By tradition the Friday before the election, the Carolina Peacemaker today carries an ad by the Guilford Co. Political Action Committee (Simkins PAC) offering their recommendations for whom the African America community should vote for on November 4th.
From the ad: "We were there when you needed a District System to assure African American representation in city governement, and we are still here in 2003 researching candidates so that you can know which candidates have your best interest at heart. We therefore recommend the following persons as highly likely to conduct the business of city government in a manner that is equally fair to all the citizens of our City:"
- Mayor - Keith Holliday
- City Council At-Large - Yvonne Johnson and Don Vaughan
- City Council District 1 - T. Diane Bellamy Small
- City Council District 2 - Claudette Burroughs-White
- City Council District 3 - Robbie Perkins
- School Bond Issue - Vote Yes
Perhaps their endorsements are based partially on which candidates participate in the NCA&T parade for political positioning as opposed to those who have watched for many years from the sidelines because they truly enjoy the event as a family and neighborhood tradition.
Perhaps the Committee sees no value in a candidate who speaks frankly and openly about the disparities that continue to exist between Greensboro's various communities and is passionate about ridding our city of the economic inequities that undeniably exist between East and West Greensboro?
Perhaps the PAC has determined that it is in their best interest to recommend candidates who have chosen to live and raise their families in highly segregated areas of our community as opposed to those who have chosen to actually embrace and promote de-segregation and racial equality through the way they live their lives, not just the words they speak.
Did the Simkins PAC truly identify for the African American community all of the candidates which "have your best interest at heart"? Absolutley not, and I am deeply offended by their exclusion.
9:03:02 AM 
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