Part one of two stories

Long-time local black civil rights activist Matthew Bacoate Jr. took  exception — in a May 5 interview with the Daily Planet — to some recent comments on history and other matters by Dr. Dwight Mullen, chairman of the Community Reparations Committee.

“To be very candid with you, what I feel comfortable with is that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned slaves — and they owned quite a lot. (Reportedly, Washington owned 123 slaves, while Jefferson owned around 600 slaves.)

“At that time, the country was developing and slavery was legal. So whether you owned slaves could be” the result of inheritance or other factors. 

As for Mullen’s assertion that “the American Revolution was not couched in freedom for all, but in the freedom to continue to have slavery,” Bacoate said the following:

“I thought with the (American) Revolution, the South wanted to continue having slavery, but the North didn’t want to. So most of (United States) history kind of touches on slavery in the South. So when we talk about the North and South,” it involves a complex dymanic.

As for Mullen’s support for PEAK Academy, with its requirement of at least 50 percent black students, faculty and staff, Bacoate said, “I don’t care where you go to school, if you’re not coming from a proper mindset in physical conditioning, you’re not going anywhere, no matter who teaches” — black or white.

“If the student is not prepared (for school) when they leave home, I don’t care what color the instructor is. They (the teachers) have all the basic education they’re teaching, regardless of the color of their students.”

Regarding teachers in general, Bacoate added, “They are the elixir for the ineptness for black students.”

However, Bacoate said he does agree with one idea broached by Mullen — of “black folks getting together to form black banks” and other institutions — “honestly, and just as reverently as we can be. Working together is a key to making process in our (black) community.”

He added, “On the education part, I would say this... Years ago, we had nothing but black teachers” in segregated all-black school. “Naturally, the teachers are going to fit in with the black students. We (blacks) were having such a difficult time back then — just living. So teachers did put a lot into their presentations to their students to help students — mentally and physically — handle things because we (blacks) had a lot to overcome.

“I wouldn’t say white teachers don’t know how to teach black students. But today, I feel black teachers have to go through the same thing” relating to non-black students. “But the children today are different from those of the past because back then, the children were required to go to church. At church, the pastors — and everybody — conducted themselves like schoolteachers. At one time, neighbors assisted neighbors’ kids. How much of that goes on today? Not like yesteryear. I don’t see that kind of love and respect today that we had yesterday.”

Bacoate added, “Most of us (local blacks) know what the problems are, when it comes to improving race relations. But how much of ourselves and time are we willing to put in to make that coming together real and productive? 

“If there was more real togetherness among most people in the black community, our people would be able to overcome a lot of the racism and inquities that we’re experiencing. We must fight. We must work hard together and reinvent the civil rights movement of yesterday to make the kind of progress that needs be made to create a more equitable outcome for our black people.”

So does Bacoate feel there still is racism in Asheville? the Daily Planet asked.

“Sure, there’s racism, but I don’t feel that racism is holding me back because I’ve come through too much, going into the military, serving in the military, and the difficulties there for black soldiers,” he replied.

“We learned to live and work harder at the racism that is thrown at us. The reason I got involved in civil rights is because of the inequities I saw in our cities. The way I was able to improve the conditions… When it came to human relations, what I did was I worked for the (Asheville Area) Chamber of Commerce, which I used as a platform, as an opportunity, to explain to those in control of institutions ... to explain to them how we could do better among each other....”

Further, Bacoate said in a follow-up interview on May 7, “Compared to other cities in the United States” that he has visited, “We had more-liberal thinking white people in Asheville than in most places... We didn’t have any racial riots, except for September 1969, when the black students rebelled against the system and the way it was making changes at (new integrated Lee Edwards High School...

“Asheville has been a city that has had an impressive relationship between black and white people over the years.

“I want to give the city and the people credit....”

However, Bacoate added, “We don’t have the progress today that we had yesterday because I do not personally see the robust relationship in the black community that we had yesterday....”