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First elected black governor returns to politics
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- A decade after he served as the nation's first black elected governor, L. Douglas Wilder is back in politics in the community where his civic rise began. Wilder, 72, is pushing a referendum on Tuesday's ballot to have Richmond's mayor chosen in a citywide election rather than be appointed by the City Council. The proposal has taken on racial overtones, creating an uproar among some black leaders in the former capital of the Confederacy. Critics, including Virginia's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, say the change could violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act that helped blacks get political representation.
They fear it would allow a heavily financed white candidate to become the chief executive of a city that is nearly 60 percent black and has had a majority-black council since 1977. Supporters argue it would revive a city troubled by rising crime rates and economic woes and clean up what Wilder called a "cesspool of corruption and inefficiency." Two council members were indicted this year on federal charges. One resigned after pleading guilty in a tax evasion case and another is awaiting trial on bribery charges. Wilder, the grandson of slaves who served as Virginia's governor from 1990 to 1994, said he is standing for what he thinks is right despite the criticism that a black man is behind what has been attacked as a racist proposal. "I hope it will be the legacy of the people in Richmond who decided not to play the race card," he said. "You can't hide behind race forever." Wilder, who grew up in Richmond's Church Hill section, said he got tired of the city suffering from a lack of accountability and decided it was time to get involved. "For too long I have remained on the sidelines," he said. "This city has given me everything I've ever had."
If nothing else, the lively, almost daily, debate has demonstrated that Wilder's influence continues to be felt in his native city, even though he has moved to a nearby, rural county on the James River. John Moeser, professor of urban studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, said that if the measure passes and heads to the state legislature for final approval, it would add to Wilder's already considerable legacy. The charter change would be the first in the city since 1948. The debate began in August when referendum supporters secured more than 12,000 signatures of registered voters to get the measure on the ballot, nearly twice the number needed. Since then, daily news conferences and speculation that a "race war" could break out have made the pages and newscasts of local media. Speaking before the anti-referendum Richmond Crusade of Voters, a black civic organization, Wilder came to the defense of the so-called "12,000 racists and Uncle Toms" who want the change.
Richmond Mayor Rudy McCollum has said the proposal fails to address some of the city's biggest challenges, including perceived inequities in the state's tax system and Richmond's inability to annex land from surrounding counties. "I don't care if the mayor is elected or appointed. He will still be handcuffed with the same kinds of limitations," McCollum said. Kathy Thompson, assistant professor of political science at the University of Richmond, said racist claims taint the real issue -- the city's need for a strong leader, not a figurehead. "Think about how Atlanta, with Maynard Jackson, succeeded," Thompson said. "What his leadership did for a predominantly black city and the surrounding counties, they became prosperous."
Nearly half of all U.S. cities, including San Diego, Dallas and Phoenix, have run well under the council-manager form that Richmond uses, said Michele Frisby, spokeswoman for the International City-County Management Association in Washington, D.C. Most city managers have advanced degrees and years of experience, while elected officials only need to have the "political wherewithal," Frisby said. At a news conference at City Hall, six black elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Robert C. Scott, scoffed at the proposal, saying it will not likely survive federal scrutiny even if it passes. Virginia is one of seven states that must have any voting changes approved by the U.S. Justice Department because of their history of racial discrimination. "There are holes big enough in this plan to drive a truck through it," Scott said. Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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For too long I have remained on the sidelines. This city has given me everything I've ever had.
