Alamance County Leaders’ Statement on the Confederate Monument on Courthouse Square

We as leaders in Alamance County recognize that we have a role to take the necessary and timely action needed to ensure that our county is an inclusive, equitable and welcoming place for people to thrive, conduct business, pursue an education, and live fulfilling lives.

The Confederate Monument in the Courthouse Square of Graham currently stands at the symbolic heart of our county at the epicenter of government. While this artifact is undeniably part of our history, for many in our community, it represents an ideology incompatible with equality. The history of Confederate monuments in the United States is complex. While many believe they exist simply to honor fallen soldiers, in actuality they were erected at a time of fervent white supremacy. The monument’s prominent location before a house of justice, an entity which has historically failed to serve our communities of color with equality, perpetuates this symbol as a barrier to the inclusion we aspire to achieve. As the municipalities and counties around us have taken action to remove their monuments, the Alamance County monument draws ever increasing notoriety and represents an increased potential for violence. Now is the time for decisive action to relocate this monument.

We are at a crossroads. As leaders, we want the county to move forward to a bright, prosperous future and not cling to a symbol that will inevitably hold us back. The county manager has wisely warned of the risks of deadly violence and recommended that the monument be relocated. We wholeheartedly agree and support urgent action.

The future of our community hangs in the balance. Bold and inclusive leadership is needed now more than ever. We stand together in this request and we invite other leaders to join us in this call to action.

We hereby call upon the Alamance County Commissioners and the City Council of Graham to take action to relocate the monument in a respectful and appropriate manner.  Relocation of the monument will remove the threat to the public safety that has been created by this symbol in the Courthouse Square of Graham.

 

 

Ian Baltutis, Mayor, City of Burlington

Ed Hooks, Mayor, City of Mebane

Lenny Williams, Mayor, Town of Gibsonville

Carissa Graves-Henry, Mayor, Town of Green Level

Jim Powell

Connie Book, President, Elon University

Leo Lambert, President Emeritus, Elon University

Patsy Simpson, School Board Member, Alamance Burlington School System

Steve Van Pelt, School Board Member, Alamance Burlington School System

Brian Feeley, School Board Member, Alamance Burlington School System

Wayne Beam, School Board Member, Alamance Burlington School System

Kathy Colville

Quinn Ray, Alderman, Town of Elon

Emily Sharpe, Alderman, Town of Elon

Doug Williams, CEO, Buckner Companies

Bill Scott Jr., President, Alamance Foods, Inc

LeAndra N. Ratliff, Chair-Elect, Alamance Chamber of Commerce

Jill Auditori, Mayor Pro-Tem, City of Mebane

Sean C. Ewing, Councilmember, City of Mebane

Patty Philipps, Councilmember, City of Mebane

President Barrett Brown, Alamance NAACP

Jim Bryan, President, Fairystone Fabrics

Preston Hammock

Lavern Delaney

Mandy Eaton

Laura Vail

Griffin McClure, Green & McClure Furniture

Jason Cox, The Monroe Companies

Lee Kimrey, Lee Kimrey Construction, LLC

Mayor Pro-Tem Kathy Hykes, City of Burlington

Rev. Anita Thompson, Presiding Elder, Western NC Conference – AME Church

Rev. Tamara Kersey-Brown, Wayman Chapel AME, & Secretary, Alamance Pride

Rev. Gwendolyn Benjamin, Sr. Pastor, Wayman Chapel AME

Rev. Jay Kennett

Rev. Beth Kennett

Ken Smith, President, Alamance Pride

Laurin Kier, Incoming treasurer, Alamance Pride

Gabrielle Legrand, At-large board member, Alamance Pride

John Currin

Yun Boylston, MD

Lisa Pennington, Past Chair, Alamance Chamber of Commerce

Mark Gordon

Rev. Dr. Bridgette Gloster, Senior Pastor, Springdale AME, Burlington

Rev. Dr. Clay Gloster Jr. Associate Pastor, Springdale AME Burlington

Pastor A. Offord Carmichael, Jr. – Clover Garden, Burlington NC

Mac Williams, President, Alamance Chamber of Commerce

David K Mertz, MD

David Carter, Allen Tate Realtors

Allison Gant, Chair, Alamance Burlington School System
Tony Rose, School Board Member, Alamance Burlington School System

Kristen Page, MD

Megan Ray, outgoing treasurer, Alamance Pride

Rodney Wyatt-Younger, at-large board member, Alamance Pride

Eric Henry, President, TS Designs

Bob Byrd, Former Commissioner, Alamance County Commission

Catherine Smith, President, Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition of Alamance

 

For questions or to have your name added to the list of supporters on this letter, please contact the office of Mayor Ian Baltutis at 336-222-5020

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Maryland Speaker Jones and Senate President Ferguson,

We the mayors and council members of the Maryland State Chapter of Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO MD) are writing today to express strong support for efforts to make June 19 – Juneteenth – a federal holiday.

