Sacramento will elect a new mayor in 2024. Who’s equipped to do the job? | Opinion
Sacramento is a tale of two cities.
On one hand, our beloved Sacramento Kings are division champions for the first time in 20 years. On the other hand, many of our community members are suffering from financial stress. In one breath, we speak of individuals thriving after COVID restrictions; in the next, we empathize with community members grieving loved ones lost from the pandemic.
Sacramento is due to elect a new mayor in 2024. As we begin to think about the next leaders for our city, we must recognize that it is time to usher in a new generation of thinkers who are able to address the difficult nature of race, socioeconomic issues, social determinants of health and the criminal justice system.
Sacramento is touted as one of the most diverse cities in the nation, yet extremist groups like the Proud Boys continue to disrupt school board meetings. The disparities throughout our city are rampant.
Opinion
We house our most vulnerable foster youth in cells; meanwhile, the Office of Youth Development’s vision is for all young folks to have the “highest-quality youth development experiences.” Drive around Sacramento and you can find magnificent infill projects, only to turn the corner and see the 2023 version of shanty towns.
Sacramento’s next mayor will face a 67% increase in individuals who live unhoused and with housing insecurity, while also seeing a boom in infill projects. They will face issues that exist in a complicated landscape.
Our city is experiencing the same societal pains the nation is feeling, and ideals that are not in line with the needs of communities. People are experiencing the world differently, and our current politicians are incapable of addressing these differences.
Our “tale of two cities” reality is complex. Social determinants of health and health disparities, xenophobia in the midst of racial and ethnic diversity, education fueling the pipeline to the criminal justice system and implicit biases leading to explicit police violence are just a few of the challenges our political leaders face.
Our new mayor will need to imagine a Sacramento that can serve all of its citizens. They will need to channel their frustrations into policy solutions that inspire us all.
For years, we’ve talked about the “leaders of the future.” Now, Sacramento is at a tipping point. We can tip forward, toward a future where all of our citizens are cared for, or we can tip backwards, to our detriment. Our next election will decide which fate we’ll choose.
We can no longer watch our city be divided into the haves and have-nots. Everyone should have access to affordable housing and opportunities to work for a life-sustaining wage. Everyone should be able to feel safe in their communities. As candidates begin to announce their mayoral run, we must choose the visionary leader who will transparently unify Sacramento into the one great city we all deserve.
It’s time to think about what we want in 2024. And, most importantly: Who can do the job?
Dr. Addie Ellis is vice president of the Sacramento chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action and a consultant focused on racial and cultural equity whose research explores the impacts of homelessness and poverty on communities. Tina Reynolds is president of Uptown Studios, Inc. and a longtime advocate for equity in Sacramento.
