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10/13/2005:

"Dellums - Return of a Real Hero For Black America"

Sinking under a host of socioeconomic problems and still in mourning after the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, the African-American community is in deep pain. It finds itself directionless, losing ground and lacking the world-class leadership it needs to right itself.

In other words: Black America is in desperate need of a hero. Friday afternoon, a hero returned.

In an emotional, see-saw speech, former U.S. Rep. Ron Dellums announced to a deliriously happy crowd of 500 that next year he will run for mayor of Oakland.

The announcement was a dramatic turnabout, because he mounted the podium apparently intending to say "no."

A grassroots movement had sprung up to draft him, collecting 8,000 signatures using only volunteer labor. But Dellums, the hero of the anti-apartheid struggle and mentor to anti-war U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, has been working for the past few years as a well-paid Washington lobbyist. Though he looks like a fit man of 50, he is actually nearly 70 years old.

In other words, he is of retirement age and finally earning some money. No one could fairly begrudge him the chance to spend his twilight years unburdened by all the problems of urban America. Oakland has some of the highest crime and murder rates in America. Its public schools are crumbling and in receivership. The city council often appears dysfunctional and largely in the pocket of big developers. No one in his right mind would willingly take on the challenge of turning around this town.
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