No evidence Durham Councilwoman Monique Holsey-Hyman extorted developer for campaign contribution

 

Durham, NC - The fight to prove her innocence comes with thoughts of things taken away.

“I don’t think you understand what it is to get to a point to want to help people for someone to try to take it away in the matter of a minute,” said Durham City Councilwoman Monique Holsey-Hyman during a press conference announcing the end of a probe by the State Bureau of Investigation.

“I was the last person asked what I wanted to do. I was never asked did I do it, did I not do it,” said Holsey-Hyman.

On Tuesday, Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry released a statement clearing Holsey-Hyman of soliciting a bride from Jarrod Edens, a local developer.

The SBI conducted interviews with Mayor Elaine O’Neal, members of the city council and staff. Holsey-Hyman cooperated with the SBI after providing documentation proving her innocence.

“Jarrod Edens, on the other hand, avoided every attempt SA (special agent) Deming made to interview him,” said Deberry in her statement. “Edens did not answer calls nor return messages left by SA Deming."

According to Deming, Edens, who triggered the controversy with a complaint to Sara Young, director of the Durham city-county planning department, lost interest in the investigation after four city council members – Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton, Javier Cabellero, Jillian Johnson and Leonardo Williams, voted to approve his 192 unit development.

“Nobody ever asked me anything. I knew I didn’t do anything, and I wanted the truth to come out, but I did not want my life to literally be turned upside down,” said Holsey-Hyman.

The same four council members who approved Edens’ project voted to send the developers complaint to the SBI.

“There was a majority vote. The investigation was not at my instigation. The censure was nothing I was going to find on board,” said O’Neal.  “In talking about what we were going to do, I did not say what my position was. I did not think it belonged to me. I did let them know I was not in favor of going to the SBI.”

O’Neal said she recommended hiring an outside attorney to investigate the charges made against Holsey-Hyman.

“As a lawyer, you know, based on the information I had, the alleged facts that I was given, it was pretty much conversations. There were no forensics, there were no reports that were new,” said O’Neal. “It was basically he says, she says and basically phone records. That’s not an extensive investigation in my opinion. A competent attorney could have handled that.”

O’Neal said Holsey-Hyman and Freeman, who is running for mayor against Williams, “have been accused of things that are false, untrue and outward lies.”

She addressed the incident recorded by WRAL-TV at the end of the March 23 city council work session

“Let me first say I was never assaulted. Anyone who spreads that is telling a lie.  I was never assaulted,” O’Neal said. “What I did see when I rounded was the hands of councilman Williams on councilwoman Freeman who was then saying get your hands off of me.”

O’Neal’s version of what happened counters reporting by former IndyWeek reporter Thomsai McDonald.

“While in the adjoining room, Freeman threw down the items she was carrying, including a bottle of water, and “went after,” or tried to physically attack Middleton, according to the eyewitness source who asked to remain anonymous,” McDonald reports.

“Instead of landing punches on Middleton, Freeman ended up punching council member Leonardo Williams twice in the face. The eyewitness source says Freeman also struck mayor Elaine O’Neal once in the face when the former judge tried to intervene.”

Antonio R Wood, Sr., pastor of Evans Solid Rock Church for All People in Wake Forest, NC, witnessed the exchange. He says Freeman, Williams, Middleton and O’Neal are the only other people to witness the exchange. The WRAL-TV video shows Wood standing in the doorway during the confrontation between Middleton and Freeman.

“Another woman was about to go back there before the mayor told her to leave,” said Wood. “No punches were thrown. Only person with hands on was Leonardo Williams on Freeman. He claimed she hit him. She didn’t.”

O’Neal said Holsey-Hyman and Freeman endure being tested by fire.

“On that particular day, councilwoman Freeman, it was the last straw. It was as my sister said, the last button on Abraham’s jacket,” said O’Neal. She couldn’t take it anymore.”

Williams released a statement defending his actions after O’Neal gave her version of what happened that night.

“I intervened to stop a physical altercation,” said Williams. “In the process, I put myself in harms way and while unintentional, I was hit, and put my hands up to block further hits.”

There are two versions of what happened between Freeman and Middleton. There’s the version reported in the IndyWeek with an anonymous witness. That version requires accepting the source being Middleton or Williams.

The alternative narrative demands believing Freeman, O’Neal and Wood, the pastor who stood at the door.

The outcome of the upcoming municipal election may be won based on who voters believe isn’t telling the truth.

“It’s gonna be up to the court of public opinion to figure out who’s telling the truth and who’s not,” said O’Neal.  “I don’t have any dogs in this race anymore. I’m not running for office, but I stand to tell you to pay close attention. Believe people when they show you who they really are.”

An election is coming, an election is coming: Get ready, get set, vote

COMMENTARY – The Durham Municipal Election is rapidly approaching with 12 people vying for three city council seats and eight people hoping to become mayor.

Early voting for the municipal primary begins on Sept 21 and ends on Oct 7. The Oct. 10 primary will narrow the field of candidates for city council to six and mayor to two for the Nov 7 general election. Early voting for the general election begins Oct 19 and ends Nov 4.

Durham voters have a lot to consider before casting votes. These candidates for both city council and mayor are a mixture of present council members, former council members, candidates who tried before and lost and people unknown to most residents.

What is the average voter to do beyond gauging who to select based on campaign signs or the endorsement of their favorite political action committee? Most voters are detached from the working of city government beyond the fight recorded by WRAL-TV after a council meeting.

