May/June WI Bridge

The Political Issue : Civil Engagement Socially Distant May 2020. Volume 6. Issue 5

INSIDE THE MIND: THE BLACK MALE INDEPENDENT VOTER PG. 4

BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN W/ KRISTIN TURNER PG. 6

HOW TO CAMPAIGN IN A PANDEMIC PG. 8

YOUNG, BLACK & GETTING IT PG. 10

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Publisher :

Lafayette Barnes IV Claudia M. Watts Photography Editor : Lafayette Barnes IV Layout Design : Lafayette Barnes IV Art & Photography : Courtesy Contributing Writers : Sam P.K. Collins, Marcus K. Dowling, Cher Cherrelle Swain, Claudia M. Watts Editor :

Letter from the Editor From workplace dynamics to personal relationships, politics are a framework of human interaction. And, like anything else, there is good, bad, and ugly. When it comes to our government, I have always focused more on the ugly, the unending cycle of broken promises, restrictive policies, and questionable characters with more often than not, self-serving intentions. It’s hard not to go down that road given our history as a country, especially considering Covid-19’s exacerbation of long-standing socioeconomic inequities, fallacies, and tensions.

Though in the same breath, I’d be remiss to ignore the good and importance of being civically engaged. Leaders who embrace diversity, exude compassion, integrity, and possess a vision for a brighter future are the embers that keep the fire of democracy alive. Through strategy, timing, and relationships, progress is achievable.

Our May edition focuses on …you guessed it. Politics! This month, we bring you millennial, democratic, candidates to consider for June’s primary, and examine how D.C. statehood or the lack thereof is impacting you. We also chat with Kristin Turner about the “glass ceiling” and her experience working on Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign. Guest writer Barrett Pitner gives us a dose of philosophy as he breaks down the idea of Ethnocide and its role in the handling of Covid-19. We explore what it’s been like campaigning during a pandemic and take a trip inside the mind of the black male independent voter.

You don’t have to die but, please do vote.

Best, Claudia M. Watts

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ND OF THE | INSIDE THE MIND OF THE | INSIDE THE MIND OF THE Words

Sam P.K. Collins | IG: sampkcollins

UNDECIDED

UNIMPRESSED

BLACK MALE INDEPENDENT VOTER On June 2nd, the nearly one out of four District voters who didn’t register with the Democratic Party will miss a chance to participate in primary contests that, in a majority-blue city, will most likely determine the winners of the November general election.

While staunch proponents of Democratic electoral politics bemoan such a stance, many independent voters, including local attorney and District native Ikechukwu Umez-Eronini, contend that the Democratic Party, in all levels of government, has done very little to advance Black people’s economic and social interests.

In defending that sentiment, Umez-Eronini, a Northwest resident, points to the nearly 20 years of gentrification and mass displacement under Democratic mayors and a majority-Democratic D.C. Council that has made even him, a young professional with a decent salary, question whether to purchase property in his hometown.

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THE | INSIDE THE MIND OF THE | INSIDE THE MIND OF THE

“How do I stop this in the voting booth? Who would I go and talk to?

The answer is nobody. You perpetuate the answer of nobody if you continue to participate in something and no one is answering to what you prioritize,” said Umez-Eronini, 27.

Um Umez-Eronini adopted this mindset during what he recounted as a series of disappointments throughout President Barack Obama’s first term. During the 2012 election, Umez-Eronini, then a first-time voter, wrote in himself as his choice for president. Four years later, he, along with several thousand others, forwent voting altogether out of a belief that no candidate established themselves as significantly beneficial to Black people.

“You want to vote because of this narrative that participating is revolutionary, [but] Lyndon B. Johnson attached certain promises to what the [Black] vote meant,” Umez-Eronini said. “People don’t do that anymore.”

Data from the Pew Research Center suggests that a growing group of independent voters doesn’t only include those who registered as such, but voters within the two major political parties who designate themselves as such because of certain issue areas. Both groups of independent voters, the total of which outnumbers registered Democrats and Republicans, could be pivotal in battleground states where former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are neck and neck.

