WILMINGTON — Last night the Wilmington City Council activated a multi-million dollar deal with a private contractor for hurricane recovery operations and discussed fundamental concerns with the consulting firm advising the restructuring of WAVE Transit. But the most contentious moments from the meeting involved efforts to pass a resolution to approve a Black Lives Matter art installation near Jervay Memorial Park.
Councilman Charlie Rivenbark has been vociferous in his dissent of the project, which he has decried as racist and ill-advised in recent weeks.
“To think that Black lives don’t matter is folly, I mean, it’s ludicrous,” he said at the meeting, while arguing why the city shouldn’t endorse such a measure. “And it makes me think that they don’t think that much of themselves if they’ve got to have a sign out there that says Black Lives Matter. I just can’t get my head wrapped around it.”
Rivenbark argued it would be a political mistake for Wilmington to support the proposal, which he said is intertwined with an ideology of violent protests nationwide.
“I’m not saying that’s all of them. It’s not,” he said. “Our Black Lives Matter protesters here I thought were very well behaved. Sat there on the steps, made their point.”
[Editor’s note: It’s worth noting that in the past, Rivenbark has been critical of BLM protestors who were more aggressive. In response to an email from a concerned tourist, Rivenbark referred to protestors who marched down Front Street shouting ‘fuck your comfort’ as ‘classless thugs.’]
Councilman Kevin Spears sighed into the microphone as Rivenbark went on. “Mr. Mayor,” Spears interjected.
“I’m not finished,” Rivenbark responded.
“Hold on for a second, Mr. Spears,” said Mayor Bill Saffo.
Rivenbark then called into question the legitimacy of an online petition in support of the artwork, which would consist of 8-foot tall painted letters spelling out “Black Lives Do Matter,” with an accompanying sign reading “End Racism Now.”
“Anybody can go online and sign a petition,” Rivenbark said.
In response, Spears countered with an impassioned argument in favor of the project plan, which he said was altered recently to add the word “Do” into the Black Lives Matter phrasing. Councilman Clifford Barnett said that to his understanding, this change was made to distance the proposal from some peoples’ perceptions of BLM as a political movement.
“Everything has been thrown at this agenda item, this resolution, but the kitchen sink,” said Spears, who then pivoted to Rivenbark’s comments specifically. “He sat in that chair for the past 19 years, with the same type of ideology, the same type of mindset.”
He continued:
“I know my worth sir, I’m not sure that you actually do,” Spears said. “Because you may have a few Black friends that call your phone or a few Black constituents that call your phone, and you do a couple things that you deem to be right; doesn’t make the problem go away, doesn’t make the potency of the problem go away either.”
The resolution to get the ball rolling on the installation passed with a 5-2 vote in favor; Rivenbark and Councilman Neil Anderson voted against.
Councilman Barnett said he was elated that the proposal was passed, despite the confrontational debate surrounding the symbolic gesture.
“I’d rather for people to tell me what they think, than to keep it hidden in themselves and then do something to me afterward,” he told Port City Daily.
At the meeting, Barnett read a letter from nine-year-old Kameryn Link, which he said read: “These may be some rough times, but we’ll get through it together.”
He said those words are a fitting mantra for Wilmington in this moment.
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