Breaking News: Ken Spaulding announces run for Durham Mayor

A week after Elaine O’Neal announced not running for a second term as Durham Mayor, Ken Spaulding is the first to officially declare for the seat.

Spaulding ran for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 North Carolina gubernatorial election, losing to Roy Cooper. In 1984, he challenged incumbent Tim Valentine for the North Carolina 2^nd congressional district. He lost, receiving 47.88 percent of votes compared to Valentine’s 52.12 percent. Spaulding served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1978 to 1984.

Former Governor Mike Easley appointed Spaulding to serve on the North Carolina Board of Transportation where he represented Wake, Durham, Person, Granville, Vance, Warren and Frankin Counties.

Spaulding recently retired after more than 40 years of practicing law in North Carolina. He’s a graduate of Howard University and the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Spaulding provided a statement to Rev-elution

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Durham and its image are at a crossroads. The infighting and tomfoolishness, at the City Council level, are ruining the City of Durham’s first-class status.

A great example is the recent budget battle. The City Council in 2021 voted itself a 40% salary increase effective last year. Yet this year, when police officers, firefighters and first responders sought reasonable and fair salary increases, the Council refused their effort and approved very modest raises compared to the Council’s own previous 40% salary increase. Some of the same Council members who had voted to approve their own large salary increases, voted against the requested raises for the “protectors of our lives and safety”

In regard to our law enforcement officers, Police Chief after Police Chief have asked for increased compensation to attract new officers and retain current officers.  Budgets after budgets have not reflected the true needs of the Durham City Police Department.
No police officer in Durham should be paid less than $60,000 per year.  At a starting salary of $60,000 per year, the increased pay for the remaining officers should follow a well thought out plan with increases that recognize tenure and rank.

Firefighters and first responders should have their pay schedules totally re-evaluated for significant and substantial salary increases based on the perilous gravity of their work.

Along with tackling crime and safety with police salary increases, among other innovative actions, recreation centers throughout Durham should be constructed or renovated so that our young people can have a structured place to compete, disagree and settle their differences or aggression through vigilant supervision and mentorship in a safe city structure and not in the streets. These centers should be open and fully staffed from daybreak past midnight as was done in larger cities in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s when crime became overwhelming and these actions helped to lower the crime rate.

The City Manager needs to hear out “all” Council members regarding effectuating these policies without an increase in taxes. That is the City Manager’s job. If a tax increase is absolutely required, then a series of options should be laid out by the City Manager for the public’s input and the Council’s review. However, accompanying the options, a parallel analysis should also show where the City Manager has laid out all unnecessary expenditure along with waste and inefficiencies that will be cut from the budget. Yet, we should recognize that the first tendency for some is to cry “tax increase” without using their best efforts with the same creativity that the Council used in raising their own salaries by $10,000 per year effective last year.

All city employees are essential workers for the residents of Durham. All city employees deserve a substantial pay increase based on the extremely high inflation brought about as a result of the crippling pandemic. Public sector raises should keep up with the 8% to 10% inflation rate increase and be given the same consideration as given in the private sector.

For these reasons and more, I have given serious consideration to running for Mayor, win or lose. However, “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. 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.

It is necessary that things change in Durham for the better. It’s time for a change at our City Council.

 

The Streets at Southpoint expansion proposal is an example of shared economic prosperity

COMMENTARY– Brookfield Properties proposal to expand The Streets of Southpoint shifts the conversation related to economic development in a city overwhelmed by constant building.

This proposal is different. 

Brookfield Properties commitment to a goal of 40 percent minority involvement in the construction and the creation of a program to employ formally incarcerated individuals shifts public discourse back to the critical moment before affordable housing became the primary issue on the community agenda.

The proposal calls for a hotel with up to 200 rooms, a new apartment building with nearly 1,400 units and 300,000 square feet of office space.

Critics of the expansion address the need for affordable housing.

