If there’s one thing Ieshuh Griffin wants the world to know, it’s that she’s not a puppet for whitey. In fact, she describes herself as, and I quote, “not the whiteman’s bitch.” Rather, that’s how she would describe herself, if she was allowed. She’s an independent candidate for a city council spot in Milwaukee, and as an independent, she’s allowed to give herself a five-word description on the ballot. “Not the whiteman’s bitch” is what she chose, and she’s sticking with it, despite the Government Accountability Board’s veto of her wording.
Ms. Griffin, a “30something” community activist, says that her terminology isn’t racist, despite singling out whitey. She maintains her wording is about freedom of expression: “I’m not making a derogatory statement to a group of people or an ethnic group,” she argued in front of the board’s old white members, who are all retired judges charged with settling state election law issues. “I’m saying what I am not. Everyone I spoke with, elderly and young, understand my point of view.”
The final tally for the board was three for Griffin, with two against. One member was absent; the board’s rule requires four judges for a measure to be approved. Ms. Griffin says she’ll continue to fight for her right to say what she is. State law says a candidate’s five-word description cannot be pejorative, profane, discriminatory, or obscene.
Tags: Ieshuh Griffin, Milwaukee, Wisconson, not the whiteman’s bitch, unusual descriptions, Government Accountability Board, unusual election clauses, independent candidates, state election laws