She laughs; the laugh is rough but joyful, and she accompanies it with a bright smile.
Dorothy Isaac sits in her living room on a green couch next to one of her campaign managers, Sherritt Taylor, who occasionally glances at the television. As Isaac talks, the other campaign manager, Mattie Headd, watches with her arms crossed and a silent look of determination across her features.
This is the team that hopes to have the first female mayor elected and the first African-American to hold the office.
Isaac took a moment to recall whether she really would be the first black female to hold the office; it is not a major campaign platform. The 45-year resident and Starkville has bigger concerns on her mind.
“It’s not about color; it’s about truth,” Headd said.
During her campaign, Isaac has been on the MSU campus, passing out questionnaires.
These white sheets contained questions about some of the social and political issues in Starkville. MSU students believe that Starkville does not offer enough social outlets.
“There’s nothing to do in Starkville,” Isaac said, repeating what the students said with a look of disappointment.
“We really need more parks,” Isaac said. The social scene in Starkville will be something that Isaac will pay attention to.
This is important to Isaac because it will bring in more students. If there’s nothing to do, no one will want to come to the university.
For most students, they come as guests for a few years, and they return home or go somewhere bigger and better.
“There’s nothing that keeps them here,” Taylor said.
When people come to Starkville, they need something to look forward to. Some
are comparing the city to Tupelo, asking why Starkville doesn’t have this or that; this is due to the city not taking the initiative to do it. The city needs more mass appeal.
“We can have places where we can just shop here in Starkville,” Taylor said.
This is not Isaac’s only concern that she relates to MSU. She believes the
students should become more involved in the city.
“We’ve got a lot of potential out at Mississippi State,” Isaac said.
Landscaping students could help encourage the aesthetic appeal of Starkville, and university students could visit the local high schools and encourage others to attend college.
“Not only do you want them involved in an education but also in the cultural aspects of the town,” Headd said.
However, the university is not Isaac’s only concern. Starkville is a certified retirement community, but many of the retirees buy houses and stay only a few months. Isaac furrowed her brows at this. A current department head at Wal-Mart, Isaac said she can make better decisions for Starkville.
“We need to be a town with a vision,” she said.
There are many restaurants and social attractions on one side of town, but
Isaac said she wants to see attention paid to every part of the city. Along with these social attractions, more resources should be available to youth. Isaac wants to incorporate after-school programs and recreation centers so the Starkville youth will have more opportunities to get involved and not simply wander the streets.
Isaac also wants to renovate the school system, and develop higher criteria for teachers to meet. Parents also need to become involved with the school their children are attending.
Isaac is also looking to bring new appeals to Starkville that will bring the races together. Round table discussions is the current method Isaac hopes to incorporate in order to acquire an idea of what Starkville in general wants.
The justice complex has been a hot issue lately, but since it has already passed, attention should be directed toward more pressing concerns, Isaac said. She referred back to her round table discussion idea and smiled.
“Then one person won’t responsible for everything,” Isaac said.
Isaac was also one of the first to graduate from the leadership conference sponsored by the Mississippi Chamber of Commerce. She is a chairperson for the Oktibbeha County Democratic Party, and her campaign managers described her as someone who is well-known and active in the city. She is a knowledgeable public speaker, and she does not talk only.
“She’s willing to work to get the job done,” Headd said.