tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35977419.post4182751170359969871..comments2023-08-19T06:36:16.096-04:00Comments on James River Maven: Race-Based Politics? In Richmond?Bert Berlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13475537924353776378noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35977419.post-58346248420252649492009-01-05T11:43:00.000-05:002009-01-05T11:43:00.000-05:00I am afraid race still matters. I was the only Afr...I am afraid race still matters. I was the only African American who was willing to go on record in opposition to an all ward election system for City Council. I argued that a majority of Council should have to listen to all citizens. I said have 5 districts and 4 at large. That way 5 of the nine council members would have to listen to voters accross the City. And it would mean that the 4 best qualified candidates could be elected regardless of where they lived.<BR/>No one paid any attention to my logic. The total focus was on more blacks on City Council. So we got the "Balkanization" of the City and "the cesspool of corruption."<BR/>When I ran for School Board, the general consensus was that Algenon Brown, Melvin Law and I were well qualified, but only one of us could be elected because we live in the same district. I would have stood a better chance if I could have run for one of four at large seats as opposed to running against a former school board chairman and a veteran public schools educator.<BR/>But back to the issue of race. My hypothesis is that race is related to clan, tribe, nation etc. It flows from the need to find security in group membership. And of course there is the long history of American racism.<BR/>So yes "Race Matters"; transcending it is a long slow process. But there now some very obvious signs of progress towards that day "when we will be judged by the content of our character rather than the color of our skin."<BR/>Preston M YancyPreston M. Yancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00580391411481873450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35977419.post-76987957704069090502009-01-05T10:22:00.000-05:002009-01-05T10:22:00.000-05:00For more concrete examples of "Race Based Politics...For more concrete examples of "Race Based Politics" look at the <A HREF="http://www.nationalatlas.gov/asp/cd_popups.asp?imgFile=../printable/images/preview/congdist/VA03_110.gif&imgw=750&imgh=452" REL="nofollow">gerrymandered district</A> of Bobby Scott which is only connected by long wide stretches of the James River or the Rorschach Test view of <A HREF="http://chpn.net/news/2009/01/04/special-election-on-tuesday/" REL="nofollow">70th District</A> seat of our new mayor.Paul Hammondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00672123256678811134noreply@blogger.com