- Collection:
- Greensboro Voices: Voicing Observations in Civil Rights and Equality struggles
- Title:
- No One Voice Speaks for Black Greensboro
- Creator:
- Shane, Scott
- Date of Original:
- 1980-11-26
- Subject:
- Greensboro (N.C.)--History--20th century
Local government--North Carolina--Greensboro
Civil rights workers--North Carolina--Greensboro - Location:
- United States, North Carolina, Guilford County, Greensboro, 36.07264, -79.79198
- Medium:
- clippings (information artifacts)
scrapbooks - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- image/jpeg
- Description:
- In this November 26, 1980 Greensboro Daily News article, Scott Shane reports on the existence of "two worlds" in Greensboro, one black and one white. Shane writes that many black citizens feel Greensboro continues to be run by a few large corporations, none of whom employee blacks in management positions. He says that many blacks feel there is an "insensitivity to black concerns on the part of the white business community," and references the fact that only one of the African American members of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce was elected by membership. While black leadership has become more diverse, most interviewees cited George Simkins, Prince Graves, and Henry Frye as the most influential leaders. Shane details all three men's activism in Greensboro. The formation of the Greensboro Citizens Forum and renewed church activity is discussed at length. However, the three leaders' close ties to the white power structure brings criticism from the black community. Charles Byrd, a business owner, said "anybody (among the black leaders) the power structure doesn't destroy is not worth voting for." Shane writes that only a small portion of the city budget goes to black owned businesses, and that many of the city positions blacks hold carry little clout. He also writes that many feel when blacks gain economic power, they will be able to obtain political power. Other individuals mention in the article are: Alexander and Will Parker, business owners; Lewis Brandon, business owner; Isaac Miller, Bennett College president; Herman Fox, engineer and A&T professor; Jim Melvin, mayor; Vic Nussbaum, city councilman; Lewis Dowdy, A&T chancellor; Kenneth Lee, attorney; Katie Dorsett, activist; Alfreda Webb, A&T staff; L. Richardson Preyer, congressman; W.J. Trent, Bennett College assistant to the president; Rev. Otis Hairston; Rev. Cleo McCoy; Jimmie Barber, city councilman; Walter Johnson, attorney. Organizations mentioned in the article include: Greensboro Citizens Association, Pulpit Forum, Greensboro Citizens Forum, NAACP, Hayes-Taylor YMCA, United Way, NC Civil Liberties Union, Greensboro Minority Business League. This is part four of five in a series titled "Who Runs Greensboro?" This article was clipped and saved in a scrapbook about the twentieth anniversary of the 1960 lunch counter sit-ins by Clarence "Curly" Harris, manager of the Greensboro Woolworth store at the time of the sit-ins.
- Metadata URL:
- http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/ref/collection/CivilRights/id/1875
- Language:
- eng
- Additional Rights Information:
- IN COPYRIGHT. This item is subject to copyright. Contact the contributing institution for permission to reuse.
- Extent:
- 9" x 11"
- Original Collection:
- http://libapps.uncg.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=506
MSS141 Clarence Lee Harris Papers, circa 1916-1997
CRG - Contributing Institution:
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro. University Libraries
- Rights:
-
