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Our Tribe!
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In 1898, a thriving Black community here was expelled to the margins of the city’s life; 5 residents reflect on how that legacy can be changed
WILMINGTON — The “golden time” for the Black community in Wilmington was the 1890s, as described in William Reaves’ “Strength Through Struggle: The Chronological and Historical Record of the African-American Community In Wilmington, North Carolina, 1865-1950.”
This period was “the place for black opportunity,” the book notes. But it was rare, short-lived and in just one day — Nov. 10, 1898 — was abruptly and violently ended by a well-organized mob of white supremacists who overthrew the biracial government and murdered dozens (perhaps more) of Black residents.
The coup crippled a flourishing Black business and cultural community. The ensuing decades of Jim Crow laws relegated Black residents to the margins and threats of another 1898 helped keep them there.
More than a century later, some protesting the treatment of Black people by police invoke 1898, arguing the Black community has never recovered from the damage it did and the inequality it enshrined in Wilmington’s way of life — inequality that they say remains in the DNA of the city’s institutions and culture.
We asked five people — four Black and one white — to reflect on where things currently stand for Black residents and what needs to happen to make Wilmington more inclusive and a place where Black people and other minorities have more opportunities, more voice and more seats at the many tables where important decisions get made.
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Janae Young
Grew up in Wilmington and graduated from New Hanover High School. Currently a student at Stanford University.
What are your thoughts about the current state of Black people living in Wilmington?
I believe there is a vast difference between the lives of African-Americans and white Americans. Black neighborhoods and schools are overpoliced and poorly funded.
What was it like growing up here?
Growing up Black in Wilmington was difficult. The racist history of Wilmington is no secret. As a Black student, driving to school on the same streets that the 1898 massacre occurred was sickening.
I grew up in a predominantly white area in a middle-class neighborhood. However, I attended Gregory and New Hanover, both downtown schools. It was here that I saw the two different worlds Black people and white people face in Wilmington.
I experienced my fair share of racism from both white and Black students. I was also treated differently by adults in comparison to my Black peers. I was often called “white” by students, parents and teachers of all races. Rather than changing their perception of Black people, re-evaluating oppressive stereotypes about Black women, or dismantling their racist paradigm, as an articulate Black student people chose to see me as an anomaly. Why wasn’t I instead considered an extension of what it means to be Black? It was infuriating that my ancestors died, protested and sacrificed for me to find success, only for me then to be called the race of their oppressors.
My mother told me she attended every open house and every teacher conference to ensure that I was not stereotyped and treated unfairly. Why did she have to do this? I was once again seen as “different” or “not like the others” because of my parents’ involvement in my education, my position as a third-generation college student, and my economic privilege.
This is one of the many ways systemic racism continues to prevail in the educational system. The question is when will Wilmington change its perception of Black students to make room for Black women like myself who never fit the abhorrent stereotypes America created for Black women long ago? That would require dismantling the inherent racism this town has profited from for centuries. When will America begin to view Black youth as the key to our future rather than a threat?
Assuming there was a job opportunity here, would you consider living in Wilmington long-term after college?
Most likely not. Although I’m young, I often consider what the lives of my children one day will look like. Although Black students in America will face challenges in any state, growing up here I have seen how Black and brown people are treated and the inherent racism that is embedded in Wilmington. I believe that there are other places with more diversity where my children could gain more opportunities and experience equal treatment as Black students in America. Wilmington will always be home for me. I have met wonderful people of all races who have made me into the woman that I am today. I love Wilmington, but I cannot say that Wilmington equally loves Black and brown citizens.
I am thankful for everyone who has stepped up to serve as an ally to the Black community. The protests and people who have spoken out against racial injustice have reminded me that I am not alone in this fight. However, this is a long fight. Our country was founded upon racial injustice. Dismantling the systems that continue to perpetuate such racism will not be an easy feat and will require unprecedented action.
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Kevin Spears
Grew up in Wilmington; elected to city council in November.
What are your thoughts about the current state of Black people living in Wilmington?
I think that the current state of African Americans here has shown very little movement. I’m sure there is some evidence of growth but I’m certain that there is more evidence of immobility or some steps backward. I want to see a noticeable progression of Black people in my city.
Over the past 25 years, Wilmington’s population has grown and overall prosperity has increased. How have African Americans here fared during that time?
It seems to me that African Americans have not fared too well during this period of growth. Again, there may be some evidence to support some prosperity, but I think the overall look of it is that we have not been afforded the same opportunities as others. We are also seeing our communities shrinking and disappearing. I believe we are being systematically excluded from the growth.
What has gotten worse for Black people here?
Neighborhoods and the things that we call our own. It seems like we are fighting to remain here. It looks like there is a push to diminish Black communities.
