"When asked if he was anti-Semitic, Sonny Carson said ‘no, I am anti-white.’
While New York City community activists fight to rename a public street after Sonny Carson, critics say a street renaming is an honor that Carson doesn't deserve.
How about we rename every school and street named after George Washington because the American president owned slaves, OKAY?
"That is not a uniting position,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “And I don't believe it is appropriate to elevate that man and give him a higher level of government recognition."
Known for making racially charged comments, Carson was once linked to a homicide and was sentenced to prison for kidnapping. His was one of more than 50 names included in the bill, which would rename four blocks of Gates Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant after him.
"How is it that only one name is taken out and that’s a black man? How is it that a black man is disrespected in his own district? How is it that three white members of the Parks committee and one white speaker is going to tell the whole black community that they can't have this,” said Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Baron.
"This was a bad fight to pick,” said Bronx City Councilwoman Helen Foster. “As chair of the parks committee, I'm going to look into every single name that we have passed and make sure that everybody is clean. Because if we're going to pick and chose when it comes to Sonny Carson, then we are going to pick and chose everyone else."
Was Carson's name being removed from the bill all about racism? Before you answer, read his full story here.
SO NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK?