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Often the handwriting is clearly displayed
upon the wall but we refuse to read it. Or we stare at
obvious indicators that reveal we have a serious problem but
we pretend not to see them. We have become enablers.
Enablers learn to be quiet, accept a false reality and
“pretend that things are different than how they really
are,” writes psychologist Claudia Black in The Many Faces
of Addiction.
The fact is that the 2016 election was the
first presidential contest without the full protections of
the Voting Rights Act as states purged nearly 16 million
voters from national rolls prior to the election.
Thanks to a recent Supreme Court decision
regarding the State of Ohio, these aggressive voter purges –
long used as a voter suppression tool – continue to target
poor and minority voters at significantly higher rates,
according to Mother Jones Magazine.
So, why were two African-American
councilpersons the only “no” votes on legislation passed by
city council last week to make it easier to vote by offering
voter registration at specific City of Toledo agencies and
departments?
Council Dysfunction?
All hell seemed to break loose recently when
Peter Ujvagi “walked” a $150,000 CDBG request on the floor
on behalf of his district constituents. After Ujvagi’s
non-agenda legislation was voted for and passed, council was
subsequently besieged by funding requests from several other
members causing Chief of Staff Katy Crosby much
consternation. Crosby has been attempting to set up a fair
process to decide how to allocate CDBG funds at a time when
it seems that an “every man for himself” free for all
atmosphere prevails on council limiting its attention to
other legislative activities.
Pettiness?
One source familiar with the anti-voter
suppression legislation, which was sponsored by councilman
Nick Komives, suggested that the no votes could have been a
“statement” or retribution among councilmen who normally are
on the same team.
Councilman Larry Sykes had, allegedly,
introduced a past ordinance from the capital improvements
budget to buy city council a new vehicle that was not
supported by Komives and so Sykes, perhaps, was emphatically
returning the favor.
Komives, however, seemed to be unfazed by
the speculation. “I’d hate to see no support coming because
someone’s upset over a vote that is not political or if you
have a problem with somebody you don’t vote a certain way.
That’s against what our principles are. I don’t really care
about that, I’m just going to push forward regardless,” he
responded upon being asked what might be most concerning to
him in all this.
The Ground is Shifting Beneath our Feet:
Like Komives, many in the black community are
also attempting to “just push forward.” Nationally and
locally the Democratic Party is writhing with labor pangs as
it gives birth to a new generation of young progressives and
social democrat types who are no longer satisfied with the
business as usual, status quo politics of the elder
generation.
Although we have been conditioned to just
shut up and not talk about it, the truth is that we are
addicted to a dysfunctional state of black leadership in
Toledo. We seem to be able to see “a noose in every corner”
but we have been staring at but choosing not to see black
leadership that is often bitter, petty, vindictive and
divided while young energetic leaders like Brian Hayward,
Dominique Warren and others are quietly positioning
themselves to ascend as our current role models stagger,
stumble and fall.
We can no longer afford to be silent. And we
won’t be silent, anymore.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org
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