City apologizes for racial wrongs

City apologizes for racial wrongsJones dissents over changes to make resolution 'look pretty'MARCIA LANEmarcia.lane@staugustine.comPublication Date: 02/27/07
The St. Augustine City Commission apologized Monday to all who "suffered the indignities" and "painful emotions and anger" during the city's civil rights turmoil in the 1960s.
However, the commissioner who made the resolution didn't vote for it after other commissioners changed two words at Monday's St. Augustine City Commission meeting.
"I don't need someone else to tell me how to express my feelings," Commissioner Errol Jones said after the vote. Jones, who is black, said he had been thinking about the need for the city to apologize for some time.
During the annual Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast he decided "once a year we people get up and say rah, rah for civil rights and then 364 days of the year they go home and do nothing about it. That's blacks and whites. We need to be doing things that have long-term effects."
His resolution called for the city to "formally and sincerely expresses its regret to all who suffered the indignities endured, the painful emotions, and anger during the time. For this, we show nothing but sorrow."
Other commissioners raised concerns over the word "its," arguing that could lead to legal challenges.
"I'm not against this resolution. I think it's very apropos during this time. I'm just concerned about the wording of it and what it may open up for St. Augustine," Vice Mayor Don Crichlow said.
He suggested several sentences changes.
Commissioners also disagreed with Jones' assertion that there had been no healing of wounds caused during the civil rights demonstrations that rocked St. Augustine in 1964.
They suggested changing a phrase in Jones' original resolution that read, " We the City Commission of the City of St. Augustine, do herein express our words of profound regret and remorse ... 'Let the healing begin.' "
Commissioner Susan Burk wanted "let the healing begin" changed to "let the healing continue."
"Since 1964, I believe a lot of healing has occurred. To suggest otherwise is wrong," Burk said.
Jones replied, "The wound is there and the need for an apology of this type is needed. Not, not, not, as we say, shining it up or making it look pretty for Sunday School. We're telling it like it is. I'm not prepared to accept an amendment that glosses over the seriousness of it the importance of it."
Burk then said, "You're not willing to accept changing even one word."
Jones said she was right.
There was no argument over the words "that we celebrate the efforts of the foot soldiers who worked to change the system of racial segregation in what the future will view as one of St. Augustine's greatest gifts to America and to the world."
Commissioners eventually passed the resolution with the two changes. Mayor Joe Boles, Commissioner George Gardner and Burk voted for the resolution.
Jones and Crichlow voted against it.
Jones said later he would not give up on pushing for a resolution in which the city and people took responsibility for the injustices.
"You can't hide it. We have had no reconciliation," Jones said. Before people can move on, he said, they have to admit the injustices.Click here to return to story:http://staugustine.com/stories/022707/news_4432045.shtml © The St. Augustine Record