“The benefits are pretty clear in a lot of ways,” Nate Baker, a member of the Durham Planning Commission and candidate for city council, said after the commission voted against the rezoning plan. "We're taking a traditional mall and we're adding density and we're adding uses."

Members of the commission were inspired by the proposal to add transit and walking options.

“Hopefully, you create a community where people don’t need a car,” Austin Amandolia, a member of the commission told CBS-17 reporter Ben Bokum. “This is the type of development that us on the Planning Commission have often been calling for more of: mixed-used, walkable, dense communities instead of suburban sprawl.”

The debate now before the Durham City Council involves the tension between offering affordable housing and pressing a vision for shared economic prosperity.

Farad Ali, president and chief executive officer at Asocair, spoke like a prophet during his campaign to become Durham’s mayor in 2017.

“Durham is in a place where it’s pivoting and great things are happening,” Ali said in his concession speech. “A sense of prosperity is what we’re talking about sharing because there is prosperity. So, as we start talking about what’s going to go in Durham for the future, it’s important we understand how we maximize Durham’s assets. One is taking this economic development model that’s been working and saying, how do we also make more people involved so we can build community while we do economic development.”

An expanding affordable housing need overshadowed Ali’s “One Durham” platform. Steve Schewel defeated Ali with a platform to address affordable housing. Schewel proposed increased pressure on developers and a $95 million affordable housing bond.

Voters overwhelming voted in support of the housing bond. The goal to repair the aftermath of rapid gentrification failed miserably. Developers continue to cram buildings into spaces with limited conversation regarding shared prosperity.

The result is demeaning. Black and Brown people suffer consequences resulting from the failed promise of affordable housing. Black and Brown people rarely reap the benefits of a thriving economy fueled by commercial development.

The Brookfield Properties proposal is different. 

Sure, there’s $14 million in tax revenue making The Streets at Southpoint the largest property and sale tax generator in Durham County. There’s no questioning the long-term impact on Durham’s economy, but there’s more to this project.

This is how Durham should always conduct business. This is the Bull City, home of Black Wall Street and the Hayti Business District. Durham is the home of Black folk who rise to the top after years of brutal resistance. Yes, we tout the influence and power of Black elected officials. Yes, Durham is a safe place for anyone enamored with authentic diversity and inclusion. In Durham, we own all of that. Durham is the template for walking that walk and talking that talk.

It's what makes this conversation the unveiling of a sad reality. In Durham, we fail to honor our rich legacy in sharing economic prosperity. Black and Brown people aren’t reaping the gains of this booming economy. Our city council supports rezoning efforts without pressing the most critical question – how does this support Black and Brown people.

This is how we engage in local reparation efforts. How many minority businesses will benefit. Show me the numbers. Come back with real evidence proving you respect and honor the history and legacy of the Bull City. You can’t step in these streets without clearly understanding our pride.

The Brookfield Properties proposal is different.

I only hope it becomes standard practice versus an exception to the way we handle city business.

 

 

 

Mark Taylor Designz Presents the Red and Black on the Green Fashion Show to Benefit SuitedNSuccess

 

by Sharon Mullens

The ChocolateWriter

In conjunction with the Juneteenth holiday, Mark Taylor Designz will present the Red and Black on the Green Fashion Show at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham on Saturday, June 17, 2023, featuring the region’s top models, fashion designers, and entertainment.

 

The Red and Black on the Green Fashion Show will feature emerging black designers and entrepreneurs as a highlight for the federally recognized Juneteenth holiday.  The program will feature performances by nationally known artists, including North Carolina’s Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green and hosted by ABC11 Eyewitness News Meteorologist Kweilyn Murphy. 

 

This inaugural fashion extravaganza and showcase will begin with a Meet and Greet the Designers and networking reception at 6pm. The show begins at 7pm. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60 and offer a VIP package. A portion of ticket sales will go to a Triangle-based organization, SuitedNSuccess, founded by Mark Taylor in 2014 to empower disadvantaged men seeking employment by providing professional attire. 

