Responds to Kerry Blalock’s explanation

Do you know the first thing that most white people say when someone points out their actions as racist? They say, “I have black friends!” The second thing they say is “I voted for a black politician.” For future reference, these two defenses that make most African American cringe! When a white person feels the need to announce they have black friends and voted for black politicians it makes the case that you obviously see a difference. Friends are just that, friends: They should not be put in categories. Pressing charges against white people does not absolve you of anything. It does not make your actions in this case any less bias and in my opinion, racist!

There is nothing to be admired about this disinformation campaign you call research. Ok, you say you do not follow county politics and you insert that the fact that I have “full access to Mr. Brooks” (to imply what, that because he is black, we talk) and should investigate Harry Sanders and the white majority for appointing a white individual to a position without advertising it. So, I guess you are not concerned enough about your tax dollars when the people who are spending them are white?

The fact that you would surmise I am defending Mr. Edwards because you say he is a diamond member of the NAACP is offensive. Our local chapter does not have any diamond memberships, hence another fact that you have used The Dispatch as a platform to spew misinformation. The fact that you would try to look up his affiliation with this organization and tie it to my defense of him says more about you and your obsession with this man than that I could ever say. For the record, when Dr E. J. Stringer started the Lowndes County Chapter of NAACP, he and the other 17 people who started the chapter were the only Gold Lifetime members in the history of our chapter, and this was before my time. However, while you are attempting to research his affiliation, did you happen to read what the organization was about? The NAACP is a civil rights organization, the acronym stands for The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was established in 1909 by a bi-racial (black and white people) group. It was created to abolish segregation, and discrimination in housing, education, employment, voting, and transportation and to oppose racism. I am defending Mayor Robert Smith, Mr. Scott Colom, Mr. Jabari Edwards, and Mr. Kabir Karriem, Chief Andrews and any other African American that you attack because I feel that your attacks on them are bias, without merit and are motivated by the color of their skin.

Lavonne Latham-Harris President, Lowndes County Branch, NAACP

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.