Politician Lost Election- Still Made Positive Community Impact

His goal was to improve conditions within his state and local community – not to be a famous but ineffective politician. He would run a respectful campaign and win or lose, continue to advocate for improving the lives of others. 

FAMILY BACKGROUND

MHK was born in Boston, one of 11 children. His father, who was from Barbados, was a labor union secretary in addition to working on the docks. His mother, from Guyana, was a homemaker. 

CHILDHOOD

Both Boston and the southern city where MHK attended college, were racially segregated at the time. As MHK later recalled, “I stopped going to the theater where Black people had to sit upstairs, so I started patronizing the Black theater instead. I rode in the back of the bus once and it felt so crummy that from then on, I hitch hiked.”

EDUCATION

After graduating from Boston public schools, MHK attended a southern university, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Then he returned to Boston, where he earned a Master’s degree in education from a teacher’s college. 

During MK’s undergraduate days at the university, he played football and was elected Captain of the team. Thus, early on, MK demonstrated his natural ease with others and his confidence to be a leader. 

FIRST ADULT JOBS ARE NEVER A BINDING CAREER COMMITMENT

MHK’s first adult job was teaching at two local high schools. Wanting to help more people than those within his classrooms, MHK transitioned to social work, first as Director of Boys’ Activities at the Lincoln House settlement house and later as Director of Youth Opportunities for United South End Settlements, a nonprofit social services agency that serves mostly low-income families and that had merged with Lincoln House. 

CHALLENGE – ADVOCATING A DIFFERENT POLICY THAN YOUR EMPLOYER

MHK was always determined to ‘speak truth to power.’ 

Editor – While this personality trait may earn respect from co-workers, it can also lead to differences of opinion which cannot be compromised with employers and, in some situations, the employee has only two options: either back off or exit, either voluntarily or involuntarily. 

In one instance of a serious policy disagreement with his managers, MHK’s employment was terminated by the employer. Local residents protested, saying that MHK had been helping them overcome poverty. An editorial in a widely read newspaper, The Boston Globe, called MHK “a deeply respected leader of the community.” 

So, in this instance, MHK’s negative result from speaking out earned positive, valuable publicity which helped him to eventually succeed in being elected to political office – a Representative to the Massachusetts state legislature. 

Editor’s note – If you are determined to strongly disagree with your employer over a major issue, be prepared to accept as a possible consequence the loss of your employment. While pushing your position, it’s best – at the same time – to be developing a ‘Plan B’ employment in case you are ‘fired.’

POLITICAL CAREER

Editor – Many political careers begin when the eventual candidate gains wide and positive community publicity even before the eventual candidate has formed an inner, confidential thought of seeking elected political office.

Following MHK’s firing and the resulting favorable publicity for being helpful within the community, MHK led a successful demonstration by more than 1,000 people against a city plan to build a parking garage on the site of housing that had been demolished as part of an urban renewal project. This protest eventually led to the development of 269 mixed-income apartments which opened at the site under the name “Tent City” as a nod to the tents that protesters had earlier pitched and occupied on the property. 

Two decades later, MHK was Executive Director of the New Urban League (NUL), when he joined with other members of that group to disrupt an awards luncheon of the United Fund, a major local philanthropy, which had recently reduced its financial allocation to the NUL. MHK scooped half-eaten rolls and pieces of coconut pie into a laundry bag marked “Our Unfair Share – Black Crumbs”, held it over his head and dumped it on the head table. “We’ve been getting crumbs,” he said at the time. “We’re no longer going to accept crumbs.”

When Pope John Paul II visited Boston, MHK led a march to express outrage over the shooting of a Black high school football player during a game. The player’s wounds left him a quadriplegic. Three white teenagers were charged. “This walk,” said MHK during the event, “is to indicate that the pope should not come here without helping his flock to overcome their racism and to get the leaders of this city involved in that kind of dialogue that will put an end to the racism in this city.” 

MHK’s reputation for advocating justice within the community became the basis for his successful campaign to serve as a Representative to the state legislature. While there, he led the passage of laws creating nonprofit agencies that helped finance and renovate substantial amounts of affordable housing. 

After being elected several times as a representative from the Boston area to the Massachusetts state legislature, MK decided that he could make more of an impact in Boston by serving as its Mayor. But first, of course, he would have to be elected to that position. 

During his mayoral campaign, MK drew support from what he called a ‘Rainbow Coalition’ (MK was the first to use that term) – a core that included Black, Hispanic, Asian and progressive White supporters. (That term was soon adopted and expanded nationally by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.)

MK narrowly finished second to the eventual winning candidate in a non-partisan, nine-candidate primary but was then soundly defeated in the runoff general election. 

Still, MK, the first Black mayor finalist in the city’s history, received a strong 20 percent of the ballots cast by White voters. 

MK and his political opponent, RF, were both sons of longshoremen. They ran an issues-oriented campaign that focused on working-class voters and reflected their long friendship, which began when they were teammates on a semipro basketball team. 

The concurrent political campaigns were free of rancor about their opposing positions on enforced school busing between predominantly White and predominantly Black sections of the city – MK was for it. RF was against it. That issue had divided the city, sometimes with violence, after a federal court ordered the measure as a remedy to racial segregation. 

“We set a civil tone, one of good will that changed the racial dynamic and toned it down,” RF said later. “It wasn’t what people expected, but they were able to say ‘If these two guys can do this for the city, we can do it as well.’ “

The field director for MK’s campaign said that “both campaigns kept the violence and ugliness from breaking out.” 

A decade later, looking back at his campaign, MK said, “What I believe people want more than anything else is a sense of a vision that’s inclusive and respectful and appreciative of who they are. What the Rainbow Coalition did was to put that right up front, because everybody could be a member.”

POLITICIAN’S CHALLENGE – PROMOTING CONTROVERSIAL POSITIONS

During his mayoral campaign, MK took controversial positions. He told a mostly Jewish audience that he would welcome the Palestinian leader to Boston if he came peacefully. And given the choice between then President Ronald Reagan and the Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, MK told a radio station, he would take Castro because Castro had done more for the poor. 

Editor – There is no record of ‘exit polling” to determine the effect of those statements on voters. But each of the candidate’s opinions was consistent with his focus on helping the underserved and promoting respect among those with whom you disagree. It’s refreshing to see a candidate willing to state his or her honest opinion and be willing to respect the voter’s reactions. 

CAREER SATISFACTION

MK earned wide praise as “The father of affordable housing in Boston.” 

Aided by his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees plus his widespread community service experiences, MK was hired by a local, nationally respected university to teach in its Urban Studies and planning department, which he did for 26 years. 

MK started a Community Fellows Program for leaders nationwide. 

Perhaps MK’s greatest achievement occurred during a losing cause – his campaign for city Mayor – when he insisted on keeping his focus on issues, not on negative, fear mongering or violence promoting remarks. 

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This career story is based on several sources, including an obituary written by Richard Sandomir, published by The New York Times on 4/11/23 plus online research including Wikipedia.