On December 15th, 2007, the Power Project organized the 17th Annual Homeless Memorial in Nashville, Tennessee. Every year we lose our friends, our family members to illness, violence on the streets, and if killing a homeless person was considered a hate crime, to hate crimes of those who consider us less than human.
We gather our brothers and sisters and remember those that we have lost and we invite members from the metro council, the police, the homeless advocacy community and we ask that we all join together and make known lives that mattered to us.?? We also come together because of this memorial so that as we mourn together, we grow together and can unite to change the systemic failures that kill us. We die younger than most because of a political failure to address the root causes of homelessness- the lack of housing, lack of a living wage, lack of an adequate health care safety net.We gather so that our friends and family on the streets are not lost completely in vain but with the hope that enough us that have the power to change the system (that is all of us), are moved to work together to do so.
Last year, one of the deaths that stood in the memory of most was that murder of Tara Cole, a 32 year old African American woman suffering from severe Bi-Polar disorder. The day before she was killed there had been dozens of homeless people sleeping on the Riverfront. The Police came and did one of their usual sweeps and told all present that if they didn't leave they would be arrested. Everyone left and just a few returned late that night when they could find no other place to go. Tara Cole was one of those homeless individuals and was alone sleeping on the peer when two young white men decided to dump her in the river as a prank. Another homeless man jumped in the river to try to save her but was not able to reach her in time. Everyone knew that Ms. Cole's body was under the Ingram Barge but the city refuse to look there for 14 days at which point her body was unrecognizable to her family who was found through research done by the Nashville Homeless Power Project.
Tara was just one of over 50 documented individuals lost on the streets. This year, again, there have been many more. One such individual was Branch Madill. A Vietnam Veteran who had a heart condition, Emphezema and other conditions related to poisoning from Agent Orange.?? Branch had a caseworker at the VA and a volunteer caseworker from the Nashville Homeless Power Project and even though he was in his late 60s, could not find a place for him and his wife Cherita to live.?? Branch died of a heart attack while sleeping on a bench at the Deadrick Bus Stop late one night.?? Would he have lived longer and in less pain if he had a place to call home??? We know he would have died with the comfort that he and his wife deserved.
This was the 6th Homeless Memorial organized by the Nashville Homeless Power Project. ??The first 11 were initiated by the National Council for Health Care for the Homeless.?? Formerly homeless man, Ray Klimely, decided to co-lead this project who then received support from the Campus for Human Development and the National Council for Health Care for the Homeless to make it happen every year.?? In 2002, Mr. Klimely's wife was dying and he asked the Nashville Homeless Power Project to help organize it.?? The Homeless Memorial happens throughout the country and publicized at the national level by the National Council and the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Tara Cole's Story
The Untold Chapter ??? excerpts from the HOMELESS POWER! Book
Tara Cole was a woman who suffered from mental illness, lived on the streets of Nashville, and was murdered by two white men on August 11, 2006; she was 32 years old. She was pushed into the Cumberland River at Riverfront Park as she slept under a blanket on the dock, and died by drowning.
The Nashville Homeless Power Project immediately investigated and helped to identify witnesses. We tried to get city officials to expedite the search for her body, and found Ms.Cole's family. We then hosted a memorial in honor of her life.
Tara Denise Cole was born on November 25, 1973 in Humboldt, Tennessee.?? At 7 months old she moved to Elgin, Illinois and attended Larkin High School in Elgin. She loved music and writing and wanted to write plays and poetry. She was a very special person,??loved all people and loathed discrimination.????In a letter to her mother, Tara described herself this way: "I am a strong willed, extremely warm and open hearted, intelligent human being. Unfortunately, I'm a victim of this unchanging world. So, I have to struggle just to be myself."
Tara???s mother, Pearl Cole shared the following: ???Tara always wanted to change the world. She cared so much about people, and the injustices of life. She wanted so much to make a difference.???
What happened on the night of Tara Cole???s murder? A group of homeless folks were sleeping down at Riverfront Park, and at about 10:00 p.m. a couple of Metro Police Officers did their usual nightly sweep of the park asking that people move on.?? Because Tara was really tired she roused as people were leaving but decided not to leave.?? She said out loud to herself and to others around her that could hear, ???I???m not leaving!?? There is no where else to go.????? And she rolled back up in her blanket.??
After most of the others had left, she remained on the dock by herself.?? There were only one or two other homeless folks hiding out of sight in their ???special places???.?? The police did not come back through but two young men from out of town did.?? They had been drinking and decided to do something that has become a national trend???targeting and harassing homeless people for fun.??
They came upon Tara.?? They could not tell if she was a man or a woman, but they knew she was homeless. They were laughing as they kicked her???blanket and all???over and into the Cumberland River.?? They were chuckling to themselves as they walked off together after pushing a woman to her death.??
