Chokwe Antar Lumumba

Last updated

12 billion U.S. gallons (1.9 gigaliters) of raw sewage, as well as 5.7 billion U.S. gallons (22 gigaliters) of treated sewage, being dumped into the Pearl River. [17]

In March 2021, Lumumba wrote to Mississippi state governor Tate Reeves requesting $47M in aid [17] needed to make the urgently needed repairs and updates to the water infrastructure system in Jackson.

In August 2022, Lumumba declared a water system emergency following the failure of the largest water treatment plant in Jackson. The crisis was caused by decades of mishandled and out-of-date water and waste infrastructure that led to at least 2,300 U.S. gallons (8,700 liters) of sewage overflowing into the Pearl River. Overflowing water from the Ross Barnett Reservoir and the Pearl River caused the water treatment plant in Jackson to completely fail. With the system down, many of the 153,000 residents of Jackson were left without clean drinking water, or with poor water pressure. [17]

On January 6, 2023, Lumumba announced that they had secured the funding needed to begin repairing and reconstructing the water systems in Jackson. [18] Nearly $800 million in funding was pulled from the $1.7 trillion federal omnibus bill that was passed back in late 2022. The EPA would work closely with the mayor and officials of Jackson to handle the funding and project.

National politics

In February 2020, Lumumba endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. [19] Bernie Sanders likewise endorsed Lumumba for reelection in 2021. [20] July 29, 2021, it was announced via Nina Turner's social media that Mayor Lumumba had endorsed her in Ohio's 11th Congressional District 2021 Special Election, the seat which was left empty when representative Marcia Fudge was selected by President Joe Biden for HUD Secretary. The race garnered nationwide attention as it split the Democratic Party between its progressive and moderate wings. [21] Turner was defeated by Shontel Brown in the election.

Federal indictment

On November 5, 2024, Mayor Lumumba announced in a video statement shared with reporters that he had been indicted by a federal grand jury "on bribery and related charges" but denied all wrongdoing. [22]

Personal life

Lumumba has two children with his wife, Ebony. [23] His wife is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of English, Modern Languages, and Speech Communication at Jackson State University, a position she has held since 2020, only two years after receiving her doctoral degree. [24]

On the 7th of November 2024 Lumumba was indicted for bribery by the U.S Department of Justice. [25]

Lumumba are accused of accepting bribes in exchange for favors benefiting alleged real estate developers, according to the Justice Department. The department stated that such corruption undermines public trust, and it is committed to prosecuting these abuses. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson, Mississippi</span> Capital of Mississippi, United States

Jackson is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Along with Raymond, Jackson is one of two county seats for Hinds County. The city had a population of 153,701 at the 2020 census, a significant decline from 173,514, or 11.42%, since the 2010 census, representing the largest decline in population during the decade of any major U.S. city. Jackson is the anchor for the Jackson metropolitan statistical area, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in the state and the tenth-largest urban area in the Deep South. With a 2020 population of nearly 600,000, metropolitan Jackson is home to over one-fifth of Mississippi's population. The city sits on the Pearl River and is located in the greater Jackson Prairie region of Mississippi. Jackson is the only city in Mississippi with a population exceeding 100,000 people.

The Jackson State killings occurred on May 15, 1970, at Jackson State College in Jackson, Mississippi. On May 14, 1970, city and state police confronted a group of students outside a campus dormitory. Shortly after midnight, the police opened fire, killing two students and injuring twelve. The event happened 11 days after the Kent State shootings, in which National Guardsmen killed four students at Kent State University in Ohio during a protest against the Vietnam War. The Kent State event had first captured national attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Johnson Jr.</span> American politician

Harvey Johnson Jr., is an American politician from Mississippi. He was elected in 1997 as the first African American Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, serving two terms. He was known for his achievements in gaining reinvestment in the city to revitalize downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Police Department (Mississippi)</span> Law enforcement agency

The Jackson Police Department (JPD) provides law enforcement to approximately 175,000 residents within the 120-square-mile (310 km2) Hinds County portion of Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It was reported that JPD had 335 sworn offices in 2019, and 225 in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chokwe Lumumba</span> American lawyer and politician

Chokwe Lumumba Sr. was an American attorney, activist, and politician, who was affiliated with the black separatist organization Republic of New Afrika and served as its second vice president. He served as a human rights lawyer in Michigan and Mississippi. In 2013, after serving on the City Council, he was elected as Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Yarber</span> American politician

Tony Yarber is an American pastor, educator and politician in Jackson, Mississippi. He was elected as Mayor of Jackson in April 2014 from special election following the death in office of Chokwe Lumumba. A native of Jackson and experienced city councilor, Yarber is noted for his passion for youth causes, and has been described as "a consensus builder". He was succeeded as Mayor of Jackson by his predecessor's son Chokwe Antar Lumumba on July 3, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi Center for Public Policy</span> American free-market conservative think tank

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is a free-market, conservative think tank located in Jackson, Mississippi. The organization's stated mission is "To advance the constitutional ideals of liberty and justice for all Mississippians by employing an evidenced-based approach to public policy whereby we advocate for and advance real conservative ideas with policy makers, members of the media, business leaders, the academic community, and private citizens."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Jackson mayoral election</span>

The 2017 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on June 6, 2017, alongside other Jackson municipal races. Chokwe Antar Lumumba, son of late former mayor Chokwe Lumumba, was elected mayor in a landslide in the general election after defeating eight other candidates, including incumbent mayor Tony Yarber, in the primary.

