‘We are one county’: A Q&A with Rev. Wendell Griffen, Pulaski County judge hopeful

Arkansas Times I Phillip Powell Click here to read this article online.

Credit: Brian Chilson

After decades of public service, pastor and former judge Wendell Griffen is throwing his hat into the ring for a different kind of role: Pulaski County judge. (The county judge presides over county government, which is very different from a judicial role, which Griffen has held before.) Griffen, 72, was raised on a small farm in Pike County, and has a long history of trailblazing: He was the first Black partner at law firm Wright Lindsey Jennings and one of the first two Black judges on the Arkansas Court of Appeals. A former Army officer, he also ran for the Arkansas Supreme Court twice, all the while making waves across the state for his provocative stances against the death penalty and in support of progressive causes.

Griffen’s campaign challenges incumbent Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, who’s held the position since 2014 and is seeking a fourth term. Griffen is pitching himself as a pragmatic progressive who combines a proven record of leadership with an earnest desire to tackle the major issues he sees facing the county.

Why are you running for Pulaski County judge?

No matter who you are in this county, no matter where you live or what you do, we are one county. We can either do it together or we can leave it to people to face these issues alone, divided and competing with each other. Competition is natural, but the business of government is taking competing aspirations and interests, and working together so that they become communal outcomes.

Why have I decided to run for county judge? I have skills and the vision that will serve the people of Pulaski County in our current environment. Which is the only reason to do it. I’ve been an officer in the United States Army, I’ve practiced law and been a partner in one of the largest law firms in the state, and I have skills from cultural competency and inclusion consulting. I’m pastor of a church. All of those skills are executive branch kinds of skills.

What sets your campaign apart?

Wendell Griffen. Nobody has my combination of experience, vision, initiative, energy and ability to get things done with different groups of people and the will to make it happen. Every election is about the future, not about the past. One thing I bring to this opportunity is a vision for the future and a history of progressive-minded views about the kind of future government can and should provide to people it wants to serve. 

I think the people of Pulaski County want a government that is together and that gets things done for people, and that marshals the wonderful resources of our 400,000 people and opportunities we have here for the next generation. They want a vision that is upbeat, progressive and forward-thinking.

Credit: Brian Chilson

You said you are “flunking retirement” after a long career. Why jump back into elected office now?

I’m 72 years old now, and I suppose somebody would say, “Well, why not let a 32-year-old person do it?” But frankly, experience ought to do more than just make you old. It makes you wise about what ought to happen. The other thing is that when I was in the ninth grade, I was part of New Farmers of America, which was the Black version of Future Farmers of America. The NFA creed has a phrase that has stuck with me ever since: “A life of service is the life that counts.” 

There is no expiration date on your obligation to serve, and until you die there is no expiration date on your opportunity to serve. The question is, does one exercise the option to serve? I have the ability, the experience, the knowledge, the energy and the vision to serve. It would be a violation of that creed and everything my parents taught me for me not to serve. 

How does your faith and commitment to social justice inform your campaign?

My faith affirms the inherent dignity of every being, every person, every creature. We live as part of a great system, and we live in this system in community. We share it, and we have to respect each other in the sharing. One of the problems of religion is that oftentimes it has been used as a weapon against people as opposed to as a guide of bringing people together. And my faith inspires me to look for ways to bring people together, and to see our common needs, hopes, trials, and think in terms of solutions that can benefit us as a community.

When we talk about climate change, we talk about one climate. My faith talks about concern for the least of these, people who are vulnerable. People who do not have enough money to buy two or three cars have a right to transportation, and have a need for transportation. People who do not have employment still get sick, and need to have access to health care. People need housing, and my faith tells me it’s wrong if we don’t address it or think about it. Or to make housing a commodity that only those who have means enjoy when we know everyone needs it. And my faith tells me it’s wrong not to meet those needs. 

Bonus questions

Best book you’ve read this year?

“Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News” by Alec Karakatsanis.

Favorite restaurant in Pulaski County?

I have several favorites, depending on my appetite.

Favorite place to go in Little Rock?

Home, especially when our granddaughters visit.

What’s giving you hope?

The power of love triumphs over love of power.