On Oct. 19, we received racially motivated campaign literature from Black Men and Women, which attacked a candidate for mayor.

I know it is typical for hit pieces to appear shortly before municipal elections, and I know former City Council members have played the race card in the past -- but this is the worst piece I have seen in my 12 years living here.

My wife, Sara, and I have been involved in the civil rights movement since 1961. In fact, I met Sara on a picket line at Woolworth's while protesting segregation of its lunch counters in the South. And Sara was instrumental in opening up off-campus housing at UC Berkeley to students of color.

Richmond is supposed to be the "City of Pride and Purpose" and a millennial city. We even had a racial harmony conference in Richmond last month.

And now we have this hit piece that makes a mockery of racial harmony and is an insult to everyone in our diverse community.

I urge residents and voters of Richmond and members of our City Council to create a climate where disgusting, outrageous pieces such as this one will no longer be tolerated.

Peter O. Clevelamd
Richmond