By David Wilfong, NDG Contributing Writer
Dallas City Council Districts 3 and 4 were the focus of Monday Night Politics on April 1 at the African American Museum at Fair Park. The forum is hosted by the Dallas Examiner and gives politicians running for office the opportunity to address constituents directly. Both districts have incumbents looking to return to “the horseshoe,” and both have steadfast opponents looking to unseat them.
Mayor Pro Tem has competition
In District 3, incumbent Casey Thomas is facing four challengers; Denise Benavides, Charletta Compton, Davante Peters, and Britannica Scott. Benavides was not present at the forum. Thomas is finishing up his second term on the council, having first been elected in 2015. He is also the current Mayor Pro Tem.
Scott is currently a regional supervisor for the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). She works in technology, where her department ensures each student and teacher in the district is provided with a laptop computer for educational purposes. Like all of the challengers, she says priorities need to be readjusted in the district.
“I believe it takes a stronger leadership, to put money into our communities, rather than to developer’s hands,” Scott said. “My plan as a leader is to put money into our district. That means providing programs. That means providing services to our elderly, in addition to redoing the way our infrastructure is. That is my main priority.”
Compton is a 38-year resident of District 3 and was the first African-American to chair the Dallas County Community College District Board of Trustees. She says the incumbent has not represented the entire district well during his time on the council.
“I’m running for this seat because I believe all of District 3 matters,” Compton said. “What I’ve seen in past years is that only a small portion has been given the time and attention of the council person, and that needs to change. We all are striving for the same things. We all want the time, attention and resources allocated to our neighborhoods. We have potholes. We have decaying streets all over District 3. I believe in equity and fairness.”
Davante Peters is an activist and is running to represent the growing progressive movement in Dallas. He said the incumbent has been disrespectful of the community, and it is time for an overall change in the political status quo.
“I stand with the people,” Peters said. “My platform is on the side of the working class.; regarding things like giving the youth summer jobs programs, economic opportunity. Because we’re talking about crime and things like that. Instead of increasing the police presence as an occupying force in our neighborhoods, I think we need to give youth a fighting chance and not a criminal life …I will not look down on people when addressing their concerns. And so, like I said, if you put me in office on May 4, you will have a different standard.”
Fending off accusations of walking out on Black civil rights meetings, and not devoting enough attention to all areas of the district, Thomas rebuked each point, concluding that, “Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t know what you don’t know.”
He then fired off challenges in the opposite direction.
“Where were you when we were having the town hall meetings to plan what Redbird would look like?” Thomas said. “Where were you when we had a three-hour meeting in Singing Hills, to determine what re-imagining Singing Hills would look like? Where were you in the Kimball area when we had a three-hour workshop planning on what the neighborhood of Kimball would look like? This is not the time. You don’t do the work when you run for council. You do the work to earn the right to serve on the city council.”
Familiar faces in the race for District 4
District 4 is coming off a recent special election which saw Carolyn King Arnold returning to the council after a short hiatus. The district was rocked by scandal after the former councilmember, Dwaine Caraway was indicted and subsequently plead guilty to corruption charges stemming from bribes associated with the now-defunct Dallas County Schools.
There were a dozen candidates vying for the position in the special election, but in the upcoming election, there are four challengers; Dawn Blair, Karon Flewellen, Keyaira Saunders, and Asa Woodberry.
Dawn Blair has worked inside city hall for a combined total of more than 20 years and is also experienced in real estate. She says her time on the inside makes her knowledgeable about how to get things done and gives her the insight to spot problematic developers and others looking to exploit the seat of municipal power.
“I’m running for three main reasons,” Blair said. “It didn’t change from the last time because it hasn’t been that long, so not much has changed. I’m running, one, because I’m passionate. I’m passionate about where I live. I’m passionate about the fact that I don’t have the quality of life that I think I and my neighbors and the residents of District 4 deserve. I’m running also because I am prepared … To be honest with you, 20-plus years working at the City of Dallas — while my opponents are admirable in their desires — my 20 years far outweighs all of them combined. Because my experience is in the housing department. My experience comes from economic development. My experience comes from real estate. I know what’s important to us and I know how to get those things done.”
Karon Flewellyn is a business owner in the district, operating a hairstyling salon. She was raised in the district and believes her familiarity with the neighborhoods involved is a key advantage for her to represent them on the council.
“In 2010, 75216 was the second highest zip code in the nation for cases of HIV,” Flewellyn said. “I found that to be startling and appalling, and I made a partnership with the Dallas Urban League … and then I made a partnership with the City of Dallas, UT Southwestern and the Centers for Disease Control. I became a partner, an advocate, a spokesperson. And I sold them on the idea that we needed to use the hair salon as a platform to use for HIV awareness and prevention. That’s what I did. That’s the experience that I have. Now, not only do I have experience, I think experience matters, but I also think integrity matters. I think leadership matters. I think vision matters, because without vision… (audience response). I have a plan, and I’m ready to execute on day one.”
Woodberry has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and described himself as a “full-time candidate” for city council. As a second generation resident of the district, and a first-time candidate, he is looking to make a positive change through a “people-powered grassroots operation.”
“There’s nobody on the council that looks like me, that thinks like me, that sees my viewpoint; somebody coming up with the complex challenges that we face” Woodberry said, later adding, “I’m here to tell you that I do not have all the answers, and I don’t have the most experience of anyone sitting on this stage, and that’s OK, because politics and the essence of getting things done at its core is about people. It is about how we can work together to get things done. And I feel that I am the candidate that can build those coalitions in the neighborhood and at city council to get things done.”
Saunders is returning to the District 4 race, having run twice before and reaching a runoff against Arnold in the special election only a few months back. She is a photographer by trade and a co-founder of the Next Generation Action Network. Originally from Flint, Mich., Saunders said “the third time’s a charm” and it is time for a new direction.
“The thing is, we’ve been doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Saunders said. “I am tired of the southern sector being the face of corruption. I am here to say, ‘Family, it is time to wake up.’ I’m tired of us being left behind. It’s time to wake up. And the issue is, within our community, we’re not bringing our youth up for positions like this. That’s why when I stand up people say, ‘Oh baby, you ain’t got no experience.’ Why not? I’m living just like we all are. And I’m also suffering like we all are as well. And there is no reason for us to be in this position.”
Facing criticism, Arnold struck back at suggestions she has not been effective as the representative for the district. She said other candidates should “Get your facts straight,” and that the goings-on in City Hall have changed from what they were 20 years ago.
“I am the only one who gets up every morning and goes to bed every night with the pulse of District 4,” Arnold said. “I’m here for constituents. I couldn’t do this job without you. You, the voters in District 4, decided that I would be the voice, the legs, the heart for those who cannot come to City Hall, those who need a strong voice. So I’m going to ask that you send me back to the horseshoe to continue the work that I’ve started … I’m going to ask you to muscle up because we cannot get anything done as long as we continue to keep breaking the cycle of leadership.”
The Dallas City Council election will be held on May 4, with early voting starting on April 22.
