BRISTOL, Va. – Entrepreneur Joe Bell is having a war of words with the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, claiming it "discriminates" against its members.
Bell, who is black, recently established the office for his National Hotel Guides business in Bristol, Va. He plans to publish visitors guide books to be placed in area hotel rooms.
"I’ve had the support of all three of the mayors and nearly everybody in Bristol," Bell said. "But for some reason, I couldn’t get the chamber to even give me a welcome letter for the book. I felt like, for some reason, they were very leery of what I was trying to do."
Bell said he first requested the letter a few days ago but hadn’t received it. After pressing chamber officials for the letter on Wednesday, Bell said President Lisa Meadows told him she was "sorry he felt that way" and would refund his membership fee.
Meadows confirmed she refunded Bell’s money, but said she did so because he made the discrimination claim during their meeting.
"The chamber is open for anybody who wants to join," Meadows said, adding that chamber employees have done "everything possible" to accommodate Bell’s requests.
Meadows said she called police on Wednesday, after Bell became upset during the chamber meeting. He left before police arrived and no report was filed.
"I told him [Bell] that there was no problem giving him a letter," Meadows said. "It was race week when he asked, and we were extremely busy. But I explained it was no problem for us to provide a letter to place in the book. I don’t know what his hurry was."
Bristol Virginia Mayor Jim Rector said he provided Bell with a letter on Thursday and Bristol Tennessee Mayor David Shumaker said Friday his letter should be ready in a few days.
The first book, which would focus on Bristol and Abingdon, is expected to be published by late June, Bell said.
"You’re looking at a black man that doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. I like all people. I don’t have a problem with the Chamber of Commerce, but I’m not going to let them stop me from attaining my dream," Bell said.
Bell, who said he has sold and promoted similar products for years while working for a firm called Nationwide Hotel Guides, believes competition was part of the problem.
"The Chamber of Commerce does a book they call a visitors guide, but it’s something they give people when they come to town," Bell said. "I think that was a major problem. I think they saw my book as a conflict. They’re scared I would take advertising dollars they would normally get."
Meadows said ad sales had concluded for this year’s visitors booklet and the two products should complement each other.
"We publish about 100,000 copies that are mailed to people all over the country and internationally to help entice people to visit Bristol," Meadows said. "His publication is placed in hotels once they are here. I see it as totally complementary."
Bell’s first guide book would include sections about downtown Bristol, the Volunteer Parkway area, attractions around the Exit 7 area of Interstate 81 and Abingdon, he said.
"This will be placed in every hotel. There are 31 hotels in Bristol and Abingdon," Bell said. "There’s nothing like this around here."
He said he expects to eventually publish similar guides for hotels in Kingsport, Johnson City and Asheville, N.C.
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
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