White Citizens Want to Change a 6-3 Black Majority Board to a 5-2 White Majority

Staff Reports - Despite all of the rhetoric that has divided the community in recent weeks; the Americus Sumter Observer interviewed NAACP President Rev. Mathis K. Wright, Jr. who stated that the local community should be reminded that on July 17, 2010 the proposed changes from nine to seven board members were first recommended by the Board of Education (BOE) Finance Committee. There were eight members present and the vote was five to three. The five members voting "yes" for the change were all white; Doug Goodin, Meda Krenson, Donna Minich, Michael Mock, and Michael Busman. The three Black members who voted "no" were Willa Fitzpatrick, Alice Green and Carolyn Whitehead, one Black board member was absent.

Wright added that Attorneys Jimmy Skipper and William Nesmith misled the Black school board members when they became the majority. They tried to convince the Blacks to have the school board to resemble the County Commissioners. The law which concerns school board size (O.C.G.A. §20-2-52) was adopted by the General Assembly. The Governor signed into law an amendment (GA Laws 2010, Act 463) however this amendment or statute does contain a "grandfather clause" as to Georgia local school boards which have more than "seven" board members as of July 01, 2010. Therefore, the present school board is NOT violating any state law(s) by choosing to keep the nine districts.

Wright reiterated that the "bamboozling" came when Attorney Jimmy Skipper concealed much of what he was doing with the U.S. Justice Department and the GA State Legislature. The Sumter County school board chairperson went to Skipper's office and got the information he was sending to the Justice Department. She brought the information back to the Black school board members but Skipper gave the same information to Dr. Michael Busman and the White board members. This created mistrust among the Black board members. What the Black school board members realized was that they would have allowed Skipper to change a 6-3 Black majority to a 5-2 White majority.

The General Assembly did pass Senate Bill 154 (which reduces the number of school board members from nine to seven); Senate Bill 4EX (which establishes the five new school board districts for the school board), and Governor Nathan Deal did sign them. However, until the Justice Department pre-clears the redistricting plan submitted by the BOE, the Bills are only a proposed change, said Wright. The Black board members have every right to submit a redistricting proposal that is in the best interest of their constituents. Despite what the White board members, Superintendent Roy Brooks, and some uninformed members of our community would like for the public to believe that the Black majority school board members are violating laws; nothing could be further from the "truth," Wright said.

On or about January 03, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice requested additional information to proposed changes from the school board attorney. However, at one school board meeting; the board asked Attorney Skipper to allow them an opportunity to review his response that he was submitting to the Justice Department. Skipper became very defensive and later resigned after the board asked him to withdraw the initial 2010 redistricting proposal.

Wright closed the interview by saying, "it has been said that I am dividing the community, but to the contrary; Attorney Jimmy Skipper, Dr. Michael Busman, the other White board members and Superintendent Roy Brooks created rage in many White citizens that has escalated into a hostile feeding frenzy.