Kenny Hardin, Salisbury City Councilman
♦ It was brought to my attention that Livingstone students had decided to have no further contact with me. However, I just received another angry message below from Jarrod Morris, who is said to be on the student council at the College.
I don’t have a personal issue with Livingstone College or any of the students. In the last month, I have come to the defense and support of students who have reached out to me with complaints about black mold in their dorm room that has caused damage to their clothing, defended students against being harassed at a recent City Council meeting, mediated a problem with the new bus routes and many other issues students brought to my attention. I will be happy to list all the concerns students contacted me about.
I have not made a comment, response or tried to contact any student about the riot since Sunday. Several students continue to send me messages upset with me sharing my disappointment at what I witnessed and was in involved in that night. It’s obvious they are being given misguided and poor advice by other so called Black leaders who have done nothing to address any issues in the community.
I don’t have any animosity towards this young man. He knows nothing about me and the 26 years I’ve dedicated to fighting for the West End and the accomplishments and successes I’ve had helping those in the margins. He probably needs to stop listening to other folk who are in this for nothing more than relevancy and a side hustle.
I made it clear I was not there when the first fights broke out. I have friends in law enforcement who keep me abreast of incidents that occur and citizens called me as well. Every time there is a fight on campus or the fire department responds there, I get a call. I was on campus when the final incident occurred and witnessed it firsthand. The students were wrong. They taunted the cops and refused to adhere to commands to disperse. I did not have to get up from out of bed after 11 p.m. and go over to get involved.
This young man doesn’t know me so he doesn’t understand my ego and self worth are not tied to this elected position. So idle threats of not voting for me and threats to have me removed from office mean absolutely nothing to me. I welcome it. The same thing you were so upset about and erroneously accused me of, you did the same with this childish message. You and others who are so angry no nothing of the sacrifices I’ve made and the fights I’ve endured.
What I would suggest to this young man and any others who are angry that I shared my frustration of what I observed and was involved in, why not channel that anger into addressing the continued violence that occurs on your campus, why 200 people were fighting and why there were three separate incidents of violence that night. Be mad at your fellow students for causing the attention instead of someone commenting on it.
I’m not engaged in a campaign to harm the school. I’ve moved on and I would think five days later, you all would too. Now, I don’t make empty threats, but if the students or anyone associated with the school wants to keep,poking the bear, I will compile crime statistics, other data, ask for audits, request reviews, contact as many state and federal agencies I can and reach out to contacts in the media and shine the brightest spotlight I can.
My advice to Mr. Morris and others with misguided anger, please focus on holding your fellow students accountable for their behavior, respect the community, get involved in the community and find something better to do than send me ridiculous threatening messages.
Jarrod Morris wrote:
“Please step down from office! You were not there. Before you jump to assumptions the way you did, make sure you at least know your facts. As a now citizen of the city of Salisbury, I assure that as long as I am a resident, when your term is up and you decide to run for reelection, you will not win. And trust me, I will excess my legal and constitutional rights to have you removed from office. Your actions in response to the events were 100% pitiful. You were not in attendance at any Homecoming Event. But once you somehow heard that students were being brutalized by police, you made sure you made your way to Livingstone. Trust me Kenny, I’d drop dead before I waste a vote on you.”
Two Previous Articles by Kenny Hardin Concerned with the Recent Livingstone College Unrest::
Salisbury Councilman Kenny Hardin at Livingstone College’s Unrest on Saturday Night
