Hutchinson on Black Politicians

Re Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s Feb. 8 commentary: As an African American political science student, I too was interested in the low numbers of African American politicians in California. I have a much different take on the shrinking numbers. When a disenfranchised group becomes part of the electoral process, its members are happy to see people who look like them and address their problems, which are simple and uniform. That is how the political machines got their power. Irish, Italians and [other] groups supplied these machines with unwavering support. The longer the people were part of the political process, the more savvy they got and the more they voted for the best candidate, regardless of race or ethnicity, who met their now-complex needs.

That is what I see happening to blacks. Rather than lament the small numbers as compared to Latinos, who I feel are in the party-machine stage of their political cycle, Hutchinson should take heart that Oakland is demanding that its needs are addressed and not ending up like Washington, where they kept voting to spite the “man,” despite the disastrous results.

MICHAEL A. CARTER

Inglewood