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When Elaine O’Neal stood on the steps of Durham County Administration Building II, she was flanked by a group of clergy and leaders of two political action committees. Her presence embodied the significance of the moment. It may take the opinion of a former superior court judge to bend the moral universe toward justice.
O’Neal, former North Carolina Central University Law School dean and candidate to become Durham’s mayor, brought to the stage credentials in law and service as the chairwoman of the Durham Racial Equity Task Force (RETF). On October 26, 2020, the 17-member group submitted a 60-page report to members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners. The elephant in the room was the public tension regarding County Manager Wendell Davis’ accusation of racism against County Commissioner Heidi Carter.
O’Neal chaired the multi-racial task force with Kaaren Halderman, a researcher, writer and advocate. The work took close to two years to complete and involved studying issues involving economic disparity, criminal justice, health and environmental justice, education and public history.
“When issues of racist treatment are raised in government bodies; to the extent possible under the law, we need a standard and open process in which these issues are resolved,” The RETF report states. “They should not be taken care of behind closed doors. Transparency is paramount if we are to make real progress toward racial equity.”
O’Neal read the words of the RETF report like a sacred text – the Bible or the Constitution – to remind all of us of the vows we take. Six months after the report was submitted to members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners, O’Neal says transparency, in moving forward, centers racial equity.
I’m truly sorry for this,” Carter said after RETF presented their report to the board of commissioners. Was it a premature apology devoid of the will to follow the council of the task force? Six months later, O’Neal evoked the intent of the RETF report while drawing attention to parts of James Coleman’s report following his investigation of Carter.
“Instead of responding effectively to the charge of periodic dysfunction, there has been continued questioning of Mr. Davis’ competence, salary, character and motivation that is dehumanizing,” said O’Neal. “We see this as an expression of ongoing anti-Blackness thinking and culture. We call on the Commission to engage in a transparent process employing a racial equity lens to cease these personal attacks so that the Commission may carry on its important work without disrespecting county employees including County Manager Davis. Racial equity must be at the center of County Commission work rather than an add-on.”
O’Neal says the level of distrust inside County Government and between impacted communities and government is like a cancer that is metastasizing.
“We sent you a ‘love letter’ because we were concerned about our own health and we are watching Durham get progressively ill,” said O’Neal. “We see this as a perpetuation of a culture of anti-Blackness. We see the human toll of racism in its impact of health: the overall impact of the psychological and physical health of County Manager Davis, County Attorney Siler, other county employees and their families, the ripple effect across Black families and the Black community as a whole.”
Shelia Huggins, chair of the Friends of Durham, noted how Covid-19 has impacted the community. Huggins says she received an email on April 17 of last year from one of Durham’s local Black businesses. The subject line read, “We are Closing.” By May, Durham County was at almost 11% unemployment rate, with things being worse for Black people.
“Durham likes to pride itself on being progressive and inclusive and diverse and accepting, all the right words,” said Huggins. “But the numbers don’t support it. The data doesn’t show it. So, if we're not there, how do we get there? We get there by having strong leaders throughout our community. That means you. It means our elected officials, and you know what, it also means our administrative government staff. Our government staff should be able to do the work they were hired to do. They should not feel that they are political pawns in other people’s political games.”
Antonio Jones, chair of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, says the Coleman Reports highlights how the rights of Durham County Manager Wendell Davis and County Attorney Lowell Siler are being violated by members of the board.
“It is our fundamental belief that no employee should be subjected to a toxic work environment. Furthermore, it is time to stop disrespecting, scapegoating, and gaslighting Black County employees for political appeasement,” said Jones. “That report outlined how county employees are treated by some commissioners, some felt they are disrespected, and their professional experiences are not valued or how they are micromanaged by some commissioners to name a few. These acts are exhausting, deflating and some would call it racial bias to say the least.”
O’Neal challenged members of the board of commissioners to revisit the spirit of the RETF report with three recommendations:
1. That members of the board of commissioners “commit to halting decisions about County Manager Davis until the Commission no longer operates out of the current dysfunction.”
2. That members of the board of commissioners “attend racial equity training as a body, specifically the REI training that members of the RETF completed. Racial equity must be at the center of work processes and procedures, training and work culture.”
3. The members of the board of commissioners “engage in a meaningful racial equity audit with the County Chief Racial Equity Officer to examine and change policies and processes that have produced this toxic environment. We (members of RETF) ask that your appropriately use the experts and resources already at your disposal.”
Two reports – RETF and the one written by James Coleman – help pave the way for how the Durham Board of County Commissioners decides to respond to racial tension. A group of ministers and a judge have spoken.
Will the moral universe bend toward justice?
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