WRONG CENTURY

A political postcard making its way around Macomb County, paid for by Solidarity Michigan, a civil rights, social action and advocacy organization, has the provocative headline, “No Negros Need Apply…(Macomb County) Democratic Party Boss Ed Bruly Has Shut the Door on Macomb County’s Black Community.” According to sources and news reports, Bruly has run the Macomb County Democratic Party with an iron fist, “along with a racist, shadow party called the Phil Hart Democratic Club.” Local Phil Hart clubs are fundraising political action committees working to support the election of local Democrats and defeat members of other political parties. Except, it seems, in Macomb, where Bruly, a county commissioner, is being opposed in the August primary by a Black woman, Antoinette Wallace. State and local Dems recall Bruly playing dirty in 2018 when he had his local party refuse membership to African American pastor Rev. R.J. Rideout, and he allegedly “broomed” the first – and only – person of color, former Macomb County commissioner, Bobby Hill, from office, and then took his seat, among other shenanigans. The Oakland County Democratic Party has limited involvement with its Macomb County counterpart, Oakland County chair Vaughn Derderian said, primarily sharing bingo games and a bingo hall – pre-Covid, when they were still permitted. “There are a lot of people whose names have been out in the public who are loyal Democrats,” Derderian said, noting in running bingo games, “there are a lot of compliance issues. They’ve always worked to help us out to make sure we’re following the necessary laws.” As far as racism? “I have not witnessed the supposed racism,” Derderian said, noting bingo games have a wide demographic pull. “The majority of customers are people of all ethnicities.”