This had been the case in 2012 when independents of various races solidified victory for President Obama in his reelection campaign. In the eyes of many progressives within the Democratic Party, such unification didn’t realize the vision of a party that would reject neoliberalism and centrism. That situation, in turn, fermented schisms within the Democratic Party that eased then-reality television star Donald J. Trump's journey to the Oval Office in 2016.

In the District, the demographic shifts and elections that brought white self-avowed progressives to the D.C. Council called into question, even for a second, the future of Black political representation in what was once known as Chocolate City. While most Black people might see more non-Black people in seats of power as a loss of agency, others have long argued that Black politicians have been the ones implementing policies that precipitated D.C.’s economic schism. A 2018 lawsuit that Southeast-based attorney Ari Theresa on behalf of more than two dozen people makes this assertion, pointing to the admini administrations of D.C. Mayor Bowser, and former D.C. Mayors Adrian Fenty and Anthony Williams, the D.C. zoning commission and other local agencies as key actors in the erasure of affordable family-sized homes in exchange for accommodations that attracted the single, multi-ethnic transient market.

The conflict between racial allegiance and ideology arose in 2018 when local entrepreneur Dionne Reeder unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I - At large) in a contest that revealed, in part, the electorate’s frustration with the forces that Silverman, a Jewish woman from Baltimore and critic of big business, prided herself on combatting.

In this current D.C. Democratic Primary contest, incumbent councilmembers in Wards 4, 7, and 8 face challengers of various backgrounds on a mission to disrupt the politics of personality and prestige.

Some of these challengers, particularly Janeese Lewis George of Ward 4 and Anthony Lorenzo Green of Ward 7, have courted progressive forces on the issues of government accountability, housing affordability, aging in place for seniors, and police brutality.

With less than two weeks left before the June 2 primary, Ward 5 resident and third-generation Washingtonian James Privette is still in the throes of research about the candidates on the ballot for the At large Democratic primary contest. Privette, a registered Democrat with an independent flair, said he’s looking at all candidates on the general election ballot through the prism of access to economic development, an issue he tackles in his daily work.

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BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN

Words Claudia M. Watts | IG: callmeclaud

Presidential Elections, Local Politics and Breaking the Glass Ceiling Roughly two years ago, while getting a crash course in D.C. politics, I had the great fortune of running into Kristin Turner. I was standing in the vestibule of Truxton Inn, welcoming visitors to a “meet and greet” when she walked through the doors of its dreary saloon motif with the brightest of smiles. As the featured candidate began to outline his platform, I noticed his disconnect with the audience. They were listening, but they weren’t exactly receiving his message.

Out of nowhere, a clear voice spoke up from the crowd. She too sensed the confusion and before I could realize what was happening, she’d simplified his platform into digestible points, bringing the audience back to attention. Who was this warm spirit and agile mind? I’d spend the next two years finding out, building a friendship that ultimately allowed me to ask for this interview.

Since Sin finishing her law degree at Harvard University, Kristin’s professional path has been unconventional. Moving between roles based on personal ideals and desired growth instead of external expectation. She has taught Spanish at St. John’s College High School, worked for a legal tech nonprofit and most recently, served as lead for national ballot access and voter protection on the Warren for President campaign.

I spoke with Kristin, fresh off the trail, to learn about her experience working for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (E.W.), the future of women in politics, and her take on our political climate, locally and nationally.

CW: How would you describe your understanding of politics before signing on to work with E.W. and how would you describe it CW after? What was your most valuable take away?

KT: Before joining the Warren campaign, I think I understood politics to be a long debate over our social well-being: people having different feelings about how exactly it looks and what steps we should take to achieve it. I considered myself to be your run-of-the-mill, civically engaged citizen — I read and watched the news daily and kept up with the chatter coming from different pundits and writers in mainstream media.

