White Privilege and the 2015 Charlotte Mayor's Race

Did you see it?

It was hard to miss if you were paying attention. I believe white privilege is a major factor in the 2015 Charlotte Mayoral race. If you're in tune to matters of racial inequality and trying to find ways to eradicate it within our community, I trust you understand what I'm talking about. Read on. 

White privilege is a set of advantages and/or immunities that white people benefit from on a daily basis beyond those common to all others.White privilege can exist without white people's conscious knowledge of its presence and it helps to maintain the racial hierarchy in this country.May 10, 2003

White privilege - Mount Holyoke College

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/wsar/intro.htm

White privilege was served up to the black community on a silver platter during the 2015 Charlotte Mayoral Primary. I have no doubt it will continue. It was truly heartbreaking to witness such a willingness to receive every word. It was stunning, actually. It seemed as if the black community was in a fog or a trance, or a pied piper was playing. In a city where African-Americans make up 64 percent of the vote, the 2 white candidates carried many of the city's black precincts. Basically flipped them from 2013. Read on. You'll understand why I'm so stunned. 

They did so by getting a free pass, IMO, despite misrepresenting themselves and even lying to the citizens of Charlotte. Harsh, but true. Let me explain. 

In the past 18 months, we've been in a hypersensitive season in Charlotte politics, where ETHICS and ACCOUNTABILITY have been central to leadership. The City Council's Code of Ethics was revised in response to the former Mayor's (a BLACK man) unethical choices, which led to federal corruption charges & a prison sentence. Granted, the current mayoral candidates' behavior is nowhere near as severe as our former mayor's, HOWEVER, our leaders must be above reproach and carry themselves with the highest degree of character & integrity, ESPECIALLY when we're just emerging from one of the darkest times in Charlotte politics.  Being THE ONE appointed to the seat vacated due to corruption & ethics, one would think that a candidate for Mayor would thoughtfully consider their actions in every way, even in the smallest way. 

However, this was not the case, and we have a candidate (a WHITE man)

who said he would NOT run, (the media & his colleagues can bear witness to this agreement,) and yet he profusely denies he ever said any such thing. And he is now engrossed in the primary runoff. And no one is really saying anything about it or holding him accountable. Free pass.

As Deray McKesson says, "Watch whiteness work." 

The same can be said of the other candidate (a WHITE woman) in the mayoral runoff. She has consistently misrepresented herself and any authority she would have as mayor. She made promises in the black community (and the entire city for that matter) on which she has very little (and in some cases, NO) ability to follow through because the Mayor's office has limited power. But many voters don't know. Her campaign continues to run a false ad on TV; she has been called out about it as false. She has even corrected herself about it in public. But she still runs it. I read one local journalist say she knew how to 'exploit' the African American demographic. That she did. Free pass. 

Watch whiteness work. 

I'm watching this all play out with my own eyes, and I can't believe it. But at the same time, I can. I'm not hating on white people. I am white people. I am simply calling for accountability in our leaders. Like my Dad always said, "I call 'em like I see 'em." I'm sure neither are necessarily bad people. They know how whiteness works. 

The one LEGIT candidate in the race (a BLACK man), who ran clean, governed with clean hands, has done the work for his constituents and the city consistently with grit, humility & professionalism, has the experience, and can show you the results of his 10 years of work on the council, came in dead last. Why? Because there was a fear stoked: 'what if having another BLACK man in the mayor's office brings more corruption?' 

When the former mayor was arrested, WHO stepped in and held the city together, kept city services operating, spoke to the international media, and calmed everyone's fear about what was happening in our city? The LEGIT One. Who has continued moving the city forward consistently, bringing jobs and development, with integrity, great character and grace under incredible circumstances? The LEGIT One. 

In 2013, the LEGIT One carried 126 of the 166 total precincts. 

But now, he is done. 

Fear is a MF. 

Watch whiteness work.

*All views are my own.

The Best Laid Plans...Often Go Awry

So, we're coming around the bend of September. Hard to believe, really. 

The last nine months have basically been a blur. I've been running a local mayoral campaign. Before that I had been managing that same municipal leader's digital media, and before that I had helped run his 2013 city council campaign, so this was basically a continuation. On Red Bull. 

Suffice it to say,  I've been busy.  For the past two and a half years.  This is the first weekend that I've had absolutely nothing to do. And when I mean nothing, I mean zippo, zilch, zero.  Its been wonderful and weird all at the same time. Been there before? I found myself getting a bit bored. 

Early in the week I was the most exhausted that I have ever been in my entire life. I thought I'd be sleeping all weekend long. Didn't happen. So much for the best laid plans. Guess that means I'm caught up on my sleep? Let's hope so. 

Although my body may feel as if its caught up on sleep, my heart feels as if its grieving. Ever been there? Where the body and the mind contradict each other. 

A friend told me the other day to allow myself to grieve.  Grieve, you ask? Yes.  I put my heart and soul into the campaigns for Mr. Barnes. Believed in him without a shadow of a doubt. He loves the Lord. He lives his life and conducts himself with the highest degree of integrity, and seeks to leave a city that will benefit not only his family but every family in the city.  I knew he had a future as a public servant. 

I have great passion for politics & government, but no tolerance for the nasty sort of 'politics' that we normally see; the partisan people out for their own agenda, or those people who pander for votes, saying things just to sound acceptable to every group they encounter; but leaders who use their power for good and not evil. 

Mr. Barnes is different. There's no partisan bone in his body. He and I shared the same opinion about politics. It was the greatest work of my life. Had no doubts. Whatsoever. So, I took this one pretty hard. He's a good guy. And a great leader.

I am 'grieving' because Mr. Barnes lost the election. Rather unexpectedly. Stunned is probably the best word to describe how our team felt. None of us even fathomed this outcome. 

There was no Plan B.

We knew we had the strongest candidate in the race, with the greatest qualifications. Trusted.Genuine. Focused. Forward-thinking. 

Determined to bring opportunity to the entire city, because he had proven his ability as a district representative and an at-large council member. Quantifiable results. Didn't mean a thing, apparently. Or, it did, and fear was stronger. I believe there is a deeper meaning to the results. I may not understand them now. Maybe I'm not supposed to. God's got it all under control. And its ok to grieve. Because it was a valuable experience and it left an indelible mark on my life.

So here we are. 

We may see stoplights. But, "blue skies, smilin' at me, nothin' but blue skies do I see....Blue days, all of them gone,  Nothin' but blue skies from now on."