Meet the Candidates: Dr. Ladel Lewis

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of the Flint City Council Interview series. Flintside will host conversations with candidates running for office. We’ll talk about local politics, ask what they love about Flint, how they’ll improve the city, and get to know each candidate and a bit of their story. 

FLINT, Michigan — Currently the 2nd Ward Councilwoman, Dr. Ladel Lewis is a Flint native who attended Flint Northern High School. She describes her upbringing as “a typical working-class upbringing,” having played basketball throughout her life and also participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program as a child.

After graduation, she attended the University of Michigan-Flint, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Sociology from Western Michigan University.

After grad school, she moved to Maryland to work for Congresswoman Donna Edwards. Years later, Dr. Lewis would return to Flint to care for her ailing father, settle down with her husband to start a family, and become the 2nd Ward’s representative and president of the Sarvis Park Neighborhood Association in Flint.

Flintside spoke with Dr. Lewis about her re-election to Flint’s City Council.

Flintside: How did you first get involved with politics?

Dr. Lewis: “I’ve been a public servant all of my life. When I graduated from Western Michigan University with my Ph.D, I moved out to Maryland with my husband, and I was selected for the Donna Edwards Congressional Advisory Committee, where we advised the congresswoman on things going on in our area. I was also selected by Governor Larry Hogan to be on the Citizens Children Review Board.

Flintside: What’s something you learned while in Maryland?

Dr. Lewis: “Everyone doesn’t always run to win. Some people run to get their name out there for different things. Some people run because they want that seat. I didn’t win — I came in last — but I got a significant number of votes considering I wasn’t originally from there.”

Flintside: What made you decide to run for Flint City Council initially?

Dr. Lewis: “People saw the work I was doing in my small neighborhood — an area they call Merrill Hood. It was neglected: people weren’t cutting their grass, and it wasn’t getting any grant funding or attention from the north side. My goal was to bring attention to that area, and I ended up winning awards for it. People started to notice, and they’d ask, ‘Who’s behind this?’ The tall girl in the third row.”

Flintside: And that spurred you into action?

Dr. Lewis: “[They said], ‘You talk a good game about building community and helping your neighbors, so how about you do your part?’ And I said, you’re right. Let me go downtown and see what this process looks like.”

Flintside: What do you believe is the most pressing issue, or issues, facing the residents of your ward right now?

Dr. Lewis: “For one, a real sense of hopelessness. When people have been disregarded for so long, that becomes their expectation. So when someone like me comes around saying, ‘Let’s work together, unify, and get things done,’ they’re looking at me like, ‘I’ve heard this before, yeah, yeah, you’re not serious.’ I’m just trying to get the second ward out of stagnation.”

Flintside: In your next term, what would you practically like to do to improve the productivity of city council and the relationship between it and the mayor’s office?

Dr. Lewis: “I’d say what I’m doing now. People need to understand this job is based on people coming together who love the city of Flint. That has to be the foundation. If you don’t love Flint, and you’re not here to work for Flint, this job isn’t for you. All personal feelings stay outside the door. You have to realize that in these spaces, we’re a separate entity. This isn’t Ladel Lewis; this is Councilwoman Lewis. Councilwoman Lewis is willing to work with anybody for the betterment of the City of Flint. She’s been elected by the people to take care of the residents.”

Flintside: What would you do to address these problems?

Dr. Lewis: “I’m a big believer in stoic philosophy. It emphasizes that I have no control over anyone besides myself. I can’t control how you act. I can’t control how they act. I can only control how I act and react. So what I’ll do is maintain my oath of professionalism and my dedication to the City of Flint, and continue to lead by example.”

Flintside: How would you advocate in your next term to provide solutions for blight?

Dr. Lewis: “The first piece is a movement I started called Adopt Your Block. The idea is that from stop sign to stop sign, that stretch belongs to you. As a council person actively doing this job, I don’t have time to personally drive every block of the ward. So if you see something you can handle — trash in your yard, or across the street — pick it up. That block belongs to you.”

Flintside: What do you feel is the best strategy to improve public safety in Flint?

Dr. Lewis: “First and foremost, I’m an advocate for looking at what other people are doing. We have a curfew. It has been for a long time, but with no real enforcement. So we need to find out what our sister municipalities are doing to handle curfew, and how they’re handling these kinds of issues, to see if we can adapt what’s working for them here. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We can look at what other people are already doing.”

Flintside: What is one thing that has been going well politically in Flint?

Dr. Lewis: “A lot of things have gone well. Operation Snow Angel, my snow removal program for disabled and senior residents. I was the first person to hold a haunted trail at Max Brandon Park during Halloween. We walked the trail, and it created a great Halloween event right on the north side.”

Flintside: What has the city struggled with?

Dr. Lewis: “The fact that in today’s age, people are monetizing off of social media and some people are monetizing off of bad behavior. You have to ask yourself: are you conducting yourself professionally, or are you acting a certain way for clicks, likes, views, and shares? Unfortunately, those clicks and views can be monetized, and a lot of people choose that over actually serving residents. That hasn’t worked out well.”

Flintside: Is there anything you’d like to share with Flint residents?

Dr. Lewis: “I’ve learned a lot over my past five years. It felt like I learned in a crash course in front of America because people were invested in seeing me fail. I’m glad I was able to learn under fire. Some things didn’t turn out as pretty as we would’ve liked, but the beauty of it is that I grew and I learned how to navigate in the best interest of the residents. I would appreciate the opportunity to continue serving the second ward, uninterrupted.”