ALL-WHITE SISTER CITIES PROGRAM MUST CHANGE

ALL-WHITE SISTER CITIES EXCHANGE BETWEEN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA AND AVILES, SPAIN: CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT FILED 

WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH

Exhibit A -- All-white City of St. Augustine, Florida and St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc. Delegation to Aviles, Spain, April 2015

The St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc., City of St. Augustine, Florida and CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR. --- Civil Rights Complaint re: Race Discrimination

Dear Attorney General Lynch:

Congratulations on your appointment and confirmation.  

Please direct the Civil Rights Division to investigate possible civil rights violations by Respondents, The St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc., the City of St. Augustine, Florida and CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR.; Respondent Association's registered address for twenty years has been ℅ City of St. Augustine, St. Augustine City Hall, 75 King Street (Box 210), St. Augustine, Florida 32084.  See www.sunbiz.org 

1. A recipient of millions of dollars of federal funds, our City of St. Augustine, Florida (municipal government and recipient of millions of dollars in federal funds) and its alter ego, the St. Augustine, Florida Sister CIties Association, Inc. (non-profit "cultural exchange" group), and its longtime leader, ex-Mayor CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR. (LEN WEEKS) for:

A. Repeatedly sending all-white citizen delegations to Aviles, Spain;

B. Not sending African-American high school students to Aviles, Spain (while sending the wealthy, including at least one of Respondent WEEKS' own children).

2. Other than one former Commissioner, Errol Jones, I have found no documentary evidence of any African-American participation in this putative "cultural exchange."  Respondent City responded to my Request No. 2015-98 that it has no documents on civil rights compliance or any Mayor, Commissioner or staffer ever expressing any concerns about the all-white "cultural exchange."

3. Our City of St. Augustine provides the mailing address and funding and gives significant encouragement to this all-white group, with City funds subsidizing City Commissioners and former Mayors and Commissioners, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in travel, lodging, meals and entertainment for an all-white "cultural exchange."

4. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote from jail on June 11, 1964 that St. Augustine was "the most lawless" city in America.  

5. As a result of five decades of citizen efforts, our City is now finally but diffidently attempting to remedy environmental injustice and employment, housing, utilities, services and public accommodations  discrimination.

6.  This is too little, too late, however. We have waited long enough.  

7.  This is the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, our Nation's Oldest European-founded City.  

8. There may be further complaints and our city, St. Johns County and nearby City of St. Augustine Beach will be reformed, in Dr. King's words, "if it takes all summer.

9.  Exhibit A, above, was provided by Respondents to the St. Augustine Record and shows the all-white City of St. Augustine and St. Augustine, Florida Sister Cities Delegation to Aviles Spain "last week" (story below) on the occasion of dedication of a replica of teh 1812 Spanish Constitution Monument from our Slave Market Square to the City of Aviles, Spain.

10. Even in celebrating constitutionalism, on its 450th birthday, our Nation's Oldest European-founded City has resorted to apparently unconstitutional means -- a racially discriminatory delegation to our sister city in Spain.  Enough invidious discrimination.  Please bring an action for injunctive relief under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, made possible by the courage of local residents and other civil rights activists, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Robert S. Hayling, D.D.S., et al. 

11. The City Manager of the Respondent City of St. Augustine, Florida is John Patrick Regan, P.E..  The address for both Respondent City of St. Augustine and the St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc. is St. Augustine City Hall, 75 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084.  

12. The St. Augustine Sister Cities Association, Inc. registered agent for service of process, officers and directors are as follows 

Registered Agent Name & AddressKIRKER, LYNDA

3732 HARBOR DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

Name Changed: 04/18/2012

Address Changed: 01/16/2014 

Officer/Director DetailName & Address

Title P

WEEKS, LEN

62 HYPOLITA ST.
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

Title VP

MCCORMICK, PENNY

9224 JULY LANE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32080

Title RS

DONIE, DOWIE

217 LYONS GATE
ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32080

Title T

KIRKER, LYNDA

3732 HARBOR DRIVE
SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

Please investigate and file an action for declaratory and injunctive relief under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Thank you.

With kindest regards, I am,

Sincerely yours,

Ed Slavin

www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com

www.fourowls.blogspot.com

Box 3084

St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084

904-377-4998