Election "Just A Start" for Minorities
Four out of ten candidates vying for five alderman seats in the City of Frederick’s general election were black, an unprecedented number in the city’s political annals. Two of those candidates, Derek Shackelford and Roger Wilson made it through the primary to become aldermen on Nov. 7, garnering second and third place respectively.
“It’s only natural to think of making history during this election … I count it as a privilege and an honor to be part of that,” Shackelford, pictured left, said.
Shackelford and Wilson are the first African Americans elected to city office since Bill Hall, who served two terms from 1998 – 2004, and one term as president of the board. That role traditionally goes to the top vote getter in the election.
Hall was initially recruited to get involved on the city’s planning commission by another black official, William O. Lee, who served two terms on the BOA from 1986 - 1994. Claude Delauter, the city’s first black official, was elected in 1973, and served two terms, the last as president of the board. Delauter also served 10 years as a member of Frederick County’s Board of Education.
In a city whose population is becoming increasingly diverse, the victories of two black men at the same time should be commonplace by now, some say. “I am still in awe. Probably because it never happened before,” said Kavonte Duckett, a member of Shackelford’s campaign team and Frederick’s Young Democrats. “I am excited, but this is not something – having two black men on the board of aldermen - that we should have had to wait for for so long.”
Still, no one questions the potential of this pivotal moment. The achievements of Shackelford and Wilson, pictured above, can pave the way for more diverse candidates and winners in the city and the county. As the last African American to serve on the city’s board of aldermen, Hall said there’s a lot of work to do in Frederick when it comes to economic and political opportunities for people of color.
“Frederick city is a very good place to live, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. People from outside feel this is a racist place. It’s not overt. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t here. Right now, I am trying to figure out what I can do, not to solve it, but to bring it to the forefront,” Hall said.
For people of color to be truly represented in city government, however, they not only need to win seats, but be recruited for boards and commissions like Hall was, and, most importantly, be hired to work at City Hall.
Frederick, according to latest census figures, is about 65 percent white. Of City Hall’s 347 full-time civilian employees, however, 90 percent are white. The remaining 10 percent of employees who are not white, fill mostly low-level labor positions, with few in professional jobs.
According to the 2017 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports filed by the city: Of the 347 full-time employees, 28 are black, four are Hispanic, and three are Asian. Of the four Hispanic employees, two are employed as “skilled craft workers;” one in service/maintenance, and one in administrative support.
Of the black employees, 13 work as skilled craft workers; eight in service/maintenance jobs; four in administrative support, and two in professional roles. One Asian employee has one of 40 top jobs listed as an “official or administrator.” The remaining 39 jobs are held by white employees. This statistic is not much better than it was over a decade ago. In 2005, when more than 11 percent of employees were black, Hispanic or Asian, and Frederick city was 77 percent white.
The city’s myriad boards and commissions seem equally bereft of people of color, but there’s no actual statistics because the city doesn’t ask for that information on volunteer applications, according to city spokeswoman Patti Mullins. Currently, there are no minority contractors on the city’s vendor list, either.
But increasing diversity in hiring and volunteers has been a challenge, according to Alderman Kelly Russell (D). Russell, who will be serving her third term starting in December, worked in human resources in the city’s police department after retiring from the police force. “I have been pushing for the city to have a citywide diversity plan. There just hasn’t been support for that,” she said.
The likely president of the board of aldermen, Russell said that support is there now with the new slate of officials, who will be inducted on Dec. 14. The city elected all Democrats to serve the city over the next four years. As Democrats, Mayor-Elect Michael O’Connor said, it’s critical to follow through on what Democrats stand for. “If our word means anything, our actions must follow,” O’Connor said.
As part of his action plan, Wilson said he wants to expand on his prior work in getting more people engaged in local government. Educating minorities on how they can serve on boards and commissions and run for office is important, he said. “I also plan to work on developing innovative policies to recruit and retain more minorities for the future Frederick police force,” he said.
The City of Frederick has the only locally elected body with minority representation. Frederick County government’s county executive and seven-member county council is white, as is the Frederick County Board of Education.
It helped that Shackelford and Wilson were both “highly qualified candidates who people were familiar with,” said Daryl Boffman. Boffman served 10 years on the school board, between 2000 - 2010. The candidates also put in the work during campaign season, he said. Their election is encouraging for other minority candidates eyeing runs for county seats in 2018, Boffman believes. “Hopefully, it is just a start,” he said.
Getting minorities out to the polls is critical, too. “The only way we get in is if the minority community comes out to vote,” Boffman said.
But getting minorities involved and elected has to mean more than getting them on the ballot and out to the polls every four years, Shackelford said. “We have to be intensely engaged. It’s more than just checking a box for the sake of diversity. It’s about embracing people for who they are, and knowing we are all lifted up because of the gifts and skills they bring,” he said. “It’s about all being welcome and respected in our community.”
