Why some Black residents in Sarasota oppose proposed lynching memorial

Until recently, Sarasota seemed ready to publicly acknowledge historical racial lynchings in the area with a memorial to the victims.

The big picture: A number of progressive leaders and groups have been working for years to research and acknowledge local lynchings with aid from the Equal Justice Initiative, which promised to provide a marker to both memorialize those lost and educate present and future generations.

• The nonprofit EJI established the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Ala., to commemorate the thousands of people lynched in the South from 1877 to 1950.

But now "scores" of residents are urging city leaders to block the project, per the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

• And the opposition comes from Black residents in Newtown.

What they're saying: "This is like a stick of dynamite waiting for somebody to put a match to it," said Sarasota’s Living Hope Worship Center pastor Ruby Robinson. 

• "We are supposed to forgive our ancestors for what happened back then. We don’t need to drag this up now and leave it in our children’s face for the rest of their lives."