• news
  • SUNDAY JUNE 26 2005 4:36 PM

Atlanta May Ban Blacks...Er, Panhandlers

Submitted by MissTyrios

Edited by MissTyrios

A proposed ordinance in Atlanta would ban panhandlers from the city's heaviest tourist section - but some are likening the policy to the "Negro removal" policy that white business owners in the same area aggressively pursued in the 1950s. (Login: sgnews; Password: sgnews).

"This is a mean-spirited continuation of what they call the 'sanitation' of Peachtree Street," said Joe Beasley, a 68-year-old Atlanta native who heads the regional office of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. "The white folks, their position was that black people were bad for commerce, and if you were black, you just didn't go on Peachtree Street unless you were cleaning up or something."

But Councilman H. Lamar Willis, the panhandling ban's sponsor, who is black, said it had nothing to do with race and everything to do with business.

"Our No. 1 industry in Atlanta is tourism and conventions," Mr. Willis said. "If we don't do something, we run the risk of our downtown becoming a ghost town after dark."


Many urban areas have struggled for decades to deal not only with homelessness, but its presentation to the outside public. It is Atlanta's not-so-distant history of segregation that makes this battle a particularly sensitive one to some people.

The Rev. Murphy Davis, a white woman who runs Open Door Community to assist the homeless, dismissed the argument that the panhandling ban cannot be racist because it is being supported by black Council members and the black mayor, Shirley Franklin, in a city of 425,000 that is more than 60 percent black.

"The white business interests still run this city," Ms. Davis said.


The proposed ordinance would make it illegal for people to approach others and ask for money, though they may still sit on the sidewalk with signs requesting change. In areas outside of the immediate downtown area - which includes Atlanta's Olympic Park and the CNN Headquarters - panhandling would still be allowed, as long as it was 15 feet away from ATMs, bus and train stations, and public restrooms.

Kenneth Strozier, a 46-year-old panhandler who was sitting in the park across from [an area restautant], said: "I understand people don't want to be bothered, but what are we going to do? We got no affordable housing, for one thing. This new law or whatever isn't going to change it."

  • PERMALINK
  • PRINT
  • Digg This
  • Email To A Friend
 

Previous

PAGE: 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

 ... 20

Next

Comments
euphoric_hell

euphoric_hell

Twin Falls, ID
December 2004

JUN 26, 2005 04:43 PM

I dont know about the race thing but I remember when I stayed at the hilton right by the peachtree center. Every time I would walk to the little bar I would be approached by at least 4 or 5 of these guys either trying to sell me some trash they picked up off the street or whatever. Some where nice others were jerks. Either way it was annoying.

stockula

stockula

Anchorage, AK
May 2003

JUN 26, 2005 04:48 PM

Why is that guy associating blacks with panhandlers? I think that's kind of racist.

Jimbo

Jimbo

Dallas, TX
August 2003

JUN 26, 2005 04:48 PM

So are you saying what the did in NYC was illegal and racist also?

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUN 26, 2005 04:49 PM

Jimbo said:
So are you saying what the did in NYC was illegal and racist also?



*I* am reporting a story stating that some Atlanta residents find the policy racist. Did I ever post my personal views in the story?

Edit: As someone with a BA in Urban Studies from a major New York City university during the Guiliani era, I would be happy to engage in this discussion. But that's not what I postured here.

[Edited on Jun 26, 2005 by MissTyrios]

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUN 26, 2005 04:51 PM

stockula said:
Why is that guy associating blacks with panhandlers? I think that's kind of racist.



If you read the original article, it clearly states that most of the panhandlers are black. I thought that would be fairly clear in my re-telling.

dholokov

dholokov

Toronto, ON
April 2003

JUN 26, 2005 04:57 PM

does anyone else think it odd that on the third offence the homeless people are fined $1,000? Good luck trying to enforce a garnishment lien on begging money...

s5

s5

STAFF

San Francisco, CA

JUN 26, 2005 04:58 PM

i have no idea if their intent is racist or not, but considering there are already laws against harassment, all this does is criminalize the act of asking someone a question while looking scrungy, while avoiding the underlying problem. last i checked, city governments don't have the power to criminalize speech, but they do have the power to set up programs to address poverty.

stockula

stockula

Anchorage, AK
May 2003

JUN 26, 2005 05:01 PM

MissTyrios said:

stockula said:
Why is that guy associating blacks with panhandlers? I think that's kind of racist.



If you read the original article, it clearly states that most of the panhandlers are black. I thought that would be fairly clear in my re-telling.



