A group calling itself a "collective body representing every aspect of the black community" called a news conference Monday behind the Municipal Building, at the base of the Lady Justice statue, to criticize Augusta Commission candidate Matt Aitken for not appearing at three candidate forums held by black organizations last week.
"This is the most important election since consolidation," Antioch Baptist Church pastor K.B. Martin said, reading from a statement. "If Matt Aitken is ignoring us now, what is he going to do when he's elected? He is ignoring two-thirds of the district's voters.
"The only way to stop him," the Rev. Martin continued, "is for black people to come out and vote on Dec. 1 and let him know that we will not be ignored."
The group was led by the Augusta Baptist Ministers Conference, but the statement said they also spoke for African Methodist Episcopal and Christian Methodist Episcopal ministers, in addition to civic, social and fraternal organizations.
Last week, Mr. Aitken did not attend forums at Bethel AME Church, Eastview Community Center and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum. He said no one invited him to the one at Eastview, and he declined invitations to the others. He also bowed out of a Summerville Neighborhood Association meeting at Partridge Inn after he found out his opponent in the District 1 runoff, Bill Fennoy, would be present.
Mr. Aitken and campaign manager Ed Presnell have said they see no strategic advantage to more debates. Mr. Aitken said he took part in six forums and two newspaper Q&A's before the Nov. 3 election.
Another reason he's given for skipping joint appearances with his opponent is the racial rhetoric coming out of the opposing camp, some of which came up Monday.
The group -- which included Commissioners Betty Beard, J.R. Hatney and Calvin Holland; former Commissioner Marion Williams; and Charles "Champ" Walker Jr. -- decried the notion of the board's racial balance tipping 6-4 in favor of whites if Mr. Aitken wins.
They said the charter that consolidated the city and county in 1996 intended otherwise, and the Rev. Alexander Smith, a Southern Christian Leadership Conference board member, said an Aitken victory might require legal action. He said it would be a "constitutional violation" and that an injunction might be in order.
Asked by a reporter whether whites should not be permitted to qualify to run for District 1, the Rev. Smith said that's a possibility. Asked whether two black candidates should not have run against Commissioner Joe Bowles in District 3, the group was silent.
"Don't answer," someone muttered.
Attorney David Hudson, one of the legal advisers to the citizens committee that negotiated the charter in the mid-1990s, said that under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 10 districts were drawn so at least half would be majority black, giving minorities ample opportunity for equal representation. However, neither the charter nor the Voting Rights Act requires the elected representatives be black.
"It does not mandate any racial outcome," Mr. Hudson said. "How they were elected once they were set up, that was up to the voters."
Mr. Aitken said Monday that he's disappointed such rhetoric is coming from ministers because "the God I serve is a God of forgiveness, a God of love." He said his skin color shouldn't disqualify him.
"It's about leadership and doing what's right," he said. "Color has no bearing on that."
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Unfortunately, most of the people that are to be influenced by this obvious scam are your typical uninformed base who rely on the directly spoken word for all of their information. The information gleaned from the preacher or street associate or tv show is pretty much 100% of their input. If these same people can be convinced or panicked into voting, Fennoy is in. If they're too busy, Aiken is in. As the Rev. Martin says, "It's all about skin color".
I'm absolutely shocked that a purported Reverend would really insist that white people shouldn't be allowed to run for office in the district in which they reside. Seriously? There are some seriously racist black folks in Augusta who claim to be leaders and represent "every aspect of the black community" whatever that is.
johnston, i dont think you'll have to worry about the uninformed base going to the polls.
I'm speachless ... Sitting Commissioners standing behind and for that statement ? The future looks bleak for a represenative form of goverment in our town ...
Augusta is absolutely disgusting. For those of us who fought the civil rights battles 40 years ago, it is appalling that we have such a racist mindset among the black population. As for the sitting elected officials, vote the bastards out and find some who recognize there is only one color ... green.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Dr. Martin Luther King, August 1968. I am sure the good doctor king rolled over in his grave when he saw these idiots standing before the courthouse in Augusta, Georgia, 40 years after he gave his life trying to rid our great country of this kind of prejudice. Shame on every one of you.
omnom, that's how we got our current president.
comparing a minor position in a backwater town to the "leader of the free world" is a bit of a stretch, man
I would hate to be a white person in a church headed by any one of those black "ministers". To know that the man standing in the pulpit hates me, or at the very least he ignores me, would make me question the existence of a God who I know loves me. The time for these "religious"men to leave the political forum is now. Shame on them, and shame on any politician who whores the ministers out in order to gain votes.