How do you pick from a group you barely know? Who do you trust when what matters most is discussed less than the personal battles defining the work of the city council?

Durham City Council elections take place every two years with the mayor on the ballot every election. At-large council seats are on the ballot this year. Terms for ward seats expire in 2025.

In 2021, voters overwhelming supported Elaine O’Neal to become Durham’s first Black woman to serve as mayor. Her win responded to a call to defund the police. Rev. Mark-Anthony Middleton and DeDreana Freeman were re-elected riding the coattail of O’Neal, a former district and superior court judge. Leonardo Williams, owner with his wife of Zweli, a Zimbabwean cuisine restaurant, defeated A.J. Williams, a 34-year-old community activist, by 300 votes. A.J. Williams lost despite loads of funding and the backing of Durham Beyond Police and Durham for All, grassroots coalitions effective in mobilizing a diverse community of younger residents.

The 2019 election centered Mayor Steve Schewel campaign for affordable housing against Farad Ali, a former member of the city council and CEO of The Institute for Minority Economic Development. Ali advocated for shared economic prosperity.

Jillian Johnson, Charlie Reece and Javiera Caballero, who replaced Schewel after he became mayor in 2017, joined forces to form the Bull City Together Platform as incumbents on the council. Ali endured criticism for his business connections while Johnson, Reece and Caballero were celebrated for promoting a progressive agenda.

History informs the context for the upcoming municipal election. If affordable housing and police funding are the narrative for the previous elections, what’s on the ballot this year?

Civility Matters

The shout heard around the Triangle measures the communal rage felt by many Durham voters. In March, allegations of malfeasance against Councilwoman Monique Holsey-Hyman during a work session carried over to Freeman accusing Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middle of bullying Black women and allegedly accidently striking Councilman Leonardo Williams in the face.

A lack of civility among members on the council impacted O’Neal’s decision not to pursue a second term as mayor. Bickering during council meetings lends credence to no current council member (Williams and Freeman are both campaigning to become mayor) having the ability to effectively facilitate council meetings.

Durham voters should consider the impact of a culture of incivility in voting for mayor. Who among the candidates processes the demeanor essential in managing a crowd of people with opposing perspectives?

It Takes Four Votes

Bearing in mind all the bad related to establishing a coalition like the 2017 Bull City Together Platform, the name of the game is winning four seats on the council. In Durham, the mayor is the symbolic head of the city and a member of the city council but has no executive authority. The city manager oversees the day-to-day operations and implements the policies and manages the budget approved by the council.

When casting your votes, consider how the positions and perspectives of each person align with the rest of the team. The work of the council is not the life of lone rangers. Ideally, they should build together in ways which reflect the general consensus of local residents. They represent voters, not their own views related to what it means to hold a position of power.

Each vote is an affirmation of a collective mission statement. It isn’t a popularity contest.  Each vote signifies how we, as a community, understand and support how infrastructural changes advance or impede the work of our city.

Growth or Slow it Down

Voters should ponder the consequences of growth. Are we building for the people who are coming, or is growth benefiting the people who are already here?

Are we positioning growth in celebration of what Durham has always been – an incredible city with a rich legacy of inclusive prosperity?

We are one of the homes of Black Wall Street - where dreams come true transcendent of race, gender, gender identity, place of origin, religion or past mistakes. Are we building for a future imbedded in the life, culture and witness of what brought us to Durham – what keeps us in Durham? Or, are members of the city council favoring zoning changes and other policies to entice and satisfy the desires of the people who aren’t here?

Before you vote, decide. What is your vision for Durham? Are you willing to accept more growth? If so, at what expense? Who wins when we keep building? Who loses when the growth results in an invasion of richer, white people with limited knowledge of why many people celebrate “Dirty Durham”.

They are welcome to come, but not at the risk of losing our happy home.

Shared Prosperity

Again, considering where we’ve been helps frame where we’re going. Voters rejected Farad Ali in 2017 due to his business connections. The claim that Ali and Joshua Gunn, a former Durham Chamber of Commerce executive and hip-hop recording artist who lost in a bid for city council in 2017, were too business centered missed the mark in fully understanding and affirming the goals of Black and Brown economic mobility and inclusion.

It is problematic to measure Black capitalism using the same constructs as white centered, institutionalized capitalism. Black capitalism is rooted from a place of survival for both individuals and a community massively impacted by the weaponizing of white centered capitalism.

They are not the same thing.

Ali called for the implementation and execution of strategies aimed at facilitating shared prosperity. If voters embrace continued growth coupled with ongoing gentrification, the widening of white versus Black and Brown economic disparity and shifting demographics reflective of more white and fewer Black and Brown residents, are we becoming a community different than what we’ve come to celebrate.

Voters should consider policies which protect our desired image. What is our community brand? How do votes by members of the city council assure the sharing of prosperity? Should we care?

A few things to consider as you prepare for the upcoming primary and subsequent general election.

Next up, a summary of the people running for mayor and city council.

 

Ken Spaulding decides not to run for Mayor of Durham, NC

In a statement released to Rev-elution earlier today, Ken Spaulding says the joys of retirement aren’t worth giving up becoming mayor of Durham, NC.

“After receiving encouragement to run for Mayor, for which I am very appreciative, I have given a run for Mayor serious consideration, as requested,” said the former Democratic Party candidate for governor. “After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to continue to remain retired and continue to serve our community in other ways.”

Spaulding considered running for mayor after witnessing “infighting and tomfoolishness, at the City Council level,” he said in a previous statement to Rev-elution.

