Howdy Guys (uni-sex word)

I spent a part of the day talking with a city council member that shall remain nameless and the conclusion was to have as many of you that are willing to stand up before the council and the channel 29 cameras and support the naming of the 9th 10th street connector after Sally Hemings (both names) on the 5th of june in the city council chambers.

Guys, this issue has been turned into an issue of a raped victim -vs- a women that survived the stigmatism of the era to become a productive part of the Charlottesville community. There are forces out there from certain segments of the community that want you to believe that the only thing a woman can be is base upon a single issue in her life. I for one disagree. I and many of my friends (some on city council, tho not enough to pass this at this time with out a show of support) throughout the city believe that, no matter what history or the condition you are born into you can rise above it and become more that what the times dictate you to be.

(yeah!)

I know all of you like myself have to get up and go to work the next day and be expected to perform as though you got at least 8 hours sleep, but I'm asking each of you that believe that a person should be judged by the content of their character and the strides they were able to achieve given the circumstances into which they were born and history has proven they were able to overcome despite the odds, be recognized by having a street named after that person (using both names).

Guys, I know that there is a movement by the less-inlightened, or in their case the 'more-enlightened' of our citizenry to exploit the issue of a "rape" or , "un-willing victim" , ect to make our effort to recognize the African based inner strength of Sally Hemings in the face of overwhelming odds to be a contributing member of the foundation of Charlottesville and the newly recognized United States of America mute. I for one will object to their short sighted and narrow definition of what it takes to be recognized in America.

I ask each of you to look into your hearts and recognize given the time Sally Hemings lived and the accomplishments she was to achieve, woman slave / free slave / women / confident to the 3rd president of the United States of America / ambassador / role model / mother / business owner / home owner / land owner and yes for those that want her to be recognized as a 'Rape victim', YES, she was all of those and much more for a Black women in and after 1826.

Please show your support for her and her accomplishments on the 5th of June at the city council meeting at 19:30. I employ each of you. let us out number the forces that want to use this as a 'Poor Rape Victim' unworthy of recognition and show our support for the Proud Women of her time, a person that had a hand in the founding of Charlottesville.

Wow, that was a mouthful even for me.

Thanks for your time and your upcoming support at the city council meeting on the 5th of June @ 19:30 in council chambers.

Herb Porter (electronic mail, May 25, 2000).