By: Evan Pan-Wang

Mason, a black town in Tennessee, was faced with a state takeover in February. The automobile company Ford was building a plant near the town, and it needed the sewer system of Mason. After the announcement of the plant, Jason Mumpower, the comptroller of the state, forced a harsh decision on the small town.

Mason was to pay $600,000 in debt or lose self-governance in exchange for debt forgiveness. The debt of $600,000 was to be paid off through monthly payments of $22,000, which the town could not afford and was so strict that it would probably ruin the town. NAACP president Derrick Johnson said the comptroller’s actions had racist undertones since mostly white town Jellico County was also in debt but did not have to face the same harsh terms. This was enough to have a lawsuit filed, accusing Mumpower of racial discrimination and abuse of financial power. Following the agreement, the town of Mason now only must pay $248,000, or more than half of the original total.

During the entire situation, many people on behalf of Mason created fundraisers and hashtags to call for action against the strict terms. One Virginia resident who will be named KD raised over $18,000 from 325 people from all over the nation. Now that the lawsuit has been resolved, Mason will work to meet the monthly payments of $5,000 and will move forward investing in future infrastructure to make Mason a beautiful place.