I assume that everyone knows that, back in June, the Town Council created a discussion committee rather than act on the proposed renaming of Airport Road to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (by a 5-4 vote orchestrated by Mayor Foy along with Council-members Verkerk and Wiggins).
From today's Chapel Hill News:
"I found the whole thing really embarrassing," Sinreich said. "I was shocked the council was not able to take what I see as a really big step to affirm the civil rights movement. There are real, significant changes that need to be made. This isn't one. This is a token gesture that says, 'Thanks for all you've done and sorry you've been treated like crap.'"
The News' lengthy article only touched on the ongoing racial problems in Chapel Hill. Lots of good quotes but Ruby really nailed it.
An interesting point was Kevin Foy pretty much acknowledging that creating the committee was to so he and his four colleagues could avoid making a decision while the heat was on: "I think there were a lot of emotions running high. It is an emotional issue. It just is. I don't think the best time to discuss emotional issues is in the heat of passion."
"It just is"??? Why? Because some people don't want to file change of address cards? Or because they don't want to deal with their racism? Is it because members of dominant classes tend to get passionate in defense of privileges? Or because those suffering under white supremacy tend to get passionate about their oppression?
Once again, Ruby was on target: "I don't think racial healing comes out of this process," Sinreich said. "It's going to take more than this to do anything about it."
If she needed any confirmation of her point it is that, despite Foy's expectation of a 20-25 member committee, so far only 11 have applied. Chapel Hillians seem to agree that Foy's committee is a waste of time.
Issues:
