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Black
leadership
should
have
rallied
behind a
single
candidate
Op-ed
By
Warren
C. Evans
Wayne
County
Executive
 DETROIT
-
Unfortunately,
Michigan
State
Senator
Adam
Hollier
has lost
his bid
to
represent
the 13th
Congressional
District
of
Michigan.
But what
is more
unfortunate
is that
this
didn’t
have to
happen.
If Wayne
County’s
diverse
Black
leadership
of
faith-based,
business,
educational,
political,
community
groups
and
grassroots
organizations
had
united
our
support
behind a
single
consensus
candidate,
rather
than
allowing
eight
Black
candidates
to enter
the race
and duke
it out
amongst
themselves
(thereby
fracturing
our
voting
power at
such a
critical
time),
we would
not be
in this
position.
It is a
critical
time
because
we now
effectively
have no
Black
congressional
representation
in
Washington
– unless
one or
both of
the
Trump-backed
Black
Republican
candidates
wins in
the
general
election.
Such a
travesty
would
essentially
be the
same
result
as
having
no Black
representation
at all,
only
worse.
Now, we
are able
to see
and feel
the
effects
of the
recent
re-districting
efforts
– and
its
stinging
result.
This
could be
the
first
time
that
Detroit
and/or
Michigan
doesn’t
have
Black
Congressional
representation
since
1955.
Disenfranchised.
Although
we had
the
power to
prevent
this, we
were
unable
to unify
to use
it. And
this is
what we
are left
with.
At this
stage of
my
political
career,
I must
admit
I’m
disappointed
that too
many of
us still
have not
learned
the
importance
of
working
together
and how
much
more
effective
a
unified
front
can be
in
promoting
our
common
interests
and in
serving
our
respective
communities.
Ever
since I
was
first
elected
to
become
Wayne
County
Executive
in 2014,
I have
nurtured
a desire
to use
my
position
as best
I could
to
solidify
Black
leadership
and
Black
voting
power
throughout
the
State of
Michigan.
Through
my
organization,
the
Urban
Alliance
of
Michigan,
I have
reached
out to
Black
elected
officials
across
the
state to
come
together
and work
toward a
common
agenda
that
would
benefit
all our
constituents.
As an
elected
official
who
represents
all
Wayne
County
residents,
I feel
it
necessary
to add
that
this is
not
about
granting
priority
to any
group
over
another,
nor
should
this be
misconstrued
as
anti-white
or any
other
race.
This is
simply
an
acknowledgment
of a
political
reality
that
still
exists
today
whether
we want
to
acknowledge
it or
not;
historically
disenfranchised
groups,
which
certainly
includes
African
Americans,
are much
more
likely
to have
their
voices
heard
and
their
needs
addressed
when
they are
represented
by
someone
from
their
own
community.
Another
issue we
must
address
is
overwhelming
voter
apathy
and the
attack
on
voting
rights
of
today’s
culture.
In this
election,
according
to
unofficial
results
from the
Wayne
County
Clerk’s
Office,
only 21%
of all
registered
voters
cast a
ballot,
either
via
absentee
or at
the
polls.
So, we
must
develop
creative
outreach
methods,
do a
better
job of
educating
voters,
effectively
connect
with our
youth
and make
access
to
voting
easy.
But
what’s
done is
done,
and I
suppose
we can
all hope
for the
best
while we
continue
to do
the work
necessary
to
improve
the
lives of
our
constituents.
And I
remain
hopeful
that as
we move
forward,
we will
internalize
the
lessons
learned
from the
result
of
today’s
election
and use
those
lessons
to make
better
decisions
that
will
benefit
all of
us in
the
future.
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