Grundy-Gomes: Open letter to Mayor Harvey Ward
Letter to the editor
Hello Mayor Ward,
I am writing to address the events that transpired during the evening session of the Gainesville City Commission meeting on June 6, 2024. As you recall, the City Commission was discussing a proclamation about the pervasive issue of gun violence that severely impacts our city, particularly the Black community within Gainesville. During this discussion you demonstrated your frustration, anger, and contempt toward one of your colleagues. Your elevated tone and the slamming of your hand on the dais in response to Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker’s questions were unprofessional and unacceptable. In fact, that is the right of any Commissioner to ask questions of staff. The other problem was your contemptuous and paternalistic manner in which you spoke to Commissioner Duncan-Walker as though she were five years old and your child.
Your recent actions toward Commissioner Duncan-Walker on June 6, 2024, align with a disturbing pattern of behavior dating back to your tenure as a City Commissioner (2017-2023).
Your conduct towards Black women is particularly alarming, and I would like to highlight a couple of instances:
- Teneshia Marshall (former City of Gainesville Equity and Inclusion Officer) – you criticized, attacked, and maligned her character, even suggesting “If she (Marshall) wants to leave, then she can get the fuck out today!” after she complained of a toxic work environment (source WCJB TV 20). By the way your comment about Teneshia was heard by several employees on the 4th Floor of City Hall. All of this happened because she started an investigation and hired an independent law firm to investigate former City Manager Lee Feldman (source WCJB TV 20). Ironically the City Charter does NOT allow for one city commissioner or mayor to terminate a Charter Officer. But it does speak to the reputation of how you treat women, specifically Black Women.
- Gail Johnson (former Gainesville City Commissioner, At-Large B) – is a Black woman who was also a City Commissioner – At Large, and also one of your colleagues from 2017 to 2022. There are many similarities in how you treat your current colleague Desmon Duncan-Walker and how you treated Ms. Johnson. You seemed to always have this frustration and contempt for Gail and even her ideas about addressing food disparities. It also well known that you worked with former City Manager Lee Feldman to undermine Gail Johnson, at every turn such pushing for and supporting Feldman to bring a grocery store to East Gainesville from an outside developer who was from Jacksonville, Florida. The issue was a compound problem from inception, having a developer unilaterally chosen by the manager and never went through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, which is against city policy. You supported the former city manager’s decision and even attempted to force a vote to approve this developer after it was brought to the forefront that the city’s RFP process was not followed and that the manager bypassed the City Commission. Again, this once again demonstrates that this is a zero-sum game and that you want to win at all cost, especially with people you have demonstrated a hatred towards. Your desire was to hijack this idea from Gail and kill her idea and advocacy all because it was not your idea or Feldman’s. Again, another Black woman who was being an advocate for her community and you seem to have a real issue with that.
Those are a couple of examples of Black women who have felt your wrath, which brings us to your current target in Commissioner Duncan-Walker. These examples illustrate a troubling trend of hostility and aggression towards Black women, culminating in your recent behavior towards Commissioner Duncan-Walker. Your aggressive conduct is unacceptable and indicative of a broader issue within the Commission. Commissioner Duncan-Walker, and all members of the Commission, deserve to work in an environment free from threats and hostility. As an organization, the Alachua County Democratic Black Caucus is committed to defending and protecting not only Duncan-Walker but the overall Black community and others from further aggression, and that commitment is unwavering and ironclad.
It is also disheartening to see your recent attempts to co-opt the issue of gun violence for personal gain. The community has noticed your attempts to undermine Commissioner Duncan- Walker, whom you have openly shown animosity and hatred towards. Your actions suggest that your involvement in the gun violence discussion is more about personal legitimacy than genuine leadership.
The City of Gainesville (FL.), as you’re very well aware, is a Council-Manager form of government, which means the City Manager is the chief administrator and handles the day-to-day affairs of running the city and its employees. The City of Gainesville does not have a Strong Mayor form of government, which means that although you’re elected, your role as Mayor is primarily ceremonial and you hold no more voting power than your colleagues. This apparent frustration of not being a Strong Mayor or your lack of administrative powers should not be projected onto Commissioner Duncan-Walker, especially not in such a destructive manner as you have for the past 18 months.
