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Mar
27
Race Card played, and lamely
March 27, 2007 |
This has to be one of the lamest attempts to play the race card. Al Brooks and the media are all in an uproar because Mark Funkhouser’s wife Gloria used the phrase “the black part of town” when talking about a campaign event at 25th and Prospect. Um, HELLO. That is the black part of town. Just like 55th and Ward Parkway is the white part of town. It’s a well-established fact that KC is one of the country’s most segregated cities in the country.
No one is considering the context here. It’s unfortunate that the Funkhouser campaign hasn’t posted the text of the email on their web site (Joe, hello?), so I’ll do it here.
Our new friends, Anita Dixon, Marie Young and Joe and Alli set the stage for us to come and meet some of the regular folks in the black part of town. They told us that no one has asked these people for their votes for as long as they could remember; that it’s as if their voices don’t matter. But they matter to Funk and I. Driving away from that bar, you could see that their voices haven’t really been heard for a very long time – there are more crumbling streets, boarded up buildings and trash in the gutter, by far, than in any of the other neighborhoods that we’ve visited on the campaign trail, and we’ve visited a lot of them.
News from the Doublewide
Weekly Funkhouser Campaign Update
25 March 2007Dear Friends,
Anyone ever been to the Green Duck? Well, Funk and I have, just this past Friday night. It’s at 25th and Prospect. Our new friends, Anita Dixon, Marie Young and Joe and Alli set the stage for us to come and meet some of the regular folks in the black part of town. They told us that no one has asked these people for their votes for as long as they could remember; that it’s as if their voices don’t matter. But they matter to Funk and I. Driving away from that bar, you could see that their voices haven’t really been heard for a very long time – there are more crumbling streets, boarded up buildings and trash in the gutter, by far, than in any of the other neighborhoods that we’ve visited on the campaign trail, and we’ve visited a lot of them. Once again, Funk and I were touched by what people are doing to help us get elected and touched by the regular folks that we soon might get to serve. Our desire to help has never been stronger.
Another incident this week that furthered our resolve came about when we received letters from 3rd grade students at Graceland Elementary School asking Funk to help make their school better. Funk has always been easy to tear up, but I’ve not been much of a crier, at least I wasn’t one until my daughter left home for college. Now I can’t seem to stop. So you can imagine the two of us, sitting in my little office at the doublewide, exhausted and stressed, reading these notes together – what a stupid sight we were – thank God the door was closed or the volunteers would have surely fled the trailer.
I think I finally see why they’ve been calling my hubby a loner. It’s all over town that the other side has made promises to some prominent people in return for their support. So, if this is what they call a consensus, backroom deal making, then they’re right, Funk will not play it that way.
As for this week’s happenings:
I’ve been offered to do my first ribbon cutting scheduled for the day after the election. I graciously turned it down as that is the day that we are holding an open house for all of our volunteers and supporters at the doublewide, from Noon to 3 p.m. Win or lose, we are honoring the folks who have carried us forward these past four months. We hope you will join us in what we know will be the best celebration party in town.
Here is where the big lug will be this week:
Monday, March 26:
7:30 a.m. Live Radio – KCMO – 710 AM
10:00 a.m. Live Radio – Darla Jay Show – KMBZ – 980 AM
Tuesday, March 27:
7:00 p.m. Election Night Nail Biter
Beaumont Club
4050 PennsylvaniaWednesday, March 28:
11:00 a.m. Radio – KCUR – Up to Date with Steve Kraske
Noon–3 p.m. Volunteer and Supporter Open House at the Doublewide
Please come join us for some light snacks
Thank you so much for all that you have done for us. I feel certain that we will prevail, but just in case there is a twist of fate, please know that all of us together have done the very best job possible and I’m sure that at the very least, we’ve raised some consciousness along the way and that will never go to waste.
I will try hard not to send out too many more emails this week. I know that we have been bombarding you lately.
We hope to see you Tuesday night.
All the best,
Gloria & Mark
Comments
20 Comments so far
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Thanks for posting it. Busy day yesterday. I had to hustle around to please the cameras.
That phrase in the e-mail is poorly worded, but honest nonetheless. I think the Funkhouser campaign could have just said “the Eastside” or “25th & Prospect” and everyone would get the point.
I’m torn on whether Brooks is being dishonest or is just clueless. As a 75-year old and longtime resident, he ought to know by now there are white and black parts of town.
This is just another reason why “political correctness” is asinine. Even when logic, statistics and truth back you up, somehow you are still wrong. Facts are facts and the real problem is not a candidate stating the fact that there is a black part of town, it’s a candidate trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the voters at the last second with an emotional issue.
Off point, but thanks for doing this blog - its coverage is 1000X better than the so-called buzzblog.
Oh, come on, Brooks….get a grip. Why don’t you draw attention to the innumerable instances of real racism in this city? Whining about something like this just dilutes the issue, and numbs people from noticing when racism is real.
Maybe if we start using terms that ACTUALLY describe what we’re talking about, such as “black part of town,” we’ll start addressing the problems in those neighborhoods instead of ignoring and avoiding them.
And there are also ways to fix the problems in those neighborhoods besides gentrifying them and kicking out all the current residents so trendy lofts and rowhouses can be filled with yuppies flocking downtown. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of those developments are attractive to me as a young person getting ready to settle into the real world in KC, but you can only build so many and kick out so many people before its Manifest Destiny Part II.
Interesting Dan that you appear on this thread after spending so much time on your own blog claiming racism (anti-semitism) against Gottstein. Both the Brooks claim and yours are simple race-baiting.
