AMAZING CITIES

I was happy to personally meet with National League of Cities'(NLC) immediate past President, Jim Hunt and to know he has read my book:  Imprints: Tracing Today's Behavior to Past Events.  The book provides common ground for us to work together on his challenge to make this colorful, diverse America into a cluster of inclusive neighborhoods and communities, where every citizen is uninhibited in what they can achieve.  However, there are barriers yet to cross before Jim's challenge becomes a reality.  Because of racial barriers, established by our nation's founding fathers, many programs and policies have been instituted so as to diminish the affect of these barriers on citizens of color and those of non-European origin.  To succeed, we have work to do.

Programs designed to address the issues involving the lack of ethnic diversity, inclusion, social justice, equitable opportunity, etc, are all deeply rooted in the notion that all people belong to a certain racial group and that a person's limitations can be determined merely by skin color.  Consequently programs dealing with diversity seeks to bring those historically discriminated against, because of skin color or national origin, to the forefront.  While such programs have enjoyed some success, the notion of race is still alive and primarily lingers as a detriment to our nation's creed of one nation, where freedom is extended to all, from sea to shining sea.  

My book challenges the President of the United States and indeed every American citizen to initiate or join a process that will eliminate "Race" as a category for our citizens and institutional racism as well.  NLC could start that process.  As a member of the City Council in Mobile, Alabama we often have people appearing before us asking our help covertly to promote the notion of race.  Recently a person came before us seeking our help on forcing a developer restoring the old Battle House Hotel, built long before the Civil War, to retain and install the four Confederate Battle Flags that once flew in the roof top of the hotel's lobby, in its hey day of ethnic exclusion.

Our City Council President appointed me as the person to provide an official response.  I immediately agreed with the gentleman, that the hotel maintain total integrity of that period.  I then pointed out therefore, that I wanted the "Colored" and "White Only" signs placed over the door of bathrooms, as was the case before the hotel closed.  Additionally, I wanted the same signs placed over all water fountains, so citizens could judge for themselves the conduct of his ancestors.  He immediately agreed with me to present those Civil War relics to the history museum for preservation and interpretation.  The fact of the matter is, all barriers must be removed that indicate any person, or groups of persons, have a natural advantage over others based on race, skin color, ethnicity, national origin, or any other meritless factors.  The notion of race as a standard barrier must cease and desist. 

I have asked Jim Hunt and the National League of Cities to join me in seeking to eliminate one of the last vestiges of slavery, the grouping of citizens into so called races.  All humans, no matter their ancestors' origin, are members of the same race, the human race; each with their own separate abilities, completely disassociated from skin color.  Other nations accept this fact.  It is time for America to do the same.  In doing so, we will truly become one nation with endless boundaries, empowering every neighborhood and community in America to become communities of opportunity.  We can, we must and we will do it, America, with the help of NLC.

 Fredrick D. Richardson