Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Conduct topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council meeting ends with a councilman’s racially charged remarks and colleagues’ rebukes
Summary
The meeting closed after Councilman Hollowman delivered an extended, racially charged monologue about demographics and immigration that drew immediate criticism from several colleagues, who urged unity and respect. The mayor adjourned the session following the exchanges.
The June 4 Clarksville City Council session closed with an exchange that council members described as divisive.
Councilman Hollowman used his allotted council comments near the meeting end to deliver a lengthy critique of demographic change and immigration patterns, invoking statistics about reproduction rates in Europe and using language that several colleagues characterized as inflammatory. Portions of the remarks included statements such as, "the average reproduction rate for a white couple in Europe is 1.2 children...we are being exterminated," language that several council members pushed back against during the meeting.
Council members responded in turn. Councilman Clunch said Clarksville is a "melting pot" and described the community’s diversity and shared public service. Councilman Sha criticized the remarks and urged mutual respect, saying, “you need to have some kids” (framed in the transcript as a direct retort), while other members called for grace and unity. The mayor closed the meeting after the exchange.
No disciplinary motions or formal follow-up actions were recorded in the meeting minutes; the exchange remains on the public record as part of the meeting transcript.
