In cities like Baltimore, MD, it’s not easy for a black Republican to run for office. It may sound like a cliche, but stories like this show that in these cities, the opposition will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo. This reality became even more evident during a Zoom debate between candidates seeking to become the next mayor of the city.
Pastor Shannon Wright is a black Republican candidate who is attempting to end the streak of Democratic domination of the office of mayor. But, as a conservative running in a heavily blue city, she has run into some rather unorthodox challenges.
Last Friday, Wright participated in a Zoom debate with Brandon Scott, a Democrat, and Bob Wallace, an Independent. The virtual event had nearly one hundred people watching. Before the proceedings began, each candidate was given a chance to introduce themselves and give an opening statement. But when it was Wright’s turn to speak, she was interrupted.
“When I started my opening, music started blaring. And I mean like, terroristic level volume like you would see in a movie where they’re using it to be a disrupting factor,” Wright told RedState. “Then this man’s voice came on and said ‘I pledge my life to Pakistan,’ and then the voice just continued, started calling me a ‘n*****.’”
The disruption then turned to racist threats. Wright stated that the voice repeatedly said “I’ll shank you, n*****.” The candidate explained that the individual who interrupted her opening “hijacked my screen and started showing pictures of women in different international attire,” and continually threatened to shank her.”