Gregory Barnes is no stranger around City Hall, and he’s never shied away from voicing his opinion.
Barnes, a community activist, previously filed an ethics complaint in 2020, which eventually was dismissed. Barnes then issued an “initial statement,” referring to the African-American City Council members as “house negroes.” Barnes also accused City Manager Jimmy Jordan of “trying to down with black folks” before referring to him as a “Karen.”
2020 was a fractious year for race relations in Baldwin County, a time when some people were looser with their words. An African-American teacher at Baldwin High made a Facebook post comparing white parents who have biracial children to slave owners. The post later was deleted, and Superintendent Noris Price issued a statement denouncing the post.
Also, a Georgia Military College bookkeeper was fired after posting “Bring back the hoses and release the dogs” on Facebook during the social justice protests.
That same year, Barnes again sounded off on the African-American City Council members after each voted to approve Hank Griffeth as city manager. Griffeth is white. Barnes sent an email to council members, making multiple references to “systemic racism” and the “good ol’ boy system.”
Now, Barnes is back, appearing at Tuesday’s City Council regular meeting. This time, Barnes’ targets were Milledgeville Main Street and the Downtown Development Authority, which are funded by City Hall.
“Their practices, their systems is tantamount to institutional discrimination. I’ve showed you examples and examples over the last decade,” Barne said.
Barnes then said he’d provide two more examples of how the DDA and Main Street are discriminatory. First, Barnes said that he requested documents about Main Street’s standard operating procedures and policies back in March.
He has yet to receive those documents.
“Either you don’t have it or you refuse to give it.
Both of those are tantamount to institutional discrimination,” he said.
Barnes’ second example of institutional discrimination had to do with a new music festival proposed for downtown Milledgeville. In July, three members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at Georgia College & State University spoke at a City Council meeting and pitched the idea for a rock music festival in downtown Milledgeville.
The pitch was generally well-received by the council. All profits would be donated to the Brighter Days Ministry, which recently opened a food pantry and community center on Allen Memorial Drive.
“Would three black or brown boys, with a hip hop or Latin festival idea, get the same treatment as that rock festival did?”
Barnes said.
Barnes then asked the council members to “prove me wrong,” or “every month I’m going to come back here and say the same thing to you.”
“Prove me wrong, or change the system,” he said.
After Barnes was done speaking, Mayor Pro Tem said, “Thank you, Mr. Barnes,” and moved on to the next agenda item.
Also, on multiple occasions, Barnes has implied that the Deep Roots Festival gets special treatment in comparison to the Art Healthy Festival. Barnes is one of the co-organizers of the Art Health Festival.
Barnes again brought up the topic at a City Council meeting last winter.
Shinholster disagreed.
“The city does absolutely nothing else (different) for any other festival,” she said, adding that the Deep Roots Festival is driven by volunteers. “Every time we’ve talked, you’ve compared what you do to (Deep Roots). But, then you’re asking us to do things that they never come to us and ask.”
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