In today’s statement, Spaulding commended Mayor Elaine O’Neal.

“Mayor Elaine O’Neal has served our city with great dedication, hard work and compassion. I’m hopeful that any future Mayor of Durham will share her same attributes,” said Spaulding.

State Senator Mike Woodard is among a list of people considering the seat left vacant after O'Neal announced not running for a second term.

“I’m set to retire from Duke on September 1, and I’m looking to give 100 percent,” said Woodard. “I love what I’m doing, but I love Durham.”

Larry Hall, former secretary of the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and member of the NC House of Representatives, is considering filing to run later this week.

“If we have good candidates running for Mayor who are ‘not current’ sitting members of the current Council, and if they will give these aforementioned stated policies their earnest and sincere consideration, then I will happily not run for Mayor,” Spaulding said in his previous statement. “I know it’s not politically correct to say, but quite frankly, I am enjoying my retirement and I would prefer to remain happily retired."

City Council member DeDreanna Freeman says she will always fight a bully

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Durham City Council member DeDreanna Freeman says her profanity-filled outburst after a recent city council meeting is her response to the actions of a bully.

 A reporter with WRAL recorded on camera an argument between Mayor Pro-Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton and Freeman after members of the city council discussed censuring Monique Holsey-Hyman for two alleged inappropriate actions.

“Get off of me, get off of me. This is how you treat Black women,” Freeman yells in an argument revealing deep hostility between the council members.

“Because I made her. Because I made her,” Middleton responds. 

“She can think for her fucking self, just like every single woman here” Freeman fights back in an exchange that has people wondering about what else happens behind closed doors.

“There will never be a time when I watch a person attempt to take a woman down and not say something,” Freeman said in an interview after the altercation. “If there was an investigation to prove a censure, I would be the first in front of the line, but when you accuse a person with no evidence, I will always defend a person.”

Holsey-Hyman is accused of offering support to a developer in exchange for a campaign donation. In a statement prepared before the reading of the resolution to censure Hosley-Hyman, Mayor Elaine O’Neal said the alleged action will be referred to state law enforcement and could lead to criminal consequences.

Councilwoman Jillian Johnson wrote and introduced a resolution to censure Holsey-Hyman for allegedly engaging a city staffer to work on her campaign. Middleton, Johnson, Leonardo Williams and Javier Caballero support the resolution.

O’Neal does not support the resolution.

“Last night, I did receive a draft of a resolution from a council person that had my name down as a signee. From my understanding, a resolution had never been signed and I ask that my name be removed from that resolution,” said O’Neal. “I also admonish anyone who uses my signature in a manner that I didn’t give you permission for to know you do not have permission to do that.”

Blurred lines and potential conflicts of interests

Holsey-Hyman often sides with O’Neal and Freeman against development proposals that require the approval of the city council. Freeman says the move to censure Holsey-Hyman is Middleton’s payback for refusing to follow his leadership.

“There’s something to be said about a group of people who call for social justice while refusing to protect the rights of a Black woman,” said Freeman. “They’re not looking for an actual investigation. They got what they wanted. They have four votes and pushed right through it.”

Freeman says a real investigation may require consideration of potential misconduct of every city council member.

“If they want an investigation. Investigate everything,” said Freeman. “I’m Ok with you censuring me. I’m gonna stand right here and support this Black woman.”

Middleton is rumored to be dating Karmisha Wallace, chief of staff in the city manager’s office. The allegation raises latent conflict of interest issues with profound implications related to the management of the city.

It matters that Johnson, a Black woman, wrote and read the proposed resolution to censure Holsey-Hyman. Freeman’s profanity-laced attack, combined with Middleton’s response, places Black women in the center of a conversation involving what it means to protect the hearts of Black women.

Is this a story about accountability or is this a story involving who manages power on the city council?

While at it, ask yourself, what does it mean to make a Black woman?

 

 

 

Elaine O'Neal becomes Durham's first Black woman to be elected mayor: rekindling the power of Black faith

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COMMENTARY - The Election Watch party transformed into a worship service with family members on stage praising God for the victory.

Elaine O’Neal is Durham’s first Black woman elected to serve as mayor. She conjured a thought from a popular question about Jesus – can anything good come from West End. It was a statement rooted in memories of growing up on streets in the shadow of Duke University and white privilege. It was a statement about days long before Chester Jenkins became Durham’s first Black mayor in 1989.

It was a statement about not knowing the day would come.

Durham’s future mayor held a tambourine in one hand while belting out her praise. Being surrounded by a family choir was another statement. It is about being grounded in something deeper than an impressive resume. The praise is about knowing what guides the work she plans to achieve. It is about a culture entrenched in the pride of the witness of mama’s and daddy’s who encouraged O’Neal to walk with her head held high when trouble dipped into her soul.

The people in the crowd understood what was happening. It was a return to something missing. O’Neal’s win is about more than an election. It reclaims the culture, legacy, pride, and witness of a community cast aside under the illusion of inclusion.

It’s become unpopular to talk about Black faith. The politics of inclusion forces a separation between the world of faith and what happens in the public square. It’s damaging when faith is used as a weapon to exclude people from other traditions. Loving and being community becomes complicated when a political celebration becomes a moment of praise.

There is a more fundamental question. What happens when the faith of Black people is taken away? What happens if we separate the faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr from the Civil Rights Movement? What happens if the songs of that movement are removed from the historical canon?  

