News-Record.com

Meanwhile, Mike Barber, the City Council candidate and former county commissioner, said he regretted Alston's defeat. "If anybody has a right to be frustrated with Skip Alston, I do,"Barber said. "But anytime we've got a state leader from Greensboro, it can be a positive thing."

Alston appeared at first blush to accept his defeat after nine straight years as state president with dignity and grace. He posed for photos with the man who unseated him, the Rev. William Barber of Goldsboro. He wished Barber well. "It's not about the position,"he said, "it's about the cause."

Of course, Alston went on to chalk up his defeat to his not "getting out the vote."Days later, he added another thick layer of denial, charging that there had been election irregularities. In other words, he was robbed.
After those comments had appeared in print, Alston said he didn't mean the "irregularities"caused his defeat. "Of course there were some irregularities,"he said. "But I'm not dwelling on that. I don't think they influenced the outcome of the election."
As for St. James, how can an elected leader and (now former) state NAACP president possibly manage such a sad example of substandard, crime-ridden housing? "I'm not even talking about St. James anymore," he said. "Y'all do whatever you want on St. James. I don't look for any mercy from you and your newspaper."

Alston added he is a media target because he is "unbought and unbossed — a voice for the community without being intimidated that my job will be at stake."But he can take it, he added: "People criticized Jesus Christ."

Alston continues to create his own reality, in which he's the good guy and everybody else is a racist. Or a pawn of racists. Enough already.

It isn't racism that made him manage St. James Homes so poorly. It isn't racism that makes Alston shrug at the plight of the residents there, and ask helplessly, "We've got some things that need to be done, but what place doesn't?"

What a waste. He is clearly the smartest member of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. He is a savvy businessman, a shrewd politician and a compelling public speaker. He and state Rep. Earl Jones had the foresight and vision to conceive the downtown civil rights museum. And he does have a point about being "unbossed."The most fearless and independent black leaders historically have been preachers and funeral directors because they answered only to their constituents. As a successful, self-employed businessman, Alston enjoys that same latitude.

As for being "unbought,"that's an entirely different matter. Alston remains a paid lobbyist for the billboard industry, which is unseemly for an elected official if not illegal. And part of the hot water he encountered in the NAACP involved his support for payday lenders in North Carolina, in opposition to national NAACP policy.

He is so focused on Doing What's Good for Skip that he misses opportunities to be what he really ought to be: one of the county's most effective servant leaders.

Of course, smart people can benefit and grow from the lessons of their failures. Did Alston learn anything from his NAACP defeat?

"There's no message,"he said. "People can't say people voted against me because I'm not a very good leader. I know I'm a good leader."

Guess we've got our answer.