Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry: You're listening to The Takeaway. I'm Melissa Harris-Perry. Mark My Words will be an example of what it looks like to lead with intention.
Speaker 1: When a mayor has swagger, a city has swagger.
Speaker 2: To everyone who will join our mission to move L.A. in a new direction, mark my words, we will get big things done.
Speaker 3: I was born and raised here and I love this city. I walk with this city in my soul and in my heart.
Speaker 4: Who's ready to move global in a new direction?
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Dr. Melissa: Today, we're putting on our cowboy boots and kicking off the show with the next installment of our series, 23 Mayors in 2023. This time, we're heading to Helena, Montana, where adventures in Big Sky country await.
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Mayor Collins: I always tell people within 20 minutes, you can fish, you can hunt, you can hike, you can bike, and you can see the beautiful city of Helena. My name is Wilmot Collins, Mayor, City of Helena.
Dr. Melissa: In 2017, Wilmot Collins defeated a 16-year incumbent to become Helena's mayor, squeaking out a win with 51% of the vote.
Mayor Collins: This city is ready to work with us, okay? We're ready and I thank all of you. Thank you so much.
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Dr. Melissa: Then, in 2021, Mayor Collins won reelection with about 70% of the vote. Now, Helena is the capital of Montana, with a population of only about 33,000. Demographically, it's pretty similar to the rest of Montana, meaning it's more than 90% white and less than 1% Black, which makes Wilmot Collins's victory especially unique because Mayor Collins is a Black man and a refugee from Liberia.
Mayor Collins: I was born and raised and partly educated in Liberia, West Africa. Liberia was one of Africa's most stable countries. In fact, I tell people, "Our pride is my parents worked for Firestone," so when you're driving that Firestone tire, you know that Liberia has its hands in it because Liberia has the world's largest rubber plantation.
Dr. Melissa: Formerly enslaved Black Americans colonized the West African nation of Liberia in the early 1800s. For some, the expatriation of free Black folk to the continent was seen as a solution to the problem of racial domination and slavery in America. Liberia has its own fraught but largely stable history until the late 20th century when the nation was engulfed in bloody civil war that lasted nearly two decades.
Mayor Collins: It was brutal. I lost two brothers in that war, and my wife and I decided to flee. We fled on a Nigerian vessel. It took us, imagine, seven days standing on line without food and water, without change of clothes, just to get on that vessel. When we finally landed in Ghana, I was 92 pounds. My wife was 87. We were dying of starvation.
Dr. Melissa: Mayor Collins recalls the moment when his wife Maddie suggested they go to Helena, Montana.
Mayor Collins: My wife said, "You know I have a family in Helena." I said, "What are you talking about?" She said, "Let's go to America." I said, "How do you suppose we do that?" She said, "In fact, let's go to Montana." I said, "Hey, make up your mind. We go to America or we go to Montana." [laughter] She said, "Montana is in America." My wife was an African exchange student. She came to Helena, Montana, and went to Helena high school, and she lived with a family. She contacted the family, they were willing to help us.
My wife was finally awarded a full scholarship at a local college here for nursing. She came, and two weeks before she departed, we found out she was pregnant. That was one of the hardest decision to make, having her leave without me and our child, but it was a brilliant decision also. When I saw my daughter for the first time, she was one month from her second birthday, and that was such an emotional reunion.
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Dr. Melissa: There is something about the West, about the big sky of Montana that is so unique in our American geography. It does inspire something different. What does the geography, that ability to hunt and to fish and to be out, what does it inspire for you?
Mayor Collins: Before coming to America, I didn't do those things, but my wife is an avid hiker, and she got me hiking. To breathe the Big Sky air is rejuvenating. I started fishing and my wife said, "If you're going fishing, make sure you're cleaning and cooking," but I love to fish. The geography means so much to me because these are things that I enjoy doing now.
Dr. Melissa: I want to talk about democracy and what democracy means to you and for you as a Liberian refugee living in this crazy part of America that we call Montana.
Mayor Collins: Melissa, I'll tell you this. I did political science and sociology as an undergrad at the University of Liberia. My favorite subject was the American government because I saw that there were three separate entities, the judiciary, the legislative, and the executive, and they worked together but they were separate. In Liberia, I didn't see that, and I longed to experience that when I came to America.
Then I saw that working, but then I also saw it deteriorating because the respect for the executive deteriorated, the respect for the legislative deteriorating, and the judiciary is even worse. It bothers me when I see that what I love so much is deteriorating right before me and I can't do anything about it.
