Detroit ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick chips in with New Era Detroit, met with online scorn
Kwame Kilpatrick chips in with New Era Detroit
Normally, when a former mayor hits the streets of Detroit, it?s a welcoming show of giving back. But when ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick teamed up with New Era Detroit for a street clean-up and community engagement.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is back doing community work on the streets, but not everyone was welcoming his presence.
Big picture view:
Normally, when a former mayor hits the streets of Detroit, it’s a welcoming show of giving back. But when ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick teamed up with New Era Detroit for a street clean-up and community engagement, it was met with scorn on social media.
It prompted New Era Detroit leader Zeke Williams to go defend the city’s disgraced former mayor who served about 7 years time for racketeering, conspiracy, fraud, extortion and tax crimes.
"You can say whatever you want to say about Kwame and the things that he did wrong, but nobody want to talk about all he did right for the city, all the things he got right for the city, being a young Black man in politics," Williams said.
Dig deeper:
Detroit activist Pastor Maurice Hardwick, also known as ‘Pastor Mo’, says everyone deserves a second chance.
"Let the man redeem himself. Let the man, he’s a whole new man now. If you are going to keep on putting people in the mud, if that’s the case, put everybody in the mud," said Hardwick. "Clearly, he’s been given a pardon on that charge. He served his time and he was released. Let it go. It’s time to move on in life."
The backstory:
President Donald Trump granted Kilpatrick clemency at the end of his first term, commuting his 28-year prison sentence and setting him up for a comeback as a minister and advocate for Trump’s policies.
The former mayor pitched the Trump Vance Campaign to Black voters during the 2024 presidential campaign - headlining the Oakland County Republican Party’s annual dinner.
What's next:
Many community activists say it’s simply time to move on in a way that unites the city.