In a town steeped in rich political history, Boston is poised to take a giant leap into the future with the election of a new mayor.
No surprise that the field is crowded, but, given the city’s troubled racial past, and uneasy racial present, it is notable that half of the 12 candidates vying for the job are persons of color.
None of the 12 has broken away from the pack in any significant way. White candidates are at the top of the polls and have the most money, while all of the candidates of color remain clustered at the bottom of the polls.
All candidates — both white and of color — have emphasized they will represent all of the city’s neighborhoods.
But Boston is known for its clannish neighborhood loyalties that core support has propelled the city’s past successful political candidates, and it will be critical this time.
It’s why the organization “For the Community by the Community” planned a forum limited to the six candidates of color. Disapproval has been swift — discriminatory, critics argued. A whites-only forum would be deemed racist.
I’m on the record for supporting forums that include all candidates, even those labeled marginal because of weak poll numbers or small war chests. Having said that, I understand these organizers motivation is less about skin color, and more about communities of color hoping to tap into the lived empathy of people who know where they come from. Fair or not, the folks in these communities are holding these six candidates more accountable in making certain that their issues don’t get ignored in City Hall.
It may be optimistic to assume that a white candidate would commit to addressing those issues, but the reality is communities of color still don’t get their fair share of Boston resources, and are still last in line for their tax-dollar-paid-for city services, like snow removal and garbage pickup.
Tuesday night the NAACP, the Urban League and others will bring together all 12 candidates in a forum focused on diversity, a critical discussion in a city that is now majority-minority. Not lip service, but leadership.
Boston’s new chapter is best guided by a mayor who works to change the city’s race relations narrative, and makes certain that communities of color are finally at the table.