I urge you to reflect on your conduct and consider seeking counseling or therapy for what appears to be deep-seated anger issues, particularly towards Black women, specifically Commissioner Duncan-Walker. Our community deserves better leadership characterized by respect, professionalism, and genuine concern for all residents. Currently, that is not you, Harvey, or some of the black gatekeepers you control and direct, such as Cynthia Moore-Chestnut, Cynthia Curry (City Manager), and the so-called local NAACP branch leader.
Mr. Mayor, it is clear that your actions and words as a leader are not in alignment. Asking for an apology and a change is not unrealistic, as your previous apologies and demonstrations of empathy have been insincere.
Gun violence is a systemic and pervasive issue in our city. However, the recurring lack of decorum and professionalism exhibited by you and your colleagues on the Commission is equally troubling. This behavior has been brought to your attention, highlighting a concerning double standard at City Hall—a different set of rules for citizens compared to elected and appointed officials. The crux of the matter is the hypocrisy in your role as Mayor. While you strictly enforce rules of conduct on residents, you and your colleagues often act with impunity, disregarding these standards.
Your anger is clouding your judgment. Many of us in District One and throughout the city see through the facade of Harvey Ward’s so-called progressive, paternalistic, and patronizing leadership. We need a leader who genuinely respects and uplifts all community members, and it’s clear that you do not embody these qualities.
Regards,
Armando Grundy-Gomes
Alachua County Democratic Black Caucus, Acting President
Mr. Grundy-Gomes sent the following video clip, which follows an objection by Commissioner Duncan-Walker that the Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance, as it currently exists, is not the same thing as the Task Force that was previously approved by the Commission:
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But he supports kamala Harris unreservedly ( and some other great words) as the next president
Maybe he just dislikes local black women?
Don’t feel bad, Armando. Harvey Ward treats everyone who doesn’t agree with him, or he dislikes like that. He has done NOTHING to support GPD or to encourage something more serious than charges dropped or a slap on the wrist for existing gun law violators. That includes stealing or illegal possession too.
Armando always willing to call it out. I also watched the video clip he sent with his letter and it is NOT lost on my how Chestnut continued to roll her eyes the WHOLE time Duncan-Walker was speaking. Eastman, Ward, Chestnut are prime examples of the status quo and elitists that are destroying the city by being bullies to those that dare ask questions if not out right liars
Cynthia MOORE-Chestnut actually grabbed the arm of Commissioner Duncan-Walker, who ironically is Moore-Chesut’s niece (by marriage). She grabbed her arm and kept saying “Nikki, Nikki” as trying to quiet her from rebuffing the Mayor.
Moore-Chestnut is very loyal to so-called progressive white men, even defending and justifying their bad behavior. More importantly this says a lot about the Democrats and the local Democratic Party.
“Loyal” or subservient?
I’ve often commented how Ward, Poe, and others have always meant to keep certain groups in bondage.
Just because one isn’t grappling with chains doesn’t mean you’re not enslaved to them.
Unfortunate for District One and most of Gainesville, there’s many more who aren’t able, maybe unwilling(?), to see through the facade of Ward’s progressive, paternalistic, and patronizing leadership.
That comes with being too full of pride to admit you made a mistake. It looks down from the dais at the residents of Gainesville every meeting.
Some have recognized Harvey Two-face as the racist he has always attempted to hide. It’s about time Grundy-Gomez did. Ward, like Eastman, has fooled voters into actually thinking they care about their constituents and the city they’re running into the ground.
Really unfortunate for many of us that some liberals take a little longer to see it than others. Since Mr. Grundy-Gomez is acting Chair for the Democrat Black Caucus, why doesn’t he demand an apology from Ward, or at least demand his resignation?
For those of you who still believe the likes of Eastman and Ward, hope you’re enjoying what you’ve done to the place.
You got a choice at the next ballot box for Mayor. Change is needed. Vote Em Out. Thanks Armando for bringing this to light and taking the chance to make Gainesville better for all citizens.
