I moved to Asheville 2 1/2 years ago. I love the mountains, mild weather, artsiness. I moved from the Chicago area and was unaware of the dark history of how African-Americans have been treated in Asheville over the years. Upon learning more about Asheville’s history, I also became aware of the injustices that still exist. These include housing, education and job inequities.
So meeting Dee Williams was a relief. She says it how it is. She understands what has occurred and what kinds of economic and social steps can help Asheville move forward versus being static or moving backward. She will help build a positive Asheville for all of us! I endorse Dee Williams to help Asheville move forward!
— Sarah Skinner Asheville
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.
About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com
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.
8 thoughts on “Letter: Let’s move forward with Williams”
Mike
Having a Chicago-ite lecture Asheville natives on the unfortunate state of African Americans in Asheville is quite a surprise. Yes, in Asheville African Americans do kill each other but even normalized for population it is nowhere close the the daily carnage in Chicago. Do you truly believe that the “bad treatment” African Americans get in Asheville reduces their violence against each other while the “good treatment” they get from the Daleys and Emmanuel exacerbates it?? Or do you believe that the intra-race violence is unrelated to “treatment by the ‘ruling class” If that is true, then to what do you attribute the differential. If you were a young African American mother with 2 or 3 kids and living on mostly government programs would you rather live in Asheville or Chicago??
Angie
Mike if I were a young African American mother with 2 or 3 kids, I would be less likely than a young Caucasian mother to be living on mostly government programs; what a shameful generalization. Here’s some reading material for you…it’s easy to assume such stereotypes when you were lucky enough to be born white and male. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,156084,00.html
NFB
“Upon learning more about Asheville’s history”
Does that include learning more about Dee Williams’ history in Asheville?
She has run for office multiple times. Sometimes as a Democrat, sometimes as a Republican, sometimes and an independent. She ran as a apart of Chris Peterson’s attempt to create a political machine and two years ago ran with connections to Carl Mumpower, and now she runs as a part of the Green party. Hard to keep up with where she is in any given week.
While learning about Asheville’s history perhaps the letter writer can learn about the Opportunity Corporation and Williams less than noble time with them.
SpareChange
Ms. Williams has more political personae and positions than Sybil had personalities. The only constant is her perennial candidacy.
Matilda R Bliss
I believe that Sarah is speaking to the fact that Chicago is a more racially integrated city, whereas Asheville is still very segregated. I will also refer you to Dr Dwight Mullen’s State of Black Asheville. I have seen Dee speak many times, and as an Asheville native, she speaks about the State of Black Asheville from experience, and her urgent demeanor is a direct reflection of how urgent these times are. But of course, she doesn’t just speak of Black Asheville. She speaks for the whole of Asheville, which absolutely must be liberated from the hands of developers and hoteliers. We need community land trusts, permanently affordable housing, livable wages, and a freeze on property taxes. Let’s move forward Asheville!
cecil bothwell
The principal problem with Dee Williams’ positions on urgent societal issues is that they are absolutely prohibited under NC law. Hey, we all want higher wages. We’d all like to see the City contract with local businesses. No. Can’t do. NC cities have no power to raise the minimum wage ( though we can and have made the City a Living Wage Certified employer). No power to preferentially employ local businesses. (Lowest qualified bidder mandated by state.) Dee says she can lure high paying companies to set up shop in Asheville (great idea!) but then trashes the City deals with GE Aviation and Linamar, but no matter your view about those companies, are the highest paying expansions of manufacturing in Asheville in recent history. Kind of a disconnect with reality IMHO.
Deplorable Infidel
Dee should remind everyone that it was the EVIL socialist democrackkks who ran tore down their homes and forced them into public housing…democrackkks are SEGREGATIONISTS and RACISTS and are totally responsible for our public housing misery in AVL….democrackkks are EVIL EVIL EVIL people and most of them don’t even realize it!
…and local elitist democrackkks keep our schools EXCLUSIVE and NON DIVERSE, though they scream more diversity needed daily…wtf ? EVIL.
Having a Chicago-ite lecture Asheville natives on the unfortunate state of African Americans in Asheville is quite a surprise. Yes, in Asheville African Americans do kill each other but even normalized for population it is nowhere close the the daily carnage in Chicago. Do you truly believe that the “bad treatment” African Americans get in Asheville reduces their violence against each other while the “good treatment” they get from the Daleys and Emmanuel exacerbates it?? Or do you believe that the intra-race violence is unrelated to “treatment by the ‘ruling class” If that is true, then to what do you attribute the differential. If you were a young African American mother with 2 or 3 kids and living on mostly government programs would you rather live in Asheville or Chicago??
Mike if I were a young African American mother with 2 or 3 kids, I would be less likely than a young Caucasian mother to be living on mostly government programs; what a shameful generalization. Here’s some reading material for you…it’s easy to assume such stereotypes when you were lucky enough to be born white and male.
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,156084,00.html
“Upon learning more about Asheville’s history”
Does that include learning more about Dee Williams’ history in Asheville?
She has run for office multiple times. Sometimes as a Democrat, sometimes as a Republican, sometimes and an independent. She ran as a apart of Chris Peterson’s attempt to create a political machine and two years ago ran with connections to Carl Mumpower, and now she runs as a part of the Green party. Hard to keep up with where she is in any given week.
While learning about Asheville’s history perhaps the letter writer can learn about the Opportunity Corporation and Williams less than noble time with them.
Ms. Williams has more political personae and positions than Sybil had personalities. The only constant is her perennial candidacy.
I believe that Sarah is speaking to the fact that Chicago is a more racially integrated city, whereas Asheville is still very segregated. I will also refer you to Dr Dwight Mullen’s State of Black Asheville. I have seen Dee speak many times, and as an Asheville native, she speaks about the State of Black Asheville from experience, and her urgent demeanor is a direct reflection of how urgent these times are. But of course, she doesn’t just speak of Black Asheville. She speaks for the whole of Asheville, which absolutely must be liberated from the hands of developers and hoteliers. We need community land trusts, permanently affordable housing, livable wages, and a freeze on property taxes. Let’s move forward Asheville!
The principal problem with Dee Williams’ positions on urgent societal issues is that they are absolutely prohibited under NC law. Hey, we all want higher wages. We’d all like to see the City contract with local businesses. No. Can’t do. NC cities have no power to raise the minimum wage ( though we can and have made the City a Living Wage Certified employer). No power to preferentially employ local businesses. (Lowest qualified bidder mandated by state.) Dee says she can lure high paying companies to set up shop in Asheville (great idea!) but then trashes the City deals with GE Aviation and Linamar, but no matter your view about those companies, are the highest paying expansions of manufacturing in Asheville in recent history. Kind of a disconnect with reality IMHO.
Dee should remind everyone that it was the EVIL socialist democrackkks who ran tore down their homes and forced them into public housing…democrackkks are SEGREGATIONISTS and RACISTS and are totally responsible for our public housing misery in AVL….democrackkks are EVIL EVIL EVIL people and most of them don’t even realize it!
…and local elitist democrackkks keep our schools EXCLUSIVE and NON DIVERSE, though they scream more diversity needed daily…wtf ? EVIL.
You had your chance when filing was open.