MADISON, WI (WSAU) The NAACP is coming out against a plan to name the City-County Building in Dane County after former President Obama. The Wisconsin State Journal reports the organization’s county chapter believes naming a building that houses a portion of the county jail after the nation’s first black president is inappropriate. The NAACP sent out a resolution this week stating the “building is symbolic of the extreme racial disparities evident in the treatment of African Americans by the criminal justice system of the United States.”
Greg Jones of the NAACP sent a letter to the Dane County board on Monday, notifying them of the group’s objections.
Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said he would like the county to find a way to honor President Obama. In a written statement he said: I think it’s important that this process be conducted as a discussion, rather than an argument, among people who agree with each other about the importance of the Obama presidency.” The City-County Liasion Committee will discuss the matter on Wednesday.
The MetroSource new wire contributed to this report.