Dream Defenders

Dream Defenders is a human rights organization aimed at ending police and state brutality geared towards people of color, ending the school-to-prison pipeline, and shifting culture through transformational organizing.

History and Founding

Dream Defenders founded after a group of individuals marched from Daytona to Sanford, Florida in order to protest Trayvon Martin's murder. Gabriel Pendas, Ahmad Abuznaid and umi selah (formally known as Phillip Agnew) knew each other from activist work in college, and came together to plan an event. They contacted Ciara Taylor and Nelini Stamp - other activists with similar interests. Pendas suggested a march from Daytona to Sanford, and they all agreed. Their plan was to march to the Sanford police station and hold a sit-in. They started marching April 6th, 2012, with about 40 people. Throughout their course they sang civil rights songs, while bystanders would join in and walk for a couple of miles. At night they slept in African Methodist Episcopal churches. The night before arriving in Sanford, there were rumors that the Klu Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups would be waiting at the police station. The group discussed their plan, and ultimately decided to continue. The following morning, they marched to the Sanford, Florida police station and knelt outside of the doors. They had no idea what would happen, but a few of them, including Taylor, were willing to get arrested. Instead of getting arrested, they were invited into the police station to meet with local elected officials and police. They were able to speak with the attorney on the case, Angela Corey, and she informed them that George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Martin, would be arrested. Taylor, and the fellow students and alumni who took part in this stand in, would eventually form Dream Defenders.

Mission and Values

Dream Defenders came together when it seemed nobody else would, to stand up for the rights of the many black men who were being wrongfully murdered. Dream Defenders formed after the successful sit in at the Sanford police station. After this success, they recognized the implications of outside people coming in to solve an issue that the community members of Sanford had been struggling with. The Sanford community felt disheartened that they couldn't take action themselves. In light of this, Dream Defenders focused their mission on teaching individuals how to fight back against a repressive system.

Below states the Dream Defenders Vision, as shown on their website:

We believe that our liberation necessitates the destruction of the political and economic systems of Capitalism and Imperialism as well as Patriarchy. We believe in People over profits. We believe that nonviolent resistance is “the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom” and are fundamentally committed to nonviolence as our means of struggle against a violent oppressor. We want an immediate end to the police state and murder of Black people, other people of color, and other oppressed peoples in the United States, the immediate release of the 2.5 million prisoners of the United States’ War on the Poor, and trials by juries of our peers. We want an immediate end to all wars of aggression (domestic & abroad). We want a democracy that is fair and protects the right to vote for all. We want free, fully-funded public education for all that teaches us our true history and our role in present day society. We want community control of land, bread, housing, education, justice, peace and technology. We want more. We deserve more. We will organize, train, act and win.

The Dream Defenders vision is intersectional, it focuses on various hierarchies that dominate the power structure within western society. They seek to eradicate police brutality, which affects black and brown bodies two times than white bodies. They are focused on ending this vicious cycle of racist actions that are prominent within the United States legal and justice system. Their work is important for the safety and well being of the United States population, as well as abroad. They provide services that benefit equality and freedom for all, and allows others to learn how to be an activist as well.

Ciara Taylor

Taylor, one of the founders, grew up in the suburbs in Florida and attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. She served as both the Political Director and the Director of Political Consciousness at Dream Defenders. In high school, Taylor protested the United States 2000 presidential election, between Al Gore and George W. Bush, after Bush was named President. Taylor felt frustrated and hopeless in this process, because she felt as though she could not actively influence the decision being made about her soon-to-be president. She continued this activism into college at Florida A&M, where she advocated for living wages for campus workers and advocated against budget cuts that defunded her major a year before she graduated

Activist Work

In July of 2013, the Dream Defenders demonstrated outside of the Florida State Capitol Building for 31 days.This demonstration was held in response to the decision of the Trayvon Martin case, in which George Zimmerman was acquitted for Martin's death. The group stayed their ground, refusing to leave unless Governor Rick Scott spoke to them about the Stand Your Ground self-defense law, which states that defendants have the right to protect and defend themselves without retreating. After 31 days, House Speaker Will Weatherford agreed to speak with them about Stand Your Grand, while Governor Rick Scott continued to decline. After this demonstration, Dream Defenders continued working on Trayvon's law, which addresses and seeks to end the issues of racial profiling and the school-to-prison pipeline. The Dream Defenders tackle issues head on, and work on issues that continue to effect minorities, people of color, LGBTQIA individuals, and women.

Rebel Threads

The Rebel Threads clothing line launched by Dream Defenders targets young activists who want to display their activism through fashion. The Rebel Threads Website launched on November 21, 2016. The company is based in North Carolina, and does not use sweatshops. Their website states, "we are making a statement. We are making a statement that what is ON our clothes is just as important as what goes IN our clothes. Revolutionary messages must be connected to revolutionary practice.". The work that goes into making their clothing is connected to the activist work that they stand by, a crucial part to being an intersectional activist. They are also hoping to create new economies within the South and create jobs that provide just and fair wages.