Covering Camden’s mayoral and council races is an act in divining. It’s an effort to read tea leaves. Sometimes I feel like I should be shaking a magic 8 ball rather than analyzing each trickle of news. And that’s because Camden’s population is often fractured and transient, making it hard to get turnout — the lack of media consumption combined with newspaper retrenchment makes Camden elections a day-to-day organizing grind. The real work of the campaign is the effort to meet voters and ensure they vote. But we’re seeing an uptick in video on Facebook campaigning. I’m on the record as saying I’m skeptical of online strategies that are not paired with serious get-out-the-vote infrastructure — in part because I watched activist and online celebrity Deray McKesson (whose work I deeply admire) flounder in his attempt to transfer that online presence into a successful mayoral campaign in Baltimore. So I don’t see these Facebook videos as central tools to campaigning. But I do see them as a glimpse into the messaging and strategy of each campaign. So let’s commence with our digital reading of the tea leaves:
First up, Falio Leyba Martinez:
Posted by Falio Leyba on Tuesday, May 30, 2017
This is a slightly longer version of the video that Leyba has up as his profile for his campaign site on Facebook. The strategy here is clear, and reflected in both his events and media appearances (videos below). Leyba is courting his base — Latino voters — and doing so in Spanish. It’s a calculated gamble that in a low-turnout primary, in which the majority of the candidates are not Latino, Leyba may be able to win with a strong turnout from Latino voters with some skepticism about current leadership. There’s no one else aggressively courting this niche, and while I have no idea if the radio spots or his events are resonating, it’s a coherent strategy with clear action items. Not too bad for Leyba’s reappearance on the Camden political scene after being jettisoned from the Camden County Democratic Party for what he describes as an unwillingness to vote as he was told to while on the Parking Commission.
Here’s two more appearances for the Spanish speakers in the audience:
Posted by Falio Leyba on Sunday, May 28, 2017
Posted by Falio Leyba on Sunday, May 28, 2017
April Saul, a local Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and journalist, running for City Council of her new home in Camden, has also pulled together some campaign videos at her popular site Camden A Spirit Invincible:
A CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS WILLIAMS AND VIDAL RIVERAAs a relative newcomer to the city running for office, I made a few videos of some of my favorite people talking about their experiences with me, and this is the first. If what drew me to Camden in 2011 were the losses the city was suffering, what really captured my heart were the mentors I met here—the people who, day in and day out, year after year, give their all to the children of the city. Chris Williams of the Camden Boxing Academy is one of them, and he is like a father to Vidal Rivera, who makes everyone who knows him so proud. Thanks to them for letting me tell their stories these last six years for the Inquirer, the Courier and my page…and to all the people that make saving Camden children their passion. I'm going to tag some of my favorite Camden mentors here, but I'm sure I will forget a few and there's others I've yet to meet!
Posted by CAMDEN, NJ: A Spirit Invincible on Monday, May 29, 2017
A CONVERSATION WITH ANGELA MEDINAI still encounter a few folks who don’t understand why I photograph the losses—especially of young people—to violence in Camden. It is not only because I take these senseless deaths personally and want to put human faces on the death toll. When I stood on an icy street in 2011 watching so many police officers being let go, I didn’t realize that the layoffs meant that homicide would climb so high that once the union had been broken and a county-led force with more manpower took over, the inevitable decline in murder could then be trumpeted as a great success.Though I have friends in the police department, that decision was one of the most cynical I’d ever seen. And it confused and upset me that as cross after cross was pounded into the ground in front of City Hall, no politicians ever appeared to offer condolences to the weeping families. I dream of a city where young people are taught conflict resolution, and have families and community support strong enough to help them resist turning to violence so easily and to join gangs. Many of my closest relationships in Camden are with people I met at the worst moments in their lives—who were willing to show the anguish of their losses to raise awareness of the problem. This is Angela Medina, mother of Troy Anderson, gunned down in Fairview at age 15 three years ago.
