Last month I blogged about the city of Macon’s (Georgia) quest to lift a judicial consent decree, where the city was ordered to hire and promote based on race. In 1976, black officers and firefighters claimed racial discrimination, and a federal court ordered the city to use quotas to hire minorities. In 2000, white police officers and firefighters filed suit against the city, claiming racial discrimination. Four years later, the city was ordered to use race-neutral methods to hire and promote. (Vicious, never-ending cycle, isn’t it?)
On August 14, a federal court lifted the consent decree.
Last week the NAACP’s Macon branch announced its opposition to this action and requested an injunction. (Source) The formerly venerable and useful organization wants the judge to retain “oversight” of police and firefighter hiring until 75 percent of those employees sign an agreement that stipulates the city will hire and promote based on race.
Macon NAACP president Al Tillman wrote a letter that reads in part: “We were under the understanding we had until the 31st…We disagree with the court’s ruling.”
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