Frank Scott

Little Rock mayoral candidate Frank Scott in runoff with Baker Kurrus
 

The Nov. 6, 2018, election saw Little Rock mayoral candidate Frank Scott come close to emerging victorious. But opponent Baker Kurrus garnered enough votes to force a runoff with Scott. 

Scott came in with 37.11 percent of the vote; Kurrus 29.03 percent. The two were in a five-man race with Warwick Sabin, Vincent Tolliver and Glen Schwarz. Scott needed 40 percent of the vote to have won on Nov. 6; as it is, he and Kurrus will face off on Dec. 4.

If elected in the runoff, Scott will be Little Rock’s third black mayor but the first to be elected by the populace. The city's first two black mayors were the late Charles Bussey  and Lottie Shackleford. Both held the office at the time it was a honorary position that was voted on by the city board of directors. Bussey’s selection in 1981 made The New York Times. Shackelford, chosen in 1987, was also the city’s first woman mayor.

Scott is a banking executive, former member of the Arkansas Highway Commission, former director of intergovernmental affairs for the governor’s office, and an associate pastor.  I interviewed Scott — for whom I voted — in 2017, during the time he put together an exploratory committee to decide whether to run for mayor. Circumstances prevented me from interviewing him again after his decision; however, I give him some words of encouragement when running into him at several social events. 

"Together, we must find ways to overcome the challenges stalling our city’s growth and prosperity," he states on his website, Frankscottjr.com. "We must grow our job base and economy while also addressing pressing issues of public safety. ... We must discover new opportunities that benefit all corners of the city. It’s time to invest in all corners of our city to unite one another."

It’s my personal hope that Scott gets his chance to take Little Rock further into the 21st century.

Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams keeps people informed as an activist candidate

Emails from the campaign trail of America's first African American female gubernatorial nominee 

In this midterm election season, Stacy Abrams distinguished herself as America's first African American female nominee for state governor when she won Georgia's democratic primary in the spring. She stands out during an election season in which a notable number of women have run for office and won primaries. 

Abrams, a former state House of Representatives majority leader, recently visited Little Rock to talk about her campaign. The Empowerment Initiative was unable to attend, so we are sharing some emails from her that give a look into her campaign ... which, if successful, will be one for the history books indeed.

