Durham welcomes people from all over the globe with different abilities, languages, cultures, faiths, sexual orientation, gender identities, and political persuasions. However, there is a new presence among us which threatens the safety and rights of our Queer communities. This Community Safety Alert is a warning to our queer communities and those who intend harm upon them.

Pioneers Durham, a for-profit business, intends to open a retail, coffee, and co-working space in the Hutchins Auto Supply Building located at 402 W Geer Street in Downtown Durham. Durham loves baked goods, art, coffee, conversation, and building community. This business seems like a no-brainer. On the surface, Pioneers Durham seems like a perfect fit for the Geer St and Rigsbee Ave district. However, if Pioneers Durham opens, it poses a risk to the LGBTQ Community as well as the community at large. 

The revenue from the marketplace at Pioneers Durham will be used as operating income for Pioneers Church, a new church led by Lead Pastor Sherei Lopez-Jackson and her partner Daniel Jackson. Included in their personal and denomination positions are statements contrary to the Durham we've been building for over 100 years.

Durham is the soul of North Carolina's Black liberation movements. Durham is the home to the Royal Ice Cream sit in (before the famous Woolworth lunch counter demonstrations). Durham is also home to North Carolina Central University and the Hayti and Phoenix Crossing communities. From Durham came our civil rights architects Floyd McKissick, Rencher Harris, Ann Atwater, Baba Chuck Davis, and Phil Freelon, and Mary Ann Black. Durham's legacy to fight for Black liberation continues through new generations of coalitions from all faiths and communities. Pioneers Church threatens these relationships and critical liberation work we are doing together.

The Jacksons set a course to open a new United Methodist Church in downtown Durham while misappropriating Durham's Black history and culture.

" The pioneering legacy that Durham speaks a word of hope to our culture today. During an era when Black people often had no viable way to grow their communities, Durham was home to Black Wall Street; a hub of business acumen, creativity, and social entrepreneurship that lead to the flourishing of the Black community." - Sherei Lopez-Jackson & Daniel Jackson

These words by the Jacksons erase the struggles of Durham's Black ancestors who were disenfranchised from engaging in Durham business, banking, owning property, attending school, or lynched; treating Durham's Black Wall Street like an opportunistic business strategy. Black Wall Street was a survival plan. The Jacksons ignore that while the median income in Durham is above $82,000, Durham's Black households in the neighborhood where they are moving into is less  $23,913. As violence continues to target Black bodies, they make no mention how their presence will improve the lives of Black Durham.

Pioneers Church also threatens the safety and well-being of our LGBTQ+ communities. Because of the liberation work of Pauli Murray, Carl Wittman, Mandy Carter, and Mab Segrest, Durham has become a sanctuary for those who wish to live and work in a safe queer-affirming city. Durham is where NC Pride March is hosted each year. Pro-queerness is reflected in our healthcare as trans individuals come to Durham to receive their gender affirming care. Our theatre, music, street art, city council, businesses, parades, holidays, food, and leisure activities thrive on its queer affirming themes and spaces. Durham's city council was the first to provide health insurance to same domestic partners of city employees. Durham builds safe queer spaces including Marry Durham, Beaver Queen Pageant, the House of Coxx, the Pinhook, former Manbites Theatre, Bulldog Ensemble Theatre, and North Star Church of the Arts. When our queer community was threatened we banded together in Durham, our State Capitol, and DC to win or protect LGBTQ+ rights marching at Moral Monday, Vote Against Amendment One, and Stand Against HB2.

Sherei Lopez-Jackson not only supports the position of the United Methodist Church to withhold ordination from LGBTQ+ persons who wish to serve as ministers but she also supports the anti-LGBTQ position of the UMC and actively stands against same sex relationships. 

"Under the limits of my ordination (United Methodist Church) and my own convictions, I am not permitted to marry people within the LGBTQ+ community." - - Sherei Lopez-Jackson

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Proclamation

Whereas in 2003, the City of Durham passed an ordinance to offer health benefits to domestic partners of city employees ensuring that traditional and nontraditional families were treated equally.

Whereas on June 16, 2015, the United States Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalizing it in all fifty states, and required states to honor out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses in the case Obergefell v. Hodges.

Whereas Durham continues to build on its legacy of LGBTQ rights by opening the LGBTQ Youth Center.

Whereas Lead Pastor Sherei Lopez-Jackson has declined to engage in open dialogue about her personal convictions and professional ministerial practices which discriminate our beloved LGBTQ communities.

Whereas Lead Pastor Sherei Lopez-Jackson states," I personally hold an interpretation of scripture that Christian marriage is a sacred covenant between one man and one woman and believe that sexual intimacy has the potential to be at its healthiest in that context."

Whereas Lead Pastor Sherei Lopez-Jackson also supports the UMC position that members of the LGBTQ+ community should not be ordained ministers.

Whereas Mark Hutchins, owner and landlord of 402 W. Geer St through his landlord - tenant relationship with Pioneers Durham is complicit in the endangerment of Durham's LGBTQ+ community.

We say to you, Not in our Durham.

Our Call to Action

As Artists, bakers, businesses, and coffeemakers, we will not work at your marketplace nor create products for Pioneers Durham as they will be used to displace and hurt our Queer communities.

As writers, readers, and co-workspace believers, we will not enter 402 W. Geer St. We will walk past your doors to the other queer-safe spaces which abide throughout the '01.

As visitors, we will not patronize Pioneers Durham. 

We call upon Pioneers Church and Pioneers Durham to cease operations at 402 W Geer St..

We call upon Mark Hutchins, owner of Smart Move Realty, Inc. to terminate his discriminatory business relationship by rescinding the lease agreement with Pioneers Durham, Pioneers Church, and the Jacksons.

We call upon the homes, business, and congregations in Durham to fly their Progress Pride flags to stand together as One Durham, in solidarity, with our LGBTQ+ communities who have a right to walk, work, eat, worship and love in safe welcoming environments.

We stand together with our LGBTQ+ communities. 

"Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."

Indy Article on Pioneers Church