Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
What started as bickering among Warner Robins, Ga. city council members has quickly turned into an ugly racial fight with a white lawmaker telling his black counterpart he should be working in a cotton field.
Local NAACP leader Larry Holmes has asked councilman John Williams (pictured above, below) to resign his seat on the city council.
The mess started when black councilman Daron Lee (pictured above) felt he was being disrespected by Williams, who is white, and others on the council. Lee then reminded the council, "I'm not working in a cotton field."
Talk about a set-up line?
Williams replied, "You should be."
Lee was probably wrong to bring up the cotton field reference, but Williams was way way out of line. At that point, Lee would have been within his rights to settle this little disagreement "like men" outside in back of the city council building.
Only kidding.
Beating up Williams wouldn't accomplish anything, but I can understand the frustration of being talked down to by white counterparts. I think a lot of black people share Lee's frustration.
As for asking Williams to step down, I think the NAACP chief is wasting his time there. The civil rights group needs to organize a campaign to shine a light on the several fights, racial and non-racial, Williams has started over the years.
I think most people in Warner Robins, white and black, want to avoid embarrassment, especially in a community that bills itself as "Gerogia's International City." And Williams is an embarrassment on a national and international scale.
Williams is accused of pulling a gun on a white guy who rents an apartment on Williams' property.
And in another flap, Williams said he didn't want his skin to touch the skin of a black city official.
Williams sounds like he has anger issues and may be in need of psychological help. He will have a lot more time to get it if the NAACP compiles the facts of his shoddy record, distributes some fliers at election time and gets Williams off the council.