We believe that racial justice is on the ballot this year in Worcester’s municipal elections. This is enormously important to both of us, because we seek social structures that are equitable where all of us can flourish together. For many of us, especially those of us who can pass as white, events of recent years have resulted in newly emerging or growing awareness of the power and impact of white supremacy in US society. Institutional policies and practices that advantage white people have long been obvious to most people of color. While we remain multi-issue active and concerned progressives, our message this year consciously places a lens of racial equity at the center of our recommendations.
Our recommendations, in a nutshell:
Joe Petty
Guillermo Creamer
Thu Nguyen
Joe Petty
(We
also urge you to NOT vote for Moe Bergman, Donna Colorio, and Kate Toomey.)
Sean Rose in District 1
Johanna Hampton-Dance in District 2
George Russell (unopposed) in District 3
Sarai Rivera (unopposed) in District 4
Etel Haxhiaj in District 5
Sue Coghlin Mailman
Molly McCullough
Tracy O’Connell Novick
During the last couple of years many of us have struggled to
get our minds around how racial injustice is systemic, and how it plays out in
our own communities. Like many of you,
we have engaged in a learning process.
For us, it didn’t start so recently, because we have engaged with these
issues for a long time, but our learning broadened and deepened. We have learned both from focused study and
from being present with local and regional activists of color on the front
lines of fighting their marginalization.
Summing up our understanding in a few key points:
- Race-based injustice is embedded in the status quo, as explicit racially discriminatory policies in housing, education, and worker protections decades ago set in place disparities in generational opportunities for building and passing on wealth, as well as disparities in who gets healthy places to live and access to many other resources.
- Messages and narratives that economic and education status equal merit, conveyed sometimes overtly and sometimes subtly, often lead to looking down on people who have been marginalized, blaming them for the barriers they face, and assuming that they need to be “saved” by people in various helping professions.
- People who are most impacted by injustices know what they need and their voices must be at the center of movements for change.
- People of color (especially Black people) are perceived and treated by many white people as threatening in all kinds of public spaces. We have all heard of instances where white people have called police on Black people doing everyday work, leisure, or recreational activities. The resulting police encounters are always traumatizing and sometimes deadly. Police are hardly ever held accountable for their actions and misconduct in these encounters.
- As long as the status quo hums along, these disparities are perpetuated and continue to harm people.
- Ultimately, policies that create and maintain this inequity are bad for all of us. Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us, is a pioneer in teaching how this works.
- Real liberatory change happens when people get together across lines of difference, led by people who are most impacted by these disparities, to work for a future where all members of society have a fair pathway to success. Our society cannot seriously begin to offer equal opportunity and justice for all until disparities are addressed and steps are taken to remedy them and compensate for damage they have caused.
There
has been some modest movement toward racial justice and accountability in
Worcester in the past year, mostly in response to public pressure. Most of the advocates and activists we have
worked with see them as baby steps. The
areas where movement has begun include: elevating the office of diversity and
inclusion to a cabinet-level position in city government, proposed civilian oversight
of police practices, acknowledgement of need for school safety practices that
do not involve police, moving toward new leadership of the School Department, and
accepting change in how
the School Committee is elected to allow more equitable representation. While not an explicitly racial justice issue,
we see the institution of comprehensive sex education in Worcester Public
Schools as an important change in the right direction; it has broad support
among our racial justice partners.
Organizations led by and serving people of color have expressed priorities for the School Committee election.
Some city officials and elected leaders have joined local activists in
pushing for such changes, and others have resisted them. Some candidates this year offer fresh
perspectives and commitment to equity; we want leaders like this and urge
you to vote for them. We want elected leaders who will move beyond baby steps to developing a comprehensive racial equity vision and action plan. We oppose
candidates who have resisted and obstructed this positive movement. Some incumbents have mixed records on
this. And a few new candidates are
engaging in fear tactics to quash any momentum for change.
We want to be clear that centering a racial equity lens does not mean we
support every candidate of color over every white candidate. That is not
the case here, as two of the candidates who we oppose are people of color and a
third candidate of color is someone who we neither support nor oppose.
In this time of high stakes and intense polarization it is important for us to say that we do not think of elected office or other leadership positions as a reward for being competent, hardworking, or a nice and friendly person. Neither do we think this is a time to vote for someone because you went to the same school, know their family, or because they belong to your ethnic or religious group. We believe that leadership needs to be placed in the hands of people who will listen deeply to the lived experience of others and who will act with courage to try to improve society. We know that it is highly likely that there are candidates who you know and like who we are urging you to oppose. All of our votes are by secret ballot. We have chosen to be public in our advocacy, and you are free to join us in that, or not. Fundamentally, we ask you to consider that this is a time to make your vote count on the side of racial justice.
