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Today, Senator Wilkerson voluntarily resigned from her position as Massachusetts state senator representing the Second Suffolk district. The alternative would have been expulsion by the state senate. This was the best decision, under the circumstances. As she prepares to fight her upcoming legal battle in federal court, she needs to focus on trying to avoid or reduce a lengthly jail sentence.
She is a single professional African American woman, a grandmother and former corporate attorney. She should be my hero. Many constituents in Second Suffolk district and statewide consider her to be a leader due to her advocacy and civil rights work. But is that enough?
In the not so distant past, we blindly supported our political leadership and clergy. For some of us, our political leadership and our clergy are one in the same. There were so few leaders, and we were in such dire circumstances during our various movements. We were forced to band together, remain united and ignore the glaring personal, ethical (and sometimes legal) lapses in the people who were supposed to be our leaders.
Today, I believe there is a shift in our thinking and we are now holding our “leaders” to a higher standard. We expect them to pay their taxes, pay their mortgages, pay their student loans, pay their bills, stay with their first wives, stay awake during City Council meetings, stay sober at Slades, treat their staff with respect, be discrete, have good judgment… you know, like the rest of us have to.
Today, we have a choice. There are politicians of every stripe and color who are able to serve their constituencies and stay out of trouble at the same time. This new politician is able to use her office as a platform to empower people, while also making good choices in her private life. Going forward, I hope we see more clean-cut, stable, ethical politicians up on Beacon Hill, and in the White House.
Get inspired and get involved!
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