Sullivan County Commissioner Joe Carr, 11th District (Lynn Garden, Ridgefields)
This article courtesy the Kingsport Times-News by reporter Cliff Hightower, 6/10/2026KINGSPORT — Several people asked for Sullivan County Commissioner Joe Carr to resign or be disciplined following comments made about Juneteenth, a Times News public records request shows.
Carr, though, said he would not back down from comments he made three weeks ago during a County Commission meeting, when he said he wouldn’t vote on a resolution to make Juneteenth a county holiday because it is a “woke holiday.”
“It is unacceptable, but not unexpected, that extremists would make threats against public servants, even ones with young children,” Carr said in a statement. “The Sullivan County Commission will not be intimidated by radical thugs who would turn our community into an anarchist hellhole like Portland.”
The Times News requested email and telephone records that came into Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable’s office regarding the Juneteenth Sullivan County Commission vote during its regularly scheduled business meeting on May 18.
A resolution was brought up during the meeting to officially adopt Juneteenth as a county holiday. It is a national and state holiday.
Carr voiced opposition, though, alluding to recent events in Nashville that led to protests and the ouster of two state legislators.
Established as a national holiday two years ago, Juneteenth — celebrated on June 19 — commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It coincides with the day that U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and declared all enslaved people free. Galveston was the last holdout of slavery in the South after the Civil War.
The commission approved making Juneteenth a county holiday in a 17-4 vote. Carr and County Commissioner Hershel Glover, Joe McMurray and Jessica Means voted no.
The records the Times News received included three emails and five phone calls. Of the five phone calls, four were from out-of-state phone numbers.
THE BLOWBACK
Those voicing frustration in the records demanded that Carr be disciplined, and the majority called his comments racist. The one caller from a 423 area code said he supported all four who voted against the resolution.
“We support Mr. Joe Carr, Hershel Glover, Joe McMurray and Jessica Means in their opposition to Juneteenth as a Sullivan County holiday,” the caller said.
But others disagreed. One person who emailed said she was looking for property in Sullivan County but was “thrown off” by Carr’s comments.
“The fact he went to a public hearing and stated that Juneteenth is ‘woke’ (not used in its original and correct matter and instead used as a cover for racism) and used the term ‘these people’ is disgusting,” the email read. “It’s a blemish on your community. It’s very disappointing.”
Another email states the person lived in Means’ district and was “blocked” from her Facebook.
“I do believe it is my First Amendment right to be able to comment on my commissioner’s public Facebook page used as part of her service as commissioner,” the email read.
Another person who emailed said Carr would have a different perspective if he were Black.
“Commissioner Joe Carr is a real fool for calling Juneteenth a ‘woke’ holiday,” the email stated. “He is the type of backwards redneck that gives the County and Tennessee a bad name. Why can’t people just be kind and respectful of each other? If he were a Black person he’d understand the importance of Juneteenth to the Black race in this country. Shame on him.”
HUMAN IMPACT
One commissioner said there is a human element to what happened after the vote.
Means said she never blocked anyone from her social media pages.
“I had to delete all my social media because of all the threats and hate that was going on,” she said.
She said she has three children and she was worried about the impact on them.
“I thought that was the appropriate thing to do at that time,” she said.
Means said she is not sure when or if she will bring back her social media pages. She said her “no” vote was because she was trying to find more answers.
“I had many more questions about what was going on,” she said. “But people just jumped to assumptions.”
Means said anyone can call her at anytime and that she’s open to speaking about any of her votes.
“People can call me at any time,” she said. “I’m not some faraway, out-of-touch person.”
Editorial Note: As we have stated previously, The Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association condemns the comments of Sullivan County Commissioner Joe Carr. We, as a group, are dismayed and disillusioned first by his comments, and even more dismayed by his doubling down on those comments.
We know that prejudice, bias and bigotry have long roots, that eventually intertwine inside a person's soul. We condemn in strong terms his doubling down on his comments. First, we urge every citizen of Kingsport, Black and White to attend the Juneteenth celebration this coming Saturday, June 17th. While we celebrate the freeing of our ancestors 160 years ago, don't forget we, both Black and White, also lived through Jim Crow, the plague that has once again reared its ugly head in the form of a very vocal Sullivan County commissioner. We, as a community need to rally and support the theory that all men are created equal: ALL MEN, Commissioner Carr. Yeah. All men.
While we don't like what Carr said and the references he makes and defends, we as residents, former residents, friends and neighbors and as a people in general, should be JUST AS VOCAL against those comments. We can show our enthusiam against hate by coming to Juneteenth next Saturday the 17th. I (your editor) once heard an old description of human behavior: "when Man does not understand something, he automatically becomes fearful of it." It is our opinion that Commissioner Joe Carr is afraid of us as a people. He is a public figure that apparently has never tried to get to know the people of his district (and yes, there are African-Americans and other minorities in his legislative district).
Let's get down to basics. Has Joe Carr ever physically MET a Black person? Has he ever "encountered" a Black person in the store, at a school athletic event or in the checkout line in front of him? Has he ever actually SPOKEN to an African-American or other minority? Did the good citizens of the 11th District know what they were getting when they elected him, a la George Santos? These are not silly questions. They are simple questions that eat at the root of prejudice and bias in this country.
But what happens after Juneteenth? We minorities have to live with Joe Carr after the celebration on June 17th. His apparent misunderstanding and what we perceive as a hatred of African-Americans and other minorities will live on. That's the thing about cancer.... you can treat it, you can radiate it, use chemotherapy.... eventually, you might even hide it or eradicate it. Cancer never, ever goes away. And when it comes back, it always comes back with a vengeance, stronger and more powerful. Eventually, it will smother the person's life. Your last words will define your trip through eternity.
We would like to suggest a meeting between Sullivan County Commissioner Joe Carr and high level members of the county's African-American community, and call upon Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable to facilitate such meeting as soon as possible. The meeting should be imminent, immediate and instant. The purpose would be a discussion of the issues and problems that Commissioner Carr believes are prevalent in the overall picture of Kingsport, and the problems that African-Americans KNOW are prevalent. If he has never talked to an African-American or other minority, as a public official, he needs to have that opportunity. No one wants to live and work in a community when some parts of city or county government are not on the same page... where legislators are not talking to "those people" as Carr made reference to, who by the way live in their community.
Our hearts hurt at the communication revealed in the above newspaper article from the prospective new resident of our community, who is now not considering her decision to buy property in Kingsport, dismayed at Carr's comments. Can we risk even ONE decision by a newcomer not to relocate to our community? No, not one. Carr has now given the group "Move to Kingsport" much more work to do.
A meeting with Carr. Let's do it.