This "community group" is spewing racial absurdness and many of these "leaders" simply want a black person in office no matter what. That being said, they have every right to be upset that Aitken failed to show for any run-off forums or debates. Had they stuck with simply saying he was ignoring many voters within the disctric vs. having to bring race into it and often repeating that only a black person can represent them, they would have made much more of an impact but unfortunately they are just as ignorant in their comments as he is for not showing up. Anyone running for public office needs to show up at all forums unless they have one heck of a good reason which by his own admission, he didn't. We don't need anyone of any race in office that doesn't listen to the voters, want to hear from the voters, etc. and generally speaking, people who go to forums are certainly voters. He had an opportunity to potentially turn some votes in what may be a close race but he chose to ignore many voting citizens and provided poor excuses. While I do belive he is the best of the two candidates, this reflects very poorly on him - most likely listening to a campaign manager vs. the voters.
I think Mr Fennoy should come out and publicly denounce this type of "support" and re-state his position to work for everybody. Of course he won't, but it was a thought. His only chance of winning is on skin color alone.
Let's see, all these churches becoming political and openly so should now lose their "Tax Exempt"status and have to pay taxes for this year and all succeeding years. Keep it up Rev's. The money your churches should pay would bail Augusta out!!
Amen, CBBP! G'mornin, brother.
not comparing the two, omnom. Comparing the power of the misinformed or uninformed. These represent the easily led, but the most difficult to motivate for any length of time.
Despite all our indignation, the fact is that in almost every city in this country, voting is along racial lines. Nothing new here. The one candidate that had the charisma and message of stopping crime that would transcend race, Butch Palmer, is not in the run-off because he wouldn't support the TEE center.
White voters in District 1 have had no representation under either Commissioner Beard and neither of them showed any real interest in the downtown business district. Now this group is making noise about not even letting a white candidate run in district 1. What's next? White voters won't be allowed to vote? Oh, my.
Why are they so upset?? Any MORON can take a seat on the commission and ABSTAIN on nearly every vote. That's what Ms. Beard has done for years.
Well it's typical all the white posters would think the opposite of what this group is doing, I for one will vote for FENNOY. And they are right who wants to vote for someone who's scared to go into the black community, it is what it is. I hope Aitken lose badly.
Truth is that be a Moron or Abstain. I believe it was both myself!
the "collective ignorant body" is more correct. there is no law preventing Aitken from seeking and winning this seat.
Why do we continue to use the term "black community"? I never voted for any of these so called leaders and they do not speak for myself or the vast majority. They are just the loud voice the uninformed.
NOTREALLY Most law abiding African American people are afraid to go into black areas of this city.
Matt is RIGHT for not going to these public floggings, and that is all they are. Can anyone sit here and seriously say they DON'T know who they will be voting for? I mean Easview is a solid black area and given the tone of the racial crapola coming out of Fennoy, I think Matt is playing it VERY smart and this race baiting will backfire on Fennoy. I hate to tell them but in a runoff in an off year election it is very hard to motivate people back to the polls. I see this being just as much of a motivator for the non-racist community as the rhetoric is for the ones who it is crafted for. I wonder if all the folks in Country Club Hills think whites should not be allowed to run to represent them. Now, if MAtt wins, which I guess the polls are showing he will, they have already said they will try to use the courts to prevent him from being seated. Here is a hint for the Black Panthers, run quality candidates and you will win. This is so bad, glad it was given a front-page treatment. I see it motivating Matt's folks more than Bill's. Sad day.
A "CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATION" shows the combined intellect of this group of buffoons!
Wait, we haven't heard from gaspringwater, aka justus 4 yet!!!!
Black community, huh? Well, I did not get the memo that I was going to represented at this gathering. Don't lump me in this fiasco, thank you. I can speak for MYSELF very well--and when I do--you might not like what you hear. That goes for all sides of the racial spectrum. Is there ANYTHING else worthy of this town besides racial divide from all ends?
I"m glad they had this new conference, we DO NOT NEED Aitken.
This is is sick. Here we are decades after the civil rights movement and Augusta always brings up the race issue. I wonder what would happen if the whites in Augusta had a rally at the Municipal Building. We would never hear the end of it. I moved to Aiken County some 15 years ago and I have no regrets. All of these black leaders are nothing but racist through and through. It would please me to no end if a white gets elected in District 1.
Notreally, yes, we see you. Your typical black attitude is common, though.
Rest assured, it is the negro leadership who perpetuatesand inflames the race issue! All one needs to do is look at the group of buffoons in the above pictures! Notice the "dominant" buffoon in front!