Critics play race, sex cards against council candidate
Candidate Darden Rice's faces sharp criticism over being white and her sexuality.
By CARRIE JOHNSON
Published September 22, 2005
ST. PETERSBURG - A town hall meeting with City Council candidate Darden Rice turned ugly after some audience members criticized her for being white and a lesbian.
The meeting, held at the Enoch Davis Center Tuesday night, attracted about 40 people. Among them was Theresa "Momma Tee" Lassiter, an outspoken city activist.
During the question-and-answer session, Lassiter asked Rice if she was gay. When Rice replied that she was, Lassiter stormed out of the building.
"I answered her question, but she didn't want to listen to what I had to say," Rice, 35, an organizer for the Sierra Club who is running for the District 6 council seat, said Wednesday.
Lassiter said she didn't approve of Rice's answer. "God's not down with that," she said.
Kevin King, a campaign consultant for Rice, dismissed Lassiter as "a paid operative who showed up to sabotage" the town meeting.
"Our base is the common sense crowd," he said. "We need to fire them up and understand that hate cannot win this election."
Lassiter said she wasn't paid to question Rice.
"Everybody's been whispering about it," she said. "If I want to know something, I just ask."
Lassiter has been accused of political subterfuge in the past. In a 2003 lawsuit, she was accused of conducting a smear campaign against government workers on behalf of Lockheed Martin.
While Lassiter admitted the corporation hired her, she described her job as a "community liaison" and denied harassing the government workers.
Also in the audience at the town hall meeting were several members of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement.
Group members believe a white person is unfit to represent District 6, which includes parts of downtown and Midtown and has a predominantly black population.
Karl Nurse, a Rice supporter who was in the audience, said several Uhurus shouted at Rice because of her race.
One person called her family "murderers."
"This is just straight up racism, and I don't think we should roll over for it," Nurse said. "It's evil. It's a very offensive argument."
Dwight "Chimurenga" Waller, the Uhurus' president who is also running for the District 6 seat, was not at the meeting and said he couldn't comment on what happened. But he did say he believes Rice should not represent District 6 because of her race.
"She's part of the attempt to take over the African community," Waller said. "It's the same oppressive politic."
Asked whether it was appropriate for members of his organization to yell at his political opponent, Waller said, "I raise my voice all the time. It's the only way to get the attention of the (Mayor) Rick Bakers of the world."
Rice said she was disappointed by the personal attacks. She said she would rather devote her time to the people interested in a serious discussion of the issues, including community policing and affordable housing.
"I keep waiting for the anger of the Uhurus to transition into something constructive," Rice said. "But they don't operate on that level. They operate on the level of yelling matches."
The District 6 primary is Sept. 27. The top two finishers will go on to the citywide election Nov. 8.
Carrie Johnson can be reached at 727 892-2273 or cjohnson@sptimes.com