NORFOLK - - Is the troubled black cultural celebration, Afr'am Fest trying to skip out on paying its debt to security officials who helped keep the peace this year?

An  email memo Virginia News Source obtained, alleges it is.  It alleges promoters of the black event have failed to make the promised payment of about $43,000 at the close of business Friday, May 28 as promised to 51 off-duty police and deputies it hired to work security.

Lawyers for many of the 51 unpaid employees are threatening court action to obtain the funds.

One Norfolk female sheriff's deputy was scared she was going to lose her home (a rental) because she had worked the second job for the specific reason to make her monthly rent.

Working for previous private employers never caused her a problem, but the promoters of the black event just ignored her pleas for payment.  The landlord is working with her, however.

And Norfolk Sheriff Robert McCabe was quoted as saying it was the first time in 17 years he'd been in office of having any trouble collecting pay owed his employees.

The city's black police chief, Bruce P. Marquis, and black city manager Regina Williams did not respond to media queries regarding the default.

Black councilman Paul Riddick said he knew Afr 'am would have financial problems because its meeting date last year was disrupted by renovation at Town Park and this year Williams banned use of the park by groups charging admission on holiday weekends.

Paul Fraim, the city's white mayor, said he's also concerned the city employees weren't paid for their off-duty work.

In fact at one point, the email memo said that Donna Smith, director of the Southeast Virginia Arts Festival, tried to welsh on the debt by asking the city to pay the Afr'am's debt to employees as a subsidy to the failed black event.

They tried to get the city to 'sponsor' the event to absorb the cost and allow Afr'am to shed it.

The email said "…Smith has contacted the city managers office pertaining to requests for sponsorship by the city…regarding their bill."  (Maybe that's one reason City Mgr. Williams didn't respond to media queries).

The email said that Mark Madison, Afr 'Am director, had said the employees would be paid but could not give them a date.

Riddick has suggested the group stop charging admission and see if it can re-schedule the event back on Memorial Day weekend as it originated.

Ironically, the number of blacks turning out for the event was below par and serious questions are being raised as to whether the event may not have passed its usefulness and viability to be profitable.  Not a large number of educated, successful blacks attend the event.

Started as a non-profit in 1983, it has attempted to get financial, ad and sponsorship support out of the white community.

It was formed without any real purpose except to generate income by engaging blacks to think of it as a event celebrating their behavior, and culture in arts and entertainment.

Is it simply another instance of a 'single-race' focused activity becoming obsolete?  Probably.

 

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