Crowd Turns Out For Solidarity Rally Before Debate With Candidate Who Used Racial Slur

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A standing only crowd turned out Monday night for a debate among candidates vying for a Southampton Village Trustee seat, including Valerie Smith, who has sparked a public outcry after uttering a racial slur during a call to police last summer.

The debate, followed by a debate by mayoral candidates, was hosted by the Southampton Press and held at the Southampton Arts Center on Jobs Lane.

Before the debates, a crowd of residents turned out with signs for a Solidarity Rally, aimed at celebrating diversity and saying "no" to racism.

"You could see from the rally how diverse and culturally-rich Southampton is," said Lisa Votino-Tarrant. Of Smith, she added, "She doesn't see that and it's just sad."

The debate began with candidates Smith, as well as incumbents Nancy McGann and William Hattrick, delivering opening statements; the three are candidates for two seats.

Hattrick said he served on the zoning board of appeals for 15 years, was mayor for four years and also served previous terms on the village board. "I'm overtrained but not bored or boring," he said,

Hattrick said it's important to retain the village's historical character and beauty, protect the coastal environment, with traffic, parking safety and code enforcement critical concerns. Southampton Village provides nearly 30 percent of the area's Community Preservation Fund revenue but sees only about 10 percent in return, he said; that funding is needed to protect the area's water as well as deal with overdevelopment and help local families, he said.

A commitment to preservation is key, he said. "The current zoning is unsustainable," Hattrick said. "Preservation of our drinking water is a goal, not more condominiums." His two greatest fear, he said, are losing vehicular beach access and gentrification to the point where there are hardly any year round residents left in the village.

McGann said she's worked for the Village of Southampton for years and is happy to be a park of so many projects that have taken place. She's proud to have helped secure a grant writer to access grant funding for issues such as drainage, as well as to improvements to beautify the business district, the playground, and the dog park.

Smith, who grew up in Port Jefferson, said she traveled throughout her life to southeast Asia, Australia, Central America, and Europe, returning to Long Island and settling as a year round resident 19 years ago. She bought her home in Southampton six and a half years ago.

"I bought a house that was rundown and needed a lot of work. With a lot of sweat equity I was able to fix up the house. It is a diverse community and I've had some difficulties living there," she said.

She said she's running to serve the Village of Southampton and the community. "A few years ago I started to notice a lot of litter," which began her "ascent" to candidacy, she said.

Southampton Press Executive Editor Joe Shaw, who moderated the event, began the questions, including one he said had been sent in by a number of readers: "Was your apology sincere?"

Some had referred to a video of a recent community meeting, where she did not apologize.

Smith said she did not realize the residents were going to be meeting in the park when she was headed to East Hampton to see a friend. "I stopped to speak to everyone. One thing I think is so important and we don't do often is that we don't communicate with each other to understand what is going on," she said.

"I wasn't in a place of apology at the moment." — Valerie Smith

Regarding the apology at the meeting, she said, "I wasn't in a place of apology at that moment." Instead, she said, she wanted to explain her position and what had happened. She added that she's lived many places and "this is a very different community."

After seeing friends later, and discussing the matter, she said she decided to apologize. "Of course my apology is sincere. It has no bearing on if I win or lose. I made the apology because that was what I felt," Smith said.

Later, while discussing how the candidates planned to reach out to all corners of the community, the discussion circled back to the recent controversy over the racial slur.

"I said a word, and I apologized," Smith said. "I spoke a word in anger and I'm sorry."

Smith said she was "surprised" that the media did not express all she'd said in her conversation for a previous interview. "I think politics is very tricky and certainly, it's difficult to get involved in politics, either in small towns or large government. There's a very tight group of people and it's not easy to enter. I don't really see this as politics. I see this as serving my community," she said.

Candidates also discussed the village budget, the Community Preservation Fund, water quality and septic issues, the Tuckahoe Center, the need for affordable housing and to keep the business district vital; Smith again said litter needs to be addressed.

After the rally and debate, Lydia Bonner, whose son was one of the young men Smith called the racial slur, told Patch, "Tonight was an amazing turnout of support, showing everyone how tight-knit this community is, regardless of race and color. We are family in this village. No, we are not perfect, but what family is?"

A few days earlier, Smith, who allegedly used a racial slur in a call to police and is running for Southampton Village Board apologized in a public Facebook post.

"After meeting with neighbors and community members this afternoon, I realized that I want to say the following: I apologize for using such a hateful word last August, though I may have been justified in my anger, I should not have used that word. I am very glad that I listened to my neighbors, I did not understand how painful this word is to hear. My apologies to all whom I offended, Valerie Smith."

But the apology may not be enough to stem the tide of those vowing not to cast their votes for her at the Southampton Village election on June 16.

Bonner responded to the apology.

"I feel it's not an apology because she's says she was justified in her anger. And, that she can still try and fix what has happened but we will not vote for her and we will do our best to make sure she doesn't get voted in," Bonner said.

