Benton Harbor Mayor threatens to cancel Kitchen Aid Senior PGA tournament if Benton Harbor High School is closed

BENTON HARBOR, Mich – Benton Harbor’s Mayor Marcus Muhammad is speaking out as the deadline to make a decision regarding Benton Harbor High School looms. 

Last month the state of Michigan laid out a plan to close Benton Harbor High School but keep K-8 education.  

The plan received pushback in the Benton Harbor community heard in Tuesday’s town hall and Governor Whitmer’s visit to the city on Wednesday. 

“To rip this out of not just the city of Benton Harbor but remove it from Berrien County is a grave miscarriage of justice,” Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad said. 

Mayor Muhammad took to social media where he said “No High School in the city of Benton Harbor, No Kitchen Aid Senior PGA Tournament in the city of Benton Harbor 2020, 2022, 2024.”

Benton Harbor local Di’Andre Hureskin said he understands the Mayor’s strategy to call attention for the staple in the community and the plan may turn out to be good but could also backfire. 

“I think when he says those things it’s a way to get people’s attention and when you feel like there’s been an outcry for so long you know and you feel like you’re never being heard I feel like he’s doing it where he’s trying to get attention I don’t think he said it with any malice intent but again the only other way to really be to get people’s attention is when it comes to economics,” Hureskin said. 

Mayor Muhammad says as long as he’s the mayor he won’t accept Benton Harbor High School closing. 

“To have our children displaced and treated as refugees sent all over Berrien County as the Mayor of the city I can’t count to this or can I accept for people to come in and things are all jolly while our children are hurting and suffering from not having their own,” Muhammad said.