Dear Editor:
Election 2020 Reveals Cold-hearted Truth About Current State of Cultural and Racial Inequities— “Smack Dab in the Middle of a Pandemic”
Two years ago, Dumas elected its first black mayor. The council within the first year had a 5-3 white/black ratio. I saw hope, but trouble at the same time. How? Hope: When we can see a black mayor with greater representation for all of Dumas. Trouble: When I went before the council the next year to ask why the administration called the police on me when I had been approved to have a community meeting to discuss new options regarding the closing of DTEC. Sadly, even with a police report confirming no need for the police to have been called, the City Clerk, Erma Coburn and the Councilmember, Roy Dalton were not directed by the Mayor to state their reasons.
Now, two years later in the middle of a pandemic, we have the first opportunity to elect one more black person to put the council in a 50/50 balance of Black/White representation. It gives hope to what has not changed in the history of this city.
In January of this year, our new grant program from USDA, Rural Economic Development Innovation requested $75,000 at the council meeting to help us with operations for the year. We were directed to put a proposal together and submit it to budget committee. We did so in February and got the highest review from one of the city officers. Absent was John Owen, the chair of the budget committee. To date he has not confirmed to meet with us. In the year of a pandemic with $6,000,000 endowed to the city from the Peterson’s Trust, the city chooses not to provide a way to help organizations going out in harm’s way to help the residents. To date, we have invested over $325,000 in food distribution and operations and will have $500,000 into Dumas and SEARK from our REDI program before the year is over. Over $100,000 has come from our personal dollars to serve the residents and build new programs in and for Dumas and these leaders continue to disregard and do the politics.
The city has spent over $200,000 with an outside agency to promote positive things that brand or promote good things happening in and from Dumas. We have been rudely treated by Council member Ramona Weatherford and constantly denied the opportunity to be a part of this A&P effort. We have the council members, written them, invited them to public forums to speak out and to date, NO RESPONSE!
Dumas, why stay the same? To join us for change, please visit www.allofdumasunited.blogspot.com.
Rev. Arthur L. Hunt, Jr., D.D., ceo@thecollegeofaspiringartists.education
