Several white Democrats who wanted to attend a meeting of black Hamilton County Democrats were turned away Saturday.
The meeting, co-sponsored by Cincinnati Councilman Dwight Tillery and a group of religious and political activists, was held to discuss this question: "Why should the black community continue to support the Democratic Party?"
Estimates by those at the meeting put attendance between 300 and 700. Corporate and elected officials and community members attended, Mr. Tillery said after the meeting, which was closed to reporters.
Among the five or so whites who unsuccessfully tried to attend the meeting were Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke and Cincinnati Councilman Todd Portune. But at the door of the Laborers Local 265 union hall in Evanston, they were told the meeting was for African-Americans only.
"Unfortunately, the approach taken by the organizers in excluding people from the meeting discredits whatever comes out of the meeting," Mr. Portune said.
He said he wanted to hear the issues and work constructively to address them.
But Mr. Tillery -- elected mayor in 1991, partially because of a strong showing in the predominantly white west-side wards -- said it was disrespectful that Mr. Portune, Mr. Burke and others would act as though they had a right to attend Saturday's meeting. It was well-publicized that the focus of the meeting was on African-Americans, Mr. Tillery said.
Mr. Tillery lost the mayor's seat in 1993 to Roxanne Qualls. The actions of Mr. Portune and Mr. Burke, Mr. Tillery said, "are part of the problem that we see with the party today. That we're treated in such a shabby kind of fashion that our wishes are not respected." Mr. Tillery said the meeting was no different than if Italian, Jewish or Irish communities had called meetings to discuss their relationships with a party. Mr. Tillery said he wouldn't try to go to such meetings, but would respect the participants' wishes. It would have been difficult for some at the meeting to speak honestly about the party if Mr. Burke were there, he said.
Mr. Burke said he was disappointed he wasn't let in. He said that he wanted to hear the group's concerns directly and to emphasize that the relationship between African-Americans and the party is important.
Judy Green, an assistant party chairperson, also was turned away.
Black Democrats in Hamilton County are tired of the party taking them for granted and will organize to do something about it, Mr. Tillery said after the meeting.
Another meeting is planned in two weeks. A range of strategies is being considered, but Mr. Tillery declined to discuss them. Mr. Burke disagrees that African-Americans have been excluded from party leadership.
"The African-American community is obviously a critical part of the Democratic base vote and it's not taken for granted, and if you look at the number of African-American candidates we run and who win, it demonstrates that," he said.