Maybe we ought to change the electoral system in KC so that a Mayor is elected for one term of 6 or 8 years, but every two years a recall election is held where the Mayor has to prove why they should stay in office.
That way, they won’t be able to just campaign by mudslinging, but will actually have to come up with ideas that the people in KC can get behind.
Or maybe I’m expecting too much from politicians.
Seriously Dan, you’re the biggest hypocrite in the world to chime in here after your pathetic attack on Gamble.
I want to be clear that no one should say that Mrs. Funk is racist based on her word choice, but it’s hardly the most enlightened remark. It absolutely implies that there’s one area in KC for black people to live. And while there is no denying that geographic segregation exists in this city to some degree, it’s much more a factor of poverty, an imbalance of economic and educational opportunity, and a history of racism.
It’s always cute when white liberals try to pretend that they don’t have any prejudices, especially when they get caught making a statement like this. Sorry to say it folks, Mrs. Funk’s comment does reflect a white paternalism and a stereotyped perception of blacks in Kansas City as a monolithic group rather than as individuals. It’s would be no different than if she had said “that’s where the black people live.”
I’m not saying she meant any harm by her remark, but it was a very sloppy word choice and it ought to cause her to pause and think about her perceptions of race and racism in Kansas City. And then, for the love of God, just apologize for a bad choice of words and move on.
I was pretty shocked a
There has always been a “black” part of town and a “white” part of town. Troost is the dividing line. Brooks/Barnes/Glorioso/Eddy etc… are afraid to point that out because they think we live in a cohesive city, which makes the current leadership shine. This alone is a major issue today and should be dealt with.
Kiki,
You lost me with this sentence: “It absolutely implies that there’s one area in KC for black people to live.”
No it doesn’t. It simply implies there is a long-standing racial dividing line in Kansas City. It’s called Troost. That is an undeniable fact about Kansas City. I hear a statement of fact, not an opinion about where black people should live.
I agree with you it was an unfortunate choice of words. But it was a truthful remark. Let’s not go making more of this than there really is. I’ve heard enough ridiculous, unsupportable claims of bigotry today.
Patrick, I clearly said no one should call Mrs. Funk racist for her remark. That said, there’s no denying it was at least slightly insensitive. Yes, there’s a racial divide in terms of geography, but calling it the “black part of town” implies that it’s supposed to be that way. Again, no one should be charging bigotry, but that doesn’t mean Mrs. Funk shouldn’t apologize for her poor choice of words.
Also, maybe we (not just Mrs. Funk) should use this occasion to give some serious thought to the progress we have and haven’t made on race in Kansas City. It’s amazing how with the obvious racial divide that exists among much of the electorate in this campaign that race and equality of opportunity in Kansas City hasn’t been more of an issue. A lot of us over here in the “white part of town” need to stop and think about whether we’re really doing everything we can as a community to lift up our entire city.
It should be.
“I think I finally see why they’ve been calling my hubby a loner. It’s all over town that the other side has made promises to some prominent people in return for their support. So, if this is what they call a consensus, backroom deal making, then they’re right, Funk will not play it that way.”
This actually was more telling. Does she believe every campaign rumor she hears? I hope she has better sense and can tell the difference between campaign rumors and the truth. 98% of everything said about both sides is made up.
“we’ve raised some consciousness along the way and that will never go to waste.”
I finally found my new spiritual advisor.
Kiki,
No, you didn’t call her a racist. You just called said her comments revealed “prejudices,” that she held in “stereotyped perceptions of black people,” and complained about her “white paternalism.” Maybe I’m being overly sensitive here, but I believe you’re hinting you think she’s a bigot.
I know you don’t like Funkhouser, or his wife apparently. Fair enough. But let’s not go calling people bigots based upon one poorly worded phrase in an e-mail.
Kiki - if you pay attention to what’s written, you’d see that my “chiming in here” was only to thank the host for this blog. You got a problem with that?
And Steve, is your point that if one charge of racism is false, then all charges of anti-semitism are false? Because that’s the “logic” of what you’re saying.
FWIW, after Diana Kander commented on my blog and explained their perspective, I agreed that the anti-semitism was unintentional, and apologized to Doug for my over-reaction to their poorly done piece.
*** Results are in*** The so called race issue didn’t work for Brooks, and may have backfired and kicked some votes to Funkhouser. Also, Mayor Barnes’ outrage over releasing an audit report really drew interest and maybe gave Funkhouser some votes. After all, that audit report was removed from a February 1 council agenda, then she was outraged because it was released prior to the election. E.g., what are you hiding?!#$%^ Not to mention the so called “core” voting block stayed at home and didn’t turn out enough to offset the landslide Clay and Platte County handed to Funkhouser.
Barnes - you just may have elected Funkhouser. Brooks - if your campaign manager advised you to make an issue of the “black part of town” comment, you should demand a hefty refund of the fee paid to him. Bonehead move.
Patrick,
Do you think any of us don’t have prejudices? Do you think any of us don’t go through life with stereotyped perceptions? We all do — black, white, brown. To deny the prevailing existence prejudice is to belie reality.
Mrs. Funk’s comment showed one of hers. I didn’t call her a bigot and I didn’t call her racist, but for you to suggest her words were devoid of any prejudice is laughable.
Again, I think her remark gives us all a chance to stop, think and reassess what we’re actually doing to make a difference about race and the real world issues facing the “black part of town.” If we do that, maybe we can actually accomplish something more than squishy denials and a pathetic refusal to admit mistakes. Why can’t you admit that much?