Posted by CAMDEN, NJ: A Spirit Invincible on Tuesday, May 30, 2017
These videos capture the strengths and weaknesses of Saul’s campaign. Saul has a beautiful digital platform, and these videos reflect her ability to produce high-quality online content that reaches a wide audience. They also reflect the deep and genuine relationships Saul has built here in the city. At her best, Saul is personally connected to some of the populist issues here in Camden (for example, she was embedded in Camden High and has been vocal about opposing its demolition). But these conversations also reflect some of the barriers for a newcomer to a community, particularly one who doesn’t share a common history or culture, who is running for office. That fundamental challenge is central to these videos, and the insider/outsider debate was always likely to dominate the discussion around Saul. Vidal Rivera compares Saul’s work in Camden to the movie Avatar. There is talk of “embedding” and shining a light on Camden issues. The video with Angela Medina is also touching, but it’s playing defense. Saul is defending herself against critiques that she exploits Camden’s grief after murders (which is a complicated issue, but I think is probably a misreading of her involvement), and includes a broader defense that Saul “cares about” minorities, Camden residents and poor people. That line of argument, that Saul’s genuine compassion and caring for Camden qualifies her for office, is the flashpoint of her campaign. Many who have experienced her generosity of spirit here in the city are close to Saul, and a wider audience appreciates both her art and her investigate journalism. Another segment of the population (and it’s difficult to know how large these segments are) is skeptical that “caring about” is an appropriate qualification for becoming a leader within a community, and though Saul recently bought a home in Camden’s Cooper Grant Neighborhood, prefer candidates who have long been part of Camden’s community rather than a relative newcomer trying to help. It’s a debate about whether being “embedded” in a community is an adequate substitute for being from a community; that debate is hard for Saul to get away from, even as she continues to expand the scope of her campaign to include more policy issues.
Kadeem Pratt, a recently graduated Rutgers-Camden student and city native, has a campaign site up on Facebook but little content that I could find.
That leaves the two slates of candidates: Lamboy’s slate of Namibia El, Tracey Hall Cooper and Quinzelle Bethea alongside Moran’s slate of Sheila Davis, Curtis Jenkins and Angel Fuentes.
The Lamboy ticket has put together a series of introductory videos to its slate:
Meet Quinzelle Bethea, candidate for City CouncilIn 2016 Quinzelle Bethea was the cofounder, along with Mecca Robinson, of Forget Me Knot Youth Services. FMKYS is an education and business development organization focused on trauma informed care that provides supportive housing and therapy. As Executive Director he managed his team to increase test scores two grade levels in less than a 45 day period for 95 students. He also managed an entrepreneurship program that trained and employed 20 youth in 2016. Under the leadership of Mr. Bethea and Ms. Robinson, Forget Me Knot Youth Services acquired the former Gratz College campus – two 9,000 square foot buildings in North Philadelphia. They now operate as a drop in day center for urban runaway, homeless, and trafficked youth and is a 35 bedroom [licensed by the Department of Human Services of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania] residential treatment center. Also at the location, the staff offers mentorship, which includes after school entrepreneurship and civic engagement workshops for young people. During the summer of 2017, they will employ over 150 youth that will work in the region.Quinzelle is a great father of two young children, including a new born baby. He’s married to Sade Bethea (nee Jenkins), a social work graduate school student at Rutgers. After being transferred from a few different schools, he graduated from Camden High School in 2010. Dr. Williams, a science teacher at Woodrow Wilson saw the promise in Quinzelle- motivating him to fulfill his potential and take honors classes. Before graduating, at 17 he enlisted in the United States Army as a civil affairs and psychological operations specialist. While working full time, he studied business development, the banking industry, foreclosures, and credit repair, while supporting and teaching small business development both for profit, non profit, and church controlled organizations. In this he helped prepare chapter seven bankruptcy schedules and court documents, prevent foreclosures, had mortgages discharged, and helped people improve their personal or business credit. Quinzelle has written grants, raising over $200,000 to support initiatives he worked with.In 2014, he co founded the Inter-workings Helps Us Grow [IHUG] Association with his uncle Anthony Bethea. Teaching young adults leadership development, entrepreneurship, and business, they operated the Griot program at East Camden Middle School. They were rewarded for improving the culture and climate at the school. He also employed students for a summer enrichment culture program at Dudley Elementary.
