The Gantt Report
By Lucius Gantt
If you are old enough to become a member of the AARP, you probably remember a time when Black Americans were advised to stay out of certain neighborhoods.
My good friend, Chris Shepherd, in Kansas City, told me a story about that situation that I’ll never forget.
Chris said, “One day, three black boys decided to venture into a forbidden neighborhood.”
I asked Chris why and Chris said, they crossed the tracks, so to speak, to find out the difference between “white water” and “colored water”!
When voters attempt to navigate today’s political waters, a difference still exists.
Enthusiasm always rises when a credible African American has an opportunity to rise to a position of power and influence.
Black women and Black men continue to show love to politicians they love by contributing money and volunteering to work on their favorite candidate’s campaign.
The Blacks that contribute $25 or $25,000 both believe they will benefit from being supportive of their favored political candidate. Some will, but most will not benefit the way that non-Blacks benefit.
Let me explain. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of people will knock on doors, send emails and texts and some candidate supporters will stand on corners and wave signs in 100-degree or 30-degree weather.
There is absolutely no problem with that.
I want The Gantt Report readers to know, no matter how much you contribute or how much you volunteer, do not expect a serious, decision-making job.
You see, I know “the game”. I know from experience, the campaign staff members who get paid the most money during the campaign, will be the people who get the highest-paid positions on the staff of the politician who wins the election.
I can’t complain about that either.
It’s cute to say this woman or that man will be the “Black President” but the winning candidate in any presidential election will not be the Black President. The winner in the 2024 Presidential election will be The President of the United States. She or he will be the President for every citizen, white, Black, Hispanic, Native American, and every other citizen.
You may ask, why doesn’t Lucius shut up and join the crusade to get Kamala Harris and other candidates of color elected?
Well, if you knew the political laws, you’d know that in most cases, political professionals can’t “volunteer” or provide “in-kind services”.
They can’t volunteer because professional political services have value, while ordinary volunteering is considered differently.
Let me give you an example or two. TV stations can’t say, I’ll give one candidate free TV advertising, but I’ll charge other candidates as much as I can. You can’t say I’ll produce videos, or write copy, for one candidate and charge other candidates, and you can’t say to a candidate, “Gas up my jet” and fly anywhere in America to campaign and say to other candidates, “You have to pay to use my jet place”.
Professional political work, in the minds of some political laws, cannot be disguised as “in-kind work”.
So, when you navigate America’s political waters, remember the old days and remember when there was an imaginary difference between “white water” and “colored water”.
The Blacks you see on national news repeating Democratic and Republican talking points are happy, not because they will elevate into political decision-making positions or political purchasing decisions, they are happy because they are the people of color that white politicians are comfortable with.
Continue to support the candidates you love and continue to volunteer to secure a victory on election day!
There is still a difference between white water and colored water!