Community groups denounce ‘culture of anti-Blackness’ in Durham County government

The debate about racial bias in Durham County government grew louder Wednesday when more community leaders and organizations joined in.

Two of the city’s political groups joined Black faith and political leaders pushing elected officials to address county employees’ allegations that some county commissioners are racially biased against them.

Member of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Friends of Durham spoke at a news conference outside county offices on Main Street. Joining them were leaders from the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Durham, Durham Clergy United, and the city’s Racial Equity Task Force.

“We are watching Durham get progressively ill,” said Elaine O’Neal, former chair of the Racial Equity Task Force. “We see this as a perpetuation of a culture of anti-Blackness.”

The allegations of racial bias arose from a report last year after the county hired Duke University law professor James E. Coleman Jr. to investigate alleged racial bias and unfair treatment of employees.

The call to action follows a letter the Durham Committee sent the county last month, in which it raised the bias allegations and asked that Commissioner Heidi Carter recuse herself from any discussion about County Manager Wendell Davis’ contract.

Davis accused Carter of racism last year.

“It is our fundamental belief that no employee should be subjected to a toxic work environment,” said Antonio Jones, chair of the Durham Committee. “Furthermore, it is time to stop disrespecting, scapegoating and gas-lighting Black county employees for political appeasement.”

Why did Durham County hire a consultant?

Last February, Davis accused Carter of harboring a racial bias against him and other people of color in a letter published by media outlets.

His accusation came after Carter criticized him at a public meeting for how long it was taking county staff to plan school construction projects.

Davis’ letter cited multiple times he felt Carter was being racist, including a claim that she had told him, “You work for the Board, and when we tell you to do something, you’d better grin and bear it.”

Carter, a former Durham school board member, was seeking re-election. She called the accusations “baseless” and claimed Davis was trying to sabotage her campaign.

Davis’ letter led to two independent probes into what was happening behind the scenes.

▪ On oversight committee for county managers looked into the issue after receiving an anonymous complaint.

▪ The county spent $29,343 to hire Coleman Jr as a legal consultant to investigate the claims.

Learn more here:

▪ “Durham County manager cleared of wrongdoing by oversight committee”; tinyurl.com/ypdmts4c

▪ “Durham County leaders bicker over investigating manager’s allegations of racism”; tinyurl.com/4wnj5pdt

What did Coleman’s report say about racial bias?

In his nine-page report, Coleman said the tension between the commissioners and manager, and between commissioners, has put Durham County government in “a state of periodic dysfunction.”

Coleman interviewed county commissioners, the county manager, and staff members. He found:

▪ There is a lack of collegiality among some commissioners and a lack of trust between some commissioners and the manager.

▪ Some employees felt micromanaged by Vommissioners Wendy Jacobs and Carter, the only white members currently on the board.

▪ The manner and tone in which some commissioners asked Davis and staff questions could be perceived as “disrespectful of their expertise” or “biased.”

▪ Staff were often caught in the middle of disputes between the board and the manager.

Coleman found no evidence of intentional or conscious racial bias. However, his report stated both the manager and his staff “reasonably could have perceived” Carter’s criticism of Davis last year as racially biased, at least implicitly so.

About 62% of Durham County employees are part of a minority group, Jones said, and most of those employees are Black.

Learn more here:

▪ “‘I’m truly sorry.’ Durham County commissioner apologizes after being called racist”; tinyurl.com/34t4jpkm

▪ “Durham County board to lean into ‘collective discomfort’ with anti-racism training”; tinyurl.com/7xha3hwu

Where does public school funding fit into this?

Davis has been a critic of Durham Public Schools, saying it is not doing enough to raise Black students achievement. He has rejected the school board’s full funding requests, saying he can’t recommend more money for a district that is losing students.

As a school board member and as a commissioner, Carter has opposed Davis’ budget proposals for school funding on multiple occasions.

Jones said local leaders need to have “an open and honest conversation” about public school funding.

The state carries the burden on school funding, but historically the General Assembly has not provided enough money to meet districts’ needs, he said.

“As white parents chose, over decades, to leave Durham Public Schools for various reasons, there’s a cost associated with it,” he said in an interview with The N&O.

Durham County ranks third across the state on local spending per student, according to 2020 annual report by the Public School Forum of North Carolina. The data draws from the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Learn more here:

▪ “County manager wants ‘better work’ from schools”; tinyurl.com/2p97e3nr

▪ “Durham Public Schools’ dilemma: Should a district losing students expect extra money?”; tinyurl.com/jrsumr9x

What about Davis’ contract?

Davis’ contract is up for re-negotiation, but it will automatically renew unless commissioners vote to end it by June.

Since March, three prominent political groups have weighed in.

▪ The People’s Alliance asked county commissioners to hire a new manager who would match the board’s progressive, political philosophy.

▪ The Friends of Durham, two weeks later, opposed PA’s statement, saying managers are supposed to be nonpolitical.

▪ The Durham Committee followed with a letter in support of county employees and requested Carter recuse herself from discussing Davis’ contract.

At Wednesday’s news conference, O’Neal said the county should halt all decision-making about the contract “until the commission no longer operates out of the current dysfunction.”

She said the Board of County Commissioners needs to find a constructive way to address the issues in Coleman’s report.

“Instead of responding effectively to the charge of periodic dysfunction, there has been continued questioning of County Manager Davis’ competence, salary, character and motivation,” she said. “That is dehumanizing.”

Jones said Carter’s disputes with Davis pose a conflict of interest.

Carter declined to recuse herself from discussions about the contract in March, citing state statutes requiring her to vote.

Learn more here:

▪ “Durham County manager’s new contract offers financial, job security”; tinyurl.com/29w98764

▪ “Political battle brewing over Durham County manager’s pay, perks and severance package”; tinyurl.com/9kp2j5fx

▪ “Durham Committee asks 3 county commissioners to apologize to Black-led consultant group ”; tinyurl.com/bruhc43u

What’s next?

Henry McCoy, an N.C. Central University business professor who spoke at Wednesday’s news conference, is co-hosting a virtual town hall at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, to discuss the public conversation regarding Davis.

McCoy invited the Durham Committee, Friends of Durham and The People’s Alliance to take part in the conversation last week.

As of Wednesday, Friends of Durham and the Durham Committee agreed to join. The PA declined to join the town hall on Friday.