ABSTRACT

Seated around a conference table, the predominantly white members of the municipal hospital board are debating a proposal to turn one of the city's public hospitals over to a for-profit corporation. In the audience, more than 100 neighborhood people—many of them black or Hispanic—are urging the board to vote the proposal down. Finally, the chairwoman turns to a black board member, one of the few members who supports the community position, and says sharply: "Please tell your people to be quiet." At that, a neighborhood resident—Georganna Deas—springs to her feet, points her finger at the chairwoman, and shouts: "No! As long as you're the chair, we're your people!"