Does Greensboro Want A Civil Rights Museum?

The question isn't can the International Civil Rights Center and Museum make a profit? It never will. The Greensboro Historical Museum has lost money every year since it opened it's doors in 1925. We all know the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts will never make a profit. The Greensboro Public Library system looses money every year. So does Greensboro Parks and Recreation, Greensboro Police and the Greensboro Fire Department.

Museums historically loose money. The NASCAR museum in Charlotte had to be bailed out this year.

So it's no surprise that today's News &  Record tells us the ICRCM is again loosing money according to the latest audit.

Skip Alston says,

“The bottom line is, it’s a clean audit,”

And therefore he believes the ICRCM should be given the last $250,000 payment that was promised to them by Greensboro Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan who sits on the board of the ICRCM and should have known all along what was going on but is apparently clueless. Or would at least like you to think she is clueless.

Councilman Tony Wilkins says,

“I think we all agree that we need the museum. It’s a part of our history and we need to keep it open.

I’m not sure as to how to do that at this point."

How do we keep it open? Greensboro has to decide if we really want the ICRCM to remain open. If the answer is yes then Greensboro will figure out a way. Councilman Wilkins has stepped up and shown leadership in saying we need to keep it open, will the Mayor and the rest of Council have the courage to do the same.

Or are they all a bunch of cowards who like before, forced the resignation of City Attorney Mujeeb Shah-Khan for approving the signing of a check with the approval of the Mayor and City Manager and then paying him a big bonus to keep his mouth shut? After all, if you've got a man dead to rights you don't give him a huge bonus as you're forcing him out the door.

So ask yourself Greensboro, do we want it or not? Screw Skip and Earl, they won't live forever but the history of our city will remain alive for as long as we want to keep it alive. A lot of Greensboro memories good and bad are housed in that building on Elm Street-- does Greensboro intend to keep them alive or not?

And to those of you who think the Greensboro Historical Museum should house the ICRCM collection... Obviously you have not recently been inside as the ICRCM collection is far too large to be housed in the Greensboro Historical Museum.