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.”

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?

 

 

 

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.

 

 

How to destroy a Black politician: The LeVon Barnes decision

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“carl, if you are in town this week, I would love to have a sit down with you and learn about the history of Durham politics,” the request was sent on September 5, 2017, by LeVon Barnes at 9:34 a.m. It was the beginning of an ongoing conversation involving politics in Durham.

We met the following day at Coco Cinnamon. It was a pleasant day. He found me outside as I was sipping a glass of yerba mate. We discussed Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, the Black Baptist pastor who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Barnes called Walker his mentor, a point that made it easier for me to understand his passion for politics. My previous conversations with Dr. Walker were a journey into a period of American history when Black men and women did more than stand on the sideline while others fought for their rights.

Dr. Walker was dying. The sadness in the air connected the two of us beyond the galling drama of Durham politics.

The details matter when you’re discussing the political death of a Black man.

Barnes placed his name in the hat as a candidate for the Ward 2 city council seat. Two other Black men, Mark-Anthony Middleton and John Rooks, were also running. Rooks received the endorsement of People’s Alliance’s (PA) Political Action Committee. Rooks was under attack for comments on his questionnaire perceived as homophobic.

Rooks responded with a rebuttal that blamed a staff volunteer for filling out the questionnaire. Barnes attributed the rebuttal as the work of Tom Miller, a PA board member.

PA’s General Body reversed the PAC’s recommendation after Charlie Reece made an impassioned appeal for the group to endorse Mark-Anthony Middleton. It was a contentious meeting with supporters from McDougald Terrance vying for Rooks with members of Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods (CAN) supporting Middleton. Barnes was left on the outside in a battle between two other Black men lobbying for the support of the powerful, mostly white PAC.

“Off the bat, you need to have a huge, volunteer base. Organizations matter. The best candidate sometimes doesn’t win,” Barnes stated in a message sent to me on October 11, 2017. “Are we really progressive, or do we just talk progressive. A lot of the voting base is not informed, it doesn’t matter what you say, as long as the People Alliance backs you.

It was a precursor of things to come. Barnes ran without the support of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People (DCABP). He met with Omar Beasley, who served as the chair at the time, and Keith Bishop, a member of DCABP’s executive committee. They advised Barnes not to run. They felt more time was needed to build relationships.

I gave the same advice. Barnes was sprinting in a race that required the endurance of a long-distance runner. He was determined not to give up.

“Meaning I would love to be someone who is remembered for being a culture changer here,” he wrote on October 24, 2017. “Whose leadership transcends all people, because it was pure, and it was about people. I guess like a Wyatt Tee Walker or Dr. King.”

The Decision

Fast forward to “The Decision”.

That’s the title Barnes gave to episode #26 on his "Unapologetic Podcast". “The Decision” was to endorse Charlie Reece, Jillian Johnson and Javiera Cabellero for city council rather than Joshua Gunn, his fraternity brother. The trio branded themselves as Bull City Together and hoped their experience as incumbents on the city council would be enough to defeat Gunn, a popular Durham native.

Barnes filed as a candidate in a crowded field for the Durham Board of County Commissioners. The word circulating was Barnes endorsed the Bull City Together slate in exchange for their promised endorsement.

“Man, it’s getting harder to defend you,” I stated in a message sent to Barnes on December 30, 2019. “Tell me it all isn’t true. A fundraiser for you being planned by Charlie, Jillian, and Javier. The promise of a PA endorsement.”

“Anything to take me out. I’m sorry, but my level of disgust is real. Somebody is going to believe it,” Barnes responded. “Plus, you know when something like that is said it runs deeper than just an election.”

On Thursday, October 21, Barnes bared his soul on his podcast. He took every question and criticism I launched to get at the truth. We talked about his tarnished reputation. We discussed his being called a sellout by some people in the Black community. He also shared the burden of it all – the loss of a girlfriend and contemplating suicide.

The exchange was part confessional coupled with the offering of redemption. A big mistake was made. Barnes talked about the mistakes.

He agreed to work on Reece’s campaign due to their relationship. Barnes, a physical education teacher and basketball coach, received funding from Reece and his wife for Young Male Achievers, his nonprofit organization.

