NguKevin Jefferson kunye no-Eric Arnold, Urban Releaf
Ngomhla weNkonzo walo nyaka uGqr Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK DOS), siye sancedisa i-Urban Releaf ukutyala imithi kwisitalato i-G e-East Oakland. Kulapho besisenza khona umsebenzi omninzi kwezi nyanga zimbalwa zidlulileyo. Ummandla udinga uncedo oluninzi; sesinye sezona bloko zimbi kwesi sixeko malunga nobhubhani kunye nokulahlwa kwenkunkuma ngokungekho mthethweni. Kwaye njengoko unokulindela, i-canopy yayo yemithi incinci. Besifuna ukuba nomcimbi wethu we-MLK DOS, ebesiwenza kule minyaka isixhenxe idlulileyo, apha, kuba olu lusuku oluhlala lukhupha amavolontiya amaninzi, kwaye asizange sifune nje ukuba amavolontiya azise amandla awo afanelekileyo kule ndawo, sifuna ukuba babone ukuba kunokwenzeka ukuguqula indawo ekungekho mntu uyikhathaleleyo, ukuzisa inkxaso ethile ukunceda uluntu.
Yiloo nto i-MLK DOS imalunga nayo: ukwenza ihlabathi libe yindawo engcono ngesenzo esithe ngqo. Apha e-Urban Releaf, senza umsebenzi wendalo esingqongileyo kwindawo esingathanda ukuba zicoceke, zibe ngabahlali abahlonitshwayo. Amavolontiya ethu amnyama, amhlophe, ama-Asiya, amaLatino, amatsha, amadala, aphuma kuzo zonke iindidi zeklasi kunye nemvelaphi yezoqoqosho, asebenzela ukuphucula indawo ehlala abantu abaninzi abafumana umvuzo ophantsi ngemibala. Ngoko kanye apho, unokulibona iphupha le-MLK lisebenza. Njengabakhweli beNkululeko abahamba i-Deep South ukuqhubela phambili injongo yamalungelo oluntu, esi siganeko sokutyala imithi sidibanisa abantu kunye nomnqweno wokunceda nje okulungileyo okuqhelekileyo. Leyo yiMelika awayeyicingela uGqr. Akazange afike apho ukuze awubone, njengoko sisazi, kodwa siwenza ube yinyani loo mbono, ibhloko ngebhloko nomthi ngomthi.
Ngeendlela ezininzi, ubulungisa bendalo esingqongileyo yintshukumo entsha yamalungelo oluntu. Okanye kunoko, kukukhula koko bekuqukiwe ngumbutho wamalungelo oluntu. Singenza njani ukulingana kwezentlalo xa abantu behlala kwiindawo ezingcolileyo? Ngaba wonke umntu akanalo ilungelo lokucoca umoya namanzi acocekileyo? Ukuba nemithi eluhlaza kwibhloko yakho akufanele kube yinto egcinelwe abamhlophe kunye nezityebi.
Ilifa likaGqr. King yayikukuqokelela abantu kunye nezibonelelo malunga nokwenza okulungileyo. Akazange nje alwele uluntu lwaseAfrika-lwaseMelika, walwela ubulungisa kulo lonke uluntu, umlinganiselo wokulingana. Akazange alwele isizathu nje esinye. Walwela amalungelo oluntu, amalungelo abasebenzi, imiba yabasetyhini, intswela-ngqesho, uphuhliso lwabasebenzi, ukuxhotyiswa kwezoqoqosho, nobulungisa kubo bonke. Ukuba ebesaphila namhlanje, akukho mathandabuzo ukuba ebeya kuba yintshatsheli ekhutheleyo yokusingqongileyo, ngakumbi kwiindawo ezingaphakathi edolophini apho i-Urban Releaf yenza uninzi lomsebenzi wayo wenkqubo.
Ngomhla we-MLK, kwafuneka balwe nobuhlanga obucacileyo, ngokusebenzisa imithetho kaJim Crow yocalucalulo. Umzabalazo wakhe ubangele uwiso-mthetho olubalulekileyo njengoMthetho wamaLungelo okuvota kunye noMthetho wamaLungelo oLuntu. Yakuba loo mithetho isezincwadini, kwabakho umyalelo wokungacalucalulo, ukudala uluntu olulinganayo. Eso yaba sisiqalo sombutho wobulungisa boluntu.
ECarlifonia, sinesigunyaziso esifanayo sobulungisa bendalo esingqongileyo, ngeebhili ezifana ne-SB535, ezibhekiselele kuluntu oluhlelelekileyo oluthwaxwa lungcoliseko lokusingqongileyo. Oku kuxhasa ilifa likaKumkani lobulungisa bezentlalo kunye nobulungisa bezoqoqosho, kuba ngaphandle kwezo zixhobo, ucalucalulo lokusingqongileyo olujoliswe kuluntu lwemibala kunye nabantu abafumana umvuzo ophantsi kuya kuqhubeka. Luhlobo lokwahlulwa kwe-de facto engahlukanga kwaphela ekubeni kusetyenziswe umthombo wamanzi owahlukileyo, okanye ukutya kwindawo yokutyela eyahlukileyo.
E-Oakland, sithetha malunga namaphecana obalo angama-25 achongwe njengawona abi kakhulu emoyeni ngokungcoliseka kwendalo yi-EPA yaseCalifornia. La maphecana obalo bantu awalingani ngokobuhlanga nangobuzwe—nto leyo ebonisa ukuba imiba yokusingqongileyo yimibandela yamalungelo oluntu.
Intsingiselo ye-MLK DOS ingaphezulu kwentetho, ngaphezu komgaqo wokuxhasa abantu ngomxholo womlingiswa wabo. Kukuzibophelela ekujongeni ukuba yintoni engalunganga okanye engalinganiyo eluntwini kwaye wenze utshintsho lubengcono. Kuyaphambana ukucinga ukuba ukutyalwa kwemithi kunokuba luphawu lokulingana kunye notshintsho oluhle lwentlalo, kwaye ibe kukuqhubela phambili kwemisebenzi yalo mntu ubalaseleyo, akunjalo? Kodwa iziphumo ziyazithethela. Ukuba ukhathalele ngokwenene amalungelo oluntu, malunga namalungelo oluntu, ukhathalele iimeko zokusingqongileyo apho abantu bahlala khona. Le yincopho yentaba, ithafa apho uGqr King abhekisa kulo. Yindawo yovelwano nenkxalabo ngabanye. Kwaye iqala ngokusingqongileyo.
Bona iifoto ezingakumbi zomsitho kwi Iphepha le-Urban ReLeaf's G+.
Urban Releaf lilungu leCalifornia ReLeaf Network. Basebenza e-Oakland, eCalifornia.