White progressives like Ward, Biden et al sometimes let their inner truths come out. Freudian slips.
Democrats followed eugenics and pushed Jim Crow too, didn’t forget. They just change their hoods and slogans.
👹🤡💩👿👺ACLUSPLCDNC
Too many hyphens in the names Mr Grundy…
He will never apologize, wake up black folks The White Liberal is Your Worst Enemy. Just like jelly donuts are Harvey’s.
“Your elevated tone and the slamming of your hand on the dais in response to Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker’s questions were unprofessional and unacceptable”
Sounds like a racist hand slam to me?
This is a consistent pattern I notice with “progressive” liberals. Notice that whenever the SCOTUS makes a ruling liberals don’t like, they immediately focus all their hate on Clarence Thomas specifically (even though he is only 1 vote).
To be blunt, the only thing they hate more than conservatives is when black and brown people get “uppity” and dare question the Party leaders.
This is a legacy of the Democratic Party’s long and shameful history of repression of black people. Once they were finally defeated with passage of the Civil Rights Act, they just found a new way to keep blacks enslaved through social welfare policies that destroyed the black family and black middle class, locking many into an inescapable and hopeless dependence on the government. It was intentional.
They don’t even pretend to care about black people anymore until 1 month before the election, now that they are importing millions of illegal voters who they hope will be similarly enslaved.
“Evil” conservatives believe that black people (and Hispanics..and Asians…etc. etc.) have the same abilities and opportunities as anyone else, and don’t need special privileges. We all just need a small government that stays out of our lives as much as reasonably possible so that we can pursue our own version of the American Dream.
“Progressive” liberals treat blacks and really all non-whites as inferiors that must be guided and shepherded by their benevolent wisdom. It’s the slave-master mindset that they have never been able to shed–they may not be allowed to own black people any more, but they still act like they own their minds and their votes. “Sit down and shut up–I know what’s best for you!”
People are starting to wake up, challenge the status quo, and vote for their own self-interests. The “party of the poor and downtrodden” only stays in power if everyone stays poor and downtrodden…
I agree. I watched the Giggler Harris today who in the a debate along with others call Biden out as a racist in 2019. Today she praised him as if he was a patron saint. Doesn’t make sense.
You’re conveniently living in the past:
The Civil Rights Act f 1964 was pushed through Congress by a Democratic president. It was passed on a regional vote – i.e., southerners, including Republicans, opposed the bill almost unanimously while northerners favored it almost unanimously.
Note that the proportion of Republicans in each of the 2 regions who opposed was greater than that of Democrats. The soon following political conventions featured a Republican Party opposed to the bill and a nominated a candidate who opposed the CR Act of 1964 (Goldwater). Not so the Democrats who nominated the president who had championed it.
By party and region
The House of Representatives:[3]
Southern Democrats: 8–83 (9–91%) – four Representatives from Texas (Jack Brooks, Albert Thomas, J. J. Pickle, and Henry González), two from Tennessee (Richard Fulton and Ross Bass), Claude Pepper of Florida and Charles L. Weltner of Georgia voted in favor
Southern Republicans: 0–11 (0–100%)
Northern Democrats: 145–8 (95–5%)
Northern Republicans: 136–24 (85–15%)
Note that four Representatives voted Present while 13 did not vote.
The Senate:[2]
Southern Democrats: 1–20 (5–95%) – only Ralph Yarborough of Texas voted in favor
Southern Republicans: 0–1 (0–100%) – John Tower of Texas, the only Southern Republican at the time, voted against
Northern Democrats: 45–1 (98–2%) – only Robert Byrd of West Virginia voted against
Northern Republicans: 27–5 (84–16%) – Norris Cotton (NH), Barry Goldwater (AZ), Bourke B. Hickenlooper (IA), Edwin L. Mechem (NM), and Milward Simpson (WY) voted against.
To quote ex-House speaker McCarthy:
““I’d just become leader and I’m excited and President Trump’s there. And I look over at the Democrats and they stand up. They look like America,” he told Sorkin. “We stand up. We look like the most restrictive country club in America.”
PS Here’s what our party looks like.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?74656-1/delegates-macarena-dance