North Carolina mayor’s wife shares, deletes post blaming Black residents for city’s problems
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The city said the comments “do not reflect the values, policies, or position” of Roanoke Rapids.
The wife of a North Carolina mayor is facing backlash after posting a lengthy Facebook response that blamed Black residents for problems involving housing, schools and the overall condition of the city.
Yvonne Doughtie, wife of Roanoke Rapids Mayor Emery Doughtie, has since deleted the post, but screenshots circulated online after she made the comments. The controversy prompted city officials to publicly distance themselves from her remarks.
Doughtie made the comments in response to a Facebook discussion about economic differences between the eastern and western portions of Roanoke Rapids. According to RRSpin, local property owner Jim Garrett had described differences in employment, property maintenance, poverty and crime between neighborhoods.
Doughtie responded by reminiscing about her former neighborhood, Chaloner Park, and contrasting the residents she remembered with people living in the city today.
She wrote that Black residents had moved into Roanoke Rapids and that there had been “a lot of problems” with their housing areas and schools. She added that “a lot” of Black residents allegedly did not take care of their homes, particularly those who rent.
Doughtie also criticized landlords for failing to maintain rental properties and said the city’s “BackBone” was gone, claiming that people today “just do not care and are not willing to work.” Her comments were met with significant criticism online.
The City of Roanoke Rapids responded Aug. 12 with a statement that did not name Doughtie directly but referred to comments that appeared to originate from “the spouse of an elected official.”
“The individual is a private citizen and does not speak on behalf of the City of Roanoke Rapids,” the city said. Officials added that the comments “do not reflect the values, policies, or position” of the city.
The city also said it had not independently verified the authorship or authenticity of the comments.
Doughtie’s remarks come as Roanoke Rapids continues to confront questions about housing, economic inequality and conditions across its neighborhoods. Her comments have now placed those broader issues alongside a separate debate over how elected officials and their families engage with residents publicly.
The mayor has not, according to the cited reports, publicly commented on his wife’s post.