 

According to a Wall Street Journal study of “small metro” areas across the U.S., the Bull City (Durham) placed 35th for jobs and North Carolina’s capital city (Raleigh) as 5^th for jobs among larger metros, meaning opportunities exist for all members of the workforce, and our most vulnerable residents need to be prepared to compete. Providers of free, quality interview attire are essential. For years prior, such an organization existed for women, but not for men. SuitedNSuccess sought to fill that void. 

 

When you look good, you feel good, and that’s key to confidence,” says founder Mark Taylor, whose passion for helping people led him to establish SuitedNSuccess and subsequently a clothing design business. The organization is completely volunteer-led, and collaborates with workforce agencies and recovery organizations, such as SouthLight Healthcare, Inc.  

 

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need was even more evident. Men were seeking employment but lacked proper interview attire. It was a great benefit to have access to the SuitedNSuccess suit closet” says Lavongue “Bongo” Manley, a program development specialist at SouthLight’s Durham location, where the suit closet is housed.

 

This first annual fashion show is a special cultural event that will inspire philanthropy while helping emerging artists uplift their brands. A portion of the proceeds will help create a new suit closet in Raleigh and establish a new scholarship to be awarded to an HBCU fashion merchandising student in 2024. 

 

Learn more about the mission at www.suitednsuccess.org or follow on Facebook. Learn more about the show and get tickets at https://redandblackonthegreen.eventbrite.com.

 

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Mark Taylor Designz is a fashion and lifestyle brand based in the Triangle region of North Carolina, providing aspiring models and designers with the opportunities to bring their talents directly into the spotlight. Follow the designer on Instagram @marktaylordesignz. 

SuitedNSuccess.org is a charitable initiative that partners with social service agencies and nonprofit organizations in the Triangle to provide professional attire, career education information and workshops, resources, and support to disadvantaged men in transition. More information can be found at suitednsuccess.org.

Founded in 1970, SouthLight Healthcare is one of the area’s largest nonprofit providers of substance use treatment and mental health services. SouthLight partners with individuals and communities to provide innovative treatment solutions delivered with compassion and dignity. With outpatient and community-based programs, SouthLight provides prevention, education, and treatment services in the Triangle and beyond. Call 919-787-6131 for help or more information or visit www.southlight.org

Members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners settle lawsuit filed by former Durham County Manager Wendell Davis

COMMENTARY - Members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners vote to settle a false termination lawsuit filed by former Durham County Manager Wendell Davis.

Commissioners Brenda Howerton, Nimasheenda Burns and Wendy Jacobs agree to settle while Heidi Carter opposed not taking the case to trial. Commissioner Nida Allam failed to vote due to her absence.

On May 13, 2021, commissioners passed the motion to let Davis’s contract expire in a 3-2 vote. The vote followed a dysfunctional relationship between Davis and white members of the board.

Davis wrote a letter alleging a “pattern of racist behavior” against Commissioner Heidi Carter in February 2020. The complaint claimed incidents of racism and microaggressions toward him and other Black Durham County employees.

“You work for the board. When we tell you to do something, you better grin and bear it,” Davis claims Carter once told him.

Carter accused Davis of fabricating his claim of racism to influence the outcome of the election. Proponents of increased spending for public education rallied in support of not extending Davis’s contract, while supporters of Davis called for equity and inclusion training to improve race relations.

The vote to settle ends what could have cost the county more in legal fees with a strong possibility of losing the case. It’s not an admission of wrongdoing. It puts an end to a chaotic period in recent Durham history.

Members of the board fought. Brenda Howerton replaced Wendy Jacobs as chair of the board. The leadership change helped heal wounds caused by the decision not to extend the managers contract. It is a crucial step among other courage steps by members of the board.

The board announced the appointment of Dr. Kimberly J. Sowell as the new County Manager on February 28, 2022. A year later, her faith in the best of Durham helps us forget the worst of Durham.

