DMV Black Leaders Performing Well Under Pressure
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” King’s quote could be applied to the leadership challenges of Mid-Atlantic region Black political leaders Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Virginia State Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas as they have led during recent times of challenge and controversy.
The Baltimore region suffered a blow to its economy and psyche on March 26, 2024, when the main spans of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Patapsco River collapsed after the Dali container ship struck one of its piers. Six bridge workers died because of the collision. Both Moore and Scott immediately rushed to the scene and in the days following calmly assured nervous residents and businesses that the situation was being handled. Some commentators have labeled the incident an example of the failure of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Both dismissed those assertions as racist nonsense and cowardice.
The recent debacle of Monumental Sports & Entertainment relocating from the District to Alexandria, Virginia shows how savvy Bowser and Lucas are.
Lucas blocked the nearly $2 billion athletic and entertainment district, despite pressure to “go along to get along,” because Virginians would have paid more taxes in the long run.
Meanwhile, Bowser and Ted Leonsis, the chairman and CEO of Monumental, met several times in the District, keeping up the relationship between the city and the company. When Monumental’s Virginia plans collapsed, Bowser and the D.C. Council moved in with a $515 million plan to upgrade the Capital One Arena in downtown and Leonsis agreed. Bowser thwarted critics who said she could not “close a big deal.”
Whether it is a collapsed bridge or a billionaire threatening to take his operation elsewhere, these four African American leaders and others have withstood unfair criticism to act in the best interest of their constituents. That is what leadership is about.