Melissa Conyears-Ervin
The Women Will Not Be Silenced Coalition held a press conference at City Hall today, February 20t on the corner of Randolph and LaSalle to call on Seventh Congressional District candidate Melissa Conyears-Ervin to drop out of the congressional race.
The coalition says she is “morally and ethically unfit” to hold that office because of her unfair treatment to Black women.
They were referring to the city’s Board of Ethics which ruled that Conyears-Ervin had violated the city’s ethics code when she had her staff to plan her daughter’s birthday party and grocery shop for her. “She fired two Black women because they refused to do her house chores,” said Shaundra English.
Conyears-Ervin was also accused by a third former city worker of trying to force a bank the city does business with to issue a mortgage on her husband’s aldermanic office.
The coalition of Black women accused her of being abusive towards the Black women who shared a $100,000 city settlement which prevents them from speaking out on this issue. The coalition says Conyears-Ervin is unfit to represent them in Congress.
“We are celebrating Black History Month, and it is fitting and proper that we, as African American women, make it clear that we do not want this type of immoral behavior to transfer to Congress,” said Chevelle Albert.
“Mrs. Ervin needs to drop out of the congressional race based on her offensive and abusive treatment to Black women. We do not want her bully and dishonest tactics tainting our district in the hallowed halls of Congress.”
“With all of this betrayal and Democrats running against Congress Davis, I believe that he will win his re-election bid based on the fact that with all of the people running and splitting the vote that the people for Davis will turn out in big numbers and he will secure his seat again,” a confident Zerline Smith said, “but she needs to go because we in the Seventh District have a repudiation to protect.”
“We are in Black History month forced to speak out against a Black, female Democrat who just got into a city position, challenging Rep. Davis who is 24th in senority in the House and 7th on the Ways and Means Committee,” Smith stated.
“Not even the Republicans do this to their senior congressman. You don’t see Republican Reps. Hal Rogers (KY) in office for 41 years, or Chris Smith (NJ), both serving 41 years being challenged because voters understand the political value of seniority,” said English. “Congressman Davis is 24th in seniority in the House and 7th on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.”
Smith asked, “So, why is Mrs. Conyears doing this now? Is it to increase her City Treasurer salary from $160,921 to $174,00 or is it just more power-tripping?”
The coalition of women said even more shocking are the long-time friends now betrayers of Rep. Davis like that of Rev. Johnnie Miller, pastor of the JLM Life Center Church, 2622 W. Jackson Blvd., located in the 28th Ward headed by Alderman/ward committeeman, Jason C. Ervin, the husband of Seventh Congressional District candidate Melissa Conyears-Ervin.
“I know the Ervin’s are members of Rev. Miller’s church, but it’s not right to cast aside your long-time friend for political favors,” said Smith. “Come Wednesday, February 20th, when the political dust settles, it will leave a trail of betrayers and traitors that will last a lifetime, for what? She can’t be trusted. It’s time out for old West Side dirty politics.”
