Duckett wants to give voice to those who have been silenced

Kavonte Duckett

George Wenschhof

My hour interviewing Democratic candidate Kavonte Duckett went by quickly and it was readily apparent how enthusiastic he is about serving on the Frederick County, Maryland county council.  A lifelong resident who attended Tuscarora High School and Frederick Community College, he told me he has a calling for service and is dedicated to the people of Frederick County.

Mr. Duckett feels strongly there needs to be minority representation on the seven member county council. He wants to fill this glaring void and give a voice to people who have been silenced.  Kavonte added he wants to earn the trust of those voters and he also wants to represent the next generation of leaders.

I told him I had seen his signs popping up and asked him about the challenge he faces as a newcomer running county-wide against four other Democrats, several of them well known, in the primary election.  Democratic voters will choose two at-large (county-wide) candidates to go on to the general election.  The seven member county council has five members elected by district and two members elected county-wide.

Kavonte answered his biggest challenge is he is an African American and race relations is still a big issue today.  He said it is often hard for others to understand what a Black man goes through, telling me “I’m afraid to put a hood on when I am going door-to-door when it is raining”.

However, he is encouraged with the results in The City of Frederick election last year when voters elected two African Americans to the five member board of aldermen.  Kavonte is hopeful that race issues give way to the ray of light brought with the younger generation.

Mr. Duckett wants the county to work with the city to invest in our youth, particularly at-risk students. He feels there is a lack of resources for young people and having community centers providing activities, mentoring and help with homework is important.

He also wants to make sure there are jobs and affordable housing available so Frederick County can attract and keep young people living and contributing here.  Kavonte said it is also vital to make sure there is a minority set aside fund for small business.

The opioid crisis is also a concern to Mr. Duckett who said “I want to develop an outreach effort that goes to them and a treatment center that will help people get back into society”.  He added the treatment center should include a re-entry program that includes jobs, shelter and transportation.

I asked him if he supports county funding for The City of Frederick proposed downtown hotel/conference center.  Kavonte said “I do not support county funding for it and would rather see it go to education funding”.

When I was wrapping up the interview, Kavonte told me there were three words that summarized his campaign. “I have a heart for the community, a mind for progress and I want to be a voice for all people".

You can read more about Kavonte Duckett by going to his campaign website: https://duckettforfrederick.com/ and by visiting his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DuckettforFrederick/.

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Editor’s Note: The Maryland primary election will be held on June 26, 2018 and the general election on November 6, 2018.

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