I’m reminded of the teachings of my former mentor, Dr. C. Eric Lincoln. Lincoln argued, in the world of black sacred cosmos, there is no separation of the sacred and profane. Faith is lived in every dimension of life, meaning the activity of politics is an expression of the life of Black communal faith. It’s part of the history and culture of Black people.

Assimilating into places reflective of the goals of an inclusive culture comes with painful implications. It often requires the abandonment of the heart and soul of a people defined by their common faith. That faith transcends the measures of religion. It’s the core of Black culture. It’s the naming and claiming of more than a Black woman being elected Durham’s mayor. It’s more than her victory. It’s a reminder of what we can achieve together.

That’s what has been missing in Durham. A faith that we are being carried, together. A common dream rooted in a thought – the Lord will make a way, somehow. It’s the search for what Howard Thurman calls the “beloved community” yearning for an irreducible essence rooted in the search for connectedness.  It’s an affirmation that our differences can be overcome by a thirst transcendent of the things that make us different.

O’Neal’s faith is not a tool of separation. It’s the type of faith that Black people have historically used to move mountain. Her faith is a celebration of what we can become, together.

“This is what God wanted. This is God’s will,” a tall Black man announced with a few teardrops to baptize the moment.

I thought of the joy of Black men supporting Black women. The sway of the family choir took us back to former days when gathering on Sunday’s eased the burden of the week. Another reminder of what we can achieve when two or three gather to evoke the gift of a dream.

It’s the day after the election. O’Neal, DeDreana Freeman and Rev. Mark-Anthony Middleton won their elections by landslides. Leonardo Williams narrowly defeated A.J. Williams to join the others on the city council. The exhale of the crowd, when the final tally was announced, felt like a great commissioning after the prophet’s declaration of peace.

It’s time to move some mountains. Come. Black people. Come. White people. Come Latina’s. Join the family of LGBTQIA+1, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Bahai, Hindu, atheist and agnostic brothers and sisters. We may sing different praise songs, but we bring our unique cultures to this mountain.

Eyes closed one last time to absorb the truth of the moment.

Economic disparity, crime, gentrification, unemployment – a few of the mountains in the way of shared prosperity.

Move mountain. Get out of our way.

We the Bull City.

Prayer vigil conjures hope in a new reality

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THE NAMES OF 38 PEOPLE WERE PRINTED IN BOLD letters on separate pieces of white paper. They were carried to a table and placed underneath rocks to protect them from the wind. The church across from the parking lot summoned thoughts of a holy procession, with an altar, prayers, and homilies reminding us of the lives of the dead.

Ben Haas, director of The Religious Coalition of Nonviolent Durham, welcomed the more than one hundred attendees to a service of grieving. The 29^th Annual Vigil Against Violence took place at the Elizabeth Street United Methodist Church.  Because of Covid-19, last years vigil was conducted virtually. The naming of the dead reminded the people present of the worst part of Durham. The senseless deaths of men and women.

It was a mixed crowd of the varied hues of Durham, mingled with a group of politicians who have made reducing homicides part of their platforms. Javiera Cabellero, who suspended her campaign for mayor, stood beside Nida Allam, Wendy Jacobs, and Mayor Steve Schewel. On the opposite side of the parking lot, Elaine O’Neal stood near DeDreana Freeman. I was positioned close to both in an area packed with grieving family members.

The distance exposed more than paces between bodies. The detachment summoned a reminder of both political and societal dissimilarities adding to the pain.

I thought about and prayed for Allam as I looked for names on the Durham Memorial Quilt. The quilt was started by Sidney Brodie in 1994 after the senseless death of two- year-old Shaquana Atwater in Few Gardens. I cried after closing my eyes and calling the names of Allam’s friends – Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha – all murdered by a white man with a history of threatening Black and Brown neighbors in Chapel Hill, NC.

I was reminded of how political distance often lies. Allam belonged next to me as we grieved the deaths of the 38 people with names on white sheets of paper. My desire to frame others as adversary was met with a common pain that transcends labels we create to protect distance. I found five other names to add to the blues of Tia Carraway’s memory. I remembered standing with her family as we identified a body battered by bullets and rigamortis.

Thirty-eight names on white pieces of paper.

The comments reverberated like an echo – the same message kept coming back. All of us need to work against this common enemy. This is our problem. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to you. The same message kept coming back. The long line of names on the quilt forced an even more painful memory. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this eulogy.

The blue sky and gentle wind conceived the backdrop for confusion. Beautiful days aren’t made for memories like this. I thought of gloomy skies and torrid winds. I thought of the bitterness of death stirring uncontrollable moans of Black mamas in a church packed with a troubled community. I imagined the sound of a Black gospel choir singing “Precious Lord, take my hand.”

I saw blue skies, felt a gentle wind, and heard the mingling of white and Black voices troubled by incessant death. I felt the lure of distancing preventing the breakthrough of new possibilities. My imagination captured the explosive bang of bullets. My prayers sought the refuge of a community unwilling to surrender to making this a normal memory.

Thirty-eight names on white paper.

Thirty-eight people killed in 2020. They have mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Some have children too young to remember the day their parent died.

It is easy to miss the story when pain owns the moment. The story isn’t a political agenda. It’s not the race of the victims, or the vicious cycle leading to their deaths.

It’s the making of a holy moment, with names on white paper escorted to an altar underneath the blue sky with a gentle wind. Its collective tears mingled like incense in a bowl lit in the presence of our sacred truths. Its naming a certainty deeper than death – our hope and faith in a world not known for this type of misery.

Thirty-eight names on white paper.

My prayer, no more paper.

