An Alabama town’s first Black mayor speaks out

For almost 60 years, the positions of mayor and Town Council member in my small town of Newbern, Alabama, were “handed down” by white residents to other residents. Newbern is a small and majority-Black town, yet Black residents could not remember a single election for those positions.

Almost four years ago, I ran for office. I was excited to become the town’s mayor-elect and appoint a representative Town Council to govern our community. But as the first Black person elected mayor of Newbern, I immediately ran into obstacles. The locks were changed on the town hall, and officials refused to give me access to the town’s finances. Soon after I was elected, the outgoing Town Council claimed that it held a special election to fill vacant seats and that only white people had won. But I did not know about this election and had not had an opportunity to participate in it. Nor had any of the other people who filed a lawsuit with me.

Last week, my dreams and the dreams of many other residents of Newbern became a reality. After a hard-fought court battle challenging the town’s practice of not holding elections for decades, a federal judge signed off on a settlement between Black Newbern residents, including me, and the town. Newbern will finally have a democratic process. After a dispute about the town’s leadership that lasted four years, I will serve as the first Black mayor of Newbern.

As a lifelong resident of Newbern and a descendant of those who had no access to the ballot, I firmly believe in exercising and protecting my fundamental right to vote. Voting is an opportunity and responsibility in helping to shape the direction, priorities and vision of our communities. Voting should not be a privilege for some; it should be a right afforded to all. This outcome is a victory for the town of Newbern, and it speaks to the dedication of Newbern residents to make their voices heard.

But our battle was bigger than our town. It speaks to the importance of upholding democracy across the nation. It also reveals that in many places across the country, we have not progressed far enough and Black folks are still being denied true equality. We must stay civically engaged, work to dismantle the obvious and not-so-obvious forms of voter suppression, and recognize the power that comes with just one of us demanding a change to the status quo.

Newbern is my home. And I, along with other fellow residents, refused to give in to the discrimination that prevented us, for decades, from being civically engaged in our community. That discrimination meant we were rarely a part of decisions that affected our everyday lives — from how our streets were cleaned to whether we had access to public spaces such as the town hall.

There exists a long and painful history of voter suppression across the nation. Pervasive voter suppression tactics, such as literacy tests, poll taxes and intimidation, were used to keep Black Americans and other marginalized communities from engaging in the civic process. For generations, Black people have had to fight for their fundamental right to vote and participate in democracy. We have met these challenges with clarity of what is just and ready to surmount the darkest of circumstances.

We have shown up to the polls, demanding to have a say in the country we have had a significant role in building and shaping. Landmark legislation like the federal Voting Rights Act has been essential in ensuring that all people, regardless of race or background, are heard. Today, contemporary challenges to voting access continue to make this an ongoing fight. As we witness the unprecedented attacks on voting rights across Alabama, the South and the nation, we must take a stand and continue to make our voices heard.

A new day has dawned for Newbern. I am as excited now as I was almost four years ago when I ran. I intend to work with the residents of Newbern to make sure that every single person in our town is invested in, listened to and supported. As a part of the agreement between the parties, I submitted names to the governor of both Black and white residents to fill the open Town Council positions. As a mayor and a citizen, I vow to work with the new Town Council to ensure that justice and equality for all are upheld and achieved.

We must fight for voting rights until everyone everywhere is able to exercise their fundamental right and have a say in their own communities. By supporting state and federal voting rights legislation, exercising our right to vote and staying engaged with our local representatives, we can make a difference. Every single one of us is entitled to be a part of creating the future and legacy of the country, state and town we call home.