This little post about a meeting with Kenneth I. Stokes is making the rounds on social media. The Broadmoor neighborhood is not too happy after meeting with their new Councilman. Posted below is the account of what allegedly took place.
Tonight, I experienced one of the strangest moments of my entire life.
After a month of optimism for the new administration in our city, my neighborhood was brought down a peg or 10 by the longest tenured member of our city council, Mr. Kenny Stokes.Earlier this year, Fondren North (the portion of Fondren between Meadowbrook Road and Northside Drive) was shifted from Ward 1 (represented by Ashby Foote) to Ward 3 (represented by Kenny Stokes). Our standards for representation were not high to begin with, but we had concerns that the long-time councilman would simply ignore us. Even with elections looming this spring and summer, that’s exactly what he did.Well, thanks to the work of the Broadmoor Neighborhood Association and Broadmeadow United Methodist Church, tonight, we finally got an audience with our councilman.Mr. Stokes showed up early. His team had already set up chairs and a podium. Neighbors – 30 to 40 at least – filed into the fellowship hall as he started to speak. Many of these neighbors have lived in Fondren North for decades, transforming it from a transitional neighborhood to one that people seek out for its unique character. He promised an hour, but no more.The first ten minutes was an incoherent mess of gloomy slanders against our city. He talked of the impending takeover of our community by “dope boys”. This would result in most of us moving out, which would allow more of them to move in. He talked about the need for more police officers and that, to pay for those officers, we needed to “trim the fat” by reducing the number of department heads in city government. He asked us to look around at how bad our community looks – abandoned houses, potholes, etc.At ten minutes in, an inflamed neighbor spoke up, “Mr. Stokes, I don’t think you’re speaking to the crowd you think you’re speaking to.” This neighbor, by the way, spends a good amount of his time, cleaning up the streets on his block and beyond. Mr. Stokes took off his oversized jacket in order to respond.This started an avalanche of questions and comments to the councilman, none of which he ever answered.The next fifteen minutes was a blur. Neighbors respectfully raised their hands to voice concerns and to ask what we can do to make things better. Mr. Stokes offered no advice but proceeded to repeat his previous manifesto about our neighbors moving out. I believe at one point he said that we needed to open our eyes and see the truth.Thirty minutes after the start of the meeting, Mr. Stokes called up a young man from the back of the room to talk about his programs working with trouble youth in the community. While the man (Mr. Conner, I believe) spoke, Councilman Stokes quietly put on his jacket and walked out of the room. Several neighbors followed him outside to speak to him as he got into his vehicle and started to leave. After five or so minutes, he pulled out. Returning to the fellowship hall, a prominent neighbor interrupted Mr. Conner to let everyone know that our councilman had, in fact, left.The church pastor who had planned the meeting, annoyed and dismayed, announced that the meeting would now end.The room full of concerned citizens who had hoped to have a new councilman to help us fight our issues of blight, and raucous nightclubs, and drag racing, and general public safety found themselves in the place they were prior to their redistricting just months ago - without a suitable representative in our city government.It is unacceptable for a publicly elected official to behave in this manner, and it’s time for Jackson to do better.My order for a STOKES hat has now been cancelled.
31 comments:
I was hired by the city years ago for a position that would require the Council’s approval. I was told that Stokes would not vote yes because he won’t vote for a white person. I believe he abstains on such votes. So when my neighborhood was moved to his district, I effectively was deprived of a council member. Anyone can check his voting history. I don’t want to waste the time. But forget getting the noise, the street racing, the nuisances like Taste addressed. We are doomed.
This took place in the Fondren North neighborhood. Thank you for publishing.
I hate to be brash, but if you thought and hoped this, I question your intelligence, awareness, mindset, and basically everything about you: "hoped to have a new councilman to help us fight our issues of blight, and raucous nightclubs, and drag racing, and general public safety found themselves in the place they were prior to their redistricting just months ago"
Reaping what you sow. Good luck.
I am a stokes fan. I know the guy isn't eloquent, but neither am I. What did you want the guy to say? From what I read here the man spoke the damn truth!!!!
As one said earlier, he had the wrong audience! Now Mr Stokes might have been a little confused with the questions! Bless you, Mr Stokes, it’s time to let it go. No more pandering to the people’s.
" I believe at one point he said that we needed to open our eyes and see the truth."
This statement speaks volumes to Northeast Jackson. They don't want you here anymore and no amount of anything is going to change that. NE JXN has held out as long as they can, but the truth is it's theirs to do what they want to with. They don't care about your side of town, hell they don't really care about their side of town either. Just like this post, you may not like what is said, but it's/he's not wrong.
