More work needs to be done for OKC’s minority communities

The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer fielded questions during his weekly OKC Central chat on Friday. This is an abridged transcript of that conversation. To read the full transcript, or to participate in next week's chat, go to NewsOK.com.

Q: With the convention center coming in under budget, what do you think those excess funds will be used for?

A: There is a few million dollars' worth of "add-alternate" items for the convention center, including sky walks, sun screening, meeting room lighting rigging and surface parking that will obviously be approved to be a part of the construction. I suspect some money will go toward making a fifth wellness center. From there it's anyone's guess.

Q: Do you think the city leaders have done a better job of getting the Hispanic and African-American parts of the community involved when it comes to development?

A: No. The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, however, has done a lot of work trying promote development of the predominantly African-American east side with success stories including a new grocery store anchoring a once blighted, now redeveloped shopping center.

But far more is needed. New Mayor David Holt seems to promoting the idea of more inclusiveness — we will see what follows.

Q: What is the most important thing to ensure the JFK district continues to grow?

A: City leaders must begin a discussion with Derichebourg at 100 N Bath Ave. to move to a new location that isn't next to a neighborhood like JFK.

Can we be honest? I mean, brutally honest? Back in the first half of the 20th century, City Hall was one of those gentile racist places where they weren't really out physically beating our minority residents, but they were doing all they could to force all the ugly blight into their neighborhoods. Would a large, noisy recycling center have been allowed to be built at NW 63 and Western?

Heck no. But the John F. Kennedy neighborhood wasn't populated by middle- and upper-class whites. It was populated by working-class minorities. It wasn't OK then and it isn't OK now. And the argument that these recycling centers have been located along the south side of the neighborhood doesn't make it any better for the residents of JFK, both newcomers and those whose families have been residents for decades.