Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The Olympia City Council’s recognition of Black History Month was disrupted when a guest speaker’s remarks escalated into a heated exchange with Mayor Dontae Payne at a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
The exchange happened after council members participated in a shared reading of a proclamation honoring the history, heritage and achievements of African Americans and Black communities.
Payne then invited Javoen Byrd, Executive director of the Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture, and Antonio McClinon Sr., Student Mentor Coordinator for Olympia School District, to speak about the event.
The speakers were given time to address the city council, a practice that typically follows during ceremonial recognitions.
McClinon thanked the city council for the proclamation and emphasized the importance of mentorship programs that support students from underrepresented communities, describing them as a tangible way the city’s commitment to Black history and equity is put into action.
However, the celebratory mood quickly changed when Byrd’s remarks focused on anti-Black racism, historical injustice and white supremacy. He said, “Those committed to fake smiles and gestures of reconciliation are not interested in justice.”
Byrd went on to say that Black people were trafficked to the United States. He argued that the country was built through the exploitation of Black and Indigenous people.
As the mayor attempted to intervene, Byrd dismissed concerns about decorum, saying he did not care about the “discomfort of a racist council member.” At that point, Payne called for a recess.
When the council resumed, Payne addressed the incident. He said he felt disrespected during what was meant to be a moment of recognition and celebration.
“This is not representative of what Black History Month is all about,” said Payne to the people in attendance.
Byrd continued speaking briefly, which led to further verbal exchanges between him and the mayor.
“We need to give you a plaque for white supremacy,” Byrd told Payne.
“You can say whatever you want,” said Payne in a raised voice. “I’m not going to allow you to disrespect me or any member of this council. Calling a council member a racist in public is disrespectful. You are out of line.”
Payne later apologized to the public for the disruption. He said the proclamation, which was intended to celebrate Black History Month, had been “hijacked.”
The mayor said the city issues a Black History Month proclamation year after year to highlight the contributions of African Americans, particularly at a time when Black history is “being attacked and erased.” He urged the community members to continue learning about Black history beyond February.
The proclamation designated February 2026 as Black History Month. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.
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JW
The council is pretty cavalier about throwing around the R word against others themselves "in public", but I guess when it's directed at them it's out of line. Internecine warfare on the far left is kind of entertaining, really. The revolution never ends, and those that are further down the revolutionary line end up nipping at those who planted their flag a hill back.
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
anothername
Javoen Byrd was right. The mayor was being performative and then showing his white privilege when he got uncomfortable. As a white person, I am ashamed of the mayor's behavior.
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
Quadlok
The concept of decorum exists solely to keep uncomfortable truths out of public discussion. Its a tool of oppression and nothing more.
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
DHanig
I doubt the mayor was "showing his white privilege": Mayor Payne is Black
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
Honestyandrealityguy
Would there ever have been slavery except for the first legal slave owner, a black man, Anthony Johnson. Although there is slavery all over the world, prior to that time there were indentured servants, mostly from Africa and the Barbary Coast. Johnson actually arrived as an indentured servant. When he worked off his servitude, he was given land and then began getting his own indentured servants. One of those servants tried to leave him to go to work for another. Johnson sued him and the judge ruled that Johnson owned him for life; hence, the first slave.
Johnson then began buying his slaves with/for his black family and friends, and then, to Native Americans, whites and others. The north only allowed slavery for 10 years. When a white Republican freed the slaves, black families owned thousands of slaves, the Natives owned tens of thousands of slaves, and the rest owned slaves too. About 300,000 whites from the north and 20,000 blacks gave their lives from the north to get rid of slavery.
I understand there is a lot of "marketing" on this subject. And, we don't teach this in our schools. I first learned of this from my family in another country and then had to do a bit of research to confirm. Slavery is wrong. Illegal immigration is bringing a bunch more ---- where do they live and where do they work? Hmmmm. Common sense please.
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
pbaron1902
What was Byrd's intention? Merely to disrupt the meeting? Would he rather there not be any local recognition of Black History Month? Seems to me he could have contributed something useful if he gave it intelligent thought, rather than just ranting about injustices we all know still exist!
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
terry
Good Grief, Really?
Wednesday, February 4 Report this
chrispc2u
Democrats lost the last election because they couldn’t read the room that is America. This is 2026, not 1619. Affirmative Action was limited in 2023 for a reason. Enough preferential treatment and commandeering city council meetings complaining about the unfairness of slavery decades ago. America is moving on and so should the city council of Olympia, Washington.
Thursday, February 5 Report this
AugieH
An example of virtue signaling that came back to bite the signalers. Worth a chuckle or two.
Thursday, February 5 Report this
waltjorgensen
I pay closer attention to comments that are signed. waltjorgensen@comcast.net
Thursday, February 5 Report this
Chappellg
I am sorry that advocates like Mr. Byrd have to disrupt civic meetings in an attempt to make his point with vitriol, resentment or whatever else motivates him. He is much more likely to get people to listen to him if he can learn to advocate with a civil tongue. His outburst is no different than the hateful and venomous speech coming out of the White House these days. He should be thankful that so far we all live in a democracy that lets us speak freely—if only he could learn to do so with respect for others.
Thursday, February 5 Report this
HappyOlympian
good times.....being "disrespectful" certainly protected speech under the Constitution. Isn't saying the proclamation had been "hijacked" also disrespectful of the hijacker? I think the mayor owes us all some reparations!
Thursday, February 5 Report this
Southsoundguy
Duh, of course it did. Get these grievance peddlers out of here.
