SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – It’s not the first time Savannah has seen clashes among personalities on the city council.
There are more fireworks and finger-pointing to share.
Alderwoman Linda Wilder-Bryan recently had some strong words for colleagues Kesha Gibson Carter and Alicia Miller-Blakley in a since-deleted Facebook Live video.
She posted the video in response to what Gibson-Carter and Miller-Blakely said at a prior city council meeting.
The issue is the disagreement over a liquor license being denied to a Black-owned nightclub called Cru, which was trying to open in Wilder-Bryan’s district. In a 5-4 vote, the license was denied.
The alderwoman tells WSAV she feels she is being treated unfairly.
“And I don’t want to keep being bullied and sit up there when the only thing I’ve done is breathe the same air,” said Wilder-Bryan.
Council members sparred over the issue publicly back in January, with one alderwoman accusing Wilder-Bryan of being biased.
“Here we are basing our decisions because of the personal vendetta that the 3rd District alderwoman has against Black-owned businesses,” said Post 2 At-Large Miller-Blakely back in January.
But Wilder-Bryan told News 3 that her district isn’t looking for a nightclub, adding that the owners did not approach her about the idea until months after applying for the license.
Several days after the meeting, Wilder-Bryan posted a video on her personal Facebook page calling the Post 1 and 2 At-Large alderwomen “ghetto” and seemed to compare them to Jim Jones and Adolf Hitler.
“I’m kind of upset that I’m being interviewed because I said somebody…people follow Hitler. People did follow Hitler. People followed Jim Jones,” said Wilder-Bryan. “And so I can’t get people who don’t want to agree with me to agree with me and that’s not my problem. I just don’t like being called a racist.”
Wilder-Bryan said she deleted the post because it has become a distraction, but also said she felt like she didn’t have much choice because of numerous personal attacks during public council meetings.
Wilder-Bryan also had this to say to a fellow council member who referenced her son’s shooting and death back in 2015.
“I lost a healthy 23-year-old child that I didn’t make excuses for, but yeah, I want to do something about crime,” said Wilder-Bryan. “And for one of the At-Large aldermen to say that I’m being vindictive because my son got killed in a nightclub when everyone knows that’s not true.”
WSAV reached out to Kesha Gibson-Carter who said she does not condone Wilder-Bryan’s behavior. We have not heard back from Miller-Blakely at this time.
