Following the town hall meeting with Councilman Jeffery Young, Jr. to discuss the future of the Cecil B. Moore Library, the library was opened temporarily to explore the options of renovating the building. The week after, the library hosted a community meeting to debrief the events of the previous town hall meeting and converse about the various approaches possible to keep the library open.
The main concern voiced by the attendees of the meeting was the feeling of not being heard. One of those present stated that “people were fed up; they were tired, and they have been ignored for too long. The power that we demonstrate as people is really what can change that.”
The idea of having housing on top of the library was also brought up and was a point of contention for the audience. Tax revenue has superseded children’s care and after-school programs – a new housing unit is not what the people want, and they expressed their sentiments both at the meeting and yesterday. “Every single person in the crowd was sitting up and going ‘We don’t want housing,’” and the politicians still were not listening to their words.
The people feel they have no control over the actions and developments that happen in their neighborhoods.
Many of those present at the follow-up meeting also emphasized the importance of the library for the kids, how important it is for their growth, and for them to have a space to go to. They feel there is not enough attention on “protecting our children, preparing them for their future, for their safe future. You can have a town hall meeting… but we get to tell you, this is how we want our tax dollars spent,” shared a woman who has been visiting the library with her family for many years. “This was the village… the community lost that.”
‘The children are the first priority,’ a statement that was echoed multiple times throughout the duration of the meeting, and closing down the library is parallel to jeopardizing their future and their well-being. The library is a house of community and warmth for all. Families run through the aisles of the building- everybody is connected. Children deserve the preservation of safety, and the Cecil B. Moore Library gives them a means of preserving the safety children deserve and require.
A member of the library who was in attendance at both meetings shared, “It’s not just about my children. It’s about the next generation, preserving the next generation so we can move forward. Keeping hope alive, keeping the dream alive.”
Many people were given a survey to fill out, and the people voted almost unanimously to begin renovations on the library immediately. The consensus of the meeting at its conclusion was that the library is a staple in the community and that it is the politician’s job to make it happen. They are public servants who must be held accountable. Without the library, the neighborhood will fall apart.