In settling this lawsuit, the commissioners help us move forward with a will to transcend the mistakes and misperceptions before and after Davis’s last day as county manager.

Lawsuits are given to prove right and wrong. When it comes to matters related to race, it’s impossible to resolve why Black men and women are treated with disdain. Some Black people believe white members of the board of commissioner allowed their bias to impact a crucial decision. Some white people believe Davis deserved to be replaced for reasons beyond the color of his skin.

Letting it go is the beginning of healing. Forfeiting the desire to be proven right makes it possible for people to hear and nurture the hearts of people on the other side of an assumed legitimate opinion.

The commissioners voted to end the madness.

Let’s not call it a mistake.

Let’s call it a lesson learned.

Let’s learn from that lesson.

 

 

 

Writing the story when the story is about you

Beginning in June, I will assume the responsibility of rebooting Durham Voice, a community newspaper founded by Jock Lauterer after the murder of Eve Carson, a student at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Prior to ending circulation, Durham Voice focused on stories in North East Central Durham (NECD) with student journalist from UNC-CH, North Carolina Central University and Durham Technical Community College. The focus of work will expand beyond NECD to include all of Durham with student reporters from local colleges and universities. 

This column is inspired by the work of student journalist at the University of Missouri and the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-CH.

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Commentary - It’s the moment that changes the way I teach. My students seemed overburdened by the news happening outside the building.

Students couldn’t avoid the mass of news reporters on campus to tell the stories of disillusioned Black students. They were calling for the resignation or termination of University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe.

Jonathan Butler, a graduate student at the University of Missouri - Columbia, launched a hunger strike to bring attention to racism on the state’s flagship campus.

“Mr. Wolfe had ample opportunity to create policies and reforms that could shift the culture of Mizzou in a positive direction but in each scenario, he failed to do so,” Butler said.

Payton Head, the student body president, shared a personal experience with bigotry and anti-gay sentiments on campus on his Facebook page. He claims unidentified people riding in the back of a pickup truck hurled racial slurs at him.

“For those of you who wonder why I’m always talking about the importance of inclusion and respect, it’s because I’ve experienced moments like this multiple times at THIS university, making me not feel included here," Head posted on September 12, 2015.

My students seemed wearied by the national attention after the football team announced they would not practice or play until Wolfe resigned. The decision would cost the university a $1 million fine if they forfeited their upcoming game against Brigham Young University.

“How do you write the story when you’re the story,” I asked my students.

I waited for an answer from one of the 19 students. My one Black student seemed overwhelmed by activities on campus. The look on her face clarified what I felt. She needed more than a class on journalism writing could offer. I didn’t want her to answer. I cherished an opportunity for white students to speak.

“I don’t want to be here,” a white woman said. “I want to join the protest.”

‘I can’t write this story without bias,” another student said.

The nods spoke to a common view that extended beyond the call of Concerned Student 1950 – the group of Black students seeking the president’s resignation.

I felt something brewing in my belly. After teaching lessons involving finding the story within the story, my students were learning lessons not taught in textbooks. After sharing my personal grappling in writing columns aimed at offering a perspective beyond the views of white men in newsrooms, my students felt the tension.

There’s more to the story than they considered prior to enrolling to learn the craft of journalism.

I taught them to consider the pain in the story. We discussed finding tension in the story within the story – the unknown truth hidden by an inability to see and feel others carrying what words often miss.

We talked about overcoming privilege. I shared the limits of my Christian, heterosexual, male privilege. I shared how being Black impacts how I view the story. We discussed how personal experience is a tool when used to advance the story beyond what each of us take for granted.

Journalists are challenged to bring their humanity to the story. This is the gift of storytelling. It’s what separates humans from the stale presentation of artificial intelligence.

“You are standing in the middle of history,” I told my students. “This moment is a gift to each of you. How will you write this story? Who are the people who need to be heard? What’s missing in how we inform the world regarding the unfolding of this historical moment?”

