Racism Alleged in Lake Forest Mayoral Choice

For six years, Kathryn McCullough has served on the Lake Forest City Council. But she’s never been mayor.

McCullough won’t say so, but many believe it’s because she’s black.

Last week, McCullough was passed over for the post when the council handed the mayor’s gavel to former mayor and Councilman Richard T. Dixon. The council majority backing Dixon also chose Councilwoman Helen Wilson to serve as mayor pro tem, a job that often leads to a future nomination for mayor.

Everyone except McCullough has served in the ceremonial position.

The votes by Dixon, Wilson and Peter Herzog prompted some residents and one council member to accuse the council majority of racism, a charge that all three categorically deny.

“I don’t think there’s any other explanation for their behavior,” said Councilwoman Marcia Rudolph, who voted for McCullough. “The thing that’s really sad is that [McCullough] is such a treasure, and instead of being proud, they want to find a rock to put her under.”

Rudolph said she has nominated McCullough for mayor for the last four years. She also nominated her for mayor pro tem Tuesday night.

Dixon said the decision had nothing to do with race.

“It wasn’t until I had the confidence of the City Council that I was elected mayor or mayor pro tem,” he said. “Being elected to the City Council is no guarantee that your colleagues are going to put you in a leadership position.”

Race is “just an easy crutch that has nothing to do with it,” Wilson said.

Dixon, Wilson and Herzog declined to discuss the reasons behind their votes.

“That’s just something between McCullough and I,” Herzog said.

McCullough became Orange County’s first black council member in 1994. But she said her political aspirations were never about race.

“I didn’t set out to be the first black council person, I set out to help my city, my county and my state,” she said.

McCullough started a career of public service at age 13 in her mother’s St. Louis kitchen, where she started a catering business to fund donations to the neighborhood’s poor.

“As a teenager, I went to some dances, but not that many, because I would be cooking or ironing or cleaning people’s houses so I could get the money to feed people,” she said.

McCullough first moved to what was then the El Toro area in 1969 after her husband served two of his three tours of duty in Vietnam.

While her husband was stationed at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, McCullough started a food distribution service to homeless and low-income county residents out of her garage. The service kept expanding, and is now run out of a Mission Viejo warehouse.

The Adopt-a-Neighbor food bank provides food for free or low cost to thousands of residents from Santa Ana to San Clemente every week.

McCullough said her humanitarianism was born from Christian convictions and a family tradition going back to her great-grandmother.

For McCullough, an ordained minister, holding public office is another extension of her service to God and the community.

“As a pastor, you are a public servant,” she said. “The political arena is really just a vineyard of the Lord where work is to be done.”

McCullough said it’s high time to elect a black mayor in Orange County. But she said that’s not the reason she should lead the Lake Forest council.

“I’m not striving to become the first black mayor; I’m striving to get the justice that is due me,” McCullough said.