Truth and reconciliation in Greensboro?
The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission last night published its final report on the events of Nov. 3, 1979 in Greensboro, NC. That day, five people were shot to death during a confrontation between a leftist, black worker’s rights demonstration and a caravan of white-supremacists. The picture the report paints is of two groups ready for a violent confrontation and a police department that was either incompetent, indifferent to the potential for violence, or possibly in cahoots with the white supremacists.
The Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission was an independent, democratically selected body seeking truth and healing transformation for Greensboro, N.C., a city left divided and weakened by the events of Nov. 3, 1979. The seven commissioners were a respected group of individuals selected for their diverse perspectives, strengths and resolve to fulfill their Mandate.
Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission
So far, I have read the Summary (pdf) and found certainly truth. However, it seems that one of the most divisive questions – whether the Greensboro Police was conspiring with the white supremacists – remains without closure:
Even though no legal basis for law enforcement involvement in a conspiracy was
found in the trials, the majority of commissioners believe there was intentionality
among some in the department to fail to provide adequate information or to take
steps to adequately protect the marchers.
Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission – executive summary – p 10
The commission certainly made a big contribution for documenting the truth – reconciliation is another matter altogether. That will be up to the community of Greensboro.
A journalist at the Greensboro News-Record is writing a detailed analysis of the report on his blog.