Cory Booker: Heroic? Yes. Magic? No

The mayor's quick action helped save a woman's life. He'll need more time to rescue Newark.
By Andra Gillespie, theroot.com
Posted: 05/09/2012 08:31 AM EDT
Filed Under Newark, Politics News, Cory Booker, National News

When Cory Booker recently raced into a burning home to help save the life of a neighbor, his act of bravery turned the Newark, New Jersey, mayor into one of the lead stories of the day. News outlets from CNN to Fox News covered Booker's heroism.

Not to be outdone, fans on Twitter conjured up #corybookerstories to reveal even more amazing feats from the mayor. Overnight, Booker's courage transformed him from a widely admired mayor into something of a superhero.

While the feel-good stories and tweets were certainly uplifting, it is important to consider the long-term implications of the coverage of this episode. Black elected officials like Booker face a "hero paradox" when they are perceived as living legends.

As part of my research for a new book, The New Black Politician: Cory Booker, Newark, and Post-Racial America, I found that a new generation of black leaders regularly find themselves lionized, especially in contrast with the older black politicians they replace. The support that these young politicians experience is earnest and well-meaning, but it often triggers latent, class-based resentments among constituents and creates unrealistic expectations that threaten to undermine their ability to serve effectively.

When Booker was elected mayor of Newark in 2006, he took on one of the toughest jobs in America. Newark is a city that has long faced challenges. Even before the city experienced devastating riots in 1967, deindustrialization was taking jobs and residents out of the city.

 

Andra Gillespie is associate professor of political science at Emory University and author of The New Black Politician: Cory Booker, Newark, and Post-Racial America.

Read the full story at theroot.com.

 

 

BET Politics - Your source for the latest news, photos and videos illuminating key issues and personalities in African-American political life, plus commentary from some of our liveliest voices. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

 

Videos You May Like

 (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

Follow BET

On Facebook On Twitter

Related Topics

Comments

Trends
Lauryn Hill •Fashion and Beauty •Geography of Hate •Twitter •Monica Stephens •National News •LGBT •Wade Davis •Kyla Pratt •Lets Stay Together •Celebrity Videos •Three 6 Mafia •Music News •Celebrity News •Gangsta Boo •Juicy J •Lil Wayne •Wiz Khalifa •2 Chainz •A$AP Ferg •Sports News •Cleveland Browns •Justice B. Hill •Dwight Eisenhower •George Wallace •Brown v. Board of Education •John F. Kennedy •Solange •Kendrick Lamar •Solange Knowles •

The Dos and Don’ts of Winning the Lottery

Hitting the jackpot can have serious consequences. 11/28/2012

Sports Rewind: Turkish Soccer Team Plans to Don Blackface

Plus, Chad Johnson faces arrest warrant, Beckham retires. 05/16/2013

Cash Kings: 15 Highest Paid Black Athletes

"Money" Mayweather and more top-earning stars. 05/15/2013

Out and About: Mariah Carey On Stage at American Idol Season Finale

Plus pics of Kim K., Amber Rose, Drake and more. 05/17/2013

Dirty Laundry: Scandalous Details Artists Reveal in Songs

Kelly Rowland is just the latest musician to air things out. 05/15/2013

Brainiacs: Celebs Who Attended Ivy League Schools

Who walked the halls of Harvard, Princeton and Yale? 05/16/2013

SEARCH

© 2013 BET Interactive, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Entertainment Television LLC. All rights reserved.