The People's Summit was an annual conference in Chicago held by a group of progressive political organizations in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Jackson mayoral election</span>

The 2014 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on April 22, 2014. It was necessitated after the death of incumbent mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Councilman Tony Yarber defeated the late Lumumba's son Chokwe Antar Lumumba in a runoff. Other candidates in the race included former mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr., city council members Melvin Priester and Margaret Barrett-Simon, and state senator John Horhn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Louisville mayoral election</span>

The 2018 Louisville mayoral election was the fifth quadrennial Louisville Metro mayoral election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. The Democratic ticket of incumbent mayor and businessman Greg Fischer was elected to his third and final term. He defeated the Republican ticket of engineer and former Louisville Metro Councilwoman Angela Leet.

This is a list of protests related to the murder of George Floyd in Mississippi, United States.

On January 13, 2019, George Robinson, a 62-year-old Black man, died two days after a violent arrest by three Black police officers in Jackson, Mississippi. According to a grand jury indictment, the officers pulled Robinson out of a car, threw him headfirst into the pavement, and struck and kicked him multiple times in the head and chest. Robinson was treated at the scene but within hours lost consciousness and later died at a hospital. The state coroner ruled the death a homicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Jackson mayoral election</span>

The 2021 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on June 8, 2021, alongside other Jackson municipal races. Primary elections took place on April 6, and the primary runoff was scheduled on April 27. Incumbent mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba was re-elected to a second term in office with 69.1% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson/Hinds Library System</span>

Jackson/Hinds Library System (JHLS) is the public library system of Jackson and Hinds County in Mississippi.

Charles Tillman is an American politician who served on the Jackson, Mississippi City council for twelve years and as acting mayor after the death of Chokwe Lumumba, becoming the 5th consecutive African-American mayor of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson, Mississippi water crisis</span> 2022 water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.

A public health crisis in and around the city of Jackson, Mississippi, began in late August 2022 after the Pearl River flooded due to severe storms in the state. The flooding caused the O. B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, the city's largest water treatment facility, which was already running on backup pumps due to failures the month prior, to stop the treatment of drinking water indefinitely. This resulted in approximately 150,000 residents of the city being left without access to safe drinking water. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves issued a state of emergency and United States President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to trigger federal aid. Reeves withdrew the state of emergency on November 22. The crisis triggered a political debate regarding racial discrimination, infrastructure neglect, and shifting local demographics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2025 Jackson mayoral election</span>

The 2025 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi will take place on June 3, 2025, alongside other Jackson municipal races. Primary elections will take place on May 6. Incumbent Democratic mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is eligible to run for re-election to a third term in office.

References

  1. "Office of the Mayor". Jackson, MS. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. Williams, Angela (July 3, 2017). "Chokwe Antar Lumumba sworn in as Jackson mayor". WAPT. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/us/jackson-mayor-indicted-federal-corruption.html
  4. "Some Mayors Defeated in Mississippi Municipal Primaries". U.S. News & World Report. The Associated Press. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  5. Nichols, John (May 3, 2017). "Jackson, Mississippi, Just Nominated Radical Activist Chokwe Antar Lumumba to Be the Next Mayor". The Nation. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  6. Lartey, Jamiles (September 11, 2017). "A revolutionary, not a liberal: can a radical black mayor bring change to Mississippi?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  7. "In Conversation with India Walton and Chokwe Antar Lumumba". Mother Jones. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  8. "A revolutionary, not a liberal: can a radical black mayor bring change to Mississippi?". the Guardian. September 11, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  9. Marans, Daniel (May 3, 2017). "Progressive Attorney Unseats Business-Friendly Mississippi Mayor". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  10. "Mayor Lumumba in New York City for Leadership Training". Jackson Free Press. July 24, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  11. "Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative Announces Second Class of Mayors Go Back to School". July 25, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  12. "Jackson awarded $1 million from Michael Bloomberg for art project to spotlight food insecurity". November 29, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  13. "Mayor Calls Zoo's Move 'Disingenuous,' 'Disrespectful' to West Jackson". April 13, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  14. Vicory, Justin. "Settlement reached: Jackson gets zoo animals, drops $6M lawsuit". The Clarion-Ledger.
  15. "Jackson Zoo to temporarily close for renovations". September 27, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  16. Vicory, Justin. "'Hopeful and excited': Jackson Zoo to reopen after 11-month shutdown". The Clarion-Ledger.
  17. 1 2 3 "Mississippi city's water problems stem from generations of neglect". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  18. admin (January 6, 2023). "Mayor Lumumba, partners secure nearly $800 million in aid for Jackson's troubled water system". Jackson, MS. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  19. Gallant, Jacob (February 28, 2020). "Mayor Lumumba endorses Bernie Sanders for president". WLBT. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  20. Carter, Josh (March 29, 2021). "Bernie Sanders endorses Mayor Lumumba for reelection". WLBT. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  21. Mutnick, Ally (July 12, 2021). "New poll shows Nina Turner's lead shrinking in Ohio special election". Politico. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021.
  22. Wolfe, Anna (November 6, 2024). "Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba indicted in federal corruption probe". Mississippi Today.
  23. Vicory, Justin (March 2, 2018). "Is it a boy or girl? Jackson mayor's family grows by one Wednesday". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  24. Fiffer, Steve (March 15, 2022). "The Deep South Couple Working 24/7 for Social Justice". The Daily Beast . Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  25. "Office of Public Affairs | Mississippi District Attorney, Mayor of Jackson, and Jackson City Council Member Charged with Bribery and Other Offenses | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  26. "Office of Public Affairs | Mississippi District Attorney, Mayor of Jackson, and Jackson City Council Member Charged with Bribery and Other Offenses | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
Chokwe Lumumba
Chokwe Antar Lumumba (1).jpg
53rd Mayor of Jackson
Assumed office
July 3, 2017
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Jackson
2017–present
Incumbent