Greensboro has been funded to do a study of historic buildings in the city that were designed and built by African Americans.
The Greensboro Planning Department has received a $12,000 federal Historic Preservation Fund grant to document and survey the buildings which will be done in conjunction with Preservation Greensboro Inc. and the community.
One building noted in the city press release is the James B. Dudley High School Gymnasium designed in 1959 by African American architect W. Edwards Jenkins.
It may not be an accident that this building was chosen to highlight because in the early 2000s the Dudley gym came within a hairsbreadth of being demolished. Another noted black architect, Harvey Gant, had recommended that the buildings at Dudley be demolished and replaced with new construction. It was a close call, but historic preservationists, joined by many Dudley alumni managed to stop the demolition of the main high school building and gym. Instead of being demolished, the buildings were extensively renovated.
Jenkins worked in the office of Edward Lowenstein who was white and that was unusual in Greensboro which was still segregated in the 1950s.
The fact that Jenkins a black architect worked for a firm owned by a white architect brings up a point that City Councilmember Justin Outling raised at the July 16 City Council work session.
According to the current Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE) program, the Dudley High School gym even though it was designed by a black architect wouldn’t count in any of the city’s MWBE figures.
Outling said that there should be some way to capture and consider this type of data when the principle doing the primary work on the contract is a minority.
“The fact that Jenkins a black architect worked for a firm owned by a white architect brings up a point that City Councilmember Justin Outling raised at the July 16 City Council work session.
According to the current Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE) program, the Dudley High School gym…wouldn’t count in any of the city’s MWBE figures.
Outling said that there should be some way to capture and consider this type of data when the principle doing the primary work on the contract is a minority.”
When you look at nearsighted objectives you most likely miss bigger results that affect far more people. Government bodies should stay away from legislating business practices because in a free market eventually customers and workers bring about changes needed to keep materials and goods flowing, prices controlled, wages fair, working conditions adequate and benefits provided. The MWBE is a misguided limitation on all businesses in our area, but especially small businesses that could provide quality services to the City and County. By looking at nearsighted goals the City is going to miss out on the far-reaching goals of providing jobs for minority workers who are employed by “non-minority” business owners but have great skills and input in those companies and only lack the money, knowledge, credit, or experience to branch out and open their own business.
There will never be equality until people stop dividing us into colors, sexes, religions, groups of any sort. MWBE is furthering inequality and doesn’t help anyone get jobs based on their work being of equal quality, worth or value.
Let’s allow more people like Mr. Jenkins to flourish in our community and give everyone an opportunity to work no matter who owns the business. As long as they run a legitimate business, put in a legal bid and do the work open bidding to everyone and get rid of MWBE. Let us have true equality in Greensboro and Guilford County, the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.