A Brave New World

Imagine: a reality in which men step aside

Headnote: for those of you who are new here, it’s going to be a bunch of politics for the next few months, localized to Vermont. Please mute if it’s not of interest, and return back in the late spring.

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Next Tuesday is Vermont’s Town Meeting Day, which is captured brilliantly in this timeless “Freedom of Speech” painting (above) by Norman Rockwell, a Vermont artist who depicted everyday life with such tenderness. It was published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1943. 80-odd years later, this aspect of Vermont life has not changed much.

This weekend we went to the movies and saw CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, which we felt was a banal waste of talent but for one of the end scenes. Sam Wilson (Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie) visits a recuperating Joaquin Torres (Falcon, played by Daniel Ramirez) who is heavily wounded from severe damage after pummeling enemies and then plunging, injured, into the Indian Ocean.

Cap tells his protégé of the responsibility of holding the seat at the table. As people of color that have achieved adjacency to the white power structure, they have an obligation to hold onto it.

Cap isn't just a seat warmer though. Neither is he a Super Soldier like the original Captain America (who was the result of a top secret military experiment). Sam is just one of us, a human with a heart and a body prone to breaking. As a highly skilled Black man, he knows the only way to keep that seat is to bring his A game every time. There is no room for mediocrity when the culture is at stake.

Consummate professionalism

Those of us who have taken up space in exceptionally white spaces know this. Perfection, a tool of white oppression, will never be enough. In a CBS report of diversity efforts within the FBI, Black agents reported the need to outperform their white counterparts in order to receive equal status within the bureau.

“You have to be twice as good to get just as far as someone else," said a former agent who had served for over 30 years.

"You know that you can't commit an error and recover from it," said another former agent with decades of service. These agents reported shifting goal posts, implicit biases during the application, and inaccessible promotions. As reported in 2020, only 4% of FBI’s agents were Black. This makes the bureau about as white as Vermont.

Last week I was talking with a Black woman about being the only person of color working out of City Hall when I was Montpelier Alive’s executive director (2011-2014). What was that like, she wanted to know.

“They saw you walk in and out of that building every day?” Yep, I nodded. I don’t know if there had ever been a person of color before me with an office inside City Hall, I told her, and I don’t think there has been one since. We reminisced about Chief Brian Peete and what a glimmer of hope that was. A hope quickly extinguished. “How did you do it,” she asked.

“You bring your best work,” I said. “All the time.” She leaned back and heaved a tired sigh that acknowledged the way white systems gaslight us into having to perpetually prove ourselves.

“Being a woman, and an immigrant woman as well, I found myself surrounded by individuals who dismissed my potential and my passion.” Montpelier City Councilor Pelin Kohn, PhD

Women, existing 🤷🏻‍♀️

A text the day after a networking session.

Last week I attended the ElevateHer mixer at the Barre Social Club, a much needed reprieve from intense festival planning and seemingly unending snowfall. My friend and I were, predictably, the only women of color there. This had no bearing on our enjoyment of the event. It’s just hard not to notice when you’re outnumbered. Which is most of the time.

It didn’t matter because the point of ElevateHer is to lift up all professional women, whomever they are. These affinity groups matter, even more so when they center a disadvantaged status—in this case, women. Here, it makes sense that you can be both a kick-ass attorney and a profitable dressmaker. It makes sense that you can be both the world’s best single mom and a certified career coach. It makes sense to simply exist.

“Being elected to the city council of Montpelier as an immigrant woman was one of the most interesting moments of my life. It was both challenging and rewarding to navigate the political landscape as an immigrant. Firsthand experience made me realize how important representation is and reaffirmed my commitment to doing my part for the community. My experience in this role helped me understand the unique challenges newcomers face in leadership positions, and it motivated me to work toward making leadership more inclusive.” - Dr. Pelin Kohn

Many of us—and especially women of color in Vermont—feel the intense responsibility of holding the seat at the table for those that come along next. Because whether we want to or not, we are dragging the future behind us wherever we go.

