Elaine Harris Spearman Commentary: Don't let negativity, bitterness run rampant

It really is all about Gadsden, Alabama, if you live here. It is about voting your choice, if you can vote.

The latest U.S. Census estimates that the population of Etowah County, in which Gadsden is located, is 103,139. The 2023 population of Gadsden is estimated at 33,275. Of that population 19,752 are white and 13,177 are Black.

On Aug. 23, 2022, the main election was held. Runoff elections that were required were held on Sept. 20, 2022.

Because no candidate received a majority of the votes cast for the office of mayor, Craig Ford and Heather Brothers New faced a runoff election. Ford emerged victorious. The other candidates became also rans.

No candidate received a majority of the votes cast for the City Council seat in District 3. The runoff election between Denecia Ann Getaw and Larry J. Avery Jr. resulted in a win for Avery.

No candidate received a majority of the votes cast for the District 4 council seat. Kent Back and Carrie Machan faced a runoff, with Back winning that election.

No candidate received a majority of the votes cast for the District 5 council seat. Jason Wilson and Billy F. Billingsley Sr. faced a runoff, with Wilson emerging victorious.

No candidates received a majority of the votes cast for the District 6 council seat. Dixie Minatra and Renay Stokes Reeves faced a runoff, with Minatra winning that election.

No candidates received a majority of the votes cast for the District 7 council seat. Chris Robinson and Ben Reed faced a runoff election, with Robinson winning.

Z’Andre Huff received a majority of the votes cast for the Gadsden City Board of Education District 3 seat, winning handily. He was declared elected to a four-year term, respectfully.

Why bring up these results? The answer is convoluted because of the many people who sought all of the offices. Some run time and time again for a variety of reasons. They will pop up again in all categories.

Some are of the MAGA mode; they simply cannot accept defeat. Others of that same mode run for office to carry out vendettas against those whom they believe did not vote as they wished them to, or do as they wanted them to do while in office.

There are still others who have a deep-seated need to be in charge of something, anything. That need is coupled with a desire to be what they believe to be important.

By virtue of the close votes for so many offices, it is clear that there is not going to be agreement throughout Gadsden. That does not mean that negativity and bitterness should run rampant throughout the city.

The leadership has been selected until the next go-round. There are some who are behaving no better than the Trump acolytes — get even, call people names and attempt to sully their reputation and character.

The difficulty in getting good people to serve on boards, commissions and to participate in any non-paying volunteer positions in major organizations is common knowledge. Most run on the steam of a handful of people. No one wants a difficult, my way or no way person at the helm, or on any board.

Organizations come and go in any town. The same is true for Gadsden. Accountability and being able to work with all people are critical. Nothing will succeed by creating small kingdoms wherein everyone thinks or acts like a bitter person serving as the Pied Piper.

Gadsden is one community. It is not a Black Gadsden or a white Gadsden. There is nothing to be gained by promoting divisiveness. So goes Gadsden, so go we all.

Everything that is in Gadsden, everything that happened in Gadsden is a part of the city’s history. Carver High School is an integral part of that history.

There is no one arbiter of civil rights in Gadsden. Masses of Carver graduates are across this country. We all speak often of the legacy of Carver’s teachers. They would want us to protect and defend what they stood for.

Two Carver graduates, Kathryn Barrett and Bettye Knowles, had a vision for the preservation of a once great institution in founding the Central-Carver Museum, and the word preservation expressed what they stood for.

They had quiet dignity and respect for their duties and Carver’s mission of turning out able leaders. There were no thoughts of a showy, glammed up, short-lived flame in the night, because that’s not what historical museums do.

The Black residents of Gadsden at last reports are not in need of a Moses, nor are Carver graduates. When deciding to spend money and time, consider the history of the Pied Piper — boards served on and results, backgrounds, what exactly did they do? How were finances handled? Honesty and reliability?

Each person has gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. (Romans 12:1-8)

Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., a Gadsden native, is an attorney and is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis. The opinions reflected are her own. 

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Elaine Harris Spearman looks at divisions in Gadsden.