The Atlanta Mayor's Race burst wide open a few weeks ago when a controversial memo made a big splash in the otherwise placid pool of candidates and campaigning, bringing the perennial contention of race back into Southern politics -- if it ever really left.
The bold reactions of the mayoral candidates to the "Black Agenda" memo that has circulated the city has been nothing compared to the reconnaissance of those involved in creating the story; from an unnecessarily hostile public response from a lame-duck freshman of the State House to a castigating press conference by the Clark Atlanta University professors who authored the fiery research that spurned this hellish parade. And just when one thought that this egregious stunt and superfluous headline had finally been laid to rest, now named antagonist Aaron Turpeau, local political veteran and the primary proprietor of this debacle, has released his own open letter in defense of his and the Atlanta Black Leadership Forum's (ABLF) actions.
When this series of events began to unfold a couple of weeks ago, I (like probably most people following the race) was slightly perplexed. I knew only vaguely of Aaron Turpeau's local fame, absolutely nothing about the Atlanta Black Leadership Forum, and in all of my political savvy couldn't quite muster why Lisa Borders had come out so strongly against what appeared to me to be a trivial document and a non-issue. To be honest, I thought that she and her campaign were grand-standing on the issue of race – a more than obvious emottional under-current in Southern socio-economic politics – to drum up support from her White base. However, this was before the initial memo that spurred her denunciations hit the wire and made national news, all but forcing Ms. Borders to come out against it so early and publicly just to stay on the offensive.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the memo. On the one hand, I certainly see value in the claims that the document and its intentions are contentious and incendiary, injecting into what was becoming a placid and tepid election season the vile and prejudice of a darker time in our city’s (hell, our nation's) past. On the other, race (along with class, gender, sexual orientation and a host of other divisive classifications) is still a very controversial and taboo reality, especially for us here in Atlanta, GA. If Ms. Borders had never responded to it, even had the memo never been publicized or written, that wouldn’t have changed the fact that many of us are still thinking about race and the ramifications of a candidate’s race on our segregated agendas – more importantly, that many of us take our thoughts on race with us into the voting booth. At least now the conversation has been catalyzed and put on the table, however cumbersomely.
And, while I certainly have no problem with Mr. Turpeau, the ABLF, or any other entity commissioning research or articulating an agenda to progress the ideals of their organization, I do take slight issue to any agency advocating for the interests of any group/community without the buy-in of those constituents. A political agenda by the ABLF for the ABLF is fine – great, even. An agenda by the ABLF for Atlanta’s Black community, however, is hollow and arrogant without the input and buy-in of the city’s Black citizenry. We expect open debate with our political leaders – why do our social leaders hold themselves to less scrutiny?
Ms. Borders, Mr. Turpeau, Rep. Ralph Long (D-Atlanta) are all somewhat right in their respective analyses -- which I guess also makes them all wrong, at least in part. What I do know is that there is a need to return to the civility and good faith of leadership that seeks to unite our communities toward solving our most difficult challenges. The practice of dividing genuine will to act in the best interests of the public by either 1) incubating hate and reinvigorating dormant pain with cheap, dirty identity politics or 2) flagging attention away from the issues that really matter with haughty platitidues & empty rhetoric, is antiquated and opaque. Furthermore, it's ultimately unconstructive.
I hasten the day when we can campaign in prose, but govern in poetry.
Get in to Aaron Turpeau’s response letter at:
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2009/09/09/a-postscript-turpeau-says-banishment-followed-mayoral-memo/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway
And the memo that started it all at:
www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0500.html
There’s still about seven weeks left in this race, so much is still in the air. I think it’s safe to say, however, that Mr. Turpeau and the Atlanta Black Leadership Forum won’t be supporting Mary Norwood.
9/8/09
On Obama's Speech on Education
After reading President Obama's prepared remarks to our nation's pramary and secondary school students, even as a recent college graduate I couldn't help but feel drunk with inspiration and hope.
In education, it's always parental invlovement/teacher quality/more education funding/etc. or some other external phenomenon that's touted as the magic bullet to calm the slackluster torpor of what can very justly be defended as our nation's greatest public policy failure. How refreshing it is to hear someone pay due credence to the most significant piece of the puzzle: the task of the student to take responsibility for his/her education and truly make the most of it -- not just for themselves, but for all of us.
One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Obama's remarks:
"I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it."
It's a shame that our President's message of accountability, responsibility, and motivation has gotten mired in partisan wrangling and political polarization. I hope more students than not are able to take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear directly from the Chief Executive of our country about how they can make America a better place for all of us to live and thrive.
Education as a line-item on the agenda of America's future -- what a revolutionary ideal.
Catch President Obama's speech live @ 12pm EST on either www.CSPAN.org or www.WhiteHouse.gov. Check out the speech @ http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/.
In education, it's always parental invlovement/teacher quality/more education funding/etc. or some other external phenomenon that's touted as the magic bullet to calm the slackluster torpor of what can very justly be defended as our nation's greatest public policy failure. How refreshing it is to hear someone pay due credence to the most significant piece of the puzzle: the task of the student to take responsibility for his/her education and truly make the most of it -- not just for themselves, but for all of us.
