By Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: Before the meeting officially started, angry African Americans upset over Chief Bolton's dismissal approached the council chamber's public microphone. Activist Roy Williams, who in the 80's fought alongside Hispanics for more council representation among minorities, accused City Manager Ted Benavides of succumbing to racial politics.
Roy Williams, African American activist: You've gone for the oldest game in the world. Pitting Black against Hispanic. You didn't make this call on your own. This community's gone too far on racial lines for you to sacrifice Chief Bolton to save your hide.
Zeeble: Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and some council members have criticized the leadership of city manager Benavides for months. Activist Lee Alcorn questioned the city manager's tactics in firing the chief.
Lee Alcorn, activist: We want answers this morning. Why wasn't Chief Bolton given an opportunity to resign? Like other ineffective police chiefs you think were ineffective in the past? Here's a man who served city for 23 years and that's not a way to treat anyone.
Zeeble: At least a dozen activists joined Alcorn at the mic, yelling that Mayor Miller and the City manager secretly ousted Bolton. Miller, who still had not called the meeting to order, let them continue.
Alcorn: Mayor, we're not leaving or entertaining anything else 'til we get some answers. We got to go. We want to hear from Benavides now.
Zeeble: Former council member Al Lipscomb, who was in the audience, helped quiet the crowd. Those in the chambers listened attentively when African American council members, including Leo Chaney, spoke.
Leo Chaney, Dallas City Councilman: When you dismissed our love child - our first African American police chief - in a disrespectful way, the community that we serve, particularly the African-American community, felt disrespected as well.
Zeeble: Soon, it was time to consider another racially charged issue - Al Lipscomb's nomination to the Dallas Citizen's Police Review Board. Council member James Fantroy's choice seemed iffy because of Lipscomb's federal bribery conviction in 2000. That was overturned last year, but some council members still balked at letting the civil rights activist back into city government. It appeared Lipscomb would lose his appointment. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill's speech changed the outcome.
Don Hill, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem: In light of yesterday, we're faced with choice about how we'll do things. Today is a defining day for how we deal with one another going forward. What we're looking for is a bit of understanding about the pain we're feeling now. We're not getting much understanding.
Zeeble: Bolton supporters felt satisfied with the Lipscomb victory, but they remained incensed at the mayor and city manager, who were largely silent during the council meeting. Late in the afternoon, several leaders of Black groups announced a recall campaign against the mayor and called for a boycott of the Dallas Morning News and Channel 8 for what they said was unfair coverage of the chief. After they left city hall, Benavides promised a public meeting for this morning at 9 to explain his dismissal of the police chief. For KERA 90.1, I'm Bill Zeeble.
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