For Immediate Release
December 19, 2019
Contact: Charlyne Jackson-Fields
President, NAACP Fredericksburg Branch
Email: branch7069@gmail.com
Phone: 540-710-1349
FREDERICKSBURG, VA — on December 16, 2019, the Fredericksburg Branch of the NAACP issued its position statement concerning the lawsuit filed on December 10, 2019 against Fredericksburg City Council. The lawsuit was filed by two Petitioners: Local Holdings, L.L.C., the business owner of the “Olde Towne Butcher” and “The Butcher’s Table” located on the same corner as the Slave Auction Block; and E.D. Cole Building, L.L.C., the owner/landlord of the building across the street at 402 William Street. Of note, however: Kybecca Restaurant, the tenant at 402 William Street, is not a party to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which seeks to prevent the City from moving the Slave Auction Block to the Fredericksburg Area Museum, claims that the “Olde Towne Butcher” and “The Butcher’s Table” will suffer losses in business revenue “given the virtually inevitable decline in neighborhood foot traffic, tourist trolley traffic and foot traffic that would result upon the removal of such a major tourist attraction.”
In its position statement, the NAACP supports the actions of City Council to move the Slave Auction Block to the Fredericksburg Area Museum, and finds the lawsuit to be ill-conceived, short-sighted, and contrary to legitimate interests of the NAACP and the citizens of the City of Fredericksburg; and, moreover, finds it offensive that Petitioners seek to profit from the vestiges of slavery.
The position statement encourages all NAACP members to refrain from doing business with the “Olde Towne Butcher” and “The Butcher’s Table”.
To read the full statement: https://fredericksburgnaacp.org/2019/12/16/fredericksburg-branch-naacp-slave-auction-block-lawsuit-position-statement/.