Dear Ms. Lunelle,
On Saturday, October 21, 2023, I would be asked to attend what was deemed a “reunion” of the citizens who were once members of the Historic Jim Crowe era Black Community of StumpTown. While StumpTown sits on the boundary of the Montford Historic District and is older than it, it was not included in the City of Asheville's Historic District Designation. The landscape of StumpTown was given to a former slave, Tempie Avery, by her Master, Nicholas Woodfin in 1868.
I would spend my adolescent years there in a home purchased by mom and dad. While in the United States Army, my folk's property and that of most of the folks present, became a victim of gentrification and so-called Urban Renewal; tantamount to a planned land grab by the City and its Out of State Developers.
What was once a thriving Black community is now gone. The City and County justification was that the character of a poor Urban area would be changed by wealthier people moving in causing tax revenues to rise.
In 2022 StumpTown Representatives were appointed to the Asheville / Buncombe County Reparations Commission. And here we sat on this reunion day, which I thought was to reminisce about our community of old and do an “interview” about StumpTown history – how the City and County began segregating Black and Whites and pushing them into black communities, like Ms. Avery’s home.
But lo and behold, this young lady would take to the stage and introduce a member of the Reparations Commission to give a report about what Reparations in Asheville/Buncome County would look like.
He reported about a new “so-called” Buncombe County Land Trust Fund which would lead the way by providing “affordable housing”, a scheme where recipients would own their house but not the land that the house sat on, which would forever belong to the “Trust”.
They would hire and train teachers on how to instruct Black children. On and on this “poppycock” went. Nothing new. Blah, blah, blah!
I had seen it ALL before…the promises for “The Block” (The Market Street Redevelopment Plan for Eagle Market Street). Instead of supporting the return of black-owned businesses, the plan involved a rich Yankee hotel, a rich Yankee restaurant and a parking deck with no black businesses in sight….nothing but a land grab.
Even the Vanderbilt-bestowed YMI Cultural Center has been gentrified and at one black man visitor to the Center was called a “N&*(&” by a White employee – used to disenfranchise the indigenous black population.
I just couldn't control myself and stood up and began speaking.
The young lady asked “you are you?” After I explained I was a long-time resident of the Community and past President of the NAACP and had watched what had happened to Black people in the community with scams like this over the years I would continue.
I told the young man that what he presented as “Reparations” was “pure poppycock”. And that “first of all affordable housing numerically defined as housing values from $400,000 to around $700,000 meant not many in this room could afford to pay the property taxes or upkeep and that most would lose their homes within a year.”
I went on to tell them that “this City, County, or State does not have the revenue for meaningful reparations and had they been serious, they would have gone to President Biden and asked for a minimum of three billion dollars. And this Reparations plan would have to include a lot of Southern White folk as well because they were a part of the black community, and were marginalized and disenfranchised as well.”
I told the other attendees that they “need to hire an Attorney of their choosing and paid for by the City and County to represent them in this Reparations scam.”
I told them “I would recommend the Honorable Attorney Kirk D. Lyons who smelled this stench before; or drop the thoughts of Reparations because they were on the path of another rip-off.” After my warnings, I posed for a picture, asked about my interview (which did not occur), said my goodbyes and left. God bless you!
Your brother,
HK
Chairman Board of Advisors Emeritus Southern Legal Resource Center
Member Save Southern Heritage Florida
Honorary Life Member Zebulon Baird Vance Camp 15 Sons of Confederate Veterans
Recipient City of Asheville Police Citizen Award
Recipient City of Asheville Sanitation Department Award
Honorary Life Member Jackson Rangers Camp 1917 Sons of Confederate Veterans
Recipient Asheville Branch NAACP Outstanding Member Award
Recipient United Daughters of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis Medal
Recipient National Sons of Confederate Veterans H.L. Hunley Award
Recipient National Order of the Confederate Rose Lifetime Achievement Award
Honorary Life Member North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia Orders of the Confederate Rose
Kentucky Colonel
Member Historic March Across Dixie 20 Mile Club
President Southern Heritage 411