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Macomb Alderwoman Demands Apology

Rich Egger
Macomb at-large city council member Tammie Leigh Brown-Edwards at the TSPR studios on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.

The only Black member of the Macomb City Council said a fellow city council member made a false accusation against her, and she does not take it lightly.

During Monday’s city council meeting, at-large council member Tammie Leigh Brown-Edwards said the matter follows a national pattern of White people making false accusations against Blacks.  

Brown-Edwards said she won’t tolerate disrespect.

“If you expect me to coon or shuck and jive and do a blackface routine, let me disappoint you now. I am not your Negro. I am not a house Negro. I’m not a field Negro. You are not the mistress or the master of the plantation,” she said.

The next morning, Brown Edwards elaborated during an interview with Tri States Public Radio.

Brown-Edwards said the other city council member sent her a text message three weeks ago that accused Brown-Edwards of going to the mayor with a resident and asking for the city council member’s resignation.

Brown-Edwards said that never happened.

“I asked the alderperson for an apology probably within an hour of their allegation. And I never received an apology,” she said.

“I have never been in the same room with that person (the resident) and the mayor, nor have I ever asked for anyone’s resignation.”

Brown-Edwards said she would go directly to a city council member if she felt that person should step down. And she said she doesn’t need someone to accompany her to ask the mayor or anyone else for anything.

“I’m a single-birth child. I came out of the womb by myself. I’m an only child for my parents. I can do a lot of things by myself. I wouldn’t need anybody to go with me as back up,” Brown-Edwards said.

Brown-Edwards said she will give her fellow city council member another month to apologize before going public with the person’s name.

“I hope things can be resolved. I still have no problem working with this person. I’m on the council for three more years. We still can get things done but I’m owed an apology. I was falsely accused of asking for their resignation,” she said.

She said a different city council member contacted her after Monday’s comments to apologize for the treatment Brown-Edwards received.

This story was produced by Tri States Public Radio.  TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.