Donna Dukes
Donna Dukes is an educator, community activist and former radio host. She is the principal of Maranathan Academy. She also hosted a Sunday-morning gospel program on WATV-AM from 2005 to 2008.
During the run-up to the 2007 Birmingham mayoral election, Dukes worked on the staff of Patrick Cooper's campaign. Melva Langford, the wife of candidate Larry Langford filed a harassment complaint against Dukes and another Cooper staffer who were canvassing her Fairfield neighbors for witnesses who could counter her husband's claim to have established residency in the city of Birmingham.
In 2008 Dukes organized a Birmingham Women's Empowerment Expo which was to have been held at the BJCC on August 2. The day before the event, Mayor Langford abruptly refused to sign a check for just under $9,000. The appropriation had been approved by the Birmingham City Council. The loss of the city's sponsorship caused the event's cancellation.
Originally Langford told the council that they should not have been surprised at his refusal and blamed them for trying to provoke a fight by presenting the funding request to him without prior notice. Council members lambasted him for superseding their appropriations in order to carry out a personal vendetta. Later that week, the Mayor's office clarified that that request had not been submitted according to policies established by the city's internal auditing office. "I wouldn't have signed it anyway for the reasons that I have stated," Langford said, "But even if I didn't have the issue I couldn't have signed it." (Bryant - August 8)
After the event was canceled, Dukes sought private sponsors to be able to reschedule it. She promoted the event during the "Morning Talk" program on WJLD-AM in early August. She claims to have been given permission to appear on the rival station, but was suspended shortly afterward and subsequently fired by manager Ron January.
References
- Bryant, Joseph D. (August 2, 2008) "Birmingham mayor, council at odds over conference funding." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (August 8, 2008) "Langford says request for check to sponsor women's conference improperly submitted." Birmingham News
- Bryant, Joseph D. (August 12, 2008) "Birmingham radio host fired after discussing women's conference on rival station." Birmingham News