After the campaign? **sigh** I mean, I still see politics as a debate over our social well-being — and, one that is more necessary than ever. And, I think I was extremely fortunate to experience a campaign and “politics'' through the lens of a candidate who has a very strong sense of self and personal ethos. Sometimes, to the extent that she was penalized for it. But, I think working on a campaign like that gave me a really unique opportunity to see politics both for what it is -and- for what it could be. What I mean by that is — working on E.W.’s campaign helped me to see that no matter how thorough, competent, and clear she was, there were still people who would listen more to what others had to say about her versus what she specifically said herself.

In light of that, the most valuable takeaway is almost cliche to say -- know who you are, be who you are, because someone will find a way to dislike you, regardless.

CW: Were you optimistic about winning, or was it more about the learning experience?

KT: Um, as an undying optimist, I’d have to say both. But, I mostly signed on for the learning experience because that’s just usually how I try to build out and navigate my professional life. And, once I got there? Wow. I learned so, so much.

CW: How so?

KT: I feel like you have to be a weird blend of an optimist and a realist to do that kind of work. You know? Because it’s a space where —not just the possibility— but the likelihood is that you won’t succeed. Everyone knows that going in and still signs their name on the dotted line despite. That’s the beauty in it to me though: holding space for the idea of better, even if most people call it doubtful or naive.

To work on a campaign -- whether electoral or issue-based -- you have to be enough of an optimist to blow up your life, move, be away from your family, and work brutally long hours with no weekends — all because you think that there’s an opportunity for more. Yet, on the other hand, you have to be enough of a realist to be able to honestly say that it might not work out and you’re still fine committing to the cause, regardless. That’s just what it is. And, though I know that there are some people who work in politics for the glory of winning, I think there are many people who do the work [who] are just trying to move the ball forward. I ha have endless respect for those people and I’m so lucky I was able to be surrounded by so many of them on the campaign.

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CW: We understand the overarching implications of why we haven’t seen a woman as president, but what do you think it will take to break through this glass ceiling? Is there a certain “type” of woman you believe has a better chance of winning over another?

KT: No, there’s absolutely no “type” of woman that I see as having a better chance of winning over another. I think it’s more so about getting people to actually vote for who they think is the best person for the job versus who they think their neighbor is likely or unlikely to vote for.

At this point, “electability” (a word that I really hope dies soon) is more about people’s own biases and less about the candidate who is actually running. America has a history of drinking it’s own revisionist kool-aid about “what is,” “what isn’t,” “what has happened” and “what will happen” and that tendency has repeatedly led to some pretty horrifying results. Especially with regard to politics, if we can’t look at 2016, the effect of the Trump administration over the past three years, the strained 2020 primary cycle, and the disastrous and lethal handling of this COVID crisis and say “maybe we should try something different” then I’m not sure wh what it will take to break the glass ceiling. But continuing to make the same self-sabotaging decisions after seeing grim outcomes is asinine to me. Isn’t that the definition of insanity?

Anyway, I think the lesson here for women is to definitely stop contorting themselves into the small boxes and paradigms that people want to put us in. Those small boxes led us here and-- the reality is -- a lot of our elected “leaders” have proven to actually be followers. So, at this point? We’d be best served by unapologetically putting forth our new voices and fresh visions. It’s time to change the game. All you have to do is stop taking questions.

CW: Given your exposure to politics at such a high level, let's talk about apathy, the role it’s played in creating our current climate and the importance of the upcoming elections both locally and nationally -- especially considering the economic implications and realizations of Covid-19?

KT KT: Wow. Yeah, I think that’s a pretty fair diagnosis. Apathy is probably the root of most of the problems we’re currently dealing with. I can certainly understand a lot of the frustrations and feelings of apathy that are being expressed by voters. Especially those who feel that their votes have historically been taken for granted or that their communities have been pandered to in an effort to obtain their votes but then forgotten and disrespected in the off years. Establishment politics have had somewhat of a lethargic approach to tackling big issues: universal healthcare, wealth inequality and inequity, criminal justice reform, climate change, etc.

