Democracy

Last Wednesday morning, the Campus played host to four of the candidates for mayor of Nashville. They had spent the night participating in an “Urban Plunge” with the Nashville Homeless Power Project, an organization of homeless and formerly homeless people working to organize for advocacy and change. The Urban Plunge experience was meant to give the candidates (Buck Dozier, Karl Dean, Howard Gentry and David Briley participated) a small taste of the experience that homeless people live every day. After participating in the night’s activities, which included an altercation at the Nashville Rescue Mission for David Briley, and being forcibly removed from a downtown restaurant for Vice Mayor Howard Gentry, they gathered for breakfast at the Campus followed by a press conference where they took questions from our participants.

Here is a link to a post from Liberadio, which includes full audio of the press conference at the Campus, and interviews with candidates and those who accompanied them: http://www.liberadio.com/2007/06/20/im-not-homeless-but-i-play-one-on-tv/

Associated Press article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070620/ap_on_re_us/homeless_candidates_2

Tennessean article:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/NEWS01/706210376

Homeless Power Project:
http://www.homelesspower.org/

The press conference at the Campus (Photo: AP)

David Briley looking very not homeless talking to some of our guys. (Photo: AP)

Campus participants William and Anthony accompanying Vice Mayor Howard Gentry during the Urban Plunge (Photo: AP)