Mel Reeves Editor Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder >From the Minnesota Spokesman/Recorder "Our Perspective" 11/15/2001
The crisis of Black leadership The recent election of Natalie Johnson Lee exposed the fact that there are differences in the ranks among the leaders of the Black community in Minneapolis. One of the problems the election highlighted was that the leadership and much of the Black community -- which is overwhelmingly working class -- have different agendas, or at the very least the working class agenda isn't attended to as vigorously as it should be. It also raises the question of how people become perceived as opinion leaders in our community. Obviously no formal process takes place, and it seems that sometimes the folks with the most backbone and the most moxy step out front and take the ball and run with it. But who chooses the leadership in our community is an interesting question because it appears that the Black community doesn't always do its own choosing. In fact, some of these leaders are just plain self-appointed. Oftentimes in years past the system used to choose certain acceptable Negroes to lead our community, Negroes who they had no fear would seriously stir the pot because they were financially beholden to city hall. In the Twin Cities, too much praise from the big business dailies can be a telltale sign that the particular leader is too close to the enemy. But one of the biggest problems is that too often the Black leadership is seen talking out of both sides of its mouth or trying to compromise with an uncompromising system that repeatedly works against Blacks. We're not saying that's what's happening in our community, but something just wasn't right about the way Natalie Johnson-Lee's city council campaign was handled. Let us be clear: Johnson-Lee wasn't the best candidate because she was Black, but because she had the right agenda and platform. She favored the little people over the big business folks that Cherryhomes was making comfortable with carving up the Near Northside. One source recounted to us how they personally witnessed a Northside minister who is considered a leader in the African American community making fun of Johnson-Lee and letting it be known that he clearly supported the other candidate. There were other rumors of nastiness tossed Johnson-Lee's way during the election that we won't mention because it is not our intention to embarrass anyone. But the carrying on since the election has also been embarrassing -- Bill English, the co-chair of the Coalition of Black Churches and African American Leadership Summit, was recently quoted in the "Star Tribune" threatening to bring "legal action" if Johnson Lee continued to insist that his organization supported Cherryhomes. Please! What does it matter what Johnson Lee says about who supported who in the election unless English and others were supporting the big business agenda rather than the interest of the brothers and sisters struggling to make it every day. Of course, then we can understand his consternation. It's time that our Black leadership woke up to the fact that no one can serve two masters; they will wind up hating one and loving the other. Shawn Lewis Field Neighborhood -- _______________________________________________ 1 cent a minute calls anywhere in the U.S.! http://www.getpennytalk.com/cgi-bin/adforward.cgi?p_key=RG9853KJ&url=http://www.getpennytalk.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
