The Segregation Conversation

Saturday night, Aug. 21, the Drinks and Dialogue event focuses on an issue I’ve written about before. The topic: Why is Asheville segregated? Racial relations in Asheville remain a controversial issue (as I’ve written before) — and one that must be faced.

The event, at the Haywood Lounge (590 Haywood Rd.) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, is organized by Tim Smith, who’s taken the initiative to tackle this issue head-on and promote a dialogue. I look forward to it as an opportunity for Ashevilleans to discuss these issues face-to-face, something that’s been helped since time immemorial by a drink. If the questions and comments that arose in the original discussion are any indication, it should be an interesting and enlightening night.

Sadly, discussion over this important topic often bogs down into debates about where minorities live, whether “outsiders” are imposing on a culture, or how many minorities hold positions in an agency or company (full disclosure: Xpress has no Hispanic or African-American employees). Those aren’t unimportant necessarily, but they often miss larger issues.

In my original post, I focused intentionally on events such as the dangerous pedestrian crossing to Hillcrest, the razing of African-American neighborhoods during the “urban renewal” of the 1970s, the Burton Street neighborhood’s fight against widespread demolitions and the feeling of many minority citizens that when it comes to planning the future of Asheville, their concerns aren’t taken seriously.

These are not token issues, but matters of government power, prosperity and poverty. In some cases they are matters of life and death.

In the end, questions of segregation boil down to who is regarded as expendable and who isn’t. Any hope of moving towards a city where that answer is “no one” takes some honest discussion about an extremely complicated topic. Tomorrow’s a great time to start, and I hope to see you at Drinks and Dialogue.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “The Segregation Conversation

  1. Curious

    What has the “Building Bridges” program done over the years to address this issue? Has Mountain Xpress covered the programs offered by the Center for Diversity Education?

  2. Jeff Fobes

    Here are some Xpress articles on Building Bridges:
    “Ending racism” http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2010/060910ending_racism

    “Hands across the water” http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/090507buzz

    “Building Bridges” http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2004/1222greenlee.php

    Here are some on the Center for Diversity Education:
    “Center for Diversity Education announces road show dates” http://www.mountainx.com/blogwire/2010/center_for_diversity_education_announces_road_show_dates

    “Miles away” http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/092607buzz4

    “Breaking taboos” http://www.mountainx.com/news/2005/1026diversity.php

    You can find more using the “advanced search” feature on the Xpress site, but you have to set the search to look for the exact phrases to get good results.

  3. Clay Henderson

    David, I’m curious. Do you live in a diverse neighborhood? If not, you could live in Montford, Kenilworth, or the MLK Blvd area, just to name a few. Those neighborhoods are diverse.

    And I have a test for anyone who thinks Asheville, in particular, has a “segregation”, or racial problem. Walk the streets. Smile at strangers. See how many smile back. I do this and have always had a friendly response from black folks (I am white). Let’s let go of preconceived opinions that the South is segregated, and see first hand what is the reality. And fortunately, that reality if that Asheville is a shining city on a hill as far as black-white relations go.

  4. Diversity Education

    Thanks so much for mentioning our organization. Anyone can stop in The Center for Diversity Education anytime from 9-5 weekdays at UNCA. It is so important to us to keep communication open with our lovely community. We have a lot to offer Asheville and would love to see schools, individuals and businesses take advantage of our exhibits and roadshows. We try to be at as many community events as possible so if you see us remember to “Start a Conversation”. Find out more at http://www.diversityed.org or call us anytime at 828.232.5024. Hope to see you at the next D&D.

Leave a Reply to Jeff Fobes ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.