Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Bitterness & division

A story linked from CNN's main page asks "After 50 years of racial strife: Why is Greensboro still so tense?"

The story plumbs the depths of nearly every bit of nastiness over the years, from the KKK shootings 32 years ago to the current controversies over reopening the White Street landfill and moving city council boundaries. Only the Wray fray seems to be left out.

The story misleadingly depicts a mostly seamless pattern of tension. Milestones such as the election of a black mayor and appointment of a black police chief are ignored other black city leaders are mentioned but not examined closely.

Sadly, the central premise of the story is spot on. The question is what to do about it?

Correction (June 8, 2011): The second paragraph of the CNN states that "African Americans have won unprecedented positions of political power in Greensboro in the past four years, including mayor and city manager." (Thanks to Jeff Sykes for alerting me to my poor reading skills.)