Dirty Secrets

(Annapolis) Shhh! The dirty little secret of this week’s Special Session in Annapolis is the white men who’ve governed this state are getting company. They’re about to add a person of color or a female. It’s easy to see as you walk into the chambers. Their portraits adorn the House of Delegates, the Senate Chamber on the first floor and grace the reception areas in the Governors Chamber. These are white men with power who’ve held on to it for generations. That’s about to change and it’s an anathema or a welcome change.

Make no bones about it, when the Maryland Legislature convenes for this Special Session on Wednesday May 1^st the grit of “hardball politics” will be laid bare.

When Marylander, Frederick Douglass claimed, “Power concedes nothing without a demand, never has and never will.” He had no idea a (gay) women and an African-American man would via for one of the three chambers of Maryland politics.

“If not now, then when? I think this is our time, this is our opportunity and we are going to seize the moment,” according to Maryland Legislative Black Caucus (LBC) Chairman, (D) Delegate Darryl Barnes of Prince Georges County. The caucus put down it’s marker for one of its own, Delegate Dereck Davis to become the first African-American Speaker of the House.

Delegate Maggie L. McIntosh, a Democratic from Baltimore City, has made her case suggesting she has some sixty for votes in hand. She all but declared victory during a phone press briefing, “I feel like it’s mine.” If elected she would become the first female and gay Speaker of the House. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Delegate McIntosh can call in a number of favors. She has solid roots in the Union movement and educational communities. During this phone call she said she would be the “Education Speaker,” making funding of the full Kirwan Commission Report a reality, and the building of schools in the state her first priority. In a dig at her opponent, “he’s said nothing about education.” Well that’s not true. Her supporters see her as being the right foil for a popular Republican Governor Larry Hogan. Her loyalties run deep and can be found far beyond the Baltimore City boundaries.

The endorsement by the Black Caucus on Monday was a formality that everyone had expect since the decision by Delegate Adrienne Jones to step aside on Friday, allowing Delegate Davis to be the only African-American candidate. It was a majority but not a plurality.

Noticeable absent from the announcement was Delegate Regina Boyce of Baltimore City. According to reports, she resign from the Black Caucus via email after hearing (Reported by Maryland Matters) that the LBC Chairman Barnes said, “We are going to let a white lesbian be the Speaker of the House?” Delegate Boyce, who shares a district with McIntosh, said, “I was ashamed and embarrassed that our caucus could be so obsessed with having a ‘first black person’ in leadership that they would tear down someone else to express that desire,” During a Bill Signing ceremony on the eve of the vote she said, “I had no idea the email would be made public.”

Delegate Barnes addressed comments attributed to him regarding McIntosh, as being a “white lesbian.” He was appalled by the letter. There was a meeting on Sine Die (30 days ago)… “Those words never came out of my mouth.” The Prince Georges Delegate “attributed it to political posturing.”

Refuting this assessment was Delegate Jose Pena-Melnyk of Anne Arundel and Prince Georges Counties. “I was there, I heard it.” She has gone on record to support Del. McIntosh. Also weighing in on this controversy was Del. Robyn Lewis of Baltimore City who called the comments “appalling.”

The varied divisions in the Democratic Caucus was not lost on Delegate Davis who knows wounds are raw and open in the race. Putting together a coalition of liked minded people to elevate him to the Speaker post will come with challenges. “We all have relationships down here in the General Assembly we work with different people. I have no ill will towards anyone who doesn’t support my candidacy…You can’t take this stuff personally.”

Easier said than done. Some battles get under your skin and linger long after the war. “Sometimes I can be with you, sometimes I can’t,” said the “would be” Speaker.

For the first time we also heard McIntosh admit she reached out to the Republican Party leader, Del. Nick Kipke. “What I told him, I would work with the Republicans.” While this across the aisle "kumbaya moment" was notable, understand this, the Baltimore City Delegate is highly partisan. It was clear when she suggested a Democratic candidate put in the Speaker’s Chair by Republicans would be unacceptable.

While we watch the lead up to an actual vote, the question is what will happen when the Republican Caucus meets? Their leader Del. Kipke of Anne Arundel County says despite his differences with the late Speaker Michael Busch they often comprised and left the “hard-nosed” uncompromised political stances in the background or on the campaign trail. 

When asked during the bill signing ceremony on Tuesday about the GOP and its positions on either candidate, “I believe there both good candidates…we’ll meet and make a decision Wednesday.”

The Prince Georges County Delegate Davis says he has had conversations with Delegate Kipke. “I’m running and I will continue in the tradition of Mike Busch."

A signal that has the Democratic Leaders in the state feeling burned. They want the Speaker elected by a majority of the Democratic Caucus. They feel if the members of the GOP have a hand in crafting who will be the next Speaker they have lost their power.

