Commentary : Who Can Best Lead the Disenfranchised? : Answer Is in Hands of Men and Women of the Community

Another community “leader” bites the dust. His tears and those of his colleagues dampen the pages of our local newspapers. Although he was only two years in the San Diego area, his name was frequently on the lips of city officials who bestowed upon him the title of spokesman for the African-American poor and powerless of Southeast San Diego. Now that Herb Cawthorne has left his well-paid position as president of the Urban League, who will save them? The community still faces the multiple problems of drug abuse, crime, violence and miseducation, but now we must do it without our anointed leader.

Many in the Hispanic community also have longed for a savior to intervene on their behalf. Some have concluded they lack the power to deliver themselves from the poverty and hopelessness that typifies their everyday lives and must rely on government-funded agencies to represent their interests.

In the past 15 years, several of these agencies have emerged as the “leaders” of the Hispanic and African-American communities. Their paid directors are eagerly recognized by city officials as spokesmen for our ethnic populations. A number of these individuals have been installed as advisers to the powerful in and around City Hall.

But can these anointed leaders truly represent the interests of the powerless, independently from those who, in effect, sign their paychecks? Do these advisers do any real advising or do they simply carry out the wishes of their patrons?

The marches against drugs and violence in Southeast San Diego organized by Herb Cawthorne drew much praise and publicity from City Hall and area news media. Yet those marches were directed against gangs and drug dealers, not against city government, which has over the years allowed our community to deteriorate into deplorable conditions. In fact, when his marches became critical of possible police misconduct, city officials and police immediately withdrew support. Even worse, Cawthorne was forced to apologize to police so as not to lose their support and perhaps much more.

Two years ago when residents of Barrio Logan charged that law enforcement officials were not doing enough to combat crime and violence in Chicano Park, Rachel Ortiz, director of the city-funded Barrio Station, undermined resident complaints by announcing that police were doing a good job, and that it was much worse in Los Angeles.

Andrea Skorepa, executive director of Casa Familiar, another city-funded agency, also chairs Mayor Maureen O’Connor’s Hispanic Advisory Committee. Last year she criticized Councilman Bob Filner, whom O’Connor perceives as an opponent, for not being active enough in his support for district elections, an important issue for Hispanic empowerment. However, when O’Connor signed the ballot argument against district elections, not a peep was heard from Skorepa or the advisory committee. It was apparent to many that her city-funded job did not allow Skorepa the freedom to publicly oppose the mayor’s position.

More importantly, we must look to see what kind of results have been produced by poverty-agency leadership. Are the communities better off after 15 years of stewardship by government-funded organizations such as the Urban League, Chicano Federation, Black Federation, Barrio Station and Casa Familiar?

Quite the opposite. Today, youth violence, crime, drug abuse and miseducation in Southeast and Logan Heights are worse than ever. In our neighborhoods, drug dealers have become bolder, crack houses abound, and shootings occur almost daily. Our commercial centers have also deteriorated and continue to be used as dumping grounds for polluting industry and residential care facilities. The only things that have improved are the sizes of the offices, staff and payrolls of many of the agencies themselves.

This is not to say that some of the social services carried out by these agencies are not necessary. Child-care facilities, senior services, diversion programs, job training, youth recreational programs and health services are greatly needed. More such programs should be implemented and expanded, if they are closely monitored and audited.

At the same time, however, we cannot defer political leadership of our community to providers of services, who by nature must be in good graces with the standing administration in order to be funded. African-Americans and Hispanics cannot expect government and the major news media, which have historically ignored and discriminated against them, to choose and finance advocates who will independently represent the interests of those same disenfranchised groups.

Leadership within our community rests in our own hands. We must be ready to volunteer our personal time and resources for the benefit of the entire community.

San Diego’s community planning groups are good examples of citizens providing leadership. These groups of committed residents and business people throughout the city invest countless hours improving, developing and protecting their neighborhoods.

Leaders must be men and women who are not afraid to make necessary sacrifices to help those who cannot help themselves. We must raise our voices to oppose injustice, no matter who the perpetratoror what adverse impact such action will have on our personal lives or pocketbooks. We must be good at working together with other like-minded people of all races so that together we can take back control of our neighborhoods and influence political policy in the region. Ultimately, we must strive to be the personification of honesty, responsibility and, above all, accountability.

Of course, by being strongly critical of governmental abuse and neglect, such people will have few friends in high places. On the other hand, their spirit may gain the community’s respect and support, which is something many of our “leaders” today don’t have.

Leadership is a collective and participatory phenomenon, which cannot rely solely on personal relationships and influence brokering. A leader cannot be a “pied piper of publicity” nor a Moses to lead us out of our powerlessness. They cannot be people who pose only minimum goals and have the most to gain by our political ignorance and apathy.

The departure of Herb Cawthorne from the Urban League should be of no consequence to our community. We neither gained nor lost by his meteoric rise and incandescent burst. The same can be said of other leaders who were chosen for us, be it former City Councilman Uvaldo Martinez, who was appointed to the council and who later resigned for improper use of his city credit card, or another appointed councilman, William Jones, who apparently became bored, and left.

The failures of our designated leaders should not sadden us. Instead, they should inspire those who are truly committed and altruistic. They are the ones who can effectively challenge the ignorance that exists and organize our people in efforts to improve their lives and those of the generations that follow.