Durham County employees request action from members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners following the termination of Durham County Manager Wendell Davis.

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Members of the Durham County employees racial equity core committee are making demands of members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners following the termination of former Durham County Manager Wendell Davis.

 

 

In a June 22 letter sent to members of the Board of County Commissioners, members of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) cohort outline a strategy that includes (1) board members attending racial equity training, (2) improved interpersonal relations on the board, (3) a request that the board “employ racial equity tools to its future decision making processes and further move to add a racial equity directive as a high level, guiding principle to each of County Government’s five strategic plan goal areas, in order to avoid disparate impacts among not only its managers, but its employees and citizens”, and (4) “request that the Board engage in an open town hall to address inequity and race relations in Durham and in Durham County Government.”

 

 

The letter is the first public response from Durham County employees since Davis wrote a letter to members of the board addressing his perception that County Commissioner Heidi Carter’s actions and comments toward him were motivated by racial bias. Davis’ letter generated an investigation of Carter after hundreds of residents packed a commissioner’s meeting to address their outrage. Wendy Jacobs, the former chair of the board, announced an investigation of Davis based on her perception that Davis wrote the letter to influence the upcoming election.

 

 

On May 13, Davis was immediately relieved of his duties by a 3 to 2 vote. Carter and Nida Allam joined Jacobs in a vote that further fractured the board along racial lines. Current Board Chair Brenda Howerton and Nimasheenda Burns, both Black women, cast dissenting votes.

 

 

The racial equity team addresses concerns regarding the handling of Davis’ termination.

 

 

“The means by which the former Manager was fired has left a high degree of uncertainty and an overriding sense of concern among some employees.,” the letter says. “Many of them feel silenced by the way the Manager was immediately dismissed. These perceptions by several employees, citizens and community groups have begun to negatively impact County Government’s ability to: serve its diverse public and recruit new employees committed to the highest ideals of inclusive governance.”

 

 

The letter challenges members of the board to address the implications caused by silence after Davis’ termination.

 

 

“It demonstrates a lack of willingness to grapple with difficult issues which will ultimately make the community more resilient,” the letter says. “How do we address the concerns of Durham County citizens and employees who fear retaliation and retribution if they dare to speak up about racism, or worse, fear being silenced or terminated?”

 

 

Members of the racial equity team are waiting for a response and action from members of the board. As of the release of this article, Howerton and Burns have accepted the racial equity teams call for a open town hall to address concerns among Durham County employees and residents.

 

 

Read the entire letter:

 

 

 

June 22, 2021

 

 

Dear Commissioners,

 

 

We, the DCo Racial Equity Core Team - Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) Cohort, are writing to you in our capacity as affected citizens regarding a matter of public concern. Allow us to begin by stating that we are grateful for the previous commitment of the Board to promote racial equity within local government and across Durham County. As you each know, racial equity work is a challenging and sacred trust to which we have all pledged our allegiance. We, however, have also promised not to turn a blind eye to the potential manifestation of inequity, no matter where it appears or from which seat of power it emanates. This is why we feel the need to engage the question that friends, colleagues and neighbors confront us with daily which is, how can the sudden and ill-defined manner in which the former County Manager was relieved of his duties, be reconciled with our pledge to maintain equitable treatment for all races?

 

  

Many would hold that former County Manager Davis was accomplished and experienced and that his departure was not due to job performance, as stated by the Board. We believe he is credited with navigating the organization through a global pandemic, helping the enterprise achieve one of the highest municipal credit ratings in the state, aiding the County in realizing previously unseen levels of population growth and investment, beginning the implementation of several Commissioner initiatives (including universal Pre-K), enjoying a high level of support from employees across County Government, and several other accomplishments.  If those points are taken into consideration, it appears that this treatment of immediately relieving him of his duties prior to the expiration of his contract was not only inconsistent with his satisfactory job performance, but was also embedded with a mean-spiritedness and lack of decorum that has permeated relationships across County Government and increasingly the community at large.

