WS Chronicle

In above photo: Illustration of Voting rights and Voter Suppression Law (Ron Rogers for The Chronicle)

Kudos to S.C. for taking flag down, but more needs to be done

To the Editor:

U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC-12) today [Thursday, July 9] released the following statement in response to South Carolina’s legislature acting to remove the Confederate battle flag from Statehouse grounds; and introduction of a House resolution to remove any state flag containing the Confederate battle flag from U.S. Capitol grounds:

I applaud the South Carolina Legislature for signing legislation into State law that removes the Confederate battle flag from flying over the State House.

The Confederate battle flag symbolizes a painful time in our country’s history; a time when men and women were held in chattel slavery.

For many, the flag continues to symbolize the hatred and oppression of that era.

The recent tragedy in South Carolina is a horrific reminder of the work we have to do in order to stomp out hatred and bigotry in our country.

It is past time we abandon the usage of this offensive vestige of the past and I am proud the South Carolina legislature moved to do what is right.

Now, I urge Governor McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to act swiftly in discontinuing Confederate battle flag embossed license plates.

I stand with many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in urging Congress to remove any item with Confederate battle flag symbols from U.S. Capitol grounds.

U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC-12) Washington, D.C.

CBC applauds S.C. vote to remove flag from grounds

Today, Rep. G. K. Butterfield, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), issued the following statement commending the South Carolina Legislature for its swift action to remove the Confederate Battle flag from State House grounds:

Early this morning [Thursday, July 9], the South Carolina legislature took a decisive step toward uniting South Carolinians by passing a bill to remove the Confederate Battle flag from State House grounds.

The Confederate Battle flag has long been a divisive symbol intended to celebrate a dark period in American history during which four million blacks were held as slaves, not seen as human beings, but merely as property.

We cannot erase or change history, but we can, as witnessed in South Carolina, take meaningful steps to move forward together by removing a painful symbol of hate, bigotry, and oppression that has plagued our nation.

The Congressional Black Caucus applauds the state of South Carolina for its progress towards a brighter future.

Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Rep. G. K. Butterfield (NC-1), Chairman Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus, visit http://cbc-butterfield.house.gov.

Greensboro law is horrendous, takes democracy from the people

To the Editor:

The North Carolina NAACP and Forward Together Moral Movement stand in strong opposition to the race-based overreaching undertaken by the General Assembly last Thursday [July 2].

In a prime example of anti-democratic actions and bully politics, the N.C. General Assembly pushed forward an atrocious, race-based state bill disguised as a local redistricting bill that will have a detrimental impact on the city of Greensboro for years to come.

The anti-democracy state legislators think they know how to govern Greensboro better than its own citizens – ignoring both the proper legislative process and the opportunity for public feedback.

This faction wants to make it harder for minorities and working people to have influence with their votes.

But the people of Greensboro are not fooled.

Sen. Trudy Wade, former Greensboro City Councilwoman, and Joyce Krawiec, from Forsyth County, introduced Senate Bill 36, which originally proposed the redistricting plan for Greensboro but failed to make traction in the House and ended up being stuck in committee.

To get around the process, the Greensboro redistricting plan was added to HB 263.

Senator Bob Rucho’s Senate Redistricting Committee took a rushed, hushed vote a few weeks ago, setting the stage for a major fight with the people of Greensboro.

Before this horrendous law was passed, Greensboro had three at-large City Council seats and five single district Council seats.

The Greensboro mayor voted on every issue, and elections for City Council were hotly contested, since there was no run-off.

Now, House Bill 263 eliminates at-large seats and establishes eight single-member districts; limits the power of the mayor, allowing her/him to vote only in case of ties; establish a run-off election, creating incentives for back-room deals.

Most Republicans and Democrats in Greensboro supported a referendum – for any changes to the city council structure and district lines to be voted on by the people of the City of Greensboro.

But instead, the extreme far right in the General Assembly voted to make Greensboro the only city in North Carolina that cannot change its council structure or voting districts without permission from the state legislature.

By opening the way for new districts, Rucho and his race-based computer map-maker can draw maps to divide and dilute minority voters.

They have already split the campus of North Carolina A&T University into different districts.

Soon minorities and other vulnerable voters will have no say in how their city is governed.

The N.C. NAACP will look into taking legal action and supports the people of Greensboro who strongly oppose these anti-democracy steps to dilute the minority vote. One person’s vote is equal to another’s.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II President, N.C. NAACP Durham