Coalition for African-American Organizations reactivates
by Danza Johnson/NEMS Daily Journal
5 months ago | 895 views | 10 10 comments | 7 7 recommendations | email to a friend | print
TUPELO – The Coalition for African-American Organizations announced its reactivation Saturday after a couple of years of inactivity.

The organization formed in 2004 when it sued the city of Tupelo over its at-large system on the City Council. The city eliminated the at-large seats, and the 2009 election was the first without the positions and also featured newly drawn district lines.

After the victory, the group became inactive. However, spokesman Kenneth Mayfield said some recent issues in the city prompted leaders to reactivate the coalition.

“This coalition was formed several years ago to deal with problems that were affecting the black community in Lee County,” said Mayfield. “Now new issues have come up, which is prompting us to once again reactivate. This coalition is meant to be a way for dialogue to be exchanged between our leaders and the people. We want to get things done by talking about them so we won’t have to resort to things we had to do many years ago.”

Some of the issues of concern for the coalition are the treatment of newly rehired Deputy Police Chief Robert Hall in Tupelo, the lack of support Justice Court Judge Ricky Thompson is receiving for drug court and the treatment of inmates in the Lee County Detention Center, according to Mayfield.

“We want people to know we fully support Robert Hall and commend the mayor, Chief Tony Carleton and the council members who voted for Robert for doing the right thing,” said Mayfield. “But there are members of the board who have publicly spoken negatively about him and we feel this is not helping the city to improve. We need to work as one city to improve things and everyone isn’t doing that.”

Mayfield said the coalition is on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting. The group will present and discuss these issue and more with the council. They also will meet with the Lee County Board of Supervisors.

The organization is made up of several smaller organizations like the Alcorn State Alumni Association, Coalition for Change, Committee for King, Lee County Chapter of the NAACP and many others.

Contact Danza Johnson at (662) 678-1583 or danza.johnson@djournal.com.
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comments (10)
« DFWSpiderman wrote on Monday, Apr 05 at 12:37 AM »
I have seen this Mayfield cat around town. He looks as though he is still living in the 1960's. All he needs is one of those black power "fist" picks in his 'fro to look the part.

Is anyoine really shocked that this so-called coalition is in favor of Hall? The funny thing is that they blacks in the community must have a short memory, as Hall was much more likely in the past to cater to rich whites than he was your average black.
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« Flemmings wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 10:32 PM »
I believe that in this country Mr. Mayfield and the Coalition for African-American Organizations have the right to organize and express their opinions to our local government just like the tea party or any other group does.

However I not exactly sure what Mr. Mayfield meant when he stated (quote: "We want to get things done by talking about them so we won’t have to resort to things we had to do many years ago.”) I guess this is some type of threat at the council, maybe the Mayor, maybe the leaders in the community, or I guess whoever disagrees with his point of view.

I think the group made a pretty good legal argument on the elimination of the at-large council seats, and there was a time in our history during the civil rights movement that groups like this served a noble and needed cause.

But for some reason this story reminds me of reading about the Japanese solders who were left on small deserted islands after the end of WWII who were still waging war even though the war had been over for several years.

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« bankertup wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 08:06 PM »
Here are the facts. A few blacks in the area who live off of what white people give them; want to make sure one of their own gets his part. There are a lot of blacks who work hard for what they have. As in this case there are a few blacks who get together and see what they can get from whites and not work for it. How dare you white people say this convicted felon can’t have his free ride. Until whites ban together and stop this, it will continue. CASE CLOSED.
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« kmydja wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 06:06 PM »
As a former resident of Lee county and Tupelo Ms, I am disappointed at the black leaders and politicians. I thought we had moved beyond all this!The 1970's I thought brought change on both sides.It seems to me that blacks always play the race card when they get in trouble.It is also played in regards to jobs etc etc.As a white person I cannot play ANY card to get out of trouble or get a job!Maybe we need an organization to protect our rights as Whites....

Not a racist organization,but one that protects OUR rights that are violated by blacks and others....
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« rikkione wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 05:08 PM »
These organizations do not represent all the black citizens of our community. Most of these organiztions are outdated and serve no purpose. This is 2010 and not just black and white. Blacks are not considered the minority anymore. Asian-Americans,Native Americans,Hispanics,Latinos,and others,that work and contribute to the city are the minorities. These citizens may need an organization for them, if we are going to call ourselves black and white.
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« i'mbroke wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 03:27 PM »
White people can have their opinions, but the black community raises valid issues here. Judge Ricky Thompson is a decent and fair judge. I support him. He is trying to do something for the community as a whole with the drug court and deserves support with it from the entire community.

As for Mr. Hall, I dare say that maybe other officers have done the same, just nothing was made of it. I don't know Mr. Hall, but I am told that he is a decent person and officer by his former fellow workers. That carries a lot of weight.

Start looking at the bigger picture here and quit making it a black/white issue. I know that this Coalition is being reactivated, but would they have to do this if they thought some headway is being made into these issues?
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« MtnWing wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 02:56 PM »
Let me get this straight. Had a white drunk hit a black kid on a bike, and the white investigating officer then let the drunk walk, do you think that would have been okay with the blacks? And if the white officer's job had been terminated, would that have made it more palatable for black folks? Okay, then what if that white officer was re-hired, even though he was obviously guilty of poor job performance, would Mayfield and others on the coalition have re-formed to make sure the white officer got fired again, after having been rehired by a police chief and mayor who obviously used extremely poor judgement? Black coalition members, methinks if you are ever to gain the respect of white people, and quit doing things to increase the hatred of you and your intents, you are going to have to become part of the solution, not continue adding to the problems. Not all decisions and actions are based solely upon race. It will come as a surprise to you that some are made by using common sense. Actions such as are being activated by the black coalition are the very reason I moved away from Mississippi, and I have not missed the race wars which blacks try to instigate one bit.
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« poo85 wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 01:42 PM »
So basically white people can't have opinions that might in any way contradict the opinions of black people?

I wonder where Kenneth would be if it were a white officer in the same situation.

justanobody- You are exactly right!
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« justanobody wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 10:39 AM »
what a freakin joke!!! they hired this idiot back & a few blacks form a "coalition" to tend to things they don't like. There is black history month, there is the NAACP, there was a black inventors display a few months back, there are black colleges...what if there was a white history month, a white inventors display, God forbid a white college??? there would be a riot within 2 hours of the announcement. slavery was abolished years ago. i'm so tired of people and organizations being scared into a decision because of the word "discrimination" being yelled by some idiot or idiots!! it's really getting old, kinda like the boy yelling wolf!! eventually nobody cares or listens anymore!!
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« RollTide-Marine wrote on Sunday, Apr 04 at 09:25 AM »
Well here is the real power behind reed, carlton. this gang who tries to hide behind some fancy name.

Now come the threats to the council members who had the guts to speak up on this hall thing being rammed down our throats. what are they going to do boycott some restaurants, who cares. I thought we lived in AMERICA we can speak freely, no council member caused a riot or anything like that, they just spoke there opinion about hall. Oh by the way i don't give a crap about the inmates in lee county jail, white or black. THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON YOU IDIOT COALITION. I know a few of those idiots they need to be in jail for the crooked business they ran.
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