Kwame Kilpatrick: Mayor with diamond earrings changes gears in Detroit - Interview

Ebony, Dec, 2002 by Kevin Chappell

SPORTING a diamond earring, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick often greets men with a chest-bump, embraces women with a hug, land tells those looking to talk business to "hit" him up on his cell phone or two-way pager. But don't hate on the 32-year-old mayor of Motown because he's able to lead the country's tenth largest city and roll like a rap star--all at the same time.

The 6-foot-4 mayor, who grew up in Detroit listening to hip-hop (and still listens to it), has kicked bureaucratic fronting to the curb in favor of youthful energy and a can-do attitude. In less than a year in office, Kilpatrick has charmed the ladies (young and old alike), inspired the men, appeased the city's old-guard political power structure, and energized the business community, convincing all of them that they are the real players in turning around a city that historically has been dogged by high crime and low expectations.

Detroit Police Chief Jerry A. Oliver Sr., one of the first people Kilpatrick brought onto his staff, says, "People can see themselves in the mayor's vision for the city. This is not some abstract vision that you can't really get a hold on, that you can't get your mind around. He can make a vision real in his comments to people. He can energize them to want to accomplish it. That's his strength."

His style even caught the attention of Chris Rock, who was so taken by Kilpatrick's streetwise demeanor that the comedian has patterned one of the characters in his upcoming movie, Head of State, after him. It's his substance, however, that has residents of Detroit comparing him to the city's legendary mayor Coleman Young, the city's first Black leader who was successful in carrying Detroit to new heights during much of the '70s and '80s. Like Young, Kilpatrick believes he's a true grassroots politician who speaks from the heart. He calls Young his "political hero," and is still amazed at the accomplishments of the man he says is "one of the brightest political figures of all time."

While he sits at the same desk that Young used during his 20-year stint, Kilpatrick is the first to say that he is no Coleman Young. And perhaps he's not--yet. But there's no doubt that he's special. He represents a new kind of Black leader, one not raised during the Freedom Movement of the 1960s, one who is a little less fiery and confrontational, but more methodical and businesslike in maneuvering around the political landscape.

Speaking recently to the faculty and staff at Wayne State University, the mayor talked with ease about his family, about politics and appropriations as he exhibited his uncanny ability to relate to a variety of people and topics. After his speech, doctors and orderlies alike applauded, and the school's president, Irvin D. Reid, heaped praise on the mayor for having "leadership and excitement and demonstrating the kind of activism that could be the trend for mayors throughout the nation."

Personality aside, Kilpatrick knows he has to produce results--and fast. Detroit has seen its ups and downs, but overall has been in a tailspin for decades. With murder and unemployment rates higher than the national average, Detroit has lost a million or so people since the 1950s.

The mayor says when he took office, the city was a mess. "We had a $170 million deficit. There was very little accountability in place. Our equipment hadn't been maintained in years. The infrastructure, a lot of it, from transportation to public lighting, had not been cared for in years. We came into something that was not working. We had 48 labor unions. All of the contracts had expired. We had to negotiate these contracts as soon as we walked in the door. We didn't know how bad it was."

Kilpatrick immediately began to put out fires and to make good on his campaign promises. Among the mayor's accomplishments:

* Balancing a potential budget deficit of $170 million through a series of management initiatives, achieved by the previous administration.

* Brokering a permanent casino development deal for the city's three casinos, securing the city $285 million.

* Implementing one of the most successful tax amnesty programs to bring in $30 million in unpaid taxes.

* Launching "Motor City Makeover" in March, pulling together the community and contractors to clean up the city. This effort collected over 11,000 tons of debris, 1,300 abandoned vehicles and knocked down more than 2,100 abandoned houses through a new accelerated demolition process.

* Implementing Mayor's Time, which coordinates and provides after-school programs for the city's youths. The kickoff attracted more than 15,000 parents and children from the Detroit area to sign up for programs.

The mayor's first priority is changing Detroit's image. "We have to change our national and international image," he says. "There are lots of things going on here that people don't know about. We're still trapped on what was happening here in the 1980s. We need to make sure that we erase all of that. We need a lot of things to happen, and they are happening. But we need to tell the world about it."