DID THEY ASK ANY OF YOU ABOUT THIS?

Downtown Raleigh information

These are the notes and pictures that I took at a meeting that I was invited to in May. (Such a late post because life has been crazy! I intended to post immediately but ….) The pictures show a presentation about 6 things that are going on in the Downtown through Lake Wheeler (think Dix Park).

While this presentation has also been shared at the City Council meeting (an emergency meeting) in June, I was shocked when the lady from the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex announced that they were not only moving the Red Hat Amphitheatre (as I knew that was coming but keep reading for that) but it would be as a larger entity than now AND that they would be closing part of South Street because it would become the back stage of the Amphitheatre.

I was shocked and surprised – but I guess that I shouldn’t have been because – Raleigh?!

One of the things that I did say was to ask when were they planning to tell the people who live, work and play in downtown Raleigh that they were planning to close off the street (that is one of the original boundaries of the City from 1792). I know that there will be orange detour signs posted as construction takes place, but I asked if the only way that citizens will find out about the actual closing is when the signs never come down – or would it be when I posted it on my social media?

And this post is part of posting it on Social Media!

The other thing that I questioned was why do we continue to build on the backs of the people that were forced to move out of 4th Ward (you know, the Black people that had to move out of the area that was started at the end of the Civil War – from 3 freedman’s villages – [Manly’s Homestead; Cannon Lands; Hayti] during the 1960s – early 1970s) in order to build the roads that the Raleigh Redevelopment Commission (created in 1958) said we needed for heavy traffic. You drive on these streets regularly – The Dawson – McDowell Connector.

The answer to that question was to add in some artwork or something to memorialize that original destruction. But do you get what I mean? The city destroyed that community/neighborhood as part of the Urban Renewal process that built the interstate/highway system across the country and what’s the payment back to the community for that? Is that actually the best they can do?

DID THEY ASK ANY OF YOU ABOUT THIS?

See, this Saturday’s event (7/20/24) is titled, Saturday on South: Food, Fun, and Future Plans! It doesn’t mention that they want to hear from you about your concerns about the effects of closing the street – blocking a space that people have to walk to get to live the rest of their life – or have to find a different way to drive to get where you are going.  This is created as a FUN time.

It ignores the pain that has never been addressed over 60 years for a Black community that was physically wiped out and moved around other parts of the city (mind you only in South Raleigh because white people still didn’t want Blacks living in the other 3 parts of town – think restrictive covenants). They made no attempts to reach out to you did they? Did they talk to the folks who are part of the 4th Ward Neighborhood Association or the Washington or Ligon alumni groups? Did they make the attempt? What about the people at Manly Street Christian Church [Macedonia Christian Church], Congregational Church, First Cosmopolitan Baptist Church [Fayetteville Street Baptist Church]? Did the City talk with any of your congregation? Y’all were the 3 churches that had to move.

You know that this pisses me off. It pisses me off that white people whose offices sit in that area don’t know that there was anything there before they showed up in the 1980s. Imagine that there was vacant land there with nothing on it for that long.

Look at the rest of the notes closely. The MIRA apartment complex that is off of Kinsey Street has purchased the exit ramp land from MLK, Blvd down to McDowell from the City. New plans will be to reroute Kindley Street across the street. (Do you remember when Kindley Street went across to the back of Washington School to the teacher’s parking lot.) It just continues to feel that they (the City) is building on the backs of people that they don’t

1. remember existed
2. care that existed
3. have a concern for

I add in here that the fact that there was a $600,000 study funded to research quiet trains that don’t toot when they cross the tracks or the city says the same thing to me. They didn’t route the trains through the communities that had money to begin with (not saying that they aren’t there now, but the city grew up around them…where do you think “across the tracks” came from. There were always 2 sides of town.)

OK. I have ranted. But my rant is serious. Show up, have fun and tell the part of the truth at this “COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT” event, because to get something you have to give something up in this particular area. We have already given up a lot. Make sure that we get something back.

I already had other plans for that day so won’t be there long – but I am making my opinion known here and all my other social media posts places.

NOTES –

Check our calendar for details on Saturday’s event – Saturday on South

You can find Ms. Cauthen’s full post with associated illustrations on her Facebook page here: Downtown Raleigh Information

You can find the City Staff presentation slides here: Update on South, Downtown Initiatives & Red Hat Amphitheater