Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins was a speaker at the 8th Annual State of Black Shreveport summit held at Southern University Shreveport on Feb. 29.
Titled "2020 Symposium and Economic Summit" the event featured speakers and panelists on the economy, education, social and criminal justice reform along with local, state and national politics.
Perkins's speech — actually, parts of it — has been critiqued on American Ground Radio and KEEL Radio. His entire message has not been reported until now. (Like any other speaker, the mayor made some contemporaneous comments that are not included in this text.)
“I’m excited to be here this morning, speaking to y’all about the state of Black Shreveport. This past week gave us insight not only into the state of Shreveport, but it also demonstrated that Black Shreveport is expected to play by a different set of rules.
“Now is a very important time. ... I want everyone to pay close attention to what’s going on in our city. There is an effort to undermine my administration, but it is much bigger than that. There is an effort by some in the local Republican party to obstruct progress and re-write the city charter to strip power from black elected officials.
“This isn’t some conspiracy theory. This effort is already underway. Just look what happened last week.
“Henry Whitehorn has been a leader in the African-American community for decades. He was:
· Shreveport’s first African-American chief of police
· He was chosen by Gov. Blanco to serve as the superintendent of state police and the deputy secretary of public safety
· And Mr. Whitehorn was appointed as the U.S. marshall for the Western District of Louisiana by President Obama.
“Mr. Whitehorn was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, including 41 Republican senators, but three Shreveport city councilmen found fault in him. To be clear: they never said he was not qualified, and they never publicly questioned his character. How could you?! He is the most qualified CAO nominee in Shreveport history, and he is a man of integrity.
“Instead these council members focused on process. Nickelson demanded a national search be conducted, a measure that previous mayors have not taken and is not required by the city charter. Plus, I don’t work for him.
“Republicans change the rules in the middle of the game so they could claim victory, and in doing so, they dishonored a leader in the African-American community and embarrassed our city.
“I will not stand for that! We are going to fight to get Mr. Whitehorn confirmed because Shreveport needs the best people serving in positions of leadership.
“This double standard hasn’t just affected appointments. It has also cost the city money:
“Tell the story about Alex Washington and contract interference
“The city of Shreveport can’t afford to pass on revenue. We are a resource-constrained city and need all the money we can get.
“Economic development is one of my top priorities. My administration is working hard to create an economy that works for all of Shreveport. And that starts with how the city distributes its business.
“The Fair Share program is designed to assist small, disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned businesses with procurement and capacity building. The city has a stated goal of 25%, but that number has never eclipsed 14%. In my first year in office, we raised that number 5%, achieving a record high of 19%. And we will keep pushing until that we surpass our goal.
Shreveport is a minority-majority city, but all of the wealth and resources are south of I-20 and east of I-49. We have to change that. We need a more equitable distribution of resources. That is what I am focused on, but to accomplish that, I need your help.
“Dr. King famously said, ‘Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.’ If we want to move Shreveport forward, we will have to fight for it.
“When you voted for me, you demanded change. Now, we face a concerted effort by Republican councilmen to not just impede progress, but like I said earlier, he wants to rewrite the rules. Councilman Nickelson said just last week in council that he wants to rewrite the city charter and reconsider whether Shreveport should centralize power in the mayor’s office or in the city council. For those who understand why, since Republicans can’t win the mayor’s office, they want to strip all the power away from the mayor and make that office not worth having anymore.
“This isn’t just about me. It’s about us. If he is successful, the African-American community will be forced to live with those radical changes for years. We have to band together and stop them.
“I need y’all to call your councilmen and let them know that you will not tolerate this. I need you to come to city council meetings and let your voice be heard. Share your thoughts on social media. We have to come together and work together as a people, if we are going to move Shreveport forward.”
Perkins made many points that are factually correct and indisputable:
a. Two Republican council members want to establish a charter review committee.
b. The appointment of Henry Whitehorn has been opposed by the three Republican council members.
c. The opposition to Whitehorn is unprecedented under the city's mayor-council form of government that began in November 1978.
c. A national search for a CAO has never been conducted. It is not required by the city charter, and the practicality of the same is questionable since the position will be limited by the remaining months in the mayor's term.
d. Shreveport is a minority-majority city.
e. Shreveport's wealth and resources are south of I-20 and east of I-49.
f. Large portions of the city are impoverished and in need of more development, better jobs and economic stability.
g. The quote of Dr. King precedes and refers to Perkins's remarks about city council members (not members of the public).
g. Perkins was elected on a platform of change
The mayor's remarks can be taken at face value: they can be slanted into different perspectives or interpreted to suit the political posture of any commentator.
As owner, publisher and editor of this paper, my overriding goal is to put forth facts, especially facts that have not been reported or that have not been fully explained.
This column is an example.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE March 6 ISSUE OF THE INQUISITOR