 

 

Is this a message from Durham voters: Part 2

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Data collected by University of Oklahoma Associate Professor Andrea Benjamin tells a story regarding a potential radical shift in Durham politics. For more than a decade, winning municipal elections is the result of valuable endorsements from People’s Alliance, The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, The Friends of Durham, and the Indy Week - a local newspaper.

The influence of local political action committees has expanded to include the Durham Association of Educators, Durham4All, and other emerging political players. The power of the PACs has taken on a life of its own, making Benjamin’s thesis – the influence of endorsements in deciding elections – the most critical work of a local campaign team.

It’s only a primary, but could Durham be amid a radical shift?

Referendum of Political Action Committees

Many residents express lingering concerns regarding candidate endorsements. The legitimacy of People Alliance’s endorsement of Javier Cabellero for Mayor, Marion Teniade Johnson for City Council Ward 1, and A.J. Williams for City Council for Ward 3 is perceived to be the outcome of a takeover. Concerns include the influence of voters who don’t reside in Durham, and an agenda packed with the platforms of Durham4All, Durham Beyond Policing, Southern Vision Alliance, and Durham Association of Educators.

The dominance of People’s Alliance over the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People shifted when IndyWeek broke with a longstanding tradition by not endorsing the same slate as People’s Alliance. The IndyWeek endorsement singles, for many, a divide within the ranks of Durham’s white progressive community.

Balanced Approach to Law Enforcement

When Cabellero, Jillian Johnson and Charlie Reece united to campaign as the Bull City Together Team, it came with a platform that includes massive police reform. Many voters’ express concerns that a disagreement regarding funding to support additional police impacted Police Chief C.J Davis’s decision to accept the job as head of the Memphis, TN police department.

Efforts to defund Durham’s police department is met with resistance during an uptick in gun violence. Cabellero, Johnson and Reece are viewed as a team determined to add Marion T. Johnson and A.J. Williams to abolish the police, a goal communicated by members of Durham Beyond Policing.

Meanwhile, O’Neal, a respected former district and superior court judge, is trusted by many to have the skills and experience to lead balanced conversations regarding criminal justice reform.

Checks, Balances and Conflicts of Interest

Many Durham voters express concerns regarding a city council without disagreement.

DeDreana Freeman, Ward 1 incumbent, is criticized for raising questions related to accountability in her votes regarding affordable housing. Freeman’s concerns are consistent with many of her constituents.

“DeDreana Freeman was targeted by Jillian [Johnson] precisely for her independence and for telling the truth,” Sherri Zann Rosenthal, a former deputy city attorney, posted recently on Facebook. Rosenthall was assigned to handle issues within the Housing and Community Development Department. “DeDreana voted against the so-called Expanding Housing Choices ordinance and was the only member of the Council to do so. That ordinance was wrapped in the cloak of anti-racism and affordable housing but actually did nothing for either of those goals.”

As part of her work as a longtime senior city attorney, Rosenthall legally structured the city’s affordable housing and loan programs. Rosenthall says the ordinance approved by the city council opened historic neighborhoods to developers.

“Jillian had a vested interest in the passage of this ordinance, as she planned to build a rental duplex,” Rosenthal continued. “The duplex plan was already submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) prior to the Council and Commission vote to pass the HPC ordinance. She didn’t disclose her personal interest, and she didn’t recuse herself.”

Rosenthal says Steve Schewel is part of a real estate LLC with family members, and Vernetta Alston formed a real estate LLC while still a member of the Durham City Council. Alston is currently shown in the North Carolina Secretary of State database as being associated with three real estate develop entities. Alston currently serves as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives

The Rev-elution reporting on the Participatory Budgeting process lifted concerns related to Jillian Johnson’s influence in the process. Johnson championed Participatory Budgeting and served as the city council representative on the steering committee. A.J. Williams, a candidate for city council, serves as the Director of Incubation and Ideation Labs for Southern Vision Alliance where Johnson is the Co-Chair of the Board of Directors and the former Director of Operations and Chief Financial Officer. Williams is a member of the steering committee.

Marion T. Johnson, a candidate for city council, serves as the Chair of the Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee after working as a member of Johnson’s campaign team. Susan E. Goodman, the mother of Paul Bendich, Johnson’s partner, also served on the steering committee. The Participatory Budgeting Committee awarded Southern Vision Alliance, the nonprofit organization where Johnson serves as co-chair, $50,000, the maximum allowed during the Phase 2, 2021 budget cycle.

Commitment to Racial Equity

Many residents point to O’Neal’s work as the Co-Chair of Durham’s Racial Equity Task Force and Freeman’s work as Co-Chair of Episcopalians United Against Racism. Both groups offer convincing leadership before and after Durham County Commissioners failed to extend the contract of former County Manager Wendell Davis.

During a period of increased racial hostility, some members of the Durham City Council publicly supported Durham County Commissioner Heidi Carter after Davis wrote a letter addressing comments that he perceived to be racist. When Cabellero supported the decision not to extend Davis’ contract, based on an assessment that he failed to support public education, many Black residents viewed her comments to be an intrusion into county government affairs.

Notwithstanding Cabellero’s perspective regarding Davis’ failure to support education funding, many local voters are seeking a leadership style that advances the recommendations of the Durham Racial Equity Task Force report.

Are Durham Voters Making a Statement?

Benjamin’s statement in part 1 holds true. There isn’t enough evidence to formulate a conclusion. Things could shift over the next thirty days, when votes are cast in the General Election on November 2.

