May 3, 1997: At City Coliseum on election night, defeated Council Member Eric Mitchell denounces his victorious opponent, Willie Lewis, saying: “Austin lost the day. You can’t stand the truth. You don’t want honesty. You don’t want integrity. You don’t want responsibility. You want a house nigger. And you got one!” (Get a transcript of the entire speech at www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol16/issue40/pols.runoffs.side1.html.)

Aug. 23, 2001 (Thursday): Reporting on a rumor that Mitchell is considering a run for mayor, Chronicle City Editor Mike Clark-Madison writes, “Did we hear right that former Council Member Eric Mitchell picked up candidate papers? We guess that would be Eric Mitchell No. 1, the sharp-dressed black Republican millionaire wannabe from Oak Hill, not Eric Mitchell No. 2, the self-styled field Negro and Nation of Islam hanger-on. We still refuse to believe that they are indeed the same person.”

Aug. 23 (Thursday): Council Member Danny Thomas and executive aide Linda Dailey compose a memorandum for distribution to the mayor and city council, describing Clark-Madison’s comments on Mitchell (and a comparison between City Manager Jesus Garza and New York Yankees manager Joe Torre) as “racially and religiously derogative to many Austinites we all represent.” Thomas demands a public apology from Clark-Madison and his immediate removal from the city’s Library Commission.

Aug. 24 (Friday): Clark-Madison sends a letter to the mayor and City Council responding to Thomas’ charges (see “Clark-Madison Responds”).

Aug. 26 (Sunday): Daryl Slusher, who appointed Clark-Madison to the Library Commission and the Bond Oversight Committee, asks him to resign. Clark-Madison verbally agrees to do so, pending a formal request from Slusher.

Aug. 27 (Monday morning): Slusher issues a statement to the Statesman and the Chronicle announcing that he has asked for and received Clark-Madison’s resignation. Later in the day, he issues a “corrected version,” saying he has received Clark-Madison’s verbal promise to resign.

Aug. 27 (Monday afternoon): Clark-Madison issues a statement to the Council, agreeing to resign pending a formal request from Slusher.

Aug. 29 (Wednesday): Upon receipt of a formal request from Slusher, Clark-Madison resigns.

This article appears in August 31 • 2001.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US