Barnes was serving as Co-Chair of the DCABP Education Committee with Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock when he agreed to work with Reece. He failed to divulge his involvement with members of the DCABP. Working on a political campaign was a violation of the organization’s bylaws.

Barnes says he felt justified after the DCABP endorsed Reece for city council. The moment of his critical decision came when he was told Reece would campaign with Cabellero and Johnson. He continued to work on the campaign after learning of Gunn’s candidacy.

He told members of the Bull City Together team he wouldn’t engage in supporting negative statements made about his fraternity brother. The promise was challenged after a heated exchange at the August 21, 2019, PA endorsement meeting. Rodrigo Dorfman was concerned that an endorsement of Gunn would leave Cabellero without the support she needed to continue as the first Latina to serve on the council.

Barnes says he heard the exchange between Dorfman and Nia Wilson, co-director of SpiritHouse, and Michelle Cotton Laws, who challenged David Price for U.S. Congress. During a meeting a few days later called to address concerns related to the exchange, Barnes says he fought for some form of censure due to the attack on two Black women.

He continued to serve on the Bull City Together campaign. There was an opportunity to bow out. He was being compensated for his work. He honored his promise to Reece.

What followed was a rapid regression that placed him on the outside of Durham’s Black politically engaged community. He made a decision that hampered his relationships with members of Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity he shares with Gunn and a pack of local Black pastors. His role with the DCABP was over.

He lost his bid to join the Durham Board of County Commissioners. He fought for Reece, his friend who convinced him to work on his campaign. Reece didn’t fight on behalf of Barnes when he needed endorsements. Cabellero and Johnson left him to contend on his own.

The price he paid was isolation and rejection.

Barnes says he doesn’t feel used. It sounds like he was played like keys on a piano. The music is a broken record of another Black man sacrificed for promoting the wishes of others not willing to repay the favor.

Is it worth it?

Barnes played a game like the one played by Pierce Freelon. The puzzle involving how Freelon won a seat on the city council has pieces that fit a narrative of gains made after walking away from the Black community. Freelon may point to policies aimed at abolishing the police. Black leaders point to crafty maneuvering after failing to endorse Farad Ali for Mayor and Gunn, another homegrown Black man who, like Freelon, is a hip-hop recording artist.

Barnes says he considered suicide after his friends walked away – his girlfriend, members of the DCABP, and the Bull City Together team. He took a bullet for their political cause. When he suffered from the wound, they weren’t there to offer CPR.

I saw Barnes walking, alone, at the Black Farmers Market on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It was months after he lost the election and word of his perceived treason flooded conversations in the Black community. He was wearing an Alpha Phi Alpha jacket – alone. In that moment, I thought of Gunn, who, at the time, was a partner of Provident1898, the co-working space in the North Carolina Mutual building. The farmer’s market was held in the NC Mutual parking lot. It was hard not to make the connection.

There was a sadness on his face. It was the look of dejection that comes with attempts to overcome a bad decision. I thought of stopping. I didn’t. Maybe, it was too soon. Maybe, it was too late.

What’s next?

I believe in redemption stories. Barnes isn’t 40, yet. There’s time to overcome the misfortune of a bad decision. I’m reminded we all make mistakes. It’s much harder when mistakes are made in public view. There was a moment in the podcast. It was a constant thread of moments, like a great chain of consciousness beckoning a pain deeper than things imagined finding peace. I felt the call of ancestors commissioning the burning of white sage and a bawl of deep unto deep.

I felt the presence of Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, like a descending angel, reminding me of a greater calling. The work of wounded spirits and souls harmed by bad decisions caught me in the middle of Barnes’ confession. I’m reminded that my work with Black men and women rebuffs the urge to throw the gifts of life away. There was merit in Barnes’ confession beyond the work of a political office. I heard every word as a symbol of grace. Each word. Like moans in search of redemption.

The lesson

It pains me that Barnes was treated like disposable goods. His yearning to make a difference was used to manipulate him into serving members of the Bull City Together team. There complicity may not be intentional, but the outcome is irrevocable – like the last rights before the last breath.

These are lessons on how to destroy a Black politician. You cover him with promises. You surround him with perceived validation. You seduce him with promises of a better way on the other side of political visions. You suck the life from those dreams after a perpetual season of disappointment - no endorsements to match the passion.

