08/03/2021
Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway needs to recalibrate how she talks about black leaders. During last week's County Council meeting, there was an extended discussion regarding the mask mandate put forth by the County Executive's office. Chairwoman Rita Days and Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, both representing the two largest majority-minority districts in the county, voted not to support a mask mandate. While there is always room to disagree with another elected official's vote, we take serious issue with the sentiment shared by Dunaway during a June 28th interview with Ray Hartmann. In this interview Dunaway said that she doesn't consider her colleagues Democrats anymore, referring to Days and Webb. She went on to say if they're going to walk like Republicans and talk like Republicans they are not Democrats. She makes this proclamation as if it’s fact.
If she wants to talk about facts, let's talk about these facts. Dunaway and her white progressive counterpart have repeatedly tried to undermine and discredit duly elected black leadership, going against democratic norms to suit their own ends. She voted against our dearly departed Councilwoman Hazel Erby for appointment to the County Executive’s office even though Erby was the most senior member of the entire council, she voted to strip Councilwoman Shalonda Webb of her right to cast her vote for the 2021 Council Chairmanship, and even voted to sue members of her own council in a losing effort to maintain the power structure she deemed more favorable. These are undemocratic actions, against members of her own party no less.
Once again, we are taken aback by the level of disrespect and hypocrisy that we deal with from white elected officials. Too many people with elected authority like Dunaway, seem to believe they have the right to tell black elected leaders, how to be black, how to be democrats and how to be leaders. Somehow Dunaway thinks she knows what’s best for black people. Somehow black elected officials can’t be trusted to make intelligent, independent decisions, and the only right decision is the one they approve of. We beg to differ.
Chairwoman Days and Councilwoman Webb both support public masking, just not a “mandate.” The City has no mask mandate, they are recommending masks in all public places. Last week's council meeting discussion with Dr. Khan revealed that there is no way to enforce a mandate. Elected bodies expose themselves to extensive legal liability by passing unenforceable laws and mandates. There's a way to put the highest level of authority behind a government action. This is not it. Since independent black leaders may not exist in her world of unicorns and Dr. Suess, she would be better served to set aside the personal attacks and limit her public discourse to the issues.
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