For Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem, last Tuesday’s Columbus council meeting was an end and a beginning.
The councilman formally announced his resignation from the seat he’s held since 2009, paving the way for him to begin his first term as the District 41 representative in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
Karriem succeeded former Ward 5 Councilman Jay Jordan. Karriem was the first to hold the seat for consecutive terms since Virginia Hooper held it for 22 years.
Karriem said the council’s politics could, at times, make it difficult to move the city forward in a direction he preferred. But, for all the challenges, he said he’s proud of the time he served on the council and its accomplishments during his tenure.
“Despite the challenges we had, we did some really, really good things on the council,” Karriem said. “I’m leaving on a good note.”
Karriem pointed to achievements such as the appointment of the first African American police and fire chiefs during his tenure; the creation of a gun buyback program; the creation of a citizen oversight committee for the Columbus Police Department; and approving the currently under-construction Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater.
For Karriem, the six years on the council were a time for personal growth. He said he saw that not only in himself, but his fellow councilmen.
“Of course, it’s been a growing process, but I think the whole entire council has grown through my tenure, because of some of the things that have been brought before us and some of the challenges we have faced,” Karriem said. “I think it’s been a learning process for the entire council. Am I the same person I was when I first entered the council? Of course not, because I have a lot of experience under my belt now.”
Mayor Robert Smith set a little time aside during Tuesday’s council meeting to say goodbye to Karriem.
“I’ve really enjoyed working to you,” Smith said. “You brought a lot to the table since you’ve been working with us. You will definitely be missed, but I’m quite sure you won’t be a stranger. We will be calling on you, especially me, for support of the projects we’ve been working on — like the amphitheater and the continuation of the Riverwalk and several other projects where you can assist us. I know you won’t turn a deaf ear upon us.”
Karriem said his relationship with the mayor was another point of growth, and it’s come a long way since he and Smith got into a fight in city hall in 2010. He said he’s gathered a mutual respect for Smith.
Regardless of any sour feelings in the past, Karriem said he’s ready to move on and do whatever he can to help the city from his new position.
“The mayor and council are going to need support in Jackson, just like I’m hoping that I can call back to the mayor and city hall to get things accomplished for my constituents as I represent them in Jackson,” he said. “I think we have a mutual respect for each other and I am hopeful that our relationship with each other has grown.”
The next step
Karriem will take the oath of office as representative on Jan. 5.
The office will be only the second public seat he’s held, and he said he feels some nerves about it. Still, more than that, he said he’s ready to go to work in the new phase of his political career.
“Anything you don’t really know about, you’ll have some little apprehensions about it,” he said. “But I’m excited. I hope that I can represent the people of District 41 to the best of my ability.”
Karriem said he plans to open a constituent services office in Columbus, though he’s still working to determine a location.
For his first term in Jackson, Karriem plans to focus on economic development and finding ways to bring jobs to the community. He acknowledged the well-worn talking point, but nevertheless said jobs are vital to the community’s continued wellbeing.
“It’s so important that people are able to take care of themselves,” he said. “I want to help provide some hope. Our community desperately needs hope. For the neighborhood in the area I represent right now — I’m in the trenches and I just see the disparity that is just so prevalent. It’s easy to cast blame and point fingers for what people can and cannot do, but we have to make sure the opportunity is there for people to achieve what they need to achieve and take care of themselves and their families.”
Columbus councilmen will likely determine a date for a special election at their next regular meeting.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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