Chokwe Lumumba: Will Mississippi mayoral candidate's radical past railroad campaign?
theGRIO REPORT - The 65-year-old councilman has repeatedly advocated for seeing that percentage of African-Americans reflected more in city government...
Although nearly a dozen officially ran in the Democratic primary, three were considered true competition: Incumbent Mayor Johnson, Lee and Lumumba who emerged to the surprise of Orey. “I personally thought African-Americans would not support Lumumba, but what I thought would help him was that it was such an anti-incumbent environment, where folks were so disenchanted with Harvey Johnson that that actually gave Lumumba an opportunity,” Orey told theGrio.
Orey explained that there’s an age-old theory, “the medium voter theorem,” which says when running a campaign, a candidate should be as close to the middle as possible. “Lumumba was on the left, Lee was on the right, Johnson was in the middle. The problem was that there was such an anti-incumbent sentiment out there that Lumumba and Lee were able to capitalize and eat up the anti-incumbent vote. So when they ended up in the runoff, initially, it appeared that it would be a very competitive race.”
With a past that some may describe as controversial, fighting on the front lines for civil and human rights, Lumumba played to the hearts of “everyday people,” while Lee, who had many donors of larger corporations, particularly appealed to big business, and according to Orey, “didn’t have enough connection to the black community,” things that took a reverse effect on his campaign.
“In this case, I think it actually hurt Lee, because he didn’t try to play any type of race card, to try to mobilize black people. It hurt him because people were not sure, of his blackness, I guess. They simply were not convinced that he was not a Republican. So he missed the opportunity to kind of dispel that,” Orey explained. “He had the support of white people, but when too many whites support you, that creates a problem for black people, because this is such a polarized city and state,” Orey said.
The May 21st runoff in which Lumumba gained 54 percent of the vote solidified his slot, making him a shoe-in for mayor of Jackson. “I would say he has a 99 percent chance of winning. That one percent would have to be left to error,” said Orey.
A city in desperate need
Should Lumumba win the race, the task ahead would be arduous. What immediately slaps him in the face are the unrealized dreams of outgoing Mayor Johnson, primarily one that would have added jobs, boosted the local economy and revitalized the old black business district, Farish St., into a lively entertainment destination mirroring New Orleans’ Bourbon Street or Memphis’ Beale Street.
“That could actually really put a brand on the city,” Orey said. “In my opinion, we need a brand for the city.” However, to institute such a revival would be a difficult task, Orey said, mainly because “Jackson, Miss. does not have any money. And so with the white and black flight, there can’t be much in terms of redistributed policy, where we basically, where we would almost take from the poor and give to the poor.”
The city’s also in immediate need of improving the education system, Orey said, and other issues that mirror those of large cities, including crime, roads, dilapidated buildings and Jackson’s water system.
Agent for change
Throughout his campaign, Lumumba has continuously stressed unity for all people and sought to convince residents that he can lead across racial and party lines. He insists that while he’s a fair ruler and “agent for change,” he’s also forward-looking.
“The most important thing about me is that I’m transitional. I understand that I won’t be Mayor for twelve years. I have to create opportunities for people to develop so that the young will move the baton along from one term to the next,” Lumumba posted to his campaign Facebook page.
Renita D. Young is a Chicago-based multimedia journalist. Follow her on Twitter @RenitaDYoung
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