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Everyone is worried about "White Gentrifiers" using their "Money, and Resources" to bring in Black presumably "Token" candidates into office. But no one is being honest about who let those communities be gentrified in the first place.
Actually, I'm gonna keep talking and probably get my self in trouble, because I have a lot of thoughts about this. Are we gonna act like there arent problematic white people within the State Democratic party who have been helping to move, or force the needle in a particular way?
Are we going to also act like there aren't a few people within the Black Political and non-profit establishment who have made it hard, or even impossible for Black folks who didn't show up, or a certain way to be successful in these spaces?
Can we be honest about how some Black political spaces are ripe with respectability politics, are police certain Black behaviors because of how it might impact white interest?
We gonna sit here and act like the Brooklyn Democratic party didn't endorse @YourFavoriteASW a staunch housing and anti-gentrification elected official when she got challenged by a Black Candidate who sold his soul to Republicans so he could get a nicer office in Albany?
Listen, white supremacy, gentrification, and gentrified ass voters are definitely impacting politics all across NYC, but lets not act like some of us didn't create the environment to push young Black leaders that way.
the "Black Political Establishment" needs to do some serious soul searching.
Now that I have been all messy, I do want to give some props, because there are folks who have worked to put Black people in leadership, mentor them, and help them.
And its important to understand that a lot of our Black leaders were navigating in a landscape that was far more openly racist and hostile to their presence than we currently have to exist in. Those things impact how some folks move.
But lets also not try to allude that what we are seeing is a bunch of Token Black people being pushed to run with a white agenda. That's disrespectful, and dismissive to Black people and Black leaders.
If you are concerned with how new Black leaders are showing up, how we're speaking or who is in our ear, try calling us in to have a conversation.
And shout out to @NYStrategist who when we had a disagreement about fair elections, he reached out to me and we talked. We don't always agree on the issues, but I have a deep respect and appreciation for him as a leader, and am always open to hear him, because of that fact.
