Marvin “Doc” Cheatham stared in disbelief at the posters he held in his hands. “We have taken down close to 80 posters,” Cheatham told the AFRO. “There were blue posters posted on top of my posters that read: Do Not Vote for Marvin ‘Doc’ CHEAT HAM.”
On March 18, Cheatham noticed his flyers – strategically placed throughout west Baltimore – were replaced with literature for Belinda Conaway – who is vying for the Baltimore City Register of Wills seat.
Cheatham said the culprit, who allegedly reposted flyers and issued defamatory posters about him, used a picture of him – found on his website – accompanied with an insult that read: “He stole from the NAACP, and he will STEAL from you.”
The community activist said this statement is categorically untrue. Cheatham, who has served as president of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP, and The National Action Network said, “As much as I’ve done for this community, why would anyone want to attack me.”
Cheatham, a democrat, is seeking votes from Baltimore constituents in June for the House of Delegates 40th Legislative District seat. Cheatham prides himself on being very active in the community and having residents’ best interest at the forefront.
He said the message about him on the posters was a complete insult.
“They did the worst thing in the world – to question someone’s creditability, who has credibility,” he said. “I really want this issue to die. I really don’t want to be in a fight.”
Cheatham said he called Frank Conaway Sr. and said, “I found what I considered to be some very damaging posters against me, but ironically whoever put the posters up against me … put up signs … for your daughter that used the exact same printer evidently – because it was the exact same paper as the ones against me … we found it in the exact same place … and they used the exact same tape.”
He contacted Conaway to inform him that the same person or group was replacing the literature of both campaigns. “We found these posters to be made of the exact same material as the defamatory posters against me,” he said. “The posters are the exact same size of the defamatory posters on me.”
On March 29, Cheatham is hosting a prayer breakfast at Zeta Center for Healthy and Active Aging. He is asking for everyone in attendance to pray him through this issue.
“God answers prayers and this maybe the beginning of some of the nasty things that may happen,” he said. “I am asking God first to help me through this and give me victory.”
