She is black, a Democrat and non-Mormon. She is running for Congress in Utah, one of America’s toughest conservative strongholds. If that doesn't pique your interest, how about two Black women representing opposing political ideas locking horns in a predominantly white state?
Meet Darlene McDonald of Salt Lake City, Utah. She meets every parameter in Utah's minority checklist, has no political connections, and had no political ambitions until recently. McDonald is now looking to storm a bastion only her rival knows as well if not better. In Utah’s Congressional District 4, McDonald’s moderately progressive views clash with incumbent candidate Mia Love, another black woman, who with her heavily right-leaning views is a poster child for diversity among conservative Mormon Republicans. Will McDonald be the harbinger of a welcome change or has she taken on a mountain too steep?
No stranger to adversity, Darlene McDonald was born in Cincinnati Ohio. The 49-year-old is the youngest of 6 children born to a Pentecostal Family from Alabama. A product of Public High School and Community College, she studied Economics at the Westminster College in Salt Lake City and later transferred to Western Governors University, where she is currently pursuing a B.S in IT Management.
Darlene McDonald had a long chat with Anand Rao and answered questions about her tryst with race and politics in Utah, and her starkly different position compared to Mia Love, her Republican rival.
Q: You are a non-Mormon, black woman representing the Democratic Party. How does it make you a strong candidate in Utah?
A: I am an unlikely candidate, and that’s the reason why I had previously hesitated to pursue politics. This time, I inhaled deeply and leaped forward because I believe in one fundamental thing - people. The inspiring thing about the Obama Administration is that we moved just a tiny bit forward in making this a more inclusive country. The thing I feared the most about changing the course is that we would as a country regress. It seems that the fear is coming to fruition. My life story and my experiences uniquely qualify me for the position I seek. I understand what it means to “pull yourself up by your bootstrap.” I also recognize that one cannot pull oneself up if they do not own a pair of boots. Republicans and Democrats alike have experienced difficult times in their lives. During those times, a person just needs a little bit. It could be food stamps to feed their families, a microloan to start a business or low-income housing that keeps them from sleeping on the street. I can relate to these very real, very human experiences.
So far, no one has discouraged me. I have received a few shakes of the head when people learn that I’m a Democrat who is also non-Mormon. I will not allow that to discourage me. There are many issues facing us now that impact everyone. The healthcare debate is one of those issues. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, if you get sick you must have access to and the ability to obtain good health care.
Q: What about issues around race? Is there anything in particular from your personal experience you feel comfortable sharing?
A: My parents lived in the South during the turbulent 50s. My father remembers being a young boy carrying a shotgun and guarding churches in Alabama. The most prevalent experience I had was being a young girl in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had gone to the movies with my sister and some of her friends. After the movie, we walked back to my grandmother’s house. I was probably no more than 10 years old at the time. We had walked down that alley many times before. On that day a truck with a couple of white men drove past. One of them stuck his head out the window and yelled “Niggers.” My sister yelled back, “Your momma.” The truck turned around quickly and my sister shouted, “Run.” We took off running and hid in the doorway of an adjacent building. I remember being very afraid, but I didn’t fully understand what was going on.
Q: Can you share your experience in Utah? Including your time in Utah’s corporate world. You did work for some large companies including JP Morgan Chase and Oracle. Did it affect you in any way that you were black and non-Mormon?
A: I am rooted in my Quaker faith and practice. My husband’s children and family are Mormons and I have a respectable relationship with them. I’ve been fortunate in Utah, mostly because I’ve lived in diverse areas and I have a diverse group of friends. This has made my life in Utah extremely enriching and rewarding. I am fortunate, but I understand that may not be the experience of many other people of color in Utah. My positive experience doesn’t mean we haven’t experienced racial-profiling. We have. When it happens, you’re taken aback, but the reality of what just happened usually doesn’t ‘hit you’ until after you’re removed from the situation and had time to reflect on the moment.
