Ben Royce 🇺🇦 green IOTA🍃 on Nostr: Totally nuts: 85% majority black Alabama town. All prior mayors white. No elections ...
Totally nuts:
85% majority black Alabama town.
All prior mayors white. No elections in decades, position "inherited."
Patrick Braxton decides to run for mayor in 2020. Approaches current mayor, who lies to him about qualification process.
Braxton navigates the correct qualification process nonetheless.
Nobody else bothers to qualify. Braxton elected as mayor.
County judge says: no one bothered to qualify/ be elected to town council positions either, he may appoint his own council.
Weeks after the election, current mayor and council meet in secret, no notice of the meeting published, declare a special election, no notice of that either, and effectively reappoint themselves to their current positions.
Now a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Defendants release a statement: "Plaintiff Patrick Braxton is Black and is the former Mayor of the Town of Newbern."
!!!???
They also admit Braxton was the only person to qualify for mayor.
Mindboggling.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/patrick-braxton-black-man-says-he-was-elected-mayor-of-newburn-alabama/
85% majority black Alabama town.
All prior mayors white. No elections in decades, position "inherited."
Patrick Braxton decides to run for mayor in 2020. Approaches current mayor, who lies to him about qualification process.
Braxton navigates the correct qualification process nonetheless.
Nobody else bothers to qualify. Braxton elected as mayor.
County judge says: no one bothered to qualify/ be elected to town council positions either, he may appoint his own council.
Weeks after the election, current mayor and council meet in secret, no notice of the meeting published, declare a special election, no notice of that either, and effectively reappoint themselves to their current positions.
Now a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Defendants release a statement: "Plaintiff Patrick Braxton is Black and is the former Mayor of the Town of Newbern."
!!!???
They also admit Braxton was the only person to qualify for mayor.
Mindboggling.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/patrick-braxton-black-man-says-he-was-elected-mayor-of-newburn-alabama/