News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville-Putnam County NAACP will hold a community meeting Thursday evening to discuss recent presidential executive orders.
President Tom Savage said the meeting will inform local citizens and leaders about the changes, such as the order ending DEI programs, and its potential impact on the community. Savage said he wants the meeting to calm people down and help them come together.
“You can be mad here on the ground but the folks that we’re inviting to the table, it’s an executive order, they have to abide by it,” Savage said. “So we’re not bring people in to pick on them or anything like that. It’ll be a controlled meeting, an educational meeting.”
Savage said the event will feature local leaders, including District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway, Sheriff Eddie Farris, Cookeville Police Chief Scott Winfree, and Director of Schools Corby King. The meeting takes place at 6:00pm at the McClellan Avenue Church of Christ in Cookeville.
“Racism is on the rise,” Savage said. “And so we’re happy to, you know there’s been some online threats to people of color, we want to address that. That’s why we’re going to have Bryant Dunaway, who’s a friend who will address that. The sheriff is a friend, he’ll address it. Scott Winfree is a friend, he’ll address it.”
Savage said he is happy his organization has a relationship with law enforcement before any hiccups come around. Savage said law enforcement officials can really starve the fear of local people of color and create a safe space to discuss those concerns.
“We’ve invited White County, Warren County, all of leaders in the Upper Cumberland to be there as far as representatives from their community,” Savage said.
Savage said the meeting will be church-driven as it has been endorsed by Trinity Missionary Baptist Church and Wright’s Chapel Methodist Church. Savage said he hopes leaders and members from both churches and others will be in attendance.
