Good evening, Council members and Knoxville Residents. I am Crystal Flack and my family has a Century of heritage here in Knoxville TN. Last night I had addressed the African American Equity Restoration Task Force about their failure to fulfill their mandate. Tonight, I’m here to address YOU about why you created a structure designed to fail from the beginning.
YOUR ADMISSION, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
In December 2020, City Council unanimously passed Resolution 367-2020. You officially admitted the City deliberately destroyed Black neighborhoods through Urban Renewal from 1959 to 1974. You documented demolishing 72 homes, 9 businesses, and 2 churches for one project alone. You acknowledged these actions “disproportionately targeted minority communities” and caused “devastating consequences.”…