Petition for a tolerant Canfield Fair
- Location: Ohio
To the Board of Directors
Canfield Fair
7265 Columbiana-Canfield Rd,
P. O. Box 250, Canfield, OH 44406
Dear Sirs and Madams,
I am a 45 year veteran of the Canfield Fair. I have attended most years of my life including years when I lived outside the Youngstown area. I even worked one year in the parking lots as a teenager. I'm writing to advise you that I will not be attending this year.
Last year, the atmosphere of the fair changed. While this area has always had a vivid and passionate involvement in politics, last year's events at the fair took a turn from merely passionate into rabid. The inclusion of "the wall", a symbolic reminder that certain people aren't welcome in this country, made the fairgrounds into a frightening place for me and many of my peers.
The fairgrounds have always been a questionable place for people of color, given the history of township and its long avoidance of diversity. Even your board reflects a lack of diversity which ought to concern you even now. And while the fair is a celebration of farm culture, it has never apparently even considered that more than farm people attend it and that multiculturalism is the future.
Given that your board permitted the wall to be built and allowed it to continue long after it was apparent that it was divisive and inflammatory, I do not believe that I can attend your fair in good conscience. In addition, the continued authorization of vendors to sell confederate merchandise sends a message to patrons of color and progressive sensibility that they are only tolerated, not welcomed.
I would be happy to meet with you and discuss the question of how you can commit to making the fair an inclusive and welcoming space. I would suggest as a first step you make clear in your promotional materials and advertising that the fair is committed to the safety and well being of ALL the people that attend, and that vendors that promote merchandise that reflect an intolerant message will not be permitted.
I hope this letter gives you some pause and causes you to reflect on the direction and tone of your event. Feel free to contact me. In the meantime, I will remain a former fair goer.
Respectfully,
Attorney KIM Akins
Sign PetitionSign PetitionCanfield Fair
7265 Columbiana-Canfield Rd,
P. O. Box 250, Canfield, OH 44406
Dear Sirs and Madams,
I am a 45 year veteran of the Canfield Fair. I have attended most years of my life including years when I lived outside the Youngstown area. I even worked one year in the parking lots as a teenager. I'm writing to advise you that I will not be attending this year.
Last year, the atmosphere of the fair changed. While this area has always had a vivid and passionate involvement in politics, last year's events at the fair took a turn from merely passionate into rabid. The inclusion of "the wall", a symbolic reminder that certain people aren't welcome in this country, made the fairgrounds into a frightening place for me and many of my peers.
The fairgrounds have always been a questionable place for people of color, given the history of township and its long avoidance of diversity. Even your board reflects a lack of diversity which ought to concern you even now. And while the fair is a celebration of farm culture, it has never apparently even considered that more than farm people attend it and that multiculturalism is the future.
Given that your board permitted the wall to be built and allowed it to continue long after it was apparent that it was divisive and inflammatory, I do not believe that I can attend your fair in good conscience. In addition, the continued authorization of vendors to sell confederate merchandise sends a message to patrons of color and progressive sensibility that they are only tolerated, not welcomed.
I would be happy to meet with you and discuss the question of how you can commit to making the fair an inclusive and welcoming space. I would suggest as a first step you make clear in your promotional materials and advertising that the fair is committed to the safety and well being of ALL the people that attend, and that vendors that promote merchandise that reflect an intolerant message will not be permitted.
I hope this letter gives you some pause and causes you to reflect on the direction and tone of your event. Feel free to contact me. In the meantime, I will remain a former fair goer.
Respectfully,
Attorney KIM Akins
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