Town, county boards and commissions open to blacks, too

May 12, 2008 10:33 am

— While he was in office my previous councilman in Ward commented on three separate occasions that he wondered why he had never thought of offering me a seat on a "committee."
Councilman Melvin Muhammad led off a very interesting March Town Council meeting by making the observation that not one African-American or any other ethnic citizen had ever served on a board or commission for the Town of Tarboro.
The mayor asked Councilman Muhammad if he had any recommendations to fill present vacancies under discussion. He presented two. They were literally cast aside in a vote, when the "secret" appointments were officially made, without any discussion or consideration for Mr. Muhammad's recommendations.
However, on Councilman Muhammad's request, council did vote to give 30 days public notice on future vacancies.
Things really got interesting when, in The Daily Southerner an Edgecombe County commissioner said that no African-American was presently serving on a county Board or Commission. He urged African-American citizens to volunteer. Edgecombe County is 58 percent Africian-American.
In the April 24 edition of The Daily Southerner, an article appeared, in which County Manager Mr. Lorenzo Carmon encouraged anyone who would like to serve on a committee or board to come to his office anytime for an application. There are several vacancies.
I volunteered for a seat on a county commission. Such nice people at county! So relaxed and friendly with a ready smile. How unfortunate for our wonderful town employees. They seem to be under so much pressure.
Oh, by the way Town of Tarboro, whatever happened to the advisory committee on recreation? Let's now see if the town can live up to it's promise of public notification. You know. Open government I think it's called.
My previous councilman never did offer me a seat on a "committee."
The whole thing sounds like another political disaster.
RICHARD H. PARKER
Tarboro