Thing is though, Atlanta's probably the blackest big city in the US, aside from DC. Probably home to the biggest upper and middle class population of black folks in this country. I wouldn't be surprised if the mayor and a majority of its city council are black.

mayor? Yep

Council? Yep, 62.5% black majority

So how on earth can anyone accuse the city of Atlanta enacting a Jim Crow-like law to get the unsightly negro out of public view in tourist areas? They want them out because they're nuisances that make their city look bad to visitors.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUN 26, 2005 05:13 PM

stockula said:

MissTyrios said:

stockula said:
Why is that guy associating blacks with panhandlers? I think that's kind of racist.



If you read the original article, it clearly states that most of the panhandlers are black. I thought that would be fairly clear in my re-telling.



Thing is though, Atlanta's probably the blackest big city in the US, aside from DC. Probably home to the biggest upper and middle class population of black folks in this country. I wouldn't be surprised if the mayor and a majority of its city council are black.

mayor? Yep

Council? Yep, 62.5% black majority

So how on earth can anyone accuse the city of Atlanta enacting a Jim Crow-like law to get the unsightly negro out of public view in tourist areas? They want them out because they're nuisances that make their city look bad to visitors.



I'm sorry, but I can't help but think that you didn't read my story at all. The second block quote gives the statistics that this is supported by a black mayor, a largely black city council, in a city that is predominately black.

I know that you and I clash on pretty much every issue there is, but it would be nice if you at least read the article that you're slamming before commencing said slamming.

dpk

dpk

Seattle, WA
November 2004

JUN 26, 2005 05:15 PM

Seems like the wrong solution, anyways, since they'll still be sitting on the streets holding signs. That can't be good for tourism either.

The racism angle seems like an extreme stretch. No city wants homeless people, regardless of color.

In any case, it doesn't sound like this law would actually do anything to address the actual problem. Of course, I'm not sure exactly what would.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUN 26, 2005 05:20 PM

monastrell said:

dpk said:
Seems like the wrong solution, anyways, since they'll still be sitting on the streets holding signs. That can't be good for tourism either.

The racism angle seems like an extreme stretch. No city wants homeless people, regardless of color.

In any case, it doesn't sound like this law would actually do anything to address the actual problem. Of course, I'm not sure exactly what would.



But don't you realize titling a NEWS thread : Atlanta may ban blacks is a much better way to generate intrigue and empassioned opinion - than a simple statement of reality set forth for people to discern and discuss on its merits ...



Sigh. I accept never going to win with you no matter what I do. But the ARTICLE that I am reporting was not about the homelessness problem in Atlanta, it was about PEOPLE IN ATLANTA FEELING LIKE THIS POLICY WAS RACIST.

Edit - then again, you probably rail against the New York Times for being too liberal about exactly the same thing, so go write a letter to their editor.

[Edited on Jun 26, 2005 by MissTyrios]

dpk

dpk

Seattle, WA
November 2004

JUN 26, 2005 05:24 PM

MissTyrios said:
But the ARTICLE that I am reporting was not about the homelessness problem in Atlanta, it was about PEOPLE IN ATLANTA FEELING LIKE THIS POLICY WAS RACIST.


I know this wasn't directed at me, but anyways, I was commenting that it's a stretch for the people in Atlanta to think it is racist.

MissTyrios

misstyrios

NEWSWIRE

Allston, MA

JUN 26, 2005 05:27 PM

dpk said:

MissTyrios said:
But the ARTICLE that I am reporting was not about the homelessness problem in Atlanta, it was about PEOPLE IN ATLANTA FEELING LIKE THIS POLICY WAS RACIST.


I know this wasn't directed at me, but anyways, I was commenting that it's a stretch for the people in Atlanta to think it is racist.



Trust me, it wasn't directed at you. I think it's an absolutely valid point to make that perhaps it isn't rightly being perceived as racist.

SYH

SYH

Redford, MI
February 2003

JUN 26, 2005 05:40 PM

stockula said:
Thing is though, Atlanta's probably the blackest big city in the US, aside from DC.



Not quite. Detroit is.

NotoriousCAT

NotoriousCAT

Atlanta, GA
January 2004

JUN 26, 2005 05:40 PM

I am not trying to support either side of this debate, but when I left Atl, about a year before the olympics, the rumor was that the homeless were offered one way bus tickets, anywhere. Just to get them out of the city for the games. I don't know if this was true, but it was the rumor. Atlanta has a very serious panhandler problem, partly because of mild weather most of the year, it's easier to live on the streets there than in NYC, or other east coast cities. What sucks is that in my opinion there is a difference between professional panhandlers, and ordinary homeless. Some of these people seem to choose to ignore assistance because they can make more with their panhandling.

Previous

PAGE: 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

 ... 20

Next

featured interviews