Harrison Deja Vu (All Over Again)
Catch the latest #FindingYourHappyPlace
How & why state, regional, & national media (mainstream & social) keep getting Harrison wrong - more tabloid than tabloids! recently Hope929 besmirched the memory of
#GeorgeFloyd for greed! For the digitally challenged I’m using Alice & Dorothy to explain
Have to read to end to find out WHY “Freedom of Speech” is NOT a right the Klan, KKK, OR KNIGHTS COMMITTEE PARTY should legally expect!
It’s all about the money!
Harrison housing project causes controversy
Project led by George Floyd’s uncle, council member sparks controversy
December 3, 2023 at 7:24 a.m.
by Bill Bowden
HARRISON -- A Harrison City Council member and George Floyd's uncle plan to build an affordable apartment complex, call center and community resource center just outside the city limits on the north side of town.
Gateway Harrison will provide 30 apartments and jobs for 50 area residents, Council Member Elizabeth Darden told a crowd of about 200 who attended a public meeting about the project on Tuesday night at Signature Tower.
She said it's not a homeless shelter or halfway house, but an effort to help people from "historically marginalized groups" who need help to take the next step to transition up.
Gateway Harrison has anonymous donors and potentially $10 million available over time, she said.
But some area residents say the project is about race, and that's a topic that many in Harrison would rather avoid.
A news release about the development indicated it would help "the people of Harrison, Arkansas, a location once labeled the most racist town in America."
Mainstream (and social) media continues to quote a tabloid as fact, even a black British Comedian posing as a BBC Reporter with over 41 million views on YouTube has proven it false!
Check it out on YouTube —
”We chose to do this in Harrison, Arkansas because we want to show there is nowhere in America we won't go to help people make their lives better and we plan on trying to bring similar projects to other communities," the release quoted Selwyn Jones as saying.
Jones was the uncle of George Floyd, a Black man whose death on May 25, 2020, in police custody sparked protests across the country.
Darden and Jones founded a national nonprofit organization called Hope 929, which was incorporated in Delaware. The 929 stands for the nine minutes and 29 seconds that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck before he died, said Darden.
Floyd's death had "nothing to do" with Harrison or a housing project planned for the area, Bo McGarrah said during a question-and-answer session near the end of Tuesday's meeting.
And the name Hope 929?
You guys make us sound racist when you use that, and we're not," McGarrah said, drawing applause from the crowd.
"What inspired our organization does not have a direct correlation with the project we're doing here," Darden told the crowd. "We were inspired to create a company that implements tools for societal problems. The community development doesn't have anything to do with what happened in 2020."
"How can we stop this if the people don't want it?" another man asked.
"Well, you can't," replied Darden.
Being outside the city, the development didn't have to go through the Harrison Planning Commission or City Council for approval, said Wade Phillips, Harrison's chief operating officer and city engineer.
And there are no zoning laws in the county, said Robert Hathaway, the county judge.
The property Hope 929 plans to buy is located northeast of the intersection of Arkansas 7 and Arkansas 43. It's behind businesses that line the east side of Arkansas 7 in that area. Darden said they plan to buy 5 acres with an option to buy another 5 acres.
In a telephone interview Friday, Darden said she moved from Alaska to Harrison 12 years ago. Her mother grew up in Harrison, and Darden visited the city during summers when she was a child.
Darden has deep roots in the Ozark Mountains. Her great-great-great-grandfather, Beaver Jim Villines, was a fur trapper who built a log cabin in Ponca in 1882. It still stands today.
Darden said she serves on the Harrison Community Task Force on Race Relations, which was founded in 2003 to combat negative publicity.
"The world sees Harrison, Arkansas, as something that it's not," she told the crowd on Tuesday. "I wanted to show the world that this is such a wonderful place. People have created a mockery of Harrison. It's not true. ... You all are wonderful people."
