Getting a seat at the table

Syracuse City Eagle
Walt Shepperd
2009 July 9th

PACs from communities of color contemplate the candidates

Walter Dixie grew up in the inner-city, went away to Ithaca College, and came back to dedicate his energy to the local communities of color. He is the sparkplug for the local-based Alliance Network and the local chapter of Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. He had provided energy and direction for Jubilee Homes, rehabilitating almost 100 houses over the past two decades on the city's near southwest side, and more recently for Youth Build, an educational and skill training program for youth in the building trades.

"As long as we don't understand business and opportunities, we'll be living with the results of a failed system," he says.

An advocate of self-reliance, he was buoyed by the campaign of hope wages by Barack Obama last year, and by the enthusiastic response from local voters of color. He had hoped to see a similar emergence in this year's mayoral race, but so far he has been disappointed. Mostly he misses the energy and idealism Howie Hawkins brought to the race with his Green Party campaign four years ago. "Alfonso [Davis] is raising issues, and that's good," he observes. "But it's really coming down to Joe [Nicolette] and Stephanie [Miner]."

He recalls growing up in what he describes as a melting pot in the old 15th Ward, and the strong sense of community shared by his neighbors.

"The question is," he says, suggesting a focus for dealing the issues of today's inner city, how do we get back to that?"

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