Posted by Ray Lamboy & El, Hall Cooper, and Bethea on Friday, May 5, 2017
Meet Namibia El, candidate for City CouncilCamden, New Jersey native, Namibia El , attended Camden City Public Schools through middle school, and graduated high school in 1993 from Friends Select School, Philadelphia. She obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree from Temple University in Communications and Theater, and two Master degrees in Education from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Jones International University.Since the age of 14, Ms. El has served in several non-profit organizations in Camden including: AmeriCorps, I Have A Dream Foundation, Girl Scouts, Salvation Army (KROC), Volunteers of America, Unity Community Center, and the YMCA.At the age of 20, Namibia joined Camden’s Unity Community Center’s (UCC) karate program, Universal Pasha Karate (affectionately known as "the karate school on Mt.Ephraim"). She earned her black belt in 1997, and became one the school’s lead outreach instructors at many churches, mosques, and other programs throughout the Delaware Valley. She rose to leadership in UCC as the Director of Public Relations, and later the Vice President of Community Affairs. Unity Community is the longest standing non-profit organization of its kind (Performing Arts and Educational Program) in the history of Camden. (www.unitycommunity.com)Namibia El served as a motivated, personable, and passionate public school educator with a successful track record of making educational gains in Camden City for 20 years.Namibia specializes in working with "at- risk " youth, and empowering individuals to overcome barriers that impede their ability to achieve their vocational, educational, employment, and fitness goals.Ms. El has a deep appreciation for visual and performing arts, and sees it as a vehicle to reach and teach the youth. In addition to the arts, she enjoys reading, writing, and traveling. She is especially interested in exploring and celebrating African cultures, and its global influence.Namibia El continues to be an outspoken advocate on behalf of Camden children-teachers, parents and community members as the South Jersey Editor for SCOOP newspaper (www.scoopusanewspaper.com), Executive Director of Voice of Action (www.voiceofaction.org), a founding member of the Camden Parent Union, instructor and official of the Unity Community Center, and member of the National Journey for Justice Allliance.Namibia is a proud mother of three daughters Naadia, Alani, and Noni.
Posted by Ray Lamboy & El, Hall Cooper, and Bethea on Thursday, May 4, 2017
Meet Tracey Hall Cooper for City CouncilTracey L Hall Cooper is a retired Camden Police officer. She is the mother of two children by birth and four by circumstances. She is the spouse of Patric Cooper. She is a graduate of Camden High School Class of 1989. After graduating, she attended college and decided that her real calling was back home in Camden. While serving as a police officer she worked many years in the Community Policing unit, where she prided herself for being the bridge between the police department and the residents. Tracey also coached various basketball teams, mentored, and was a dance instructor. She's done this believing that being active with the children and by being a neighborhood face could make a difference. Tragedy struck her family in June 2012 when her only son died as a result of suicide, making her realize that the topic needed to be addressed in her community. Noting that more children were under pressure she decided she wanted to bring awareness to the taboo topic of suicide and mental illness – prompting the developing of the Daelight foundation. The foundation is taking off by spreading facts and educating people about signs and symptoms of suicide and depression.
Posted by Ray Lamboy & El, Hall Cooper, and Bethea on Wednesday, May 3, 2017
These videos get at the strength of the Lamboy ticket – it’s a cohesive effort that is well organized, with a coalition across the city. The Lamboy ticket promises something the Camden resistance has been lacking: a coordinated, professional infrastructure to promote populist, democratic values. Those two threads run through these videos, ideas of responsive government packaged with a practical and professional political organization capable of staying on message and are central to the candidates themselves. These candidates bring their own community followings to the table, and, in the case of Tracey Hall Cooper, have personally felt the effects of democracy being taken from the city. Tracey Hall Cooper was a Camden City police officer before the shift to the Metro Police.
The slate’s “how to vote” video is a wonderful example of how transparent and open government can also be good politics (and is a helpful counterexample to the inevitable negative literature that is mysteriously popping up across the city).
Voting can be confusing. This video will explain how to vote for us. Please watch and share.
Posted by Ray Lamboy & El, Hall Cooper, and Bethea on Monday, May 29, 2017
I had trouble finding videos of the City Council Candidates on the Moran ticket (Sheila Davis, Curtis Jenkins and Angel Fuentes). Here’s a video of still pictures of the slate knocking on doors together:
Knocking on the doors of our Camden City Residents and listening to the concerns of the community is how we will continue to build up our city TOGETHER! #CamdenStillRises #Community
Posted by Frank Moran on Tuesday, May 9, 2017
The lack of Facebook sites or specific videos for this slate of candidates speaks to the power of the “line” in New Jersey Democratic primaries. These candidates can run as a coherent group representing the wider accomplishments of the party, rather than as individuals. Much as City Council President Frank Moran is running on the Metro Police, Renaissance Schools and new businesses in the city — all policies over which he was only tangentially related — his slate of candidates can run on the wider accomplishments of the party. That makes for a powerful coalition of dedicated Democratic Party members, pragmatists who want good relationships with those in power and use campaign time as an opportunity to build those relationships, and those who truly believe in the recent reforms. Through the infrastructure of the party (money, the line, visibility of being in office) behind that, and it’s historically been a winning strategy. Much of this slate’s campaigning happens at public events in which Moran is asked as City Council President to speak — and highlights his slate when he does so.
Later this week, we’ll put together a similar string of videos of the Mayoral Candidates — and we are reaching out to all campaigns with a policy questionnaire that we hope to share with you over the weekend. Until then, please share your thoughts! We’d love to have some community guest posts leading up to the election on Tuesday, June 6th.
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