I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have worked for some fantastic bosses. You do come across some people who don't speak to you in the office. You only notice that when you see how they interact with others. Normally, they were people with no authority, so I have always just brushed it off.
Q: Your rival Mia Love, another Black woman is Republican and Mormon, and from what I have read, represents views diametrically opposite to yours'.
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"She would rather do away with a federal government," says Darlene McDonald (left) about her Republican opponent. |
A: We probably both stand out for being Black women, but there are many vast differences between my opponent and myself. Mia Love would rather do away with a federal government. I on the other hand firmly believe that we need an effective and functioning federal government that works for everyone. The institution of government is not the problem. An ineffective government is a problem. You can strip government so bare that it is ineffective and therefore, does not work for anyone.
Take for instance what happened in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. The governor of Texas declared a state of emergency, as a result of the flooding. To qualify for Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance, the governor of Texas had to make the emergency declaration. By making that declaration, the residents of Texas impacted by the flooding will now qualify for federal relief. This will assist the residents in rebuilding their community after the storm passes and the water recedes.
There would be no way for the state of Texas to do this on its own. The government can work if we want it to work. There are many who do not want the government to work because they don’t believe in a strong government. My opponent is one of those who wants a weak and ineffective government. She is on record saying that we should not look to the federal government for leadership or to solve problems. Hurricane Harvey is proof why she’s wrong.
We also require the federal government to institute equality and civil rights to all citizens. Slavery was a state’s rights issue. Same-sex marriage was a state’s rights issue until the Supreme Court decided otherwise. If civil rights were not established on a federal level, then states would have the latitude to restrict rights and treat some of its residents as second-class citizens. We are vastly different from each other.
Q: Can you take me through the day-to-day challenges you face?
A: The challenge I have embraced, is articulating my message to people who may or may never have in the past voted Democratic, to give me a chance. If you care about pocketbook issues, I’m the right choice. Many Republicans feel that Democrats are just at war with Donald Trump. I’m not. My opinion of Donald Trump is irrelevant. I strongly believe that many of the policies put forth by his administration will set this country on a trajectory that marches us back into the 19th and 20th Century. That is not what we want as a country. We should not want to fight battles and wars already won and decided. We will never grow as a country if we continue to start from the same place. We’ve made gains in civil rights. We’ve made gains in civil liberties. We’ve also made economic gains. We must reject any erosion that strips away these gains. It’s like a relay race. The first leg passes the baton to the second leg and the second leg passes the baton to the third leg. Instead on the third leg running towards the anchor, they turn around and hands the baton back to the second leg and the second leg runs and gives it back to the leadoff man. There was a lot of running, but we got nowhere. We’re right back where we started. That’s what it feels like. Mia Love voted to repeal the ACA and replace it with the AHCA. With all its faults, the ACA succeeded in adding millions of Americans who could never obtain insurance in the past. The right thing to do is to make it better. The plausible next step is to provide coverage to more people, not less. We need to make sure that the people who want insurance but can’t afford it are able to get it. We must make it more affordable for those who are struggling to keep what they have due to high deductibles and premiums. The AHCA was the wrong solution. The House Republicans proceed to tell people that it is in their best interest to remove the individual mandate because now they won’t be forced to keep something they don’t want. That’s not making things better and in the end, it will hurt a lot of people. Articulating that message, and being heard is a challenge.
The administration’s election commission is a great example of the Republican argument of government overreach. This commission should alarm all Republicans. Republicans toot about states’ rights but haven’t expressed outrage by this commission's demand that states hand over data on all registered voters. That’s in part because the administration wrapped this massive intrusion on privacy and confidential information in a package that perpetuates the false belief that millions of illegal immigrants voted and some people may have voted more than once. Many Americans really do believe that millions of people voted illegally. Perpetuating this falsehood has muted any opposition to this intrusion. I cannot imagine that this would have ever been allowed under any other administration. That is alarming.
