Why is the Delaware NAACP Bullying Councilwoman Lisa Diller?
This past Tuesday, the NCCo County Council met for usual business, but ended with an extraordinary bit of public commentary directing actual threats at Councilwoman Lisa Diller. We talked about the original incident here. But the NAACP President, Richard Smith, read a letter into the record that you can hear via the County’s audio of the meeting. The full meeting is about 30 minutes long, but if you go to about the 26 minute mark you can hear from Mr. Smith and Mr. Roosevelt Nichols (not sure I heard the name correctly) who read the letter sent to Ms. Diller.
The letter recommends that Ms. Diller take Diversity Training and Anger Management Training. It also says that “…we will monitor your future County Council behavior from now on.” (my transcription of the audio). Mr. Smith then takes the mike to also recommend Diversity Training and ask for a meeting with Ms. Diller. And if that doesn’t happen, “We’ll do what we have to do — you can take that any way you want to.” ‘Refuse to take the black community for granted” and he’d have 14-18 NAACP states here to protest or something.
Got that? The Delaware NAACP suits up in County Council to defend the indefensible behavior of Bernard Pepukayi — that behavior being an inept dodge of a valid request from a Council Member for a briefing on a the status of an appeal of a recent court decision in the Pike Creek Golf Course case. They make various threats pointed at Councilwoman Diller (why would that provide an incentive to meet, I don’t get), and in the process pretty much endorse County Executive Gordon’s move to try to exclude Council (and the public) from any visibility into this case. Even though a couple of these Councilpeople actually have constituents directly affected by this. And here’s another thing — can anyone remember the NAACP taking on Council President Bullock or Tom Gordon or Pepukayi for denying Councilwoman Kirkpatrick the information she was entitled to? It seems awfully sexist to single her out for this treatment, and yet her we have the NAACP working to make this incident look like racism from Ms. Diller.
In the same meeting, there was an agenda item looking for approval of the development plan for the new Cooke Elementary School. Jea Street made an impassioned plea to council to stop approving these expansions while other Red Clay (especially those in the city) are basically ignored. One of the NAACP officials stood to agree with Mr. Street here — but certainly did not provide any of the threats of consequences that were pointed at Ms. Diller. Given that the NAACP is supposed to be working on social justice issues, I’m thinking that they have their priorities quite wrong here. How is it that defending one man who can’t manage the professional chops to defend himself is the business of the NAACP — that may results in marches and so on — but the ongoing shortchanging of high needs kids by Red Clay (and other districts) is not?
Outgoing NAACP President Ben Jealous has been focused like a laser beam on the big stuff — the issues of social justice that improve the entire community when successfully addressed. I can’t imagine that he’d be proud of this chapter that has decided to abandon any pretense of social justice and act like a boy’s club trying to bully one woman into submission over Tom Gordon’s attempt to not share information with the County Council.
Remember when I said that I thought that the City’s African American leadership needed to work on leveling up? THIS is exactly the kind of thing that I mean. Even though the NAACP isn’t just the City, this group of people certainly haven’t been inspired by the leadership of Ben Jealous. There are real and abiding problems for the minority and poor communities in this state and it is a damn shame that the local NAACP is squandering its heritage and its promise on bullshit like bullying this woman to get a meeting about Pepukayi. And seriously, if he’s such a qualified professional, how is heaven’s name does he actually*need* the NAACP to manage his business?
Tags: Featured, Lisa Diller, NAACP, Tom Gordon
Here’s the actual letter:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/175098160/Councilwoman-Lisa-Diller-Letter-of-Admonishment-NAACP
Conservatives love that kind of behavior. They will pull out an incident like this one, when there is a serious issue, to claim the NAACP doesn’t care about justice and that they always use the race card.
Thank you, Ezra! That was a helpful link.
The shame of it isn’t that conservatives use this to play the not serious card, but that the NAACP gives them this card to play.
This is another sign of the Gordon strategy for the 2016 gubernatorial primary. He has his union people in the fold, and he’s counting on black votes — especially in the city, where the primary is the election — to make up the rest of a coalition that could win in the primary.
Mr. Smith’s true intent lay in his “CC:” list at the bottom.
