Revitalize D I P

There is a new grassroots movement beginning tonight on the DIP Peninsula!

You are invited to attend the organization meeting of #revitalizeDIP at 5:30pm 7/10/2018 at Riverside Baptist church.

On June 1, 2018, Yvette Young posted a message in her newly created closed Facebook group:

“#RevitalizeDIP….In a little more than 24 hours, this group was created and has approximately 35 members.

Thanks to everyone who has joined this group and shared its content with others. I look forward to its continuous growth.

Several of you I know, but many of you I do not. So for those of you I do not know, I will share my background.

I grew up on DIP, graduated from Ben C Rain in 1978; thereafter, I attended Tuskegee University.

After college, I was hired by the FBI where I was employed for more than 32 years. I retired July 2017 as a Supervisory Special Agent.

Over the years when visiting DIP I saw the steady decline of a thriving community, with very little retail, restaurants and subpar grocery stores.

I was motivated to start this project upon receiving a phone call from my 83 year old mother on May 1, 2018, advising while lying in her bed she heard gunfire from an automatic weapon.

This shooting resulted in the death of a 19 year old named Kevin Benjamin. This gunfire occurred at the former home of my grandmother (deceased), which is one block over from my mother’s home.

I traveled to Mobile on May 11th, of which I heard first hand gunfire from an automatic weapon on May 12th, coming from the same location.

To witness firsthand cars fleeing from the area and residents on foot was heartbreaking.

To see your community evolve to an area where criminal activity and gunfire is normal is heartbreaking.

As such, I reached out to many of you and asked you to share texts, emails, etc., to start this movement.

My background is not in community organizing and I am researching everyday the best way forward, I welcome any/all help.

Whatever your skill set is…I welcome it.

This is a grassroots project and it will not happen this year or next year, but I am hopeful with your help we can make a change.

I am retired and passionate about this project and I welcome and am thankful for your participation.

Thus far, I have had a dialog with Councilman CJ Small and Chief of Police Battiste.

They were open and willing to assist; however, we as interested parties must attend meetings, voice and or write our concerns.

The motto “If you see something, say something” does not just apply to airports and matters of national security, it applies to our neighborhoods as well.

Please be diligent, please share and make DIP a priority in the City of Mobile. Thanks in advance for your efforts, they are truly needed and very much appreciated.”

#DIPpeninsula encourages you to join the #revitalizeDIP group and work towards a more family oriented community!