This is definitely worth more than :60 seconds, but as I don’t have all the info, I am going to do a short post.

Last week a young man, Akil Larue Oliver, from South Miami was murdered (about 5 minutes from my house) at the Quick Stop convenience store. Now the story is still revealing itself, but from most accounts, there was a verbal argument between Larue  and the convenience store clerks over being .07 cents short buying a box of cigarettes.

Name calling and loud talking commenced. Now what the final words were I don’t know, but the two convenience store clerks proceeded to attack him first with a bottle and then with a crowbar. He died of his injuries outside in the parking lot while his son sat watching in the car.

One clerk was subsequently charged with aggravated battery (and is out of bond), while the other was charged with second degree murder.

The next day, when the store owner attempted to open up the store, an angered community response led to its doors again being closed.

Last night, I attended a neighborhood rally held by the community pastors and concerned citizens at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. There was standing room only in the packed church, with another 100 people outside watched on big screen. The objective and message were clear. In order to effect change in the treatment of people in the black community, we have to take ownership (literally and figuratively) of the businesses in the community. For the next seven days, there is going to be a boycott and peaceful protest in front of the store in effort to have the store closed.  The local police were in attendance to share support and the area leadership of the NAACP came to discuss boycott procedures. (Sidenote: He is a 60+ white man, putting his time and money where his mouth is).

I am optimistically looking forward to the results of this endeavor.

Here is a video from our local WSVN 7 (also credited with first picture, I took second picture last night after rally and third is Miami Dade Corrections mugshots of the killers)