Colin McEnroe Show: Race, Politics And Connecticut
Why are Connecticut's highest offices dominated by non-minorities?
Published: Jul 29, 2010
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Colin McEnroe Show: Race, Politics And Connecticut
Let me put this in perspective for you.
There are 25 or 30 African American representatives in the U.S. Congress right now. None of them is from Connecticut. Of all the black Americans to serve in Congress in the post-Reconstruction Era, only one has been from Connecticut, Gary Franks, a Waterbury Republican who served from 1991 to 1997.
Among our statewide offices, only one has ever been inhabited by a person of color. We've had so many African-American state treasurers that the office has gotten kind of reputation as "the black job."
There haven't even been very many serious contenders for the other offices. In some ways, we're not all that different from the rest of the nation. Black governors are still a rarity as are U.S. Senators of color. There is that president guy.
But it's hard to shake the idea that there's some kind of filter or ceiling in place.
You can join the conversation. Is there a ceiling in Connecticut politics? Is racism still present in the election booth?
Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.
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This isn't about black or white - if someone is running for office, people have to identify with you.
-Gary Holder-Winfield
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