Mahkeib Booker – founder of a Wilmington Black Lives Matter group – is hosting a town hall Tuesday night to give members of his church a chance to hear from primary candidates in a variety of city and New Castle County race before they head to the polls next week.
But New Castle County Executive candidate Matt Meyer won’t be one of them.
He was not invited because of Booker’s personal feelings about Meyer’s company Ecosandals.
Meyer started Ecosandals in Kenya in 1995. The company employs individuals living in poor areas to make rubber sandals.
Booker says he doesn’t have a problem with creating jobs in Kenya, but takes issue with the sandals being made of rubber.
“If you Google the rubber slave trade, you will see the problem that I have with him using the same recycled rubber that my ancestors lost arms, legs and limbs for," Booker said.
Booker also claims Meyer supports the exploitation and mass incarceration of African Americans in Wilmington and Delaware.
Meyer calls Booker’s claims unfounded, adding he has nothing to hide.
“I’m very passionate about creating opportunity for those in the poorest corner of the earth. And I was born a white man, so I’m a white man going to poor places," Meyer said. "So based on that, and certainly political enemies who are paid can draw conclusions from that and they can try to get people to believe. But if you look at the facts of what I've done, I think they stand for themselves.”
Meyer adds every single penny his business makes from the sandal sales goes directly to the sandal-maker and says he hasn’t drawn a personal salary from the business.
Meyer says he’s spent tens of thousands of personal dollars on the company.
“There are people today in one of the poorest neighborhoods on earth who have a livelihood or are making a living because of Ecosandals," Meyer said.
Meyer claims incumbent Tom Gordon is paying for Booker’s support through contributions to his various projects.
Booker denies that, adding his work is supported financially by various political candidates and community members, including Meyer.
Meyer says that the money he donated to Booker took place before he decided to run for the County Executive seat.