Sunday, August 19, 2018 Every right worth having is a right worth fighting for Renarda – Progress is possible, but it is fragile – and across our country, the battles for our most basic civil rights rage on. For example, you may have recently heard about Randolph County, Georgia. Located in the southwest region of the state, Randolph's poverty rate is far north of the national average. The area is mostly rural, predominantly Black, and frequently forgotten. Last week, the Randolph County Board of Elections proposed closing seven of its nine polling locations before November. In areas with no public transportation, some residents would be forced to walk over three hours to exercise their constitutional right to vote. This is unacceptable, but we've seen these voter suppression tactics before. We live in a nation that spent centuries denying the right to vote to the poor, to women, and to people of color. Georgia then spent decades creating barriers to prevent these historically-disenfranchised communities from exercising their constitutional right. But a proposal to eliminate nearly every polling location in a Black Belt county belongs in a history textbook, not the current events section. So, how did we end up here? In short, elections have consequences. Five years ago, the Supreme Court struck down the beating heart and enforcement arm of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The court's ruling in Shelby v. Holder allows state and local governments with a history of voting rights violations to pass voting laws at their own discretion. Election boards, like the one in Randolph County, have carte blanche to eliminate polling locations, change election rules, and propose unfair maps – just as they did before 1965. With Shelby, bad actors were given the head of our democracy on a golden platter – the unprecedented ability to silence voters in small towns and rural counties where the fewest number of people are watching. But here's the thing: We're watching, and we're fighting back. Because we know that our ancestors fought too hard and bled too much for us to cede our right to vote just because it is hard. This issue is extremely personal for me. I grew up hearing my parents' stories about how they had to fight for their right to vote in the Jim Crow South. They registered voters in Mississippi at a time when doing so was dangerous, and their bravery influenced my decision to create the New Georgia Project to register every eligible voter in the state. When I founded the New Georgia Project in 2014, there were 800,000 Georgians of color who did not have the right to vote – not because they weren't eligible, but because no one had asked them. When we asked people to register to vote, they stepped up: The organization submitted more than 200,000 voter registrations in two years. Our ability to participate in government, to elect our leaders and to improve our lives, is contingent upon our ability to access the ballot. We know in our heart of hearts that voting is a sacred right – the fount from which all other rights flow. Now, it's time to live that truth through our actions. Stories from places like Randolph County should not discourage us, but instead motivate us to fight harder, march further, and shout louder: No vote will go uncounted, no matter how hard they try. To write the next chapter of our state's history, to build a brighter future for ourselves and our families, we have a lot of work to do. Stacey Abrams *** August 24, 2018  Breaking: Randolph County Renarda,  This morning, the Randolph County Board of Elections rejected the plan to close 7 of 9 polling locations before November. Make no mistake: [This was due to] activists down in South Georgia who organized, collected signatures, and petitioned their elected leaders. Folks who elevated this story to the national level, who were ready to drive people they've never met to polling locations in a county they didn’t know before last week. Although we celebrate this victory today, our work continues. Many residents of Randolph County will still have trouble casting a ballot on Election Day. Many more still don't have a reason to get out and try. And unfortunately, Randolph County is but one of many Georgia counties considering plans making it harder to vote. Decisions to close polling locations are not a matter of cost, but a question of priorities. Your right to vote is priceless, and all of us have to keep fighting to protect it. Efforts to suppress the vote or depress voter turnout should make us outraged and activated, not complacent. We fought – and won – for Randolph County. Now, let's win for all of Georgia. Stacey Abrams *** Monday, August 27, 2018 I am not afraid Renarda, As I travel across Georgia to earn every vote, I am sometimes asked, "What is your greatest fear in this election?" My parents prepared me for this. They showed me how to hold my head high in the face of doubt. Through their example – as ordained ministers, as activists, and as community leaders – they taught my five siblings and me to speak out when we see a problem, then lead the charge to solve it. I am not afraid because I believe in Georgia. Our state isn't perfect, but our problems are solvable – and Georgians are ready and willing to tackle the challenges we face. What we are able to accomplish over the next 71 days will give more families the chance to get ahead. And what we raise before the end of August will determine what our team can do in September – when voters begin casting mail-in ballots. Georgians will begin voting in three weeks, but I am not afraid. I am not afraid because you are with me. And although the road to Election Day will be tough, and although we have an extraordinary amount of work ahead of us, we know what we need to do. Stacey Abrams  *** Wednesday, August 29, 2018 We've never let "impossible" stop us before, and we're not going to let it stop us now Renarda, Last week, I was in South Georgia. I talked with teachers in Donaldsonville, hosted a town hall with college students in Valdosta, heard from small business owners in Fitzgerald and Albany, and discussed environmental issues with farmers in Camilla. No matter the audience, I was humbled by the welcome I received and energized by folks ready for change. But for every person who is fired up about our campaign, there are many more who haven't tuned in yet. Thousands of families in Georgia don't know that our economy, our health care, and our public schools are on the ballot in November – not because they don't care, but because no one has reached out to them yet. We're going to change that. Here's how: We've spent the last 14 months reaching out to voters in every part of Georgia. This summer, we've more than doubled our efforts. But to transform Georgia, to fundamentally alter the status quo, we have to change who votes. We have to expand the electorate and give folks far beyond I-75 and I-20 a reason to cast a ballot. Energizing Georgians and reaching millions of new and infrequent voters only seems daunting because it's never been done before. But #TeamAbrams has never let "impossible" stop us – and with only 69 days left, we're not about to let it stop us now. I know my team has sent you a lot of emails this week, but this is important. We send these messages because our voter outreach program depends on small dollar contributions from supporters like you. And families across the state are counting on us to win. What we're building is about more than "winning." It's about improving lives. It's about meeting people where they are and pushing them to believe in the power of their vote. And it's about all of us investing in the future of our nation. Stacey Abrams *** Thursday, August 30, 2018 NOTE: Stacey Abrams' college friend Edana Walker made the following comments about Abrams in this email. Stacey stayed ready Renarda, The first time I voted for Stacey Abrams was in April of 1993. She was running for student government at Spelman College. 