DOBSON — The chairman of the Surry County Board of Commissioners gave an apology Monday night for a document he signed two months ago that caused an uproar amongst some citizens.
Last month county resident Semona Creasy went before the county board to complain about a document signed by leaders of local governing bodies.
In the second week of June, Chairman Larry Johnson signed a memorandum of understanding penned by the Surry County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The mayors of Dobson, Elkin and Pilot Mountain also signed.
Part of the statement reads that the death of George Floyd caught on video “was not only unnecessary, but also reflects the systemic impacts of racial injustice in our country.”
The memo continues, “It is the sincere intent of the NAACP of Surry County and our local officials to work on eradicating such injustices. Upcoming collaborations will focus on cultural competency, educational training, as well as a review of current hiring practices and ongoing internal reviews.
“There is a consensus among our local leaders and authorities to address our communities’ concerns in a proactive and collective manner. It is imperative to have a culture of continuous progress as we continue to address racial inequalities.”
Response
Creasy said at the July meeting, “When read in totality, the letter clearly asserts that the systemic racism occurs in Surry County and throughout America, and the letter alludes to police participation in this systemic problem.”
“These assertions are false, and the response by these officials is appalling,” she said. “There is no doubt that individual police officers have committed crimes, but to assert that the majority of officers are guilty by association is dishonest, ridiculous and dangerous.”
Chairman Johnson was not at the July meeting of the board, with Commissioner Mark Marion saying Johnson was out sick.
“I will not speculate on what Commissioner Johnson was thinking when he signed this or whether he thought he was signing this as a person and not the commission,” said Marion, who as vice chairman led the July meeting. “Or how it was presented to him. I know that sometimes things are presented in a manner that … things are not what they seem, put it like that.
“I’m not taking up for him. I said I would not speculate what he was thinking or how it was presented to him. He might not have read the thing, you know?”
Creasy was back at this week’s lone August meeting to renew her comments as well as direct new criticism at Pilot Mountain Mayor Evan Cockerham, who wrote a letter to the editor defending his position on the memorandum.
Commissioners Marion, Eddie Harris, Van Tucker and Bill Goins all agreed that Johnson signing his name as chairman of the county board looked as if he were speaking for the group, but none of them were part of the discussion and knew nothing of the document before a June 17 article in The News.
Johnson speaks
Once regular county business concluded Monday, the board members were given a chance to bring up any other issues affecting the county, and Johnson wanted to address Creasy’s comments and the memorandum he signed.
“A little over two months ago, I was contacted by the president of the Surry County NAACP by telephone,” said Johnson.
“We talked for just a few minutes. We agreed that what happened in Minnesota was distasteful and we would hate to see that done anywhere.
“We also agreed and, through his own voice, said, ‘We don’t have that problem in Surry County.’ That one statement. And I said amen to that.
“And if I ain’t mistaken, The Mount Airy News printed that one sentence on June 17, I believe.”
In that article The News printed that no such patterns of violence toward African Americans have occurred in this county, and Craig Smith, the local NAACP president, wants to keep it that way.
“Also in that statement, he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if the elected leaders of Surry County, that we all just sit down and talk?’ Period.”
Johnson said that elected officials like mayors, commissioners, judges and state representatives normally get together a few times a year (but not with the virus concerns this year), but he hasn’t sat down with some other groups.
“I thought, ‘You know what, that’s a good idea, too.’ So that was the gist of the conversation: simply saying that we recognize problems elsewhere, we don’t have any reported in Surry County, and that it would be, my words, maybe a little preventive maintenance if we did sit down and discuss it.”
“I personally signed that, based on the intent of it. Some said I got duped. But the one thing I did do bad, a real bad mistake, was I did not confer with any of these gentlemen on the board. I have talked to every one of them individually, and I have apologized for my mistake. And I will learn from my experiences. … And this became somewhat of a difficult one for me.
“I have apologized, and we all agreed that we are going to move on doing what’s best for the county as the board of commissioners.”
At the end of Johnson’s statement on the memo, no other comments were given as the board moved on to saying a few words in memory of former Commissioner Jimmy Miller who died last week.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com