A former downtown business owner lobbed complaints Friday of discrimination and racism by leaders of the Main Street program. Her former landlord termed the accusations baseless.

Melanie Damrell operated Dixie Diamonds, a lounge at 1306 Washington St., until she was evicted by court order earlier this month. She told the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen that discrimination was occurring, specifically blaming the director of Vicksburg Main Street and the chairman of its board, also her former landlord. She said she believes they don’t want businesses in the remodeled areas of Washington Street that serve black customers.

Damrell, who is white, started to play a tape-recorded conversation with Rosalie Theobald, the director of Main Street, which she said showed racial prejudice. The board said the city could face liability for airing the recording and offered to allow Damrell to play it during a closed session.

“All employee matters are dealt with in executive session which is a closed session and that’s because we have records that are kept that are not released to the public,” said South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman, adding that “the results of executive session are always released to the public.”

Damrell did not accept the closed session Friday, but said she will confer with her attorney. She has also declined to make the tape available to The Vicksburg Post following a request made on March 15.

Theobald was not at the board meeting.

Damrell described the offensive language as Theobald saying much progress toward a better business climate had been made downtown and, “We don’t want it to go back to those days.”

North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young asked for clarification. “Did she say black or did she just say people?” Young asked.

“No, you’d have to hear the tape,” Damrell replied.

While Damrell did not accuse Theobald of any specific discriminatory act, she said racist views of people in power should not be tolerated.

Main Street is a quasi-public corporation, part of a national program formed to recruit businesses and to advertise and promote the downtown areas. The group here elects a board from its membership and sponsors festivals and parades.

Funds come from an ad valorem tax add-on paid by downtown-area businesses and from a city supplement. Theobald is a considered a city employee.

Damrell didn’t press the issue, but didn’t appear to favor a closed session. “If the board chairman and the director have certain feelings towards members of this community, then the community has a right to know and I don’t see how it has to be filtered or taken care of in-house first,” Damrell said.

She also said that she believed Theobald was speaking on behalf of Mayor Laurence Leyens.

“I don’t think there is any member of this board that authorizes anyone else to speak on their behalf,” Leyens said.

Harry Sharp, chairman of the Main Street board and owner of the property Damrell had leased, later defended Theobald and said that Damrell’s accusations were unfounded.

“I think it is unfortunate that (Damrell) is turning a private matter between a tenant and a landlord into a political football,” Sharp said. “I only wish I had a tape recording to counter some of the things that she is saying.”

The eviction order, signed by Warren County Court Judge Johnny Price, cited a failure by Damrell to pay utility costs as specified in her rental agreement with Sharp.