Africatown

Detroit council OKs plan that touts racial separation

September 21, 2004

BY MARISOL BELLO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

"A majority of the Detroit City Council wants to implement an economic development plan it commissioned for $112,000 that preaches racial isolation and rails against immigration in its bid to gain economic success for poor blacks.

The crux of the plan is the creation of a business district -- dubbed African Town -- that would be funded in part with city money and made up of black-owned businesses catering to a black clientele.

The report also complains that immigrants from Mexico, Asia and the Middle East are stealing resources, jobs and other opportunities from blacks and calls on city leaders to stop the economic shift.

The report does not call on the city to stop immigration -- and the city wouldn't have any power to stop it, even if it wanted to -- but the report does call on the city to level the playing field between blacks and the newcomers who it says are economically surpassing them.

"We see this as another compliment to the exciting development going on in the city," said Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, who introduced the effort to the council earlier this summer. The plan is under scrutiny by some city leaders and economic development experts who question the legality of an effort meant to help only one race. Some officials decry the council's efforts as threatening to reverse strides made in the region to improve race relations and the city's relationship with its neighbors.

Such a plan also could further alienate efforts by Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to seek regional cooperation and funding for major projects, such as an expansion and renovation of Cobo Center.

One official calls it outright racist."

Just one, mind you, calls it racist, so lets take a look at Africatown's demographics, shall we:



It appears to me that it already is, and playing the race card is something that will bite them in the ass, as I am sure it has done for Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams. Councilman Williams is claiming that it is racist that he is not allowed to have council employees do his personal errands, and misdeeds:

"Racism, harassment and use of City-Parish Council staff for personal business are alleged in a series of memos between two councilmen and the council clerk.

The memos stem from an exchange that occurred Aug. 31 between Councilman Chris Williams and Council Clerk Norma Dugas, after Dugas, who is white, instructed council staff to stop conducting personal business for Williams, who is black, on government time.

Dugas accused Williams of verbal abuse and threats.

Williams responded by calling Dugas a racist and accusing Dugas and council Chairman Randy Menard, who is white, of harassing him because he is black.

The situation apparently began Aug. 30 when Dugas wrote a memo telling staff to stop doing personal work for Williams on government time.

Council workers were allegedly asked by Williams to write a letter on council letterhead disputing the validity of a $1,400 unpaid cell phone bill and to look into fixing a ticket Williams received for following too closely behind a vehicle while on a government-related trip.

Dugas put a stop to the work, saying it was personal business that Williams should handle himself. Government workers are prohibited from doing personal work on government time, she said."

He wants a $1,400.00 cell phone bill and his traffic ticket dismissed. Do not we all, but you and I have to pay these things, do we not? So why should any politician get out of it? Because, that would mean using his own monies and heaven forbid that should ever happen.

Some may ask how this is related, beyond the race baiting, and moreover, why should one be paranoid of such activities; simply put, it is another attempt to get preferential treatment, via the law at the expense of others. An unearned benefit for those that just cannot cut it in life. It does not matter if they be white, black, yellow or red, these actions are what screw us daily and then divide us and distract our attentions from what are the true priorities.

Besides, was this not supposed to end with the death of Separate but Equal? Oh yes, some are more equal than others.

--WP