Sho'me

Some thoughts on my new Governor @ByronDonalds. History was made Tuesday night, and a very important glass ceiling was shattered. First, no matter how much we love Twitter, Facebook is the home of all political drama. This picture broke Facebook. It got me fussed out by my Congresswoman, who I love. Some background on the picture, it was taken at my neighbors home. He opened his home to the Governor elect to meet, privately, with Black leaders throughout the region. And he came, without fanfare or press, to have a frank conversation with Black Miami about what a Donalds administration would deliver and mean for Black Miami. When he announced his intent to run for Florida Governor, I vetted him. I vetted him through those who served with him. I vetted him through those who worked in the offices of those who served with him. I vetted him through the Black lobbyists who worked with him. I got the same report. "Byron helped us here. Byron helped us there. Byron helped get funding for this or that." So I decided to meet him. I first met Byron in 2025. I wanted to meet him, gain the measure of the man-not the political persona-in order to determine if this man, raised in Brooklyn and educated at FAMU was who he was reported to be in the media, or who he was reported to be from those who knew him. I watched him address a room full of Haitian American elected officials concerned about TPS. He was forthright (imagine an honest politician) "American has shifted its mood towards immigration. But the world deserves a safe and free Haiti and the Biden administration messed that up." It was honest and correct, and he sought out the opportunity to say it. That earned my respect. I met with him again, privately, during his primary. I told him, I'd only hurt him in his primary. We can laugh because we both know it to be true. I say all of this to say, that what I found was a man who did not reject his roots, did not run from his past, but was a part of the same debates I was a part of- coming to a different conclusion. My Governor is a Bookerite. I can disagree, but its a forgivable sin. All of us are a little Booker T. Washington. Even those who swear we are W.E.B. Dubois (its Dew Boyce. Not du bwa). Their debate is the foundation of Black American politics. It was Malcolm/ Martin before either was born. But I digress. Anyway, the importance of this picture is that America elected a Bookerite as governor. It is a part of local history. I got a chance to play a part in it. I was honored to introduce him. I was proud of his willingness to answer honestly tough questions. One more thing, his team was diverse. But not accidently so. Not in a quota filled way. The biggest takeaway I can offer at this point, about our new Governor elect, is that he is willing to listen, and he'll be honest in his positions. My principles require abundant faith in Black people to do well when given the opportunity. Not Black Democrats. Not Black Independents. Not Black Republicans. Black people. We will measure him by his results. I'm not a pom pom waver. Do well, get congratulations. Do poorly, get held accountable. But today, I'm proud to call him Governor. I infamously called his predecessor racist. I'm much more optimistic about this one.