Racism in Shorewood Hills, Part Two

This past week, I posted a word on our neighborhood Facebook page about some traffic violations I've witnessed. The city of Madison installed two No Right On Red signs, at our major intersections, where the new express bus stops are located, and a lot of folks are just ignoring them. I don't know if this is habit, obliviousness, or a refusal to believe that anyone really takes the bus because they never have or will.

There are people in this neighborhood who feel so entitled to their cloistered suburban privilege that minor inconveniences -- like having to wait for a green light so bus riders can cross safely -- feels like an attack on their rights. They huff and puff about how impossible it is to get through the intersection with these new restrictions when in reality, they're just waiting for about 90-180 seconds longer.

One of the loudest purveyors of white male fragility in our neighborhood sub-posted under another one-- apropos of literally nothing -- that I had resigned from the Board "in disgrace." Etymologically speaking, "to disgrace" means to fall out of favor with powerful or exalted people. So ha ha, thank you. I accept!

Conservatives seem to love talking about liberal disgrace, maybe because TFG does it all the time. Projecting much?

Coincidentally, disgrace also came up in the racism controversy here. (Background on that here. And here.) The morning after our only female Trustee of color made her discrimination complaint, the wife of another Trustee called her, at home, and called her a "disgrace to our community." It appeared that she meant to do this anonymously, like a prank call, but didn't understand that caller ID exists. I wrote her a letter, to express my disappointment in her behavior. But did not hear back.

I'm happy to report that the Board (on which the caller's husband continues to serve) did not pass the censure resolution. The village's official investigation didn't find evidence of discrimination. Still, the community turned out in big numbers to oppose the resolution. So overwhelming was her support that the sponsor -- John Imes, Board Chair -- ended up voting against his own resolution.

You can watch that meeting here. Residents offered a lot of different reasons for their opposition. Most people kept it simple: Trustee Lotfi is our most popular Board member, and the resolution appeared vindictive. You'll get most of the story from the various links I provided. Before I close the loop on this, I just wanted to share a letter I wrote to the Board before the meeting, which represents my own views on the matter. I didn't read it at the meeting, because I didn't need to, which was great.

To the Board:

The censure resolution that the Board majority seems poised to pass is sad and awful for many reasons, one of which is that it shows your poor judgment. Pass it, and the four of you — Carol, Dietmar, Mark, John— will be forever associated — on the internet —with a person whose name is forever associated— on the internet —with “Confederate Flag Tattoo.”   It’s out there because Sharon Eveland herself announced it —on the internet. Her judgement aside, this letter is about yours.

John might have ended this conflict simply by apologizing to Shabnam for Sharon’s discriminatory pattern. Instead, you’re all choosing to further escalate John’s retaliatory behavior, and announce to the world that Shorewood is a racist suburb.  This reputation will be well deserved. Your civility code and censure revenge are already in perfect lockstep with the ongoing takeover of America by Trumpian extremists. 

If I were making more distant historical comparisons, though, this Board also reminds me of Louisiana at the end of Reconstruction.  When the Union won the Civil War in 1865, Black male legislators were finally able to run for elected office and join the governments that had enslaved them.  In 1874, 16 prominent Black politicians publicly complained of being excluded from "any knowledge of the confidential workings of the party and government" in Louisiana.  They said: "We were humiliated in our intercourse with those whom we have exalted to power."  The white supremacists didn’t apologize. Instead, they retaliated, called the Black men “inexperienced” and “wrong” for the job, and accused them of "drawing a political color line.” We all know what happened when Reconstruction was violently overturned 2 years later. The white supremacists gave us more than 100 years of an actual color line.

With hindsight, we can see that the Louisiana white men in charge retaliated because they just really didn't want to share power. The former slave holders thought they knew best. They didn't believe that Black people (or immigrants or women) deserved an equal voice. They deemed us inferior human beings. That, of course, is the philosophy that the Confederate flag represents.  

You may say you “need” to censure Shabnam because “the staff needs support.”  But such claims don’t persuade me since Carol “edited out” Sharon’s poor performance reviews, John ignored requests for oversight of exit interviews, and Mark let Amanda Ellmaker fend for herself against Sharon’s abuse even after I reported it to him. You are not championing the staff, you are championing Sharon, and that’s likely because you don’t want to share power with “inexperienced” elected Trustees. You are championing Sharon likely because she enabled your governance centralization.  You’re championing Sharon because you agree with her personally, perhaps.  But you’re wrong.  And your poor judgement will only serve to make this association— Shorewood and the Confederate Flag — your eternal legacy. 

Shabnam is a superb civil servant.  With all the roads and water mains you have to fix, all the capital improvements you have to plan, all the meetings you have to chair, you are debating her ethics?  Her alleged civility?  I don’t know how much time you have spent in Louisiana but I have this view: It’s a failed state. Centuries of regressive policies, bigotry, ignorance, and lawlessness have hobbled its democracy and institutions and failed its citizens.  Shorewood is already well on its way to being a failed state, in my view. Passing this vindictive resolution will do nothing but underscore John’s failure of leadership.  And your own.  

Best regards, 

Dr. Clune

Thank you, neighbors who showed up, for refusing to allow that Board to "disgrace" us.