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Southern Ohio bishop opposes UBE's Cincinnati boycott decision
By Jan Nunley
2002-107
5/1/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Bishop Herbert Thompson, Jr. of Southern Ohio issued a statement May 1 expressing his 'regret' at a decision by the board of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) not to go to Cincinnati for its annual meeting and conference in July.
'UBE leadership appears to have based this decision on past press reports rather than the extraordinary progress this city has made in recent months,' Thompson said. 'Over the past year, Cincinnati citizens have worked together for meaningful change aimed at achieving racial equality and dismantling barriers that limit opportunity. New programs have begun to address grievances and intentional dialogue has been taking place in neighborhoods across the city....
'The struggle against racism remains an issue for every American city. I am proud that Cincinnati has stepped to the forefront in this struggle and that so many people in this community continue to work tirelessly to make Cincinnati not just a better city, but a model city for all America. I am equally honored to serve the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Southern Ohio as we continue to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being,' the statement concluded.
Patterns of racial injustice cited
Responding to a call for a boycott, the UBE board voted not to go to Cincinnati because of racial tensions and what the board called a failure by the city's leaders to address them 'in any meaningful way.' The decision was announced in a letter dated April 11.
The Southern Ohio chapter of UBE had offered to host the 2002 meeting in Cincinnati at the 2000 meeting. But the national board noted that since 1995 over a dozen young black men have been killed by Cincinnati police, and the shooting of Timothy Thomas on April 7, 2001, touched off three days of rioting and protest by the black community.
'The shooting of this unarmed black man was merely a palpable and poignant manifestation of the racial injustices that had gone unaddressed for years,' the board's letter stated. 'Fact-finding over the past year has documented a pervasive alleged pattern of racial profiling, brutality, and callous disregard for the rights of black citizens by the Cincinnati police. The City of Cincinnati refused to confront and tackle the legitimate demands of the black community for educational, economic and political equality.'
Two community-based groups, the Black United Front and the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati, issued a call for an economic boycott of the city by all social groups, businesses, conventions and entertainers. So far, Bill Cosby, Whoopie Goldberg, Smokey Robinson, Wynton Marsalis, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention have all canceled previous plans to come to Cincinnati.
The UBE board noted that the organization will have to pay 'a significant economic price' for the decision, including a $61,000 charge for terminating the hotel contract.
No assurances for youth
The board said it was 'not unmindful' of recent efforts by Cincinnati officials to address racial issues, but questioned the time and effort it has taken for the city to begin remedies and whether the delays demonstrate a lack of good faith on the part of the city. The board also expressed 'deep concerns about the safety and well-being of our young people on the streets of Cincinnati…it is of paramount importance that we be able to assure our youth attending this Conference that they will not be subjected to questionable conduct on the part of the Cincinnati police department. Given the current level of racial tension, the ongoing issues of police insensitivity, and a city administration that has yet to prove its commitment to change in any demonstrable way, we cannot give those assurances. '
The board is asking local chapters to hold three or four regional conclaves focusing on the intended theme of the national gathering, which was 'Witnessing Our Faith: Disciples Making Disciples.'
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