What has gotten better?
I was elected to city council. There are some people who have figured out how to be successful here, but who knows how many tries it took.
What needs to happen so Black people here can achieve full equality, share more in the area’s prosperity and have more say in governance?
Opportunity, opportunity, and more opportunity. We need to be extremely intentional about wanting to see everyone thrive here. If we want to really see our city grow, we need to invest in everybody. We need to quit with all of the talking just for the sake of talking. People want action. As for governance, people need to see how their vote works. People complain, the complaints are addressed with words, but people want proof of the issues being fixed.
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Derrick Anderson
Raised in Wilmington and graduated from New Hanover High School in 1972. Served in the Navy and then worked at Corning until retiring in 2016.
What are your thoughts about the current state of Black people in Wilmington?
It could be better — a lot better. For instance, everything is predicated on jobs and opportunity. Too many young Blacks move away because of a lack of good-paying jobs, even though many of these people have the skills and education to fill these positions.
There is CFCC to provide the skills needed, but once these skills are obtained, the opportunity to exercise these skills are limited because of a shortage of well-paying jobs. The jobs that are available don’t lend themselves to buying a home or supporting a family adequately. Black people are disproportionately in the lower paying jobs sector. Are there Blacks doing well? Of course there are, but in the aggregate much is lacking.
Over the past 25 years, Wilmington’s population has grown and overall prosperity has increased. How have Black people fared during that time?
Blacks have not kept pace with the prosperity here. There are too many anecdotes about the lack of entry-level jobs where Blacks can’t get an opportunity to advance. There are not enough contracts for small, Black-owned businesses, both in the government and private sector. That limits the amount of capital circulating in the Black community. Millions in contracts go out every year from our local governments to small businesses, yet very few dollars go to Black contractors. The same holds true for the private sector.
What has gotten worse for Black people here?
Too many have given up on the system, especially when it comes to the role of politics in their lives. Many don’t even bother to vote, when in past voting was a mainstay in the African American community. We don’t realize how much politics affects our daily lives. We hit an apex when President Obama was elected, but since then our enthusiasm for the electoral process has waned.
What has gotten better?
More young Black people have an entrepreneurial spirit and are energized about starting businesses. In the past 10 years, I have seen a growth in the attitude of going out and making it happen, particularly among young Black women. As in a lot of places, Black women in Wilmington are picking up the ball and running with it.
What needs to happen so that Black people here can achieve full equality, share more in the area’s prosperity and have more say in our governance?
First and foremost, jobs are the top local issue for Blacks. Access to training for those jobs is of a paramount importance. Jobs in the trade fields could bring on a renaissance in our community. Crime is also an important issue. Too many live in fear and with incessant shootings, drugs and robberies. There needs to be a proactive approach to addressing crime in the Black community.
Access to healthcare is of vital importance. That is why we need to take more of an interest in the sale of NHRMC (New Hanover Regional Medical Center). I believe it could have an adverse effect on the Black Community. Again, our failure to be involved in local politics and how it involves our community is an ongoing liability. Many Blacks feel left out of the NHRMC deal, and believe that the politicians have already made their calculated move.
There is potential to vastly improve life for Blacks in Wilmington, but there must be a concerted effort by the government, the private sector, and the clergy. We all need to be on one accord and inclusive with people from all income levels. The issue of affordable housing must also be addressed. Again, this all begins with jobs, and job training.
I believe there is still too much of the “good old boy” network at work in Wilmington, which excludes Black residents.
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Dr. Khadijia Tribie Reid
Raised in Atlanta, Reid moved to Wilmington in 2007. She is pediatric medical director at MedNorth Health Center. Her husband, Ro-Lyan Reid, also is a physician.
You grew up in Atlanta, described as “a center of Black wealth, higher education, political power and culture.” Other than the obvious size difference, as a Black professional, what strikes you most about the differences between Atlanta and Wilmington?
In Atlanta, African American professionals are abundant. They are very active in every sector of the city, including government, the arts, medicine, and education. It is a racially diverse city.
Another huge difference is the schools. Although there was some level of racial segregation in Atlanta, it was not as prevalent as it is here. Even in schools that seemed racially segregated, there were ample high-performing schools that were predominately African American. Unfortunately, in Wilmington, the performance of schools also falls along racial lines, to the detriment of African American students.
During my high school years, Atlanta intentionally desegregated schools with programs like M to M (Minority to Majority) and high quality magnet school programs. These initiatives created racially diverse schools by placing a certain percentage of African American students in predominantly white schools or drawing white families to high quality magnet programs.
