DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — The local NAACP branch west of Atlanta has come out in opposition of Gov. Brian Kemp's choice to appoint a white former sheriff as the interim county commission chairperson - a post that had been held by a Black woman.
The West Metro NAACP Branch President Joy Ponder Bates said in a statement the choice of former Sheriff Phil D. Miller to replace suspended chairperson Dr. Romona Jackson Jones was "a failure to acknowledge the systemic challenges and historical disparities faced by people of color."
Gov. Kemp also selected a Black commissioner, Ricky Dobbs, to fill the other void left by two suspensions in April.
Dr. Jackson Jones and the other commissioner, Henry Mitchell III, were suspended from the Board of Commissioners after they were indicted in an alleged bid-rigging scheme on a janitorial contract the county awarded in 2018.
The open letter by the NAACP to the governor endorsed the current vice chair of the commission, Terenia Carthan, as an alternative to Miller. The statement described her as a "highly respected member of the Black community" who "has the overwhelming support and respect of the community."
The letter asks Kemp to "reconsider this appointment and give due recognition to Vice Chair Carthan's competence, dedication and invaluable contributions."
When the appointment of Miller was announced, acting County Administrator David Corbin said the county welcomed the selection of both the former sheriff and Dobbs, a former college football quarterback and U.S. Navy serviceman.
The NAACP's letter asks the governor three questions about the selection:
- Were qualified persons submitted for consideration for the openings?
- Were all qualified persons submitted for the openings given equal consideration?
- What criteria was used in making your appointment decisions for the Chair and Commissioner?
The letter is requesting a "prompt response." The letter was retweeted by state NAACP President Gerald A. Griggs.