Alaska Black Caucus to host community conversation with Clifford Armstrong III

The Alaska Black Caucus, known for its fine work in our community, will hold a Community Conversation Sunday, October 31 from 7 pm – 8 pm with Clifford Armstrong III, Anchorage's first Chief Equity Officer, who says he was fired by the Bronson Administration earlier this month without cause.

A press release issued earlier this month by Anchorage NAACP called for the reinstatement of Armstrong III, who they say was terminated after he shared a report with high-ranking administration staff that documented the city's failure to comply with federal rights laws that would put at risk federal funding used by the city.

After firing Armstrong III, a move that the Anchorage NAACP called “illegal,” Anchorage Mayor David Bronson continued to thumb his nose at the rule of law and named Uluao “Junior” Aumavae as the Chief Equity Officer for the Municipality of Anchorage.

On October 21, Anchorage Assembly Leadership sent a letter to Anchorage Mayor David Bronson stating that they did not recognize the dismissal of Chief Equity Officer Clifford Armstrong III.

“As a matter of law, Mr. Armstrong is still the Chief Equity Officer of the Municipality. He continues to be employed until there is a showing of cause for his dismissal, communicated to the Assembly, and by majority vote the body concurs with the dismissal,” Chair LaFrance and Vice-Chai Constant wrote. Assembly Leadership asked Mayor Bronson to provide possible grounds for cause to justify Armstrong’s dismissal by October 27, 2021 but the Bronson Administration has yet to respond to the letter.

More information on tomorrow's Community Discussion with Armstrong III can be found on Facebook. Those who wish to participate via Zoom can register for the event here.

For those who wish to watch the Community Discussion without participating, the event will be live streamed on the Alaska Black Caucus Facebook page.