It looks like gold on the other side of those hills. It’s fools’ gold. Don’t go there, because it gets lonely after the promise fades into the truth of being manipulated into carrying the heavy load of their tainted victory.

I welcomed Barnes back home.

Join me in the reunion.

 

 

Activism: More than a photo opp

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Commentary: carl w. kenney ii

The world I knew completely changed on the day I met Alexandra Valladares.

A life limited by eyes wide shut took a blink to discover a world with unmeasured dimension. I knew the multiple shades of blackness and the beats and rhythms inspiring me to dance. I knew the oasis of Black love and the tender strokes of my Black mama’s love whenever sadness shifted to depression. I understood the power of collective memories and the call of the ancestors beckoning me to keep moving when troubles got in my way.

Still, something was missing.

I felt a divide created by distance, language, culture, and complicated histories. I felt the challenge of telling untold stories with a firm understanding of the life and witness of Brown people. I had to admit what I didn’t know. It’s difficult telling stories without discernment of lessons limited to articles and Facebook postings.

We met at a local coffeehouse. I began by telling Alexandra I wanted to write a story for Durham Magazine about the experiences of Latina’s living in Durham. Five minutes later, I told her I wanted to write a series of articles. Ten minutes later, I told her she needed to write about her experience. Finally, 30 minutes later, I begged her to run for office.

I fought back tears as she talked about jumping the fence to enter America after escaping the hardship of Honduras. She shared her experience of living in McDougald Terrace, graduating from Hillside High School and North Carolina Central University. She disclosed being a single parent after getting married young, enduring a divorce, and doing her best to be a mother in a system packed with limitations.

We discussed the burden of advocacy - the brutal pain related to witnessing parents struggle to communicate feelings when language barriers get in the way.

Again, I begged her to run for office.

It was complicated.

After fighting to secure a spot on the Durham City Council for Javiera Cabellero, I witnessed the disappointment when Cabellero failed to endorse Alexandra. She didn’t complain. It wasn’t mentioned, but, I wondered, why not. I watched as advocates of Latina inclusion on the city council failed to acknowledge the importance of the same on the board of education. I noted the extreme contradiction, prayed, and prepared for a better day.

The answer to that prayer was to build and promote a Black and Brown coalition. The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People endorsed Alexandra over Steve Unruhe, a popular and competent member of the school board. Alexandra narrowly received the endorsement of People’s Alliance. Some of the members of People’s Alliance were infuriated and responded with a vicious counterattack.

I met new brothers and sisters. I listened to Ivan Almonte tell the story and reasons for his activism. I developed a bond with Sandro A Mendoza, another brother from another mother, who teaches me new lessons every time I shake his hand. My respect for Aidil Ortiz grew more as I watched her interact with my Brown brothers and sisters with a grace brewed after years of listening to each other talk about life in the Bull City.

My celebration of Alexandra’s placement on the Durham Public School’s Board of Education is because it matters. Not just because she’s Latina, but because she represents what it means to build an authentic Black and Bown coalition. She exemplifies activism with the people.

My work with Alexandra, Aidil, Sandro and Ivan imparts lessons in listening. They help me think critically about the massive assumptions people make regarding inclusion. Genuine inclusion happens with the people. It’s not a photo opp. It doesn’t seek the affirmation of people not impacted by the labor. It’s not engineered by out-of-town activism with ripples of contributions from people who never stepped foot in the community. It’s not the ideological vision of state and national directives formed in isolation from the people who live both night and day with blockades limiting pure inclusion.

My Brown brothers and sisters teach me lessons about the purity of love and community. This is the work they do because the survival of their neighbors depends on their success. They do it when no one is watching. They do it with limited resources and the lack of consistent affirmation.

I think of them when I witness the influx of endorsements and campaign material from organizations with limited Durham connections. I listen to them as they remind me of the work done with and for the people. I pray when I consider the privilege of support afforded the people who walk and talk with the advantage of Latino class privilege.

Not my words and thoughts. It’s the message taught when eyes, once wide shut, blinks twice to discover a world of unmeasurable dimension.

I see the world in Black and Brown. Shades of white are welcome.

 

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

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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