Harrison has been dogged by image problems since racial unrest more than a century ago. The problem was exacerbated in the 1980s when Thom Robb, leader of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, moved to rural Boone County and began using a Harrison post office box for the group's mailing address.
"Though nowhere near
How about no one was killed in riots!
as murderous as other race riots across the state, the Harrison Race Riots of 1905 and 1909 drove all but one African American from Harrison,
The blacks who moved to area were brought by slaveowners attempting to capitalize on the new railroad. When railroad went bankrupt, many blacks and whites were driven from the community.
creating by violence an all-white community similar to other such 'sundown towns' in
My family operated a service station outside Harrison, never saw or has there ever been any pictures confirming Harrison was ever actually a “sundown town”. On the contrary there have been for Rogers, Arkansas!
领英推荐
Those documented and reported included "Monett, Peirce [sic] City, Missouri, Rogers, Ark., and several other towns around there have driven the negroes out." Wikipedia
Including as late as 1962-- An editorial published in a 1962 version of the Rogers Daily News sent the town’s chamber of commerce into an uproar.
Fats Domino, a black pianist, had come to town that January and an author penned an article pointing out the irony of a black singer coming to a town that once had signs boasting “N*gger, you better not let the sun set on you in Rogers.”
The well-researched article made?no?mention of Harrison.
northern and western Arkansas," according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. "With the headquarters of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan located nearby, Harrison has retained the legacy of its ethnic cleansing, in terms of demographics and reputation, through the twentieth century and into the twenty-first."
Where local community leaders have failed (including Walmart and Arvest Bank). Note actual address below, it’s not Zinc! This is new name for KKK or Klan.
Video was Made in front of Harrison office.
Can save trip to Zinc!
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 0.1% of Harrison's 13,338 residents are Black and 3.4% are of two or more races.
A 2016 article in The Daily Mirror in the United Kingdom dubbed Harrison "the most racist town in America."
Might check other headlines created by this tabloid and others.
Might check other communities in North Arkansas and Southern Missouri, such as Mountain Home and most others with a small percentage of blacks. Percentage of Mexicans and Hispanics are underestimated.
Through the Task Force on Race Relations, Darden met Jones in 2021, when he came to Harrison to participate in events held by the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.
Darden and Jones soon began working together on the podcast "Setting it Straight with Selwyn Jones" to "lift the voices" of people seeking justice. Initially, Darden was one of the producers, but now she's a co-host.
Darden said she realized they were doing a lot of talking, but they needed to implement solutions, so they founded Hope 929 "with the mission to help historically marginalized groups, give them the tools to become more self-sufficient."
"In that, we are empowering communities and building more equitable futures and that is our goal," she said.
Hope 929's foundational pillars are community development, public safety, education and social outreach, said Darden.
"We are promoting this to the people of Harrison, not going to other cities to bus people in," said Darden. "That's been one of the biggest misrepresentations. ...
"So people are like, 'Oh my goodness, you're bringing in the ghetto. This is going to be the projects, the hood. You're going to have a crime-ridden community,'" said Darden. "They're putting out all this false information and fear."
There's an FAQ section on Hope 929's website to help answer some of the questions people have been asking.
The group sent out a news release in late October saying they were about to break ground on the development, but Darden said construction hasn't really started yet. Board members and part of Hope 929's executive team were in the vicinity, so Oct. 27 was a good time for a groundbreaking ceremony, she said.
"The Uncle of George Floyd, having established a charity in his nephew's name, is breaking ground for a new community space, call center and affordable housing development," according to the news release. "His organization is looking to elevate lives with a project that will deliver employment opportunities, housing, and essential resources for the people of Harrison, Arkansas, a location once labeled the most racist town in America."
Some people at the meeting on Tuesday questioned whether an affordable housing development is needed in Harrison. Darden said there are currently 410 households seeking affordable housing. That includes people in Harrison as well as the seven counties covered by the Northwest Regional Housing Authority -- Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton and Searcy.
