NAACP renews calls for Pawleys Island mayor to resign over social media post

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WMBF) – The Georgetown County chapter of the NAACP reiterated its calls Thursday for the mayor of Pawleys Island to resign following a controversial post on Facebook.

Mayor Brian Henry commented on a recent Georgetown shooting where three people were shot and two of them were killed. A Moncks Corner man is now facing charges related to the incident.

In the now-deleted Facebook post, Henry said that because it was a black man accused of shooting white people, there was no outrage.

Henry addressed the post early in September, saying his comments were “hurtful and insensitive.”

RELATED: Pawleys Island mayor addresses ‘hurtful and insensitive’ social media post

The NAACP chapter has called for Henry’s resignation. Members met with the mayor on Sept. 22, according to chapter president Marvin Neal. He said Henry came to the meeting with two people who stated they’d cried all night over the killing of Charles Nicholas Wall and Laura Anderson, a father and stepdaughter.

“Imagine how many black people cried for 400 damn years?” Neal said during Thursday’s press conference.

Neal stressed the chapter was “not gonna stop until he resigns.”

“Racism is racism. I don’t care where it came from. It don’t have a color,” he said.

In Henry’s news conference on Sept. 3, he asked to keep the issues surrounding his post separate from his business, Palmetto Cheese, because of his employees.

“There is a concerted effort to boycott Palmetto Cheese," said Henry during the news conference. "Please consider the hundreds of South Carolina jobs that depend on its success. We humbly ask for your support.”

NAACP Georgetown President Marvin Neal responded to questions about the mayor’s business.

“Whatever happens to his business, Mayor Henry there’s consequences for your actions," said Neal. "That’s not our problem. That’s his problem, and if mayor Henry wants us to stop, he knows what to do, it’s called resign.”

The NAACP ended the news conference by announcing a march on Oct. 10 to call for the mayor’s resignation.

“Pawleys Island, you will see the likes of a march that you have never seen before in the history of this town.," said NAACP Georgetown Branch Vice President Marilyn Hemingway. "The water has been stirred. We answer the call.”

WMBF reached out to Henry by phone and email to extend the opportunity to respond to the news conference or march.

He did not respond.

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