Roy A. Perkins is the most experienced member of the Starkville Board of Aldermen, which makes his recent conduct all the more inexcusable. He should know better.
Tuesday, the Starkville Board of Aldermen chose city fire marshal Mark McCurdy to be interim fire chief in a 4-3 vote that went along racial lines. The decision turned out to be far more volatile than you would think for a position that will change again in as little as a few months. Ward 7 alderman Henry Vaughn walked out of the meeting as soon as McCurdy, who is white, was chosen over SFD Battalion Chief Curtis Randle, who is black.
Vaughn’s conduct was a breach of decorum that ultimately harms no one but himself. Vice mayor Perkins’ conduct is a far more serious matter.
After the vote, Perkins blasted the four white members of the board, saying he believed Randle’s credentials were superior. While he didn’t use the word “racist,” his comments left little room for doubt.
“We all know why this decision is being made, and it’s not being made, in my opinion, on experience and qualifications,” Perkins said. “It’s being made on one factor, and everybody in this room may not want to verbalize it, but I know what it’s being made on.”
It is hard to imagine a more serious charge because when that kind of accusation is made, the effects can be widespread and lingering. It harms the image of the city and calls into question the character and integrity of the city leaders. It threatens the working relationships of those who are charged with handing the city’s business going forward.
It also does harm not only to the candidate who was chosen but to the other candidate as well. McCurdy must now labor under the unsupported perception among some that the only qualification that led to his new position was his race. Randle, meanwhile, is cast in the role of a victim. Neither man deserves this. They simply wanted to serve their city.
So potentially damaging is the claim of racism that the evidence to support the claim should be so overwhelming as to withstand all objective scrutiny. Yet we find that there is nothing in this board’s history to support Perkins’ regrettable, unfortunate charge.
If the white members of the board — David Little, Ben Carver, David Little, Scott Maynard and Jason Walker — are, indeed, racists, their previous conduct should provide corroborating evidence. Since this board took over in 2013, there is no pattern of the board’s white members voting in a bloc, however.
It is worth remembering that just a year ago, the same board selected the city’s first black police chief, Frank Nichols, over two other finalists, including a white candidate, by a 6-1 vote.
That these so-called “racists” board members would choose a white candidate for a interim position, but select a black candidate for one of the city’s most important permanent positions seriously undermines Perkins’ claim.
The bottom line is that the board had two candidates for the interim fire chief job. Both had credentials to support their candidacy. Each board member voted for the candidate he or she felt was best for the position.
In this case, the white candidate was chosen. A year ago, the black candidate got the job. There is no reason to believe race was a factor in either decision.
If Perkins “knows” that this decision was made on the basis of race, he is obligated to offer compelling proof to support that claim. He has not.
We will not speculate as to Perkins’ motives for making this charge.
That would be unfair.
Almost as unfair as Perkins’ claims of racism by the board’s white members.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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