She added, "Forgiveness is a must because the Bible tells us to forgive. But we won't vote for her."

Votino-Tarrant, who is white and lives on the Shinnecock Reservation, said the Solidarity Rally was organized to say "hate isn't welcome here."

Last week, Smith faced her neighbors at a community meeting but, despite repeated requests from those gathered, she did not apologize at the meeting.

A video posted by Bonner shows the entire meeting, held on Thursday.

Smith allegedly called police about a group of black men standing in front of her Hillcrest home, "drinking Hennessy," calling them "a bunch of n-----s."Smith, a 27east.com post said, confirmed that she made the call and said the words, after The Southampton Press received a copy of the recording via a Freedom of Information Law request.

At the community meeting this week, Smith began to discuss how she'd rehabilitated the house.

"The problem is not the house. The problem is that she called them 'n------s,'" one woman called out.

Smith said she does not like littering or people throwing cigarettes onto her property and playing loud music outside her home. "I deserve peace and quiet like everybody else," she said.

Community members pointed out that she's had loud construction at her home for months.

"Our community understands our community and that's basically something that you don't," former Southampton Village Trustee Bonnie Cannon told Smith; Smith did not know who Cannon was, initially.

"You need to explain to this mother why you called her son a 'n-----,'" Cannon said.

"Racism is the issue. She needs to apologize to the community," one resident wrote on Facebook.

"This is not going to go anywhere because she's not going to apologize," a frustrated neighbor said, at the community meeting.

Others called out for Smith to drop out of the election. "How are you going to represent us?" another asked.

"We've asked her several times if she would apologize and she refuses to apologize. We know what we need to do and to take those steps," Cannon said, with many agreeing that they needed to register to vote in the coming election.

Of Smith, a woman wrote on Facebook, "She needs to take the Peace t-shirt off. She's brought disharmony and brought the neighborhood down."

After the meeting, Cannon told Patch: "It was a very productive meeting." Residents, she added, are "very concerned about the recent developments in the community." Smith, she said, attended. "She was given the opportunity to apologize for saying the "n" word. She admitted that she had said it to offend a particular person, but we know it was not just one person, toward whom she used that type of language. She refused to apologize after being told by the community that we were offended. So, now the community knows what we need to do and we are mobilizing and moving forward. It's unfortunate — but she gave us no choice."

A mother's story

Speaking with Patch after the meeting, Bonner explained how it feels to have her son called a "n----r".

"I was shocked at first. My sons kept telling she was using racial slurs but I thought they were exaggerating until I saw the story," she said. "As a mom our job is to protect our children, all children. I'm angry but I'm trying to keep from letting that emotion control my behavior. It's not easy when she says the 'n word' to my face."

However, the issue has had one positive outcome, Bonner said.

"I'm just glad as a community no matter what color we are, this is bringing all of us together, and it shows growth. We will not let an outsider come into our community and do what she's doing. We are all family in Southampton Village, no matter what race you belong to."

Smith attended the gathering and attempted to explain her stance, stating at the end of the video, to Bonner, "This neighborhood isn't for me. It's clear," Smith said.

Speaking to Bonner, she said she spoke to one of the young men the following evening, after the call to police. "I said, 'If you continue this behavior, you're going to be a n----r," she said. "I've asked you to move away from my property, and he said 'I'm sorry' and we had a really good connection. It was a learning experience for him, I think," she told Bonner.

And then, Smith expressed her feelings about the community. "This neighborhood isn't for me. It's clear. I've known it for a while now. I can't live here if I'm treated like this. I haven't done anything to warrant people throwing their garbage on my property and disrespecting the neighborhood in which I live."

She said "people have twisted it all around," and asked why others could "say the word 'n----r' and I can't say it?"

Bonner explained that the word, throughout history, has long held negative implications.

"You guys can have your neighborhood and live with trash and garbage. You bring down your own people by allowing this," Smith said.

At the meeting, Smith also said she's been called a "white b----", told to "get out of the neighborhood" and been harassed.

After the alleged racial slur by Smith, a group of elected officials and human rights organizations also issued a statement demanding that she retract her words and apologize.

Smith also used the "n-word" during a call with the reporter, the 27east.com post said, stating that she lives "in a black neighborhood. I came here and didn't see color." She added that she is a "pioneer," who transformed a "rodent-infested dump" and said she is the "only white person who owns and lives on this street," the 27east.com post said.

The story has sparked an outcry of rage and shocked disbelief on social media; the story has been picked up internationally.

Deeply rooted racism has long been an issue of concern on the East End.

Before a Black Lives Matter rally in July, 2016, some men and women spoke out about how racism has impacted their lives.

A debate with mayoral candidates followed; a story about that debate will follow on Patch.

Smith did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Photo, video courtesy of Lisa Votino-Tarrant; photo of rally courtesy of Lydia Bonner.

Valerie Smith photo via Facebook.