And all of these issues are existential. They literally hold people’s lives in the balance and oftentimes, like we’re seeing now on a pretty devastatingly large scale, cost lives unnecessarily.

Voter apathy, to me, is a direct result of feeling like no matter how overt the assaults are on our communities (whether that’s as Black/Latinx, poor and working poor, lgbtq+, women voters etc) and how much people cry out for help, that those cries won’t be heard in favor of honoring weird and outdated political pastimes. The more that politicians remain apathetic and drag their feet about meeting the moment in confronting these challenges, the more voters lose sight of the understanding that government is a mechanism designed to work for the people.

Especially after experiencing something like COVID, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t take all of these lessons to heart to make sure that nobody is left behind in the future and that we take the necessary steps to care for one another when it matters most-whether that’s proper healthcare, PPE, payroll protections, rent and mortgage relief etc. We have to start thinking differently about what our priorities are and how to ensure that we protect certain qualities of life no matter what.

CW: Returning to D.C. in the height of an election season, what has been your most striking observation? What are your thoughts on having so many millennial-aged candidates across races?

KT: KT Oddly, I think my most striking observation is that there’s not actually a ton to observe. (eek!) Even though, yes, we’re in the height of an election season, Covid-19 has really upended the traditional ways that campaigns operate. Any and all campaigns rely on direct voter contact and engagement. Covid-19 has essentially stripped campaigns — and society— of the ability to directly connect with people. We’re not allowed to knock on doors, shake hands, or gather in groups. Though it’s been great to see so many campaigns quickly pivot into online forums, there’s no denying that it’s not an ideal substitute — especially given that we’re in the crucial final months of a cycle and how obviously high the stakes are across the board.

When it comes to some of the candidates, I’m so here for millennials running! I think it’s way overdue and much needed. It takes a lot to be in public service and in leadership. It can be really thankless. With the stakes this high and the needs of many being so complex and intersectional, we need new perspectives to interpret across all of these different audiences and to think outside the box when it comes to our most pressing challenges. So, if you see a young candidate, please engage with them! Look into their platforms, ask them questions, share their content, or volunteer (!!) because every little bit counts and campaigns don’t work without the people. It’s as simple as that.

CW: CW Who are your top 3 Democratic vice presidential predictions and why?

KT: Ha! I’m going to keep my predictions to myself -- as I’m not sure they do all too much. I just hope that whoever the Biden team ultimately picks is conscientious about the challenges the country and the party faced prior to Trump and is serious about being honest and innovative about how to solve them.

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how to campaign in a pandemic

Words Marcus K. Dowling | IG: marcuskdowling

Photography Lafayette Barnes IV | IG: lafayette4dc

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how to campaign in a pandemic

"I want to embody the leadership I aspire to attain,” Democratic candidate Marcus Goodwin replied, proudly and confidently, when asked about the state of his At-Large D.C. Council campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This era is a time that truly tests people who want to be servants of the people. I'm stepping up to serve and help people in need.”

Up until June 2nd, D.C. residents -- while mailing in their ballot or practicing safe social distancing at polling places -- will not only place a vote for an At-Large councilmember, but some congressional representatives, and council members from Wards 2,4,7, and 8. For the District’s 2020 election candidates, political contests like this in times of grave socioeconomic uncertainty create unforeseen obstacles.

However, these impediments have yielded inventive, sustainable solutions that benefit the city's frighteningly at-risk population. By consistently reaching out to a well-engaged base of potential constituents, some contenders, like Yilin Zhang, a Democratic candidate for the Ward 2 D.C. Council seat, have excelled.

"Around "A mid-March, D.C. started to see more closures due to the pandemic. In the weeks that followed, we suspended door-to-door canvassing. We did not do direct campaigning and did not ask for donations," says Zhang. "After we started our virtual candidate forums, my team and I focused on exploring more virtual channels. For example, we've launched Facebook live broadcasts so that we can continue to reach, engage, and connect with more voters and answer questions. We have also released informational videos," she adds.

