It has been irritating to look at longtime Black political leaders – particularly members of the clergy – line as much as endorse Andrew Cuomo of all folks for mayor of New York Metropolis.
Fewer politicians on the planet are much less deserving of a political comeback than Cuomo. Not solely is he presently main in polling, however neighborhood leaders representing areas extra prone to endure from a Cuomo mayorship than profit try to assist engineer it for him.
It’s a pathetic, albeit predictable final result given Cuomo’s historical past of operating to the Black neighborhood when politically expedient and choose leaders from it embracing him no matter how little he plans to do for the neighborhood in return.
Years in the past, when Cuomo’s governorship turned ensnarled in scandal over allegations of sexual harassment, he ran to a Black church in Harlem to get vaccinated towards the coronavirus, and whereas current, was lavished with reward by numerous Black ministers and political figures in attendance.
So, as Cuomo was engulfed in controversy following a number of ladies, together with former and present aides, accusing him of creating inappropriate remarks and habits like undesirable touching and unwelcome sexual advances, they have been singing the satan’s excessive praises to heaven.
The New York Instances quoted a kind of folks, Hazel N. Dukes, president of the NY chapter of the NAACP, referring to Cuomo as her “son” throughout her remarks, insisting that “he ain’t white.”
With all due respect to Ms. Dukes, Cuomo might need been her play son that man ain’t no rattling honorary Negro.
Fortunately, there have been others like New York Metropolis Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who protested Cuomo’s actions on the time and reminded others of the hurt he dropped at Black communities.
“Gov. Cuomo isn’t a sufferer, and he isn’t a casualty. He’s a robust one that has brought about victims and has brought about casualties,” Williams mentioned at a protest outdoors of Cuomo’s workplace in 2021.
Others, like the general public training advocacy group Alliance for High quality Training, argued: “Governor Cuomo’s insurance policies have deepened inequality in public colleges, and strengthened the buildings of academic racism in New York.”
But, just a few weeks in the past, 30 Black religion leaders launched a press release claiming that “Andrew Cuomo’s management displays the values we maintain shut: uplifting the marginalized, combating for fairness, and constructing a metropolis the place each particular person has the possibility to thrive.”
The person who empowered Republicans in NY to assist him stave off a extra progressive agenda, who reportedly ruled like a tyrant and a creep, is the most effective particular person to do all that?
This doesn’t even embrace his administration’s abysmal dealing with of nursing properties within the state in the course of the pandemic and all of the ache, struggling, and lack of life it brought about.
There may be additionally the matter of Cuomo’s longtime knack for informal shows of racism.
Cuomo is identical one that, in 2008, as a supporter of Hillary Clinton within the Democratic major, mentioned of Barack Obama’s loss within the New Hampshire major: “It’s not a TV-crazed race. Frankly, you may’t purchase your method into it. You may’t shuck and jive at a press convention. You may’t simply delay reporters, as a result of you may have actual folks you saying reply the query, , and all these strikes you may make with the press don’t work whenever you’re in somebody’s front room.”
Then, a decade later, in 2019, he used “the n-word” throughout a dwell radio interview with WAMC.
His racism within the Nineties was no higher.
Whereas operating towards Carl McCall within the Democratic major for governor of NY, Cuomo dismissed McCall as little greater than “a racial contract” between Black and Latino New Yorkers that ought to not prevail.
Cuomo misplaced that race, however no less than efficiently pulled off the position of spoiler for the Black gubernatorial hopeful – a task repeated years later when, as New York’s legal professional common, he was accused of utilizing his workplace to run an orchestrated marketing campaign to push Governor David Paterson out of the race.
That is the person a state chapter president of the NAACP claims “ain’t white.”
He sounds mighty white to me and of a well-known kind.
In her e-book, Confidence Man, New York Instances reporter Maggie Haberman wrote that “the one two politicians I ever heard publicly use the phrase ‘The Blacks’ have been Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo.”
And, like Trump, Cuomo isn’t the sort to confess fault.
In truth, to this present day, relating to acknowledging his bullying and abusive habits that led him to resign, he and his supporters proceed to Lawyer Normal Letitia James and her purported “incompetence.” Sure, that may be a mighty racist and really Trumpian assertion of him to make. The identical can be mentioned of him wanting to make use of tax-payer funds to sue James in retaliation.
Years in the past, regardless of his identified rocky historical past, Cuomo turned governor with ample Black help. Historical past may repeat itself now, nevertheless it’s not too late to show this round earlier than the June Democratic mayoral major in NYC and remind Black voters what kind of politician they’re doubtlessly returning to prominence.
It was clownish sufficient when a few of these identical Black pastors and political operatives continued to help the present scandal-prone mayor of NYC, Eric Adams.
It’s unforgivable to advocate for Black voters to exchange one corrupt politician with one other.
As Bertha Lewis Lewis, founder and president of Black Management and Motion Coalition, put it in an op-ed for the New York Every day Information: “Cuomo’s father, Mario, was a champion for our communities. His son’s actions now threaten that legacy.”
The Black pastors and politicians telling Black New Yorkers in any other case are mistaken and in determined want of their conscience.
Michael Arceneaux is a New York Instances bestselling writer whose most up-to-date e-book, “I Lastly Purchased Some Jordans,” was printed final March.
SEE ALSO:
Op-Ed: Jasmine Crockett Can’t Have It Each Methods
Hand Clap For Cory Booker, However The Largest Applause Goes To The Base That Pushed Him