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Dr. Melissa: Quick break here. More with Mayor Wilmot Collins right after this. We're back with Mayor Wilmot Collins from Helena, Montana as part of our 23 Mayors in 2023. I am at my core an aspirational American. I believe wholeheartedly, patriotically, flag-waving in the aspiration of what America could be. As you look out onto the landscape of what is deteriorating, how troubled are you and how much hope do you have?
Mayor Collins: I am very troubled and concerned. Look, I experienced that war. I was in the heat of what-- brothers were attacking brothers, uncles were attacking cousins and nephews because one was on the rebel side and the other was on the government side. To see what happened at the Capitol reminded me so much of what I went through in Liberia. The one thing I kept telling my commissioners, I kept saying, "They don't want that here. They don't want that in this country."
We had two of the guys that were prosecuted. They were from East Helena, they were from here, so I'm sure I've interacted with them. To see that happening, it scared me to death because they have not experienced what it is for brothers to fight against brothers, and it bothers me to the core. My wife and I talk about it, and we are blown away that they don't see what they have. They don't see. Oh, man, Melissa, I'm telling you, it's crazy just thinking about what might happen to this beautiful country.
Dr. Melissa: When you talk about having some courage, about even the potential of being afraid in this moment, Mr. Mayor, you are the mayor of a city that is 91% white in an overwhelmingly white state. I know that both you and members of your family have experienced racial bias, racial hate. Tell me why you would want to lead this town. Why run for mayor in this space?
Mayor Collins: When we moved here, the first incident I experienced was a neighbor of mine came out and said, "Did you see the NASA thing written on your wall?" I said, "No." She said, "Well, come on out," so I went outside and I saw what was written, "KKK, go back to Africa." In my car, I saw, "Final warning. KKK." They had written on my car and tried burning my car. What was amazing is when I went to the police and we came back, the neighbors had gotten together and washed my walls down. It made me feel belong. I felt I belong in this community, and that even encouraged me more to participate in my community. I always tell people, "Take good risk. Get involved in your community, step outside of your comfort zone."
When my son told me, it was time that I got into politics, I was scared. I said, "What do I need to do this?" The first thing you need to do is convince your family. In my family, we vote on everything.
Dr. Melissa: [laughs].
Mayor Collins: Yes, we vote on everything when I told my wife.
Dr. Melissa: That's a real commitment to democracy, Mr. Mayor. [laughs].
Mayor Collins: Yes, we do. My wife got on the phone. "Jamie, your dad wants to get into politics. What's your vote?" She said, "Yes, Dad, that's cool. Go for it." It was three against one. She had to get on board. That's how the process started. It was also frightening. I remember when my wife and I were knocking on doors, and she said, "Do you know it's after eight o'clock?" I said, "Yes, what? We got to finish this material." She said, "We have stand your ground." It's been interesting because as much as people think, "Well, you're one of the very few African Americans." Yes, we are aware. If you ask my son, what's the most difficult part about living in Helena? He will say, "Living with African parents."
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I think every negative situation I've had in this community has been an overwhelming positive experience.
Dr. Melissa: Mayor Collins, I'm going to finish up with what we call the speed round here on our 23 Mayors in 2023. Question one, if I were to have an opportunity to hop on a flight, come on up to Montana, what is one place in Helena that you and I would absolutely have to visit?
Mayor Collins: The Capitol. It's a beautiful building.
Dr. Melissa: Okay, people who live in your city, what do they call themselves are they 'Helenans,' 'Helenens'? What do you all call yourselves?
Mayor Collins: We call ourselves Helenans.
Dr. Melissa: Tell me about someone, a Helenan, who, in some way, really captures the spirit of Helena?
Mayor Collins: I will say our host dad, Bruce [unintelligible 00:12:12], he's a former FBI agent. He retired and started teaching the local high school, and then he became assistant principal. I've never met a more level-headed person in this country than Bruce. The two families are really close. We still meet for holidays, we still hang out. He and I can't wait to get off the dinner table to go back because he's a Republican and I lean Democrat. We go at it, but we go at it from a point of view of understanding each other instead of hating each other, instead of demeaning each other. He exemplifies everything I hope to continue to do.
Dr. Melissa: Then, as my final question, cast yourself 20 years forward, what have you helped to accomplish as Mayor, and what would you like to see the city become?
Mayor Collins: When I came in my platform was-- I was going to curb teenage and veterans homelessness, I was going to bring awareness of the increased homelessness, affordable housing. When I come here, 20 years from now, wherever my kids are I'll be grandpa and I'll be holding on to my grandkids, but I want to come here and say, "I was a part of that."
Dr. Melissa: Wilmot Collins is Mayor of Helena, Montana. Mayor Collins. Thanks for joining us on The Takeaway.
Mayor Collins: Melissa, thanks for having me.
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