Pearland's first Black mayor calls on NAACP to not boycott local businesses

Pearland's first Black mayor is asking for dialogue instead of a boycott after members of the NAACP called for local businesses in the Houston-area suburb to be targeted.

In a lengthy statement shared to Facebook on Wednesday, Mayor Quentin Wiltz began by saying he had no role in the boycott call, which he said included local businesses "owned by individuals who currently serve in city government." 

"As Mayor of Pearland, I cannot support or endorse efforts to target local businesses that employ our residents, serve our families, invest in our community, and contribute to the quality of life we all share," he wrote. "Our local businesses should not become collateral damage in disagreements over city government or political differences."

Wiltz addressed the significance of his election directly.

"I am proud to be Pearland's first Black Mayor," he wrote. "I understand that my election carries meaning beyond the title itself, particularly given our nation's and our community's history and the political and social climate in which we live."

In referencing the current racial and political climate, Wiltz acknowledged the boycott's call comes from "deep concern and frustration," noting there are legitimate questions in Pearland that deserve to be addressed, but not at the expense of local businesses.

"I also believe that being the first Black Mayor does not mean I should be defined solely by race or by division," he continued. "It means I have an even greater responsibility to lead with integrity, to acknowledge difficult realities, to stand up when I believe something is wrong, and to work to bring people together."

The statement comes after months of public tension between Wiltz and other city officials.

Over the summer, a routine vote spiraled into a public showdown when council members debated whether to appoint Wiltz as Pearland's primary representative to key Houston-Galveston Area Council boards. 

Weeks later in September, Wiltz called a special meeting after alleging his formal objections from an August council meeting were scrubbed from the official public record.

In Wednesday's statement, Wiltz said the role of the mayor's office has changed since he took office.

"Since being elected Mayor, I have also experienced significant changes to the role and responsibilities of the office I was elected to serve," Wiltz wrote. "In the first 90 days of this administration, long-standing authorities, practices, and privileges associated with the office of Mayor—some of which have existed for nearly three decades—have been changed or restricted."

Wiltz said those changes included "limiting the Mayor's ability and role in serving on regional boards and representing Pearland in regional forums."

"What is particularly concerning is that some of these changes occurred without prior public notice to the community and without notice to me as Mayor that these changes were being considered or implemented," Wiltz wrote. "To this day, there remain questions about who proposed some of these changes and why."

Wiltz said he plans to meet with the local NAACP and invite City Council members to join the conversation.

"My goal is not to assign blame," Wiltz wrote. "My goal is to listen, speak candidly about the issues we are facing, understand one another's perspectives, and work together to develop meaningful measures that can move Pearland forward."

The Brazoria County NAACP chapter issued a statement Thursday accepting the mayor's invitation for a dialogue, but stood firm on how unfairly Wiltz has been recieved by his fellow council members.

"The bottom line is that Pearland’s first black mayor is being treated far differently than his non-black predecessors in the same position," the statement read. "Though the Mayor has been very careful to avoid charging any councilmembers with racism, the Brazoria County NAACP is naturally concerned about what appears to be extremely discriminatory behavior."

The statement went on to praise Wiltz's overall unifying response. 

"We understand that in his position he must be a universal promoter of Pearland businesses, and the fact that he is willing to be such a promoter even in the face of attacks by political enemies speaks well of him." 

Ahmed Humble

Senior Trending Reporter

Ahmed is Chron's Senior Trending News Reporter as well as a historian, educator, writer, expert on "The Simpsons," amateur photographer, film & TV reviewer and race/religious identity scholar. He was born and raised in Houston but started in TV news as a digital reporter in San Antonio and Houston, respectively, but his work has also been featured in the Journal of South Texas' Fall 2019 issue. When he's not writing, he enjoys socializing, cooking and watching movies/TV shows. Yes, Humble is his real name.