NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is calling for the removal of segregationists mayors’ photos from council chambers in Newport News on Wednesday.
In a letter to Newport News Mayor McKinley L. Price, the group specifically requested the removal of photos of any former mayor of the city who “represented segregation, oppression, and depression of African Americans.”
Over the past few weeks, the SCLC has sent many letters to Peninsula government officials addressing the segregated history behind the names of buildings and monuments. The letter to Price comes just days after the SCLC requested the names of a school in Hampton be reassessed.
Newport News has a deplorable history as it relates to the recognition and treatment of individuals who are involved in civil rights. Yet you continue to glorify those who represent hatred and bigotry.
Andrew Shannon | SCLC State Vice President and Chapter President
