Greensboro Since 2017

The Changed Landscape

The main issues in the five years since the 2017 elections largely upheld the status quo have been the Marcus Smith murder by Greensboro police, the continuing divide between those at the top and everyone else, the opening of the shrine dedicated to the city's one percent (aka the Tanger Center) and the fallout from the pandemic.

Smith was the Gate City's George Floyd, and on February 1, the city settled with his family--likely hoping for the murder and coverup to go away just in time for elections. In the wake of Floyd's murder in Minnesota, there was an attempt to pass a proposal requiring police to get written consent before searching people, cars and property. However, it failed on a 5-4 vote, with the Nancys, the cop-loving Marikay and both East Greensboro representatives killing the measure.

The Lack of Anti-Establishment Cohesion

Five years ago, Democracy Greensboro was formed in the wake of what to do next post-Bernie, and while it fielded candidates in the last elections, Michelle Kennedy (more on the details when I analyze the District 5 race) got into office in the end, and she didn't even finish her term. Ever since those elections, the group disappeared, and there are currently no solid anti-establishment groups to hold the leaders accountable even though there are some on the periphery that could make some noise over the next three years.

A coalition to beat the city's entrenched elites is possible if the following groups band together once the elections are over:

• GSO Revolutionary Socialists
• People's Freedom Assembly
• Working Class & Houseless Organizing Alliance
• Triad Abolition Project
• Incarcerated Outreach Network
• Greensboro DSA
• Greensboro Rising

It's nice to be in the streets, but the politicians can easily ignore groups like Greensboro Rising by giving police less accountability when these groups demand the exact opposite. As far as I can tell, there's been no follow-up or threat to unseat those people in power (as a matter of fact, there's a chance that the two factions that end up on City Council this summer could be between gradually giving police more money and exponentially giving them more money).