Secession is not a miracle solution

by David W. Marshall

(Trice Edney Wire) – The idea of ​​creating a new city of Buckhead ultimately died in the Georgia state legislature. And rightly so. Democratic members of the Atlanta state delegation have never been in favor of the affluent, mostly white Buckhead neighborhood seceding from the city of Atlanta. The move became one long opposed by the city’s business leaders, while many of the city’s black residents strongly believed it was racially motivated.

The Buckhead City project ended when 10 Republican lawmakers broke ranks, joining Democrats in rejecting the measure. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has formed a close working relationship with Democratic Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, has also questioned the legality and practicality of Buckhead City. Kemp’s chief lawyer, David Dove, sent a memo attacking the deannexation plan.

Dove wrote that the split could destroy the ability of all Georgia cities to borrow money, based on bond markets fearing that cities would default on their debts if they broke into pieces. “If we rip the heart out of the city of Atlanta, which is Buckhead, I know our capital will die,” said Frank Ginn, a Republican state senator.

Buckhead, known for its upscale shopping and several famous residents, has a median household income of $109,774, compared to $68,806 in the rest of the city. Residents and other supporters of the deannexation measure said the city was not doing enough to fight crime and provide services, even though Buckhead accounted for 40 percent of Atlanta’s tax revenue and less than 20 percent of the population of the city.

The reasons for such a decision will never overcome the racial symbolism of separating a wealthy, white neighborhood from a majority-black city. This becomes another version of white flight. Once reality set in, both parties realized they needed each other. “Constitutionally, it is not possible to divide the city of Atlanta, with its schools, with its debts,” said Sen. Jason Esteves, who represents a section of Buckhead. The practical arguments against the town creation measure concerned whether a new town of Buckhead would still send its students to the Atlanta school district. Members of both parties understood the magnitude of dividing Atlanta into two separate jurisdictions.

Despite the problems, the two sides are stronger together as one city rather than becoming two broken and weak jurisdictions. It’s a message of unity that took years to gain acceptance in Georgia. Yet the idea of ​​maintaining a unified city was rejected in the case of the Louisiana state capital. A majority-white part of the city of Baton Rouge is now allowed to secede from the majority-black city.

After the Louisiana State Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s ruling, an east Baton Rouge parish will now be known as the City of St. George, ending a 10-year campaign hostile and confrontational that divides wealthy white residents from poorer black neighborhoods. Residents and parents living in the proposed town of St. George now face the same dilemma as those residing in Buckhead: schools.

If a new St. George school district were created, children would likely be forced out of their current schools because they would not be able to live in one district and attend school in another. Be careful what you ask for. There are 8,349 students living in the proposed St. George school district but attending school elsewhere. Where local and State

Georgia lawmakers have taken into account the logistical nightmare involved in creating and running a new city, while Louisiana lawmakers have failed to address the realities of two cities with two school districts.

There are times when lawmakers must resist racial pressures within their communities, when creating divisions becomes the silver bullet to social problems. This is especially true with Republicans. The conservative school of thought too often resists social change while tolerating social inequality. The liberal school of thought is the opposite, with a tendency to embrace social change while rejecting forms of inequality. Social inequalities are the root cause of poverty.

Poverty leads to crime and poorly performing schools: two problems that were at the root of proposed secession plans in Georgia and Louisiana. Separation is not always the answer to complex social problems. Separation between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Separation due to fear or hatred of “others”. Separation due to pride and a feeling of being superior. Separation based on cultural differences. Too often, they will all have a backdrop of race.

David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization TRB: The Reconciled Body and the author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.