Congratulations and a Call to Action for Pete Buttigieg
December 16, 2020
Today, Tamika L. Butler, Founder + Principal of Tamika L. Butler Consulting, LLC (tlb consulting), issued the following statement on the nomination of Mayor Pete Buttigieg as the United States Secretary of Transportation:
As someone who is queer, a millennial, Midwestern, and has strong ties to the military (as a military kid), I've eagerly watched 'Mayor Pete' since he came on the scene. It is exciting to see someone who has blazed a path as a first in many ways ascend to this important position. It is historical. Congratulations are in order for him, his husband and family, and all queer kids who now see a new reality as possible.
But I'd be lying if I did not say that as a genderqueer Black woman, my life reality, my queer reality, and my transportation reality are different than the realities of Pete Buttigieg. There are many Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color (BIPOC) who have not lived life as white men, but are just as talented, smart, and experienced as Buttigieg. Many of those people have never or will never have the access to an opportunity to experience the same success and opportunity to serve as him.
We have seen women of color, BIPOC people, and people with disabilities leading crucial conversations about how transportation is a through line in all social and racial justice issues during this pandemic—and before. I hope that as Secretary, Buttigieg continues to elevate, center, and listen to those voices—particularly the voices, experiences, and leadership of Black people and Black women whose identities intersect multiple forms of historic and continued oppression.
Being a member of the administration's cabinet is truly a privilege and I hope that Buttigieg acknowledges that privilege and power and uses it to make important transportation funding and policy decisions that are informed by the communities that too often suffer the burdens of those decisions rather than reap the benefits. I hope the team Buttigieg surrounds himself with is reflective of the rich and diverse makeup of this country and does not reflect, uphold, and reinforce the current lack of diversity in the transportation sector.
At a time when our infrastructure is failing, our transit funding is falling off a cliff, the dire state of climate change requires innovative transportation solutions, transportation inequities continue to widen disparities along all social and economic outcomes, and mobility and transportation continue to be used as forms of policing of BIPOC bodies, many people have questioned the appointment of Buttigieg, with his relatively little direct transportation experience. But Buttigieg has always been willing to try and has succeeded where people have doubted him. I hope he brings that energy to the policy decision-making and staffing—especially at the leadership level—of the Department of Transportation as he takes on this truly important role to support President Biden and Vice President Harris in their vision of building back better.
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About Tamika L. Butler Consulting
tlb consulting provides training, public speaking, and transportation consulting services for a wide range of organizations in the public and private sectors. Using Tamika Butler’s diverse background in law, community organizing, and nonprofit leadership, the firm shines light and ignites change on inequality, inequity, and social injustice. For more information follow Tamika on Twitter at @TamikaButler or visit www.TamikaButler.com.
Press Contact
Tamika L. Butler at tamika@tamikabutler.com