Editor, Commonwealth:
I find it puzzling that a statue of Emmett Till will be placed in the Greenwood city limits at Rail Spike Park. When are you going to do the right thing?
Emmett was not in the city limits. He was in Money. At that time, blacks were not allowed to even shop across the tracks. Why can’t the memorial be placed in Money? It’s sad enough that you are monetizing the family’s pain, but not to be truthful about it is even worse.
I find it really to be a slap in the face that our pain is monetized, especially after death. Yet only those outside the family and culture benefit from it. You say you don’t want our history taught in the schools, but it’s OK from you to profit from it. Of all the artists we have in the state, you have to go outside to find someone to do the statue. I realize we have a good ole boy system, but when are we going to change?
Whenever you want to draw attention to an event that you want to promote, you use our heroes. Go figure. You make films about us in a part of town that we weren’t allowed to be in after dark. Even during the day, we were only allowed there to work. Yet you say we are changing. Seriously?
There is always money to beautify the north side of town, as if the south side does not exist. Our children are no worse than yours. It’s just that their parents are not the movers and shakers of the government.
It is time for Greenwood to do better.
Sherron Wright
Greenwood
