Valeka Clarke - There is inequality and voter's oppression in Middletown

Valeka Clarke (photo from her public Facebook post)

Monday night, mayoral candidate for Middletown Valeka Clarke, met with the community at the Wesleyan University Resource Center and spoke about the inequality that Middletown lives, the segregation of low-income communities and the voter’s oppression in that city.  Although the candidate is affiliated with the democratic party, she states prefers to be identified as a humanitarian. The following are questions that Boceto Media asked at the meet and greet. 

Boceto Media- How would you help people in Middletown that are struggling with unemployment, and homelessness? 

VC-I would really look to the unemployment numbers. Sometimes people go to Town Hall and see some job posts, but how can people know of what’s going on in the Town Hall if they don’t have any business there? We need to have better communication for the people. We need to be able to work with CRT and the YWCA to collaborate with them to make sure that there are possibilities here. There is a lack of communication here and we need to fix that. 

About homelessness, we need to look up at the unemployment and the support system. Some people cannot afford to better themselves because all bit of income count and they may lose their benefits. We need to make sure that we have self-sufficiency.

Boceto Media- Do you think that the communities of color in Middletown are integrated into the rest of the city?

VC- I remember there was a Jamaican restaurant close to the Police Department. I was so happy to see a Jamaican restaurant in town. But then when I talked to the lady who was the owner, she told me she had to close down because the people who rented her space did not renew her list. There was no explanation. I looked at it as, if a minority group comes down to Main Street is a problem. It is like everything that would be of interest to a minority is cut off to that side by Washington Street where everything is confined, and then that makes people just stay in their own neighborhoods. Everybody should be able to enjoy everything, We really need to make people feel welcome and to be able to walk down the street. Middletown’s Main Street does not reflect the embracing and acceptance that everybody should receive. 

Boceto Media-  Have you heard of last week’s press conference on voter oppression in Connecticut?

VC- Yes. It has happened to me being a public person in the political arena. I have not received the same support as the other people running for Town. I have been excluded to participate in the forum where all major candidates participated. That hurts the entire city because you are telling them they don’t have a choice. If you tell the city they only have two choices, then they don’t know about me, and they are limited. 

Boceto Media- What was the reason that you were not invited to participate in the last candidate mayoral forum in Middletown?

VC- Middletown circumvented a statue, there is no law that says that I cannot participate in this election. You cannot just exclude me. So, what Middletown has done is psychologically conditioned our communities saying, “Writing candidates are not affiliated with any party, writing candidates really don’t matter, they don’t count”. Apparently, it’s no big deal. So, I fought really hard to be able to have the Secretary of State send over a letter to the City of Middletown saying, “You have to let the city know about her”, otherwise they are in violation of breach. 

Sunday, I received a lot of emails from people apologizing for what is happening. But whatever happens in elections tomorrow, I have to hold some people accountable because if they are stealing the possibility for me, then they are doing it for all of us in Middletown.

Boceto Media- People say they don't want to participate in voting because they suspect that everything is set up for some candidates to win. Do you agree with those statements?

VC- Absolutely, it’s been happening for centuries. And we have people telling us what we need, instead of us telling that people what we need. They come disengaged and then the conversation is no longer open. That is a dictatorship, and I pushed back to prevent that from happening since 2016. I want to make all voices be heard. 

Boceto Media- If any of the two popular candidates in Middletown win, and invite you to work with them, would you be willing to accept?

VC- We are not aligned in terms of where our visions are, so right now I’d have to say…I want to observe because one thing that I am not going to compromise is my integrity. So, I don’t want to be attached to anybody that I know they are incorrect.

Boceto Media- Are you still positive about elections?

VC- Yes, I am positive. I don’t feel defeated. Actually, it brought light to the topic and I already impacted a change to a course for equality.

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