Calls for change at police department continue Tuesday – Source: The Daily Reflector (Featured: Minister Melvin Muhammad)

The heads of several black community groups continued to criticize Greenville Police Chief William Anderson on Tuesday during a meeting with Anderson, City Manager Wayne Bowers and other officials. (Read more @ The Daily Reflector)

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Tarboro NC – Please A Must Read & Share by Minister/Councilman Melvin Muhammad

I hope that this message find each of you and your family in the best of health and spirit.
I find myself struggling as I put this email together due to the things that are going though my mind. I write this email for several reason, 1.) to inform, 2.) to enlighten 3.) to show that one person seeing & speaking up No Matter What The Outcome May Be WORKS, 4.) to show Why We Need Unity, NOW.

I hope that you will read this entire email and share it with others, and tell it to others if you can’t email it.
First I would like to apologize to you and our ancestors for what I along with my fellow council members did about 3 months ago.
What we did at that time seem small and unimportant to me, I must say openly and honestly, because as my minister, Min Farrakhan share with me and others, If wrong is done in the public, it must be corrected in the public. I will attempt to be as short but as clear as possible.

About 3 months ago the Tarboro Town Council, which I am a member of, voted to raise the burial plots for Eastlawn Graveyard (Black mostly) from $500 to $700 for in town resident and $1000 to $1500 for non residents.  It was put before us (council) and a very short discussion was had and than we voted, and it passed to increase the rates. 
I left that meeting thinking about that, but it wasn’t pressing my mind hard. I eventually forgot about it. But than 2 months later Allah (God) send an angel to me in the person of Ms V (Ms. Virginia Lewis) that’s what us young folk call her.  I was at another dear friend mother funeral and Ms. V called me and looked me dead in my eyes and said "Muhammad I am upset and mad with you”, with that I became very concerned. I ask myself what have I done.
Ms.V said “ya’ll increase the cemetery plot and that was wrong”. I thought about what she said and I told her, “you are right and that WE should work on changing that”. We shared what WE both could do and we went our different ways.  Now this is where it gets deeper.
Ms. V where to contact community people about this concern and I was to get it back on the council, which was the following week.  Which I did. I brought it up before we closed out the council meeting that night. I ask that it be looked at again by the Town Manager and for him to bring back some other options for the October meeting, which is Monday, October 12 @7pm.
Now, this is what humbled my heart even more. First I when to my brothers Taro Knight & DP (Donald Parker) and shared this with them, backup I told my lovely wife first to get her thoughts, than I spoke with them two. Everyone gave me something to build on.

I will not share all that, but all of it was good.
As I was think on my approach and how I could help correct the wrong. I knew I needed to do some research, so I called two of my good friends and resources. I can’t reveal them. They enlighten me on the history of Eastlawn and other things to help me. So with their information and the others, I started my work. I had some sleepless nights about this.
What I did first was I ask our town manager which graveyard Tarboro owned or had oversight of. The manager contacted me back and gave me my answer. Than I asked him what was the upkeep cost. He contacted me back with the answers.

I hope you are still with me.

It was shared that Tarboro maintain 5 sites and the maintenance cost is as follows:

1. Eastlawn Cemetery $4,622.08
2. Greenwood Cemetery $30,421.06,
3. Old Town Cemetery $4,053.83
4. Old Sparta Road Cemetery $544.85.
5. Norfleet Cemetery $424.85

Eastlawn is majority or all black. Others are not.

When I got these numbers my mind when “WOW”, than it said “Why are we increasing this, here we go again take on the burden of others again, freely or forcefully, you decide.

I knew I had to do this more than ever now, get the cost back down.

I contacted one of my resources again and ask a few more questions. Out of this I was drilled about Eastlawn and OUR people. The key point was that Eastlawn was giving for free to the Black Folks of Tarboro, mainly in East Tarboro, since that was where most of us lived.

Currently I do not know what the development cost was or if there was one or if there is a balance. Why, I don’t know is because I don’t think it is needed and hopefully once you read all of this you will come to agree with me.

So as I was reviewing in my mind that Eastlawn was giving for free, I thought that there should have been some development cost, but since it was developed in 1979 or 1980. I would think it is paid for, or maybe that cost was free also.

Ok, a little deeper. Next I founded out that Eastlawn is the ONLY site that has plots for sale. Now go back to the maintenance cost. “Now are you with me?”

We are being asked to shoulder the burdens of others again. Check this, before there where a Eastlawn where did most Blacks of Tarboro burial? You guessed it Princeville. With that said check this too, “Do you think the Blacks of Tarboro who pay or paid taxes during the past 50, 75, 100 years, do you think their taxes where used for the upkeep of the other graveyard?” Are you with me yet? The other graveyards are also very old, meaning years and years of support from the Black tax base.

Now with all that said and thinking, something else was dropped on me by another dear friend. What that friend brought to my attention is that Tarboro is about to celebrate its 250 years of been incorporated. Making me think about a possible 150+ years of upkeep for other graveyards that our people where not in. Not allowed to be put in.

Now to end this, As I thought this all out I said hell, after all that we have done we should have in town resident cost be $250, in-line with the town celebration and for out of town resident $500, because if they are been buried here, more than likely they lived here at some time and point and paid taxes or Our and theirs ancestors taxes should covered a lot of the cost for them too. Now do you see how one person, Ms. V voice can and hopefully will make a different.

Lastly, I hope I hit the beginning points or at least allowed you to see how we let things slip by or is ease by us. I am not perfect but I am striving daily to be. That another from Min. Farrakhan.

Also remember you may not live in Tarboro but many of our family members did and do.

So Help me correct the wrong and join us Monday, October 12 @ 7:00pm Tarboro Hall.

As I say sometimes, A Silence Voice Gets No Attention, Be a part of A New Voice. Talk about it, But also lets Be About It.

Remind everyone you know that live in Ward 7 to Vote for Taro Knight. If you don’t know if you or your people live in Ward 7 call Edgecombe County Board of Elections and ask them, all they would need is the Address.

Edgecombe County BOE (252) 641-7852. I need his help, We need his help, Our people need his help. Vote Taro Knight for Ward 7.

Your Brother, Friend and Servant,

Bro. Melvin R. Muhammad

When God gives man knowledge, He gives man a duty and responsibility.

A man who knows is responsible for the one who does not know.

When God gives you knowledge and responsibility,

and you fail in that responsibility, you forfeit the right to know.

Min.LFarrakhan

Your Brother & Friend,

Melvin R. Muhammad