The Oklahoma State Capital

Before a large crowd of cheering supporters gathered to remember Martin Luther King, Mayor Evelyn Nephew announced Sunday in the Macedonia Church that she will seek re-election to the office of Mayor.

Nephew also announced her campaign to undo racism and told supporters she will send City of Guthrie staff to Texas to attend training for this purpose.

Nephew told GuthrieCouncil.com last Tuesday of her decision to run for Mayor and her drive to undo racism. While Nephew did not point to specific incidents of racism, she has expressed concern about a story reported in the Guthrie News Leader concerning incidents at Guthrie Junior High.

Nephew said that she wants Guthrie Police Chief James Bishop to attend the undoing racism training. Nephew told GuthrieCouncil.com that expenses for her and staff members to attend the training will be funded by taxpayers.While staff attendance at this training is voluntary, Nephew told supporters that members of city staff would go.

The training is sponsored by the National League of Cities and will feature an interactive discussion on governing a diverse population effectively with a special focus on criminal justice issues. The training, led by Professor Charles Ogletree of Harvard Law School, is by invitation only and was extended to Mayor Nephew because of her demonstrated commitment to this agenda.

Nephew says that the program to undo racism must take place in the community and the schools. "We want to talk about resolution," Nephew says. "It took the people to put certain things in the community. It will take the people to work some of the things out." Nephew was introduced by the Chairman of the Logan County NAACP, Hersey Hammons. Hammons told the crowd that they would be going to the polls in a few months and indicated that the Mayor has done a wonderful job.

Nephew's campaign to undo racism was also endorsed by State Representative Opio Toure. Toure, who represents an Oklahoma City area house district, said that he was happy to hear about Nephew's campaign to undo racism. He did not however, pinpoint any specific incidents which have occurred in Guthrie.

Nephew took the occasion to inform the audience that she and the NAACP were responsible for the Martin Luther King holiday proclamation in Guthrie. Nephew said that the proclamation did not exist prior to her service on council. Nephew feels the Martin Luthur King day celebration can serve as a catalyst for undoing racism.

The crowd gathered to celebrate the holiday were exhorted by Toure & Hammons to register to vote. They were also asked to become members of the NAACP.

Nephew, who was re-elected as Mayor for the first time in 1999, will be facing her second re-election campaign. In '99, Nephew was re-elected by 37 votes.