Davis says Kipke gave him a compliment during one of his committee hearing this session, “When I look at Chairman Davis I see myself in him.”

“Not all my skin-folks are my kin-folks,” an African-American Proverb.

Watching all these events unfold are observers with vested interests. The Leaders of Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a grass roots organization advocating for African-American criminal justice reform, was tempered in the decision by the Maryland Black Caucus to have a single candidate. Dayvon Love of LBS noted it was time for them (the Black Caucus) to “exercise their muscle.” He’s not new to the ways of Annapolis on important issues as it relates to “Black-folk.” “Having a Blackface in a high place doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s…good for the masses of Black People.

A question a number of Delegates will face begins with a simple question. “Can being Gay out weigh being Black?´It’s a conundrum facing a number of people. “If a support a Gay candidate, and not a Black candidate does that make me prejudice?” “If I support a Black candidate and not the Gay one, does that make me homophobic?” If I support a man over a woman does this mean I’m discounting women or the reverse, I’m I discounting men?”

The numbers are stark. Delegate Davis noted there was only on African-American Chair in the House of Delegates when he arrived in Annapolis. There still is only one today (Davis- House Economic Matters Committee), some 20 years later. Delegate McIntosh also mentions the fact there are more women in the legislature than ever before. It's also true that the number of Chair-persons who are Gay have also increased.

These scenarios are going to play out in the vote. It’s likely to get nasty. After the vote will the other side be able to reconcile. Here’s one thing I do know, this vote is going to close.

Skepticism abounds around this race for Speaker of the House. The permutations of the potential outcomes will have your head spinning. While this weeks will end speculation for now…it could come back again in January 2020 when a new legislature is seated.

Can You Teach Me How To Dougie?

(Annapolis, MD) There are some names in Maryland Politics who are ground breakers. Doug Mayer is one them. You may not know the name but he was a part of Governor Larry Hogan’s communications team. When it was time for re-election, Mayer became Deputy Campaign Manager focused on strategy and messaging. Say what you will, it was effective and ushered in a stunning defeat of a Democratic candidate.

So what’s he up to these days? He is a partner in Strategic Partners & Media, an Annapolis based firm. In addition to its political client list (which isn’t just based in Maryland) they also are doing public relations for a number of corporate clients. We drill down on the Governor’s popularity and how he was able to use Facebook to his advantage. The “new media guru” talks about the governor’s last week of campaign ads. These included a number of individuals who you wouldn’t likely expect to endorse a Republican candidate. I learned a new term in this political landscape, “permission ads.”

Is the Governor Running for President?

Governor Hogan is in Des Moines, Iowa for the National Governors Association's, "Good Jobs for All Americans," Regional Workshop (3/4-5/2019). So you know I had to ask the question, “Is Larry Hogan running for President?” The message is clear, “he hasn’t ruled it out.” Mayer gives insight on Maryland’s chief executive thinking.

In a wide ranging interview Mayer talks about his time as communications chief and strategy.

Just click here, Doug Mayer Live from the Pit.

I didn’t get chance to ask if can dance, but I know he is a “hip-hop head.” I bet he can do the Dougie.

Life Gets Real for Montgomery County Senator

(Annapolis, MD) – I get a lot of emails during the legislative session, but receiving this one from Montgomery County Senator William “Will” C. Smith made me pause.

Silver Spring, MD, February 6, 2019 - State Senator William “Will” C. Smith, Jr., an Officer in the United States Navy Reserve, has received orders from the Pentagon to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Resolute Support. Smith, who serves as the Vice Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and is Chair of the Senate Veterans Caucus, will report for duty on March 29, 2019. The Senator’s deployment comes toward the end of Maryland’s 439th legislative session.

               

Senator Smith, who is an attorney in private practice with a focus on national security law and employment discrimination, commissioned to be an Intelligence Officer through the Navy Reserve’s Direct Commission Officer Program and has received the National Defense Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; two Joint Meritorious Unit Awards; and a Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Senator Smith’s office will remain operational in his absence and his staff will be actively engaged in handling constituent matters for the residents of District 20.

 

The next day I saw Senator Smith and told him. “Things just got real.” He smiled and nodded. The Montgomery County Senator has been on a unique trajectory since his appointment last year to the Senate (he won a full term in November 2018). He is one of Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller’s legislative lieutenants.

His military background endears him to a cross-section of legislators from both parties, and it doesn’t hurt he is the Chair of the Veterans Caucus. Senator Smith is not the first to deploy to a warzone. During his term in the House of Delegates Congressman Anthony Brown was deployed to Iraq.