Continuing, Zhang notes the aggressive push to encourage significant citizen engagement that made her a standout. "On our Facebook live broadcasts, we invite guests and have organic conversations,” she said. “[A]nd conversations have the power to be the building blocks to developing and moving forward collaborative solutions. Our focus is on communicating creatively and through multiple channels with the community."

While yes, online outreach is an obvious necessity, there's still the notion to consider that many District residents are not digital natives, and thus -- though potentially dangerous -- require socially-distanced, real-time, person-to-person engagement.

This has fast become a notable trademark of Goodwin's efforts during the 2020 election cycle. "I'm very good at digital interaction, email, and social media. Even phone calls and text messages,” he told The Bridge. “But I've been making a point to be outside and active within the community once a week, mainly volunteering."

Breaking down the importance of human-to-human, molecular-level campaigning, Goodwin continues, "people still need clothes, people need to eat, they need shelter."

Both Zhang and Goodwin note a need to remove high-minded notions from the 2020 race and strongly focus on delivering core deliverables that can aid the day-to-day existence of D.C. residents. "It is about involving our residents in policy making,” Zhang said.

“I believe everyone should have a voice heard in our democracy, and a council member's only priority is the community she serves."

Zhang bottom lines her point with a direct call to action. "I want to aid Ward 2 and the city in developing the infrastructure to find long-term solutions for our residents experiencing homelessness and finding relief for our local, small businesses."

Goodwin's platform has similarly simplified. In a manner befitting someone running for an At-Large seat, he sounds more like an ombudsperson seeking to investigate and resolve complaints. "We're still trying to assess what constituents need, and what kind of help we can provide them.”

He ends with a salient point. "Solving problems by providing access to the proper resources can demonstrate your value as a potential representative of their interests."

By the June primary, the United States could be faced with 30 percent unemployment. The District could also still be an epicenter of this nation’s COVID-19 contagion. Difficult as these times may seem, it's with intellect and courage that our hopeful-to-be-elected officials have carried out their campaigns.

"The scale of this is unprecedented. Nobody could've predicted this. Cities across the world have shut down," Goodwin notes after pausing to reflect on the events of the last four months. Impressively though, he's still prepared to soldier into the great unknown, to which the coronavirus-impacted world bears witness, daily. "We're all still shocked, but we're living through this new normal."

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trayon white Ward 8 council member

janeese lewis george candidate ward 4 city council

Words

Cherrelle Swain | @thecherrelleshow

Young, Black, and Getting It Five Millennial Washingtonians Seeking D.C. Council Seats in the Democratic Primary Election

mike austin candidate ward 8 city council

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veda rasheed candidate ward 7 city council

anthony lorenzo green candidate ward 7 city council

Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White “Don’t Just Stand There, Do Something!”

About: Councilmember Trayon White is a proud father, community advocate, and humanitarian. He has served the Ward 8 community as a consistent leader, advocate and legislator.

On the Issues: Councilmember White, elected in 2016, has shown a commitment to addressing inequity in the District’s education and healthcare systems. He is considered a champion of the people, highlighting issues of affordable housing and access to employment. He has been outspoken about gun violence while urging his colleagues in the D.C. Government to make substantial investments in critical response efforts.

Councilmember White has introduced legislation to increase funding for at-risk public schools, and decriminalize fare evasion, while securing hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for Ward 8 small businesses. In the wake of the novel coronavirus, Councilmember White has pa passionately provided support and relief. On countless occasions, alongside other masked members of the community, he has delivered food and other essential items to Ward 8’s most vulnerable residents. Through these consistent actions, on the ground and on the council floor, Councilmember White has earned the trust of community members.

Janeese Lewis George : Candidate for the Ward 4 D.C. Council Seat An independent voice who will fight for accountability, affordability, and equity.

