Black councilman Kenneth Stokes called "Boy" during heated exchange

Copyright 2000. The Jackson Advocate, Jackson, Mississippi. Published in the June 15-21, 2000 edition. Permission to reprint and post granted by Ms. Alice Thomas-Tisdale, Associate Publisher.

The mixture of whites and one Black Confederate wannabes taunted Black Ward 3 City councilman Kenneth Stokes at his place of employment - Jackson's City Hall.

They sneered at Stokes. They mocked him.

While inside the council chambers, they pointed fingers at Stokes and jeered him.

The lone Black man known as Anthony Hervey of Oxford in the rag tag group, even draped the Confederate stars and bars flag over his back like a cape, while prancing and preening outside the doors of the council chambers for nearly an hour before the "in your face" confrontation ensued.

However, when it was all over--considering the racially sensitive issue of the stars and bars symbol used by the Confederacy, Stokes exercised extreme control Tuesday when confronted by the small group of Confederate sympathizers at City Hall in the hallway during the council meeting.

The heated confrontation had reached the boiling point when City Hall security guard supervisor Tom Kaelin helped break up the belly-bumping match between Stokes and Jackson resident Jeff Couch, before fists started flying.

Conch who is white, was wearing a Union cavalry soldier's hat.

Couch, Hervey, and other supporters had previously entered the council chambers just minutes before council president Bo Brown and other council members voted to go into executive session to discuss settling the case of the Northside Sun newspaper against the city.

Hervey, representing the Black Confederate Soldiers Foundation attempted to hand Stokes a pamphlet about the obscure organization once Stokes came out of the closed-door executive session of the council and into the hallway.

Stokes asked into the small crowd of media, citizens, city employees, and Confederate supporters: "Anybody want to talk to Kenny Stokes'!"

Hervey advanced towards Stokes, again, with the pamphlet.

Stokes then said "Bring the Confederate army on."

As Hervey continued to approach Stokes with his pamphlet, Stokes attempted to whiz by him, saying he didn't talk to "Uncle Toms."

A rebuffed Hervey insisted on giving Stokes the pamphlet, but Stokes again told him that he didn't want to talk to him, he wanted to talk to his "massa" (Couch).

"What you got? Is it you who wants to talk to Kenny Stokes?" the councilman asked Couch, walking towards Couch.

"I have nothing to say to you. Mr. Stokes," Couch hotly replied.

"Then get the hell out of my face," Stokes angrily retorted and turned to walk away.

Just as Stokes' back was turned, Couch hollered, "You'd better watch your mouth!"

Stokes responded, "You ain't gonna do a thang."

Couch: "You can't talk to me like that, boy! You can not talk to me like that!

"You can not talk to me like that!" Couch continued screaming.

Stokes immediately pivoted and walked back towards Couch, where they ended up being almost nose to nose.

Stokes hollered back, "I don't play 'Boy'. You better learn who you playing with!"

Couch screamed, "You're a hypocrite!"

At this point, Couch's hat kept hitting the councilman's face as he and Stokes continued exchanging heated words.

However, only at the point when Couch snatched off his Union calvary hat, did Kaelin step between them.

As Couch was being led away by his followers, he screamed towards Stokes, "Are you a bigot?"

Instead of responding, Stokes continued walking away and went back into the council chambers to resume his seat.

Stokes later said that, "If they want to play with other council members they can do that, but I'm not to be played with."

Stokes said that despite the racial and emotional abuse he suffered Tuesday at the hands of Couch's group, he knew better than to physically strike Couch first.

"I'm not scared of him and nobody else on God's green earth. And I'm not going to let them make a mockery of our freedom that so many people gave their lives for over the racist stars and bars flag!" declared Stokes.

"They can bring as many rebel flags as they want to City Hall, but when they leave, those flags are going right with them."

Reached later at his Jackson home, Couch, a native of Monroe, Louisiana said "I don't remember calling him a 'boy'.

"But, I can't deny whether I did or didn't. It is very possible that I did," confirmed Couch, acknowledging that he has used the racial epithet as a part of his normal vernacular.

Couch says that he has been in Jackson for about three and one-half years.

On April 4, the Jackson City Council voted 5-2 to condemn displaying the unofficial state flag in or on public grounds and facilities owned by the City of Jackson.

Ironically, on May 4, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that the State of Mississippi adopted the flag officially in 1894, but its adoption was not carried forward in the 1906 update of the state code.

The next day, Governor Ronnie Musgrove declared that the flag known as the "state flag", with its canton corner carrying the stars and bars cross, would continue to fly over the Statehouse and other public buildings and facilities because of "tradition and custom."