Racist is as racist does.
Is Stokes on any committees tending
to city business? I'm not sure I've seen
him at them. Is he at the budget hearings?
I am a Madison county person who used to live in Hinds county. YOU PEOPLE KEEP ELECTING THESE PEOPLE, so live with it.
I seem to remember that Stokes does not attend any meetings other than the council meetings.
What did you want him to say? That he is going to fix all of your neighborhood problems? At least he didn’t lie.
I laugh every time I hear someone say "Fondren North".
I grew up between Meadowbook and Northside Drive,
Never did we think of ourselves as being a part of "The Fondren".
Fondren started at the corner of North State St. and Hartfield
and ended at UMMC and the stadium parking lot.
Regarding Stokes .... "Were you not entertained" ?
You get what you pay for, or in this case, what he’s paid for. And he is more likely or not on someone's roll. Something about stripes…
At least Kenny's honest. He just told you that neither he nor the city cares about you. As a matter of fact, he gave you a warning to leave. Maybe you should stop pushing a rope with your save Fondren efforts and get out before your kid catches a bullet while sleeping in his bed or strapped in the car seat headed to First Pres.
1:40, when you say “you people” keep electing him and need to live with it, I can use that same logic on you: you people elected Biden in 2020 and should have learned to live with it. You can’t admonish every voter in the U.S. for electing Biden, since about half didn’t vote for him, but neither can you admonish everyone in Jackson or a single ward for their mayor/councilperson, since many voted for qualified candidates. Sorry, it’s not that simplistic.
you want change, go straight to the new mayor. All of our council people have proven they are worthless. While Stokes was a voice of intelligence and forward thinking during the Lumumba administration......If Lumumba proved anything, it was his total cluelessness and incompetence could make a stick look brilliant. I have hopes that the mayor can elevate the city to functioning, and with that, we can get a higher quality council person to vote for in all districts. With that said, Broadmoor / this side of Northisde should have never been separated from Fondren. That makes no sense
Degentrification at work.
I left years ago when an elected official made it very clear he did not want to hear about the issues my Jackson business was facing.
I don't care for Stokes, but I do applaud him for being honest.
He hates white people and all he wants from them is green.
He told you to move, and you should.
Yall Fondren hippies should listen to him. You can move now and admit your ideology is flawed. You can lie to people and say you sold because you got more than you invested. But you cant be un-raped, and un-murdered. And it will happen.
I read people moaning and groaning about the failure of Fondren, etc. Pack up and leave. That’s what I did 20 years ago and I have felt safe and very happy. Oh, I am not saying there is no crime, in fact 3 or 4 years ago, during Halloween, several trees in my neighborhood got rolled with toilet paper on Halloween.
I'm sorry but what else would you expect from the man who argued against moving the zoo to Lefleur's Bluff because it "gots to stay in Jackson". His idea of Jackson ends right where you live. I hate it for the area. We used to attend Broadmeadow. We were married there. But Stokes behaved about as expected. Unless you're kissing his ass, he won't want to hear it. He is a problem, not a solution. Regrettably for the Fondren-area neighborhoods affected.
Stokes is the worst racist in the area. But he was right. Move out of his craphole, take your $ with you, and let it collapse around him.
First of all, the whole Fondren North thing is laughable. That is not part of Fondren.
Second, there should now be enough people in that area to vote Stokes out in 2029 if they want him gone badly enough.
I'm waiting giddily for the Stokes Valentine billboard in Fondren.
Stokes will be dead soon - he is very unhealthy. Not sure what’s next
After all these years and there are people who Jackson will make a comeback. Not going to happen.
The legislature either needs to (a) de-incorporate Jackson and reconstitute it as separate municipalities; or (b) move the state capital. You will never save the sprawling mess that is all of Jackson, but you might save the northeast corner, and possibly work outward somewhat from there. So long as you have to fight against the collective resignation and racism of south- and west-Jackson voters, there's no chance.
Mississippi must have a mid-sized city (not just a suburb) that families and businesses can move to, or we will continue to fall farther behind neighboring states and lose our most capable young people to brain drain. This is an existential crisis for the the state. Failure to act urgently on it is malpractice by our state leaders, regardless of party.
Did you seriously expect anything different?
Stokes is not any different than the former mayor. They do have a lot in common.
They never do, but the same people keep voting these idiots in office then complain they don’t fix anything. The people have the power to change, they are too lazy or incompetent to do so.
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