In a polarized time such as this, deep divisions, along the lines of race, gender and income, have come to the surface, accelerating to the point where we now accept the unacceptable, embrace what was once unthinkable — as demands for meaningful change are left unmet by a void in transformational political leadership.
This absence of a bold vision for the future is obvious within national politics, but as Bob Corker, former U.S. senator and former Chattanooga mayor, said at a speaking event recently, visionary leadership is missing locally.
Corker — asked to speak about his role in supporting the local nonprofit Chattanooga Venture, a move which resulted in a downtown renaissance and led to the recruitment of Volkswagen, among other major changes in the city — spoke about the hardships Chattanooga faced decades ago and its parallels to today.
“You got to remember that in 1984, our community was in crisis. It was just terrible,” Corker said. “We’re not in crisis today.”