FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After hours of discussion, the Fayetteville City Council voted to table the ordinance to create a historic Black district for three months. During that time the city is set to collaborate with NWA Black Heritage and the Black Historic Preservation Committee.
Half of the council members wanted the ordinance to pass in honor of the federal holiday Juneteenth, celebrated this month. The other half says that the way the resolution is written is unconstitutional.
“The story has to be told, and the story has to be told by those who have been impacted. I'm not originally from Fayetteville, but it's so good to know that we have individuals who are descendants of those who experienced slavery [here], they have experienced oppression, and they had their homes taken away,” said Council Member D'andre Jones.
The location of the proposed district is in south Fayetteville, off of South Willow Avenue and Rock Street. Supporters of the ordinance say the district would advance the Black diaspora into a vibrant and thriving district.
“We plan on building a district that brings generational wealth back into the community with some of the families of people who were actually here in 1865,” said the President of NWA Black Heritage Sharon Killian.
The land was expected to cost the city $540,000 dollars, and a few council members had concerns about timing, and who determines how the property will be used. However, all council members agree on preserving Black history in Fayetteville.
“I do appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Sharon Killian. The work that she's done, the history, telling the history in an impactful way, in a way that leads to good results... So I do encourage the Fayetteville City Council to realize the power of racial diversity, the power of racial equity, the power of economic opportunities for African Americans,” said Jones.
The city administration will collaborate with those historic organizations and the city attorney to create a new plan and strategy in a timely manner that’s constitutional for the city.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.