Endorsements

I decided at the outset to refuse all endorsements so that I could become a member of City Council without feeling obligated to any outside interest group. I promised to have an open mind to all issues that come before City Council, and act according to the best interests of ALL Greensboro citizens.

The best known special interest group may be the Simkins PAC, a group that says it represents black citizen interests. The PAC conducts interviews with individual candidates and focuses on an agenda that includes Truth and Reconciliation, Police Review Board, Civil Rights Museum, police, and various other black issues. It surprised me that the PAC agenda was so narrowly focused; there was no discussion on economic development in east Greensboro, opportunities for small business, neighborhood crime control questions, cleaning up the police department, etc. Instead my interview was brief and confrontational, looking backward at past grievances, rather than forward toward a better future. I've had an opportunity to meet a number of kind, sincere, and thoughtful people in the black community. I find it hard to believe the Simkins PAC serves their best interests.

Following a forum last night (10/30) I was approached by a young black male A&T student who wanted to talk to me about assistance with a group of fledgling entrepreneurs who are attempting to get a start in business. I look forward to meeting with him and his group and see if any of my business skills can be brought to bear.

The thing I found interesting about this young man was his lack of interest in the issues being pushed by the Simkins PAC. As he said to me, he and his friends have a totally different outlook than the Simkins philosophy of looking backward. He shared his belief that many other young blacks hold similar sentiments. We talked about race and agreed that the best way to deal with racism is to stop talking about it and get down to the hard work of making the kind of improvements that will benefit everyone. What a breath of fresh air!