On March 27 at 7:35 p.m., Rep. Yusuf Hakeem stood in front of his constituents at the Eastdale Center and stated, with full confidence, that “the state is not eyeing the Tunnel Boulevard location” for a new mental health hospital.
But the facts tell a different story.
State officials toured the Eastdale property. A Letter of Intent was submitted back in December. The broker, the state, and multiple legislators have confirmed the site has been seriously considered since 2023.
So why are two Republicans, Greg Martin and Todd Gardenhire, who do not even represent our community, more informed and vocal about what’s happening in our neighborhood than our own elected official?
How is it that Rep. Hakeem, whose job is to protect the interests of District 28, continues to operate out of step, out of sync and out of touch?
And let’s be clear: this is not the first time.
When former District 5 Councilman Isiah Hester raised concerns and shared publicly that the state was eyeing Eastdale, a whole campaign was launched to discredit him. They called him dishonest. They said he was spreading misinformation. And now? He’s been vindicated by facts.
Meanwhile, Rep. Hakeem has yet to hold a single town hall on the matter, yet had all the time to deliver a polished speech about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. What good is DEI talk when you exclude your own community from the truth?
Let’s talk about these so-called “safety concerns.”
Rep. Hakeem says the infrastructure can’t handle the traffic. There are no sidewalks. There are access issues.
So where is the budget to fix it?
There is nothing in the state budget for infrastructure upgrades in District 28. No roads. No sidewalks. No investments.
Just like there’s nothing in the state budget for Black history in our public schools, something our community has waited on year after year while being fed more promises and platitudes. So, respectfully, if you’re going to print “Integrity” on your campaign signs, at least try not to contradict it in real time.
Because at this point, that word is doing more acting than the elected official it’s printed next to. Might as well print “Invisibility” instead, because that’s how we feel under this leadership.
This isn’t about safety, it’s about political safety. This is about a representative who has once again failed to speak boldly when it matters, who refuses to stand in the gap, and who is clearly not at the table where these decisions are being made.
Let’s call it what it is: a betrayal of public trust.
We deserve leadership that doesn’t just show up for applause, but stands up for accountability.
To Rep. Hakeem: The people are not fooled. You didn’t get blindsided. You got bypassed. And at this point, it’s clear you’re more worried about saving face than serving the people.
We won’t forget this. We won’t ignore it.
And we’re not waiting for another broken promise to realize the truth. District 28 deserves better, and we know it.
Demetres Coonrod