News-Record.com

I have asked this question to many people and many have said that two key individuals must step down.

I just wrote this information on my blog but I will re-post it here: "According to the museums 2006 Form 990 the “2006 Anniversary Gala” brought in $158,000 and came with $61,097 in expenses. That means they made $96,903… not quite enough to pay the $100,000 salary of Amelia Parker, the museums executive director."

I have personally shown interest in donating $1,000 to the museum but when I request to see the annual report it was like pulling teeth... and I still have not seen the report.

I fully support the completion of the museum but it needs to be done in a timely manner. If the city will be funding the museum it seems as though it should be called the Greensboro Civil Rights Museum to help better brand the city. I also feel as though the address should be on February One (the road next to the museum) to show patronage to the very important date in history (the day the sit-in took place).

I believe that Skip Alston and Earl Jones have good intentions.

However, they are hampering the direction and ability of this museum to garner the complete support of the Greensboro community.

They should the do the respectable thing and step down as the Co-Chairmen of the Board and allow for newer people to step in and lead the board in a new direction.

I am in favor of the museum and would like to support it, but I will not do so until Skip Alston and Earl Jones resign from any financial dealings or business decisions with the project. They have proven themselves to not be trustworthy and I want to know where my money is going. They are paying someone to be executive director of something that does even exist at this time, so a $100K salary is absurd until the project is up and running or a true opening date is set and realistic. The project just has too many problems at this time to be feasible. The sit-ins are something that is a big part of Greensboro's history, but until we can get qualified business people in decision making positions, this project is doomed to die.

The museum would get funding and become a completed project, by simply turning it's construction and finances over entirely to the Smithsonian Institute. The reason people are not contributing to this, is because what has happened so far has been a debacle. If Greensboro is to have this museum, it must be done from the outside. We've been burned once already...maybe more than once when it comes to funding this museum. I sure hope it happens soon!

I don't understand why black americans on a national level have not contributed. Surely this project would have been finished had they done so. Could be they have no confidence in the management.

Sadly, this whole scenario is not uncommon with cultural projects, particularly those with African American themes.

I note that this process started in 1993. I submit that if the City of Greensboro, the State of North Carolina and the business community had truly valued and recognized the importance of this civil rights site, they would have committed adequate resources (financial and human) for the completion of this project LONG ago. Done right, this historic site should have been completed within five years, especially since you are talking about restoration, and not some of these new multimillion dollar museum buildings you hear about.

The reality is that it has only been over the past five years or so that cities have started to see tourism dollar signs when looking at civil rights or African american sites. Projects that don't have the resources and partnerships they need often run into problems.

I hope the community will work together to ensure that the project is a success.

14 million should have been enough. Where did it go?

RGW:

Your contributing comment has a lot of validity.
But when you call it the "international", wouldn't you be seeking dollars from the international community as well? Which I am sure that the present museum leadership is doing, but they still want to bleed this community.

Furthermore, all comments and concerns about the future of the museum, directs itself to Earl Jones, and Melvin "Skip" Alston. Their credibility has been questioned, and their integrity has been admonished by the public's perception of their business acumens.

Thus, it would be appropriate, that the present directors, request that both of these men, do the honorable thing to step down. It is like having a thorn in one's side. But, due to their
racist demeanor, the 'R card will be played, and there goes the work of the museum.

It would be a shame, that this project cannot go forward, due to the presence of these two men.
Yet, they are very community oriented (with racial tones), the community as a whole will not support this project.

You would think, that if you're the cause of the problem, and firmly believe that your ideal dream is an important factor to share. Wouldn't you consider, being involved in the process, rather than being a escapegoat for the benefit of that dream?

THEY NEED TO STEP DOWN. WHETHER ON THEIR OWN VOLITION, OR REMOVED BY A VOTE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
THAT OVERSEES THE PROJECT'S FUTURE
AND EXISTENCE.

Hey Laney, people did donate and so did corporations several years ago in the early 90's. What happened to all that money, I believe it was somewhere in the 14-15 million range? You might recall there were signs on the outside of the building that had all the corportations who donated and how much. But, why would corporations or taxpayers support this now when nothing has been accomplished to date, yet they had all this money.

Why is there no financial report being published? Earl Jones and Skip Alston are scam artists and everyone knows it and nothing has been done about it because they are black. They are untouchable in the society that we live in today. Black people in this city are entitled to have that building restored and Greensboro as a city was ready to give them that back in the early 90's and now we are in 2008 and there is nothing because of the lack of leadership and the mishandling of funds. They should be held accountable and new leadership must step in if anything is going to be done about it. It's a shame to waste that buidling and do nothing. But, this is Greensboro!

The Civil Rights Museum needs to be financially transparent, color blind and politically neutral, none of which have been achieved. Civil rights are about freedom, clarity and doing what is right in a fair and honest society. Sadly, most people in Greensboro think these values have been lost through the words and actions of museum leaders. The museum needs to succeed, but with a new set of values and the elimination of 'color' from the equation.