Alabama town files case to change racist norms, years of no election
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Newbern has attracted attention after white officials denied Patrick Braxton, the first Black mayor in the town's history, for three years to exercise mayoral duties.
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Voters enter and exit a polling facility at the Seale Courthouse in Russell County during a primary election, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Seale, Alabama (AP)
A new motion this November could bring big changes to the small town of Newbern in the state of Alabama to host a political election for the first time in several decades.
A joint preliminary injunction has been filed by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), an organization focusing on racial and civil rights, and an Alabama-based private law firm, to force Newbern, a town of about 133 people, to carry out elections and allow citizens to vote.
Just an hour and a half away from Montgomery, the US town attracted attention last year after white officials denied Patrick Braxton, the first Black mayor in Newbern’s history, for three years to exercise mayoral duties.
The town, 80% Black and 20% white, has been majority white in its leadership for years, except for Braxton and his town council. The defendants in the lawsuit, such as the previous mayor and council, refuse to hold elections.
Braxton said last year, “[They’re] so stuck in their ways and don’t want nothing else for the town. They just want it to stay the same,” adding, “I hope they break and just go ahead and release everything to me. If not, we’ll just go to court.”
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Previous Newbern mayors were appointed or ran unopposed with many serving in the position for more than 10 years, while it is reported that many residents were not aware they could have elections.
The new lawsuit builds on one filed last year, accusing white officials of manipulating the political process for years to keep the upper hand in the majority-Black town. It stated that defendant former mayor Haywood “Woody” Stokes III and his town council conducted a secret, special election, which prevented Braxton from appointing his town council.
The previous town council re-elected themselves and reappointed the previous town mayor, aided by the town's bank and clerk, according to the lawsuit.
Braxton has continued trying to serve as mayor since assuming office in 2020 by using his own money to host events and food drives.
In a statement for Braxton provided by the LDF, he said, “For decades, officials in my town have excluded me and other voters from participating in elections and having a say in what happens here."
“Voting is not a privilege; it is a responsibility in helping to shape the direction and priorities of our community. We want to ensure our voices are heard and votes are counted. We ask the courts to enforce elections in Newbern this November so that we can cast our ballots and actively participate in the democratic process.”
It goes without saying that Alabama is the place where the famous Civil Rights Movement took place when Rosa Parks' segregation led to the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was followed by Martin Luther King's historical march from Selma to Montgomery against racism.