25 years later, I voted (early) for Stacey Abrams in Georgia's gubernatorial primary. Watching those returns come in on primary election night – reading the text “Stacey Abrams, Democratic nominee for governor" onscreen for the very first time – it all came full circle for me. That's me in lilac (left) and Stacey (right) at Spelman, 1995 I remembered all of the times I watched Stacey put others before herself, every instance when she led with integrity, with strength, and with heart – even in the face of doubt. And if you know one thing about Stacey Abrams, it's this: She doesn't get ready. Stacey stays ready. That's why I joined her campaign team: to help Stacey Abrams bring her leadership and brilliance to the highest office in Georgia. A lot has changed since our Spelman days (just look at our hair!), but Stacey is running the same kind of campaign today as she did back then. She’s reaching out to everyone, inviting everyone to the table to make sure every voice is heard. Because she knows Georgia's future will only be bright if it includes all of us. When I met Stacey during sophomore year, she was already the smartest person I'd ever met. And the fact that her values have not changed one iota since that day is a testament to who she is. That's how I know she will be our next governor. Stacey Abrams is ready to lead as governor – and I'm ready to put in the hard work to get her there. Yours in the fight, — Edana Walker Deputy Campaign Manager #TeamAbrams Renarda - As I travel across our state to meet with voters and talk about the issues, my heart beats for my family who raised me and the Georgia family I've made. My mom, dad, and five siblings shaped me into the person I am today, and the kind of Governor I will be for Georgia. Things weren’t always easy for us growing up. We often struggled to make ends meet. Some days, we went without power and running water. But as my dad always says, "having nothing isn't an excuse for doing nothing." Service was – and still is – a way of life in our family. If we saw someone who was less fortunate, it was our job to help them, no matter what. That ethic led me to public service. Now, I am fighting to protect and uplift my Georgia family from the Governor’s Mansion. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together these last few months. I am so full of love for both my families, who have stood with me through the long days (and nights) on the campaign trail. As Governor, I will fight for Georgia as hard as my parents fought for me. I will sweat the details. I will listen to all sides of an issue with an open heart and mind – because that’s what true leadership demands. But first, we need to win our election in just 12 days. ### Book Reviews   Stacey Abrams created a personal and empowering blueprint, Minority Leader, for outsiders who seek to become the ones in charge By Renarda A. Williams Stacey Abrams grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi, where she was part of a large family that was often working poor. Today, she is a gubernatorial candidate for the state of Georgia. If Abrams wins, she will become the first African American female governor in American history. Abrams, a graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, was the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly, where she held the office of minority leader for seven years. Her accomplishments are considerable and speaks to her versatility: A successful tax attorney, she registered 200,000 to people to vote, published eight romance novels started several businesses. " But as an outsider who faced racism, sexism, and her own feelings of self-doubt, she definitely knows what it means to not be given a roadmap to success, and to have carve that path for herself," according to  press materials. Abrams' new book, Minority Leader: How to Lead from the Outsider and Make Real Change (Henry Holt and Company, April 24, 2018, 978-1-2501-9129-8, $28.00, hardcover, 256 pages) is a book sure to speak to, and empower, readers who feel that they, too, are outsiders; who face racial and other biases; and who want to overcome obstacles to success. Abrams' outstanding book reminds me of the obstacles I faced in life, including being born premature and growing up in the "Souya Quarters," the fourth toughest neighborhood in Alexandria, Louisiana. Thanks to God, my family, mentors, church, and school teachers, I graduated from Bolton High School, studied history and political science at the University of Southwestern Louisiana — now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette — and became an educator, journalist, and social worker and mentor and advocate for the homeless as well as entrepreneur (founding The Umoja Network in 1998)  I am thankful for motivators such as Abrams, who shows readers that they can overcome roadblocks that include their own fears and say, "If Stacey Abrams can do it, I can, too!" ###                                   A. Akbar Muhammad brings Africa to America And The World: Revisited  By Renarda A. Williams (aka Abari Sankofa) Editor, The Empowerment Initiative Online Newsletter Blog Abdul Akbar Muhammad's new book, Africa And The World: Revisited, features articles that offer insight and analysis based on more than a decade of his work throughout Africa and his work throughout Africa and his expertise in international relations.  Muhammad is a historian and consultant on international affairs, Africa, and the Middle East. He has traveled to and met top diplomatic officials to more than 154 countries around the world — including 44 African nations — as international representative for Minster Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. The book brings back wonderful memories of the trip, Helaine and I, took to Lagos, Nigeria. We went on a 10-day fact-finding/medical mission trip behalf of African Women's Health Project International (AWHPI), a nonprofit organization based in Houston, TX and Little Rock, AR. Founded by Deun Ogunlana, the organization is dedicated to meeting the health care needs of poor women and children in Africa. This trip was the culmination of my 23 years of yearning, as a devoted Afrocentric and Pan Africanist, to visit my ancestral homeland. And I can still hear the voices of the ancestors telling us "WELCOME HOME, BROTHER AND SISTER!" as we entered Nigerian airspace. Muhammad said he had a similar spiritual encounter as he entered Africa. Muhammad has produced a thought-provoking and exhilarating book that, if needed, will increase empowerment of conscious-minded African diasporans in the U.S. and throughout the world. It will also inspire those who are unaware of who they are, making them eager to find out from whence they came.  Here are some of Muhammad's articles that moved me: Africa in the Diaspora and Home, We Need Each Other; The National Agenda and Africa; Louis Farrakhan at 70: His Impact; America's War! Is Africa the Next Target?; Liberia Can Be Rebuilt; and Black Farmers for Africa. Muhammad's travels recently led him to Little Rock. Muhammad spoke at the Nation of Islam North Little Rock Study Group in North Little Rock on Sunday, July 22, 2018. In addition to the book, he discussed topics of concern in, and about, Black America and present-day Africa. The Empowerment Initiative Online Newsletter interviewed Muhammad via telephone before his lecture. Muhammad, a current St. Louis resident who lived in Ghana for a decade, said one of the best of the 68 articles, or stories, in the book was an article called "Family Reunion." The story is illustrated by a beautiful photo of Iman Warith Deen Muhammad and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.  "The story [shows] the desire of these communities being able to work together. You do not have to be together everyday and eat dinner, but have the ability to work together," Muhammad said.  America's prison system is also discussed in the book.  "There are over three and a half million men and women incarcerated in America; and the country is spending 350 billion dollars a year on prisons. I just heard those figures recently," Muhammad said.   Muhammad's book also includes an article about Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, his love for the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and his desire to help the Nation of Islam.  Also included are accounts of Muhammad's travels to Europe and, of course, Africa. How does he believe the brothers and sisters in Africa compare to those in the United States? “It’s a long history that you have to understand. We’ve been here 463 odd years, according to the figures that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad gave us, when the first slaves were brought here in 1555, and that’s a long time!” Muhammad said.  Today, young people in Africa are more aggressive about accomplishing things and taking advantage of their circumstances now, he added. “For the first time, their generation realize the value of the wealth that’s in the ground, and how it can be used, [and] give them a better quality of life. Before that, the wealth was taken out of the country and used abroad, or either taken out of the country and turned into items that were resold to Africa." The book also includes a few articles about reuniting Africa, including few articles about "The United States of Africa," what it means, and why it should happen. “There are things in the book that will help [people] understand Africa much better and understand the people of Africa. And when you look at the people of Africa, [you'll see that they've] got their own language, identity,  names, cultural expressions, music — and they did not lose that. “With us, that was taken away, and we were made to feel that we were less than what we were, in terms of a creature of God, blessed by God, with this beautiful Black skin and that mind and intellect to do things [such as] build our society." When Minster Farrakhan assigned him to Africa to open an office, Muhammad recalled, he fell in love with Africa, the people of Africa, and what they can offer the West.  “We can offer them something, and they can offer something also,” he said. ###

