Bert
Lance, former director of the Office of Management and Budget during President Jimmy
Carter’s administration, popularized the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix
it.” That’s the best way to describe Durham’s city council Ward 1 municipal
election.
DeDreanna Freeman defeated long-time incumbent Cora Cole McFadden on November 7,
2017. She didn’t receive the endorsement of the Durham Committee on the Affairs
of Black People. They backed popular homegrown McFadden who served faithfully
as Mayor Bill Bell’s Mayor Pro Tempore. Freeman received the endorsement of
People’s Alliance in a battle that labeled her as a potential pawn of the
liberal, mostly white political action committee.
Four
years later, the script has been flipped with challenger Marion Teniade
Johnson potentially receiving the endorsement of People’s Alliance while
Freeman garners the overwhelming backing of the Durham Committee on the Affairs
of Black People. Freeman proves many of her critics wrong when she consistently
joins Ward 3 Councilman Mark-Anthony Middleton in votes opposed by Jillian
Johnson, Javiera Cabellero and Charlie Reece.
Both
Freeman and Johnson prove the unreliability of perception. Some members of
People’s Alliance may feel compelled to pay Freeman back for failing to honor
their wishes. Members of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People
fear Johnson’s motives in running for city council. Is she being used by Johnson,
who is perceived to be the master mind behind a hostile takeover of local
government?
Perceptions,
perceptions, perceptions. Separating the facts from the outrageous fiction is
part of Durham’s endorsement game. Most residents are protected from a plot
that reads like a season of House of Cards. It matters because of the
power of local political action committees. My task in offering my Ward 1
endorsement was in separating the facts from the fiction.
I
begin with stating my most obvious conclusion. Johnson is a rising star in local politics.
She’s intelligent, familiar with how city governance works and incredibly
passionate. I’m inspired by the why behind her desire to run for elected office.
The fiction involves her lack of agency in constructing a platform. She has integrity
to stand on her own without the intrusion of other members of the city council.
The
truth presents a troubling unmovable object. Johnson is negatively impacted by
the perception of the other Johnson – Jillian – holding power on the city
council. The powerplay in endorsing A.J. Williams for Ward 3, Cabellero for
Mayor added to Johnson being endorsed for Ward 1 by the Bully City Together coalition
(Johnson, Cabellero, Reece) hinders the merit of her ability to think and vote
without intrusion.
I’m
impressed by Johnson’s ability to communicate her personal vision. She’s a
progressive capable of bringing much needed nuance to conversations regarding
law enforcement. Many voters are dissuaded by the Bull City Together coalition’s
unwillingness to concede the concerns of residents impacted by escalating gun
violence. The call to not fund adding police officers is a heated topic that
promises to sway the outcome of the election.
Marion Teniade Johnson needs more time to fully introduce herself to the
citizens of Durham. Her time is coming, but things aren’t broken in Ward 1.
DeDreanna
Freeman has overcome the criticism from 2017. She’s known by the residents of
Ward 1. She’s a leader in conversations involving antiracism as the Co-chair of
Episcopalians United Against Racism. She’s worked on creating opportunities and
support of businesses owned by women, Black, indigenous, and people of color.
She’s a vocal supporter of the city CROWN Resolution that ended discrimination
based on hair styles in Durham and across North Carolina. She collaborated with
Durham County government to implement a Cure Violence Public Health Model that
provides violence interrupters. She’s addressed environmental justice by
supporting a cost share program to clean-up local watersheds, protecting
watersheds from overdevelopment, and engaging in community-rooted efforts to
clean up waterways. Freeman is doing the work in representing residents in
North East Central Durham.
There
are two other candidates on the ballot for City Council Ward 1. Elizabeth Takla
mysteriously dropped out after the ballot was set to be presented to voters.
Waldo Fenner is best known for the frivolous lawsuit he filed against former
Mayor Bill Bell, the former city manager, chief of police, three judges
(including mayoral candidate Elaine O’Neal), former District Attorney Michael
Nifong and his predecessor Tracey Cline. We can move on without a discussion
regarding why I failed to say more involving Fenner.
Freeman’s
work in promoting antiracism may be her most important contribution to the
citizens of Durham. During extreme hostility following the termination of
Durham County Manager Wendell Davis, Freeman brought clarity and focus.
If
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Next up, Ward 2
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