I attended the Candidates Forum sponsored by the Wilson Chapter Delta Sigma Theta today. I was approached by Attorney Milicent Graves that I could not video the meeting. I put my video camera in my car and got out my laptop and was going to blog the meeting and I also had my hand held recorder.
A gentleman came in and sat in front of me with his video camera. A Delta to the right of us went and told Graves that he was recording and Graves obviously told her to go tell him he could not video. I told her I understand this is a public building and the lady just announced this is a public meeting so ya’ll will be hearing from my attorney.
About this time a lady stood at the podium and said no recording devices are allowed. I stood and said excuse me, I understand this is a public building and ya’ll have announced this is a public meeting so I do not understand why we can not record. I said I put my camera in the car but this man has his camera. I said will you answer my question and I will respect your answer. The lady said she was just doing what she was told to do. Attorney Graves came to the podium and said we didn’t put in the letter to the candidates that the meeting would be recorded so out of respect for them.
I was in my ignant mode then talking out loud. I said get so sick and tired of ignant educated black folks. This is a public meeting and they are public figures so what is the damn problem?
I couldn’t take any more so I got the hell up and left.
So since Graves was trying to be nice to the candidates or whatever I feel the thing to do would have been to ask if the candidates had a problem being videoed and if anyone had said yes, then a red flag should have gone up for everyone in the room. Hell it was only about 3 – 4 white candidates in the room so was Graves trying to protect someone or what?
I wonder was the Wilson Times there and did they use a recording device? I will see if they do an article in the Wilson Times that I pay to read. So damn if we couldn’t record the meeting that should mean no reporting of the meeting by the Wilson Times.
Damn what happened to holding our elected and want to be elected officials accountable for their actions? Where is the transparency? The forum ought to have been recorded and played back on the local TV station because I know Wilson has one. Damn everyone in Wilson didn’t attend the forum for whatever reason but it should have been made available.
I had been intending to make me a copy of the Open Meetings Law Statue Chapter 143 – Article 33C: § 143‑318.9. Public policy – § 143‑318.18. Exceptions. However § 143‑318.10. All official meetings of public bodies open to the public and § 143‑318.14. Broadcasting or recording meetings seems to be the 2 items that pertain to my complaint about not being able to record this forum.
I understand that the Darden Alumni Building may be a private building but the Delta’s announced this was a public meeting so I strongly feel they should have operated under the Open Meetings Law. Well I guess I will have to ask my attorney.
Note: This wasn’t a meeting of a public body, In my legal opinion, Article 33C only applies to meetings of public bodies. This was a candidates forum. They are citizens running for office, They are not a public body. A group of people all running for public office do not constitute a public body. I understand your frustration with the lack of transparency but the candidates are under no obligation to allow the recording of their forums under the open meetings act. Reporting and recording are not the same thing. The media can cover events that it is not allowed to make a visual recording of. You were prohibited from recording the forum not from writing about it. Candidates are not public figures unless they win an election. They are private citizens who have elected to run for a public office.
Sheria Reid posted this on my Facebook page. I respect and accept her legal opinion so I don’t have to wait until tomorrow to contact my lawyer. Thanks my friend.
Sheria Reid posted the following on my Facebook page in response to my above response. You are very welcome. I’m still looking for any possible violation of at the very least public policy by not allowing the recording of the forum. You know that we are alike in that we never give up until all avenues are exhautsed. Don’t know if there is one but I do agree with your assessment that such events should be fully available to the public.
See related:
Video/Pictures: Democratic Party Edgecombe County Convention Saturday April 14, 2012 Began With A Good Message From Rev. Wayne Hines But Ended With Ignance From Rev. Roosevelt Higgs About Racial Profiling
An Open Letter To The African American Caucus of The North Carolina Democratic Party?