Mayor Melinda Mitchell

Three times is the charm for Mayor Melinda Mitchell of St. Martinville, LA
By Renarda Williams
 

After three tries, Melinda Mitchell has beat a longtime incumbent to become the first elected female mayor of St. Martinville, LA.

Mitchell beat Thomas Nelson by capturing 54 percent of the votes in the April 28, 2018, election. Her previous bids to unseat Nelson, who’d been in office for 12 years, came in 2010 and 2014.

Mitchell said it was a spiritual prophecy she’d received that influenced her to run for mayor the first time at the age of 39. “The second time, I felt like the city [had] a need for growth and development ... I thought it had great potential."

Mitchell said the vision God had given her augmented her decision to run that second time as well as the third.

"In 2010, I had 40 percent [of the vote]; and 2014, I made the runoff,” with 45 percent, she said. "And those numbers kept going up — to 54 percent, which finally led me to win ... Perseverance and endurance played an important role.”

The major things Mitchell hopes to improve in St. Martinville are the economy, education, health, and community development.

"St. Martinville should be a place where citizens can live, work, and raise a family,” she said, citing such goals as "building and attracting new businesses and establishing entrepreneur programs; strengthening our education system for children by providing better resources so they can be effective, as for learning; building a proper drainage for our water (we had an issue with that, when we had the 'big flood’), developing evacuation routes, and building [quality] shelters.” Building a dependable infrastructure, period — which goes back to health and safety — is of the utmost importance to her.

During a year that has seen a “recordbreaking” number of women running for office and winning primary elections, according to a recent story at Huffingtonpost.com, Mitchell said it is very important to inspire women and girls to achieve goals what may once have at least seemed unattainable. She recalled an 8-year old girl who recently told her she wants to be mayor like her which she grow up.

"It is the utmost importance to inspire all females to not limit themselves,” Mitchell said. “Women's voices are really needed because we bring different perspectives, and new ideas, into politics.

"My message is to inspire women that they should not be fearful to run for office. I believe women should be more fearful of what will happen to our cities if we don't run."

As the Juneteenth Holiday approaches, she adds, "I [see] my victory as a celebration of great joy ... inspiring everyone to look ahead and rejoice where God has taken us from!”

Now 47, Mitchell is basking in the support of her community. She also enjoys the support of her family, which includes her husband of 25 years; two grown daughters and a teenage son; and four grandchildren (soon to be five). "All of our children are proud of me!”  she says.

Mitchell said the issues that are important to solve in the city are: building a dependable infrastructure, which goes back to health and safety ... “and that goes back to water and more police patrols ... ,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell was sworn was in office on June 30. Mitchell officially took office on July 1, 2018, where she is eager to get to work!