I shared my experience growing up in Columbia, MO - being the first local Black person to graduate from the school of journalism. I talked about my encounters with race on a campus with an overwhelming white population.

I told my students to leave to join the protest. I challenged them to take time to heal. While pondering what it all means, I told them to find the story within the story, and to begin by accepting this story is about each of them.

They left to write that story.

I left inspired to help students find stories beyond what they couldn’t see.

 

SCAD: another mistake like a walk down memory lane

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COMMENTARY – Supporters of Simplifying for Affordable Development (SCAD) argue it’s an effective tool in reducing housing costs in Durham.

My response, I’m reminded of promises made when 95% of Black Durham residents approved the Urban Renewal bond that dismantled the Hayti District.

It's a familiar tactic used to entice folks willing to bite the apple when hope for the future is tainted by obstacles no one can control. Last I checked, the lure of the forbidden fruit is what Christians and Jews believe led to humanity falling out of God’s favor.

Members of the Durham City Council need to be careful about biting too soon. History teaches many lessons. Durham’s Hayti’s tragic removal is an example of what happens when a few well-intentioned people pitch a promise that requires loads of trust in people positioned to make money.

I’m not saying these developers are gold diggers, but I don’t see them hanging with the broke ----. You know the song.

I’m weary of long proposals crafted by developers to radically change how Durham envisions long term development. Durham, like many communities across the nation, is swamped with gentrification - making it impossible for many residents to afford housing. The SCAD proposal offers no protections in securing real affordable housing.

How will the growing number of residents, with limited public affordable housing options, maneuver through the web of planned development if SCAD is approved? Where will residents of Liberty Street Apartments and McDougald Terrace rent now that one is already demolished and the other is slated to be razed within the next two years?

Where is the imagination for housing for the people living in Durham, versus planned housing for people moving to one of the fastest growing communities in America? SCAD isn’t a proposal to repair what aisles Durham the most. It’s a plan to make it easier for developers to maximize profit as land options dwindle.

The answer, according to SCAD proponents, is to build closer, higher and with no parking requirements. That’s not an answer.  It’s a prescription for increased gentrification, poverty and the widening of economic disparities.

Welcome to the vision for Durham. The future home of economically privileged white people and the former home of the Black Wall Street.

When did Progressives become Republicans?

Proponents of SCAD are schooled in a version of supply and demand economic theory taken directly from pages of the Republican Party play book. It’s a theory that roots for varied forms of deregulation with an assumption that the people who make more money will trickle the profits down to the people in need of help.

The promise – if we make it easier for them to make heaps of money after making it easier for them to make profit, everyone wins. Housing prices drop. Why? Because the decrease in cost automatically dribbles down.

Sorry to say it, and excuse my language, but I’ve been taught not to trust the white man with my future interest. By white man, in this context, I mean the people with the power to manipulate systems due to their greed.

In Durham, we’ve been shielded from corporate interest due to the power and influence of progressives elected to guard our communal identity. That has changed.

When did the progressives elected to serve on our city council take on the persona of republicans? How, why and when were Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Anthony Middleton, Jillian Johnson, Javiera Caballero and Leonardo Williams enticed into biting the rhetoric of Republican Party economic ideology?

Do we want to become Washington DC?

The SCAD proposal is simple. Their plan to simplify codes for affordable development (not affordable housing) will reduce housing costs.

How does it work?

It works by making Durham a microcosm of Washington D.C.

Imagine a city with limited parking and increased density. Imagine houses packed close. They are much taller than before. There are more people living in areas with limited greenery. The plan is to make Durham a place where owning a car is a luxury.

There’s a problem with the vision. Durham lacks an infrastructure to protect bikers. Durham public transportation lags far behind cities with the type of high density envisioned in the SCAD proposal.