Thursday, February 5 Report this
Yeti1981
Here’s what I see.
Black History Month deserves to be recognized. Full stop. The history, the contributions, the resilience, the culture, the unfinished work. That part should not be controversial in 2026.
But recognition and confrontation are not the same thing, and we need to be honest about that.
If you are invited to speak at a ceremonial proclamation, the purpose of that moment matters. It is not a public comment period. It is not an open debate. It is a recognition. You can absolutely speak hard truths about history. You can challenge systems. You can call out injustice. But when it crosses into personal accusations and name-calling, the message gets lost and the room shuts down.
Calling an individual council member a racist in that setting does not advance the cause. It shifts the focus from substance to spectacle. Once that happens, the headlines become about decorum instead of the issues raised.
At the same time, let’s not pretend that raising uncomfortable history is somehow illegitimate. America was built through slavery and the exploitation of Black labor. That is not rhetoric. That is documented history. We can acknowledge that without turning every civic ceremony into a battlefield.
What concerns me most is how quickly this devolved into the comment thread circus.
We’ve got people claiming “decorum is oppression.” That’s lazy thinking. Decorum exists so public bodies can function. Without it, every meeting becomes chaos and nothing gets done. If you want policy change, you need a process that works.
We’ve got others pretending slavery is ancient history that people should “move on” from. That’s equally unserious. The economic and social consequences of that history did not magically vanish in 1965, 1985, or 2025. You don’t heal a fracture by pretending the bone was never broken.
And then we have revisionist talking points about Anthony Johnson being “the first slave owner” as if that somehow erases the transatlantic slave trade, chattel slavery, or the racial caste system that followed. Isolated legal anomalies in colonial Virginia do not redefine the institution of race-based slavery that shaped this country. If we are going to debate history, let’s at least debate it accurately.
Here’s the bigger issue.
When ceremonial moments become ideological flashpoints, everybody loses. The proclamation gets overshadowed. The policy conversations that actually matter never happen. And the public walks away more polarized than when they walked in.
If the goal is justice, then the strategy has to be effective. If the goal is unity, it has to be grounded in truth, not performance. And if the goal is governance, then leaders have to maintain order without dismissing legitimate grievances.
We can honor Black history.
We can speak honestly about injustice.
We can demand better from institutions.
And we can still conduct ourselves in a way that moves people forward instead of entrenching them.
Those things are not mutually exclusive.
If Olympia wants these recognitions to matter, then they should be paired with tangible policy conversations and measurable outcomes, not just annual proclamations. Otherwise it will continue to feel symbolic to some and performative to others.
Real progress is built in the hard, boring, structured work after the ceremony ends. That’s where the focus should be.
Thursday, February 5 Report this
Laceyreader11
Yeti1981 Well spoken!
Thursday, February 5 Report this
peterpumpkinhead
Spot on, Yeti1981.
Friday, February 6 Report this
BubbaLitt
Thank you Yeti; your comment is the shining light of truth in a sea of partisan performers repeating their learned liturgy of tropes.
Friday, February 6 Report this
DanceADay
A few times, I tried to report Wolfman's violent comment posted ~36 hours ago and got error messages. :( Hopefully it's taken down soon.
(I tried to post part of this in the Olympian’s article but it kept getting blocked.)
I would like Olympia to be a city where a person of any gender can whole-heartedly name racism without it being labeled inappropriate/ disrespectful. I appreciate the mayor in many ways—this issue is bigger than him. Javoen Byrd is a generous teacher. Systems of White Supremacy Culture position these two Black leaders to be at odds here, in working dismantle anti-Black racism from different positions. I think Olympia wants to be a place where people (men in this case) can care deeply, have disagreements as well as split-second moments of human imperfection. As Javoen Byrd mentions, anti-Black racism is fed on separating everyone from their ancestral traditions. It benefits some monetarily, but white men have the highest rate of suicide, so let’s allow Black Brilliance to breathe, toward possibility for everyone. As Javoen Byrd mentioned, Black, Indigenous & poor people [+ and other people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, disabled people & women] ancestors have been surviving and/or planting seeds of hope. Their descendants are so needed. I see courage from both men here. This helps alert me, as Justice for Andre Thompson & Bryson Chaplin (THEY SURVIVED), Justice for Yvonne McDonald, Justice for Timothy Green and more, to continue to dream and build.
I agree that decorum is a term used to keep power over, versus share power with. It’s a formality that can be helpful, but here I feel it’s serving to miss the message of a community leader. Javoen Byrd’s presence, teaching and artistry radiate so much love and care. May that be reflected back to him, despite people disregarding his gifts. His work makes a very needed difference.
I’m hearing that some people find it shameful for a community leader/ partner to whole-heartedly share needed constructive criticism to an institution (the city leaders at a city council meeting) that he has contributed mightily to. That is part of the anti-Black racism Javoen Byrd was raising awareness of when he got cut off. We’ve all been fed it, but we can transform it. Thank you Javoen Byrd. Power to the ancestors. Believe Black womxn.
Sunday, February 8 Report this
DanceADay
PS to my comments earlier: Unfortunately city systemic structures are set up to be anti-Black. Naming that problem is needed, toward building better systems for everyone. I find this illustrated through a 13-minute video on youtube if you search this: "Digging up the roots | Anti-Black Racism in Canadian City Planning, Part 1 [Docuseries] " from "School of cities"
A Hundley
Sunday, February 8 Report this
wolfmanner
https://truthersjournal.org/the-kwanzaa-hoax/
Wednesday, February 11 Report this