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HALIFAX COUNTY, NC – The small town of Enfield has gained attention in recent weeks after its mayor personally took down a Confederate statue, the city voted to remove it, racist letters were found on people’s sidewalks and the police chief stepped in. His two week notice.
What you need to know
Enfield city officials voted to erect a Confederate monument, and the mayor personally supported it.
Racist letters have reportedly been found on people’s driveways in the city.
Enfield’s police chief and two other officers resigned but did not publicly say why.
Tony Silver grew up in Halifax County and has lived in Enfield since 1992.
“It’s a city that everybody knows, and it’s always been a great place. It’s not a complicated place,” Silver said.
Enfield is a small town with about 2,400 railroad tracks.
“I don’t like to call colors, but I’m going to call it for the sake of it,” Silver said. “You have certain parts of the city that are this black side and this is the white side of the city and the railroad separates and divides.”
Silver Concrete has been based in Enfield for the past 23 years and knows that after a long time in the business, things that start with a solid foundation can stand the test of time.
“You can ride with your grandkids 20 years from now and say, ‘Yeah, we did that,'” Silver said. “And if it’s done and done right, it will last a lifetime.”
Lately, the foundation of the city has been shaking. In the year On August 21, Mayor Mondale Robinson removed a Confederate monument that city officials had voted to remove. The monument was originally built to honor Confederate soldiers and later expanded to include Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Robinson has been criticized for vandalizing the monument and not following proper procedures for removing the artifact, but the mayor has not apologized for the demolition.
Silver believes it’s time for the monument to go.
“I think if we can get past the material things that wait for separation, we’ll get there in no time. Memories are best kept in the heart,” Silver said.
Additionally, Silver said he and other people in Enfield recently found racist letters and flyers in their driveways. The papers included racial slurs and references to the Ku Klux Klan.
A photo of a flyer that Tony Silver says he found in his driveway. (Courtesy: Tony Silver)
“You have a handful of people here who will continue to destroy, but we cannot allow it. Not in the infield,” Silver said.
Enfield Police Chief James Ayer has only been in that position since March 1, but recently put in his two-week notice. On Wednesday, Spectrum News 1 asked Ayers for comment on the situation, but he declined. Robinson said two other officers also resigned at the same time.
Silver said his boss didn’t expect them to leave at such a time.
Enfield Police Chief James Ayers recently tendered his resignation. (Courtesy: Town of Enfield)
“I would love for him to hold on to his knowledge, but at the same time, if he can’t deal with these situations, it’s probably the best thing for him,” Silver said. These are the times when you think experienced people will stick around and help the city.
Silver feels invested in the infield and believes these recent shake-ups could be beneficial in the long run.
“I’m glad all of this is happening because some changes are going to happen, and I pray that it goes in the right direction of unity,” Silver said. “Enfield has a lot of potential. If you’re at the bottom, like anything else, you only have one way to go and that’s up. The right people are now in place to help this city move forward.
“There are a lot of things that have been done in terms of infrastructure through the previous administrations, they were very important, but you don’t need to embellish anything like you bought it. You can go into a store and put on a nice clean tailored suit, but if your heart isn’t right, you know, but if you clean the rest of it, it’ll be fine.
On Monday, Robinson called on Gov. Roy Cooper to declare a state of emergency and send in more law enforcement help. Meanwhile, the state Bureau of Investigation is looking into the removal of the Confederate monument to determine if any laws were violated in the process of taking it down.
On Tuesday, Spectrum News 1 received the following statement from Robinson: “I have no energy with people who are willing to do their duty to protect black people and defend white supremacy, regardless of race or creed… Enfield has been freed from police officers who are not worth what our city stands for: fairness.” And this gives our little town a chance to rethink what we can do with those resources.
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