Racism in Detroit’s C-Suite

Other posts have appeared on this blog about the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick.  (Click here, here, here, and here.)  He’s a piece of work.  Unfortunately, he’s much more than that.  He’s cost a city desperately feeling the economic downturn millions of dollars in a settlement of an employment case with police officers.  It was his action that led to the litigation, and it was what he had been hiding (steamy emails between him and his chief of staff) that resulted in the settlement.  Because he allegedly lied under oath in the police officer case, the mayor’s been indicted for perjury, among other things.  Demands for his resignation have resonated across the city for months.

But he won’t resign.  The mayor, who is black, claims that all his woes are the result of his race.  He’s a black man who’s achieved success (he’s serving his second term as mayor), and The Man is trying to bring him down because of the color of his skin.

The felony accusations led the judge presiding over the mayor’s case to restrict his travel.  In order to travel out of the country, the mayor was required to give the judge 48 hours notice.  Ignoring this requirement, the mayor recently traveled to Canada without notice or permission.  Upon his return, the mayor was hauled into court, and the judge put him in jail until he could post a $50,000 bond.  Shortly thereafter, when a police officer attempted to serve a subpoena on a friend of the mayor’s sister, the mayor shoved the officer into his partner knocking both of them off balance.  The mayor is now accused of assault and likely headed back to jail.

The injured police officer is named White.  His partner is a black woman.  The mayor told the black officer that she had no business working on this case and that, as a black woman, “You shouldn’t even be riding in a car with a guy named White.”

If Mayor Kilpatrick were white, he would’ve been forced out of office a long time ago.  Time will tell whether the mayor is a criminal, but he’s shown the citizens of Detroit and anyone else watching this circus that he’s the racist.

Where are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?  They regularly seek out racists and hold them up for what they are.  It doesn’t matter–or shouldn’t–what color a racist’s skin is. 

If an employee, black or white, did what Mayor Kilpatrick has done, he should be fired.  And if he’s not, then all the laws designed to prevent race discrimination are diminished, and racists of all colors are given new life.  

1. 

   Linda Sandiford says:

   August 11, 2008 at 9:48 am

   As a fellow Tennesseean I am sure you have heard about the many problems our mayor has had (or should I say created) here in Memphis . Not surprised by this situation in Detroit at all. There are bad eggs on all sides of the color line it is just a shame when one of them holds a position of power.
2. 

   John Phillips says:

   August 11, 2008 at 2:31 pm

   Thanks for your comment. We’re on the same page.