Q&A with Columbus NAACP president on Black history, equality and civil rights
As the nation observes Black History Month, the Ledger-Enquirer invited Columbus NAACP chapter president Wane Hailes to share his opinion about a wide range of topics.
In this Q&A, conducted via email, Hailes responded to questions about local Black history, crime, equal opportunity and civil rights. Questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Q: What do you want folks to know about local Black history?
A: Many in the community may know that the A.J. McClung YMCA on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard was originally called the Ninth Street Branch YMCA and located on the corner across from First African Baptist Church where the Columbus Police Departments parking lot now stands. What they may not know, however, is that when it was built in 1907 it was only the second modern Negro YMCA building in the country and the first in the south.
Another historical fact is that when it was dedicated on Tuesday, October 8, 1907, the toastmaster for the evening was Dr. M. L. Taylor and the featured speaker was Dr. Booker T. Washington. Gertrude Pridgett “Ma” Rainey, accompanied by pianist Leila Price, performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
This song would later become the Negro National Anthem. The Ninth Street Branch YMCA entertained over 100,000 men, boys, soldiers, and visitors during its existence. From 1907 until its demolition in December of 1963, more than 4,000 men held active memberships in the Association.
Q: How would you assess the status of equal opportunity and civil rights in Columbus?
A: As the NAACP our vision is for an inclusive community rooted in liberation where all persons can exercise their civil and human rights without discrimination.
Our mission is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color. In Columbus we have some work to do when it comes to both equal opportunity and civil rights of our citizens.
Q: What displeases you most about the status of equal opportunity and civil rights, and what solutions do you advocate?
A: In the past two years I have served as president of the NAACP we have received numerous calls from individuals and families about being discriminated against when it comes to housing and specifically apartment rentals. One family, moved here from Florida and paid their first , last and security deposit.
When they arrived on their scheduled day to move in, the apartment was not ready. The carpet had not been cleaned the walls had not been painted and the light fixtures and appliances were broken. The apartment manager was not in the least bit accommodating until we got involved. Individuals have come to us because they have been discriminated against by restaurant and or club owners. In both cases they were detained by the police then released. The restaurant owner asked the police to drop the charges once we got involved.
The solution to solving these types of problems is that we continue to let business owners and apartment managers know that we are watching and monitoring their actions. Our first step will always be biblical. If there is a problem we will come to you first. If we can’t come to a solution then we might try again but after that we will seek other avenues to solving the problem.
Finally, according to the latest census the demographic makeup of Muscogee County is 49% Black, 37% White and 8% Hispanic and 3% other however, in the past forty-two years there have only been three people of color to serve as Superior Court Judges: The Honorable Albert Thompson, John D. Allen and recently appointed Ben Richardson. In addition, there are currently no individuals of color who serve as Juvenile Court Judges.
It is our contention that the current six county Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, intentional or not, is designed to dilute the Black voting strength. As a result of the facts listed above we asked that the Columbus City Council request that the local elected delegation introduce legislation to make Muscogee County a single County Judicial Circuit when their session begins in January. They voted not to. This is a problem for the Black community because it denies us an opportunity to level the playing field when it comes the judicial system. Until this occurs we will never have equal representation.
Q: What pleases you most about the status of equal opportunity and civil rights, and what are the causes of that progress?
A:I can say the city has come a long way since I arrived in 1990. Today the major nonprofit organizations serving youth, The YMCA of Metro Columbus, The Boys and Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley, Girls Inc. of Columbus & Russell Count are all run by African Americans and the CEO of the Chattahoochee Boy Scouts of America is Hispanic. The President/CEO of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce is African American as is our Muscogee County Sheriff, Chief of Police and City Manager.
When you look at the make up the department heads in our city government you will notice that the majority are now run by people of color. That’s progress that can be attributed to our city manager who is hiring those individuals best qualified for the job and not based on color.
Q: Whether residents consider statistics or their own perception of safety, many have expressed concern about violent crime. What are the causes and solutions?
A: First let me say I am one of many who take issue with the term “Black on-Black” crime. I believe it demeans Black people as criminally inclined. And the term is misleading. White people are mainly killed by white people, but I have yet to hear the media talk about “white-on-white” crime. Crime is crime.
Far too many young people are losing their lives needlessly today. But it is when you ask what the cause of the problem is I would have to say many of the young people who are perpetrating these crimes are victims themselves. They are victims of an unjust society that for the most part has instilled the wrong values in them and failed to make them feel worthy.
For someone to take the life of another they must have some serious scars. I am in no way making excuses for them, but we are all a product of our environment and life experiences. Unfortunately, many of these young people are making decisions that are changing their lives forever and hurting our community. Some psychologist and mental health workers will suggest that this type of behavior is reflective of deep emotional, psychological, and spiritual scars.
The problems we are experiencing here in Columbus, Georgia is one that many Black communities are struggling with around the country. And we are all struggling to come up with the solution as well. What I do know is that locally it is going to take a collaborative effort between our civic & social organizations, the NAACP, The Urban League, and our churches.
Another important factor is the involvement of the Crime Prevention Board to ensure that the programs they fund are monitored and can show how they are effectively impacting our community in a positive way.
Q: What else do you want to tell the L-E’s readers?
A: Columbus is a great city and we have made considerable progress, but we have much more work to do. There will always be those instances of discrimination and attempted violations of our civil rights, but we must be vigilant and address them head on and immediately. Good will always overcome evil. I believe if we are proactive there will be no need to be reactive.
This story was originally published February 20, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
