Posted on Aug 7, 2023
Black man who says he was elected mayor of Alabama town alleges that White leaders are keeping...
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A Black man who says he was elected mayor of a rural Alabama town but has been kept from taking office by White leaders of the town has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Patrick Braxton, 57, is one of several plaintiffs named in Braxton et al v. Stokes et al. The other plaintiffs — James Ballard, Barbara Patrick, Janice Quarles and Wanda Scott — are people that Braxton hoped to name to the city council of Newbern after he was elected to office in 2020. However, Braxton said that the "minority White residents of (Newbern), long accustomed to exercising total control over the government, refused to accept this outcome." Haywood Stokes III, the acting mayor of Neweurn, instead allegedly worked with acting town council members to hold a special election where he was re-appointed to the mayoral seat and keeping Braxton from taking office and carrying out mayoral duties.
Patrick Braxton, 57, is one of several plaintiffs named in Braxton et al v. Stokes et al. The other plaintiffs — James Ballard, Barbara Patrick, Janice Quarles and Wanda Scott — are people that Braxton hoped to name to the city council of Newbern after he was elected to office in 2020. However, Braxton said that the "minority White residents of (Newbern), long accustomed to exercising total control over the government, refused to accept this outcome." Haywood Stokes III, the acting mayor of Neweurn, instead allegedly worked with acting town council members to hold a special election where he was re-appointed to the mayoral seat and keeping Braxton from taking office and carrying out mayoral duties.
Black man who says he was elected mayor of Alabama town alleges that White leaders are keeping...
Posted from cbsnews.com
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Posted 11 mo ago
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Interesting story. I would love to see some actual facts. I looked at a good half dozen articles on this and every one consisted pretty much of Braxton said, Braxton claimed, call me cynical, but I would love to know the actual facts and law governing this. I always get suspicious when only one side's claims and no facts are presented.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel history repeating itself...
..."Ready to run again
Braxton told CNN he believes he is the rightful mayor of Newbern and attends funerals of his fellow townspeople in that capacity. “I go to White funerals just as sure as I go to Blacks’ … I’m not trying to divide the town by being the mayor. I’m trying to unite the town.”
LaQuenna Lewis said she was introduced to Braxton as the mayor by a mutual friend when she was looking to find a base for her non-profit food distribution work. She told CNN he helped with that request and then she decided she had to help him over his disputed mayorship.
“I was just in disbelief because I had never seen or heard of anything like that,” said Lewis, who added that her family had lived around Newbern “forever.”
It took time to find the right attorneys and get the lawsuit going, she said, but it was still relevant even more than three years after Braxton was told he was mayor.
“I was noticing that people felt like this is a small town, it didn’t merit the attention,” she said. “But this is definitely major. This is something that if it’s happening here, you never know where else it’s happening.”
As well as titles and keys, there’s public money at stake too.
While no one has been able to clarify with CNN the exact role of the mayor and town council in Newbern, it is part of the local and state infrastructure. For instance, the town hall is listed as the voting precinct for state and federal elections. And the national American Rescue Plan approved by Congress was set to allocate at least one grant of $30,000 to Newbern, according to estimates released by US Rep. Terri Sewell in 2021.
But for Braxton and Lewis, it all comes back to race and finally giving the Black majority of Newbern a representative government.
Braxton said he will run for mayor again in 2025 though he believes he has already broken Newbern’s color barrier. He says he is the mayor and will use his lawsuit to fight to take the reins of power.
“I had one little lady … [who] said the town wasn’t ready for a Black mayor,” Braxton said. “It’s time. It’s been time. Past time.”
..."Ready to run again
Braxton told CNN he believes he is the rightful mayor of Newbern and attends funerals of his fellow townspeople in that capacity. “I go to White funerals just as sure as I go to Blacks’ … I’m not trying to divide the town by being the mayor. I’m trying to unite the town.”
LaQuenna Lewis said she was introduced to Braxton as the mayor by a mutual friend when she was looking to find a base for her non-profit food distribution work. She told CNN he helped with that request and then she decided she had to help him over his disputed mayorship.
“I was just in disbelief because I had never seen or heard of anything like that,” said Lewis, who added that her family had lived around Newbern “forever.”
It took time to find the right attorneys and get the lawsuit going, she said, but it was still relevant even more than three years after Braxton was told he was mayor.
“I was noticing that people felt like this is a small town, it didn’t merit the attention,” she said. “But this is definitely major. This is something that if it’s happening here, you never know where else it’s happening.”
As well as titles and keys, there’s public money at stake too.
While no one has been able to clarify with CNN the exact role of the mayor and town council in Newbern, it is part of the local and state infrastructure. For instance, the town hall is listed as the voting precinct for state and federal elections. And the national American Rescue Plan approved by Congress was set to allocate at least one grant of $30,000 to Newbern, according to estimates released by US Rep. Terri Sewell in 2021.
But for Braxton and Lewis, it all comes back to race and finally giving the Black majority of Newbern a representative government.
Braxton said he will run for mayor again in 2025 though he believes he has already broken Newbern’s color barrier. He says he is the mayor and will use his lawsuit to fight to take the reins of power.
“I had one little lady … [who] said the town wasn’t ready for a Black mayor,” Braxton said. “It’s time. It’s been time. Past time.”
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Well if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, iti is probably a duck. I am not saying this isn't true thoughas this is one sided and reported fromthe communis broadcasting service (CBS). There are a lot jof he says, alledgeely's, and thinks that. Until all the facts come around then I willbeleive the whole story.
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