What we do know is close to 70% of Durham voters supported O’Neal, Freeman, and Middleton in the primary. Will that translate in the General Election? Will Durham voters select A.J. Williams, who is supported by Johnson and Cabellero, or Leonardo Williams, who is campaigning with Freeman and Middleton.

One thing is clear. This is a clash of opposing ideas like Durham has never seen during my time in the city.

 

Capitol Broadcasting Vice President of Real Estate challenges members of Rotary Club to vote

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Onlookers at Monday’s Downtown Durham Rotary Club meeting were surprised by Michael Goodmon’s rant. Goodmon, vice president of real estate at Capitol Broadcasting Company, told Rotary members Durham needs systemic change, but at the same time we have to triage the emergency of today.

People were surprised because it was a first for the Rotary Club crowd. Goodmon choosing between police funding and defunding the police is a false choice.

Goodmon told members of the Rotary Club to consider the rise in violent crime.

As of September 25, 594 shootings are recorded in Durham, with 205 people being shot. On Monday, September 17, a man was shot while driving in Durham.

A woman in attendance asked a pressing question – what happens if one Political Action Committee controls the entire city? Goodmon told the crowd it will only happen if we allow it.

The sentiment among the people in the room mirrored the assertion of The Friends of Durham. The bi-partisan, Durham focused PAC has launched an aggressive campaign to defeat candidates interested in defunding Durham’s police department.

The Friends of Durham endorses Elaine O’Neal for Mayor after Javier Caballero called for defunding the police.

“I wholeheartedly believe in defunding the police,” reporter Thomasi McDonald highlighted in comments made by Caballero during the June 15 city council meeting. “I know what I want in the future of Durham, and I want less police.”

The City Council approved a $2.8 million budget to create the Community Safety Department. The funding came from the city’s General Fund and required the transfer of vacant positions from other departments, including five unfilled jobs from the police department.

The pilot program will use civilians to respond to 911 calls instead of police officers. The department will include 15 full-time staff, two 911 operators, two social workers and two field responders.

“In its inaugural year, the department will have three primary functions: piloting alternative response models for 911 calls for service, collaborating with community members to identify and text new approaches to public safety and managing and evaluating existing contracts and external partnerships intended to advance public safety,” a statement in the city manager’s budget states.

The pilot program is struggling to get off the ground due to an uptick in shootings and complaints involving 911 response time. The city is searching for a new police chief after C.J. Davis left Durham to become the police chief in Memphis, Tennessee. Developing a comprehensive police reform strategy is complicated when there isn’t a police chief to oversee the process.

In addition to O’Neal, a former superior court judge and dean of the North Carolina Central University law school, The Friends of Durham endorses city council incumbents DeDreanna Freeman and Mark-Anthony Middleton based on their support for what is believed to be a more balanced approach to police reform. The PAC endorses Leonardo Williams, a two-time Durham Teacher of the Year and owner of Zweli’s, America’s first Zimbabwean restaurant, over A.J. Williams, director of incubation and ideation labs at Southern Vision Alliance, a member of Durham Beyond Police and vocal supporter of police abolition.

“I’m a member of the city council. There is no disagreement involving finding alternative solutions,” Middleton said during a recent campaign rally. “We want to look at everything. They only want to look at one thing.”

Goodmon’s rant represents the assessment of many Durham voters. Durham is in a state of emergency. Considering new approaches to public safety is a good thing, but you can’t get there when the wheels are falling off the wagon.

 

Rev-elution Durham municipal election endorsements: First up, Mayor

 Rev-elution offers independent, local, Black journalism and reflections on faith in public space. Support Rev-elution by contributing at: Cash app, $CMizzou, or Venmo, $Carl-Kenney-1

Getting the endorsement results from Durham political action committees is like watching a beauty contest. The winner is based on the eyes of the beholders. The political action committees want us to believe tremendous thought went into the process, but it often comes down to who best fits the swimming suit.

In Durham, political action committees have ruled the outcome of elections. It’s that truth that provoked my desire to play the endorsement game. While Durham’s People Alliance and Durham Association of Educators tag team against the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, words like progressive, inclusion and gentrification are used in a battle for the soul of the city. It’s hard to win when the larger more financed groups join forces to offset the agenda of a group formed to consider the affairs of Black people.

My criterion for endorsement considers more than where people stand on the political sphere. I’m bearing in mind my perception of what Durham residents need most. Durham is damaged. Durham is broken due to contradictory ideologies. Durham is fractured by divergent perspective regarding the role racism plays in public policy decisions. The battles are intense, and Durham needs politicians capable of modeling leadership that comprises more than the sentiments of the people on their team. That’s how I see the bathing suit.

This process has been grueling due to how deeply winning for the home team is imbedded into local political culture. Most of the players are defined by the game. The fray for political supremacy outweighs a measured approach to government. As difficult as the task has been, my endorsements, and statements reflecting the rationale behind these endorsements, reflects weeks of reading, hearing, and analyzing hours of statements from candidates. It also contemplates Durham history and recent events.

These recommendations aren’t made in a vacuum. In considering the merits of service as members of the city council, I’ve thought critically about how each candidate can potentially hinder collective healing or move us beyond the chaos entrenched in decades of political maneuvering.

Mayor

Seven people are running for Mayor – Rebecca Harvard Barnes, Charlitta Burruss, Javiera Caballero, Sabrina “Bree” Davis, Jahnmaud Lane, Elanie O’Neal and Daryl Quick. I respect the rights of all citizens to participate in the electoral process; however, five candidates are excluded based on their lack of experience and perceived understanding regarding what the job entails.

