Truth from up-and-coming Brother Cory. pic.twitter.com/jvhPJiB2GH
— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) June 28, 2015
Now that we have THAT out of the way, allow me to proceed to tell the story. If you've read the shared posting via Facebook, then you have some idea of what happened. If not, this comes from the church's page.Saturday morning, the Mount Zion Baptist Church family took the youth to the Arkadelphia Aquatics Park for Fun Day as a reward for their attendance and behavior throughout Vacation Bible School week. Upon our arrival, the man working at the gate - I failed to catch his name, he wore no ID badge - began to argue with our coordinator regarding the admission policies. Certainly 74 orderly PAYING African-American customers would not have been an issue, yet for him it was a problem. After all, the contract was agreed upon, signatures and deposits made, so why the kerfuffle? We were not a band of thugs nor a group of hooligans ready to tear stuff up although we were treated as such. Each child had a permission slip signed and returned in order for them to go on this excursion. In addition, we (the church) also reserved the pavilion several weeks ahead when we booked the date.
What was promised and agreed upon failed to be delivered. Included are the hours of operation and the rules:
Where do the inconsistencies begin? In order to enter the park, we had to be family. Come on, the church consists of families. What says family more than the church? Regardless if you come from Third Street Baptist Church, the mosque around the way, or St. Andrew's Catholic Church, we are all considered family. We had mothers, grandmothers, fathers, guardians, cousins, and church leaders ALL with permission slips. Those permission slips are legally binding documents PROVING the children indeed were with us in the event something catastrophic (i.e. accident) occurred. The man working also told us that he had to know that the children belonged to the adult entering the park, which they did. One adult = three children. We get that. Of the 74 people, the ratio worked out to a near-perfect 2:1. We were in compliance with Rule 1 - if you cannot read it, I am sorry. Hopefully you can magnify the rules and regulations to an easier-to-read format, but you get the point. It still does not mean make up rules as we move along to support your short-term view.
"I don't want them to enter the water and disturb the other families' fun." - Arkadelphia Aquatics Park director
The demeaning tone itself was implied as one of superiority. Using the us-versus-them mentality divides and separates people; what, was he afraid that the children would have had fun together? Also, are we supposed to carry around blood samples of DNA and birth certificates to prove we had permission to travel, a la American slavery?
It's not what you say...it's HOW. #perspective pic.twitter.com/8rIoZiuVzz
— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) July 18, 2015Another inconsistency stemmed from the various families who entered the pool and were simply waved in. We stepped over to let them pass peacefully, and as they walked in, I noticed that no identification cards nor pool passes were being checked. Could race have played a factor? All of these families who passed through the gates freely were white. Whatever policy is stated for one MUST be observed for ALL. To our young people, that double standard presented itself that the rules do not apply to everyone. For example, if Johnny and Jamal go to the park together, both should show some form of identification. In this case, Johnny got a free pass and Jamal was held at the gate. Both boys have the money, are cognizant of the rules, and yet Jamal was denied entry. Why single Jamal out?
Later, we requested a refund for the pavilion deposit and were refused. We were even accused of using that pavilion! How could that happen if we only arrived to the park moments ago and walked to the gate in an orderly fashion? Our pastor called for an officer to settle the dispute, and I noticed that Officer Sparks was defending the city employee's decisions to deny our entry!
In a final blow, he said he would allow us in under the same restrictions without attempting to improvise his unwritten limitations on our group. We still had to group our children into three or fewer family groups and somehow prove lineage to gain access. The rules were unchanged yet he expected/demanded us to comply to his revolving doctrines, many of which were made up on the fly. In addition, he also explicitly pointed at our coordinator in anger stating that she would not be allowed to enter with us. The unidentified employee's reason: I don't like her attitude. Racist, much? How about communicating with us like adults? No one likes to be screamed at, so what happened to honoring our contractual obligations? This is after he insulted our youth leaders' intelligence. You just don't do that. It's the cardinal principle of working with the general public. Maybe a career change is in order for him.
Understand we did not choose to leave after his failed effort at problem solving. That was not an appropriate solution; rather, it is one that has created a larger issue and rehashed a classic pox. Our youth still would have been classified into three or fewer family groups and forced to prove lineage along with being watched more stringently than the white children already enjoying the park.
Matter of fact, what is so bad about black people using public swimming pools that are taxpayer-funded?
History has shown us that the swimming pool has been one of the final places of true equality in this nation - and that is sad. Read the link to understand the struggle.
