The focal point was racism and Confederate symbols when the Jackson branch of the NAACP held ‘A Community Conversation’ at the AMP, Thursday.
As expected, the first item discussed was a Confederate statue that stands on the north lawn at the Madison County Courthouse.
A petition that has generated about 8,000 signatures is circulating to have the statue removed – not demolished – but the reasoning is taxpayers are paying taxes on the property.
Several of those in the estimated crowd of about 100 spoke very enthusiastically about personal encounters with racism, police brutality, education and jobs.
“The turnout was fine,” said Harrell Carter, Jackson-Madison County NAACP president, “We had some energetic people and as you (could) tell they spoke their minds. You could feel the pain and suffering in their voice because they know even during this pandemic, the likelyhood of things changing for the better is not necessarily ready made, it’s something we are going to have to fight for – it’s the freedom.
“Black folks in this country have always had to fight for every piece of freedom that they have and they’ll continue to do that.”
Carter said blacks have a little company in their effort.
“We do have our white brothers and sisters, Asians … and if we have a peoples movement, there’s no power that can defeat us,” Carter said, “I think this is the beginning, the birthing of a coming together of a community that has big ideas and make some big changes in the future.”
Carter said he was not dismayed because the Mayors of Jackson and Madison County were not in attendance.
“There’s not that many other elected officials here, ither,” Carter said, “This is the time when ministers, when you would think would be here (and) elected officials who represent the people would be here, but it’s their choice, but I think we are in a period of time to say ‘Who does represent our causes … who does and who don’t.”
(PHOTO: Harrell Carter, Jackson-Madison County NAACP president, right, and Dr. Jerry Woods at the ‘Community Conversation,’ Thursday)
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