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Cook: A people removed are not a people forgotten

A view of downtown Chattanooga is seen from the Tower atop the Electric Power Building at the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Market Street. Some of the landmarks include, the James Buidling, the Chattanooga Bank Buidling, First Tennessee, and Sun Trust.
A view of downtown Chattanooga is seen from the Tower atop the Electric Power Building at the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Market Street. Some of the landmarks include, the James Buidling, the Chattanooga Bank Buidling, First Tennessee, and Sun Trust. A view of downtown Chattanooga is seen from the Tower atop the Electric Power Building at the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Market Street. Some of the landmarks include, the James Buidling, the Chattanooga Bank Buidling, First Tennessee, and Sun Trust.

By David Cook 4 min read

Not long after his recent report on collapsing racial dynamics in downtown Chattanooga was made public, Dr. Ken Chilton stood before a crowded sanctuary at Alton Park’s Westside Baptist Church.

It was evening, two Fridays ago. Blacks, whites, young, old, preachers, activists, retirees, reporters – they all came to hear Chilton’s report on why downtown Chattanooga has become, as some say, segregated.

photo David Cook

Chilton, an associate professor at Tennessee State University, began with a question.

“How many people in the audience are from the mayor’s office?” he asked. “Or the county? Or River City? Or the Enterprise Center?”

He wasn’t being snide. When the most powerful people in the city – nearly always white and wealthy – are not close to the stories, sights, heartaches and desires of those near the bottom of the power structure – nearly always of color and poor – then our city becomes damaged and divided.