Dear Neighbors:

One of Midtown Action Council’s stated purposes is to facilitate a spirit of mutual respect, community purpose, civic action, goodwill and cooperation among residents, businesses, and property owners of our neighborhood and adjoining neighborhoods. This has been part of our mission since Midtown Action Council’s inception in 1977.

This statement is prompted by a rumor that Midtown Action Council was involved in a petition that was circulated to exclude a minority business owner in our community. This rumor is unequivocally false. To date, we have received no evidence that Midtown Action Council’s name was used on any petition, but we continue to look and speak with neighbors, with several reporting incidents to us. Should it be discovered that Midtown Action Council’s name was used to spread hate and damage our community, our response will be immediate and the consequences serious. We are sobered by the accusations levied against us as an organization, but continue to be proud of the work we have done to improve Historic Midtown in the last 11 months: regular socially-distanced cleanups of Verbeke and the surrounding streets, new trash cans throughout our community to help with litter control, a neighborhood yard sale, installation of a new public bench in front of Historic Harrisburg Association in memory of neighbor and board member Mayor Stephen Reed, installation of updated historic markers, and replacement of broken or missing Historic Midtown street banners.

Allow us to make one thing very clear: Midtown Action Council is proud of every member of our Historic Midtown neighborhood — regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or disability. In order for a community to truly succeed — now and for centuries to come — that community must be inclusive and equitable. We are committed to addressing the errors of the past, not by ignoring them, but by acknowledging them head-on and working with all neighbors to ensure we all thrive together.

To that end, we are committed to increasing outreach to minority-owned businesses. We are committed to welcoming new and diverse members to our board. We are committed to respecting all members of our community and actively doing what we can to an end to racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and otherwise offensive conduct in our neighborhood. And most importantly, we are committed to keeping the door open. We welcome you to join us, work with us, and be a part of what we already know is an amazing, diverse, and beautiful community.

 Yours truly,

Catherine E. Rowe
President, Midtown Action Council

Kurt Knaus
Vice President, Midtown Action Council

Dan Fulton
Secretary/Treasurer, Midtown Action Council