Does a local black revolutionary have a chance to become mayor?
Omali Yeshitela, the 59-year-old president of the National People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, is running for mayor of St. Petersburg. He assures all interviewers that he is not in the race simply to air his ideas and positions on issues. He says he believes he can win, that he can overcome Rick Baker’s money and political clout, that he can more than compete with former City Council members Kathleen Ford, Larry Williams and the rest of the pack. As one of the city’s prominent civil rights leaders, who never backs away from a chance to champion the causes of the city’s south side, Yeshitela is seen by many to be one of the most controversial figures ever to run for mayor of St. Petersburg. His fame, or infamy, began in December 1966, when he ripped down a racist mural in City Hall and marched through the streets with it. He was convicted, had his civil rights taken away and served a 21/2-year jail term. Since then, he has been an outspoken critic of local politics, politicians and law