The Durham City Council is trending in the direction of moving Durham toward becoming a city like Washington DC. Note the massive increase in parking costs. The city council disincentivizes cars without a solid plan to advance both local and regional public transportation.

Are we ready to become Washington DC?

Stop pimping my religion

Attachment H in the 86-page SCAD proposal mentions congregations who participated in a charrette to discuss the potential benefits to faith-based institutions. St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Bethany United Methodist Church, Grey Stone Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church and Duke Chapel participated in the charrette held on December 3, 2022.

Participation is not the same as an endorsement. During a presentation before members of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, supporters of the SCAD proposal hinted that churches did more than participate in a conversation. They suggested these congregation supported changes to codes in hopes of providing mission-based housing.

Having a conversation is not an endorsement. Bob Chapman, a Durham developer who assisted in writing the SCAD proposal, is accused of overstating Habitat for Humanity of Durham’s co-sponsorship of SCAD. According to reports in INDY Week, SCAD enacted an unauthorized agreement through a third party.

“The same third party has been speaking and negotiating on the behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Durham with members of City Council and others,” INDY Week reported in a letter received from members of the Durham Habitat board.

Chapman, and other proponents of SCAD, may be guilty of overstating support of faith-based institutions. This play signifying backing of the good folks at Durham Habitat and local congregations is an unearned endorsement of a plan with significant moral and ethical concerns.

You must do more than infer an endorsement. You must earn that support.

Please, stop pimping my religion.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

SCAD is potentially the worse thing to happen to Black people living in Durham since the freeway shattered the dreams of Black residents and businesses in the Hayti district. Black voters supported that mistake. This time it’s in the hands of a Black majority on the city council and one Brown representative.

If they pass SCAD, shame on them.

Provident1898 and the Durham History Museum to discuss Black Capitalism: Lessons from Soul City

 

Lew Meyers remembers the days when Floyd McKissick, Sr. carried a vision for a city built and occupied by Black people.

In 1969, McKissick proposed Soul City, a community in Warren County, NC, to invest in Black businesses focusing on the development of Black economic power. Meyers served as the Executive Director of Soul City.

Meyers joins Floyd McKissick, Jr and Dr. Charmaine McKissick-Melton, children of the legendary civil rights leader and director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) to discuss the impact of Floyd Sr’s unfilled dream at Black Capitalism: Lessons from Soul City on March 30 at Provident1898. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Nishani Frazier, associate professor of history and American studies at the University of Kansas, will join Meyers and the children of McKissick’s legacy. Floyd Jr follows in the footsteps of his father as a former North Carolina State Senator and Charmaine is a former associate professor at North Carolina Central University.

McKissick envisioned three villages housing 18,000 people with jobs in industry, retail, residential housing and services. Soul City promised a place to work, go to school, shop, receive health care and worship on Sunday morning. A place for Black people to prosper in a community removed from limits imposed by institutionalized racism.

The vision preceded the collective pleas of the Black Power Movement. It emerged before Black Power became a slogan and “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” became the anthem of resistance for Black people. Soul City received a grant of $14 million in 1972 from HUD. North Carolina added $8 million in resources before Senator Jesse Helms attacked McKissick vision of Black capitalism.

Meyers, also McKissick’s son-in-law, will join in a family conversation regarding what happened to the once bold vision of Black capitalism. The decline of Soul City in 1975 is the result of several factors – a dwindling national economy, negative press coverage aligning Soul City to the separatist rhetoric of the Nation of Islam and the criticism of Helms and other politicians.

What happened to the vision in support of Black capitalism?

The dream for local Black economic development began in 1898 when John Merrick, the son of a slave, joined with investors to form the North Carolina Mutual and Provident Association. The business of the company increased from less than one thousand dollars in 1899 to a quarter of a million in 1910. The discussion on Black Capitalism: Lessons from Soul City is held in the building symbolic of the potential of McKissick’s dream.

