Mayor’s statement appears racist

Editor, The Commercial:

Good Morning, I have contacted the Mayor’s office twice about the Mayor’s statement in the Pine Bluff Commercial on 1/4/17. The one which stated Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington has made the aquatic center a top priority. Washington said, “Pine Bluff has no pools in the BLACK community. There used to be one at Townsend Park but it closed and the pool at UAPB is not accessible to a lot of people.”

I asked that the Mayor inform the WHITE community where the pools for them are located. This statement was made two days after she was sworn in as the Mayor of Pine Bluff — the whole Pine Bluff community — not just the black community. That was a racist statement! She could have easily said, Pine Bluff has no pools for our community.

I am still waiting for a reply from the Mayor’s office with an answer to my question. She was first contacted on 1/13/17 and again on 1/20/17.

I find it really sad that two days after being sworn into office, this racist statement came out of her mouth and was printed in our local newspaper. It does not seem she cares about the whole Pine Bluff Community.

And this was days before we celebrated Martin Luther King’s Birthday. I feel the need to repeat a sentence from his speech. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Can you tell me when and with who will this start — obviously not with our mayor! She is NOT a good role model? She seems to be promoting racism in our city.

I will leave with this other quote from Mr. King, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish as fools.” Do you have to ask what direction we as a community are going?

Nancy Spriggs

Pine Bluff