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70-68 - The following petition was read:
<br />
<br />"We, the undersigned, request that the City of Portsmouth install a largerwater main in our area.,~
<br />(Signed - W. O. Johnson and others~ Matthews Terrace)"
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Johnson to refer to the CityManager for investigation and report, was adopted, without
<br />dissenting vote.
<br />
<br />70-69 - The following letter from Tidewater Regional Health Planning Council was read:
<br />
<br /> "As you may recall, the Board of Directors of the Tidewater Regional Health Planning Council is composed
<br />of members nominated by the respective participating political subdivisions.
<br />
<br /> According to our Bylaws, the members of the Council Board whoseterm of office expires after one year
<br />are eligible for re-election and may serve two consecutive three-year terms, thereafter.
<br />
<br />The City of Portsmouth has one (1) representative whose one year term expires in May of 1970. He is:
<br />
<br />John F. Shine
<br />
<br /> It will be appreciated if you would inform us of action taken by Portsmouth City Council in considering
<br />re-nominating the individual noted above as a nominee from Portsmouth for re-election to the Board of Directors
<br />of the Tidewater Regional Health Planning Council."
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. King to go into the election of a member to the Board of Directors of the Tidwater Regional
<br />Health Planning Council was adopted, without dissenting vote.
<br />
<br />Mr. King nominated John F. Sh~ne for a term of three years, ex?iring May 20, 1973.
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Turner, nominations were closed.
<br />
<br /> Vote being taken, Mr. Shine was elected a member of the Board of Directors of the Tidewater Regional
<br />Health Planning Council, for the term specified, without dissenting vote.
<br />
<br />70-70 - The following letter from Mrs. Helen Hampton Jones was read:
<br />
<br /> "As a life-long resident of the City of Portsmouth who has always been concerned about ~nd actively in-
<br />volved in the uplift and progression of this city, [ feel compelled to speak to you concerning the handling of
<br />the proposed city charter before the Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns of the House of Representatives
<br />of the State of Virginia on February 5, 1970.
<br />
<br /> At a time when even the Governor of the Commonwealth has called for the agressive pursuit of resolvement
<br />of the race problem in Virginia the white majority of the Portsmouth Council, through its insertion of section
<br />3.03 B in the proposed charter, has notified the state that Portsmouth seeks no peaceful resolution of this
<br />issue. You "southern gentlemen" are to be commended, along with Robert Shelton, George Wallace, Lester Maddox
<br />and other outstanding emmisaries of white racism, for your dedication to this lost cause. I most strenuously
<br />object, however, to your offering this City as the sacrificial lamb at the altar of the idol god of white
<br />supremacy.
<br />
<br /> Through the provision of Section 3.03 B, you ~ave ignored what Blacks have made perfectly clear in recent
<br />years all over this country, and Portsmouth is no exception: We will no longer tolerate institutional and
<br />political racism in any form from any quarter.
<br />
<br /> Further, g~mtlemen, if you must pursue racism, at least do it with class. It was quite embarrasing, even
<br />for a Black woman, to sit at that hearing and see the Mayor of my city behave like a desperate, frightened, un-
<br />sophisticated, trapped man who was rally not man enough to stand for what he obviously would like to have the
<br />nerve to stand for.
<br />
<br /> I further submit that the desperate, last ditch stand of Councilman Burrell Johnson was ludicrously sad.
<br />Blacks.have done everything peacefully possible to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with certain ongoin~ racist[
<br />conditions existent in this city, and most recently its runoff provision in the proposed charter. The e~tent
<br />racial polarization in this city was most obvious at the hearing and yet, Councilman Johnson, driven by the
<br />blinging demands of white racism, attempted to convince the committee that the Blacks in Portsmouth are a satis-
<br />fied, happy people who have no objections to their perpetuated circumstance of secondary citizenship. His omi~
<br />mous t~freats to the political well-being of Councilman Holley only added barbed wire to the seeming iron curtain
<br />between the races in this city.
<br />
<br /> I am sure that the Black citizens of this city will remember CouncilmanJ~ohnson's remarks, mark them well
<br />and act in our own best interests in all matters. In so doing we are justified not only by our right to survive
<br />but by your own white study commissions, eminent historians, prudent politicians and Supreme Court, for they ha~
<br />determined, in effect, that how. and how Moon the race problem is solved in this country will in all probability
<br />decide whether this country will survive in its present democratic form. Can you, as smpposedly responsible
<br />men, afford to ignore this?
<br />
<br /> Your contention that section 5.03 B is not racally motivated is surely questionable when put in its proper
<br />historical perspective, as Councilman Turner so ably did at the recent hearing in Richmond. Did you really ex-
<br />pect that after many generations of exposure to racism in any and all forms Blacks could not assess the real
<br />intent and import of this poorly disguised provision?
<br />
<br /> The gross errors and usspect omissions made in transcribing the charter by the City Attorney, Michael Kerb,
<br />and his staff made Portsmouth the laughing stock of khe committee and the state. A great number of taxpayers
<br />are wondering out loud, along with the House committee, just how many and exactly where all of these mistakes
<br />
<br />I for one, gentlemen, am disgusted, embarrassed, and mo~t of all, angry about this whole affair."
<br />
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