Black candidates in at-large school board race disprove the notion they can only win in minority districts
The old idea that black candidates can't win countywide office in Guilford was shoved further into history yesterday in the at-large school board race.
Sandra Alexander and Michael McKinney led the field of five candidates with a combined 65 percent of the vote. Add E.C. Huey's 8 percent, and you have nearly three-fourths of the countywide vote going to African Americans.
Alexander and McKinney will run head-to-head in November, assuring the election of a black school board member at-large. The race is nonpartisan.
This follows last year's election of Yvonne Johnson as Greensboro's first black mayor.
It adds up to progress beyond the thinking that the "voting rights" of African Americans demand special districts in which they make up the majority. That was true, but it isn't now.
Comments (3)
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Doug:
The evidence keeps mounting that America is not quite the bigoted country that some would have us believe. Indeed, recent events would seem to indicate that, at best, race plays a small role in elections in a place where race has traditionally been a very big issue.
I hope that recent returns will serve to disarm those who use race to divide.
Posted on May 7, 2008 10:19 AM
Amen.
Posted on May 7, 2008 10:27 AM
AMEN, AMEN
Posted on May 7, 2008 11:07 AM