As Carl Webb, one of the owners of Provident1898, walks through the space he helped create to manifest the ongoing dream of Black capitalism in Durham, questions linger.

What happened to Soul City?

Why is it so hard for Black people to build beyond the vast disappointment of the promise of McKissick’s vision?

Can we resurrect Soul City?

Please use this link to register: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-capitalism-lessons-from-soul-city-tickets-593220166487?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

 

  

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?

 

 

 

Black Men Matter: Durham Public School Board to select a new member

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Commentary- It matters when a Black man is in the room.

Black men matter. Black men matter.

Black men are dying. Black men are caught within a vicious cycle that is complicated to understand. It matters when Black men show up because problems related to Black men are too vast for most people to fully understand.

It is why I weep whenever I consider the current state of the Durham Public School Board of Education. There is no Black man on the board. Not one.

Can I repeat, Black men matter.

Members of the current board vote on Thursday, March 15 to replace Matt Sears, a white man, after he resigned on Jan. 31 to join the Durham Public School Foundation. Sears accepted the job after voters elected him to another term in May, giving the board the power to select his successor.

The process smells like week old fish – funky. The developments leading up to Sears exit from the board reveals activity tainted by politics, conflicting interests and questionable ethics. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but it stinks.

Xavier Cason left the school board to become the new Director of Community Schools and School Transformation. Sears is Director of Partnership, another position created and filled by a school board member. Not illegal, but it is funky.

Four candidates have emerged to fill the vacant seat. Apryle Lawson Daye, a real estate agent and paralegal, Jessica Friedlander, a mentor at Duke TeachHouse, Jessica Carda-Auten, a public health researcher at UNC and  Kevin Primus, a local business owner, teacher and coach.

Primus is a Black man. His background and experience protrude above the rest. He has education credentials. He has experience. He is a parent of Durham Public School students. He has dedicated time in service to the Durham community.

Did I mention he’s a Black man?

Some members of the board may say it doesn’t matter. They may push for a less qualified candidate with a pitch promoting the narrative of a better fit. They may talk about board chemistry. They may suggest there’s more to the selection than what can be seen on paper and what is heard during the interviews. They may tell us to trust their judgement more than our gut feelings.

There is a deeply inherent problem when a Black man isn’t chosen because of the assumptions of the powerful people in the room. There is a message which transcends the story line of group cohesion. It involves what we instruct Black boys about what it takes to sit at the table. It involves the integrity of a process aimed at selecting the best qualified person for any position.

The actions of board members matter as much as the curriculum taught in classrooms. Integrity matters. It matters when Black men are chosen because they deserve to sit in the room. It also matters when they aren’t selected because of politics more committed to controlling the room.

It matters when Black boys see a Black man on the school board. It matters when Black men are represented to undo stereotypes about Black men. Beyond teaching the way, we need systems committed to equity, inclusion and accountability.

“Professor Kenney, I’m so glad to have you teaching this class,” a Black male student at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill said after class. “You are my first Black male teacher. Ever.”

The truth startled me. I considered my own story. My first class with a Black man teaching didn’t happen until my sophomore year in college. The absence of Black men impacts the identity of Black boys. It matters when Black men show up in rooms to display unlimited possibilities.

Black men are not looking for special treatment. We are not looking to be selected because we are Black men. We simply do not want to be dismissed when we are the most qualified in the room. We do not want to hear excuses for not being chosen. We desire being chosen because it is the right thing to do.

Black men work hard to be seen and heard. In a school system with enormous problems related to reaching and nurturing Black boys, we refuse to accept a narrative that excludes the significance of our presence.

Kevin Primus is a Black man.

Yes, that Black man matters.

And, yes, he is the most qualified person in the room.

 

Chris Rock and the slap that triggers rage

Rev-elution returns after a hiatus to discuss the Chris Rock Netflix comedy special. Support local, Black owned, Black focused, independent journalism  with a contribution to at: Cash App ($CMizzou) or Venmo (@Carl-Kenney-1)

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So, can I offer a confession? Thanks. Take a seat and rest your mind.

