Bee editorials over city’s racist legacy in west Fresno get blasted on social media

The Bee’s Sunday editorial, headlined “Fresno’s great shame: City must apologize for its terrible legacy of racist policies,” certainly grabbed readers’ attention.

As of Monday, it had nearly 400 comments on The Bee’s Facebook page.

The editorial examined the plight of west Fresno, the community of 40,000 where residents are poorer than Fresnans elsewhere, have low home ownership and high unemployment, and who face the reality of living 20 years less than a resident of north Fresno because of the pollution engulfing the community.

The opinion of The Bee’s Editorial Board (which is independent from the newsroom) was that city policies for too long had favored development to the city’s north while neglecting established neighborhoods like west Fresno. In so doing, city policies had allowed west Fresno to deteriorate.

The Editorial Board called on Mayor Jerry Dyer, as the city’s current top executive, to formally apologize to west Fresno on behalf of leadership, and pledge to focus efforts to renew the area and make it as livable as anywhere else in the city.

That editorial brought a torrent of responses in social media. Some were of the typical “The Bee is a liberal rag” variety. But many comments fell into three main categories. Here is a look at each and The Bee Editorial Board’s response.

Free to live wherever

One commenter named Lucio offered this: “Here’s what you do if you don’t like where you live, you make it a better place to live, or you move.” Another post, by Steven, told of how his family worked hard in the 1940s to improve their lot and move from west Fresno to the north.

Such determination is laudable. But economic conditions then are not what west Fresnans face today.

Decades ago west Fresno had a healthy number of shops, restaurants and professional offices and a solid local economy. Such economic activity does not exist in west Fresno today. There is only one supermarket, one pharmacy, and most of the smaller retailers and restaurants are in one shopping center. Shuttered businesses are scattered throughout the area.

Only 25% of Blacks in Fresno own a house. Homes are one of the most critical investments one can make to strengthen personal wealth.

Forty-six percent of west Fresno residents were in poverty as of 2019; citywide, the poverty rate was 23.2%. Unemployment in 2019 for west Fresno was 12.2% vs. 8.2% in the city overall.

So west Fresnans are much more challenged than most in the city to improve where they live. Most of them simply don’t have the means.

Dyer has launched an initiative to improve Black home ownership. Grants of up to $22,000 for down payments and closing costs will be awarded to qualified families. It is the kind of program that is needed and that government can help lead.

Racial divide

Many comments accused The Bee Editorial Board of fomenting racism. “Shocking the Fresno Bee is trying to start a race war,” commented Chad.

But that misses the point about west Fresno’s past and present when it comes to race.

West Fresno began more than a century ago on a racist foundation. That is not an opinion, but a fact. Whites at that time wanted to keep Chinese people in a certain part of the town. So they agreed that the Chinese could only settle west of the railroad tracks. Certainly Fresno was not then unique; the Chinese faced widespread discrimination throughout California. But west Fresno’s segregation was started.

The editorial pointed out that west Fresno was defined by redlining maps that told home lenders where people of color were housed. It also mentioned deed restrictions that limited where Fresno’s Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Armenians could buy a home. These were race-based financial tools used to keep people, in this case west Fresnans, segregated.

Today west Fresno has larger proportions of people of color, especially Black and Hispanic residents, than the city as a whole.

So rather than creating a “race war,” the editorial simply pointed out some harsh truths about Fresno.

Fresno: Love it or leave it

A final group of commenters defended Fresno from the editorial’s criticism. Said David: “There is absolutely NOTHING to apologize for!! NOTHING! If anyone thinks this is a racist Nation, they can go to Mexico, Africa, Central and South America, Asia, or Middle East; then see how good they have it in the greatest Nation on Earth — the USA!!!”

With due respect to David, Fresno is a great city, but not perfect. There is always room for improvement. One way that happens is to face the realities of the past and present. That is what the editorial sought to show.

Another way to become better is to be committed to ideals. Mayor Dyer’s agenda is based on this premise: “One Fresno.” His One Fresno Foundation defines that phrase this way: “Everyone deserves equitable opportunities to thrive in Fresno.”

That ideal today is not reality. But Dyer is right to be committed to it and bring the power of his office to bear to get closer to that goal.

To become one Fresno, Fresnans should not be afraid to admit mistakes, even serious ones. That is the point of apologizing to people who are our neighbors, even if they live across town.

If Fresnans cannot or will not work toward that goal, the city will remain divided, and the potential of our human capital will be unfulfilled. That would be tragic, indeed.

This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 5:00 AM.