DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Virginia Harper NAACP Correspondence, 1971-1996 | 1996-03-05 Virginia Harper to Mayor John Wright, City Manager John Call and Fort Madison City Council Members

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Virginia Harper NAACP Correspondence, 1971-1996

1996-03-05 Virginia Harper to Mayor John Wright, City Manager John Call and Fort Madison City Council Members

March 5, 1996
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR - JOHN WRIGHT
CITY MANAGER - JOHN CALL
FORT MADISON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

SUBJECT: FORT MADISON POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE CHIEF AND THE CITY OF FORT MADISON AS THE ULTIMATE EMPLOYER OF BOTH.

AS MEMBERS OF THE FORT MADISON, BRANCH OF THE NAACP,IT WAS NOT OUR INTENTION TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR MATTER, SO SOON. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF TELEPHONE CALLS WE HAVE RECEIVED, AS WELL AS SOME LETTERS, WE FELT COMPELLED TO TAKE THIS STEP. ALSO, WE FELT THAT THE FORUM FOR PURSUING THIS MATTER, PROPERLY, SHOULD BE THE PERSONS WHO WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY.

WE'RE AWARE THAT SOME OF SGT. LOZANO’S CONCERNS WERE PERSONNEL MATTERS AND MIGHT QUALIFY FOR “CLOSED SESSION”. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE UNDERSTAND SOME OF HIS CONCERNS WERE NOT STRICTLY PERSONNEL ISSUES AND COULD NOT BE BRUSHED ASIDE AND “TAGGED” “APPROPRIATE ACTION TAKEN”. THERE IS A NEED FOR ACTIONTO BE TAKEN IN PUBLIC. AT NO TIME, ACCORDING TO OUR INFORMATION, WAS A PUBLIC CLARIFICATION MADE.

STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT RACISM AND BIGOTRY, WHICH TEND TO TRY  TO MAKE IT SEEM NOT TO EXIST, LEAD US TO REQUEST THAT SENSITIVITY TRAINING BE A PART OF THE NEXT PERSON’S BACKGROUND WHO IS CONSIDERED FOR THE JOB OF CHIEF IN THIS COMMUNITY. NO-ONE, AND WE REPEAT NO-ONE WHO IS NOT OF COLOR, CAN DESCRIBE THE FEELINGS WHICH GO WITH BEING THE VICTIM OF RACIAL PREJUDICE OR BIGOTRY BECAUSE OF NOTIONS DUE TO IGNORANCE. NO-ONE SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE THINGS ON CONTINUAL BASIS.

AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PUT THIS MATTER ON THEIR NEXT AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM. HAVING DONE THAT, WE FEEL WE WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN LOOKING FOR RELIEF, ELSEWHERE, IF IT IS NOT FOUND HERE, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.

MEMBERS OF THE FORT MADISON BRANCH OF THE NAACP
VIRGINIA HARPER - PRESIDENT

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March 5, 1996 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR - JOHN WRIGHT CITY MANAGER - JOHN CALL FORT MADISON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SUBJECT: FORT MADISON POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE CHIEF AND THE CITY OF FORT MADISON AS THE ULTIMATE EMPLOYER OF BOTH. AS MEMBERS OF THE FORT MADISON, BRANCH OF THE NAACP,IT WAS NOT OUR INTENTION TO COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR MATTER, SO SOON. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF TELEPHONE CALLS WE HAVE RECEIVED, AS WELL AS SOME LETTERS, WE FELT COMPELLED TO TAKE THIS STEP. ALSO, WE FELT THAT THE FORUM FOR PURSUING THIS MATTER, PROPERLY, SHOULD BE THE PERSONS WHO WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE AWARE THAT SOME OF SGT. LOZANO’S CONCERNS WERE PERSONNEL MATTERS AND MIGHT QUALIFY FOR “CLOSED SESSION”. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE UNDERSTAND SOME OF HIS CONCERNS WERE NOT STRICTLY PERSONNEL ISSUES AND COULD NOT BE BRUSHED ASIDE AND “TAGGED” “APPROPRIATE ACTION TAKEN”. THERE IS A NEED FOR ACTIONTO BE TAKEN IN PUBLIC. AT NO TIME, ACCORDING TO OUR INFORMATION, WAS A PUBLIC CLARIFICATION MADE. STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT RACISM AND BIGOTRY, WHICH TEND TO TRY TO MAKE IT SEEM NOT TO EXIST, LEAD US TO REQUEST THAT SENSITIVITY TRAINING BE A PART OF THE NEXT PERSON’S BACKGROUND WHO IS CONSIDERED FOR THE JOB OF CHIEF IN THIS COMMUNITY. NO-ONE, AND WE REPEAT NO-ONE WHO IS NOT OF COLOR, CAN DESCRIBE THE FEELINGS WHICH GO WITH BEING THE VICTIM OF RACIAL PREJUDICE OR BIGOTRY BECAUSE OF NOTIONS DUE TO IGNORANCE. NO-ONE SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE THINGS ON CONTINUAL BASIS. AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PUT THIS MATTER ON THEIR NEXT AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM. HAVING DONE THAT, WE FEEL WE WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN LOOKING FOR RELIEF, ELSEWHERE, IF IT IS NOT FOUND HERE, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MEMBERS OF THE FORT MADISON BRANCH OF THE NAACP VIRGINIA HARPER - PRESIDENT