Maggie Young
   News Editor

The Greensboro City Council met for its final February meeting last Tuesday, Feb. 16; it paid tribute to deceased community members, recognized Black History Month and approved funding for various projects among other items.

The meeting began with a resolution to honor the late James Roosevelt Harris. Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson read the resolution, which detailed Harris’s many successes and admirable contributions to the community.

Johnson noted in the resolution that Harris served in the United States Army in Heidelberg, Germany and later served in the Army Reserve.

The resolution additionally read that Harris “was one of the first African-Americans to work in the laboratory in Moses Cone Hospital as a registered cytotechnologist.”

Harris was involved in multiple community, civic and religious boards as well as being a Boy Scout leader and an ordained deacon of the Baptist church.

Harris was also a known Civil Rights activist “who challenged the Greensboro city school system on the application of the freedom of choice policy that open the doors for African-American children to attend all-white schools,” the resolution stated.

According to the resolution he “played an integral part” in the integration of Greensboro schools.

Harris is survived by his Maria Harris, who accepted the resolution and thanked the city council for “the love that [her family] has received.”

The second community member to be recognized was the late Frederick D. Cundiff Sr.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Johnson delivered the resolution, which detailed the myriad contributions he made to his community, friends and others. The list included involvement in such areas as the military, the Greensboro community and academia, among others.

Cundiff Sr. was a World War II veteran, who was stationed in China, Burma and India.

The resolution stated that he was also “an elementary teacher, federal projects director, assistant superintendent, acting superintendent and regional director,” over the course of 36 years.

Cundiff Sr. was the first African-American superintendent for Guilford County Schools.

He was a member of St. James Presbyterian Church for 61 years where he “served as deacon, trustee, and elder,” read the resolution.

He was a member of several groups and societies including, but not limited to, NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the National Education Association Board of Directors and the Alliance of Black Education Administrators.

Johnson told the Council and those in attendance that she was taught by Cundiff Sr. when she was at Washington Street School and heralded his compassionate demeanor and constant encouragement of his students.

“He always validated his students,” Johnson said. “He was a great human being and gave so much to this community and education.”

Hyla Bynum Cundiff, his wife of 64 years, accepted the resolution and thanked the council for the recognition of her husband, whom she complimented. “[Our family is] very proud of Fred, and it does so much good just to hear the good things said about [him].”

The following item was a resolution officially recognizing February as Black History Month in Greensboro.

Councilwoman Sharon Hightower and Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter presented the resolution; following the recitation of the resolution, community members Luther Falls Jr. and Dr. Love Crossling accepted it.

Councilwoman Hightower read the first half of the resolution, which highlighted Greensboro’s crucial function in the Civil Rights movement and remembered the students who took part in demanding civil rights through sit-ins. 

“Greensboro is one of the most significant sites to play a role in the Civil Rights movement through the bravery and leadership of the A&T Four, David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr., and Joseph McNeil,” Councilwoman Hightower said.

The resolution also noted that Greensboro is home to Henry Frye, North Carolina’s first African-American Chief Justice. Later, City Attorney Tom Carruthers noted that Greensboro also boasts Becky Jo Peterson-Buie as the first African-American female Municipal Attorney in North Carolina.

According to Carruthers, “[Peterson-Buie] is entering her thirtieth year with the city.”

Falls Jr. spoke to the Council on accepting the resolutions.

“This is a really humbling experience to see that the city understands that it’s important that all of our citizens know about black history,” Falls Jr. said.

He went on to note the importance of acknowledging black history year-round not just in the month of February.

Dr. Crossling, Director of the Human Relations section of Greensboro’s government, expressed her gratitude for a council that she said “finds value in commemorating black history.”

The remainder of the meeting saw resolutions to purchase new buses for the Greensboro Transit Authority, expansion of multi-family dwellings in the C-H, C-M and BP zones of Greensboro, as well as a resolution to allot $1.2 million for economic development in East Greensboro.

All resolutions passed. The next City Council meeting will be Tuesday, March 1, at 5 p.m. and is open to the public.