By Tony Jones
After a dynamic inaugural start, City of Memphis Mayor Paul Young was immediately slammed into Memphis reality at the Memphis City Council committee hearing Tuesday, January 9 to present his cabinet choices. All his nominees were accepted except City of Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn“C. J”. Davis. The 7-6 vote against her is non-binding and will be decided by the full council Tuesday, January 23.
As expected, Davis’s interview was fraught with tension. Available on YouTube, there have been complaints about the often disrespectful discourse and demeanor of the interview, and especially that of current City Council Chairman J.B. Smiley, Jr. Stating that the last eight years under Mayor Jim Strickland were a waste, in the preamble before the interviews, Smiley instructed the committee to look at the candidates body of work, but his own work during the meeting has become an emerging issue. In this very first meeting as chairman, critics say that Davis’s interview frequently crossed the line to disrespecting the Chief as a professional, woman and especially a Black woman. It did not play well to a chamber well represented with Black women and others. They often made their distaste of Davis’s treatment known to the committee and fellow observers, as did her detractors. Some council members questioning communicated a deeply disrespectful tone, as if Davis was someone who commits heinous crimes rather than apprehending those that do and bringing them to justice.
As Chief Davis’s interview proceeded it became apparent that her responses did not resonate with those council members seeking instant answers and results solving the complicated truths behind Memphis’ record-breaking crime rates. Things mature-minded Memphians already understand.
A Facebook post from Southern Heritage Classic Founder Fred Jones, Jr. perfectly pinpoints the matter. “Whether you want to keep the police chief, or not, that’s your choice and I’ll respect your choice. But public disrespect to Chief C. J. Davis I can’t condone. Being respectful is very important to me.”
But there were several moments when Chairman Smiley was definitively on point and deftly assumed the parliamentarian role with humor and force, tactfully returning the floor to Davis.
The stirring controversy couldn’t have come at a worse time. Davis is a member of two of the most respected global women’s public service organizations, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and The Links, Inc. Both have multiple, large, and highly influential chapters in Memphis, comprised of strong, successful, and accomplished black women. The very weekend following Davis’s interview, their 111th Founders Day celebration convened Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Chief Davis was recognized and enthusiastically supported by the over 1,000 people in attendance.
Mayor Paul Young’s wife, Dr. Jamila Smith Young, is also member of the same Delta Sigma Theta Sorority as Davis. (Mayor Young is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., also part of the Divine 9). Thousands of Divine 9 voters may never forgive nor forget any council member voting to defy the mayor’s wish to retain Davis, thrusting the city into a state of helpless inertia in crime and law enforcement to search for another police chief.
Davis supporter, District 6 City Councilman Edmund Ford, Sr. (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., another Divine 9 member); told her the intensity of the opposition to her reappointment stems from the fact that “You’re a woman, you’re Black and you’re trying to do something.” He elaborated later in an email reply, “Everyone should receive respect, especially a woman. That’s how I was raised. Follow the Golden Rule.”
Hopefully Chairman Smiley and colleagues will be more respectful and careful in the future. In those immortal words penned by soul music icon Otis Redding, and turned into an anthem for the ages by the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, “All I’m asking for is a little respect.” Many will be monitoring the next council meeting to ensure that it applies fairly to Chief Davis.
Tony Jones is an independent writer and publicist with extensive experience focusing on Black issues and politics. He also serves as a contractor to award winning firm Trust Marketing.
