Bridgeport Mayor Mark Barbee.
Since his election last November, Bridgeport Mayor Mark Barbee has found himself on the receiving end of well-documented racism and bigotry, due to being both gay and African American. Now he’s finding support amongst his colleagues, as 10 local mayors—including Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert—have penned a public letter of support on his behalf.
“Mayor Barbee is representing his community with passion and integrity and should be able to continue to do so without having his sexuality or ethnicity be a point of debate,” said Herbert. “Additionally, the vitriol and threats that are being levied against Mayor Barbee are beyond unacceptable and should be curtailed at once.”
The letter of support—which was also signed by the mayors of Royersford, Conshohocken, Jenkintown, Hatboro, Narberth, Pottstown, Ambler, West Conshohocken and Collegeville—came two days after an in-depth feature from PhillyVoice’s Brian Hickey, which chronicled the issues Barbee has faced since he was elected. Those issues include profane exchanges from a Bridgeport councilman, harassment both in-person and online from members of the community, and the resignation of the Bridgeport Police Chief Mark Shannon, according to the report.
“As mayors, we are expected to help move our communities forward and offer new perspectives on issues that affect our communities,” said Herbert. “No one should have to face that challenge alone, and I am proud to stand with Mayor Mark as he brings his perspectives and ideas to his community.”
The full letter reads as follows:
"Dear Montgomery County Residents,
When we ran for office, we did so with the goals of strengthening our communities through an active and engaged mayor’s office and providing a positive and protective voice for all our residents.
On September 24, 2018 the PhillyVoice ran an article describing how, one of our colleagues, twenty-nine year old Mark Barbee, the first openly gay and first African American mayor of Bridgeport Borough has bravely faced death threats, profane tirades at public meetings, and a plethora of racially charged and homophobic comments.
From our perspective, only nine months into his term, Mayor Barbee has exerted consistent energy to revitalize a borough going through economic, political, and demographic transitions.
We are keenly aware that disagreements within government are normal and to be expected.
What is happening to Mayor Barbee, however, is not normal nor should it ever be expected.
No one should be demonized or disrespected because of his or her race or sexuality. Nor should anyone be made an object of derision because of his or her gender, religion, national origin, or political perspective. We believe the clear majority of our boroughs’ populations feel the same as we do, but we also know that the vitriolic and hate spewing underground tends to be louder and more noticeable.
Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., Mayor Barbee said to Bridgeport residents and Borough Council, "The time is always right to do what's right.” King initially shared these words in 1964, a bloody year in American history with riots in at least six American cities and the murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi.
Though our nation has taken many important steps in its fight for civil rights since the time of King, over the course of the last several years, our nation has become more fractured and therefore fragile. Violent, hateful speech damages not only persons but the very tendons of democracy. Mark Barbee is a strong individual who is standing up and still leading in the face of those who would harm him. We stand with him.
We believe that the time is right to do what's right. We hope our fellow residents of Montgomery County will join us in practicing the following:
• Respect everyone.
• Take personal responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others, realizing that our words and characterizations have consequences.
• Examine our own assumptions and perceptions, knowing that we all see through the lens of our own experiences and privileges, that may be quite different than that of others.
• Trust political and ideological ambiguity. Our aim is not to debate who is right or wrong, but what policies and programs will make our communities better places to work, live, and play.
We stand for disagreements and challenging assumptions through respectful dialogue and considerate debate. We stand for our boroughs to be better in all facets. Thank you for joining us in this mission.
Yours for Better Boroughs,
Jenna Antoniewicz, Royersford Mayor
Yaniv Aronson, Conshohocken Mayor
Allyson Dobbs, Jenkintown Mayor
Nancy Guenst, Hatboro Mayor
Andrea Deutsch, Narberth Mayor
Stephanie A. Henrick, Esq., Pottstown Mayor
Garry W. Herbert, Jr., Lansdale Mayor
Jeanne Sorg, Ambler Mayor
Gregory Wesley-Lynch, West Conshohocken Mayor
Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins, Collegeville Mayor"
To read more about Barbee and the incidents that have occurred since he was elected, please click here to visit PhillyVoice.
See also:
Mayoral Musings: ‘It Takes a Village, or Perhaps a Borough'
Lansdale Council Unanimously Approves Human Relations Ordinance
Racism Forum Seeks to Reduce Racism in North Penn School District