Darden said Gateway Harrison will have six efficiency studio apartments, seven one-bedroom apartments, 10 two-bedroom apartments and seven three-bedroom apartments.
Darden said Hope 929's first project of this kind is being built in the Harrison vicinity because she lives there, she's raising her children there, and she knows there are people who need help in Harrison.
She helped to coordinate an event with the Martin Luther King Commission. And that event led to meeting Selwyn Jones, who is the uncle of the late George Floyd. That meeting turned into a friendship and an opportunity to meet and interact with people around the country who had experienced loss and were reaching out to Jones for solace and to cope with grief.
“From there it pulled my heart strength to hear some of the mothers’ stories of those who lost their loved ones and still seeking justice. Enough to the point where I wanted to move forward in my career path. I was an educator, and I just saw the need in our society to provide tools to group that are looking for support to move up in life and that is what inspired Hope 929.”
Darden often refers to Jones as “Uncle Selwyn.” They started a podcast in 2022, having conversations with mental health experts, community leaders, and even the grandson of Nelson Mandela.
“And then I was like, we’re doing a lot of talking what kind of walking are we doing? What kind of tools are we providing these groups of people that we’re trying to help that want a better life but just need a little assistance.”
Hope 9:29 has partnered with local land developers and contractors to fulfill the Gateway Harrison Project. According to a press release from Hope 9:29, funding is being secured by Veterans Development Group, LLC, who will be contributing $10 million. The Gateway project will include a 30-unit apartment complex.
“And centered in the complex unit will be a community resource center, it’s going to be 3,000 square feet. where we’re going to connect the dots. What are the needs in the community, you know we’re still assessing them. We have started strategic partnership with various resource organizations and Harrison, and we just wanna help support people that are trying to level up their life.”
In addition to the housing and the community resource center will be a 50-seat call center.
“50 person means there’s 50 seats," said Darden, "but there’s going to be two shifts, so we’re going to employ 100 plus people.”
The group broke ground on the new project on October 27th. New affordable housing, a built-in community space, and upwards of 100 new jobs in Harrison is great news. But Darden says since breaking ground, she’s been frustrated by rumors and misinformation being shared by some members of the community.
“They’re thinking that we’re onto some scheme, but the truth of the matter is, as an educator, I saw students coming through my room that went home hungry. That were sleeping in cars. There are people in our community who are impoverished, and it’s important to note that not just sweep it under the rug and pretend like homeless people aren’t in our community. There are. And, we will have a vetting process for the jobs and background check. It’s not going to be 'the ghetto' or 'the hood' or 'The George Floyd Projects.' A lot of people are stirring misinformation out there and it’s unfortunate because this is a tremendous opportunity.”?
Darden recently shared on social media, “Despite the misconceptions and fears that have caused some pushback, we remain steadfast in our mission to serve and uplift our community.” Despite that, she says that the community of Harrison at large has always supported the events she has organized in the past, and the outpouring of love and support from the community as a whole has been wonderful.
“I’m excited for the long-term lasting effect to pour back into the community that gave me the opportunity to have a voice, that gave me opportunity to become an educator, to become a commissioner on parks and rec, and the chairman for parks and rec and now sitting on city council. I get to pour back into the community where I experienced such tremendous growth and where I actually have found my God-given calling. I live with purpose and every day to others and it’s my fuel when I wake up in the morning to give back.”
Freedom of Speech
Local newspaper gave a disclaimer similar to those who have allowed racists billboards
The content below is paid commentary. The Harrison Daily Times does not support the opinions of the commentary or the organization presenting the commentary.Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation,censorship, or legal sanction. The Harrison Daily Times does support freedom of speech and within certain guidelines believes individuals should be allowed to share their opinions with their community through the newspaper
Billboards have cost community billions
Tom and his son, Jason an attorney, have made it clear they use Russian Facebook, VK, to communicate and ignore freedom of speech issue. No transparency!
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