Q: What motivated you to run for office? Why do you think it is important for more people like you to run for office?
A: In pursuing public office, I’m motivated because I know in my heart it is the right thing to do. I feel like I can make a difference for people, or at the very least, try. It is appalling that people have been lied to about things like health care, and thus they vote against their best interest and in a way, that would cause them serious harm. They do it, believing they are doing the right thing and they are going to have a better outcome because they have been told a lie about something so important. Heath care is a bread and butter issue. People die and go bankrupt without health care. We should not play political football with people’s lives.
The same is true for immigration. There’s a strong anti-Immigrants sentiment because they have been made the scapegoat for a changing economy. Jobs are lost to automation and technology, not immigration. Also, contrary to the narrative, immigrants are less likely to commit crimes and the evidence does not support the claim that undocumented immigrants commit more crimes. We can be a nation of laws without being an inhuman nation. Ripping families apart create generational scares. We’ve done this before. We should not repeat those past mistakes.
I may not be able to change the heart and minds of everyone, but my promise is to listen to their concerns and show up when they need to be heard. I will hold town halls and not show up for photo ops. I will work hard to bring pride, confidence, and leadership to Utah’s Fourth District.
I’m a real person who has firsthand knowledge and experience of how the policies that are passed in Washington have real world consequences on real people. There are too many politicians who will vote according to their major donors and not the best interest of their constituents. Many, don’t even bother to hold town halls to answer their constituents’ questions. Representatives, like Mia Love, come up with ways to speak with as few of their constituents as possible, and then call it a success because they gave their constituents two hours of their time. This should outrage everyone. Representatives are elected to represent their constituents and to be their voice in Washington. They are not elected to silence their constituents and then give preference to their donors. It is and should be ‘Of the people, by the people, for the people’.
Q: Please share any personal experiences, both good and bad since you decided to run for Congress.
A: Deciding the run has been a very positive and encouraging experience so far. I’ve met so many courageous and dedicated people who love this country and care about our future. I’m encouraged; not discouraged. When I show up to rallies, whether there are 10 people or 2000 people, I’m reminded that there are people, just like me who are willing to work. They want to see this country succeed and that our democracy survives under the creed that all men are created equal.
Q: The Latter Day Saints Temple has a strong influence on everything in Utah, from politics to pubs. What is your stance on separation of Church and State?
A: I strongly believe in separation of Church and State. Religious freedom is a constitutional guarantee established by the First Amendment. Mormons know better than most the consequences of religious persecution. Many draw upon that history to guide them toward understanding and tolerance.
Q: If you win, what would you change first?
A: I will be an additional vote to make sure that no person would have to lie awake at night worried if they will have health care in the morning. I would work to ensure that we take the best steps to stabilize the Affordable Care Act and put into place legislation to bring down cost and insure more people, not less. I would be a vote to work towards comprehensive immigration reform that brings people out of the shadows and allows them to contribute legally to our economy while keeping their families intact.
I will be a vote to ensure civil rights are not infringed upon. I will vote to ensure voting rights are secured and strengthened rather than weakened and dismantled.
I will be an additional vote for Net Neutrality. I will work to ensure that we move in the right direction to better protect Utah’s air so that our residents can breathe.
I will make sure that we hold true to the ideals of religious freedom. I will work to ensure consumer protections are not weakened in favor or big corporations and people are not victims to predatory businesses that seek to profit off of weak laws that protects them.
Q: You are also a published writer of 4 books. What else do you do?
A: Yes. I am at heart, a writer, and a dancer. Random House published my first two books Dream in Color and As We Lay. Two other titles 'By the Waters of Zion' and 'Journey Through Babylon' were self-published through Brandywine Publishing. I come alive when I write and dance. I take an African dance class, which provide exercise and opportunities to move and connect with the drums. I’ve always been a writer. As a little girl, I wrote notes to my parents. I enjoy getting into the head of my characters and sharing their stories on paper.
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