"They need to hear it," president of the Columbus chapter of the NAACP, Nana Watson, said. "They hear how it sounds. How horrible it is. How offensive it is. They need to hear it."
Watson said this in response to hearing the full recording from a public Scioto Township Trustee meeting on Nov. 17, where Trustee Barton Fannin was caught on audio using a racial slur regarding the Juneteenth holiday.
The meetings were all recorded, and WSYX received the hour-long audio clip from the township leaders.
In the recording, you can hear Fannin say, "I didn’t realize that was a fricking federal holiday."
Another trustee in the meeting responds, saying, "Yes, Yes, it is. You know what it means, right?
To that, Fannin responded, "It’s a N** holiday, right?"
"Woah! Don’t say that," Trustee Ralph Wolfe responded.
During the final part of the audio recording, Fannin can be heard asking if the recording had been shut off. Another trustee answers saying, "No, not yet," to which laughter is heard from what appears to be multiple in the background.
The Scioto Township Fiscal Officer, Terry Brill, told WSYX over the phone that it was nervous laughter. Brill claimed that he and the other trustees present at the time did not know how to respond because they had never heard Fannin speak that way before.
WSYX asked Watson why she believed it was important for the Central Ohio community to hear the audio recording in its entirety, including the racial slur.
"I think that it’s important for this community to hear his voice so it can resonate in their minds that this is the wrong word to use anytime," Watson said. "It’s not acceptable. It’s horrific and this community needs to hear it. Black people have been accustomed to hearing it. We want other people to hear it as well."
Fannin did not deny what he said during the meeting but responded to the incident by saying:
"I am sincerely sorry for what I said, and I meant nothing by it and said it off the cuff. To those who I offended, I am sincerely sorry. And I want the country to know that I did not direct it toward anyone.”
"The fact that you say something like that off the cuff tells me that is the language you use in your everyday life," Pickaway County resident Amber Mayle said.
Mayle said she is also hoping Fannin resigns.
"I did not expect to hear it from an elected public official on an official recording of a trustee meeting," resident Amber Mayle said. "This is not someone who should be representing our county in any way. I just feel like he should do the right thing and resign. He should not represent our community as a public official.
John Maynard, one of the other trustees who said he was present at the meeting, condemned his colleague's words. He told WSYX he had called on Fannin to resign on Nov. 24, but Fannin refused.
Ralph Wolfe, the third township trustee, also commented on the situation and shared this statement, in part, on Tuesday: As someone who is not a person of color, I acknowledge that I cannot fully grasp the profound hurt caused by such a degrading and racist word. It is crucial to emphasize that no racial or derogatory slur is accepted within the realm of Scioto Township.My call for Trustee Fannin’s resignation is not driven by hatred. I recognize and commend his work ethic, but the use of such language is fundamentally at odds with the values of Scioto Township.
Fannin was elected in 2022 and is one of three trustees for the Pickaway County township. His term expires at the end of 2025.
The next trustee meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m.
Community members who reached out to WSYX indicated they plan to protest at that meeting and call for Fannin's resignation.
Scioto Township leaders told WSYX there would be a police presence at the meeting.
"hear" - Google News
November 29, 2023 at 07:14AM
https://ift.tt/CerIamh
Columbus NAACP wants community to hear racial slur used by Scioto Township Trustee during meeting - ABC6OnYourSide.com
"hear" - Google News
https://ift.tt/QZKcjJi
https://ift.tt/CGLEXIs
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Columbus NAACP wants community to hear racial slur used by Scioto Township Trustee during meeting - ABC6OnYourSide.com"
Post a Comment