11/03/2026
As residents protested the proposed repeal of Jackson’s data center moratorium, the crowd grew frustrated with Stokes for skipping public comments. As the crowd expressed their disapproval, one resident accused Stokes of being willing to “sell out his mother,” to which Stokes responded with gendered profanity directed at her, referencing violence against women and saying, “I cut that b*tch out.” His statements prompted immediate dismay and objections from the crowd and other council members. Our Executive Director, Candace Abdul-Tawwab, intervened, said his responses were inappropriate, and called for a public censure of his behavior. In response, Stokes then directed anti-Muslim remarks at Candace and other residents, telling them to remove their hijabs, saying “take that rag off your head,” and declaring they were “not real Muslims.”
There is no excuse for Councilman Stokes behavior toward the community. It is unacceptable for an elected official to use degrading language toward women or to target residents because of their faith. Public officials have a responsibility to respect the people they serve and protect their right to participate in public life. For those familiar with his behavior on the council, we know that his profanity is meant to distract from his failure as a council member to protect his citizens from the harms of data centers. He is trying to distract from the fact that today—on an election day no less—he proposed an extremely unpopular ordinance to repeal the data center moratorium, which he voted to support in July. He is trying to distract from his failures as a representative of the people, but we will not be distracted by his antics.
We stand with Candace and every resident who continues to speak up for a safer, more just future for Jackson. We demand a formal censure of Councilman Stoke’s behavior. We encourage the community to keep contacting your council members and keep showing up.
