LYNN — While mayoral hopefuls are tightening their focuses for the 2021 campaign, former candidate Keith Lee withdrew his nomination papers this week, saying he experienced numerous incidents of racial profiling while campaigning for signatures.
Lee, who pulled papers for mayor in May, said he believed he experienced people giving him dirty looks and looking him up and down in disgust when he told them he’s running for mayor. He added that sometimes people would ask if he was actually running for mayor, while others simply responded “ew,” “are you serious” or “get away from me.”
Lee said he decided to run for mayor to better the city; his plans included updating the parks and the Central Square MBTA station and focusing on the city’s economics, community and culture.
In addition to these goals, Lee said he also pulled papers to decrease racial barriers throughout the city, which is an issue he said he has faced his whole life.
He said that while walking around the city to inform constituents about these goals, he was unable to stand up for himself when he received reactions from people that “hurt,” because he didn’t want to make himself look bad or hurt his campaign.
Lee said he knows that, if elected, he would have to learn to not react to these “negative” comments and mannerisms which are bound to accompany the position. He said since everything is recorded and posted on social media nowadays, he doesn’t want a video of him responding to this “racial profiling” circulating and portraying him in a bad light.
But as a civilian, he said he’ll be able to say what he wants and tell these people that their hatred and judgments are disrespectful.
“I’m an intense guy, and I don’t like to judge people or deal with any controversy,” Lee said. “But when people treat me like that, I can’t just sit back and let it happen.”
Lee said he believes in standing up for what’s right and that if people who are accustomed to racial profiling aren’t corrected, the issue will never get resolved.
Lee, who grew up in Lynn, said he has experienced racism throughout his life as a tall, Black man, from people giving him looks on the train to watching him in stores. Lee said he is simply “tired” of dealing with racism and racial profiling, and doesn’t want to have to do it every day in his hometown for the next four years.
“I’m used to it, so I can handle it, but it’s just like come on — I live here, I don’t need this,” Lee said.
Lee added that he also wants to set an example for his 8-year-old son, also named Keith. His son often accompanied him out in the city while collecting signatures, and was forced to bear witness to people’s “rude” reactions. Lee said his son would get bothered by them as well.
After observing his son’s distress, Lee said he wants him to know that he can stand up for himself when something isn’t right and can use his words to combat the degrading comments.
“I’m going to champion making people feel uncomfortable about feeling comfortable about saying (racially prejudiced) things like that,” Lee said.
The issue around racial profiling and making judgments based off of people’s skin color is something Lee said he will continue to work to improve in the community through his nonprofit organization Sports Support Inc., where he said he uses sports to unite people of all races, backgrounds and religions.
He said it was a tough decision to withdraw from the campaign, but he hopes to see changes regarding race throughout the city and said he won’t stop fighting for those changes.
Lee’s withdrawal from the mayoral race leaves three candidates, City Council President Darren Cyr and School Committee members Jared Nicholson and Michael Satterwhite. Mayor Thomas M. McGee has opted not to run for reelection.