Profiles of candidates we support, in contested elections:
City Council At Large:
Guillermo Creamer is running
for office for the first time but he has already displayed leadership on a
national scale. He fought successfully
for paid compensation for interns in federal offices, opening the door to a far
more diverse pool of young people to build leadership potential through these
placements. Guillermo sees his youth as
an asset, bringing his perspective from growing up in a low wealth immigrant
family to his dedication to making Worcester more equitable. He also brings expertise from his current
professional work furthering civic engagement among young people to strengthen
our democracy.
Khrystian King has
consistently and often against great odds fought for equity and
accountability. He brings his experience
as a union leader and a social worker to his City Council leadership, pushing
for policies that support rather than further marginalize people who are
struggling. He supports practical
proposals for affordable housing and transit, healthy neighborhoods, and
increased city services that benefit everyone.
He has led many successful efforts to bring more equity and compassion;
for example, last year’s initiative to transfer funds from policing in
Worcester schools to the hiring of two additional social workers.
Thu Nguyen brings a wealth of
experience as a community activist and youth worker to a first run for office
for City Council. As a leader in Mutual
Aid Worcester, Thu raised over $75,000 to support families struggling with
COVID-19 and help small businesses adapt during this crisis. Thu has been active on front lines of racial
justice for many years, is dedicated to opening doors for all voices to be
heard, and emphasizes the need to make government more honest and
transparent. (Bonus: watch this video about
Thu made by our young friend Ora Lin who found Thu’s candidacy inspiring!)
Joe Petty deserves
our support for both Mayor and City Councilor At Large (Worcester’s city
charter requires separate votes, so be sure to vote for him in two different
places on your ballot). Joe is a low key, behind-the-scenes leader.
His quiet style is unusual in this social media self-promotional era but it is
suitable to Worcester's City Manager form of government. Joe has been
courageous and successful in rounding up the votes on the School Committee (for
not renewing the superintendent’s contract, for a national search for the next
superintendent, and for the long overdue sex education curriculum). On
the City Council Joe has also knit together a majority coalition on key issues
of race and policing. Re-electing Joe to his position as Mayor is especially
crucial because under Worcester’s charter the Mayor chairs the School Committee
and serves as one of its members. His
main opponent for Mayor is Donna Colorio, who opposes most of the key
initiatives that will move the school system toward equity and justice.
District elections:
Sean Rose’s re-election
to the City Council representing District 1 is vitally important. Sean is
an easygoing, thoughtful person, more interested in results than credit.
Until recently he seemed to be less upset around police misconduct and
institutional white privilege than we are. We are hopeful that his new
feistier tone will stay with him beyond election day. Sean’s opponent,
Rick Cipro, is a Worcester police official who has administered a Facebook
police support group rife with racist, sexist, and homophobic comments. We
have observed Cipro deny the existence of racism in Worcester’s police
department and attempt to publicly humiliate a Black former officer who lodged
discrimination complaints against the department. His campaign messaging features dishonest attacks
on Sean Rose’s positions and record. If
elected, Cipro would be forced to recuse himself (to not vote or speak) on any
matter concerning his own department. As a city employee, he should be
prohibited from voting on the contract of or to evaluate the city manager, both
key aspects of a City Councilor’s job.
Johanna Hampton-Dance
is running for office for the first time, bringing a fresh perspective and the
motto that “your voice matters.” Her decision
to run for office came from hearing from her neighbors that their voices were
ignored by city government. She promises
to fight for the issues that Worcester residents care about most: housing, policing,
jobs, and taking care of our youth and elderly neighbors. She brings her lived experience as a home
health aide caring for elderly residents and the mother of a young Black man
with health challenges.
Etel Haxhiaj is a
community leader whose passion for justice is both fierce and
compassionate. She was a refugee from Albania as a teenager and
recognizes the challenges that marginalized people face. Etel is determined to create a city where
everyone is welcomed and treated with respect, where everyone’s voice is heard,
and where everyone can thrive. We have
known Etel for nearly a decade and have gotten to know her well through working
closely with her on a variety of issues, including racial justice,
environmental sustainability, and access to housing. Etel’s passion is
matched by a breadth of experience serving the community: as a youth
mentor, legal advocate, social worker, and community organizer. She has
served on the board of the YWCA and its Racial Justice Task Force as well as on
advisory committees to the City Manager. She listens to community members
and collaborates with them to bring smart and practical solutions to local
problems. Etel’s organizing experience
has taught her how to build coalitions to get things done.