Elaine O’Neal and Javiera Caballero are running on the strength of strong endorsements from former Durham mayors. It was no surprise that William V. “Bill Bell, who served as mayor for 16 years (2001-2017), endorsed O’Neal based on her long service as a judge and dean of the North Carolina Central University Law School. Many residents were disappointed when current Mayor Steve Schewel endorsed Caballero. Given Schewel’s work and relationship with O’Neal, many assumed he would sit this one out. The perception that Schewel’s endorsement is a slap in the face of Black residents is based on his public support of Heidi Carter, and his tenure as a former member and vice-chair of the Durham Board of Public Schools. Schewel’s popularity as Durham’s mayor has been fraught with tension among some Black residents who never embraced his leadership.

My endorsement considers a trend that minimizes the integrity of the election process. The previous two elections have ended with members of the city council adding a new member. After Caballero replaced Schewel, Pierce Freelon replaced Vernetta Alston after she was elected to replace Maryann Black in the state senate.

It also matters that Caballero campaigned as part of the Jillian Johnson, Charlie Reece team. The public perception related to the dangers of their collective force significantly impacts my endorsement decision. Their vocal intrusion in the affairs of the Board of County Commissioners and the Board of Education massively impacts potential reconciliation after months of contention before and after the termination of former Durham County Manager Wendell Davis.

On February 19, 2010, Caballero released a statement endorsing Heidi Carter after the leaked email from County Manager Wendell Davis. The healing of Durham demands a critical gaze at how comments made by Caballero, Johnson, Reece and Schewel are heard and felt by Black residents. The combined efforts of the city council coalition energize a perception regarding a lack of sensitivity to the affairs of Black citizens.

My endorsement measures the valued work of Caballero as a member of the city council. Her support of LA Pulguita de la Avondale, when there were efforts to force vendors off the property, is significant and models inclusive governance for other elected leaders. She stood in solidarity with Durham’s immigrant community to block Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 62. Her leadership on the city council in advocating on behalf of local artist speaks to the significant role she plays in listening to and learning from citizens.

I endorse O’Neal not because Caballero lacks the qualities of leadership essential in service as mayor. My decision is based on: (1) concerns regarding granting the city council authority to select her replacement after doing so after the two previous elections., (2) Comments in support of Heidi Carter and the termination of Wendell Davis that intensified racial hostility, and (3) apprehensions among many residents that the block agenda of current and potential members of the council will have implications regarding balanced governance.

My endorsement of O’Neal considers her work as co-chair of Durham’s Racial Equity Task Force. The recommendations of the task force have implications on the management of both city and county government and offers a blueprint for shifting the culture of hostility. O’Neal participation in constructing antiracism procedures is best juxtaposed against the public actions of members of the city council who placed themselves in the middle of an already overwhelming hostile situation.

If Durham residents truly honor the values on diversity, equity, and inclusion, they will make Elaine O’Neal mayor while honoring and supporting the continued work of Javiera Caballero as an at-large representative on the city council. Together, work can be done to alter the perceptions keeping Durham entangled in massive confusion.

Next up: Ward 1

Proposed House Bill will limit Durham's affordable housing strategy

Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly are pushing legislation that massively impacts Durham’s plans to provide affordable housing.

House 821, sponsored by Jeffery McNeely (R), and Lee Zachary (R),will deny “local governments the authority to take five listed actions unless otherwise provided by local act, including: (1) imposing impact fees for development; (2) conditioning a development approval on the existence of a community benefits agreement, as defined; (3) requiring a developer to provide funds for affordable housing of construct, set aside, or designate one or more dwellings or developments as affordable housing; (4)requiring a completed traffic impact analysis prior to a development approval; and (5) requiring a developer to construct a greenway.”

The bill appears to respond to Durham efforts to address rising housing cost and gentrification. Members of the Durham city council have prioritized negotiating affordable housing set asides with contractors as a condition of development approval.

The bill follows a long battle between members of the Walltown Community Association (WCA) and Northwood Ravin, the developer who purchased Northgate Mall. Negotiations between WCA and the Northwood Ravins left residents frustrated that increased gentrification would consume their community. Members of the Durham planning commission and city council attempted to lobby in support of the WCA.

The concerns of the WCA are reflected in a six-point statement on their website. Part of their request is for Northwood Ravins to set aside 30% of their units for affordable housing units and first right of purchase and rental to low-income Walltown residents.

“In order to make this vision a reality, we propose that Walltown - along with the other Northgate Mall adjacent neighborhoods - engage in a collaborative planning process with Northwood Investors, Duke University and the City of Durham,” the WCA website states.

In addition to the request for affordable housing set asides, WCA seeks:

1. Create spaces for affordable retail, including a cooperative grocery store (opportunity for community ownership), so that residents can have nearby access to healthy food and other items needed for work, school, and home.

2. Design and enhance the built environment with consideration for pedestrian safety, environmental sustainability, and accessibility for seniors, families with children, people with disabilities, and people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

3. Foster community gathering and cultural enrichment spaces, such as, the Durham Arts Council clay studio, a satellite library branch, and an interactive Walltown history exhibit.

4. Develop a section of the property as a transportation hub for buses and bike riders, including a Park-and-Ride serving nearby universities, hospitals, and downtown Durham.

5. Provide space for a Community Advocacy Resource Center, which can serve as a hub for neighborhood residents about city and county services, access to homeownership and renter’s rights, and other information based on the interests and needs of the community.

