Cookie Mills, Director of the Ducker Road Community Involvement Council. Photo: Urban News

by Johnnie Grant

These were the words of Cookie Mills, founder and Director of the Ducker Road Community Involvement Council (DRCIC) as he recently addressed rally participants before the morning community march. The enthusiastic group included everyone from Mayor Terry Bellamy and Sheriff Van Duncan to young mothers pushing their babies in strollers.

When asked why he always shows up for this event, Sheriff Duncan commented, “When I was patrolling this area, gun fights would break out over drugs. Now with the community’s involvement and commitment over the last four years, I’ve seen a change for the better. I’m happy to be involved in such a positive outreach.”

This message of outreach and hope was repeated throughout the day, from the early-morning opening prayer to the conversations repeated by marchers and planners alike. The total message was clear: it’s about saving our children, teenagers, and young adults from the ravages of drug abuse.

However, four years ago when Mills echoed this same opinion, the neighborhood where he had lived all his life was in a crisis and out of control. He called for a community meeting to voice his concerns that his neighbors’ lives were no longer safe. Years later, after the collective involvement of community members determined to rid their neighborhood of drug traffic and crime, the vigil still continues – and with a watchful eye.

Cookie Mills admits he has no background in community organizing or activism. “I just did what I know how to do. I talked to people. We took license plate numbers from the cars of the buyers coming down Ducker Road. We took pictures of people coming and going. We put up cameras. We got in touch with the landlords and got them to issue eviction notices. We passed out lists of the dealers’ names in the community. We just kept trying,” he says. “Inside a very short period of time, the drug dealers had given up their operations on Ducker Road. Now, the kids are back playing and having a great time. It’s up to us to make a change!”

For more information about the Ducker Rd. Community Involvement Council (DRCIC) and other outreach programs, contact
Cookie Mills at (828) 243-9915.

Community members and supporters participating in the 10-mile  Ducker Rd. March for Drug and Community Awareness.   Photo: Urban News