‘I cut that b---- out’: Council meeting recessed after it descends into chaos

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Jackson City Council meeting was recessed for an hour on Tuesday after it descended into chaos, with one councilman claiming he didn’t fight women, but would ‘cut that b---- out."

The argument erupted after Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes introduced an ordinance to rescind the 183-day moratorium on data centers.

Stokes made the statement after saying a protester talked about his mama.

“I don’t fight women, and I never fight them, but I cut that b---- out,” he said.

The argument appeared to be between Stokes and Candace Abdul-Tawwab, an outspoken critic of data centers.

Stokes went on to tell her and the other Muslim protesters to “take the rags off your heads. Y’all are not Muslim.”

Council President Vernon Hartley attempted to gavel down the meeting, while Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay called for a recess.

Several council members, including Brian Grizzell, LaShia Brown-Thomas, and Kevin Parkinson, started to walk out, while the people in the audience began chanting “get him out.”

The three returned so the meeting could be properly recessed.

In what appears to be a common theme at recent council meetings, Hartley urged those in attendance to be civil.

“We do not invite folks, according to your constitutional rights. You have a right to speak because we put in an ordinance giving you that right,” he said. “We have non-agenda items and agenda items that we address, and we try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.”

“But what we’re asking is please, let’s do stuff decently and in order,” he added.

Members of the general public are allowed to speak up to three minutes during the council’s public comment period. However, they must sign up before the meeting and say whether they are talking about agenda items or non-agenda items.

Stokes responded, saying he had no problem with whatever anyone wanted to say, but took issue with someone calling out his mother.

“Black people know you don’t talk about nobody’s mama,” he said. “If you’re so immature that you’re going to bring up my mama, then I’m going to handle it the way I did.”

Stokes ignored Council President Kevin Parkinson, who called to question, adding that he “made my statements and I handled it like I was supposed to handle it.”

As for rescinding the moratorium, Stokes said the city should embrace data centers and the potential revenue they would generate.

Figures provided to the Madison County Board of Supervisors earlier this year show that the AWS data centers there are expected to generate $6 million in new revenue for the county this year, and as much as $54 million a year in new funds by 2032.

“You think we’re going to keep turning down the money and let Brandon get it, let Ridgeland get it, let Rankin County, Madison County get it, and the only thing we get in Jackson is excuses,” he continued. “Hell yeah, let’s do some data centers and bring some money to Jackson.”

Because it was an introduction of an ordinance, no action was taken. The proposal is expected to roll over to the next council meeting for a vote.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.