Lena Young Green has been making waves in Tampa for nearly 40 years. She serves on the board of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, and co-founded the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, the Coalition for Community Gardens, and GreenARTery, Inc., which is dedicated to the completion of a 22-mile perimeter trail around central Tampa. And those are just a few of her affiliations as one of the city’s most consistent and committed neighborhood activists.
In 2014, Lena’s husband, Arthur Green, died at the hands of the Tampa Police Department when officers restrained him during a routine traffic stop when he was having a diabetic seizure. After eight years of legal battles, the city and the Green family finally settled the case in July. As a result of Arthur Green’s death, a state law was passed to provide training to police officers on how to recognize a diabetic health emergency.
She talked to WaveMakers on Jan. 10 about her lifetime of community service, and her wish for an apology from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor for her husband’s death.
Listen to the entire show here or by searching for WMNF WaveMakers wherever you listen to podcasts.
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