One of his first acts was to appoint Cage S. Johnson, 49, a "restaurant service supervisor and part-time television actor," as the "first Negro to serve as field secretary to a City Council member," but nevertheless a recall drive was organized at a community meeting, with H.H. Brookins named as chair. Brookins said that 16 applicants for city councilman were Negroes and that the council, by appointing Hollingsworth, "had dealt the Negro community a fast shuffle." The recall petitions were rejected by a court "because they failed to list the voter registration number and the date of registration of the persons who circulated them."