 

 

The means by which the former Manager was fired has left a high degree of uncertainty and an overriding sense of concern among some employees. Many of them feel silenced by the way the Manager was immediately dismissed. These perceptions by several employees, citizens and community groups have begun to negatively impact County Government’s ability to: serve its diverse public and recruit new employees committed to the highest ideals of inclusive governance. It demonstrates a lack of willingness to grapple with difficult issues which will ultimately make the community more resilient. How do we address the concerns of Durham County citizens and employees who fear retaliation and retribution if they dare to speak up about racism, or worse, fear being silenced or terminated? How do we proceed with our charge to examine structural inequities based on race in our community and County Government if we cannot interrogate the impact of our own actions? The Coleman Report, with its challenging findings, serves as additional supporting evidence that our collective course may benefit from a co-designed reset by County leadership and the staff who work to implement our shared vision.

 

 

We request as citizens that the time is now for all of us to begin healing by 1. The entire Board of County Commissioners attending racial equity training and mediation together, as recommended and defined by the Coleman report;  2. Improving interpersonal relations on the Board and with the Board’s interactions towards staff and citizens (As we are working to train employees, what message does it send that our Commissioners appear to be resisting training?). 3. As citizens speaking on an area of public concern and as members of County’s Racial Equity Core Team, we request that the Board employ racial equity tools to its future decision making processes and further move to add a racial equity directive as a high level, guiding principle to each of County Government’s five strategic plan goal areas, in order to avoid disparate impacts among not only its managers, but its employees and citizens. 4. We request that the Board engage in an open town hall to address inequity and race relations in Durham and in Durham County Government and thereby continuing the hard work of striving for racial equity. We look forward to hearing your response, which may be coordinated through the County Racial Equity Officer.  Thank you.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

The Majority of the Durham County Racial Equity Core (GARE) Team

 

 

 

Durham School of the Arts is a lesson in the politics of anti-blackness

commentary - I was reminded of a place I’d been before. The thought of what could have been came to mind. The thought of we shouldn’t be here overwhelmed the moment.

 

We waited for David Hawks to appear. I sat between two angry parents – the mother and father of an honor student. Their son was suspended by Hawks, principal at the prestigious Durham School of the Arts, for doing the forbidden. He was accused of sexting a white girl.

 

The evidence was a lewd picture confiscated by the white mother. The back-and-forth sexting by the white girl and the black teenager was enough to force mama to call the warden. Hawks obliged the demand to protect the virtue and privilege of the white girl who prompted the sex play.

 

There was no conversation with the Black parents prior to the decision. There was no interest in protecting the honor of a Black honor student or conversation involving how this form of discipline followed a trend of disparate treatment.

 

Prior to our visit to the warden’s office, I posted a statement on Facebook. It didn’t take long for school board member Matt Sears to respond to my statement. I felt his protection of Hawks and the pride of his model school. I was struck by Sears public relations pitch.

 

What I felt reminded me of the delicate line Black boys walk in their pursuit of public education. Hawks didn’t see a student with vast potential. He saw a Black boy preying on innocent white girls. He saw a Black boy interfering with his end of year numbers. He didn’t see the glow of Black excellence. He saw another Black man who needed to be punished for speaking to a white woman.

 

The tension in the room reflected years of stereotype breaking. There was a father who knew the pain of invalidation. There was a mother enduring the challenge of loving and building self-esteem in a son slighted because of the color of his skin. There was me, a pastor and friend, present to deconstruct a decision rooted in deeply racist assumptions and practices.

 

There was enough firepower in that room to get Hawks’ attention. He admitted a mistake was made in not contacting parents prior to suspending another Black student. We talked about the psychological damage caused by the hectoring of students. We discussed the insensitivity in trusting and responding to the demands of the white mother without honoring the concerns of Black parents.

