On Saturday, February 19, farmworkers and their supporters from across Florida gathered in Ft. Myers to begin a 230-mile 'people-to-people pilgrimage for justice.' The March ended on March 4th at the headquarters of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, whose leaders have refused to sit down and discuss the farmworkers' concerns despite pleas from many concerned people, and the offer of Jimmy Carter tofurnish mediating services from the Carter Center.

We decided "to undertake this march because we feel that, ultimately, our fight for dignity, dialogue, and a fair wage in the fields will only be won when the regular, everyday citizens of Florida join us in calling for simple economic justice for our state's hardest workers,' said Lucas Benitez of the Coaliton" (Press Release, February 17, 2000).

"'Working conditions in Florida's fields have been a shame for our state for long enough' continued Benitez, 'It's time we joined as one -- farmworkers and everyday Floridians -- to help nudge the agricultural industry toward a more modern, more humane relationship with its workers. By walking through the small towns and cities of the state, we can talk to tens of thousands of people directly about our situation in the fields" (Press Release, February 17, 2000).

Volunteers for the march came from Religious Leaders Concerned, United Ministries for Farmworkers, Florida Gulf Coast University, and townspeople from the Naples-Fort Myers area. Along the way they were joined by priest and nuns, union members, sympathetic citizens.

Among those participating in the March were Virginia Germino from Charlottesville, Virginia, and her 97 year old mother from DeLand, Florida. Also, Virginia's daughter, Laura, and Virginia's son-in-law, Greg Asbed.

Shown here are Virginia's mother Audrey Roseborough and a tall replica of the Statue of Liberty. In the statue's left arm is a bucket of tomatoes; her right hand extended outward, offering up a single tomato. On the pedestal, a simple message: 'I, too, am America'" (Mary Kelli Bridges, February 20, 2000).

Rolling for Justice on my 97th Birthday	I, Too, Am America

"The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a community-based organization composed mainly of farmworkers from the Southwest Florida area. Two seasons ago, the CIW launched its 'Campaign for Dialogue and a Living Wage'. Through the CIW campaign, over two thousand tomato pickers in Immokalee have petitioned Florida tomato industry leaders for constructive talks between community representatives and representatives of the industry on the issue of the tomato picking piece rate, which has remained effectively stagnant (at 40-45 cents per 32-lb bucket) for over twenty years" (Press Release, February 17, 2000).

Greg Asbed and several tomato-pickers, Hispanic and Haitian, founded the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in 1995; Laura Germino serves on its board and walked the entire 230 miles of the March, as did about 40 of the workers (Virginia Germino, electronic mail, March 12, 2000).

Virginia Germino, her mom, her mom's younger brother Charles, and Virginia's nephew Paul Jones were there for just one day (Virginia Germino, electronic mail, March 12, 2000).

To help the coalition, call Greg Asbed at (941) 657-8311.