THE PEOPLE'S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, 1998



Wilmington 1998: The People's Declaration Of Racial Interdependence

Resolution adopted by the Executive Council of the 1898 Centennial Foundation on October 1, 1998 for submission to the citizens of Wilmington/New Hanover County on November 10, 1998, the centennial anniversary of the Wilmington coup of 1898.

Believing that the framers of the Constitution of the United States contemplated a government to be carried on by an enlightened people; believing that its principles fully anticipated the enfranchisement of human beings of all racial and ethnic origins; and believing that the people of the State of North Carolina who then and now join in forming the American Union do not wish for their descendants a division of society into a master and a servant relationship;

We, the undersigned citizens of the city of Wilmington and county of New Hanover, do hereby declare that we will no longer be ruled, and will never again be ruled, by the racist prejudices of the past, but instead we shall commit ourselves and the education of our children to the principle of racial equality and interdependence and the goal of racial harmony.

A direct consequence of the coup and violence of 1898 was a condition of injustice and oppression, which deprived many of our fellow citizens of their economic, social and political rights, and prolonged the insidious belief in white superiority. We believe that today, more than thirty years after the Civil Rights revolutions of the 1960’s, this past must not only be acknowledged, but explicitly repudiated and reversed.

We, therefore, believing that we speak for the vast majority of today’s citizens of this county and city, hereby proclaim:

1.The time has passed for the intelligent citizens of this community to be ruled by racism and prejudice.

2.We will no longer condone racist speech or behavior in our midst, neither by private individuals nor by public officials, and we will commit ourselves to a better future of racial equality and inclusion, for ourselves and our children.

3.A future of racial dialogue and interdependence is essential, if our community is to progress, morally and economically, in the 21st century.

4.The best interests of the community require the inclusion of African Americans in all segments of the economy, particularly those from which they have been historically excluded, because African American families cannot thrive in our community unless there are more opportunities for their economic advancement.

5.The best interests of the community require the inclusion of African Americans in all segments of the political, judicial, and educational system, because democracy is not genuine, unless all groups and sectors of the society have a voice in the governance process.

6.People of all races expect to live in this community peaceably, to have and provide protection for their families, and to be safe from violence and from prejudice in the allocation of police resources.

7.We all know that the injustice that was inflicted on the African Americans of Wilmington a century ago was wrong. We owe it to the people of this community, as a protection against such injustice in the future, to guarantee that the history of that past be an undeniable part of the public record, and we pledge ourselves to remove the vestiges of exclusion and segregation that were its bitter fruits.

8.All the political leaders of this city and county are called upon to declare openly their common commitment to the path of interracial dialogue, inclusion, and reconciliation without reservation.

9.Finally, it is the sense of this meeting that each and every political representative, business leader, and ordinary citizen should grasp this unique opportunity to commit themselves publicly to making WILMINGTON 1998 the diametrical opposite of WILMINGTON 1898 in race relations. Let this entire community become a shining beacon of racial equality and harmony, integrating all its social institutions and organizations; and positively fostering inclusion wherever exclusion has previously reigned. We are all well aware that it is the right thing to do and it is the right time to do it, so help us God.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download