Re “Slave memorial and museum gets jumpstart under mayor’s plan,” Free Press July 30-Aug. 1 edition:

Mayor Levar M. Stoney is rolling out a plan to invest $53.5 million over the next five year into the creation of a slave memorial museum and park.

How did the mayor come up with these absurd numbers, particularly with a lot of the city schools needing to be refurbished, evictions taking place and homeless people on the streets?

If he had come out with a much smaller amount, this project might have been more feasible, but not this.

Our teachers need pay increases. Some of our citizens need help paying their bills. Some of the schools are antiquated and need refurbishing or to be torn down. People and children should be the recipients of this type of money if it is available.

During these hard times dealing with the coronavirus, I didn’t know that we had that type of money available.

This amount of money should go toward helping people have a better quality of life and for children to be the best they can be in a conducive environment.

I am not saying that the slave memorial and museum are not important because they are. They will tell us about our past and pay tribute to those who paved the way for us.

Many citizens out here now are struggling and need help. Do we just turn our backs on them? I say no.

Let’s prioritize what is most important when rolling out this amount of money.

People come first. Let’s not ever forget this. Let’s do the right thing.

ERNEST PARKER JR.

Richmond