Hireability and qualifications

In the field of politics, as I’ve written before, public opinion is not generous to women. As we have seen in the presidential election, a highly qualified woman of color will lose out to the least qualified white man. Vermont predictably voted for Kamala Harris. Back on the home front though, our progressive veneer wears thin. Every election cycle is consequential, especially in matters of diversity and inclusion.

“My experience as a city councilor has had the most profound impact... In that role, I witnessed firsthand how decisions at the local level could directly affect people’s lives — whether in terms of economic development, social equity, or sustainability.” - Dr. Kohn

For this reason, I am concerned that Dr. Pelin Kohn will be voted out of her City Council seat next week without good reason. Montpelier’s City Council consists of two representatives for each voting district, with alternating terms. Dr. Kohn’s term is up for renewal and District 2 voters will have the option to replace her with newcomer Marc Gwinn. It’s the only contested race this year–Districts 1 and 3 have candidates running unopposed.

Both candidates are lovely people doing what they can for the city they care about. Gwinn moved here three years ago and has thrown himself into community work: he’s on the board for Montpelier Alive, is president of the Rotary club, and is involved in many flood recovery and rebuilding efforts. Dr. Kohn was appointed to finish out a term vacated when Conor Casey was elected to the Vermont Legislature in 2022. She ran unopposed in 2023 for the seat she hopes to retain. She’s lived in Montpelier twice as long as Gwinn, has already been voted into office and has a record to show for herself, which is more than Gwinn has.

Most importantly, in my opinion, she is the only candidate willing to talk openly about diversity and inclusion. As an immigrant woman, as a Turkish woman in leadership. She has written a book on the subject; she’s the founding director of Norwich University’s Center for Leadership; she has been a fellow at a number of leadership development programs, including the Vermont Leadership Institute. She's a Fulbright Scholar and has earned a doctorate. I could go on. Her record includes bringing non-citizens and young people into the democratic process.

“By involving young people in decision-making, we can cultivate a new generation of leaders who are engaged, informed, and inclusive from the start. Empowering youth and marginalized voices would drive meaningful, long-lasting change in communities everywhere.” Dr. Kohn

Where Gwinn is heavy on personality and energy, Dr. Kohn is long on experience and training. It’s obvious who is more qualified, but that is not how people vote, and we know this. I hope that Montpelier’s District 2 voters will give Dr. Kohn the chance to go deeper in her work on behalf of everyone who loves the City.

At the very least, a vote for Dr. Kohn normalizes a city council where women, immigrants, and people of color can be equals amongst those in power. It holds a seat that, decades from now, Gwinn’s daughters could envision occupying.

My mission as a city councilor is to ensure that all residents benefit from policies and initiatives that promote equity, sustainability, and long-term prosperity. Affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and access to quality public services are some of the societal problems I am focused on addressing. As a city, we are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or income, has access to safe and affordable housing. It is important to me to listen to our residents and ensure that our policies reflect their needs and values. With these core issues in mind, I aim to make our city a place where everyone can thrive, no matter their circumstances. - Dr. Kohn

Knowing when to cede power

At the end of the movie, President Ross (played by Harrison Ford), turns himself in–he’d been too drunk on keeping power, which manifested in his Red Hulk episode, damaging the White House. He’s kept in what’s known as The Raft–where only the most dangerous villains are kept. It was an act of humility. It was also the only way he’d have closure with his estranged daughter.

We all have reasons for stepping aside. It’s sportsman-like to give another person a swing at bat. It’s good management to place folks where they will be most effective for the team. Gwinn and Dr. Kohn both serve on the Montpelier Alive board, and so I imagine they have a rapport and an existing working relationship. There’s no reason they couldn’t continue doing so as a team if Dr. Kohn keeps her seat this year, and Gwinn runs again (and wins) next year when the other District 2 seat becomes available.

Dislcaimer: I am not involved in either campaign—I don’t even live in Montpelier. I wrote this after talking with a friend about the potential consequences of this race.

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