By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — After long-time Fort Payne City Councilman Walter Watson declined to seek reelection, the city attorney, Rocky Watson, fondly recounted their years spent with Walter at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Councilman Watson declined to run for reelection late last month, after announcing his re-election bid on July 1.
Walter Watson first won election in 1996. Watson was the first African-American city councilman elected in Fort Payne history. While segregation had been abolished around thirty years prior to Watson being elected, racial tensions were still present in the city and in the area.
“To have an African-American elected to city council five times in a southern town with a three percent African-American population is remarkable,” City Attorney Rocky Watson said.
Councilman Watson recounted early in his career, when some very unwelcomed guests interrupted a council meeting.
“Being African-American and you came to this area and you heard about ‘the Klan.’” Watson explained, “you hear Klan and they said white people, and I wondered which one of these guys [the city council] was going to be Klan. I didn’t know.”
While Watson was attending to the city’s business one night, he was faced with the very threat he was warned about.
“[Then one night] into work comes the Klan. They had a bag under their arm and one even had a prosthetic hand. I was freaking out, thinking ‘What are they going to do to me?’” Watson said.
“Then I found out really quickly that these guys were not even close to associated with that group,” said Watson, “These guys are my brothers.”
Councilman Watson currently serves as President of the DeKalb-Cherokee Gas District Board. In an interview with the Southern Torch, Watson explained why he chose to not seek re-election.
"It was time for me to step down and give someone else a turn," Watson said. "I gave my word to a couple of candidates that if they ran this year that I would not run and give them an opportunity to serve and to learn."
"There was no question about it for me," Watson said. "It was a matter of integrity and keeping my word."
Although he’s not seeking re-election, Councilman Watson made it clear that his work is not yet done.
“Guys, we still got some more stuff to do. I ain’t done yet. I ain’t gonna lame duck,” he said to the council with a grin.