America’s swimming pools have a long, sad, racist history http://t.co/FDZGIWkRhb
— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) June 29, 2015
As McKinney and Fairfield have reminded us recently, the local swimming pool is the last battle of equality. If it happened to Sammy Davis, Jr., then what makes us think we have overcome in that arena?
When Sammy Davis, Jr. took a swim at the New Frontier hotel in Las Vegas in 1952, management drained the pool after he finished. #BlackFact
— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) June 28, 2015
How can a city-owned facility make up rules as it moves along? The last time I checked, city property was considered public property. Private entities have the right to accept or turn away as long as they are identified as private clubs. We had made prior arrangements and patronized the business since the park opened a few years ago, but the hurt I saw on our youths' faces signified that we will no longer return. I have experienced racism in nearly every way possible save the brute violence, but for our children to taste that bitter fruit is unacceptable - and sadly, one that will always be there.
I know that the majority of Arkadelphia residents are God-fearing, fair citizens from my days at HSU and the local Wal-Mart, yet Saturday morning reminded us of how far we have to embark for true equality. My desire is that we can come up with an appropriate solution to our treatment; the images of parents walking in could have been seared into their children's minds of us as "the bad people" when that is further from the truth.
Why do we always have to play the victim?
ReplyDeleteI know for a fact that if you were attempting to have a private party those are not allowed on Saturdays. I also know that the guards at the park are not racist and if they are they are very very good at hiding it. Lol this is weak.
This is ridiculous. Why do we always have to play the victim? I know that water park and the employees there and I know they are not racist or they are just the very best at hiding it. So much so that they would allow black people to live with them. This article to somebody who doesn't know better would seem to be evidence of racism but they'd be fooled. From someone that has worked there and been a patron I have to say this is an embarrassing article that makes blacks look weak.
ReplyDeleteBrandon : May God bless you. Thanks for your responses.
ReplyDeleteI will have someone contact you.
ReplyDeleteActions against No Actions
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere is the article written by Jamal Brown of the Daily Siftings Herald.
ReplyDeletePosted Jul. 8, 2015 at 10:30 AM
The Arkadelphia City Board of Directors voted to suspend the rules to address rectifying a situation between staff at the Arkadelphia Aquatic Park and a Benton church.
According to Arkadelphia City Manager Jimmy Bolt, he recently received an email from a director concerning the Mount Zion Church group of Benton not being allowed to enter the Aquatic Park during family hours.
"I have not received any complaints, but I have received reports from our police department and parks and recreation staff," said Bolt.
Based on his review of the incident, Bolt believes there was miscommunication, or a lack of communication, between the church group and Aquatic Park staff.
"Any discrimination was based on the city's desire to offer family hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. That would exclude anyone else from gaining entry.
According to Arkadelphia Park Director Mike Volz, while the incident is focused on the water park, that is not where the reservation was originally made.
"The reservation was made for the pavilion on the top of the hill, which is above the rec center, by the skateboard park, by the Enrichment Center," Volz explained.
According to Volz, a representative from Mount Zion Church paid for the pavilion reservation on June 6 for a function on June 27.
"It was a contract. A lady from the church came in, filled out a contract for the large pavilion, and she should have gotten a copy of the contract. She signed it, and we put it on the calendar. We were well aware of them using the pavilion on that day," said Volz.
According to Volz, based on a statement by the employee who took the reservation, there was no mention of the church going over to the water park during family hours or any other time.
Volz said that between 57 and 67 people from the church were there that day and wanted to enter the pool during family hours.
According to Volz, family hours was initiated towards the end of the pool season in 2013 to allow families to enter the pool area during non-busy hours.
"One thing I learned from this is we need to define family hours and figure out if we still want to keep family hours," Volz said.
According to Ward 3 Director Scott Byrd, there are some "hard feelings" that have resulted from the incident and the city is looking to make it right.
Byrd asked if it would be possible to allow the church to use the pool as a private party.
Bolt said he and Volz didn't have the authority to grant a request, but the city board did.
"I think there was a misunderstanding, and I think we need to admit, ‘Yes, there was a misunderstanding,’ whether it is on our part or their part. Both parties obviously had different understandings of what happened," said Byrd.
After suspending the rules, Byrd made a motion, seconded by Ward 4 Director Joann Nelson to allow Bolt and Volz to negotiate with members of the Mount Zion Church to provide them with a private party whenever the schedule would permit it.