Howerton's strong leadership deserves another term as chairwoman

(Members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners: Brenda Howerton, Nida Alam, Nimasheena Burns, Heidi Carter and Wendy Jacobs)

COMMENTARY - Members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners will soon vote on their board chair. It’s hard to imagine not extending the services of Brenda Howerton.

The best way to describe Howerton’s work is heroic. Howerton, along with former chair Wendy Jacobs, resuscitated the life back into county government after the exit of former County Manager Wendell Davis. Together, they teamed up to rekindle confidence when the brutal back and forth reminded residents of stories involving the Hatfield and McCoy feud near the Kentucky side of Tug Fork.

Many residents forget the massive tug in the soul of local harmony after Davis accused a member of the board of acts and statements viewed as racist. Residents may remember the disgusting conduct that pitted members of the board against many Black citizens weary of the motives leading to the decision to end a Black man’s career in county government.

People reasoned Davis had to go for not being progressive enough for Durham. A member of the board of education derided his upscale attire. A member of the city council blasted that Black man for spewing a racist trope to degrade Davis.

Howerton stood alone in support of former County Attorney Lowell Siler’s recommendation to employ the services of The Robert Bobb Group, a minority-owned national consulting firm, to help Durham County wiggle out of the mess created by members of the board. Nimasheenda Burns, the other Black woman on the board, sided with those critics and her colleagues on the commission incensed by Bobbs time as an appointed Emergency Financial Manager of the Detroit Public Schools between 2009-2011.

Siler seemed humiliated during the virtual meeting questioning both his leadership and judgement. That moment ended Siler’s public service as county attorney after a stroke. Siler died on Sept. 8.

The board never received the type of consulting recommended by Siler, The International City/County Management Association and the independent investigator hired by the county to consider the actions of both Davis and a member of the board.

Durham County endured the impact of Covid-19. The board faced challenges after members of the Durham County employees racial equity core committee made demands of the board following the end of Davis’s contract.

Members of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) cohort outlined a strategy that includes: (1) board members attending racial equity training, (2) improved interpersonal relationships on the board, (3) request that the board “employ racial equity tools to its future decision making processes and future moves 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.”

Durham had to replace its county manager during a time of extreme hostility. Members of the board faced the lingering effects related to the loss of their competent and popular county attorney. The board faced challenges from a community divided on the budget for public education.

Howerton provided strong and consistent leadership. Jacobs relinquished her role as board chair to support Howerton in ways that model unity. Both deserve recognition for shifting the culture within both county government and in Durham County.

We’ve come a long way since the last election. As residents consider the slate of candidates who will file for office over the next 30 days, keep your eyes on who the commissioner selects as the chair.

I seriously recommend staying on track. The Durham locomotive is headed in the right direction thanks to Howerton and Jacobs.

All in favor say Aye

Conflict over Durham youth detention center raises conflicting answers: New questions, please

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COMMENTARY: Determining the right answer begins with asking the right question.

What games do young people play when there’s no place to go?

The answer is horrifying. Some play bang, bang at The Streets at Southpoint and other places in Durham.

The follow-up question is even more dismaying. What do we do with youth when we’re fed up with their play?

Lock them up and throw away the keys. Wrong answer.

Recent skirmishes at Durham’s lavish mall have triggered the panic button among residents preparing for Christmas shopping. On December 8, one person was assaulted during a robbery outside a store at the mall.  This follows an incident on Black Friday that has residents increasing the rate of head scratching aimed at making sense of the madness. Three people were wounded, and three others were injured. The shooting victims include a 10-year-old, injured by a ricocheting bullet.

Criminals are getting younger. Is that true? What happens when children get caught in playing deadly games? Do we lock them up? Do we send them away? Do we give them another chance? How many?

What about their victims?

Questions. Questions. Questions.

One more question. What happens when clashing answers respond to a different question?

The answer – a ball of confusion.

On Monday, members of the Durham Board of County Commissioners will vote on the construction of a new and expanded $30 million youth detention center with space to house 60 juveniles.

County officials say the plan follows a court order to create an alternative to separate juveniles and adults in the Durham County jail. The order was part of the settlement in a civil lawsuit filed by Julia Graves after the death of her 17-year-old daughter, Uniece Gleanae Fennell, who was found hanging by County detention officers at the County detention center. Fennell was a minor at the time of her death. She occupied more than a year in jail after being charged in a drive-by shooting.

What do we learn from Fennell’s death?

The answer, according to County officials, is to build a separate place for juveniles facing felonies. The alternative is to locate places outside the county. It’s not the perfect answer, but is there a more valid option?

Members of Durham Beyond Police (DBP) have a different answer. No more jails. No more prisons. No more police. Invest all the money in prevention. All of it.

DBP’s answer addresses what to do before a juvenile has a gun in their hand. Another imperfect answer.

The varied answers reflect responses to different, albeit connected, questions.

DBP answer, “what games do young people play when there’s no place to go?”

County officials answer, “what do we do with youth when we’re fed up with their play?”

DBP offers the correct answer. We need wraparound services to support troubled youth and their parents.

County officials get it right. We need an alternative to the outdated youth detention center and to sending juveniles to another county.

One answer stops the problem before it happens. The other addresses what to do after things are out of control.

The answer may require a different set of questions.

It is true. The criminal justice system sucks. The school to prison pipeline is a real “thing”. It is true, more money needs to be invested in mental health options.

It is true. Juveniles are committing violent crimes. We can’t treat them like adults, but…but, what’s the answer?

It may help to accept the frailty of most of the answers. They fit the bottomless agendas of policy makers stuck on the assumptions of their campaign speeches and mission statements. When it becomes more critical to prove the merits of their claims, the answer consumes the breath of youth clinging to life.

This is not a dissertation or master’s thesis. This is not a problem to be solved with the victor winning the great prize - the prize of elected office. The lives of Black and Brown youth transcend the movement of pieces on a chess board. No, this is not a game.

We hear your answer.

Let’s try a different question.

What can we do to support youth caught up in a world of trouble after having no place to play?

Another imperfect question.

The right answer is on both sides of the table.

Your move.