How is the Rochester mayor doing? This is what we heard.

"We're still getting caught up," Devon Reynolds said as he walked into the Dewey Avenue storefront, the room toasty from a space heater murmuring near the doorway. Two weeks after Thanksgiving, the shelves at Sweet Ida Mae's Food Pantry were left with slim offerings.

In the last few weeks, Reynolds had fed hundreds of people. The pantry gave away Thanksgiving baskets and hosted a hot, day-of meal with all the fixings ― while still maintaining its regular work supplying Rochester families with the boxes of pasta and cans of formula they need to keep their bellies full.

It's fitting that when asked about Rochester mayor Malik Evans, Reynolds is standing amongst evidence of the city's rampant despair. He calls politics a wicked game in that way.

The Rochester barber and community advocate can't help but believe the stereotype: Elected officials feel beholden to their financial backers while forgetting about the regular people who make the city hum.

The median household income in the Dewey Avenue neighborhood where he works is $32,360. Reynolds said people there don't have the extra cash to curry favor with politicians. Instead, their power comes through voting blocs, so he hosts political forums each election season to try and encourage people to cast an informed vote.

Evans' ties to local unions and corporations left Reynolds hesitant on Election Day 2021. He was ready for a change in leadership, but the mayor and other local officials were scrutinized by activists the year prior for accepting money from Rochester's police union.

Could he put aside his political relationships to work for the people? Reynolds wondered.

(Evans later donated the money to a fund set up by Black Lives Matter organizers.)

"It's really hard to criticize (the mayor) because you know his roots," Reynolds said, referring to the elder Evans' legacy. "You know that deep down, he cares because he was taught to care. But politics is politics, and I just don't want to see him fall victim to that."

When shootings dipped last year, Reynolds saw a brighter future.

He credits the mayor for listening to and investing in community led prevention efforts. He wants to see the same energy applied toward fighting hunger and rising housing costs, particularly for renters. "As a product of the city, it's his role and his job to advocate for us," Reynolds said. "I know that he has to play both sides of the aisle ― but we really need advocacy on our end."

We spoke to people in Rochester about the mayor, and have heard issues with him being disconnected and satisfaction with a lack of controversy in this administration. Does Evans fight for regular people or business interests? Or both? If you have a perspective to share, contact us.

Here is more that we heard.

'I do not feel like anyone is listening'

Rachel Crawford took a chance on Malik Evans.

Crawford says the independent bookstore she owns on University Avenue, Akimbo Bookshop, is political ― all bookstores are because what people read shapes their politics, she says. Akimbo is small in square footage, but through its literary selections, the mind can travel worldwide through a social activism lens rooted in revolution.

Hailing from South Jersey, Crawford relocated to Rochester 13 years ago, driven by the prospect of enhanced education and a more inclusive, welcoming environment for her son. Since her arrival, she's become part of a community where art and activism blend.

Crawford was a familiar face in the aftermath of the Daniel Prude saga; she stood on Jefferson Avenue while activists demanded justice for Prude from City Hall. Many people beside her would also find themselves inside Akimbo Bookshop's original location on East Avenue.

On Jan. 4, 2023, a fire broke out in a neighboring restaurant, causing severe damage to Akimbo and forcing Crawford to close the location permanently. "I had just got my sign up," she said.

Crawford's insurance didn't cover the fire, but a crowdfunding campaign comprised of customers and supporters raised over $30,000 to put Akimbo back in business. That's the kind of relationship Crawford has with her patrons, and it's why she feels comfortable saying that a majority of them were ready to dump former Mayor Lovely Warren after Prude's death and give Malik Evans a shot.

Fast forward to 2024, and that group of voters, Crawford included, feels slightly disappointed by Evans' rhetoric or lack thereof.

"The most important thing a person has is a platform and a voice," Crawford said while sorting through a new shipment of books inside Akimbo.

She reinforces her commitment to the community by regularly showing up and speaking at City Council meetings. "I do not feel like anyone is listening to their constituents," she said.

Crawford is disheartened by Evans' apparent lack of public support for the Police Accountability Board and Good Cause legislation drafted to shield tenants from unjustified rent increases and retaliatory or discriminatory evictions.

To secure her vote for a second term, she's looking for Evans to advocate for affordable housing, engage with small businesses' concerns, and tackle food insecurity.

The bookstore owner understands that the mayor can't do it all alone, but she wants Evans to speak up.

The mayor's voice was loud and clear in early January when he called an impromptu press conference at City Hall to denounce the actions of the city's contracted ambulance service, AMR.

"Malik has a respected position of power," Crawford said. "When Malik endorses something, whether he can pass it or not himself ... him endorsing something immediately changes the landscape of that issue."

Go Deeper: Will Rochester get its own EMS after patient put on sidewalk by AMR ambulance?

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— Kayla Canne reports on community justice and safety efforts for the Democrat and Chronicle. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com or on Twitter @kaylacanne.

— Robert Bell is a multimedia journalist and reporter at The Democrat & Chronicle. He was born in Rochester, grew up in Philadelphia and studied film in Los Angeles. Follow him at @byrobbell on X and @byrobbell on IG. Contact him at rlbell@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: How is the Rochester mayor doing? This is what we heard.