On April 21, 2011, I spoke on Al Sharpton’s National Radio Show and he made a decision to work with us on this endeavor and lend his voice whenever necessary and he has done an outstanding job of this.
Thereafter, Dr. E. Faye Williams and Dick Gregory joined our cause and began meeting with Feinberg and traveling throughout the Gulf with me to report to claimants and encourage them to stay the course as we worked on their behalf.
Between May and July of 2011, we had a series of four meetings with BP’s Ken Feinberg where he promised to pay the claims of the underserved group within 2 months but he did not make good on this promise.
In August 2011, Dr. Williams, Dick Gregory, Prichard Alabama Police Chief Jimmie Gardner and I went to BP’s London, England headquarters to meet with BP officials there, but we were referred back to Ken Feinberg—the person we were told had the authority to settle the cases of the poor and the underserved, by BP President, Bob Dudley’s staff. During this time in London, we were on a number of National African American Radio Shows who continue to support us to this date including; Joe Madison, Rob Redding, Bev Smith, Eddie Rye, Mark Thompson, and various others who are extremely well respected in the radio industry.
Additionally, in August of 2011, we attempted to return back to Ken Feinberg’s office by the request of BP President, Bob Dudley’s staff, while sending a letter of notification of our meeting request with Feinberg but when we arrived, Dick Gregory and I were arrested by the DC police.
In July through October of 2011, Dr. Williams, Dick Gregory and I toured the Gulf Coast Region to meet with ministers and claimants of the Gulf while speaking with a number of radio programs and local media and meeting with thousands of claimants and ministers in the Gulf.
In September and October of 2011, Dr. Williams, Dick Gregory and I continued our protests by picketing Feinberg’s office in DC. We notified Feinberg of our plans to meet with him. When we arrived, Mr. Gregory was arrested for attempting to go into Feinberg’s office to meet with him in DC and is scheduled for trial on January 17, 2012. All we were doing was trying to get the poor and the underserved paid by BP. Mr. Gregory received a stay-away order and has to stand trial soon.