As Black children leave the safety of their home and community, either to pursue higher education in colleges and universities, or in pursuit of their dreams, parents routinely advise, “You must be better – 10 times better – than the others.”
In other words, to make it in America, where the institution of slavery, racial inequality and the restriction of civil and political rights are embedded into the fabric of society, they must stand head and shoulders above the competition, particularly white Americans.
Such advice should not be misconstrued as racist but rather as realistic. And with no segment of society garnering greater scrutiny than the political arena, it’s hard to fathom why Black men – stalwarts in their communities – were caught by federal prosecutors with their hands, allegedly, in “the cookie jar.”
In August, D.C. residents witnessed the arrest of Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White (D), charged with bribery after allegedly agreeing to accept $156,000 in exchange for using his position to persuade local employees to extend several lucrative contracts.
Then, about a week ago, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with five separate criminal counts, including: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery and receiving campaign contributions by foreign nationals.
Innocence or guilt notwithstanding, what’s disturbing about both cases is how these pillars of their communities allowed themselves to become sullied by various forms of graft that have destroyed the careers of so many politicians– Black and white– before them.
Only through activism, persistence and great sacrifice have Black Americans overcome slavery, Black Codes and Jim Crow to finally secure political power. From Hiram Rhodes Revels in 1870 becoming the first Black elected to the Mississippi state Senate, to Barack Obama taking over the White House as America’s first Black president in 2008, to Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2022, African Americans have ascended to some of the highest positions in the nation.
There are scores of bad examples that Black politicians can follow. But if we continue to knock down centuries-old walls of injustice, level the playing field and make this a better world for all, those who seek political careers would do well to follow in the “right footsteps.”
Leaders such as Shirley Chisholm, Andrew Young, Carol Mosely Braun, John Conyers Jr., Colin Powell and John Lewis set an example. No, they were not perfect. But they strove for excellence . . . and accepted nothing less. That’s what we need today – no more, no less.
Regrettably, it appears the bar was actually lowered for Trayon. He got away with multiple traffic incidents, massive unpaid fines from the Office of Campaign Finance, a earlier arrest while in office, and other public scandals. Ward 8 deserves better, no matter what color they are.