 

This is a step toward stagnating Black self-esteem. This is part of a play book in deflating the confidence of Black boys taught their fate is a life of ordeals with law enforcement. It all felt familiar. I was reminded of institutionalized weapons against Black achievement. Hawks’ job was to protect white academic achievement. I felt decades of confrontations aimed at diminishing my dreams.

 

The worst part is the Black student I advocated for on that day is not the only one. There are hundreds of parents who bear witness to the same type of treatment. The numbers prove a startling bias in the treatment of Black and Brown students at Durham School of the Arts. Rather than contend with the hostile treatment, many Black parents have chosen alternative places for their children to attend.

 

The damage is intensified by the unwillingness of school board members to address concerns of Black parents and students. It’s troubling when school performance matters more than the treatment of all students. It’s troubling that, after years of complaints, it took so long for the school board to put an end to Hawks’ reign of terror. It matters when the superintendent is forced to bend under the pressure of white parents and teachers. It matters when the cries of Black and Brown parents are dismissed because white parents crave the academic excellence of their own children more than equal treatment of all students.

 

The outcry after the termination of Hawks is a microcosm of responses related to when white men get fired. It’s a reminder of white privilege. It exposes layers of biases involving assumptions of the status quo. Durham School of the Arts is the white oasis of Durham public education. Its where white parents send their children to avoid the perceived problems in other schools. It’s where you go to avoid being in a vastly Black and Brown environment. White parents can feel good about public education at Durham School of the Arts because it’s managed to avoid the Black and Brown problem of public education.

 

Hawks managed the mystique of the school’s success. He upheld the purity of white supremacy with a strategy of anti-blackness. He viciously eradicated all semblance of blackness without recognizing the failures of his implicit bias. Hawks isn’t alone in his failings. His actions were reinforced by both Black and white people who lean in heavy toward teaching and affirming principles aimed at inspiring the characteristics of whiteness.

 

The failures of Durham School of the Arts transcend the mistakes of one person. This is an example of institutionalized whiteness working to moderate the influence of blackness. Understanding what happened at Durham School of the Arts is best understood within the context of the Durham Public Schools system. It requires a deep analysis of the history of school merger, the why and how Durham School of the Arts was created to cuddle white parents and the ongoing bickering to maintain its reputation as the darling of Durham’s public schools.

 

Durham School of the Arts is an example of what white progressive centered discrimination creates. It looks like progress, but it is managed by the assumptions of white supremacy. To succeed, it demands the expulsion of blackness. It does this work casually, and often doesn’t recognize the cruelty of its actions. It doesn’t know it’s racism because the protection of whiteness is embedded in perceptions regarding success. Being further removed from blackness is the fundamental goal of the people building the curriculum for that understanding of success.

 

I welcomed Hawks with a handshake. I could feel it. His desire to maintain whiteness made it difficult for him to respect my black hand.

  

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Black parents and students at Durham School of the Arts not surprised by the ouster of the principal

 Black parents of students at Durham School of the Arts aren’t surprised members of the Durham Board of Education decided not to renew David Hawks contract as the principal of the school. Many are asking why it took so long. 

While many white parents posted comments on social media followed by a news report headlined “Mysterious firing of top Durham high school principal angers students, parents,” Black parents are wondering why it’s a mystery.

In January 2019, Rev. Dr. Fatimah Salleh posted comments on Facebook that gained thousands of reactions. The story she told of her son’s suspension sparked responses from other parents of Black and Brown students involving Hawks leadership at Durham School of the Arts.

 

Micah Sorenson, Salleh’s son, shared his story of In School Suspension when parents and students showed up to protest during a school board meeting. He also talked about a friend who dropped out of school after he was given a week of ISS. Sorenson said he was the smartest person he knew.

 

“As great as we are as a school, we are not perfect. And we strive to become better each day,” Hawks said during that meeting. “One area we acknowledge in which we must do better is fully developing our restorative justice center, which is a new concept this year.”

 

Black and Brown parents say they never saw things change. Salleh transferred her son to another school within the district.

