Thread: Charlotte Mayor won't apologize to NAACP for un-PC remarks

Posted on Thu, Jul. 12, 2007
NAACP asks McCrory to apologize
By MELISSA MANWARE
The NAACP wants Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory to apologize for remarks he made about African American youth after last week's arrests during Fourth of July festivities in uptown.

Ken White, president of the Charlotte Branch of the NAACP, on Wednesday called the mayor's comments "insensitive" and said he's concerned they painted "African American youth with a broad swath that cuts deep in many of our communities."

McCrory's comments came July 5 in a letter to the city manager congratulating police on their efforts the night before, when 169 people were arrested in uptown. McCrory also wrote that "too many of our youth, primarily African American, are imitating and/or participating in a gangster type of dress, attitude, behavior and action."

Later Wednesday, McCrory said he won't apologize.
Why not?
"Because my comments were accurate. Period."

White asked for the apology at a news conference, where he was joined by Michael Lawson, president of the N.C. Democratic Party's African American caucus, and Joyce Waddell, who serves on the boards of the local NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women.

"Everyone is aware that black people have been saddled with many negative stereotypes...," White said. "Mr. McCrory's comments reinforce that stereotype... especially to those inclined to hold on to racist thinking and behavior.

"His comments, quite possibly unintentional, characterized all young black people as troublemakers and gang members."

He also said he is concerned that black parents and families in Charlotte feel they "have been slapped in the face by an insensitive comment made by our mayor."

White, who was out of town last week, said he learned of McCrory's comments only recently. He said he had not spoken with McCrory about the remarks but planned to contact him later Wednesday to request the apology. McCrory, interviewed shortly after 6 p.m., said he had not heard from anyone with the NAACP but would likely call White today.

McCrory said he understands that some were offended by his remarks, but said if he were writing the letter today he wouldn't do it any differently.
"My role as mayor is to communicate what I consider to be concerns and in doing so you have to step on some toes," he said. "What you say can't always make people feel good.... We can't run away from the situation and shoot the messenger."

After disturbances marred July Fourth celebrations the previous two years, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police assigned more than 300 extra officers to patrol streets in or near uptown during this year's festivities.
Officers stood on street corners, rode bicycles and watched over the crowd from a raised platform.
They made six times more arrests than in each of the previous two years, but no large disturbances were reported.
The uptown crowd was primarily African American, as were most of those arrested: Of 143 adults arrested, 122 were black. Police later noted that those arrested comprised fewer than 1 percent of the uptown revelers.

McCrory has said he did not mean that only African American youth were imitating gangs. But he said he specified them because that's who he saw as he walked uptown streets during the celebration.
On Wednesday, he cited statistics showing more than 60 percent of Charlotte's gang members are African American. And, he said, the victims of gang violence also tend to be black.
"One thing we agree on is that it is a horrible stereotype," McCrory said, "but it's being perpetuated by those who continue to dress like, behave like and act like gang members. It's not productive to our community, our neighborhoods, our schools, or to those individuals who are doing it."

White said he would have been fine with McCrory's letter had the mayor not singled out African American youth. He said he agrees with McCrory's other points: that parents need to take more responsibility for their children and that young people and parents need to respect the city's curfew -- 11 p.m. weeknights, midnight on weekends -- for children under 16.
But he said not everyone dressed in a long white T-shirt is in a gang and many white and Latino youths are wearing the same style.
"I am not a fashion expert, and cannot say that I admire certain fashions worn by our youth," he said.
"However, I also recognize that most of us went through a similar stage when our parents complained about the way we dressed."

Note: There is also an online poll with this article at:

http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/193892.html

Place a vote, if you’d like after reading the article

Poll: | Should Mayor McCrory apologize over his July 4th remarks?

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Poll | Should Mayor McCrory apologize over his July 4th remarks?

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Your vote was No on 7/12/2007 12:34 pm

Poll | Should Mayor McCrory apologize over his July 4th remarks?

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Poll | Should Mayor McCrory apologize over his July 4th remarks?

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Should Mayor McCrory apologize over his July 4th remarks?

Yes
563 votes (13%)

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