THE GREAT RACIAL DIVIDE by DrTed

1. THE LOUISVILLE-JEFFERSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC SCENE: THE GREAT
RACIAL DIVIDE by DrTed

Last night at the Louisville-Jefferson County Democratic Party’s
Annual Ford Dinner, I was once again struck by the great racial
divide that exists in Louisville.

Not one single recipient of any honor went to a person of
color.

Not one single speaker (except for the Baptist Minister) was
a person of color.

Only one person of color was at a table of any candidate for
a county-wide office.

I saw more African-American leaders at a women’s forum for
David Nicholson and a fundraiser for Mayor Abramson (last
Fall) than I saw at last night’s Ford Dinner.

Other examples of this great racial divide are as follows:

Not one single candidate for Congress in KY or for a
Jefferson County office is a person of color.

Only one person of color (Harry Johnson) has a prominent
role in any of these campaigns (David Nicholson’s campaign
for Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk).

Not one single person of color has a leadership role in
either the Kentucky Democratic Party or the Louisville-
Jefferson County Democratic Party. (Sorry David Tandy, I
don’t see the role of Treasurer as position of leadership.)

(I do know that the Horne campaign, especially Stephanie
Horne, has reached out to the burgeoning Hispanic
population in Louisville. Thanks to Stephanie Horne all of
their campaign materials will be in English and Spanish.)

Not one single person of color has a leadership role in the
Kentucky General Assembly or the Louisville Metro Council.

Not one single person of color has a leadership role in any
State Office (Democratic or Republican).

Other than a Democratic Club in West Louisville, people of
color do not have leadership roles in Louisville’s
Democratic clubs.

People of color only run for offices in districts where
African Americans represent a sizeable portion of the voting
population.

People of color are seemingly only important during election
years or special events. I don’t know how many times I
have told prospective Democratic candidates to visit African-
American Churches and neighborhoods during non-election
years.

People of color lost representation in the Kentucky
Democratic Party when Leonard Gray died. Did any blogger
(including myself) note that?


I don’t know the reasons for this racial divide. I’m only stating the
facts.

Yet, Democrats wonder why Anne Northup cuts into “our” vote in West
Louisville. As the saying goes---“what have you done for me lately…”