The Naval Reserve Officers deployment will come before the end of the 2019 session. It has put some pressure on the legislative leadership to consider bring up controversial bill if they need passage.

Senator Smith talks about his deployment, constituents, and legislative agenda in this edition of “Live from the Pit.” (just click)

Charles County Through A Different Lens

(Annapolis, MD) The evolution of Charles County according to Senator Arthur Ellis has been in the works for some time. The county was at one time the heart of tobacco country in Maryland. The jurisdiction is nestled near the Potomac River. Its county seat is Waldorf which splits Route 301 on your way to the Nice Bridge which links Maryland and Virginia.

In our wide ranging conversation during “Live from the Pit” Senator Ellis talks about how federal employees from Washington, DC saw the county. According to him it was seen as an oasis from urban sprawl with affordable homes. It’s less than an hour commute to the nation’s capital. The catalyst for change came after a firebombing of several homes in the Hunters Brook sub-division in December 2004. The assailant and his co-conspirators said, “the arson (was done) in partbecause African-Americans were buying many of the houses” in the county.

Fast forward to the 2018 election results. It brought significant change to Maryland’s southernmost county, Charles County. Senator Ellis who was and is a NAACP activist took out a lieutenant to the powerful President of the Senate, Senator Thomas V. “Mike” Miller. Senator Ellis bested Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton in the primary, helping lead a wave of freshmen legislators. As I look at the Charles County Delegation now, it has five African-American Delegates and one African-American Senator (Sen. Miller is the only holdover from the past).  I have several books with pictures of past delegations and this looks nothing like it was.

Senator Ellis, a Certified Public Account, is finding his way around the capitol meeting with constituents and colleagues. His district was severely impacted by the recent federal government shutdown. He’s introduced his first piece of legislation to help those who suffered.

We also talk about the solar farm which Georgetown University wants to put in Charles County. I was shocked to learn he lives five miles from the site and he gives his take on whether putting the farm there is the best usage of the land.

Lastly, many legislators don’t come to Annapolis by themselves. I was kind of taken aback when I called to set up this appointment and I got the Senators voice mail. When I arrived at his office, a woman sitting at the desk went to get him. As we set for the interview he told me his secretary was in mandatory training session. So I asked about his intern who greeted me? That’s when he told me, “Charles, that’s my wife.” After apologizing, I introduced myself and she was as gracious a host as I will ever meet.       

Take a listen to the podcast. "Live from the Pit" with Sen. Arthur Ellis.

Opening Week in the MDGA 2019

(Annapolis) – The first week of the Maryland General Assembly is always filled with anticipation. There are 61 new members, it’s the largest class of women lawmakers, one of the most diverse groups and new leadership. The selection of leadership was never been in question. Delegate Michael Bush was re-elected by the House and the Senate choose Senator Thomas V. “Mike” Miller to be President of the body. Both men are in their 70’s and with so many new members the standard both men have set should not be taken likely. Some of the freshmen campaign on the idea “shaking up the status quo.”

The legislative body has laid out several issues Baltimore Crime, School Funding, Minimum Wage, Marijuana, and Sports Gambling. To sort it all with me is Josh Kurtz of Maryland Matters. We breakdown what we saw and its varied impacts. I also hope you read his take on Sen. Miller.

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2019/01/11/josh-kurtz-this-is-big/

Josh Kurtz joins me for Live from the Pit.

Beale Street Talkin’

(Baltimore, MD) There are times when you realize you are witnessing something that is special. So when I received an invite to see a screening of “If Beale Street Could Talk” on January 10, 2019; I was especially excited by the question and answer session with writer, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Barry Jenkins, the Director of the film.

First for the disclaimer, I have not read the James Baldwin book but I am a big fan of his writing and his takes on American culture and how “Black Folks” inhabit its unique space. The book written in 1974 (the year I graduate from high school) comes after a successful writing career (Notes on Native Son, Go Tell It On the Mountain and others). Baldwin, the contemporary writer, wants to tap into the angst of the period. He already has dealt with several racial conflicts. This book comes at a time following the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In urban America, the strife of inner city life is tied up with crime and what it does to families. The vehicle he uses is the arrest of a young Black man framed for a rape. The dynamic of becoming a father behind bars adds to the tension. This is a love story in all of its complexities.

Barry Jenkins, the Director of Moonlight, won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2017 (in the strangest   

presentation on live television – they lost, then were told they won.) I was thrilled Jenkins would tackle a James Baldwin book. It’s not easy; people have read the story and have preconceived notions about how it should work. Would it be true to Baldwin’s prose or would it need a contemporary twist to reach an audience 45 years, removed from the period? The answer is on the screen.

