Clemmons says Bordeaux, North Nashville have been ignored for too long

Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-55), a candidate for mayor of Nashville, hosted a listening session on Thursday at St. Luke CME Church, for the Bordeaux & North Nashville communities.

The event focused on the fact that the Bordeaux and North Nashville communities have not benefited from our city’s unprecedented prosperity and offered an open forum on the future of these neighborhoods. This event was the second listening session in a series hosted by the campaign ahead of the August 1 election.

“The Bordeaux and North Nashville neighborhoods are key parts of our city’s identity, and their needs have been ignored for too long by the Mayor’s Office,” said Clemmons. “Bordeaux and the entire North Nashville community deserve a mayor who is committed to improving their quality of life. I thank all of the speakers and attendees for sharing their thoughts tonight on how we can build a brighter future for all Nashvillians.”

Rev. Leon F. Parker III of St. Luke CME Church and Clemmie Greenlee of Nashville Peacemakers were two of the featured speakers, and each touched on the need for increased investment in the lives of Bordeaux and North Nashville residents.

“Too many people in this city are being forced to move outside of the county and away from their friends, families, and their places of worship,” said Parker. “If we aren’t willing to invest in the people that have always lived here, then we need to ask ourselves if truly have our priorities straight as a city.”

The topics covered included Nashville’s affordability, flooding and infrastructure issues, affordable housing, senior citizens, public education, crime and youth violence. “There are many neighborhoods and families across Nashville that haven’t seen a dime of our recent growth, which is only increasing inequality and driving up crime and youth violence,” said Greenlee. “Our schools aren’t receiving the support they need, and neither are organizations that work every day to improve our communities. If we truly want to help our kids succeed, then we need to step up as a city and put our money where our mouth is.”

Other speakers included Vincent Dixie, state representative for District 54 and Rev. Enoch Fuzz of Corinthian Baptist Church. They echoed the sentiment that many residents don’t feel included in the progress the city is experiencing.

John Ray Clemmons is a State Representative challenging David Briley in the August 1 election. He will host a Summer Kickoff on Wednesday, May 8, at Adele’s Restaurant, located at 1210 McGavock St., from 6–8 pm. The event is free and open to the public, but residents are encouraged to RSVP online by visiting <johnrayclemmons.com/events>.

This originally appeared in the Nashville Pride.