Eviction Resistance: The Story of Leonard Spears

Learn the story of eviction resister Leonard Spears, and how he decided to stay in his home despite his foreclosure.

Submitted by Eviction Free Zone on June 19, 2013

The housing justice movement, especially when it comes to on the ground direct action, is founded in stories. Each home holds the story of couples coming together, children being born, relationships beginning and ending, and usually the major achievement of becoming a home-owner. Each foreclosure is also a story.

In the case of Leonard Spears, we see one that is blatantly colored with fraud and unaccountable persecution on the part of the bank. After Leonard was forced to leave work after an injury, Wells Fargo stopped working with him and began forcing through a foreclosure on his home. This was a building that was barely livable when first purchased, but after years of personal work it had become the home he had always dreamed of.

Here is a look at Leonard’s home and Leonard’s story. This was the first step of his campaign with Take Back the Land Rochester, and today he is still in his home. Resistance begins by telling the painful story, where the ending is has yet to be seen.

Leonard is determined to stay in his home.

This video is also a part of the larger documentary project Expect Resistance.

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