Coates’ upbringing in Baltimore has informed much of his writing. The same can be said of Jenkins who grew up in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami during the “Crack Epidemic.” The invite to come to Baltimore is both intriguing and brings an air of expectation that few can imagine. Both men are at the top of their game… This is like having Langston Hughes and Richard Wright, or Countee Cullen and Ralph Ellison compare notes.

They are friends and you find out following the screening this is the “mutual admiration” club. It becomes clear when Jenkins stops the Q and A. He reminds Coates of their first meeting in a San Francisco bar 14 years ago. Over drinks, Jenkins says “You stopped me and said, ‘you need to get out.’” (FYI, this is not a reference to the recent movie.) Stunned, Jenkins is literally told he “needs to leave the country.” Following the conversation, Jenkins says he took the writer up on his suggestion and moved to Paris. While in Paris, he writes a pair of screen plays, Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk. The movie director says, “Thank you.” (Crowd goes “Awww!!”) The audience begins to realize they are in for a conversation, which will be remembered. Coates acknowledges the gesture and then tells the filmmaker, “You know, I didn’t have a passport during that time.” There are chuckles. Like Baldwin, Coates and Jenkins have lived in Paris. Is it coincidence? There is a time honored of tradition of expatriates finding that unique Black Voice in Europe...hmm?

There are some 700 people hanging on every word these two men say. The early part of the conversation is about the usage of close ups of the actors' faces. There hues cover the range of Black folks complexions. It leads to a discussion about the details of Blackness and Black love. The overwhelming African-American crowd knows it’s not something you see on the screen often. “This movie is about the personal stories” of the characters laid out by Baldwin. The lead actress, Kiki Lane (who plays Clementine), “it’s her first movie,” according to the Director. Later, Jenkins tells the story of a screening in Paris and how the French are taken with Clementine’s’ hair style. “How did you do it (in a French accent)?” “It’s just her natural hair,” as the movie director shrugs his shoulders.  

As I watched the movie, I had lot of questions. Coates, who’s seen the movie before, had many of the same questions. “I’ve got questions about how you ended the movie...?”  “Well," as Jenkins sighs, “There is alternate ending to the movie.” I don’t want to give away about how it ends, but let’s just say, you’ll want to get the DVD when it comes out.

There is a lot of trauma in this movie and the Director addresses it this way, “How you deal with trauma can make you go crazy.” He lets the movie goers in on a scene he thoroughly enjoys. It involves the character Fonny (Stephan James) and his friend Henry (played by Brian “Paper Boi” Tyree). It is a twelve minute sequence of the two men talking about Henry’s time in jail. Initially, the Director uses two cameras, but decides to use only one. The layering makes this scene work. It starts with “Where you been?” What did you do? Whatca been doin?” It’s like peeling an onion, something is revealed with each layer. It is a foreboding sense that you never want to be there - jail.

Another scene I was personally interested in was the announcement of Clementine’s impending pregnancy. Both families are invited to come over to the River household. “A life is coming,” Sharon Rivers (Regina King) tells the family of Fonny. The females of the Fonny family aren’t pleased to hear a child is coming into this world and one of his sisters responds accordingly, “Who is going to take care this baby? Fonny, ain’t got no job and he’s in jail.” These kind of confrontations play out in Black families…with a sense of "we will find a way." The Baldwin treatment of religion and Blackness is on full display.

Lastly, Regina King who plays Sharon Rivers gives an unbelievable performance. As I watched her on the screen, I’m reminded she began her acting career on a TV a sitcom as a young girl. Her breakthrough performance came opposite of Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice and numerous other parts (Ray). We have watched her turn into an actress worth watching and crafting believable characters.

One of the “out of the blue” questions came during a section where Coates tries to get at Jenkins motivations about his film making. Coates asks, “Were there any TV/films you saw growing up that had an impact or influenced you?” Jenkins begins to think and rolls back the idea of influence. “I believe after I saw Spike Lee’s, School Daze…I said, ‘Hmm, that’s different.’” He goes on to say he never knew that world existed. This leads to questions about education and the role of teachers for both men. On the topic of post-secondary education, Jenkins talks about attending Florida State University. His major was creative writing. Things change via the football team. Several of his friends use the stadium cafeteria because of the food. It’s also where the film school is located. On one occasion, there is an open house and he attends. He changes his major.  It wasn’t smooth sailing. His first short film was a disaster because he didn’t know about cameras, exposures and film. He takes off a year and comes back with renewed vigor.

The conversation between the two men goes on for more than 30 minutes. I would have been okay with them continuing the conversation allowing the audience to listen in. It was nuanced, it was measured, it was all over the place, and it was Black folks thinking like Black folks without the filters. A welcomed break from some heavy issues I often cover in Black Politics.