Fredrick Douglass declared in his 1857 speech, "If there is no struggle there is no progress."..and."Power concedes nothing without a demand." Looking back over 2009, a year of hope amid despair, we activists made progress indeed through almost constant struggle.THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!

Galvanizing neighborhoodsIn January we started moving homeless families into vacant houses only to see the police quickly force people back out into the cold. So we launched the Underground Railroad in February as a way for people to help one another in time of need by physically moving those who are being evicted, storing their possessions, and providing temporary shelter.

Rosemary's refusing to leaveBy March, calls from the homeless declined as homeowners facing foreclosure started contacting us, reporting that banks were giving them the run-around. We brought in a social justice legal team to support Rosemary Williams' fight to save her home while our volunteers petitioned her neighborhood and joined demonstrations to stop sheriff sales on into April. Thus began joint actions with the MN Coalition for a People's Bailout.
Spreading resistanceFrequent press conferences and demonstrations, pressuring the banks to remodify adjustable rate mortgage loans like Rosemary's, caught the attention of the media. As spring turned into summer, other at-risk homeowners drew inspiration from Rosemary's resolve to stay in her house. Soon they too stepped out from their private lives to join the resistance. Martin Luther King Jr. once described this radicalization process: "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." Our own Leslie Parks remembers, "I had always lived a quiet life under the radar until the bank foreclosed on my mom." Today Leslie's home is a bold public display of her stand for social justice.

Fighting in CourtIn June, Rosemary's lawyers and finance giant GMAC's lawyers went to court. To the shock of the courtroom full of supporters, the judge denied all of Rosemary's motions. Later in a follow-up conference call again sided with GMAC, effectively stopping future negotiations.
"The courtroom, one of the supposed bastions of democracy, is essentially a tyranny. The judge is monarch," as Howard Zinn pointed out in Declarations of Independence. So it should have come as no surprise when Barbara Byrd, one of our longest-fighting resisters, filed a motion against her bank for violations, that the judge threw her case out of court leaving supporters stunned, her lawyer gasping. Barbara filed an immediate appeal, then called for a healing.

Communities coming togetherMN Clergy and Laity Against Foreclosures and Evictions drew neighborhood and faith communities together by conducting an August prayer vigil in front of Rosemary's, and a prayer meeting on the north side in the weeks that followed. Food poured in for supporters and neighbors who joined the 33-day 24/hour occupation of Rosemary's home after her first eviction that protesters thwarted.

Exposing Mortgage lending negligence and incompetenceThe U.S. "Constitution set up a government that the rich could depend on to protect their property," (again, from Howard Zinn). The result? Our system not only is unjust, but grossly inefficient. Take for example large financial institutions with problems in inter-departmental communication. Barbara Byrd on December 22nd received notification from her lender that they owed her $19.67 for a previous inspection. Remember, Barbara's duplex had been in foreclosure for months, with eviction imminent since July. Moreover, the bank's lawyers have YET to respond to her October appeal!

Leslie Parks endured not one but TWO illegal lockouts from her house by the bank. Apparently the right hand (administration) did not know what the left (inspections and foreclosure) was doing. The first illegal lockout took place in May BEFORE the sheriff's sale and the second happened December 8th, eight days after the end of her redemption period. Leslie with her lawyer and supporters will take the bank to court for this one at 9am on January 21st.

Declaring victoriesMartin Luther King, Jr. believed that "Direct action and legal action complement one another; when skillfully employed, each becomes more effective." At a November press conference in front of the Leslie Parks' house as eviction day approached, an independent reporter asked what could we do? "Call the bank," Leslie replied. After just three days of flooding the bank with calls from supporters and members of the MN Coalition for a People's Bailout with contacts from all over, the bank cancelled the sheriff's sale and CAME TO THE TABLE November 30th. The bank asked her what terms she wanted to get her house back! On December 9th the CEO personally CALLED her to apologize for the second lockout, thereby placing her in an unprecedented strong negotiating position.
In August, Linda Norenberg and Ann Patterson told their stories on KFAI radio featuring the "Minnesota Five." Three minutes after one broadcast, a lawyer who resides in Robbinsdale where Linda lives called to volunteer Linda her services. Suddenly the bank was on the defensive, ready-after over seven months-to negotiate. Meanwhile, Ann, after more than eight months of desperate attempts to renegotiate her loan with the bank, looks forward to the possibility of a permanent solution in January.

