Former councilman promises a new Freedom Inc.

Mark Bryant is an attorney at one of the most prestigious and conservative law firms in Kansas City. So how did he become the new leader of the eastside political club that earned a reputation for fighting for social and economic change?

Bryant answers that question, like most, in a reserved and soft-spoken manner. His response comes like words off a pamphlet, as if he has memorized a script written by a team of Freedom Inc. members. When asked how he felt about being elected president, he says he is "overwhelmed with the possibilities." Ask why he ran and Bryant says it's because he believes in the organization's mission of empowering African-Americans in the political process. The answers come across as generic for a man who claims he is going to shake things up.

As president, Bryant is filling the vacancy left by state Sen. Mary Grooves Bland. She resigned after serving for two and a half years. "I felt it was in the best interest of Freedom to have someone who is here all of the time," says Bland, who has held various elected positions for 20 years. "You cannot be on the pulse of what's going on when you are not around." Bland says she will continue to be actively involved with the organization.

Freedom Inc.'s board elected Bryant, a Kansas City councilman from 1983 to 1991, over Charles Hazley, who also served as a councilman from 1971 to 1991. Bryant received 35 votes to Hazley's 23. "Bryant has a high level of integrity and is respected not only in the African-American community but the community as a whole," says state Rep. Terry Riley, a Freedom executive board member who voted for Bryant. "Freedom has stumbled lately, and Mark has the capabilities and talent to revamp the organization."

But Hazley wasn't overshadowed that much. "Either candidate was capable of leading the organization," says Kansas City, Mo., councilman and Freedom member Troy Nash. "Both candidates have strong credentials."

While both men may be good leaders, Hazley and Bryant have opposing organizational ideologies. Forty-nine-year-old Bryant recognizes the importance of recruiting young members and getting them active in the political process. Hazley represents the organization's old guard, a group that, some charge, has stunted Freedom's growth by playing a game of politics and business as usual. Bryant admits that Freedom could be more accessible to the community and wants to erase the organization's perceived closed-door policy and ball-hog mentality.

"There is a perception that Freedom is a closed club, and I would like to dispel that perception," says Bryant. "For many years a small group of individuals have been consistently vigilant in maintaining and operating this organization. I think we have reached a point in our history where our constituents would welcome seeing someone else assume leadership."

One of Bryant's first challenges will be to restore political clout to the organization. The group's power has declined in recent years; its sway inside and outside the African-American community has diminished. "Freedom has been turning out 10,000 to 11,000 voters (on average per election)," says Bryant. "I want to get those numbers up to 20,000 to 25,000 voters, which would give the organization greater leverage when it seeks to protect the interest of inner-city residents."

Freedom provides transportation to the polls and circulates literature on the candidates the group's members have decided to support, but that has been the extent of their efforts in the community recently. According to Freedom secretary Velda Cook, membership numbers are not available.

Candidates backed by Freedom used to be assured a majority of the city's African-American vote, which usually propelled candidates into office. But in the past few elections, Freedom's candidates have suffered major setbacks with losses that have eroded the political group's endorsement power.

Some candidates have chosen not to seek Freedom's endorsement. When Janice Ellis, an African-American woman, ran for mayor last year, a debate ensued over which candidate the organization would endorse. Ellis publicly stated that receiving the nomination was not critical to her success. She eventually received Freedom's nomination and finished third in the primary.

Former city councilman George Blackwood received Freedom's mayoral endorsement and was soundly beaten by Kay Waldo Barnes, who never courted Freedom for backing. And Riley won an important state representative race without the organization's endorsement. He defeated Gail McCain-Beatty, a longtime Freedom insider who received the endorsement for the 43rd District seat.

At its height during the late '70s and early '80s, Freedom helped many African-Americans get their first taste of politics. Ambitious fledgling politicians Emanuel Cleaver, Alan Wheat, Phil Curls Jr., and Mary Grooves Bland all benefited from the organization's grassroots and street-level tactics in getting African-Americans involved in the political process. Freedom was largely responsible for grooming and propelling former Mayor Emanuel Cleaver's political career. The highlight of the organization was his victory as the city's first African-American mayor, in 1991.

The organization has struggled to galvanize the black community since it lost its star member, Cleaver, to a temporary retirement from politics because of term limits. With Cleaver out of office, a new powerhouse figure has yet to emerge for the organization to ride. But Freedom's political strength has been in question for some time. Even during its zenith, Freedom could not get Bruce R. Watkins elected as the city's first African-American mayor in 1979. Watkins, a noted civil rights activist and founding member of Freedom, lost by a wide margin to Richard Berkley, although Freedom flexed every political muscle in its body during Watkins' campaign.