Coty Wamp
Local Branch President Rev. Ann Jones Pierre on Friday said district attorney candidate Coty Wamp "does not understand the purpose of the NAACP and should apologize for misleading the public.”
Ms. Wamp declined, instead holding a press conference and going on the attack. She called the NAACP "divisive."
She claimed that incumbent Neal Pinkston "is trying to use the NAACP to be more divisive."
Ms. Wamp told a Republican women's group on Tuesday night that she does not support the group, saying on its website it should list victims of black on black shootings and of police officers shot in addition to blacks shot by police.
Ms. Pierre said Ms. Wamp had refused to find a date that all three candidates for DA could appear before the NAACP. Ms. Wamp disputes that. While Ms. Wamp spoke to the Tennessee Valley Republican women, DA candidates Pinkston and John Brooks were addressing the NAACP.
Ms. Pierre said, "The NAACP is a civil rights organization that provides information, works at all levels to call attention to any action that prevents a person from their rights under the U.S. Constitution.
"As a branch of this 113-year-old organization, we are nervous when a candidate for the office of Hamilton County District Attorney states that she cannot support the NAACP. The DA must be impartial and work for the people of Hamilton County and those people include members of the NAACP.
"The DA’s office is committed to justice and the NAACP is committed to justice, therefore, there should be no reason that the NAACP is not supported.
"The Chattanooga Branch of the NAACP appreciates the information shared with the community in the Conversation and Votes program by Attorney John Allen Brooks and District Attorney General Neal Pinkston.
"Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. Visit us at www.naacp.org."
Ms. Wamp's remarks about the NAACP were:
"So you all know, there was an NAACP forum tonight for my race between the three candidates. There is a Democrat running against us.
"There was a forum and I had committed to this in December. I was happy to be able to come here.
"But listen, the NAACP has accomplished some good things in the last hundred years, but one of them is NOT the way they've treated law enforcement. And I just can't stand behind it right now.
"And until on their website they talk about, they have the statistics about how many African Americans are shot by police every year, but they don't have the statistics about how many African Americans are shot by African Americans OR how many police officers are shot by anybody. . ."
Click here for the audio.