A Magic Black Leader for Milwaukee

Eugene Kane says Milwaukee's African-American community shouldn't waste its time waiting for a leader to point the way to solve its various crises.

What's needed is money.

Kane believes it's time to "Stop waiting for a magic black leader."

He writes:

Stop me if you're heard this one before:

Ald. Joe Davis called for noted leaders in the African-American community to hold a summit to address the alarming homicide rate in black Milwaukee.

"It is no longer acceptable that statistically, homicides in the city of Milwaukee are overwhelmingly committed by and perpetrated on African-American members of our community," said Davis. "This must end and it is the responsibility of those prominent in the African-American community to want to help create a solution."

To which a large part of Milwaukee replied:

Ho hum.

That's part of the deal when you're a "black leader" in Milwaukee trying to make a difference. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Lots of people in this city are always willing to criticize black politicians for crime and violence in the African-American community. There's a constant drumbeat from mainly white observers about the need for "black leaders" to speak out about the problem. These are people who apparently long for the kind of black leader who can get a majority of black people to follow them in lock-step.

Kane makes it seem like white Milwaukee is sounding a drumbeat for some sort of Hitlerian savior to clean up the problems.

"Follow in lock-step. No questions asked. Do what I say. Life will be good."

Contrary to Kane's assertion, there's no drumbeat from "white observers" for that sort of leadership.

There is, however, a drumbeat for Milwaukee's African-American community to no longer accept the status quo of violence and despair.

They are waiting for that charismatic black leader who can demand black parents raise their children, insist black children get good grades in school, and persuade black criminals to give up their negative habits. You know, a leader like Martin Luther King Jr., who of course, black folks have been waiting around to see for more than 40 years now.

(Here's a hint: He's not coming anytime soon.)

Kane is making excuses for the state of Milwaukee's African-American community. Forget about leaders. Just get the government to fund an extreme makeover and fix it.

Does he really believe that white people think all that's needed to solve the problems is a charismatic black leader? Someone to magically transform a community riddled with too many irresponsible parents, too many children who don't bother with school, and too many people who choose crime over hard work?

That's right. White people think all that's needed is the right preacher to come along and make everything better.

Kane has some very weird views.

He's so quick to stereotype "white people."

"White people this" and "white people that" -- enough already.

I don't think Kane understands what Dr. King did as a leader. King's greatness wasn't in his ability to "demand" and "insist" and "persuade" people to somehow magically excel and magically achieve goodness. He empowered people. He encouraged people to find their God-given strength within themselves, to have pride and take control and not allow others to set limits on their lot in life.

King inspired people to be good parents, children to get good grades, and criminals to be productive citizens; but that didn't happen because this charismatic figure had a talent for delivering magic-packed speeches.

He was able to get people to really believe that they were capable of realizing their dreams and, as children of God, deserved to live without being hindered by the discrimination and bigotry of an unjust society.

Then, those people put their beliefs into action. They did it.

Moreover, what makes Kane so sure that someone with just a little of Dr. King's charisma isn't coming? He has a rather defeatist attitude, doesn't he?

Let's say Kane is right. Such a leader isn't coming. What's stopping the African-American community from heeding King's message from 40 years ago? Is it outdated?

I think King's appeal to the decency in people, his call for people to be of good character and work for justice, is still relevant today. But, hey, that's just me.

Even people who regularly complain about the current crop of black leaders in town apparently don't have much respect for an African-American alderman like Davis, so upset at the shooting of two young men in his district early this week he experienced a "Bill Cosby" moment. That's when he decided to call for a summit of black leaders to address the violence.

That didn't impress people like Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, such a regular critic of "black leaders" in town he often seems oblivious to the fact - by very definition - he's supposed to be a black leader, too.

Before the ink on Davis' press release was dry, Clarke announced via e-mail to various radio talk show hosts that he had no plans to participate in yet another talk-fest about finding solutions to the community's problems. Instead, Clarke blasted his usual targets, liberals and social service programs designed to aid the poor.

Clarke announced he was calling for "a forensic audit" of the millions of dollars spent with social service agencies in town since the 2002 beating of Charlie Young Jr. That sounds like an impressive plan, but I suspect Clarke isn't the least bit serious about following through with it.

For him, it's just another kind of talk.

I believe Davis is sincere in his latest attempt, but I don't envision another summit on violence as an answer. Cosby's visits to Milwaukee in 2004 were summit-like affairs that brought all the right people together, but little was sustained.

Instead of bashing Clarke and mocking Cosby, Kane should be asking WHY the summit-like affairs with all the right people haven't produced lasting results.

Why is that?

Could it be that leaders can't achieve anything without committed followers?

Milwaukee is past the talking stage; it's time for official powers to step up to the plate with available resources, which usually means money. Money for more cops, money for more economic opportunities, money for educating children better.

To paraphrase a popular saying, money talks and everything else comes up short. Especially if you want to do more than just talk.

And there it is -- money.

A lack of money is the problem, not a lack of leadership.

Those "white observers" need to understand that talking won't help. Money is the answer.

It's so simple.

All that "I have a dream" stuff was just talk.

A big check would have sufficed.