5A
OPINIONS/Ciatlotu $o«t
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Chapel Hill’s summer
reading selection
deserves controversy
Tim Tyson’s “Blood Done Sign My Name” will be in the
news again next week.
On Monday afternoon (August 29) the book will be the sub
ject of small group discussions by incoming students at
UNC-Chapel IftU. It’s part of the school’s “Summer Reading
Program.”
In recent years this program generated
controversy about the books it selected. For
instance, two years ago Barbara
Ehrenreich’s “Nickel and Dimed” drew com
plaints based on the author’s alleged “far
left” political views. In the preceding year,
“Approaching the Qur’an” prompted allega
tions that the university was improperly pro
moting a particular religion. One group filed
a lawsuit to stop the on-campus discussions
of the book.
So far “Blood Done Sign My Name” has not generated as
much debate. So the headlines for the news stories on
Monday and Tbesday might simply be “NO CONTROVER
SY THIS YEAR AT CHAPEL HILL.”
It would be a shame, because this book deserves to be con
troversial.
“Blood Done Sign My Name” is a careful and sensitive
retelling of Oxford, North Carolina’s encoimters with some of
the worst ev^ts of the struggle for civil rights in the 1960’s
and early 1970’8. The story tells how the town and its people
dealt with a brutal racial killing and the downtown burnings "
that were a part of the accompanying racial unrest.
In 1960 or 1970, this kind of book would have brought
down a torrent of controversy that would make the stirrings
about “Approaching the Qur’an” seem Kke a Qviaker meet
ing in comparison. Back then, some of us were still blaming
aU our racial unrest on outside agitators and the
Communists.
But it is 2005. Now everybody is “pro-civil rights and equal
ri^ts.” The children and grandchildren of people who fought
for continued segregation and white dominance now fill the
Smith Center to give adoring cheers to black students who
bring their team victories.
So today, it is as hard to find anyone who will admit fitt
ing for segregation as it was, after Watergate, to find some
one who admitted voting for Richard Nixon.
Even when Tyson’s book opens with the forbidden, inflam
matory words, “Daddy and Roger and ‘em shot ‘em a nigger,”
we read on, identifying ytith the victim-and rejecting any
connection with anyone who used the “N” word.
Since almost all of us these days claim to be “pro-civil
ri^ts,” even telling the dark side of our region’s history may
not provoke controversy People who might otherwise olgect
to the book will probably keep quiet, knowing that they
might be labeled “radsts” if they speak up.
But wait a minute. I think the author, Tim Tyson, will be
disappointed if the conversations at Carolina next week
don’t have sparks flying. He wants us to confiunt our past
and deal with what it has made us.
He says, “We are runaway slaves fium our own past, and
only by turning to face the hoimds can we find our fi'eedom
beyond them.”
One part of that past has to do with the violence and burn
ings organized by young black men in Oxford. When we cel
ebrate the achievements of the dvil rights movement, we
talk about the marches, the sit-ins, and the non-violent resis
tance that brought about change.
Tyson challenges oar thinking. His story shows, whether
we like it or not, that it was violent activity, as much as the
non-violent, that led to changes in Oxford.
If we really “turn to face these hounds,” this part of our his
tory ought not to be so easy for us to confiunt. like an Israeli
who asks himself whether Palestinian terrorism was a
mqjor factor prompting Israel to withdraw fix>m Gaza, we do
not want to acknowledge that violence was effective in push
ing us do the “right” thing.
At a time when we are committed to a war on terrorism, it
is serious business to concede that violence and the threat of
more violence may have been necessary to bring about radal
justice and equality in our home region.
This idea should be controversial.
Such controversy would honor an important book by a
brave author who has no fear of reminding us who we were-
and what our history has made us.
D.G. MARTIN is host of UNC-TV’s “Bookwatch,” which
airs on Sundays at 5 p.m.
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Kerry
CIAA tournament
‘Uptown Get
Down’ a letdown
Black business left out of loop
By Bill McCullough
SPECIAL TO THE POST
I was one of the attendees at the Aug. 10 press confa^nce at
JCSU where the official announcement was made that Charlotte
win be hosting the 2006 CIAA basketball tournament...the first
year of a three-year run. Podium guests included Tm Newman,
Lenny Springs; Dr. Dorothy Yancy Pat McCrorey and CIAA
Commissioner Leon Kerry
A Q&A session followed the fonnal presentation and this is
where things got a little tainted. A local business owner astutely
outlined his company’s 10-year record of success in providing hi^-
ly-skHled, video satellite transmission services
needed for special events like the CIAA tourna
ment’s televised games and noted how he has been
rejected for opportunities to service CIAA television
productioi^.
He th^ asked, “Who has the authority and the
will to say ‘yes’ to an experienced, highly successful
company like mine”. The question, which was
deferred to Kerry by Tim Newman, appeared to
have angered Commissioner Kerry, who went on
the attack when he rose to answer the question.
I was personally shocked, incensed and gravely disappointed in
the answer Mr. Kerry gave and the tone and stjde in which he
delivered his response. It was arrogant, insensitive and combative;
and showed a total lack of understanding about the market chal
lenges faced by many minority-owned businesses. I know that the
first response fix)m some quarters will be that Mr. Kerry is the
CIAA commissioner and in that role he represents several
HBCiTJs, its students, alumni, etc.; and that he is also black — so
how could I make this type of statement regarding him and his
response?
