Volume 68 No. 1 “And Ye Shall Know The Truth...” July 28, 2021 TThehe 116th6th AAnnualnnual AAfricanfrican AAmericanmerican FFestivalestival T In This Issue... Perryman and The Mayor Michele Grim and Gun Violence The Parade Classifieds Page 2 Page 5 Page 9 Page 15 Tolliver African American Festival Breakfast Book Review The Festival Page 3 Page 7 Page 13 Page 16 Page 2 S July 28, 2021 Battling a Pressure Fighter By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, D.Min. The Truth Contributor The most effective [leadership]…is provided by people who work behind the scenes for quiet victories. - Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr. \\- \ cal life. four police classes that The brilliant but sometimes socially awkward incumbent prefers effective, have come aboard dur- behind-the-scenes strategies over “public heroism” to resolve the City’s ing my time as mayor challenges. have been the most However, in challenger former three-term Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, Kap- diverse in the history szukiewicz is battling a charismatic and aggressive former football coach of the city outside of a who is comfortable employing political and psychological pressure. federal courtroom; the How will Kapszukiewicz respond to Carty’s pressuring political style, de- most diverse since the signed to wear down the incumbent, test his endurance, force him into an early 80’s and that is in overly defensive campaign posture, and take away his composure or ability terms of both percent- to think clearly and rationally. ages of African Ameri- cans and also in raw I spoke with Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz about his unorthodox incremen- numbers. And, every Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz tal, outside-the-limelight approach to leadership and how he plans to combat the tactics of his political opponent. year we break the record of the year before. Here is our conversation: Now, I am never going to have the personality of someone more charis- matic and maybe a little more of an extrovert. I can’t help that, and so while Perryman: There’s talk that you initially thought that this reelection effort it’s hard for me to talk about myself, what I would encourage folks to do, would be more effortless than it has become. Carty Finkbeiner is a pressure speak to Tony Hague. I would love for someone to ask him what kind of \! mayor I’ve been for African Americans and what kind of mayor I’ve been for Wade: I’m not unnerved at all. I’m looking forward to telling our story diversity in our safety forces. I will rest comfortably when people understand and just focused on the things we’re doing and need to do. I don’t focus %<$$"S much on the sideshow and all the silly drama. Certainly, Carty adds a level Additionally, we have invested this year more money in youth program- of drama that didn’t exist before. At the end of the day, I don’t expect it will ming and summer job programs than at any time in the history of the City. "\" I hope someone calls Dennis Hopson and asks him what he thinks of my ever have about my chance. service as mayor and my commitment to young people of color and youth At some level, Carty probably would agree that this is an election that he opportunities. Anyone who wants a summer job this year had a chance to get \"S$ one because of the investments we made. I’m proud of that. frankly, is even on winning this race. I think he wants to raise issues, and Also, I inherited a lead law that was well-intentioned, but didn’t work, got that’s great. thrown out in court. I came in, rebuilt the legislation, and passed a lead-safe Perryman: You talked about an emphasis on telling your story. What is program that now actually is preventing kids from being poisoned. Maybe ! I should talk about that more, but that’s a heck of an accomplishment, I be- Wade: The story is that Toledo, in general, is better off today than we lieve, for some of our most disadvantaged neighborhoods. were four years ago; there’s no question about it. And then, the City of Toledo was, embarrassingly, the only big city in Ohio Earlier this year, we won the Site Selection Magazine Governor’s Cup that hadn’t already done a disparity study. Well, because of my leadership, %- we’re determining whether or not the City has been even a passive partici- cant. pant in discriminating against certain protective groups. We are also identify- $\&- ing race-conscious remedies to ensure we have a fair procurement process. ated a new revenue stream that never existed before, and as a result, we’re I also created the TREIC, the Toledo Racial Equity and Inclusion Coun- &'()$ cil. That is helping us push our equity agenda; the black agenda is part of &*S&'+/ that. And, we’ve revamped the Diversity and Inclusion Department. Just Additionally, our budget is in a much better position. Our budget wasn’t the folks I’ve recruited, folks like Rosalyn Clemmons and everything she’s balanced when I became mayor. Today, we have the largest rainy-day fund done, building programs that work for our neighborhoods. 7S$'+\ Perryman: %&\ The promises I made four years ago, I’ve kept them. I said we’re going to ... continued on page 10 grow the size of the police force, get the regional water deal done, and get the budget in order. We did all of these. So, looking at the big picture, there’s no question we’re better off than we were four years ago. Perryman: What is the story concerning the African-American commu- Community Calendar ! Wade: I assumed that everyone knew this, but I’ll say it plainly. There are July 29 about 120 kids right now and their parents going to college for free from Summit Academy Job Fair; 10 am to 2 pm; For K-12 educators seeking Scott High School because of a program I put together. I’m proud of that. an opportunity to positively impact children’s lives – particularly children No one’s ever done anything like that before. Two straight graduating class- with special education needs; Open interviews for a range of positions es of kids from Scott High School and one of their parents are in college August 8 right now and paying not a penny because of my leadership as mayor. Back Pack Event: Noon to 3 pm; Wilson Park; Back pack giveaway – with Perryman: %! supplies; Free food; North End Community Committee Wade: The program is Hope Toledo, which has a pre-k component, which I think everyone knows how far I stuck my neck out promoting pre-kinder- August 12 $\<% 64th Annual Convention: The True Church of God of the Apostolic Faith; also the vessel that is sending these kids from Scott High School to college August 12-14; Nightly services at 6:30 pm; Sunday at 10 am; 301 Colling- for free. wood: 419-243-1815 Beyond that, I have the eight safety classes that I have brought on. The July 28, 2021 S Page 3 Déjà Vu All Over Again…! By Lafe Tolliver, Esq Guest Column A few random thoughts at large. get my drift? With great shame, (1) When I read where the erstwhile politico candidate Carty Finkbeiner we must concede that was dusting off his blue and gold political tap-dancing shoes for another “we” are the ones that chance to be called, “Da Maya”, I thought back to his prior campaigns are doing harm to each and involuntarily shuddered when I recalled the nigh shameless manner other and the blame in which some Black pastors swooned over Carty. I mean, if you did not cannot be shifted to know better, you would have thunk that Carty was handing out genuine “others.” You can be gold doubloons to all the wide-eyed pastors that followed his every foot- poor as church mouse step. I remember times when Carty would call a press conference and and that is not cause to ?$]7< create mayhem and to and breathlessly await his word from on high. L I mean, there were times when Carty passed by some Black pastors, If the local churches that if they could touch the hem of his clearance sale JC Penney suit, they were to plan and plot would have gladly suffered being trampled over by others in their efforts such nightly (Yeah, ev- to reach him. LQ & &$ I mean, when Carty was around some Black pastors, causing them to be 10 dollars to a donut, giddy and supercharged, it was akin to a teenage girl meeting the Beatles you would see a radical Lafe Tolliver "L decrease in crime. But how many churches are willing to put their Christianity on the line I mean, when the call went out to some Black pastors to make the pil- !"L 7S7<$ to drop their mike midway during their Sunday sermon and rush out the door, so be it. Z[Q ?\7 ?L% " council members if they were to obtain a majority on the upcoming city council races. They need to pow-wow together and formulate an agenda Now, I hope that those same pastors (some of whom have gone on to and a budget to support that agenda and pass it through city council. So their eternal reward) have acquired some gravitas and a grip on their po- what if others say they have a narrow casting vision for projects that litical emotions so when Carty calls them, (as sure as he will, just as sure skew towards the down and out and with an emphasis on gun control \Q$ and entrepreneurship programs.