By: Alina Zheng

Since February of this year, the people of Mason, Tennessee have battled to preserve their ability to self-govern their economy after refusing to let go of their charter. As a result, the state of Tennessee threatened to take control of its finances, instigating a debate on equal treatment.

Mason has a population of less than 1,600 and is mostly comprised of African Americans. The conflict between the town and the state began when Mason had to determine whether to lose its ability to self-govern and have its debts paid off or maintain financial control and immediately commence paying an estimated $600,000 in debt it couldn’t afford.

Even though Mason knew there would be burdens that would lie ahead of them, Vice Mayor Virginia Rivers explained that the town chose to tackle their debt because Ford announced they would establish a plant nearby. The plant would open 18,000 new job opportunities and bring in $1.8 billion of profit for Tennessee.

Despite this victory, the residents of Mason now faced some challenges. The town had to pay approximately $22,000 each month to its water, sewer, and gas funds and wasn’t allowed to pay other bills that exceeded $100 unless they were approved by Jason Mumpower, Tennessee’s comptroller of the treasury. Anthony Ashton, the senior associate general counsel of the NAACP, argued the rate at which they had to pay off the debt overwhelmed them. In addition, Vice Mayor Virginia Rivers voiced her opposition to Mumpower’s decision to NBC News saying, “We were being set up to fail.”

As a result, Mason officials filed a lawsuit against Mumpower with the help of the NAACP, accusing him of racial discrimination and using his financial power inappropriately.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson responded to Mumpower’s actions by saying, “This was a power grab, not a path to support the citizens. They were seeking to dissolve the town.” Johnson further opposed the discrimination by saying nearby counties like Jellico, which is majority white, were not put under the same conditions as Mason.

In May, Mason officials dropped the lawsuit after more agreeable settlements. Now after the settlement, the town must pay $5,000 per month compared to the initial $22,000, and the spending threshold has increased from $100 to $1,000.

The fight between Mason and Mumpower was successful in displaying the treatment of African Americans and creating a more inclusive environment.

Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/happened-black-tennessee-town-faced-state-takeover-rcna21840