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FAST FACTS:

  • Commissioner Henri Brooks left several commissioners in shock after using abrasive comments about race in Monday’s redistricting debate
  • Brooks said “Please be advised that African Americans are no longer recognized as three fifths a person, in the constitution. Second, the civil war is over, y’all lost.”
  • Brooks claims it all started because another commissioner called her a racist and she stands by what she said 
    (FAST FACTS, 3/13/12)

Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks has a history of infusing race into politics.  Brooks says a commissioner called her a racist at Monday’s meeting, and she says she can’t be a racist because she’s an African American.  In return Brooks said “Please be advised that African Americans are no longer recognized as three fifths a person, in the constitution. Second, the civil war is over, y’all lost.”

“I am not going to shortchange black people.  Now if you have a problem with me using the word black then that’s your problem.  You need to get over that,” said Brooks Tuesday.

Commissioners agreed on a redistricting map, but Brooks doesn’t like it because she says it’s not fair to African Americans.

Things got so bad at Monday’s Shelby County Commission meeting Commissioner Chris Thomas called for Commissioners to show respect to concerned citizens who spoke.  This after Henri Brooks told a county administration she couldn’t approve grant funds because she didn’t know who was running the organizations.  Brooks said quote “It could be a branch of the KKK.”

Some voters say it’s time to move past race and make decisions based on the common good.

“I don’t even think she should be in there if she’s talking like that because it’s 2012 and I think everybody black white whatever your race is we all should come together,” said Kristian Guy.

“Having it pushed more and more on us is only going to widen the gap,” said Melissa Ward.

Others say Brooks may have a point.

“If that’s her point of view and that’s what she feels and thinks then she has a right for her own opinion, but I think I wouldn’t say that everyone agrees. So I think you have to stick by your guns and think about what you believe,” said Betty Ford.