Fayette settles voting rights lawsuit (Atlanta, Snellville: low crime, home, good schools)

[Newsboy]

This has been covered pretty extensively in the print media, both in the local Fayette County papers and by the AJC (including an in-depth and somewhat scathing front-page story on the front of the Sunday AJC back in December). It hasn't gotten much attention outside of Fayette County however, and I've resisted posting anything about it here -- until now.

TO SUMMARIZE: In 2011, the National NAACP filed a federal voting rights lawsuit on behalf of 9 wealthy African-American citizens of North Fayete charging that the county's 190-year-old system of countywide voting disenfranchised minorities and made it near impossible for a candidate of color to get elected to either the county commission or school board. What ensued was a 5-year legal battle with more twists and turns and reversals of fortune than you could imagine.

The school board originally agreed to settle the suit, then changed their minds. The county commission dug in their heals and vowed to fight it at all costs, which ended up amounting to more than $1 million in legal fees before all was said and done. A federal judge ruled the county's voting system illegal and orderd a new 5-district voting map with one ridiculously gerrymandered majority-minority district (Fayette County's black population was only 21 percent in the 2010 census). An election was held and Pota Coston, the county's first ever African-American county commissioner, was elected after nearly a decade of running for various offices.

Shortly after Poston took office last January (one year ago), a federal appeals court threw out the earlier decision and ordered all the parties to trial. Then, unbelievably and sad beyond words, Poston suddenly died of cancer. A new countywide election to fill her seat was ordered -- despite the fact she was elected by voters in the new majority black 5th district. Before qualifying could begin, the federal courts intervened again and said that because Poston had been elected by district, her replacement must be the same -- even though the county's entire district voting map was in limbo at that point. Another longtime African-American resident, Charles Rousseau, won the seat.

In the fall, the federal judge overseeing the suit ordered all the parties into mediation, and a negotiated settlement was reached in October -- but not made public until formal votes to accept the deal were taken by the BOE and BOC last week. The final plan creates 4 evenly-drawn districts, none of which are minority majority, eliminating the gerrymandered district. A 5th seat on both boards will be chosen countywide. (The districts will be revisited and redrawn following the 2020 Census).

The settlement also absolves the defendants (the county) of having to pay the NAACP's legal fees beyond $250,000 (to be split between the BOC and BOE). In return, the NAACP formally declared that at no time was there any evidence of intentional racial bias within Fayette County's at-large voting system.

The BOE vote was 5-0. The BOC vote was 3-2.

As a Fayette County native whose family was one of the original to settle in the community (1821), I'm relieved that this ugly chapter in our history is over. I'm also proud of the leadership that was shown by the 8 elected officials who chose to end a lengthy and very costly legal battle that Fayette County could not ever hope to win. Incredulously, some people in the community think the county should have continued the fight no matter the cost. Now, some are even calling for a recall. But in this poisonous national political climate, is it a surprise?

I'm confident in saying, however, that those opinions are in the minority. The overwhelmingly majoriity of Fayette residents that I know, and have discussed the issue with, are ready to move on. As I've stated on this forum before, Fayette County is a special place, with a proud history and legacy of leadership (beginning in the 1950s) that made it unique in Metro Atlanta. Some people like to say that Fayette is doomed to be the next Clayton, but those people don't know Fayette County. I think this settlement is proof that Fayette intends to go down a different road. With the exciting developments still to come surrounding Pinewood Studios, Fayette County's future looks pretty bright.

For anyone interested, the news links below include more details of the settlement as well comments from the parties and elected officials. They'll also take you to archived stories from the past 5 (!!) years.

http://thecitizen.com/news-governmen...s-1-large-post

Fayette News / Commissioners, Board of Ed. approve settlement - Fayette News

Fractious Fayette voting fight comes to an end | www.ajc.com

[cqholt]

And people complain about Atlanta's politics?

[jero23]

I covered this story last September.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...-election.html

Just like no one talked about how the Snellville first black city clerk was subject of racial intimidation/discrimination on the job from the staffers and elected officials and called "degenerate" in emails from City Councilmembers. The former mayor even corroborated the allegations because she has verified these incidents and emails do exist. The now former city clerk was forced out of her job by the new mayor for unknown reasons.