We recognize the historical significance of this day in 1865 in Galveston, Texas when Union Major General Gordon Granger declared General Order No. 3 in effect which called for the freeing all slaves.  It was more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, but it finally would erase what remained of slavery in this country for good.

Early celebrations of Juneteenth were used not only to celebrate freedom and Blackness but also to give voting instructions to newly freed slaves. As we celebrate Juneteenth in Maryland and some 48 other states in our country, we believe it is time to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

There is still much work to be done to reconcile the racist history of our past that cannot be fixed by one holiday. The history of racism stemming from slavery created a long, deep path to current disparities in education, jobs, housing, and healthcare, as well as disproportionate incarceration rates.

As Democratic municipal officials we recommit our cities and towns to working toward rooting out institutional and systemic racism. We will promote racial justice through fair, just, and equitable governing.

We believe that celebrations such as Juneteenth make it clear that black lives matter and they can and should be celebrated for the part they play in the history and fabric of our country.

Sincerely,

The Mayors and City Council Members of DMO Maryland

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nils Robbins

Phone:  202.770.8053

E-mail: nils.robbins@nationalDMO.org

May 13, 2020

 

585 state and local elected officials call on Congress to invest in public services, call for more federal funding to slow the spread and reduce the economic impacts of COVID-19

NATIONAL – More than 585 state legislators, mayors, council members and other local elected leaders from 34 states and the District of Columbia stood together on Tuesday to demand members of Congress protect the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of all families during the COVID-19 pandemic by allocating more funding to states and municipalities in the next coronavirus relief package.

The coalition of elected officials, represented, in part, by Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO), Democratic Treasurers Association, State Innovation Exchange, and Local Progress released a letter today outlining critically needed support for state and local governments across the country, including at least $500 billion in unrestricted funds for those facing declining revenue and an increased demand for vital services. They wrote that they fear the economic disruption caused by this pandemic will hurt the country for years to come.

“Without significant economic assistance from the federal government, however, many currently middle-class working families are at risk of falling into poverty through no fault of their own,” wrote the elected officials.

“As a result, we are demanding immediate action by the federal government to ensure the health, safety, and financial security of working people across our country regardless of how they look, where they’re from or what they do for a living,” the letter continued.

“As the President of DMO – representing more than 40,000 Democratic mayors and city council members across the nation – I have immeasurable appreciation for the men and women who have continued going to work to keep our cities running. DMO stands by them and calls on Congress to respect their labor, not with easy thank-yous, but with additional financial support, workplace protections, and the resources they need,” added DMO President and Detroit City Council Member Scott Benson.

Elected officials are also urging federal lawmakers to lift restrictions limiting the use of the $150 billion in the CARES Act to coronavirus-related expenditures and more funding for the CARES Act education stabilization fund.

The letter also calls for increases in Medicaid resources, unemployment insurance, food assistance, childcare, democracy protections, paid medical leave, and support for workers. Read the full letter here.

 

###

 

Democratic Municipal Officials is the largest network of elected officials within the Democratic Party. The organization is an association of the Democratic National Committee, and advocates for America’s 40,000 mayors, city council members, and other elected leaders serving our municipalities.

 

For more information, please call 202-770-8053 or email Nils.Robbins@nationaldmo.org

www.NationalDMO.org

Facebook.com/NationalDMO

With COVID-19 precautions rightfully in place, many of the Presidential primaries have been postponed. As new dates primary dates are scheduled and Republican efforts to suppress the vote and being rolled out, there will be many challenges for voters this election season.

Local officials have a unique opportunity to help to get out the vote (GOTV) in 2020. We are asking all our DMOs to take a pledge to:

• Share Vote-by-Mail instructions with your constituency
• Mobilize your base to volunteer (from home) during the primaries
• Share social media posts about GOTV efforts
• Help identify voter suppression tactics and protect the vote

Take the pledge to help DMO get out the vote. 

DMO’s focus will be on June 2 – the new Super Tuesday – when primaries will be held in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Montana, and New Mexico. Even if you don’t live in those states, DMO is encouraging you and your constituents to get out the vote from now until Election Day.

The primaries will help get voters ready for the General Elections in November.  DMOs can help ensure voters know how to vote-by-mail, can volunteer from home, and are prepared if they encounter voter suppression.

Join DMO in helping to get out the vote because as DMOs know best, all politics are local.