The Gantt Report sympathizes with the family of former Miami City Commissioner Arthur Teele who passed away recently.

Don’t take my word for it, but history indicates that Arthur Teele campaigned for, voted for and spoke out strongly for African-American participation in Miami and Dade County purchasing contracts and transactions than any other Black elected official in South Florida.

But other columnists can expound on or refute that situation.

This column is about how the white media can kill or severely injure a prominent Black person.

During his last days, Arthur Teele was treated just like Rev. Henry Lyons. Both men were stalked and investigated by over zealous white reporters with scandalous intentions.

No one is perfect but the mistakes and misdeeds of both Teele and Lyons were grossly over exaggerated.

In Teele’s case, especially, media treatment was perhaps racially biased. Can I prove it? I think so.

One of the Miami Herald reporters who sought to write the most damaging stories about Teele was fired shortly after the former Commissioner shot himself. The white reporter was fired for tape recording conversations with Teele without getting Teele’s permission to record the discussions.

The Miami Herald was fine with printing hearsay, innuendo and allegedly false information about Teele that was obtained from junkies, whores, drug dealers, thieves and other unsavory characters. More than a few South Florida newspapers and publications ran front page articles about Teele with negative comments. Many of the comments were unsubstantiated, uncorroborated and made by known liars.

Also, stories ran about financial dealings that may not have involved Arthur Teele at all. Teele was not a contractor or a subcontractor. If someone you know is involved in fraud, it is a long stretch to say you conspired with a perpetrator just because you know him.

Teele was accused by the media and some law authorities of taking money from criminals and undesirables. My question is where is the money? Everybody that really knew Teele knew that Arthur Teele didn’t have any money. Teele also didn’t have as many women as he was accused of having either.

Let a tricked out, junkie transvestite whore make an accusation about Jeb Bush and see if The Miami Herald or New Times newspapers will print that! People who give money to the governor, for instance, via campaign contributions that can be documented and verified are not tied to the governor when they violate laws or steal money.

It takes a strong man to stand up to the white press. They say no one can fight someone that buys ink by the barrel. Arthur Teele was strong. However, he may not have been strong enough.

There is a high rate of financial, emotional and other problems among people in politics. There is a lot of hanky panky, a lot of substance abuse, widespread divorce and sometimes suicide.

Politicians have to learn to live life high on the hog as a loved and respected elected official and they have to learn how to live when the political dance is over.

Back when Teele was trying to get city and county services to his constituents they all loved him. When he was fighting for his freedom and his political life, some people didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

You might have seen him on the street or read about him in the papers but you didn’t know Arthur Teele. (Get Lucius to tell the truth at your event. Contact him at theganttreport@comcast.net)