I believe these intentional practices create a well-rounded citizenry that is very comfortable living and working with one another. Historically, such practices improve educational achievement among African American students while having no impact on the educational achievement of white students. In other words, White students do not fare worse.
Another intentional effort was the transition of public housing complexes into mixed income developments. The concentrated poverty in Wilmington fuels separate but unequal schools and communities.
Like Atlanta today, Wilmington once had a thriving interracial community. The 1898 coup by white supremacists re-established the white power structure. I have no doubt that this history provides insight on where Wilmington is today.
As a physician, you see up close everyday the toll racial and economic disparities can take on communities. Would you elaborate on that issue?
Significant economic and health disparities exist between white and Black people. African Americans suffer disproportionately under the weight of economic and health problems. These disparities result from systemic American structures.
Despite the equal legal rights afforded to all ethnic groups and women as a result of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, many overt and implicit policies continued to disadvantage women and people of color. Practices such as redlining, restrictive neighborhood covenants, underbounding (city boundaries are limited and the power structure is established in adjacent suburbs), and gentrification favor white people, limiting the ability of African Americans to build wealth through real-estate. Those practices also keep neighborhoods segregated.
The policy of “neighborhood schools” results in de facto racial segregation. Even if minority schools get ample funding, they often have an underrepresentation of highly experienced teachers compared to predominantly white schools. In addition, teacher turnover at predominately African American schools is much higher than at predominately white schools. These unequal systems have helped to maintain economic and health inequities, much of which is driven by the quantity and quality of a person’s education.
What are some priorities Wilmington should focus on to improve life/opportunities for minority residents?
Wilmington, like many American cities, has work to do. I think the first thing Wilmington should do is eliminate concentrated poverty. Concentrated public housing is a relic of the past. Concentrated poverty is not in our city’s best interest.
Wilmington should be more intentional about creating equal and diverse schools whose racial diversity in teachers and students truly reflects the diversity within this city. This is not just for minority children, it’s for everyone. So many white people in this city and around the world are struggling to figure out how to interact with African Americans right now. Our persistent segregation has created this feeling of “the other.” This moment is not just about improving the lives of African Americans; it is also about making America better.
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G.K. Fimbel
Fimbel, who is white, moved here with her family from the Washington, D.C., area in 2007. She has children in New Hanover County Schools and has been a vocal advocate for measures to end de facto school segregation.
What are your thoughts about the current state of Black people living in Wilmington?
The African-American community here is an incredibly tenacious, resilient, resourceful group of people. They have endured generational trauma and violent assaults on their dignity since before 1898 and many years after.
The other way to answer that question speaks to the past and present conditions that our country and community have imposed upon African-Americans. Are they given access to true equality? How has our city reckoned with violent crimes and transgressions against them? How are we restoring what is broken? Unfortunately, I think the answer to those questions is that we have not done enough to usher in justice and restoration.
Over the past 25 years, Wilmington’s population has grown and overall prosperity has increased. How have Black residents fared during that time?
Ask the child still plagued to live in substandard housing even though their parent is working a 40-hour a week job at minimum wage. Ask the child whose closest park is poorly maintained and whose facilities are denigrating. Ask the child who is criminalized and arrested at school. Ask the child in fourth grade why she was asked to role-play slavery, including shackles and punishment, in a classroom full of white peers. Ask the hundreds of children who are disproportionately suspended at higher rates for the same behaviors as white children. All of these children, and more, could answer this question much better than I could. My privilege, including the color of my skin, shields me from many of these things.
As a white person, what do you sense has gotten worse for African Americans here?
It has always been bad for Black people as well as other people of color in America, so I can’t say that anything has gotten worse. White supremacy is a gas that runs through different engines but continues to fuel racism. There has been a movement in Wilmington, thankfully, exposing the 1898 coup. But it was certainly not the singular act of violence against Black people in our country or city. I recently heard that white people are lucky that Black people are seeking justice and not revenge, and it resonated with me. The violence that white people have committed against Black people in this country is long and harsh.
What has gotten better?
I am hopeful that our honesty about racial injustice will propel us to a better way. Speaking truth is always powerful, and we need a complete transformation in this area. I should not have been in my 30s, learning the truth about Christopher Columbus for the first time. We have to teach real history, even though it may be painful. Black history is so much more than a story of struggle; Black history is a story of resistance, overcoming, and thriving in the face of brutal odds. We need to tell those stories. We also need to tell stories about the white people who stood with them in the fight for freedom. They did exist, and we have to stop absolving white people from responsibility because “it was just the time they lived in.” That’s bologna. I have ancestors who enslaved other human beings, but I also have ancestors who fought against it and broke ties with our family because of it.
Reporter Scott Nunn can be reached at 910-343-2272 or Scott.Nunn@StarNewsOnline.com.