About: George is a third-generation Washingtonian, experienced attorney, community advocate, Democratic Party activist, and civil servant. She has spent her life fighting for her neighbors.

On the Issues: George’s campaign platform highlights the connection between problems in education, housing, climate, health, and safety. She puts education at the forefront saying, “We have one path for students whose families have the network and net worth to get them into the right programs and the right schools, and another path for those who don’t.” George is committed to pushing legislation that expands funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund, raises the ceiling on homebuyer assistance programs, and takes bold action to expand housing protections like li rent control. She plans to boldly confront violence and crime by adopting a public health approach. She also supports taking on domestic violence perpetrators, getting guns off of our streets, fully implementing the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, and keeping ICE out of our communities. D.C. often ranks as one of the “fittest cities” in America — but not for Black residents. George plans to tackle health inequity by speaking out in support of patient safety, quality care, public investment, and safe hospital staffing.

Mike Austin : Candidate for the Ward 8 D.C. Council Seat It’s #NowOrNever for Ward 8 to solve our urgent challenges.

About: Mike Austin is a fourth-generation Washingtonian, attorney, and public servant who chairs ANC 8C in Congress Heights.

On the Issues: Austin is challenging incumbent Councilmember Trayon White. His platform focuses on challenges facing Ward 8, like investments in schools, attracting responsible development, and strengthening the workforce through strong employers training and employing Ward 8 residents. According to Austin’s campaign website, “Ward 8 residents have a life expectancy that’s 15 years less than Ward 3 residents, and have less access to healthy food options than every other Ward.” As Ward 8 council member, Austin would be committed to fighting for healthier food options and better healthcare policies, including the delivery of a new trauma hospital east of the Anacostia River.

Veda Rasheed : Candidate for the Ward 7 D.C. Council Seat The Change We Need About: ANC Commissioner Veda Rasheed was born and raised in Ward 7. She is a mom of two, an attorney, and community activist whose first priority is serving Ward 7 with unflinching integrity and resolve.

On the Issues: Rasheed is challenging Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray. She is an advocate for schools being kept in good repair, making resources available for teachers and students, and holding teachers and students to high standards. Her platform also revolves around increasing access to elder care facilities and assisted living facilities, and providing more resources for those who wish to continue to live independently.

Like other candidates, and Ward 7 community members at large, gun violence is a top issue for Rasheed. She said she plans to take a holistic approach, urging public-health strategies that treat violence like a disease that can be interrupted, treated, and stopped from spreading. While app the rest of the District experiences economic growth, Rasheed remains concerned that Ward 7 continues to fall behind on job creation. To fight this, she plans to attract new industries and small businesses to Ward 7 and improve transportation in order to ease travel to that part of the District.

Anthony Lorenzo Green : Candidate for the Ward 7 D.C. Council Seat Accountable, Trustworthy, And An Unapologetic Fighter For All About: ANC Commissioner Anthony Lorenzo Green is a third-generation Washingtonian, born and raised in Ward 7’s Deanwood community by his grandmother.

On the Issues: Green is an advocate for radical evidence-based solutions to intra-community violence, tackling police brutality and the affordable housing crisis, and ensuring seasoned citizens are able to age in place. He is outspoken on the lack of full-service grocery stores in Far Southeast. Green has expressed a commitment to creating an inclusive food community and bringing more grocery stores to Ward 7. His plans include investing in grocery co-operatives, expanding food access programs, and supporting community-created urban growing spaces. If elected, he hopes to address the maternal health crisis in Washington D.C., where Black women, and women earning lower than average incomes, lack access a to quality preventative and prenatal care. Green also supports the full implementation of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, which promotes an evidence-based, community-focused and public health intervention and prevention model to reduce crime. On his campaign website he calls community members to consciousness, saying “With a rise in violent crime in Ward 7, it is imperative that we address the root causes of violence and treat it as a public health crisis.”

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