We want to give a quick shout-out to George Russell in District 3 and Sarai Rivera in District 4, who are both unopposed this year. Sarai, a close ally of ours, has fought for equity over and over, working both publicly and behind the scenes for the changes we need. George has nearly always brought a voice and vote for equity.
School committee:
Jermaine Johnson brings
experience from his career as a social worker to his first run for public
office. He was inspired to run for the
Worcester School Committee when he saw the impact of the pandemic on his own
family and the families he serves. He
saw the school system failing many families, and is dedicated to ensuring “that
school buildings are safe and healthy, our kids receive social and emotional
health support, and that no kid is left behind post-pandemic.” His years of mentoring, coaching, and
directing an agency make him well-qualified to serve on the School
Committee.
Jermoh Kamara is a
remarkable candidate whose life path is a tribute to intelligence, education,
and determination. Jermoh and her parents came to Worcester from her
native Liberia when she was 11 years old. She graduated from South High
and went on to earn a bachelors and a masters degree from Providence College.
She works for the YWCA of Central MA running their Health Equity program and
has served as an adjunct professor at several Worcester colleges. Jermoh
has earned the endorsement of a majority of the Worcester delegation to the
State Legislature. Her early principled call for new leadership for the
Worcester Public Schools demonstrated her courage and leadership even before
being elected to office.
Sue Coghlin Mailman
brings business acumen, a commitment to and focus on vocational and technical
education, and non-profit and philanthropic board experience to her first-time
candidacy. Sue’s own post-secondary educational path as a mom included
night school and stints at Quinsigamond Community College, Assumption, and
Worcester State. Sue has played a central volunteer leadership role at
the YWCA of Central Mass, United Way of Central Mass, QCC, Worcester Regional
Chamber of Commerce, and on the Worcester Democratic City Committee. She
is proud of the family business that she has led for 20 years, Coghlin
Electrical Contractors, and of its unionized workforce. She has been outspoken in her dedication to a
racial justice agenda.
Tracy O’Connell Novick is an
outstanding asset to our community. A former public high school English
teacher, Tracy now works professionally for the Massachusetts Association of
School Committees. Her work puts her at the nexus of a network of the
most talented education leaders in the Commonwealth and gives her firsthand
knowledge of the best practices. She is a policy wonk who understands
education budgeting and policy in enormous depth. Two of her three
daughters are recent graduates of the Worcester Public Schools and the third is
a high school student there now. In our view, Tracy has been on the
“right” side of almost every important policy issue during her time on the
school committee.
We believe that both Molly
McCullough and Laura
Clancey, who we did not support two years ago, have demonstrated their openness
to learning important lessons about equity and have voted courageously to move
the school system in the right direction on key issues.
Why we oppose some candidates: It
is important to note that four incumbent members of the current City Council (Bergman,
Colorio, Mero Carlson, and Toomey) have almost always voted together as a block
regarding issues of race (for example, consent agreement around Worcester
School Committee restructuring), and of policing (for example, School Resource
Officers (SROs) and civilian review of police misconduct accusations). Fortunately, in recent
months, they have been on the losing side of those votes.
Shanel Soucy has been an outspoken opponent of comprehensive sex
education, spreading misinformation about the curriculum in order to get
parents to opt out of the program. In
addition, because of her disparaging statements about homosexuality on social media,
we believe that, if elected, her presence on the School Committee would
endanger LGBTQ youth.
See above in Sean Rose’s profile for why we oppose Rick Cipro. Gregory Stratman, who is Etel’s opponent, has also
engaged in dishonest and fearmongering attacks.
A key aspect of his platform is more policing.
A quick note on candidates we have neither supported nor opposed: Perennial candidate Bill Coleman and his informal running mate Peter Stefan have each raised and spent literally no money on the campaign. They have hardly campaigned at all and Stefan has even failed to attend candidate debates. Regardless of the merits of their candidacies they simply cannot be taken seriously as contenders for office. District 5 incumbent City Councilor Matt Wally is running for City Council as an at large candidate. Wally has generally voted the right way on issues we cite but has been dismissive of the concerns of his constituents in Lakeside Apartments, and has not been a leader on equity issues.
Thank you for your patience in reading through our blog! We invite you to contact us if you would like to discuss any of what we have shared. If you find it useful, please feel free to share it with your family, friends, and associates.
As we say in the campaign business, Many Happy
Returns!
Margot Barnet and David Coyne
p.s. Early voting in Worcester has already started, going on through Oct 29. Here is all the information about Worcester's many voting options.
