Jackson-Madison Co. NAACP having community rally for embattled school board member Doris Black

Before the Jackson-Madison County school board meeting Monday, the Jackson-Madison Co. branch of the NAACP will rally the community in support of board member Doris Black, the target of recall petitions which triggered a Dec. 10 recall election.

Black has been wrongfully targeted for those who want to gain or maintain power in the school system, Harrell Carter, JMC NAACP president, said.

“It’s about Ms. Doris Black; it’s about Kevin Alexander,” Carter said. “They have been targeted by what the state attorney general basically said is unconstitutional.”

There are also recall petitions circulating for Alexander but haven’t been enough signatures for a recall election against him.

State Attorney General Herbert Slatery III questioned the constitutionality of the Madison County-only recall bill.

Slatery said the recall bill raises constitutional concerns because of the narrow population bracket, making it apply only to Madison County, as well as a severability clause, saying even if one part of the law is invalid that doesn’t vacate other parts of the bill.

When the attorney general rendered his opinion, the JMC NAACP agreed that the recall petitions against Black and Alexander have “serious constitutional issues.”

“This form of reckless legislation only hurts the due process of our elections, and the integrity of our system of justice," the JMC NAACP statement said. 

'Community must find a way out of this mess.'

The rally is about our children, Carter also said.

“Our children need the best representation that they can possibly get, and that includes our school board members and all the other elected officials that have some direct input into our children’s education,” he said.

JMCSS has not performed at levels it should, he said.

JMCSS TNReady testing data showed consistent growth in the district, but it still didn’t meet the state’s expectations. The district ranked as a Level 1 with a TVAAS score, or year-over-year growth, based on a 1-5 scale with 1 being the lowest score.

Jackson-Madison County is a dysfunctional community because the community doesn’t address the issues it has, like a majority of students living at or below poverty and many students being homeless, Carter said.

“It is really a shame where our system is, and we’re putting more emphasis on building a failed criminal justice system and brick and mortar for education," he said. "We’re not giving the necessary information to our children for them to be successful. This community can no longer sit silently by and watch these children fail time after time after time.”

Carter said the community must find a way out of the mess it’s in.

“It didn’t start with Kevin and Doris; it’s not going to end with them, regardless of what happens,” he said. “Why are we fighting each other when there is so much more out there to be gained?”

The community rally is from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Historic First Baptist Church, 433 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

The group plans to provide information about how citizens can ensure “equality and justice prevail,” according to its flyer.  

Black said she is happy to know that there are community members as well as her constituents who are concerned about what is happening.  

“They feel that the law is unconstitutional and that I was unfairly targeted, so they are having the rally to show their support,” Black said.

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Lasherica Thornton is The Jackson Sun's education reporter. Reach her at 731-343-9133 or by email atlthornton@jacksonsun.com. Follow her on Twitter: @LashericaT