Black Democrats Don’t Be Fooled by Independent Candidates In Tate County Mississippi

The Southern Truth

Dr. Gloria Zuurveen
Editor-in-Chief

On Tuesday, November 7, Tate County, Mississippi citizens will trek to the polls to vote. Many will vote for their candidates in Tate County, especially in Senatobia and Coldwater, who they recognize by names, like Joyce Collins and Tony Sandridge. They have name recognition and they are a brand in the Black communities of the city of Senatobia and the township of Coldwater too. Yes, Coldwater, the town featured in one of my previous articleS about “Coldwater in Hotwater”.  Look it up at www.pacenewsonline.com search Coldwater. You will see it and you can read it.

Coldwater and Senatobia are like sister cities accept that Coldwater is a township and they are on the move to be the most progressive places in Tate County. The problem I have with what is going on now is that, I believe, Black people in the city of Senatobia and the town of Coldwater really are being tricked into voting for people they believe to be stone-cold Democrats but in reality they are not. No. They are not. They are mouthpieces and votes-gatherers for the Republican leadership in Tate County. So I am encouraging the Black residents and white ones too of Senatobia and Coldwater to highly consider the power of their votes on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 when they go to the polls. Look at what happened to Coldwater school which was located in a majority Black township. It was closed and shut down without many of the Black citizens and taxpayers consent or much of any  community involvement. Most of the citizens trusted in the people they voted in office to speak for them, like Tony Sandridge. Yes, they voted for him to act as intercessor on their behalf and to come up with creative ideas on how to hold on to Coldwater school’s historic legacy.

Tony Sandridge and his party affiliation in 2019 Democrat and his affiliation today as an Independent candidate. What happened to make the change which is very different from many of his constituents who are life-long Democrats.He didn’t. He went along to get along with the Republican majority. Yes, so much so that now, unlike before when he came knocking on his Democratic constituents doors. Then he was a Democrat, proud as could be but all of a sudden he has switched party but he is still claiming and framing his message to win Democrats votes all the time he is an Independent candidate and he is straddling the fence.

Sandridge’s action should make the citizens of Tate county upset and incensed. Yes, they should be angry and they should be mad that they are being fooled by a supposedly Black Democrat but in reality he is an imposter only seeking to win their votes for the other party, the Republicans, to help them win in Tate County when it comes to control in a town like Coldwater that has been majority Black from days of old but if the leadership gets its way, with the help of the County Assessor and Collector Collins and Supervisor Sandridge, it will be a sad day. Because I believe they will be instrumental in causing an annexation and combine the two, Senatobia and Coldwater will now be one big City, South and North Senatobia, wiping out the majority Black township of Coldwater and diluting the Black power so now when the people come to the 5 Star City of Senatobia in the future it will also include Coldwater too.

Official 2019 ballot count for Joyce Collin a Democratic candidate then but now she is an Independent in the upcoming election. Research and Compilation by Gloria Zuurveen

So in closing, I am admonishing the Black Democrats and whites too in Tate County not to be fooled by Independent candidates  Joyce Collins and  Tony Sandridge who were Democrats from the start but now they appear like sheeps in wolves clothing labeled as one thing but in reality they are not.  They say they are Independent but the crucial question is why? Ask them to explain why they changed the political party name because Independent and Democrat are not the same.

The Southern Truth