A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
Publisher & CEO, Westside Gazette
There are rumblings through our communities this election season, and it sounds a lot like the lesson from the book Who Moved My Cheese?, written by Spencer Johnson.
When the cheese moves, you politicians better move too.
But too many of our Black political candidates and others as well are standing still, clinging to old maps, old messengers, and old mindsets while the people they claim to represent have already moved on.
The Old Playbook Is Expired
For decades, campaigns in our community have followed a familiar formula. They hire the same consultants, target the same donors, speak the same language and show up only when it’s time to vote.
And worst of all they chase the “super voter” while ignoring the struggling voter.
Under the assumption that a small, reliable group will carry the weight.
But here’s the problem with that assumption: You cannot build power by only talking to people who already have it.
The Cheese Has Moved
In book, Who Moved My Cheese?, those who survived were not the strongest or the wealthiest, they were the ones willing to adapt.
Our communities have changed. They consist of younger voters who want authenticity, not poorly written scripts that do not speak to them. They are working-class families that want solutions, not slogans and first-time voters who want to be seen and not summoned.
Unfortunately, too many campaigns are still stuck on underinvesting in grassroots outreach, relying on choosing “polished knowing -it-all-outsiders” over trusted insiders, prioritizing fundraising over relationship-building and avoiding Black media.
They’re chasing the money while the people are asking for meaning.
When You Don’t Look Like Us, You Don’t Reach Us
Let’s be clear, open and honest. When candidates refuse to hire people who look like them, who understand the culture, the language, the lived experience they create a campaign that speaks AT the community, not WITH it.
And the people can feel it. You can’t fake familiarity. You can’t outsource trust. And you can’t win hearts with strangers when your own people are sitting on the sidelines looking to be included in the process based on what they have, the power of their vote.
Super Voters vs. Sacred Voters
There was a time when it was safe to say, “Super voters” are dependable. But the community has always been powerful. There’s a difference.
When campaigns focus only on high-propensity voters, they shrink their vision, silence new voices and miss the very people who need representation most.
What about the single mother working two jobs? The young man trying to stay out of the system? The returning citizen finding his footing? The elder who feels forgotten until election time?
These are not “low-propensity voters.” These are sacred voters.
The Cost of Standing Still
In the book, those who refused to move were left hungry. In our reality, when candidates refuse to evolve voter turnout declines, trust erodes while cynicism grows and communities disengage.
So, in essence enfranchisement grows.
And then we ask the same question every election cycle: “Why didn’t people show up?”
The better question is: “Why didn’t we show up for them?”
A New Map to Forward Thinking
If the cheese has moved, then so must we.
And what does that mean? It means investing in Black-owned media not as charity, but as strategy to support Black own businesses. It means hiring culturally competent teams rooted in the community and speaking plainly, honestly, and consistently not just during campaign season. Be inclusive by expanding the electorate not shrinking it to convenience. It means, “Lifting as you climb”!
And above all, be human by choosing people over platforms, relationships over transactions and community over consultants.
Final Word
The lesson was never really about cheese. It was about change. And right now, the community is watching to see who is willing to move us ahead and who is willing to leave us behind.
Because if you’re still running the same campaign from 20 years ago, or brand new to the game but using institutionalizing tactics, don’t be surprised when the voters you need most are no longer willing to believe you and listen.