Dear Durham,

In 1979, three years after the People’s Alliance was founded, Republican Harry Rodenhizer was elected mayor of Durham. Mayor Rodenhizer was central to getting the Durham freeway — which had already displaced the Hayti community — extended along the route it takes today through another historically-Black neighborhood, Crest Street. Joining Crest St. residents to block this extension was one of the PA’s first campaigns.

At times in the following decades, PA worked closely with the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and other groups to help shift Durham’s political landscape. Today, when over 80% of the county voted for Democrats in the last election, Republican candidates don’t even contest for many local offices.

However, even when so many of us vote blue, the recent conflict over Durham’s former county manager goes to show that we aren’t without our differences. In fact, without a meaningful local presence of the far right to unite against, the volume on those differences has been turned way up.

The People's Alliance Education Action Team has submitted the following public comment to the Durham Public Schools Board of Education:

On Monday, March 8, the People’s Alliance Board of Directors issued a statement regarding our vision for Durham’s city and county managers. These roles have tremendous influence in Durham’s governance. With City Manager Tom Bonfield retiring last year and County Manager Wendell Davis’ contract due to expire in June, we called for our elected city and county officials to consider this an opportunity to affirm that city and county staff leadership align with our progressive values.

We know politics in Durham has been especially toxic and divisive the past year. Unsurprisingly, the response to this statement has ranged from strong echoes of support to condemnation.