A candidate for the Alabama House District 67 seat says he wants out of a powerful Alabama political organization.

On Monday, Ronald Peoples, who finished fourth in the Democratic primary for House seat 67, said he has resigned from the New South Coalition. He also made public his endorsement of Yusuf Salaam for the seat.

“I publicly tend my resignation, effective immediately, and request any refund due,” Peoples said of New South. “I believe in strength in diversity, and I believe Mr. Salaam brings diversity to the table. Moreover, Mr. Salaam is perceptive to racial, economic, religious, social and gender differences.”

Salaam, who faces LaTosha Brown in the June 25 runoff, has now received the endorsements of candidates Aubrey Vick, Erskine Minor, Peoples, and unofficially, Glenn King. King said he will make an official announcement later this week.

According to Peoples, an underlying problem arose with New South during the 2001-2002 school year. Peoples works for the Dallas County Schools system, and when Wayne May was named superintendent of the county schools, Peoples said he was urged to oppose May.

“Rose Sanders walked up to me and said: ‘You will never again get New South Coalition’s endorsement because I believe you supported that white man over other qualified blacks,'” Peoples said in his written statement.

Brown, who is the second vice president of the Alabama New South Coalition, and vice president of the Dallas County chapter of New South, said this was the first complaint she has heard from Peoples about New South and its endorsements.

“Certainly, if he had concerns with New South, he remained silent about them even before the runoff and before the election,” Brown said. “The bottom line is, New South is not running for this position. I am running for this position, and I feel once people step into that voting booth, they’ll select the best person.”

Peoples said he was angered that an “attorney, an officer of New South Coalition,” called him during a vacation in Florida and asked him to recant an announcement made by Salaam last Friday that Peoples had made an endorsement of Salaam.

“Most appalling is the caller requested that I call The Selma Times-Journal and denounce the accuracy of the press statement that I told him I had no knowledge of,” Peoples said.

According to the educator, a displeasure with New South has caused Peoples to endorse Salaam.

“I have been an active member of New South Coalition since its inception in Dallas County,” Peoples said. “However, powerful individuals within the [decision making] hierarchy appear to be inclined to manipulate outcomes without clear and rational goals. [That] is disturbing.”

Brown said she does not feel Peoples has been an active member of New South.

“I’ve tried to be active during elections and not during elections,” she said. “You can’t just become active in the group during election time.”

At the same time, Brown said she did not want to question Peoples and did not want to offer negative comments about him.

“If Mr. Peoples wants to endorse Mr. Salaam, then that’s fine,” she said. “I hope his endorsement is of the best person. It shouldn’t be about a group.”

However, Peoples thinks the group is very important to the politics of Dallas County, and he said New South doesn’t play by fair rules.

“The … progress that we have achieved and presently enjoy cannot be given up to be a member of any organization, especially one without clear rules and goals that are adhered to,” he said.