Columnist David MartinI don’t know Kevin Muhammad. Never met the guy. But every few months I come across his name in a local article since he’s a leader within the Nation of Islam here.
He popped up on my radar, and likely yours too, again this week when he and Ash-Lee Henderson of Citizens Concerned for Justice asked if the Chattanooga City Council would allow them to present a rebuttal to the State of the city address given by Mayor Andy Berke on Monday. They apparently feel there’s an addendum which needs to be tacked on to the official record.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Muhammad and council Chairman Moses Freeman got into – how shall we say this – an “interesting” 30-minute exchange about the request. At first Freeman denied Muhammad, but after council members Ken Smith and Yusuf Hakeem intervened, the presentation was given the thumbs-up. Muhammad now will have 20 minutes of podium time toward the close of next week’s council session.
Color me intrigued.
Not because I think I’ll be agreeing with too much of what Muhammad has to say – though I’ve got an open ear. Rather, I’ve always been captivated by civic storycrafting. Every city has a story, and Chattanooga has been very proactive in cultivating its own narrative.