EMPORIA, Va. (WTVR)—Is expressing political opinions on Facebook freedom of speech, an online rant or racism?
That's what many are talking about in the Emporia after a private Facebook post was sent to the NAACP.
Kim Thrower, the woman who made the post, was upset her candidate lost the mayoral race, so she took to Facebook. In a short paragraph she expressed her concerns about the newly elected mayor and those who voted for her, calling them ignorant.
She also used several curse words in the graphic post.
The woman also happens to be the wife of Emporia's city manager.
After the post appeared on her private account, the NAACP received a copy and immediately said the post was about race.
Thrower says that couldn't be further from the truth. "I don't believe me saying ignorant was a racial slur and if people want to make that a racial slur, I believe they have issue within themselves,” she said.
Thrower has made her Facebook account inactive since she believes it was one of her Facebook friends who scanned her page and made it public.
The NAACP local chapter President Debra Brown says she read the post and believes it is racial. Brown said that Thrower should apologize and went on to say that, "not only her but her husband as well should apologize for his wife's behavior."
"My words are mine,” said Thrower. “They are nobody else's but mine and for this to be made a racial issue, I think that in itself is ignorance."
Mary Person, who had served on Emporia City Council in the past, ran for Mayor and beat current city councilman Jim Saunders. The vote was close, with the final tally at 1401 to 1238, for Saunders.
Person becomes the first woman and first African-American to be voted in as Mayor.
