CLARKSDALE, Miss.–Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy is stressing the importance of improving race relations in the city after he says a group of white citizens purposely sabotaged economic projects.
Espy again addressed his concerns at this week’s Board of Commissioners meeting.
“That was a (sic) epic embarrassment for the city of Clarksdale, to lose out on multi-million dollar projects just because a group of people got together to sabotage projects,” he said.
Last month Espy expressed anger at a hotel project being lost to Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
That was the same meeting where he called out Clarksdale Press Register publisher Floyd Ingram, saying he had published untruths in the newspaper. The city decided to sue, then backed off of that lawsuit when protests were made by media outlets over First Amendment issues.
Still Espy is asking for people in the next administration to consider the implications of race relations.
“I’m asking for commissioner candidates. I’m asking for mayoral candidates to speak to how they’re going to build a bridge where all Black and white people can cross together,” he said.
Espy is not running for mayor.
