whole lot of Mississippi College faces there, which was wonderful to see. We had a really good time and had really good conversations. I am very happy with how the day went and it was a good way to end our visit in Mississippi.

Photos, as usual, can be found here.

With all my love,

-Adam

I’m not going to sugar coat this post. It would be so easy for me to say right now ‘some things aren’t going like we want them too, but I know that everything will be okay’, but I can’t do that. For the first time on the ride, I am scared. More than that, I am terrified, but I don’t know why.

After the arrest at Baylor for chalking on campus, 5 riders and 1 student were held overnight. A first for Equality Ride. They had to strip down in front of officers and change into jump suits and the girls had to have cavity searches, while the men did not. They are back with us now, safe, for the moment.

Today was our stop at Mississippi College. We were meet to a sea of people. When we stepped off the bus to be greeted by hundreds of people, it felt real, for the first time. This is what I thought the Ride would be more of and it was scary, yet exciting to see it for the first time. 2 riders were arrested for attempting to deliver a poster with baby photos of the riders and a quote explaining how we are all gods children. Then 3 more riders entered campus in an attempt to start conversations with students, they were also arrested.

We spent the rest of the day talking with students on campus and at a local coffee shop. I had some really good conversations and I think that others did also. When the riders got out of jail, we found out that 2 of the riders had been given a $250 fine and if they are arrested in the next 2 years (anywhere), they have to serve 10 days in Mississippi jail. The other 3 were given a $250 fine, 20 days in jail if they are arrested in the next 2 years and they have to serve 5 days of community service. That means that Katie, Amy and Vince P. will not be with us at our next stop, Union, which is terrible news. We will miss them so very much and the bus will not be the same with them not there.

After that, local police pulled over the bus 3 times in 5 minutes and the bus driver was shouted at. The 3rd time, the police yelled that we need to ‘get out of town’ and they escorted us out of town.

As we were walking to the grocery store, we saw one undercover cop watching the hotel and our bus. We don’t know how many undercover cops we have, but I still haven’t gotten used to being watched constantly.

I have a terrible feeling about tomorrow. I don’t know why, but I have never felt so un-easy going to sleep. I really just want this night to be over and I want to be out of Mississippi.

-Adam

(P.s./edit)

After having our meeting to talk about everything that happened today, I do not feel any less un-easy. However, I think that I have been able to locate at least some source of my worry.

For the first time, I feel that I can compare what we are doing, to the Freedom Ride. As we were being pulled over, I couldn’t help to imagine that in a very small percentage, this is what the Freedom Riders were feeling. I am incredibly uncomfortable with comparing what I am doing with what the Freedom Riders did, however a small part of me feels like I can relate to them on a very small level.

It’s late and I don’t feel like what I just said makes since. I am having so much throw at me and processing it all is proving to be very difficult, I hope that I can work on this.