Nobody likes to talk about race — especially St. Pete. From the Times to the City Council, St. Pete’s institutions continue to remain si-lent on racial tension despite its presence in every major issue affecting the city: Midtown’s economic development, gentrification, po-lice attrition. To be sure, race relations are never an easy subject, especially in a city rocked by riots a decade ago, but the earlier that residents have this difficult conversation, the sooner we can move on.
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.