The WCA vision reflects a longstanding relationship between elected officials and residents in developing and implementing planning goals. H 821 is a direct attack on Durham’s vision for participatory government. It grants unlimited power to developers with limited or no relationship with residents. It places corporate greed above the goals of a community engaged in affirming the needs of all citizens. It disavows our local aspiration in creating green spaces. It measures the ambition of developers above our desire to maintain a happy home.

During a recent conversation with Elaine O’Neal, candidate for mayor, she reflected on the future of Durham. She said Durham has five years to reverse the consequences of rampant development.

If she’s right, the clock is ticking.

Rev-elution offers independent, local, Black journalism and reflections on faith in public space. Support Rev-elution by contributing at: Cash app, $CMizzou, or Venmo, $Carl-Kenney-1

Elaine O'Neal's candidacy for mayor perceived as a referendum on what Durham is becoming

Rev-elution offers independent, Black journalism for residents of Durham, North Carolina. Carl W. Kenney II was named Serious Columnist of the Year for his work in the Durham News, a former community paper of the News & Observer. Please support Rev-elution by contributing at: Cash App, $Cmizzou, or Venmo, @Carl-Kenney-1

SEVENTY-FIVE PEOPLE STOOD in front of the Durham County Administration building on the day Elaine O’Neal filed to be placed on the ballot to become Durham’s next mayor. It was a mixed group of family members and people searching for fresh leadership.

O’Neal brings the energy of a person born and raised in Durham. She has witnessed her hometown change overnight. Her West Durham roots took her to the old Hillside High School where she was a member of the marching band. Like many Black Durhamites, she matriculated as both an undergraduate and law student at North Carolina Central University.

She remembers the Hayti district before Durham Freeway 147 displaced hundreds of black businesses to activate decades of declining Black prosperity. She remembers smelling the fumes of tobacco from The American Tobacco and Ligget Meyers Tobacco companies where Black residents made decent salaries to provide for their families.

Rev-elution interviewed 50 Durham residents regarding their perceptions after U.S. News and World Report ranked Raleigh and Durham combined the second-best place to live in America. Some people wonder if the U.S. News and World Report reflects what Durham is becoming more than what they loved most before the construction of the 27 floor One City Center – the building that symbolizes the purging of the dirty that made Durham an oasis for Black people.

Most of the people interviewed see the upcoming municipal election a referendum on what Durham is becoming. They speak nostalgic regarding the strength of Durham’s past – the Black Wall Street, the vital political machinery of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the culture and support system of Hillside High School and the sway of Black churches and families in providing a support system for youth.

O’Neal’s candidacy is perceived to be about more than the platform of a former Superior Court Judge. It’s about removing politicians dismissive of the history and legacy of Black Durham. It’s about fixing things before it’s too late.

O’Neal is the overwhelming choice for mayor among the people interviewed. Filing for municipal election ends on August 13^th. As of the posting of this article, Jahnmaud Lane, a GOP activist and HAVC technician, is O’Neal’s only competition. People are deeply invested in electing a city council willing to press a more practical agenda.

Rev-elution identified five critical concerns among the people interviewed.

What is driving a candidate’s decision to run for office?

Residents noted a lack of trust in candidates after Nida Allam voted in solidarity with Wendy Jacobs and Heidi Carter not to extend the contract of former Durham County Manager Wendell Davis. Many Black residents question the motives of Leonardo Williams, candidate for City Council Ward III. They also question Marion Teniade Johnson’s ties with Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson. Johnson, who hasn’t filed as of posting this article but has a campaign website, is challenging incumbent DeDreanna Freeman for City Council Ward I. Waldo Fenner, a political novice who is critical of Durham Housing Authority Director Anthony Scott, and Libertarian Elizabeth Takla, have filed for Ward I. Lane, a Black man, can expect stiff criticism for his support of Donald Trump.  Lane is the host of Mind of Jamal. His Twitter account was suspended due to inappropriate content. As of this posting, Ward II City Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton has not filed, and he has no challengers.

Do you know what the job involves?

It is vital that candidates for public office understand the role and function of the city council comparative to other elected offices. Takla misses the mark on her campaign website in mentioning public education funding as part of her platform.  Education is an important issue, but doesn’t fall within the jurisdiction of the city council.

How well do you know Durham?

It’s a complicated question due to the vast difference between what Durham used to be and what it is becoming. For some, Durham is a testing ground for progressive models. C.J. Davis, a highly qualified and effective police chief, left Durham to lead the Memphis Police Department. She departed during tense conversations regarding police funding and an increase in homicides. Many respondents shared concerns of Durham politicians making decisions devoid of real conversations with the people most impacted.

Finally, what are the real issues?

The next city council has layers of unfinished business. Respondents listed a few:

·         What are the next steps following the McDougald Terrace debacle? $9,066,649 was spent to transfer hundreds of residents of the Durham public housing units to hotels after carbon monoxide leaks were discovered. A portion of the $95 million housing bond approved by 76 percent of Durham voters will go toward building new public housing. How will this impact the goals originally identified when voters were presented the housing bond?

·         What can and will the city council do to curtail increases in rent?

·         What are the plans to finally fulfill the promise of revitalizing the Hayti Business district after urban removal displaced more than 100 Black-owned businesses?

·         Who will the city council select as Durham’s next Chief of Police? Will the city council function in collaboration with the new chief, or will they micromanage in ways that make it difficult for the next chief to lead?

Good luck voters. There’s a lot to digest in preparation of the October 5^th primary election