This story has been updated with additional comments from Andrew Blewer who says his remarks were not intended to be racist.
A man speaking to Escambia’s Board of County Commissioners was kicked out of their meeting after he made what the chair said were racist comments toward Commissioner Lumon May including saying the “pigment” of his neighbor’s skin was “similar” to the county leader’s skin color and offering to take May for a “chicken dinner” to discuss issues impacting the county.
The incident happened during the board’s regular meeting on Feb. 19.
Bellview resident Andrew Blewer, 69, got up to speak to the board about a nearly $360,000 state grant the county was awarded for the ongoing Pensacola Bay Living Shoreline Project.
Blewer questioned and criticized the board for accepting the grant when he said there were other environmental projects that could use funding.
There is a video of the exchange that was recorded by the county and posted as part of their board meeting coverage on MyEscambia’s YouTube Channel.
During his two minutes at the podium, the amount of time each speaker is granted, Blewer turned to Escambia County District 3 Commissioner Lumon May, who is Black and represents the Bellview community where Blewer lives, to comment on why he thinks the growing community of Bellview should receive more resources like grant funding.
“Lumon May, you might like this, but we got some people that moved into our neighborhood that has a skin pigment similar to yours so you can look out for them or whatever,” Blewer began.
Some members of the audience booed in response to Blewer’s comment and before he could continue in earnest Board Chair Ashlee Hofberger cut in immediately.
“Okay, sir, we’re not going to allow racist comments here, so you can try again or you can exit,” Hofberger warned him. “I’m not sure why the color of your neighbor’s skin matters.”
“It shouldn’t,” Blewer replied, pausing before he continued.
“Then why did you tell us?” Hofberger asked.
Blewer did not answer directly but responded that the county used grant money to fix other projects and asked why they can’t use it to address other issues like environmental problems around Perdido Bay.
“Andrew, I’m going to try to get staff to write a DEI grant (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) so you can have a DEI neighborhood. Then you’ll be happy,” May told Blewer.
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to make Bellview into an SRA (community designation for more resources) because everybody’s moving out of there,” Blewer said.
“Let me help you with one more thing because your time’s running. I don’t care how you address this board but keep my name out of your mouth, alright? And then we’ll be OK, alright?”
“No, no,” Blewer said. “You want me to take you to another chicken dinner so I can talk to you one on one.”
Blewer later told the News Journal he and May had eaten before at a local restaurant where they met to discuss issues of concern to Blewer. He said the menu special that day was chicken, which they ordered. He said he was referring back to that meal and did not intend for the remark to be racist.
However, his comment brought more audible outrage from the audience and Hofberger immediately jumped in again and told security to “get him out here.”
“Get him out and whatever we can do to suspend him from coming back, I want that done, too, so check that out,” Hofberger told staff.
Members of the audience applauded in response to Hofberger. Blewer was already walking away from the podium and out of the board’s chambers.
In an interview later with the News Journal, Blewer said of his comments, “I didn’t think it was racist.”
However, several commissioners disagreed.
“Thank you, Madam Chair,” Commissioner Steven Barry said. “We don’t have to listen to sexist or racist comments.”
Hofberger agreed adding, “We’re not doing that.”
“Thank you for your leadership, Madam Chair, but I think we are going to be done by 11 a.m. and chicken sounds pretty good to me,” May joked lightly after the exchange.
However, he told the News Journal after the meeting that it’s “sad” a person would make those type of divisive and racial slurs in a public meeting.
“It’s unsettling, the divisiveness that is happening in politics at the national level, the state level, and now it’s local. It’s unfortunate and it’s uncomfortable,” May said. “I know I kind of joked about it a little bit, but it really is sad, honestly.”
May said his phone was “ringing off the hook” with calls from people of all races who were outraged by Blewer’s comments, but he is concerned many in the community aren’t outraged enough by what he says is blatant racism.
“If you remain silent when there’s something that’s wrong, then you condone it,” May said. “You can’t stay silent and allow for someone to say those negative words without saying something. I mean those words, ‘pigment’ and ‘chicken,’ that’s racist. It’s sad for our children, Black or White.”
May said the overt racism in the community needs to be addressed including comments from local leaders who he says minimize the importance of DEI hires in government and other positions, and disrespect all minorities like women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Elected officials and leaders need to have a real discussion about what’s happening within our community beause it’s sickening,” May said.
Blewer has regularly appeared before the board over the years to speak on a variety of issues. He said none of his remarks including the one about the pigment of his neighbor’s skin being similar to the commissioner’s, or his reference to taking May for another chicken dinner were intended to be racist.
Blewer says he should not have been kicked out of the board meeting.
“No, I shouldn’t have been because the only reason why I got kicked out is because Steven Barry said it was racist,” Blewer told the News Journal in a follow up interview. “And I guess it’s only racist because I didn’t invite him for the chicken dinner and only invited Lumon May. I didn’t invite him, but, see, that’d be the Sunshine (Law) violation if I did that. Is the restaurant racist for having chicken?”
Blewer said he intends to return and speak at the public meetings because he still has issues with how the county is spending money and what he says are unaddressed flooding problems on his property.
For those reasons Blewer said he is glad for the attention his comments brought, although it’s negative.
“Put a good spin on it to make me look bad instead of making the county commissioners look bad,” Blewer told the News Journal.
Hofberger said Blewer can’t be permanently banned from the board’s public meetings, but she wants staff to look at what legal steps can be taken to address issues like this.
“I just want to drive home the fact we want community involvement, and we want it to be a place where people can come and they can express their opinions and we can have collaborative conversation, but we have to keep it a respectful environment,” Hofberger said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia man kicked out of county board meeting over racist comments
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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