Urban League President Says Long Road Ahead in Dispute with County

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The ongoing dispute between the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga and Hamilton County Government continues into its second week.

The President of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, Candy Johnson, told a packed convention ballroom at the Chattanooga Convention Center during their 41st Equal Opportunity Day award ceremony that the dispute with the Hamilton County Government is not close to being done.

Johnson said, “These attacks by the mayor and the county government, the county elected officials, they’re very shocking. But it’s the shadow of darkness that has had its hands over Chattanooga for centuries… It seems that it is going to be a long fight. We’ve got a lot of egos at the table and if you look at county commission, it is all men.”

This dispute stems from a decision on November 15 by the county commission to reallocate over $1 million in funding from the Urban League and Sankofa to four athletic field projects at county schools.

It is worth noting as well that Wednesday, the county commission approved another $475,000 from the hotel and motel tax to be used towards these projects.

Former county commissioner Katherlyn Geter addressed the commission on Wednesday with many similar criticisms to Johnson.

Geter told the commission, “This action and your blatant disregard is a perfect reminder of the systematic challenges that continue to face black and brown communities, and furthermore truly paints the true narrative of Hamilton County, which is inequality and division.”

Johnson said this situation is distracting from what their mission should be.

She said, “There are people in our community who need us. To be seen, to be heard, to get access to opportunities to get a better quality of life but we are spending time fighting the institution of racism right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee.”

The Urban League would not comment on the current status of their funding dispute after today’s ceremony, but have stated that they are working with the National Urban League to evaluate options.

We reached out to both Mayor Wamp and County Commissioners for a response to these statements, but no one has issued one at this time.

The Urban League also recognized various community leaders and students across the city with numerous awards and scholarships during their largest annual fundraiser.