By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
For months now, BRAVE members have been talking to Bowling Green City Council about the systemic racism that exists in the community.
On Monday evening, they brought physical proof to the meeting.
Lindsay Durham held up one of the “End Racism” signs that had been placed in the city. But this sign, which had been posted in a yard on South Summit Street, had been vandalized with black spray paint over “End.”
“We think City Council and the city administration need to see these things to understand why people of color don’t feel safe here,” said Anthony King, of BRAVE (Black Rights, Activism, Visibility and Equity.)
Council member Sandy Rowland said she had distributed a couple hundred of the “End Racism” signs around Bowling Green.
“That speaks to a city we don’t want to have,” she said, referring to the vandalized sign. “I don’t know quite what to do to stop it.”
“I’m glad you made us aware of what is going on,” Rowland said. “We need to let people know it won’t be tolerated.”
Council member John Zanfardino said this time of year it’s not uncommon for political signs to be stolen.
“Political signs are one thing,” he said. “This kind of sign is disturbing in another way.”
Zanfardino mentioned the Not In Our Town community conversation planned for next week on “Free Speech vs. Hate Speech.” http://bgindependentmedia.org/free-speech-vs-hate-speech-is-topic-of-not-in-our-town-community-conversation/
“We need to continue to explore racism in Bowling Green, Ohio and America,” Zanfardino said.
“It’s going to take a community,” Rowland said.
After the meeting, King suggested that City Council needs to take steps to stop racism in the city.
“I think they have to get used to taking action rather than just discussing. Discussing is an important step, but it should not be the final step,” he said.
“It’s important to make policy to make sure people in this town feel safe and comfortable,” King said.
The BRAVE organization has opened an office in town, but members don’t feel safe making the location public.
“We feel like we have to do that so we don’t face vandalism,” King said. “We have to be secretive about where we do our work.”
BRAVE members have encountered threats over email and have been victims of smear campaigns, Durham said.
“We don’t want people getting that,” King said.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, Matt Sayre, a resident in the 700 block of West Gypsy Lane Road, expressed his frustration to City Council about motorists exceeding the speed limit near his home.
Sayre, who has a 5-year-old son and two dogs, expressed concern for their safety. He told council that he has already approached city administration and police officials about the issue. The city put a sign up for a period, stressing that the speed limit is 35 mph.
“Cars actually sped up when they took down the sign,” Sayre said.
Sayre suggested possible solutions of conducting a speed study, installing a speed bump, or lowering the speed to 25 mph.
City Attorney Mike Marsh explained that stretch of Gypsy Lane Road, between Indian Trace subdivision and the Slippery Elm Trail, would not likely qualify for a 25 mph limit.
“I think the only answer is enforcement,” Marsh said.
It was suggested that Sayre meet with city administration to discuss possible solutions.
Also at the meeting, Council President Mark Hollenbaugh discussed the outcome of a meeting between city and public health officials about COVID-19 precautions. Some of the focus was on incidents in the downtown area.
“We talked about things that we might do that would encourage better behavior on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights,” Hollenbaugh said.
The Wood County Health Department plans to put all the COVID requirements in one document, since business owners are saying that they are getting conflicting information.
Zanfardino mentioned that he has noticed “universal mask wearing” on the BGSU campus.
And council member Bill Herald urged the public to keep up precautions.
“Now’s not the time to be lax,” he said. “So we can all get through this as best as possible.”
