District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard wants fellow board members to consider establishing an Oktibbeha County race relations committee charged with working with various community groups to help continue promoting equality.
Howard first announced his desire for a new committee at the board’s first meeting in January.
The board of supervisors would be tasked with outlining the group’s structure, operating parameters and members, but Howard said he hopes the committee will work with law enforcement group agencies in times of need and will “highlight positive things that go on in the county, as opposed to only hearing about negative things that happen.”
“Communication will be the key success in anything this committee does, because it will serve as a voice for all of Oktibbeha County,” he said. “It’s important to be proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to things like race relations. We should also be mindful that this group should be made up of a diverse cross section of individuals from all aspects of life.”
Members of the Unity Park Committee, the group of concerned residents that fought for the public greenspace’s opening in the past, could serve as the primary members of the group, Howard said.
“They’ve all agreed to serve. I’d like to get it put in place as soon as possible so they can continue their work,” he said.
Unity Park Committee Chairman Brother Rogers said he was open to serve if nominated. If the board establishes the committee, each supervisor is expected to nominate its members. Howard did not say if the committee would have one or multiple seats representing each of Oktibbeha County’s five supervisor districts.
“Anything we can do to help promote unity and racial equality is something that I think everybody should be on board with,” Rogers said.
Park committee mulling new honoree process
Residents who spent their lives advancing equality in Oktibbeha County could be honored with Unity Park inductions next year, Rogers said.
Unity Park Committee members have discussed the process of how to move forward with future honorees and will continue to hammer out its criteria this year, he said.
Early discussions, he said, involve the park honoring deceased residents who have “promoted a lifetime of good race relations in Starkville and Oktibbeha County.”
“We want to recognize those who made their contributions locally, but no final decisions have been made,” Rogers said. “We don’t know yet if the honor will be with a brick or a small plaque, but hopefully we can have new names in the park in a year from now.”
Groups ready MLK events
The Oktibbeha County NAACP were scheduled to lead a march and rally beginning at 1:30 p.m. today. The route began at the end of D.L. Conner Drive and proceeded to Jefferson Street, Jackson Street and Main Street, concluding at Unity Park, located between Mugshots and the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department.
A ceremony featuring Wilburn Smith, Mississippi State University’s NAACP chapter president, begins at 2 p.m.
Flag debate set for Tuesday
Supervisors will discuss the future of the Mississippi state flag in Oktibbeha County at their 5:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday at the county courthouse.
Howard added the topic to the agenda last week after supervisors deadlocked Jan. 4 on an unplanned motion to lower the flag from county-owned properties.
The District 3 supervisor abstained from this month’s vote and said he wanted public discourse to occur before taking action.
“I want the public to feel like they at least have an opportunity to voice their opinions on this issue,” he said. “I want to be able to give everyone the opportunity to feel like they are truly part of the process, regardless of what side of the issue they stand on.”
Starkville aldermen joined other municipalities and counties across Mississippi last year by lowering the state flag from above its properties in July.
Similar actions were taken by the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi. In September, MSU’s student government group called for the adoption of a new state flag.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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