 

“According to both qualitative and quantitative data, this school has been openly racist under his leadership for years,” Salleh said.” “Years! It wasn’t a secret; it was just allowed because Black and Brown and EC children’s education and well-being were and are expendable.”

 

Salleh says she believes Hawks is committed to what he believes without creating space for pondering the failures of his assumptions.

 

“Mr. Hawks succeeded at being racist, which ain’t saying much because the system is set up for that type of success,” Salleh said. “And for all that supremacy to succeed, there are too many casualties – for one is too many. We, as a district, let this happen on our watch, and that’s something that we, as a community, need to ultimately interrogate and correct.”

 

Maya Jackson was born and attended public school during the merger of Durham City and Durham County Schools. When considering options for her children, Durham School of the Arts was on her list.

 

“This principal (Hawks) is the reason why we declined to attend Durham School of the Arts,” Jackson said. “He declined to address families with Black children inquiring about the treatment of Black youth and sent his vice principal to talk to us.”

 

Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock is co-founder and lead curator of “we are” (working to extend anti-racist education). She says she fully supports the board’s decision-making that aligns with upholding equity and prioritizes the safety of our children.

 

“I was glad to hear that David Hawks’ contract as principal at Durham School of the Arts was not renewed,” Taylor Bullock said.  “I have personally heard several first-hand accounts from parents, students, and educators about the toxic culture that his leadership upheld. Black and Brown students and students with disabilities have been pushed out of that school over the years.”

 

Taylor Bullock says white supremacy and the fear white parents’ backlash has allowed Hawks to stay in his position of power for so long.

 

“To them (white supporters), he has been wonderful. However, those same families have either turned a blind eye to the stories of harm that Black and Brown families have been sharing or they just do not know what has been happening,” Taylor Bullock said. “Both of these scenarios are problematic and rooted in whiteness. Some may care to gain a better understanding of why the School Board decided to not renew his contract and some may not. At the end of the day, the Board members chose to prioritize what they believe will be best for DSA, and I hope they stick by that decision.”

Taylor Bullock says she has been paying attention to the discipline data the school district shares. That data reveals Durham School of the Arts disproportionately sends Black and Brown students to In School Suspension or Restorative Justice Center and they have more referrals than any other school in the district.

 

“It’s a new day in Durham Public Schools,” Taylor Bullock said. “This was a historic decision.”

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Vegas Don knows these Durham streets

Vegas Don says he shot 17 of his own people while selling cocaine as the leader of a notorious Durham street gang. 

 

 

In 1987, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for shooting at someone, but the conviction was overturned in 1992. His life and way of life is featured in “Welcome to Durham”, a 2007 documentary about gangs in Durham. The film placed Durham on the national radar as a small town with a gang problem. 

 

 

Vegas Don’s real name is Otis Lyons. His name change is reminiscent of a biblical Damascus Road experience. Things radically shifted after he went to prison. He started Campaign4Change, a nonprofit working to deter young people from the life he once lived. Lyons says he stopped dealing dope to become a hope dealer.

 

 

Durham needs massive hope. Last year, 318 people were shot, and 33 people died. Close to 100 people have been shot so far this year. With mounting gun violence, Mayor Pro Tem Jillian Johnson, Council members Charlie Reece, Pierce Freelon and Javiera Caballero are supporting a plan to shift 60 police department vacancies over a three-year period into a new community safety unit. The new unit promises to offer mental health and other alternatives to law enforcement.

 

 

Durham Beyond Policing, a grassroots campaign to divest from policing and prisons and reinvest funding into supporting health and wellbeing of Black and Brown people, is spearheading the Durham defund police movement.

 

 

The Rev-elution asked Lyons for input regarding police funding, gun violence and public education. When asked if anyone on the city council has reached out to discuss his thoughts, he answered no.

 

 

Lyons offers a balanced approach. He advocates for alternative solutions to law enforcement while understanding the need for more police in the streets.

