As an advocacy organization that has been advocating for 112 years, we offer no apology to Mayor Karen Alexander for challenging her inappropriate tweet which has now been removed. 

After several messages from concerned citizens about the nature of the post and comments concerning the nature of the post, as the practice of the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP, we reached out to Mayor Alexander, included the entire council and local press. 

Upon reaching out to Mayor Alexander, she informed me that her account was hacked. 

While we can accept that Mayor Alexander’s account may have been hacked, it doesn’t recuse her from responsibility of what appears on her social media platform. That was the goal and motive of our letter and email addressed to Mayor Alexander. It wasn’t a scathing letter, as she alluded; it simply was to address and correct an unacceptable wrong. 

Mayor Alexander is correct in stating that the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP has always had a working relationship with the city and will commit to continue to have a working relationship. However, a working relationship doesn’t excuse responsibility. 

If an accident or misrepresented incident such as this would occur again, we would address it appropriately, regardless of a working relationship, because the mantra of the organization is to protect best interest. The best interest is always the people. 

As we move forward, our hope is that we can focus even more on the critical resources needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued our city and nation. 

— Gemale Black

Salisbury

Editor’s note: Gemale Black is president of the Salisbury-Rowan NAACP. This letter is in response to the political notebook article published Tuesday titled “Mayor says her Twitter account was hacked.”