Educator, rap icon battle for District D
Note: This is the fourth in a series of stories on the Houston City Council runoff elections.
Standing beneath a papiermâché toucan earlier this month, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz told a handful of potential voters about her aspirations to be a bus.
Both she and her Houston City Council District D opponent, Brad “Scarface” Jordan, want to be vessels for change, but understand that doing so requires getting as many perspectives as possible — hence, Evans-Shabazz’s talk of being a bus.
“A vehicle has more than one passenger,” Evans-Shabazz said. “And I wanna be a bus. I. Want. To. Be. A. Bus.”
Just outside the wood-paneled room, hip-hop icon Jordan sipped soda and munched on finger foods. He had not expected to be there, and was still “stunned” to have made the runoff days earlier.
His stump speech, delivered a few minutes later, reflected that shock. “These are good cookies,” he said before telling the group of mostly senior citizens about the 30 million-plus records he has sold and his desire to better his childhood neighborhood.
“I want to give back to a city that has given so much to me and allowed me to do what I do,” he continued.
The two were the top finishers in the Nov. 5 election, and now are in a runoff to replace Councilman Dwight Boykins, who declined to run for re-elec
tion as he pursued the Houston mayor’s office, where he came in a distant fourth place.
Because it is a runoff, the race could hinge on a handful of ballots. That means every interaction matters, including the Wednesday evening forum with a group of homeowners.
Those interactions are precisely what Evans-Shabazz and Jordan say is necessary to properly represent District D and its racially and demographically diverse constituents.
At first glance, their stories could not be more different. While Evans-Shabazz, 66, spent decades as a Houston educator, teaching in local schools before being elected to Houston Community College’s board of trustees, Jordan and his fellow members of the Geto Boys rap group were dominating the mid-1990s hip-hop scene with in-your-face verses about crime, poverty and gang violence.
Those issues still persist in much of the district’s south side. On its northern side, however, District D has seen an influx of high-rises and more affluent, white residents.
The district encompasses parts of Midtown and the Museum District, and spans all the way south to the Pearland and
Kingspoint areas. It also is home to the University of Houston, and many of the school’s neighbors cite property values and fast-driving students among their top concerns, less worried about issues of crime and homelessness that others say continue to plague District D.
Jordan, 49, and Evans-Shabazz have both been involved in programs to aid senior citizens, bolster local schools and give “second chance” opportunities to those with felony convictions. More than anything, though, their focus has been on children.
Evans-Shabazz says she carries her business card with her everywhere she goes, handing it out when talking to, say, a McDonald’s employee and encouraging them to pursue a college degree. Jordan, meanwhile, has been involved with youth leagues for more than a decade, and is an advocate for college education and trade apprenticeships.
“If you can instill in these kids’ minds class and character, then you can grow them,” he said. “You can grow those kids into successful people.”
Boykins said last week that he was not endorsing anyone, but said it is crucial that the district’s next representative on council strikes a balance between the area’s disparate communities.
“You have to build a coalition of people who are opposite of you,” he said.
Evans-Shabazz agrees, and has said, if elected, she will seek input from Jordan, whom she considers a friend.
“I can’t be accountable for that which I don’t know,” she said. “But if I don’t take the time to engage with people who may
be able to give me that information and help facilitate getting it done, then I’d be remiss in what I’m doing as a leader.”
Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, said he believes Evans-Shabazz is the front-runner in the race. She has been a longtime trustee for Houston Community College, he said, and as an African American woman in her 50s, is reflective of many District D voters.
Jones has not entirely ruled out Jordan, who unexpectedly made it to the runoff after getting the second-highest number of votes of the 16-candidate field Nov. 5.
Jordan’s name recognition may not help as much in a headto-head race, Jones said. With his stature in the international hip-hop community, however, his election to council would be “national news” and could change the district long-term.
“District D has always been one of those that’s last at the table in terms of getting resources,” Jones said. “One advantage that Jordan has is his unique perspective … He can make the claim that he can not only work better with marginalized groups because he’s walked in their shoes, but also that, because of his celebrity status, he might be able to get more things for the district.”