The Greensboro City Council tackled a heady proposal head-on at a virtual work session on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
No, the City Council didn’t discuss what to do about the economic disaster that the COVID-19 shutdowns have caused for the city or how to help businesses recover and get people back to work.
The council also didn’t and has never discussed the vandalism and looting on May 30 and May 31 that caused millions of dollars in damages to businesses primarily downtown but also in other areas.
What the council did discuss was changing the name of the Human Relations Department. This is apparently one of the City Council’s major concerns moving forward, because work sessions are only held for the most pressing matters. Councilmembers have to wait months to have an item of concern finally make it on to a work session agenda.
But renaming the Human Relations Commission moved to the top of the list of major concerns by the City Council, which has stated as two of its top goals economic development and jobs. Fortunately, no one suggested that changing the name of the Human Relations Department would bring more jobs to Greensboro.
Human Relations Department Director Love Jones gave a presentation on why the name of the department should be changed. Those reasons include that it would provide clear and concise understanding for the general public, enhance the customer service experience, distinguish the Human Relations Department from other departments and would provide progressive branding for the city.
The council agreed to move forward to change the name of the Human Relations Department to the Department of Human Rights.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan said, “It just makes a lot of sense, the name change. Human Relations and HR has been confusing. I think Human Rights absolutely is a good name. It’s much more in alignment with what the department does.”
Councilmember Sharon Hightower said, “It’s the right thing to do, at the right time, for the right reasons.”
Economic development and jobs will just have to wait their turn to be in the City Council spotlight.
If you don’t know what HR means, you have no business doing business with the city. What a waste of time and resources.
What passes for urgent business in this place is just baffling. Priorities, priorities, priorities. Yes, sir. Greensboro voters get exactly what they deserve.
Just more smoke, mirrors and bull excrement.
James Hinson absolutely trampled all over the human rights of the children that the state paid him to take care of. Since its inception, the group home was operated recklessy with no regard for the kids well being. The DHSR has many reports about Hinson’s group homes that include forced labor with no pay, no staff supervision, food issues, missed doctors appoimtments, complaints from teachers and guidance counselors, abuse of authority, using his position at gpd to intimidate DHSR staff, lack of background checks, and child molestation.
Council knew about Hinson and the child abuse that took place at his group home last june. They did nothing. Hinson remained unscathed and was never punished for hiring Richard Heath without checking his background. He wasnt punished for failing to report child abuse (thats a felony for a cop). He wasnt imvestigated for the allegations of forgery and intimidation. David Parrish refuses to answer questions about giving Hinson donated leave time so he could reach full retirement.
That was just a year ago.
However, this month Mayor Vaughan didnt summarize the public comments because of comments about Hinson were submitted. Nancy didnt want to be reminded of her March 2012 crusade against Hinson’s group home conflict. She doesnt want to discuss the “recipe for disaster” quote. That would Inconvenience her. The media failed to report WHY she sgut down the public comments too. Nobody wrote about WHY she dit it. That would be too harsh and inconvenient. Allen Johnson ? Half report much?
I dont see Nelsoin Johnson, Cardes Brown, or Lewis Pitts pointing this obvious corruption and cover up out and demanding justice either. That poor group home child doesnt matter. It’s too much of an inconvenience to follow rules.
Too caught up with “progressive branding” to pave the damn streets.
Don’t they also have a Community Relations department? Pretty soon all these “community”, “relations”, “rights” departments might be as big as the Police Dept, and the Police Dept might then become a division of such as department.
A whole lot of nuthin’. Real issues are too much trouble, and irritate their voter base.
HOW STUPID…It’s as if the commission has nothing else better to do. Hey Commissioners, how about doing something constructive.
This is hopeless and I’m SO ashamed that my tax dollars are going toward this – folks it is time to vote out and remove these idiots!
I always thought these people worked for me – clearly they do not and instead work for a vocal and loud minority
What a shame – vote them OUT!
Let’s get a city council that will actually do constructive work instead of playing identity politics….!
Exactly WHAT DO THEY DO? There’s a big difference between Rights and Relations. So what does that department do? I thought I knew what the Human Relations Department did, but if it’s now the Department of Human Rights and that defines its duties then apparently I didn’t know what it did. I’m confused, or are they?
That’s a question people have been asking for years.
Would someone please explain how this helps anyone. I’m sure that its racist but how does it help to change rights (plural) to right (single)? Is the City Council taking away their “rights” and giving them only one “right? That is just not nice.