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/arc...a439c473e.html

Nobody seems to want to talk extensively how f**ked up some of these outlying jurisdictions when it comes to race. Yet let something happen intown it has to be talk of the town...

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by jero23

I covered this story last September.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...-election.html

Just like no one talked about how the Snellville first black city clerk was subject of racial intimidation/discrimination on the job from the staffers and elected officials and called "degenerate" in emails from City Councilmembers. The former mayor even corroborated the allegations because she has verified these incidents and emails do exist. The now former city clerk was forced out of her job by the new mayor for unknown reasons.

Snellville City Clerk accuses city staff, council of racism | Archive | gwinnettdailypost.com

Nobody seems to want to talk extensively how f**ked up some of these outlying jurisdictions when it comes to race. Yet let something happen intown it has to be talk of the town...

Well, while all this was going on Fayetteville did elect its first African-American mayor (in November) and he's been embraced with open arms. Which is why I have hope that things will be different down there now that this corner has been turned.

Also, a couple of corrections:

-- The AJC Sunday front page story ran the week before Thanksgiving.
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local...-social/npRRQ/

-- The first AA county commissioner who died of cancer just 6 months after talking office was Pota COSTON. The outpouring of grief from the entire county was huge, and her funeral was quite the big affair. A wake was held at New Hope Baptist Church, then the next day her body was carried by horse-drawn wagon to the historic Hopeful Primitive Baptist Church to lie in state and for burial. Another celebration was held at her home church in SW Atlanta later that day. She was a beautiful lady and a class act. Such a sad loss.

http://thecitizen.com/news-newsmaker...et-pota-coston

[jero23]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Well, while all this was going on Fayetteville did elect its first African-American mayor (in November) and he's been embraced with open arms. Which is why I have hope that things will be different down there now that this corner has been turned.

Unfortunately, that is valid just the city of Fayetteville itself since has a large black population that sit on the Clayton-Fayette county line(s). The rest of Fayette county is still a three-ring circus on racial and social progression. Otherwise, this lawsuit wouldn't have been a thought.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jero23

Unfortunately, that is valid just the city of Fayetteville itself since has a large black population that sit on the Clayton-Fayette county line(s). The rest of Fayette county is still a three-ring circus on racial and social progression. Otherwise, this lawsuit wouldn't have been a thought.

There are a lot of good reasons for at large districts. Look at all of the complaints by some of you about how balkanized the area is and how parochial many politicians are.

But how they thought they could actually win the suit, I don't know. When you have all at large districts, it always loses in court and that has been the case for decades.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by bu2

There are a lot of good reasons for at large districts. Look at all of the complaints by some of you about how balkanized the area is and how parochial many politicians are.

But how they thought they could actually win the suit, I don't know. When you have all at large districts, it always loses in court and that has been the case for decades.

I don't have a problem with at-large districts because I encourage them here and elsewhere. The problem is all at large districts services no purpose in the legislative branch of government. At large only works when it is a minority of the makeup of the legislative body not all of it.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by jero23

The rest of Fayette county is still a three-ring circus on racial and social progression.

Oh good lord. You have no idea what you are talking about.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by jero23

The rest of Fayette county is still a three-ring circus on racial and social progression.

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Oh good lord. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Yeah, I figured there'd be comments like this -- which is why I resisted posting anything on the topic until now. Fayette County is on the Southside after all, and (thanks to a very strict land-use plan) has lots of wide-open "country" ... so of course everybody down there must be a bunch of racist rednecks.

No matter that it's the 2nd-wealthiest county in the state (after Forsyth, another "racist" county) or that its residents are as well-educated and "world traveled" as you'd find anywhere in the metro. And let's not overlook the fact that African-American families in Fayette have a higher HH income than whites, or that minority students in the school system perform higher than white students.

POINT BEING: Fayette County's black citizens are, by and large, wealthy, well-educated and successful. Black families are moving to Fayette County for the same reasons white families do: Good schools and low crime. They pay a lot in property taxes for that, and they deserved a spot at the table. That's really what the lawsuit was all about.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Oh good lord. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Really now otherwise this suit wouldn't have been filed...I think that statement is applicable for yourself. Next!