Mayoral Candidates Weigh In On Ferguson, Baltimore Racial Tensions At Recent Forum

A mayoral forum at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Antioch last night started out with some pretty hefty topics on race. 

The candidates weighed in on diversity in government, incarceration and racial tension, in front of a largely African-American audience. 

Last month, a police officer in Nashville threatened to shoot a man in the face at a traffic stop. The man was African-American, and Nashville resident Stephanie Steele worried the situation would escalate. 

“That right there put us all right on the edge. We’re all thinking on our mind here comes another Ferguson, here comes another Baltimore,” she said at the forum.

So Steele appreciated the question to the mayoral candidates about how they’d mitigate the potential of a similar event happening in Nashville. Bishop Joseph Walker, who asked the question, echoed Steele’s sentiments.

“Nashville may be one incident away from Ferguson or Baltimore,” he said.

David Fox said those situations were rooted in long-simmering problems. 
“So let’s all be transparent, let’s all be inclusive and sensitive, and we can avoid the fate of these other cities.”

Linda Rebrovick talked about the importance of recruiting more diverse government employees. 
“Our organization at metro government needs to look like the beautiful faces that we have in our community.”

In other settings, Megan Barry and Bill Freeman have advocated for body cameras, although
none of the candidates actively oppose them.

The candidates have several more forums focusing on various issues in the coming weeks.