Dear Editor,
In response to the article about racism and the chaining of the Cowan Street Park, I want to thank you for taking this matter as seriously as you did. I am pleased to hear that racism played no role in this matter.
However, I am not as reluctant to believe that the gate was in the interest of what has been stated. Furthermore, Mr. Turner has valid reasons for believing racism played a role. Ever since I was a teenager living in Danville, the black community has been gently nudged or pushed away from recreational activities at local parks. For instance, we use to play basketball at Jackson Park every Sunday. The police quickly and constantly began to infringe upon that.
When that didn't work, the city abruptly removed the rims without warning and even after that locked the gate. That left the predominately black users no other choice but to play at the Batewood Homes "park" (I use "park" very loosely). The court there is half the size of a regulation court, each goal is a different height, they have no chains or nets on them, there isn't running water or fountains and there isn't a restroom facility. Those conditions are inadequate and have been ignored for years by Danville and the commission.