Turning setbacks into opportunitiesRosemary bravely proclaimed "IT's NOT OVER" after her brutal eviction on 9/11. Protesters who were arrested that night must make their first court appearance in January. The stress of fighting foreclosure took a heavy toll on the well-being of resisters and families. James Blair, Ona Kingbird, and countless others were forced to pick up pieces of their lives move on, leaving their blocks in desolation. While Rosemary still remains homeless, she is being invited to speak and inspiring others around the country- even across the Atlantic!! She has learned that residents of countries like Denmark and Sweden are shocked at the extent of U.S. mortgage loan fraud, past and present.

Unstoppable momentum thrusting us into 2010
Democracy Now reported as climate talks closed in Copenhagen."the US slammed through a flimsy agreement that was negotiated behind closed doors." Yet "concerned citizens who marched, held vigils and sent messages to their leaders helped to create unstoppable momentum in the global movement for climate justice." Back here in Minnesota while bankers meet behind closed doors, outside we shall continue to build momentum toward a two-year moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. We will keep up the pressure for support of politicians and community organizations for those in need of shelter, and increase public awareness of the OUR COLLECTIVE POWER to effect change during this ever-deepening crisis. Onward!

Check out our New Year's website! www.mnppehrc.wordpress.com/

Labels: Foreclosure, Leslie Parks, Linda Norenberg, MN PPEHRC, Rosemary Williams

The Scoop on Leslie's lockout
Finally, after a long day, Leslie Parks is back in her home! This morning, we went to Housing Court and filed papers against IndyMac/One West for doing an unlawful lockout. In a preliminary order, the judge ruled that IndyMac must let Leslie back in her home.

Next we met with Leslie's lawyer who is eager to take her case, particularly since the bank did this to her before. Meanwhile, THE CEO of IndyMac, Terry Laughlin, CALLED LESLIE PERSONALLY, leaving a message that included an apology!!! Later on the phone, through her lawyer, Terry Laughlin explained that they were taking full responsibility for the lockout, and again he wished to offer great apologies to the Parks family. "I want to become personally involved in this" he added. He also said that locksmiths had been standing by outside Leslie's house for hours, waiting for us.

It took the locksmiths over two hours to fix all the locks at Leslie's house. In all eight locks had to be replaced - including padlocked closet doors in the basement and interior of the house - there was a lot of senseless damage done to wrench open locked doors.

NEXT LEGAL STEP:
Housing Court Hearing regarding the illegal lockout.
Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
Hennepin County Government Center, Third floor

Thanks to everyone who spread the word and did calls so we were able to get this outcome. We will never stop the pressure until Leslie gets her house back at terms she can afford!

Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout: 612-822-8020, mn-peoples-bailout.org
Poor People’s Economic Human Campaign: 651-497-4644, economichumanrights.org

Update on Linda Norenberg
Good news! Chase bank returned to the table with a better offer, more affordable, but with payments still too high for comfort.
Linda is getting more hopeful that negotiations can proceed in her favor. One by one, we can keep families together and SAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS!

Upcoming Video Productions
Barbara Byrd is still in her home and has heard not one word from EMC bank. So rather than sit around anxiously, she has decided to put up lights and decorate for the holidays! In a few weeks, she and Linda will appear on a program produced by Eric Angel at SPNN (time/date to be announced). All of the Minnesota Five foreclosure resisters were together in-studio this week taping a public access (MTN) documentary that is being produced by Luis Alvrenga. His work involves training the homeless in video production-camera, sound, lighting, editing. The focus of the documentary will be on how the MN Five are fighting foreclosure. Also on the panel is Donna Fletcher speaking for the thousands of renters in our state who face homelessness due to eviction.

