By now everyone is aware that Earl Jones and Skip Alston turned down Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan's offer for the City of Greensboro to takeover ownership of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. And quite frankly it just doesn't make sense.
If the IRCM is doing so well financially ($26 Million in Debt is doing well?) then why did they feel the need to borrow $1.5 Million from the City of Greensboro just this year? Earl's insistence that the IRCM is on sound financial ground sounds like the lunatic ravings of a desperate man.
The insistence by Earl Jones that the Mayor's offer is a white takeover of a black institution for the purpose of whitewashing history just doesn't fly. You see, the Mayor made no demands, just an offer-- the decision is up to the board of the IRCM. Neither the Mayor nor the City of Greensboro can force the takeover of the IRCM.
As owners of the building, Skip Alston and Earl Jones stand to profit from the Mayor's offer by finally having a reliable tenant that can actually afford to pay the rent. That is, provided everything has been on the up and up all along.
But as George Hartzman so aptly pointed out before, the IRCM is made up of 5 separate legal entities of which Skip and Earl have financial interest and control. A City takeover of the IRCM would reduce that to just 2-- Museum Landlord Llc (Skip and Earl) and the IRCM owned and managed by the City of Greensboro.
And with that reduction in entities the City of Greensboro would have complete access into all of Skip and Earl's banking and accounting records involving the International Civil Right Center and Museum since day 1.
Something Skip and Earl cannot afford to make public.
The IRCM will go broke in order to protect Skip Alston and Earl Jones. Then Skip and Earl will attempt to secretly sell off the IRCM assets before the creditors can complete their collections process. Greensboro's African-American and other minority communities should keep an ever watchful eye lest your legacy and history be sold out from underneath you to hide the crimes of Earl Jones and Skip Alston.
Remember: you've been warned.