Sad.
“Governor Gordon” sounds scary as shit. Gawds, save us, Matt. Hell, I’d almost take Governor Lavelle instead.
Governor Tommy sounds about right he is a lot straighter than the crook that holds that office now
Something (not this) gave me the sickening feeling that Gordon was lining up for a shot at the Governors office.
Correction for Geezer- The primary IS the election. Now that this is a one party state, If Democrats allow these primaries to decend into Grodon-esque horror shows, we deserve all of the misery will get.
while I haven’t heard the alleged attack by Diller on Pepukayi (only read about it), I have worked on a couple projects in the past with Pepukayi. He is a nice guy but . . . considering all the legal issues the county has to deal with, let’s just say I was shocked when I heard Gordon hired him. I’ve never met Diller, but based on my experiences with Pepukayi, I don’t think that this issue is something the NAACP should be going to the mat on.
First of all, why doesn’t Cassandra M. ever pick up a phone and ASK people about the shit she is mouthing off on? This crazy layering of a deliberately in the dark position is getting old.
Anyone observing Councilwoman Kilpatrick going the extra mile for “non-citizen clients” in Council on plans she is sponsoring and behind the scenes (yes to see it you have to dig into the files and read through them in the land use dept. on several big cases Stoltz, DE Hospice to name two) you would see that Janet has the developers and their attorneys on speed dial. I phoned people I know to get more information than Adam Taylor provided in the month-old story linked above.
The initial complaint Janet – and thus Lisa Diller – made was about a time-sensative meeting with Max Walton about the Sept. 12th filing – who has worked the Pike Creek case for NCC for the last three years.
Because of JK’s intensely close relationship non-resident “clients”, she was left out of the initial meeting so she wouldn’t go running to her pals with the filing information. The county administration was perfectly happy to brief the full Council ASAP and did so with Max Walton the week after Diller’s unhappy episode.
Diller fell into Kilpatrick’s trap, in a way. There was no there there. I am told she expressed delight with the briefing by Max Walton when Chris Bullock finally got him scheduled in, soon after the explosive theatrics of the 10th. I also understand Council explored a filing of their own about Separation of Powers which is on my list of things to check out next – a question raised by Dulin.
The NAACP is on record to protect the integrity of public discourse involving abusive behavior toward members of their organization. This is not a nefarious plot to make Gordon the Governor. Not that speculation such as that isn’t the daily fodder of this blog. If it ain’t TG it’s KWS or GOD FORBID CF. Heaven help us all! The gears turning in your overheated imaginations just can’t help hand-to-god that someone somewhere is plotting to dethrone one or ALL of the entitled HIGH DEMS worshipped here.
Ms. Diller replied to the charges of racisim by the NAACP in the 10/11/13 Community News. This is apparently not online, but you can see the pdf of the page here. This is the heart of it:
Because of JK’s intensely close relationship non-resident “clients”, she was left out of the initial meeting so she wouldn’t go running to her pals with the filing information.
Whether or not Kilpatrick is an above-board player here is not the point. The point is about information sharing and sunshine. If Gordon gets to control the information flow to one, he’ll do it to all of them and that is untenable.
As is rolling out the NAACP to throw around dumbass charges of racism, where there is none. Only a County Attorney who got caught up in his boss’ silly witholding of information.
Tried to add this – NAACP is having their national convention in Wilmington next year which is what Richard Smith was talking about and was difficult to decipher from the recording. That gathering of the organization is a point of pride.
The membership of the local NAACP Chapters will not let Diller ignore their request for a meeting. I don’t know why she is refusing to cool this down. If she can’t face the Wilmington leadership then won’t she at least approach the Newark area NAACP and get this sorted out? Anyone listening to her on that tape has to believe she needs to apologize.
The NAACP were also very pissed at the Governor’s behavior toward Chip Flowers. I have their stern letter to Jack Markell they passed around on June 30th.
I really don’t think Tom Gordon is goading them on for his benefit but that is no doubt two cents wasted on ya’ll.
There isn’t anything to sort out. As far as I can tell, the people who need to apologize are Gordon and Pepukayi AND the NAACP for wasting their time on this when there are big issues that need to be addressed.
