WVOX Radio Host Darrell Davis Names BW As Source Of His Slanderous Remarks Against Councilman Thomas

Darrell Davis egregiously and irresponsibly names Black Westchester as his source to his slanderous accusations that Mount Vernon City Councilman Richard Thomas called for Mayor Ernie Davis’ resignations.

On the The Darrell Davis Show on WVOX 1460AM, Friday, October 17th, radio host and self-proclaimed community activist, Darrell Davis accuses Mount Vernon City Councilman Richard Thomas of being among the local elected officials who are calling for Mayor Ernie Davis to step down and resign after pleading guilty to two counts of tax evasion. Upon hearing this, Councilman Thomas quickly called in to clarify he in no way, privately or publicly called for the resignation of Mayor Davis. Darrell Davis (no relations to the mayor as, he tells his listeners) then went on to thank the Councilman for clarifying his position and went on to say that Black Westchester (14 minutes into the show), directly quotes the Councilman stating just that.

Black Westchester immediately received several calls, emails and text messages about Davis’ remarks. While we ran three stories last week, Mount Vernon Mayor Ernest D. Davis Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion, Mt. Vernon Councilman Thomas Speaks Up On Mayor Davis Plea Deal With Feds and Reactions From Local Elected Officials & Residents Response To Mayor Davis Pleading Guilty, not once did we take the position that the Mayor should resign or write/quote that Councilman Richard Thomas stated that to us. We simple reported the facts and the many responses.

“To be clear I have never personally attacked Mayor Ernest Davis, nor have I called for his resignation in written or verbal comments in any public forum or news outlet, including Black Westchester,” said Councilman Thomas to BlackWestchester. He concluded, “It is important that fact based information reach the public at all times, especially on matters related to Mayor Davis’ guilty plea with the federal government.”

What was most egregious was the fact that on Davis’ show, ‘Mayor Ernie Davis and ‘Crabs In A Barrel’, the radio host bemoaned about local politicians (19:33 minutes into the show) being ‘Crabs In A Barrel’ who are trying to keep the Mayor down in their own quest for the mayoral seat. He spoke about the responsibility of media and how, what he calls ‘white media’ (including the Journal News- Lohud, who he names in specifically), doesn’t give “fair and balanced” coverage to the black community, and Ernie Davis. We find it ironic that this same radio show host is guilty of the very ‘Crab In A Barrel’ mentality and unfair and unbalanced coverage he himself speaks of on his show, when he irresponsibly states that Black Westchester, ‘The New and True Voice of The Black Community’ directly quoted Councilman Thomas calling for the resignation of the Mayor. Speaking as the Editor-In-Chief, we have always maintained journalistic integrity in any and everything we print and cover.

The slanderous accusations first about Councilman Thomas (which he later recanted on the air, only after the Councilman called in) and secondly in his apology to Thomas, names BW as the source of his misinformation, neither of which are true. Like Fox News who Punditfact, a branch of Politifact, reported to have found only told the truth 18 percent (15 of 83) of the time, with most of their statements being either “Half True,” “Mostly False,” or “False.”

Davis credibility has to be called into questioned since he obviously didn’t bother to read the stories in Black Westchester, nor check his facts before making the slanderous accusations, and that’s exactly what the right-wing media does.

The problem is that both assumptions and accusations by Darrell Davis (who is a strong Mayor Davis supporter) were said with great certitude if not certainty, portraying himself as a beacon of truth, ‘it’s good that we clarify things and talk openly,’ Davis stated on his show. In addition to not checking his facts before making the accusations, he also didn’t call or try to contact either Thomas or Black Westchester to get a comment. Unlike Davis, we have extended an invitation to him, but Davis has not yet responded to our request to have him appear on the People Before Politics Radio Show. We once again extend that invitation, here now to appear on our show.

In closing while we do agree the right-wing media doesn’t always portray our community in the best light, the playing the race card on this issue, by Davis was unnecessary. Sure some  have an agenda in their coverage, there’s nothing new about that, but the fact is that the Mayor of the City of Mount Vernon has pleaded guilty to two count of tax evasion and there are many (both local politicians and residents who voted for him) who are displeased and disappointed. BW doesn’t believe in giving anyone a pass, just because the elected official, community leader, law enforcement officer or even a radio show host happens to black. We feel we have to hold our people to the same scrutiny as we do others, if not hold them to a higher standard, because they are black. Darrell Davis’ blind loyalty to the mayor and head-in-the-sand “liberally biased propaganda,” doesn’t serve our community any more that the right-wing media he spoke of on his show.

AJ Woodson
Editor-In-Chief
Black Westchester

Here is the ‘Mayor Ernie Davis and ‘Crab In A Barrel’ episode of The Darrell Davis Show in its entirety.

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