"The brothers and sisters are running this city. Running it!"

Philadelphia Inquirer (philly.com) | 17 April 02 | Cynthia Burton

[Lancey Howard]

Philadelphia Mayor John Street Again Apologizes

By Cynthia Burton
Inquirer Staff Writer

Mayor Street stirred up debate with comments to the NAACP on Saturday.

A subdued Mayor Street apologized again today for his remark that "the brothers and sisters are running this city" but stuck to his pride about having helped African Americans attain important city jobs.

Speaking at the much-awaited swearing in of Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson at the Convention Center, Street softened his rhetoric, saying, "I am proud that the leadership of our administration represents the diversity of our great city."

That statement was delivered in a monotone, compared with his rousing, bring-the-crowd-to-its feet declaration Saturday at an NAACP convention here.

At that training conference before 700 people from up and down the East Coast, he had declared:

"The brothers and sisters are running the city. Oh, yes. The brothers and sisters are running this city. Running it! Don't let nobody fool you, we are in charge of the City of Brotherly Love . . . We have lifted the glass ceiling . . . It never ceased to amaze me that there seemed not to be the opportunity in certain strategic places for people of color. You can't say that anymore."

But today, after two days in which many criticized those remarks as racially divisive, Street appeared somewhat chastened.

Asked if he thought his comments Saturday were a mistake, he said, "I don't know whether I made a mistake. All I know is if people are offended, I regret anybody being offended and I don't intentionally offend people."

He added that "anytime you say anything about race in this city, people's attention is gathered and sometimes in an unprecedented kind of way."

Contact Cynthia Burton at 215-854-5778 or
cburton@phillynews.com.

[Stentor]

Another major U.S. city where white flight is becoming the trend.

Never underestimate the corrosive power of regional transportation. The flight has to farrr.

[mseltzer]

I'm part of the white flight. I'd never move back and pay a city wage tax for the "privelege" of living in such a dirty, corrupt city.

[Mo1]

Not a great move on the tactics of the Police.

Well actually it was Willie B. Goode that gave the orders to drop that thing ..

When Rizzo had to handle Move .. at least he didn't burn down an entire block of homes ..

It has been a nightmare since for the folks down there .. I beleive after spending MILLIONS upon MILLIONS they finally condemed the rebuilt homes

[gaspar]

25 years is about 10 years too long in politics. Especially in Philadelphia.

[Mo1]

"Just imagine for a moment a white mayor proclaiming that,

If a white Mayor did .. he would have been run out of town .. especially in Philly

[RightOnline]

""The brothers and sisters are running the city. Oh, yes. The brothers and sisters are running this city. Running it! Don't let nobody fool you, we are in charge of the City of Brotherly Love . "

Yet another excellent reason why I'd never, EVER consider living in Philadelphia or its environs.

[Mo1]

I'm part of the white flight. I'd never move back and pay a city wage tax for the "privelege" of living in such a dirty, corrupt city.

You too Huh??? ... I moved out about 14 years ago

But to be honest the part of Philly I'm from isn't bad .. but it is waaaaaaaaaaaay to expensive to live there

[Mo1]

?...he always looks like he spent the night on a park bench

OMG .. you're right .. fofl

[mseltzer]

I lived in west Philly for about 10 years, a nice neighborhood when I moved there, until I had to jump over piles of crack vials just to get out of my front door. I go back for Eagles and Phillies games, but I rarely make it out of South Philly anymore.

[mseltzer]

What part did you live in?

[Mo1]

I grew up in the Roxbourgh section

[southern rock]

But to be honest the part of Philly I'm from isn't bad .. but it is waaaaaaaaaaaay to expensive to live there

"Old City", aka the "Historic District", right???

I am a little familiar with the town.

[F.J. Mitchell]

I'll bet that if W.C. Fields, could change his headstone, he would change it to: "Under the circumstances, I really am glad to be dead somewhere else rather than alive in Philadelphia."

[Mo1]

"Old City", aka the "Historic District", right???

LOL .. no I'm from Roxbourgh .. I was talking about the other expenses .. city tax and car insurance

I had to pay 3500/4000 per year for ONE car

[mseltzer]

It boggles my mind that people would choose to raise their children in Philadelphia when and if they have the choice to move out.

[Lancey Howard]

I was in the "Badlands" this morning, down around the 3600 block of Fairhill, and when I got to Germantown after lunch, it felt like I was in Beverly Hills, lol.

[mseltzer]

Between my brother and I, we averaged having our cars/houses broken into twice a year.

[southern rock]

It boggles my mind that people would choose to raise their children in Philadelphia when and if they have the choice to move out.

In all fairness, uprooting is NOT easy. Believe me, I have tried (from NYC, not Philly) with only moderate success. As we speak, I actually find myself back here again. (Not happy about it, but roots are hard to cut, even when you really, really want to).