By Sarah Swetlik
Before kicking off a day of workshops preparing for the upcoming November election, Alabama Democratic Party Chair Randy Kelley took a moment to address Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s recent comments regarding “reparation.”
“I would say that he’s suffering from a sick sociology, from a faulty psychology emanating from a faulty theology,” Kelley said amidst cheers from the small crowd.
Kelley said “Black people and other people of good will” need to work together to change Alabama.
“For too long, Alabama has had a legacy of hate, but we’ve got to transform this state into a more just and loving state,” Kelley said.
Kelley was recently elected chairman of the State Democratic Executive Committee.
This year’s statewide conference was held in conjunction with the Alabama Democratic Conference, a caucus of Black voters that operates alongside the state party and typically holds meetings in October.
Joe Reed has chaired the ADC since 1979 and currently serves as vice chair of minority affairs for the state Democratic party.
New party bylaws may be discussed during this weekend’s meeting. While a copy of draft changes has circulated, committee members were not provided with a copy of proposed changes Friday.
Reed was among others that opposed changes in party leadership and bylaws several years ago, amid a contentious process that, for a time, put the state party at odds with the Democratic National Committee.
Following Kelley’s speech, attendees visited training sessions, including one focused on preparing county Democratic chairs for election day.
Vice Chair for County Affairs Ben Harris walked attendees through strategies to gather voters before the election, as well as instructions for county chairs and poll workers during the election. He also spoke about smaller elections and issues such as possible voter suppression.
The conference will reconvene Oct. 15 at 10:00 a.m. in Montgomery.
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