The Dispatch - Governor Hopeful DuPree: Hope Rests with All of Us

News Article

By Jason Browne

A gubernatorial candidate visiting Columbus for an event celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said America isn't ready for another civil rights icon.

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree shared his theory with a capacity crowd at Stephen Chapel Church during a program organized by Columbus' Professional Leadership Alliance."There could never be another Martin Luther King because people wouldn't follow him the same now," said Dupree. "The commitment everyone had during the time of Martin Luther King. Committed to nonviolence. Committed to boycotting. The tension that it caused. I'm not real sure we have the same commitment."However, due to the work of luminaries like King, DuPree says the need for one galvanizing civil rights champion may not be as urgent today. Now the onus is on local leaders and individuals to keep hope alive.Paraphrasing King, DuPree said more citizens must be involved economically to prevent communities from "falling into unemployment and despair." This, he said, would take cooperation between legislators at the top who recruit industry all the way to small business owners.He praised the state's community college system as strong but said it "needs to be stronger."He lamented the use of rhetoric to paint portraits of individuals taking advantage of social programs like Medicaid or unemployment as leeches."This just turns into accusations of people being lazy or illegal (immigrants). Too often we choose to see the worst in people. I choose not to by cynical," he said.True to his work, he eschewed pointing fingers at Gov. Haley Barbour's administration or placing blame for the state's condition."They're not necessarily bad people. They think they're doing what's right," he said. Although he added his belief that many politicians are more concerned with power than helping citizens.He contrasted himself to Barbour only by saying he would have accepted federal stimulus funds Barbour turned down.

Appearing in his seventh and final city over the three-day weekend, DuPree used the pulpit at Stephen Chapel to preach cooperation as both a way to honor King and solve the state's problems. But he avoided any blatant campaigning until after his address. When asked how he would solve the state's unemployment crisis, he pointed to Hattiesburg's successes before returning to his theme of cooperation. "We just had an announcement of a plant coming to Hattiesburg bringing half a billion dollars (in investment). We're the only city that has increased their employment by 1,000 over the last year. I think that says a lot to what we've done in Hattiesburg. And I'm not saying what I've done. What we've done is a collective effort," he said. "Anytime you see people with jobs coming up, no one person is responsible. A group of people had to work together. The business community, political and social people." Also featured at the "Where Do We Go From Here?" program were dramatic tributes to State Rep. Esther Harrison and late Ward 4 City Councilman Dan Spann. Harrison, who was on hand for the event, agreed with DuPree's focus on cooperation. "Of course (Mississippians) want good leadership and someone and someone who can work with the House and Senate and make sure industry is coming and education is fully funded," she said. Harrison predicted DuPree would do well in the Democratic primary but wouldn't go as far as to give him her endorsement. "We as legislators and we that have to run wait a little while," she said. Mayor Robert Smith, who has known Dupree more than 10 years, also predicted DuPree would do well in the primary but said running against Republican favorite Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant would be "an uphill battle." "It's going to take a lot of elected officials who support (DuPree) and what he stands for behind him to get everyone out to the polls to vote," said Smith. Experience-wise, Smith said DuPree's time as a Forest County supervisor and Hattiesburg school board member, in addition to his time as mayor of Hattiesburg, have prepared him for every facet of governing the state.

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