Black leadership requires more than representation
Many Memphis, Tennessee citizens welcomed Cerelyn Davis as their first Black female police chief. She gained national prominence by being a decorated member of law enforcement who was brave enough to speak out against the policy, practices and culture that led to the killing of George Floyd.
To her credit, she was quick to speak out and fire the five Memphis police officers that beat Tyre Nichols to death. Nonetheless, it happened under her watch. The five men charged with the murder of Tyre Nichols were part of a specialized community crime unit, and they also happen to be Black.
These specialized units are nothing new to American law enforcement and are often scrutinized by community members for their aggressive tactics. I worked with the Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, one of Dayton’s specialized units. While factions within the Black community loathe units like these, I’ve heard many people call for more involved and aggressive policing. As a facilitator of community conversations around policing, I often wanted to push back, but my job mandated that I objectively consider all sides. Chief Davis also wanted to balance the varied interests of Memphis’ Black community, because the truth is that Black communities are not monolithic.
Post-reconstruction, Black people didn’t have the opportunity to be elected officials and civic leaders until after the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But Black Americans continued to experience increased poverty rates, decreases in educational attainment, and difficulty achieving home ownership.
We celebrate Black leaders without much scrutiny of their beliefs, policies and positions.
Dayton has suffered decades at the hands of automation, globalization, redlining, mass incarceration, the “War on Drugs,” residential segregation and white flight. Poverty rates increased, and with that came crime.
We need to find creative solutions that address the root causes. It is up to us to determine if the people we elect can balance our interests and diversity in a way that doesn’t repeat a tragic history. Black Americans have a rich history of deliberation and debate. We should consider the radical views of Angela Davis as much as the pragmatism of Booker T. Washington.
As election season approaches, get to know the people running for office. When I ran for city commission in 2021, I challenged myself to create a platform that included the wisdom of James Baldwin, the economic models of Fannie Lou Hamer, the courage of Malcolm X, the compassion of Dr. King, and the politics of Fred Hampton.
I endeavored to be a small thread in a rich tapestry of Black history.
I encourage us all to ask the next set of candidates about their heroes, what inspires them, and what kind of future they imagine for us. As an underrepresented Black American, it is heartening to see people in leadership who look like me, but I want to know whether they have hearts and minds that can build on our history to improve our future.