Faithful Citizenship H arold D ean T r u lear
Local Heroes
Researcher David Bositis echoes Goode’s view. Dr. Bositis has spent over two decades working at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a DC-based think tank founded in 1970 More elected officials fill municipal and to provide research-based analysis to county posts than state and federal ones, support the work of black elected offibut this fact seems to escape most of us cials emerging in the post-civil-rights in an era of global and national con- era. He cites issues such as policing, cern. That’s a shame, because local offi- quality of life, education, and healthcare cials have more direct influence over as important areas primarily under the our daily lives than do state and federal control of local government and service officials. delivery. “Local politics is responsible for more Decisions made on these issues at the delivery of day-to-day services than any local level require information — research other entity in society,” says Rev. Dr. that many counties and municipalities Wilson Goode. “Who keeps the streets cannot afford to generate. Black elected safe, who plows and cleans those same officials often represent disadvantaged streets, how we educate our children communities, and most do not have the and house our families all depend upon extensive staffs needed to provide the local politics.” Goode, who served as research and analysis that undergirds sigmayor of Philadelphia from 1983-1991, nificant policymaking. suggests that people who care about justice for the poor should take a particular People who care about interest in local politics, since that is justice for the poor should “the level of government which most impacts those who need help the most. take a particular interest Those who suffer the greatest need in local politics. require the stewardship of local politics and politicians.” Although he changed sectors when So Bositis and his colleagues have he moved from the mayor’s office to conducted a number of projects over the ministry, Rev. Goode says his profes- the years to support the work of local sion remained the same: serving others. black elected officials, working on issues “Just as ministry is service, so is local such as the relationship of demographgovernment,” says Goode.“Local govern- ics and environment to healthcare and ment is the largest service provider in healthcare availability, prisoner reentry any community, with the most employ- and rehabilitation, and small business ees of any service organization in any development. Many of the officials to city.” which the center provides information Under Goode’s leadership, Philadel- not only represent poor communities phia led the nation in per capita investment but also serve part-time, are paid per in social programs, from adult literacy diem, or even work without pay. “They to sheltering the homeless. When peo- are truly public servants,” explains ple fail to vote in local elections, he says, Bositis. “Nobody’s getting rich.” the fate of the most vulnerable falls into And these are the people standing the hands of those few who take the time for election in November 2010, garnerto cast a vote and who are often moti- ing minimal support at the polls but vated by self-interest. expected to provide maximum services.
PRISM 2 0 1 0
33
They make the decisions that educate our children, police our streets, assist our businesses, handle medical emergencies, put out fires, remove garbage, operate our courts and jails, handle foster care, serve our seniors, create space for recreation, and any number of social services we take for granted — until they go awry or go away. But these important men and women often run for office in the shadow of highly financed state and national elections and are selected by a weak minority of voters. Media and money supplant conscience and conviction when it comes to who gets attention in the electoral processes. As Christians, we should pay more attention to the supporting cast than to the celebrities. Since Wilson Goode now operates a national program, Amachi Mentoring, which recruits and trains mentors for US and Canadian children with incarcerated parents, and he led a successful lobby to procure federal funding for the work, some might wonder if he’s lost the “local touch.” But his list of ongoing local involvement reveals he has not: Since leaving the mayor’s office, Goode served a decade on the board of the Free Library of Philadelphia and served as board chair for Self Inc., the largest provider of services for the homeless in Philadelphia. He also heads the Philadelphia Leadership Foundation, convening groups of religious and civic leaders throughout the city to address social problems and influence local politicians and policy. He remains a presence on the local political scene 20 years after his term as mayor — and challenges those who come behind him to be a presence there as well. n Harold Dean Trulear is associate professor of applied theology at Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC, and director of the Healing Communities Prisoner Reentry Initiative at the Philadelphia Leadership Foundation (HealingCommunitiesUSA.org).