The unsung hero, a homeless man named Tim, jumped in and tried to save Tara but he could not get to her in time.??Tim and other folks, many of us from the Homeless Power Project, vowed to stay at River Front until they recovered Tara???s body.?? Charles Strobel and Howard Allen led a group of mostly homeless people in nightly vigils until her body was found
We will not forget Tara Cole.?? The NHPP???s biggest concern is that if Tara Cole had been provided with housing as she deserved then she would be less vulnerable to these dangerous situations.?? Her sweet face, with that red wool cap and long black wool coat, will forever remind our community that we do matter.??
We do feel and hurt, and bleed and go hungry, and are abused by strangers, and the systems that keep us oppressed.?? The stories, in plays, and a movie, about her life and her struggles are our own.?? We miss her, and we will not forget her.?? Thanks to her parents for allowing us to tell this last chapter.??
On March 20, 2007, just three days before the Mayor???s Budget Address, we created a homeless tent city called ???Without Housing??? in front of the Mayor???s office. More than 100 homeless people, along with students, ministers and other friends, were to make the tent city our home until we got real homes. Within hours we were at a stand-off with the police. The Vice Mayor came to ???Without Housing??? to negotiate with us. We were told that if we went to another park we would not be bothered for this one night, but if we stayed here we would be arrested. 16 of us stayed and were arrested. The next day, the judge said the arrests were unconstitutional and immediately released our 16 brave leaders.??
For the next 3 days, all of us returned each day to serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we held educational workshops and form groups, to visit daily the Mayor???s Office. On the morning of the Mayor???s address, we filled the Council Chambers with over 100 our homeless members. The Mayor only gave us one quarter of our demand- $600,000 for new housing units but it was also the most the city of Nashville had ever given to this cause in history and we???re not finished yet.
The "Urban Plunge" is an opportunity for people who have never experienced homelessness to do so with the added safety of homeless guides. The Nashville Homeless Power Project has not yet designed an urban plunge for the general community. We know that such a plunge would be a minimum of a 48 hour experience.?? Our goal is to develop a list of those who are potentially interested in doing this at some point so that we can plan one in the coming months. To get involved call us at 733-0633 or email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
and we???ll guide you through the process.
Urban Plunge??????When economically???privileged people dress down, empty their wallets, and spend time on the streets as "poor" people, that experience is called a plunge.
The Mayoral Urban Plunge in Nashville is the first of it???s kinds any where in the country according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.?? 6 Candidates for Nashville Mayor have committed to spending 10 hours (10pm ??? 8am) out on the streets of Nashville . A true URBAN PLUNGE should be no less than 48 hours but we do understand that these candidate have very limited time.
Candidates Briley, Dean, Dozier and Gentry have all committed to do the Urban Plunge the week of June 18th.?? We???ll give you a full report after it happens.?? Candidates Clement?? and Eaton have also committed but have not yet identified a date for doing the plunge as of the afternoon of June 12, 2007. ??
The purpose of the plunge is to provide the candidates with first-hand, direct experience of being homeless so they can fully understand the impact?? public policy decisions have on those who are on the streets.
The Power Project has set forth goals for the candidates during their time.?? Some of those goals are:
To find a legal place to sleep outdoors.
Sleep on a bench for 20 minutes or so.
??Enter a restaurant and ask if you can sweep the sidewalk or do other work for a sandwich.
Ask for Money or panhandle in a place where you are least likely to be recognized.
?
According to Michael Stoops, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, ???Economically-privileged people across the country have done urban plunges as a way to better understand homelessness.?? It is the most effective way we have learned for people to understand this reality.?? 10 hours is not nearly enough and the suggested minimum PLUNGE is 48 hours but we are thankful that they are willing to do this night on the street. Having said that, as far as I know, the National Coalition for the Homeless has never heard of any other city in this country in which political candidates have agreed to do the Urban Plunge.?? While this should be part of every candidate's campaign, unfortunately this is a rarity and is truly historic.???
On Thursday, December 28th, 2007, the Nashville Scene declared Clemmie Greenlee NASHVILLIAN OF THE YEAR. See full article here.
Whether you are homeless, or the Mayor, if you have met Clemmie Greenlee you know that you have touched a powerful and inspirational leader. Clemmie has transformed our community in many ways.
May it be, taking care of her mother, acting as a grandmother to many, providing housing through Galaxy Star, Working with gang leaders to put thier guns down and talk with each other, risking arrest in the struggle to make sure that we all have a place to sleep, going to chicago and miami in solidarity with farm workers fighting for better wages, going to Jena and DC to stand for racial justice, to South Nashville to give you a ride to the other end of town, or to the bus stop to give our Mayor a night out on the streets...
If you have met Clemmie in any of these capacities then you know why she really was Nashvillian of the Year!
Our Mission
We are homeless and formerly homeless people confronting the root causes of poverty and oppression in Nashville. We fight for the human rights of all poor people while striving for the civil rights of those who remain on the streets... more