I have written a few posts about this and completely agree it is not about racism.
But it is also not just about the Gordon attorney. Chris Bullock was the point of contention during the meeting of the 10th. He refused to give Kilpatrick an agenda item for a briefing that day in his exec. committee. That was why this was brought up in Finance. And why Smiley did his dance on how in HIS Finance committee no member of council would be denied a request for executive session…blah blah blah.
Bullock was as much the target of Diller’s words as Pepukayi. And it turns out that they needed Max Walton for the briefing which they did get ASAP.
The NAACP wants to stand up for proper professional behavior toward their members in this capacity. And I wonder why Bullock sat in silence. Council is isolated in their warring in court that started with their following along with Stoltz and Clark’s law office. This splintering is costing us a lot of money. That is something to complain about.
For sunshine, Tim Sheldon was at the initial meeting and had worked this lawsuit for years with Max Walton. The feeling was that Kilpatrick couldn’t be trusted to be in on the time-sensitive meeting where the decision to file on the 12th was made. That was what Tom Gordon told Adam Taylor and it is in the story. I do believe that there was never an intent to keep the full council from being briefed.
And all the crap in the recording about who Pepukayi did or didn’t email to was pathetic coming from Dulin. He was handling a death in the family over this time period and he had sent the emails as instructed to Sheldon and Kilpatrick who didn’t send them to Dulin either. Her words demeaning Pepukayi weren’t exactly helpful to the tone of the meeting at that point. But he held his own. And if you asked him, Cassandra, I am SURE he would tell you he doesn’t need the NAACP to hold it for him nor did he seek this. I am guessing it was more about Norman Oliver putting the Diller evil-fest on his show two weeks ago and asking the community to gear up and get mad.
The only problem with that is that the NAACP came out bullying and threatening for Pepukayi — not Bullock. Pepukayi was being asked by Kilpatrick in Finance for the briefing and after Pepukayi spun up his bullshit about this not really being County Council’s business, Diller called him to account to do his basic job. After Diller finished speaking, Carol Dulin spoke at length about why Pepukayi’s dodge was such weak tea.
The NAACP should be interested in proper professional behavior BY their members in public service. And what Pepukayi tried to pull off isn’t worthy of a 14-year old trying to get out of his chores. If this is what the local NAACP stands for, they might as well close their doors. Because all it is is a Boys Club now.
The feeling was that Kilpatrick couldn’t be trusted to be in on the time-sensitive meeting where the decision to file on the 12th was made.
I don’t care what the feeling was. Tom Gordon and his staff have NO BUSINESS deciding what information an elected official can or cannot see in their official capacity.
And if you asked him, Cassandra, I am SURE he would tell you he doesn’t need the NAACP to hold it for him nor did he seek this.
Really? So where is his disavowal of their bullying position here? Maybe you can ask him for that.
Pepukayi got his ass handed to him in that Finance meeting by Dulin, Kilpatrick and Diller and apparently the NAACP doesn’t take kindly to one of their own being shown up by the ladies in the room.
Maybe Pepukayi should have stuck with his original career plan of dealing coke instead.
NAACP is having their national convention in Wilmington next year which is what Richard Smith was talking about
The NAACP is having their 2014 national convention in Las Vegas. I don’t think that Wilmington has the convention facilities big enough to bring an NAACP national convention here.
Truth Teller’s name is apparently meant ironically.
The irony is Councilperson Diller is an ordained minister and wrote her Phd. on the racism in the U.S. I wonder where was the NAACP was when Councilperson Street had thrown his shoe at Paul Clark or dealt with some of his outbursts? The political reality is Kirkpatrick, Diller and Hollins are not identified as part of Tom Gordon’s team- we will see who gets a 2014 primary.
It’s the 2016 primary that’s in play. With 20,000 votes from the city and who knows how many from union members, Gordon will have a solid base of votes loyal to him alone. If it’s more than a two-way primary, you might be calling him Gov. Gordon.
The irony of Gordon plotting his comeback on the shoulders of the black community should be obvious, by the way, and is to anyone who ever heard Tom Gordon offer his views of, say, the Section 8 program. African-Americans might as well vote for Nathan Bedford Forrest.