NEWBURGH – It took some 20 years from when an African American cemetery was unearthed in the City of Newburgh to when the city council appropriated $1.9 million for a monument and internment of the 100 former slaves.
The only member to vote against it was Omari Shakur, who said he would rather see the funds be used for youth programs. Mayor Torrance Harvey explained the city has a wealth of those programs and the debate erupted.
The mayor said if you tell youth program leaders there are not enough programs, watch their reactions. That’s when Shakur exploded saying he wants more programs for black people. As the shouting escalated, the mayor threated to have Shakur removed from the meeting.
The screaming ended with Shakur egging the mayor on to have him removed, which never took place.
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