 

 

“You know you can’t have two cops being sent to all the projects,” Lyons said. “All the projects got gangs. All the projects got shootouts. So, you can’t say not more police. I just think the traditional way of funding and how they’re doing it needs to be looked at. You know the reason why crime is continuing to grow. It’s simple. We could keep doing the same old things, talking the same talk and not bringing the right people to the table.

 

 

Lyons says it would help to pay gang members to come to the table to discuss ways to reduce violent crime and that secret incentives will help people feel safe in sharing what they see every day.

 

 

“If you got four or five kids on the block, and you know they got guns and you know people are not saying anything, we need to try to encourage people in some type of way, some type of new program to give some revenue to call the police and say hey these young people are playing games, that they got guns. It takes stuff like that to get the community more involved.”

 

 

It’s been more than 20 years since Lyons started Campaign4Change. He says the young people who were on the streets gang banging before he changed his life are now the parents of the kids he’s dealing with today. In 2009, Lyons released a DVD to help parents deal with the reality of life in the streets.

 

 

“It's almost like if you put a kid in a rat cage, which in our case they put these kids in the projects. You got five rats in a cage, and when you put one piece of cheese in that cage, and let's say eight days later they'll kill each other to get their piece of cheese,” Lyons said.  “It’s what is happening to our kids. They can get some money and they’re fighting for territory, and it's almost like that's the piece of cheese.”

 

 

Lyons says he’s troubled by the impact a lack of mental health options plays in maintaining the cycle of violence among Black youth. In his work with Campaign4Change, he often has conversations with people who commit violent crimes.

 

 

“I can deal with the kid that just killed somebody on Monday. I have a conversation with that person, and I can see the child. You get what I'm saying? Like absolutely, it's no way this kid killed somebody, but he did,” Lyons said. “I'm saying these actual facts. I know this person is a killer and this is a kid.”

 

 

Lyons says conversations involving school funding fail to address the real problems facing youth most impacted by poverty and violence.

 

 

“Why are we putting all this money in education when these kids ain’t even going to school,” Lyons said. “When you do that, you really support your kids, and you know the other kids that we are trying to get back in school get’s nothing. We need to balance it out because you can’t educate a guy that ain’t going to school. You can’t educate a kid that when they do go to school he’s disrupted and is cussing out the teachers. How can you educate a kid that’s just not willing to learn?”

 

 

Lyons believes more attention should focus on youth who aren’t being educated. He says youth need to be taught principles and morals to help make them become productive citizens.

 

 

“They don't know what respect and morals and honoring the elderly means,” Lyons said. “We got to bring those values back. We got to remind them they are worthy. Like I said, the system makes them feel they’re not worthy.”  

 

 

Lyons says conversations involving school funding fail to consider the needs of youth who fall through the gaps of traditional public education.

 

 

“Why don’t we take care of kids that dropped out of school, don't give a damn about school and got other issues,” Lyons said. “You can't even educate a kid that's hungry. You can’t educate a kid who is being abused.”

 

 

Lyons says he often reminds people these kids weren’t born evil. There are a variety of circumstances that make it difficult to break the cycle. Lyons also believes there is a system set up to hinder the progress of Black youth.

 

 

“You could look just from the basic principles of a child growing up with everything wrapped around white supremacists’ ideas,” Lyons said. “It's just in every fabric of what we do and how we educate these kids.”

 

 

Lyons reminds us not to forget the wisdom of the people who have lived among and worked with the people on the other side of the street. Many of our public policies are crafted from a place of privilege. It is easy to assume our politicians know what’s best. A vote is a statement of trust that time is spent pondering every conceivable perspective.

 

 

It took 17 shots at his own people and five years in prison for Lyons to become a hope dealer. Durham needs some hope.

 

 

Is anyone listening?

 

 

 

Rev-elution is fully supported by the contributions of its readers. Support local, independent Black journalism by contributing at: Cash App, $CMizzou, or Venmo, Carl-Kenney-1