To the Editor:

African Americans have for centuries sustained and strengthened the lives of the people of Princeton. They have done so without recognition, without favor. They have done so in spite of discrimination and humiliation. But their spirit and determination endure.

One of the very significant places that spirit and determination show themselves is in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. It is a neighborhood of joy and sorrow, of celebration and slights. It is a neighborhood that welcomed and still welcomes new immigrants to our community. It is a neighborhood that deserves the recognition, now pending before the Town Council, of Historic District status.

Not in Our Town stands against racism in all its forms, outward and subtle. We are an interracial, interfaith social action group united to advance the cause of racial justice in Princeton. And that mission clearly calls for us to support the designation of Witherspoon-Jackson as a historic district of Princeton.

This designation will help to assure that the full story of the lives of those who created this vital community and those who continued to contribute to its vitality, even through today, will be told for decades to come.

Ted Fetter, Linda Oppenheim, 

Wilma Solomon, Larry Spruill

Not in Our Town