It’s easy.I work as private business consultant and much of my
efforts involve assisting minority women and other small business
owners in their quest to start, build or expand successful business
enterprises, ^thin this scenario, a substantial part of my person
al and business efforts involves working to tear down the institu
tional, systemic and racial bamers that work to prevent or inhib
it a lot of minority and small enterprises fix>m achieving market
parity and participation.
As a private business consultant, I have also been desperately
trying to get information on business opportunities and the mar
keting processes and procedures Ar my company, my clients and
others interested in seeking potential business related to the tour
nament.
Many people will think that this is all about “sour grapes;” how
ever, I would submit to yo\i that this is about ‘business”...minority
business in particular. As I listened to Mr. Kerry, it strucJk me that
he soimded a lot like many of the public and majority purchasing
officials I’ve encountered in 25 years of business who, whether
intentionally or unintentionally, contribute to the struggle and
plight of small minority and women-owned businesses with this
type of disobliging attitude. Mr. Kerry did not offer good informa
tion, advice or assistance and appeared to be incensed by the ques
tion. As an experienced business owner, trainer, consultant and
professional, I know that you don’t respond to customers, con-
stitu^ts (the businessman that asked the question is an alimmus
of JCSU which makes him a vested stakeholder on two fix)nts} or
associates in the manner in which Mr. Kerry did.
In addition, both the city and coimty have provided piiblic tax
dollars for this tournament. It would be interesting to know how
the mayor, coimty manager and the other elected officials in atten
dance reacted to Mr. Kerry’s comments; and how this squares with
all of the proclamations and sound bites they offer regarding
minority business development and market parity issues. It would
^so be interesting to know how CIAA alumni and parents who’ve
paid tuitions and help to build and support CIAA schools and the
tournament, who may also be interested business owners, view
M*. Kerry’s remarks.
Mr. Kerry owes this gentleman who asked the question an apol
ogy The CIAA LOC and the governmental and private entities and
corporations supporting the tournament owe this community a
much better and defined response system for any enterprise seek
ing information on how they can get involved with the business
opportunities associated with this tournament. The withholding of
key marketing information is one of the systemic and institution
al barriers plaguing minority business concerns. The city of
dharlotte and the county of Mecklenburg should be held directly
accountable. Every citizen should see and know that these two
bodies are working to ensure equal access and opportunity in the
maricetplace for all of its residents, especially when public fimds
are involved.
News flash...this tournament and the economic opportunities
associated with it needs to be about more than “Uptown,” and, Mr.
Kerry needs coaching on how to better handle questions jfrom the
public involving publicly-fimded projects fike the tournament.
BILL McCullough Ls president and senior consultant at McHenry
Associates in Charlotte.
Common sense,
fairness needed to
fund Charlotte arts
By John Tabor
SPEClAl, TO THE POST
There is an elephant in the room and nobody’s talk
ing about it. The city manager put in her budget this
year $250 million worth of infi*astructure projects,
plus a tax increase. Council deferred it. The needs
actually head toward a biUion dollars. So with all of
those needs and $250 million of planned projects with
no available funding for next year, spending$150 mil
lion this year on art facilities is simply irresponsible.
I do believe we have had a significant shift towards
sports oriented facilities, with the whitewater park,
the ^rena, and the pursuit of the NASCAR Hall of
Fame. And I think our future focus should be toward
the arts and science facilities. But... it
needs to be done with common sense,
foresi^t, and fairness.
With that in mind, I presented a plan
(following historic precedent) that
would build three and possibly four
facilities at a cost of $38 million to $50
million versus spending $ 147 million of
the taxpayers’ money to build five. Tabor
What’s the difierence? Common sense
and fairness.
In a time that the Foundation for the Carolinas
describes as the greatest private transfer of wealth in
our history, we are taking a 25 year public-private
partnership of funding arts buildings 50-50, to simply
requiring the taxpayers pay 100 percent. Where is
the fairness to the taxpayers in that?
What are competing cities doing? Nobody would
research that because I assume they are afi’aid of the
answer. So, I did the research. I looked at the last cou
ple of cities the dTiamber visited — Thmpa and
Nashville. Nashville has built $40 million Frisk
Museum and is building a new $120 million
Symphony HaU. The city put up $33 millionand the
private sector raised $127 million, plus another $15
million for an endowment. Nashville taxpayers paid
for 21 percent of the buildings. Tkmpa was 43 per
cent, but the ED director says the trend is toward
more private participation.
The Observer recently ran an editorial promoting
the city should follow Raleigh’s example regarding
their decision to spend $15 million on a museum.
Raleigh taxpayers will only be paying 30 percent of
the cost. So if all the other cities are below 50 percent,
why are Charlotte taxpayers having to pay 100 per
cent?
There are better solutions, but first and more
importantly, Council needs to look up and see the ele
phant — $250 million in unfunded road and other
infi*astructure projects next year.
JOHN TABOR is a member of Charlotte City Coutml.