One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Obama's remarks:
"I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it."
It's a shame that our President's message of accountability, responsibility, and motivation has gotten mired in partisan wrangling and political polarization. I hope more students than not are able to take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear directly from the Chief Executive of our country about how they can make America a better place for all of us to live and thrive.
Education as a line-item on the agenda of America's future -- what a revolutionary ideal.
Catch President Obama's speech live @ 12pm EST on either www.CSPAN.org or www.WhiteHouse.gov. Check out the speech @ http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/.
9/5/09
On Pride
Native Atlantans know when Labor Day is approaching. Like the revived crisp of autumn, early September blows tens of thousands of Black queers into the city to celebrate what many tote to be the largest Black Gay Pride celebration in the world. If you've ever been in Atlanta during this particularly unique and special holiday weekend, you know all the tell-tale signs, too: Lenox (and now Atlantic Station -- particularly H&M) seems filled to the brim with Black gays & lesbians picking out the perfect complement to their weekend outfits -- be that a man, woman, or article of clothing; Midtown briefly sports a rich sun-kissed hue that must be the product of an instant tan; and Sunday afternoon at Piedmont Park becomes the state's largest adult-rated family reunion.
Yeah, screw Christmas -- Black Pride is the most wonderful time of the year. Where the hell is Bing Crosby with a remix to that song?!
Surely, as a very out and very active gay Black man, I have and do enjoy the celebration of community, life and (temporary) love that is Black Pride. In a world with so few spaces for Black LGBT persons to be affirmed in the beauty of our individual and collective truths, Black Pride has become a flagship festival of Black gay culture and contribution. Black Pride accepts everyone and rejects no one, refraining one from being forced to choose between one's race (as the Black community so often requires of us) and one's sexual orientation/gender expression (as the gay community so often expects of us). Black Pride allows Black queer persons to, for at least a weekend, reconcile our dichotomous identities and relish in the divinity of our unique existence and experience.
Black Pride is as important to the Black LGBT community as the 4th of July is to America -- for many of us, Labor Day weekend serves as our Independence Day.
And for everything that Black Pride is, I often find myself disenchanted and ambivalent towards the celebration. I mean, Black Pride is fine and all, but I often wonder what I'm to be proud of: How is my pride in being a good Black gay man demonstrated or symbolized in the mostly salacious, tawdry and exploitative activities that comprise the weekend? How does the propagation of internalized homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, patriarchy, internalized racism and colorism, femmephobia, and dozens of other intersected oppressions speak to the ideal of who I'm supposed to be or ascribe to? While there is a lot of good and positive in the Black LGBT community to be lauded, I've often felt like that line-item report pales in comparison to the challenges we face.
So I spend Black Pride straddling the fence -- coming close enough to the flame to feel it's warmth and truly capture it's beauty, but standing far enough back to see the fire for what it is and protect myself from being burned by it's insipid heat. I think the reality boils down to something like this:
Being a gay Black man of integrity, character, and substance makes me proud -- Black Pride does not. And that's okay, because Black Pride is not for me.
I've been proud.
Yeah, screw Christmas -- Black Pride is the most wonderful time of the year. Where the hell is Bing Crosby with a remix to that song?!
Surely, as a very out and very active gay Black man, I have and do enjoy the celebration of community, life and (temporary) love that is Black Pride. In a world with so few spaces for Black LGBT persons to be affirmed in the beauty of our individual and collective truths, Black Pride has become a flagship festival of Black gay culture and contribution. Black Pride accepts everyone and rejects no one, refraining one from being forced to choose between one's race (as the Black community so often requires of us) and one's sexual orientation/gender expression (as the gay community so often expects of us). Black Pride allows Black queer persons to, for at least a weekend, reconcile our dichotomous identities and relish in the divinity of our unique existence and experience.
Black Pride is as important to the Black LGBT community as the 4th of July is to America -- for many of us, Labor Day weekend serves as our Independence Day.
And for everything that Black Pride is, I often find myself disenchanted and ambivalent towards the celebration. I mean, Black Pride is fine and all, but I often wonder what I'm to be proud of: How is my pride in being a good Black gay man demonstrated or symbolized in the mostly salacious, tawdry and exploitative activities that comprise the weekend? How does the propagation of internalized homophobia, heterosexism, heteronormativity, patriarchy, internalized racism and colorism, femmephobia, and dozens of other intersected oppressions speak to the ideal of who I'm supposed to be or ascribe to? While there is a lot of good and positive in the Black LGBT community to be lauded, I've often felt like that line-item report pales in comparison to the challenges we face.
So I spend Black Pride straddling the fence -- coming close enough to the flame to feel it's warmth and truly capture it's beauty, but standing far enough back to see the fire for what it is and protect myself from being burned by it's insipid heat. I think the reality boils down to something like this:
Being a gay Black man of integrity, character, and substance makes me proud -- Black Pride does not. And that's okay, because Black Pride is not for me.
I've been proud.
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