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The following is a Counterpoint.

By Al Lineberry and Elizabeth "Boo" Stauffer

Claudette Burroughs-White, who died on Sept. 16, was known and beloved by many people for her warmth, wit and love of Greensboro and its people.

Much has been said about her life and her many contributions to our community as both a leader and friend. One of her most recent gifts to our city was the leadership she gave to the Greensboro Bicentennial Commission, helping to shape the celebration of the city's 200th birthday that will take place next year.

Immediately after leaving the City Council in December 2005, having decided not to run for re-election, Claudette was asked by Mayor Keith Holliday to be one of the volunteer co-chairpersons of the Bicentennial Commission. This group of 27 citizens had been appointed by the City Council and charged with planning the 200th birthday celebration for the city.

She took on the task with a passion, using her leadership talents to help guide hundreds of volunteers in planning the events. As with many of the things she did during her life, Claudette worked to make Greensboro a city that held promise for its residents, present and future. The bicentennial activities planned for next spring will mirror her passion for her city and its people.
When the bicentennial celebration officially begins next March, the events and projects that take place will be a product of Claudette's vision and work for nearly two years. She was determined that the celebration be inclusive of the entire community. The bicentennial will kick off on March 25, with a torch relay that includes all quadrants of the city and involves a wide variety of residents as torchbearers. The events that follow over the next eight weeks, including opening ceremonies, a heritage festival celebrating our city's history and diversity, a community gathering celebration, interfaith events and a parade of decades, will reflect Claudette's desire that this celebration be the grandest Greensboro has ever seen.

Even as we miss Claudette, we go forward. As we continue to plan, and as more volunteers from across the community become involved with the work of the Greensboro Bicentennial Commission, her words and her vision remain in our hearts and our minds.

We are grateful for the work, leadership and vision she gave to the planning of the bicentennial celebration, and we look forward to honoring her memory with an unprecedented celebration of the community she loved.

The writers are co-chairpersons, Greensboro Bicentennial Commission.