Mayor Andy Berke spoke at GPS Thursday.
Emphasizing that he believes in “the power of the people of Chattanooga,” Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke spoke to the GPS student body on Thursday about the state of the city in terms of race relations and civil rights.
In a continuation of the school’s recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the mayor talked about his goals to change perceptions between residents and the police force and to improve our city’s crime rate. “People in some neighborhoods don’t view police as wanting to help them,” Mayor Berke said, adding that “police have reputations” that can be improved upon through "community policing and patrolling on the sidewalks” rather than on the streets. “Our new police recruits go through community immersion programs,” he said, and some police have helped to build a Habitat home as part of a community service initiative.
The mayor described "a great city" as one in which “everyone can live a life of their own choosing, but one in which diverse groups of people are working, playing, and innovating together.” He asked, “What do we need to be an engaged, diverse, and vibrant city?” His answer was to close the gap in “education, opportunity, and circumstances.” Saying he appreciated “GPS students and faculty who are interested in tackling the inequity” through one-to-one tutoring, mentoring, and serving as role models, Mayor Berke said the city must still nurture “untapped talent” beyond a small number of independent schools.
The mayor’s visit to GPS concluded with a 30-minute Q&A in which he answered student questions about fostering innovation, the overturned city ordinance on providing benefits for same sex partners, initiatives for the Hispanic community, and how students can create change.