HISTORY PROVES THAT IF WE KEEP ON FIGHTING INJUSTICE, THE STRONGER WE BECOME UNTIL AT LAST, BULLIES BACK DOWN. BUT WE CANNOT GO UP AGAINST THEM ALONE....Also the longer we suffer in silence and allow bullying to continue, the worse it gets.
Peace Everyone . . . .

Labels: Barbara Byrd, Chase Home Mortgage, EMC Bank, Foreclosure, Foreclosure 5, Hennepin County, IndyMac, Leslie Parks, Linda Norenberg, Minneapolis, MN PPEHRC, One West

The Minnesota Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign is calling for community support to fight the imminent eviction of Leslie Parks from the duplex where she has lived for 21 years. Tents are pitched on her lawn with signs like “10% of homelessness results from foreclosure.” Press conference to be held at Ms. Parks’ at 3749 Park Ave. South in Mpls. tomorrow, Wednesday, October 21st, at 4:30 pm.

The redemption period for the Parks’ residence ends November 20th , 2009. Now is the time for the community to show support for
our Minnesota Five women who are resisting foreclosure.


--Press conference--
Wednesday, October 21st, 4:30 p.m.
Leslie’s duplex: 3749 Park Ave. S, Minneapolis


Foreclosure evictions push people into homelessness. To highlight this crisis, tents will be going up not only in the Parks’ yard but in the yard of Ann Patterson who is in pre-foreclosure, desperately trying for months to negotiate with Wells Fargo to lower her mortgage payments. Both Ann and Leslie work full time. More encampments will go up on college campuses in the area. They will call attention to big financial institutions that get billions of dollars to avoid losses from their bad loans, while victimized homeowners still get thrown out on the street.

Winter is upon us. The current housing crisis is so DEEP that we are urging emergency passage of a foreclosure-moratorium bill that our governor vetoed last spring. This Wednesday we are launching a foreclosure moratorium petition drive throughout the city to let legislators know that ACTION IS NEEDED AT ONCE.

Labels: Ann Patterson, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Five, Homelessness, Leslie Parks, MN PPEHRC, Tent City, Wells Fargo

Minneapolis Sheriff's Sale Demonstration Moves Many To Tears

May 29, 2009
By Sheila Nelson, Minnesota PPEHRC

Another travesty occurred inside Minneapolis City Hall today, as Sheriff Rich Stanek's staff attempted to conduct the mortgage foreclosure auction of Leslie & Tecora Parks' southside homes of over 22 years.



However, this auction was not what the usual bidders (i.e. greedy banks & speculators) have come to expect!This particular sale was brought to the attention of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, who drew a sobering number of supporters, neighbors, and fellow victims of the current national foreclosure crisis.  PPEHRC members choked back tears as they shared one bank horror story after another with the crowd. Their dreams are being shattered, their community is crumbling, and they're all spitting mad about it.

After PPEHRC members and supporters began obstructing the entry way and interfering with the "public" auction proceedings they were semi-civilly escorted to the hallway where the protest continued. The angry chants echoing through the halls quickly caught the attention of Minneapolis 8th Ward City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden who couldn't ignore the intense cries for change. She addressed those in attendance and empathized with the pain residents are going through.

As this battle between the big banks and their borrowers heats up, more and more "Davids" are coming forward demanding to know what all the "Goliaths" have done with the bailout money they received. "Why are good families being tossed inhumanely onto the streets? Everyone knows affordable housing is a theory, not something that actually exists." shouted one protester, while the Parks family stood by absorbing the enormity of it all and trying to adjust to the reality of what was happening a few yards away behind closed doors. Amid the tragic stories there was prayer, encouragement, and even some visible compassion on the part of the Sheriff's Deputies present - several of whom could not remain stoic as the stories and cries continued, proving that even the officials trying to serve "justice" are not immune to the problem!

Stay tuned for further updates, pictures and video footage of the demonstration.

Labels: Cheri Honkala, Foreclosure, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, Leslie Parks, Tecora Parks