Malcolm Johnson, a candidate to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors thinks that this number should be zero. Mississippi Today received a video of Johnson’s appearance on “Tell It Like It is” from WOAD. This was after the commotion over Robert Foster, Republican state Representative, refusing to travel with Larrison Campbell unless she brought a male coworker. Johnson mentions Rukia Lumumba (an activist and executive director at the People’s Advocacy Institute) who expressed interest in challenging incumbent Robert Graham for the Hinds County district 1 supervisor’s position. “I heard that the sister of the mayor wants to be a supervisor. She needs to learn how to be a woman. A woman must be a woman. Johnson stated that supervisor is a man’s job. Rukia Lumumba, the older sister to Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba. Johnson suggested Lumumba should be on “the school board” instead. Former Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber appeared on the program and refuted Johnson’s claim, saying that Lumumba was a woman before changing the topic. Johnson’s remarks were preceded with praise for Graham calling him “the hardest-working supervisor.” Graham disavowed Johnson’s comments in a telephone interview. “That is completely absurd. A statement like that would be absurd. Graham said that he has a good working relationship with Mayor Lumumba, and plans to keep it that way,” Graham explained to Mississippi Today. The February episode of the show aired before the March 1 deadline for qualifying for November’s state election. Lumumba stated that she had never thought about running for the seat, but she admitted that she was often asked to run for office. Lumumba said, “I have never thought about running for supervisor. Lumumba stated that Johnson’s work in the community could be a threat and that he should continue to be concerned. He shouldn’t resign because I won’t stop.” Lumumba called Johnson’s assertion that women lack political acumen to be county supervisors “insulting,” inaccurate, and ignorant. “That kind of chauvinist thinking… has led to generations in disenfranchisement, oppression, and injustice in every community because it is limited ideology regarding women. This demographic would be charged with representing any supervisor.” Lumumba added. Johnson didn’t respond to Mississippi Today’s requests for comment. Johnson’s only female opponent was Patty Patterson. “I want this county to be represented as a woman, that is, a single mother raising a child. Patterson stated that Patterson would not allow Patterson’s son to think like this. My platform is about empowerment… It’s going to take everyone, women and men, we are out there making things happen. We have made it happen.” Mississippi’s legislative composition also shows the lack of women in elected office. Only 14 percent of Mississippi’s lawmakers are women, even though they make up 52 percent the state’s population. This is the most severe gender gap in a state legislature. Peggy Hobson Calhoun was the first woman elected in 1992 to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors. She was elected president of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors in 2017. However, she did not receive a similar sexist comment from a male colleague. Calhoun, who is not running for reelection but has been president of the Hinds County Board, said that she believes voters will elect qualified candidates, regardless of gender. Calhoun stated that women are being elected to positions previously held by men. Calhoun stated that some of the women have outperformed their male counterparts._x000D