Christopher Peak Photo
Gary Highsmith.
(Opinion)— New Haven’s mayoral primary has all the makings of a close race. Not only is the race likely to be very close, but it is critically important that African-American voters use our votes wisely. One way in which we can exercise our vote wisely is by resisting the urge to engage in racial identity politics because it is clear to even the most casual observer that doing so has given politicians of all ethnic groups license to take our votes for granted.
It is a hard pill to swallow, but African-American communities in cities and towns across the country have repeatedly failed to exhibit the political sophistication necessary to think beyond the candidates’ race by closely examining their records. New Haven’s Black community is no exception to this recurring political thinking and behavior. While this is not true of all African-Americans, it is true of too many of us who are willing to overlook the failings of African-Americans in leadership positions because, as the saying goes, “White leaders mess up all the time and they are not held accountable.”
While all leaders must be held accountable, we have to be more sophisticated or we risk supporting candidates just because they are Black, and the results of such a mindset should be obvious to us.
Full disclosure: For most of my adult life, I believed in the necessity of racial identity politics. I was so frustrated with the lack of African-Americans in positions of authority in New Haven’s city government that I just wanted Black people to be elected. In other words, I lacked the political sophistication necessary to consider that the racial identity politics in which I engaged were the problem and not the solution. Rest assured that I no longer have that problem.
To be clear, I can resist the urge to engage in racial identity politics and still choose to vote for and support an African-American because he or she has policy proposals or ideas that are aligned with my own thinking. But that’s the point —a candidate of any ethnicity can be the best candidate, and if I choose not to support the African-American candidate, I don’t do so just to make a point; I do so because that candidate’s track record, policy positions, or thinking is not aligned with my own.
Which is why I have chosen to support Justin Elicker for Mayor of New Haven.
I met with and talked to Justin, understanding his proposals. I have talked with people I know who are supporting him and read the many newspaper articles and considered his record as an alder in New Haven. Justin’s thinking about how city government should operate — and in whose interest it should operate — led me to support him.
I haven’t made this decision lightly. Mayor Harp made history as the first woman and just the second African-American to be elected Mayor of New Haven, and that achievement was and is monumental. However, that achievement is insufficient as a reason for anyone to continue to support her.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: I was a finalist for the Superintendency in New Haven Public Schools. I didn’t get the job. Mayor Harp did not support me or Dr. Pamela Brown, she supported Dr. Carol Birks. I will let others decide whether or not that was a good decision. This isn’t my attempt to pay her back for that, because I am a grown-up who can take defeat in stride, dust myself off, and keep things moving. However, I remain concerned about the people Mayor Harp allows to influence her decision-making.
I am also extremely concerned about how city workers like Nicole Jefferson and others have been treated during Mayor Harp’s tenure. Such decisions will certainly end up costing us taxpayers millions of dollars. City government is not just a function of what is written in the city charter; it is also about all the people who work in it.
Not only do Mayor Harp’s personnel decisions leave a lot to be desired, but her decision to raise taxes in a city with so many residents who struggle to make ends meet is deeply concerning.
I am hopeful that African-American voters will question our own assumptions about what we consider when we are voting for candidates. I understand that many of us may feel as though we are betraying history by not voting for Toni Harp. But let’s be clear — the historical obligation we have is not just to vote, but to be informed and sophisticated voters who consider factors other than the race of the candidate when we vote. I like to think I am living up to my historical obligation by voting for the best candidate. And in this election, Justin Elicker is that candidate.
Gary, you not only WERE the best candidate but still ARE. If not for school Super, then for Mayor. Though your conclusion does not take into account the Yale influence behind Elicker, the courage of your position cannot be overlooked. Your activity in New Haven is most welcome.