- cross-posted to:
- usnews@lemy.lol
- usnews@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- usnews@lemy.lol
- usnews@beehaw.org
The town of Newbern saw white officials deny its first Black mayor, Patrick Braxton, from exercising his duties for three years
The town of Newbern, Alabama, has not had a political election in the last several decades. But that could all change this November if a new motion is successful.
The Legal Defense Fund (LDF), an organization that focuses on racial and civil rights, along with an Alabama-based private law firm, filed a preliminary injunction to force Newbern, a town of about 133 people, to hold elections and allow its citizens to vote for the first time in years.
The town, about an hour and a half away from Montgomery, captured national attention last summer, after white officials had refused for three years to allow Patrick Braxton, the first Black mayor in Newbern’s history, to exercise his mayoral duties.
Newbern is about 80% Black and 20% white, but the town’s leadership, with the exception of Braxton and his town council, has been majority white for years. The defendants in the lawsuit, including the previous mayor and council, have refused to hold elections.
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I remember first hearing about Braxton a couple years ago, when he still hadn’t actually managed to take office. (And the racist fuckers down there are still fighting him on it). The amazing thing was that until Braxton, the office of the mayor was inherited. The town leadership was quite literally landed gentry, operating a miniature feudalistic society.
Alabama is filled with backward ass POS racists.
Much of the US is, sadly.
No it is a minority, they just happen to be very spread out and vocal. And our system of government was setup to give them a massively oversized voice on the national scale.
“Much” still applies. As in “too much” of the US is a bunch of bigoted assholes.
Perhaps a minority by population (I doubt this myself) but a majority by surface area (which matters a lot in federal elections).
Yeah the whole effectively “land” votes system we use is a relic of colonization and needs to be destroyed.
Conservatism is a plague of racism and oppression. It always has been.
Conservatives need to go to prison in this case. Where is the FBI?
Marching with the proud boys, et al.
Unincorporate it and the county can tax their asses and give them nothing in return.
But Chief Justice John Roberts assured us racism was over when he gutted the voting rights act. /s
The town. Not the mayor.
It’s the town that’s 80% black, not the mayor. Which is then put in contrast with the majority white town leadership.
The town, as in 20% of the residents of Newbern are whire.
Haha that’s what I get for skimming the article
That’s the town’s demographics silly, not Braxton.
The town’s population is only 20% white, not the mayor.