 

"Selective Outrage", the Chris Rock Netflix comedy special, triggered me. It opened old wounds that I’ve spent years and too much money in therapy to overcome. Watching Rock on that stage reminds me of how difficult it can be to deal with trauma when doing so demands onloading personal feelings in public view.

 

I am sad that “we,” the consumers of art, require this type of display. I lament anyone forced to address their rage due to an unspoken obligation to feed the curiosity of folks consumed with rumors and stuff that ain’t none of our business.

 

I recognize that look on Rock’s face. I understand wanting to be left alone to heal from the shame of being slapped for doing your job. I recognize that strut aimed at keeping pace with a heart beating too fast after a year of hearing your name tendered for twitter feed.

 

It is safe to say it comes with the paycheck. Reports claim Netflix contract pays Rock $40 million to expose all that pain. Let the one among us willing to say no to all that cash to cast the first stone. Is the payday enough to resolve the agony of the slap?  Who wants to turn the other cheek?

 

Yes, it comes with the job. Yes, people get paid to share their rage. Yes, it is what the public desires. Sadly, folks crave watching others bleed.

 

I understand the fascination. I watched it. Since watching it, I have read what people have to say. “It isn’t funny.” “Rock is disrespecting women.” “He needs therapy.”

 

Duh! All of that may be true, but help me understand. How do you get to the other side of pain when everyone demands hearing you help them take a trip into your personal business?

 

My direct response, after reading the slew of comments on social media, regards it ain’t none of our business. True; however, this is what happens when our business gets interrupted with a slap changing our Oscar night celebration. We witnessed it. We heard it in real time – the Prince slapped Rock proving he “Hates Chris.”

 

We, the viewers of this mess, believe we deserve an explanation. It happened to Will and Jada, their children, Venus, Serena, and Rock. It happened to Questlove, the winners, nominees and the people who produced the show. Yup, it happened to you and me – all of us were harmed by what happened a year ago this week.

 

All of that is true, but no one, and I mean no one, experiences the rage related to that night more than Chris Rock.

 

So, after that long introduction to place my feelings within context, let’s talk about my trigger. Yeah, the one that felt like gunfire on my face after being slapped by the leaders of a congregation. That hurts. Like Rock, I continue to hear Gospel tunes ringing in my head.

 

It is not the first time I have been slapped. Brock slapped me when I was 14. He was six years older. He broke his hand after bruising my face. I have endured being slapped over a dispute regarding a girlfriend. Love triangles are painful for a variety of reasons. Ouch. Been there. Done that.

 

Being slapped is common. What hurts more is being slapped for doing your job. What hurts more is being slapped in public view.  What hurts even more than that is being slapped in public view while having to take the punch because doing otherwise only makes matters worse.

 

Let me make it clear for the people who don’t understand Black folks religion. I got slapped by the church, in public, for doing my job. I got slapped for following my call – like telling a joke – and watched people share opinions related to the validity of the slap.

 

The church slapped me for expounding a theology of inclusion. They slapped me due to a divorce and unfounded rumors regarding things that ain’t none of their business. They slapped me for promoting and protecting the ordination of women in ministry. They slapped me for writing columns rooted in the message of Jesus and extending the work of the Church to include the needs of the least among these.

 

I’m triggered after hearing faith leaders scream, “keep our church name out of your mouth,” followed with a slap of rejection.

 

Watching Chris Rock on that stage triggers so many emotions. Like, my screaming, “I am not a victim”. Like, the desire to share what no one has the right to hear. Like, the movement of a wounded man who seeks to use comedy to inspire and heal.

 

And how can they tell jokes when there’s so much rage?

 

And how can they preach when the slap of rejection still hurts decades after shame consumes every step they take?

 

Triggering is a mothersucker.

 

Inhale, exhale, release.

 

I repeat, I am not a victim!