I hate doing it, but I must call bullshit on Heidi Carter’s statement to the press following the release of the report involving allegations made by County Manager Wendell Davis (for details read the previous blog).
She begins with a reconciling message. I found myself waving my hands in the air ready to sing “I surrender all”. I felt like the battle was over. Then I had to stop to consider the impact of perception. This is not an apology. This is a victory lap.
“First and foremost, I am grateful for the investigator's conclusions that my words and actions were not racially discriminatory or motivated by racial bias,” wait, no mention of the impact of perception? “This has been difficult for all involved, and I am glad to have this investigation behind us and to be cleared of the accusations of racist behavior. I am eager to move ahead on issues of education, health, economic security, environmental sustainability and racial equity.”
Three things happened to disrupt my kumbaya moment. Strike one, there is no apology directed specifically at Davis. I needed to hear her say I’m sorry for attacking Mr. Davis.
“It's so important to me to foster a positive relationship between the Board and our dedicated County staff members,” true that, I thought. Surely, the apology to Davis is coming. A shout out to all the staff matters, but Davis is the one hurt publicly. “As Commissioners, we often need to ask questions of our staff, and I appreciate the data, expertise and insights they provide.”
It didn’t happen. That’s strike one. Strike two is the double down. After correctly naming the impact of her white privilege, Carter claims the attacks against her follows a historical pattern of sexism.
“This report makes clear that there is more work to do to build a positive, effective relationship between elected officials and County staff, and I am committed to contributing to that Women leaders have long been criticized for their tone. It is disappointing but familiar to have some individuals describe my advocacy as "abrasive" or "acidic" and to hear requests to "do something to get Commissioner Carter under control". Women who are advocating for their priorities and principles do not need to be controlled or moderated, and the degree to which these sexist undertones continue to permeate our conversations is disturbing.”
Can a sister help me out? Let me be clear, I’m not happy about being the one to call bullshit on Carter’s double down. There is truth in her statement. It is true that women are often attacked for tone. Carter is correct to advocate on behalf of women. The bullshit is in how her statement normalizes her actions in a way that negates her apology to the staff.
Carter is not apologizing for how her comments are perceived. She’s condoning her tone as a witness of woman empowerment. That’s strike two.
Strike three is an age-old tactic. Carter attempts to rally Black women to support her position.
“I was also deeply concerned that leaders of color in Durham, particularly women of color, who vouched for my commitment and my character, were harassed for their statements of support,” that’s strike three.
The Black people, and specifically the Black women, who vouched for Carter weren’t attacked based on gender. They were attacked for supporting behavior perceived by many to be racist. Black residents of Durham were incensed over what appeared to be an orchestrated effort to verify Carter not being racist by rallying a group of A-list Black friends. It’s the old trope of “I’m not racist, some of my best friends are Black.”
Carter’s challenge for people to back off her Black friends is an attempt to further normalize what is perceived by many to be racist. This is not an apology. This is a declaration of innocence with a statement aimed at reconciling relationships with other staff members and her critics.
Carter claims she is committed “to uncovering and confronting unconscious bias in my work, to understanding and addressing these unintended impacts, and to advocating for anti-racist policies to improve the lives of marginalized communities.” I’m not judging if that’s true. I’m certain Carter intends to do the right thing.
The problem is with what is missing in her statement along with how it normalizes her actions.
As a fan of baseball, I like playing by the rules – three strike, you’re out. Sorry, it’s time for you to go.
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