Monroe is currently weathering a crisis of leadership that transcends simple budgetary disputes. The recent conduct of City COO and Chief Engineer Morgan McCallister—the Mayor’s right-hand man—has laid bare a reality many in this community have felt for years. By repeatedly and sarcastically identifying himself as a “racist” during a public meeting, McCallister didn’t just lose his cool; he provided the verbal key to a long-standing pattern of obstruction.
In a city where the majority of citizens are Black, McCallister’s outburst at the I-20 Economic Development Board meeting cannot be dismissed as a mere lapse in judgment. While he may have intended his words as a defiant redirection of criticism, his actions give those words a heavy, literal weight.
McCallister continues to hold two high-level city positions, acts as the primary voice for the Mayor, and uses the power of his office to block $500,000 legally owed to DZE, Inc.—the first Black-owned firm to receive I-20 funding. Despite the contract being approved by the board and vetted by legal counsel, McCallister has effectively placed himself above the law.
As Board Member Rev. James Jackson aptly noted, the problem appears to be that the developers simply do not “look like” the man holding the checkbook. By blocking these funds, McCallister is not “protecting public money”; he is unilaterally overriding a governing board and exposing taxpayers to thousands of dollars in potential court penalties and fines.
Mayor Friday Ellis now finds himself at a moral and political crossroads. His administration is already reeling from a “brain drain” in leadership.
To retain McCallister as the city’s Chief Operating Officer and primary spokesperson without demanding public contrition sends a chilling message: in Monroe, economic opportunity remains a gated community, and the gatekeeper is unapologetic.
The real test of equity is not found in symbolism. We see through the “tokenism” of a Black preacher invited to pray at a program, a black choir asked to sing, or a poet invited to read. That’s symbolism, but not equity.
True equity is found in power-sharing and access to capital. The “racist” label McCallister claimed for himself is reflected in a city hall that seemingly prefers no police or fire chief at all if the appointee must be Black, and in the Mayor’s silent endorsement of McCallister’s vow to never release funds to a Black company. To enforce its racist views, the administration is spending hundreds of thousands in legal fees, just like it did during Jim Crow days.
History is full of bigots who believed they were righteous, embedding their biases into the legal system while throwing a few “bones” to the marginalized to keep the peace. But even they rarely had the audacity to say the words aloud. McCallister stood up and said it: “I am a racist.”
If this administration wishes to avoid a costly legal battle and begin to repair its fractured relationship with the community, McCallister must take three bold steps:
- Issue a formal public apology through mainstream media detailing his specific failures.
- Resign as the city’s spokesperson and COO to focus strictly on technical engineering.
- Immediately release the funds legally owed to Alven Square and DZE, Inc.
The Mayor’s refusal to disassociate himself from McCallister’s self-applied label speaks volumes.
In Monroe, we have seen leaders who were celebrated by their friends but viewed as oppressors by our community.
It is time for Mayor Ellis to decide which side of that history he wants to occupy.
Fairness is not a suggestion—it is the law.
