Ellington

Jackson attorney Chokwe Lumumba announced his candidacy for Ward 2 Councilman Monday. The attorney, who has garnered numerous awards and criticisms for his willingness to take on many constitutional and civil-liberties cases, is pushing a platform of infrastructure repair, business development, "green jobs" and fair pay for public employees.

Lumumba also said he wants to offer more community-enrichment projects like after-school youth programs, which he says will decrease crime and improve education. Many of his programs could demand more money from the city, but the attorney was unwilling to advocate across-the-board tax increases to pay for them.

"I won't run a campaign with a set opinion on fee of tax increases. I think each issue needs to be analyzed." Lumumba said. "I'm like everybody else: I have to pay those people. These are tough times, and in tough times you need to keep taxes as low as possible. But on the other hand, we have to make investments that expand the economic base."

The attorney said his most obvious demand would be for volunteer work from city residents. "We need sacrifice from the people like we need power to the people," he said.

Lumumba assured voters that he would be capable of scrutinizing opinions from the mayor's office, no matter who the mayor is. Several people are running for the mayoral seat, including former Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. and Ward 6 Councilman Marshand Crisler. Lumumba would not say which candidate he favored.

"Anybody who knows me knows I can speak my mind," said Lumumba, who has been temporarily disbarred by the Mississippi Bar for speaking out against Circuit Court Judge Marcus D. Gordon in 2001.

Gordon threatened to toss Lumumba out of his court after the defense attorney criticized the judge's relationship with lawyers. Lumumba responded that he would be proud to be thrown out of Gordon's court—a statement for which Gordon fined the attorney $300. Lumumba then replied that it would not be the first time he'd been forced to pay a judge for justice, which prompted the Bar to seek Lumumba's license.

The Supreme Court reinstated Lumumba last year by an 8-to-1 decision.