The Lansing chapter of the NAACP and a member of the East Lansing City Council are criticizing the board’s decision for failing to include diverse representation in its leadership.
It’s been about two months since three members of the council picked newly elected Councilmember Kerry Ebersole Singh to serve as mayor pro tem.
Councilmember Dana Watson, the only Black woman and person of color on the council, had sought the same leadership position but was on the losing end of that vote. She has been on the council since 2020.
Watson reflected on the board's conduct during a meeting Tuesday, saying "their action was cited as being racist." She said the move has caused her to wonder about her "sense of belonging in East Lansing."
“When you have a homogenous group of people, they are going to make the best decisions for themselves in that homogenous group of people,” Watson said.
Watson encouraged her colleagues to take an active role in combatting racism and implicit bias through East Lansing’s government.
"My resilience is real, and my voice and perception is here to stay," Watson said. " I just hope as we go forward ... you all can show the community your anti-racist stances on things."
The Lansing branch of the NAACP also criticized the council for failing to include Black representation in its leadership.
James McCurtis, communications chair for the group, read a statement from the organization, telling the council that the NAACP branch feels the decision is thwarting progress in East Lansing.
“We feel like it was an injustice and a disservice for the council not to appoint Dana Watson as the mayor pro tem given her experience,” McCurtis said. "The council's decision to ignore Ms. Watson's resume screams that its commitment to diversity and inclusion only matters when it suits you."
Ebersole Singh acknowledged the comments and said her door remains open for dialogue. In an interview with WKAR last year, the first term councilmember spoke about her mayor pro tem election, saying she wants to support an inclusive government and that experience "comes from a variety of angles, not just specific service on boards or commissions."
"I was disappointed when Councilwoman Watson chose to endorse three other candidates during the election. And I look forward again, not only working with her on a variety of issues moving forward," Ebersole Singh said.
Election officials prepare for 2024 season
The council also held a session to discuss the city’s long-term priorities, which includes filling several vacancies in East Lansing’s government workforce.
During the discussion, East Lansing's top election official laid out the city's plans for voters this year.
There will be four elections in the city this year: the presidential primary in February, a school millage proposal in May, an August primary and the November general election.
Voters can head to the polls on election day, submit an absentee ballot or take advantage of early voting centers.
City Clerk Marie Wicks said residents should register to vote ahead of time to reduce delays at the polls.
“Plan to vote early," Wicks said. "That's something we are going to try and push all year long to mitigate long lines and waiting until the last minute.”
East Lansing will also operate two early voting centers in the days before next month's election. One center will be on the Michigan State University campus, and the other is near City Hall.
Wicks added absentee ballot voters for the upcoming presidential primary need to let the East Lansing City Clerk’s office know which party’s ballot they want to receive.
“If you have not returned your ballot selection form, in this election, we must select either a Republican or Democratic ballot in order to get a ballot," Wicks said. "Please do so.”
