Act 1: “Sky has NEVER held political office.
”Although this is true, I believe that’s a great thing for the constituents of District 3 and the County as a whole. Sky not having previously served in public office means she’s not “stuck” to the way politics used to work in Hillsborough County and will come with a fresh perspective and new ideas. Never having held political office before also means she will not be constrained by or beholden to the old-guard politics of the past but instead will be driven by the many substantive possibilities
moving forward.
Growing up in and around the communities found in District 3 her entire life and utilizing the resources made available to all its residents means she has first-hand knowledge on what’s working and what’s not for District 3. That kind of familiarity with the average resident will bode well for a commission that can be seen as far removed from the average (county)
Jane and Joe.
Act 2: “She’s TOO young.”
I know our first inclination is to pick someone older (because we’ve been taught to equate older with wiser) and who may have done it before, but we are in unprecedented times. We are tackling issues that none of us have ever faced and that requires a new look at things. From increasing transit woes to the speedy gentrification of our county (most especially in District 3) and from community resilience to an unstable economy in the time of a pandemic. In the face of such challenges, someone with youthful creativity and exuberance should be seen as a benefit to the County not a detriment. With a healthy understanding of intergenerational cooperation, Sky will work tirelessly to bridge the concerns of our younger families and newer residents with the significant contributions made by the families that have left a legacy in our thriving County.
Bringing in someone younger can also help add some age balance to a significantly older county commission that may not currently reflect or understand the concerns of younger folks from a personal perspective. She would be the youngest commissioner on the Board that represents an ever-increasing landscape of younger residents growing in and moving to Hillsborough County.
Act 3: “I’ve never heard of her.”
Yeah, you probably haven’t but she has been fighting for a seat at the table since 2017 in her County-Wide race against Kimberly Overman where she did significantly better than anyone would have expected for a first time candidate with no name recognition. And when her campaign ended in second place in the five-person democratic primary, she actively championed for Commissioner Overman and helped her get into that seat.
If you've never had the chance to actually meet Sky, she is accessible, genuine, and down to earth and doesn’t exude that slick “politiciany” feeling that other candidates do. She is a nurse, the proud mom of a teenager and an active member of the community. She’s not afraid to be vocal and push back on what she sees as important to the communities she serves. There’s so much to say about Sky but the best place to check her out is on her website at skyuwhite.com.
Act 4: “Does she really represent the communities of District 3?”
So this is where it gets a little more nuanced but the immediate answer is “YES”! District 3 is broken out into several smaller communities, about 12 give or take. Each of those communities represent a certain majority demographic in terms of age, race, gender, household income, and so on. A younger-ish, educated, woman of color that is not rich and is raising a child as a single parent is very much representative of the communities found in District 3. From East Tampa to Progress Village to parts of West Tampa, North Hillsborough, University Area, Tampa Heights, Thonotosassa and all of the other communities look very much like that. She knows what it’s like to be young in this time, to be a person of color in this time, to be a woman in this time, to be a single parent in this time, to have to worry about money and bills in this time. And in this time, representation matters more
now than ever.
It’s also important to note that Sky doesn’t see things in black and white but can effectively work with others (in the grey) to get things done that benefit the larger community. She does so every day as she sits on the non-partisan Tampa Tiger Bay Club Board as well as through her work on the Hillsborough County MPO Citizen Advisory Board (an appointment made by her once political rival, Commissioner Overman). White is also a member of the Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Tampa Bay and the NAACP.
Act 5: “She can’t raise enough
money to win.”
She could if people took her candidacy seriously and didn’t underestimate her. So many people have ruled her out for all the reasons mentioned throughout this article. I don’t think anyone would deny that Sky is not as politically connected as some of the other candidates. She doesn’t know all the players or have access to major campaign donors but she’s a smart and tenacious fighter. I wish local politics wasn’t about who can raise the most money especially in a district that has historically represented lower income residents, instead I wish it was about who will listen and work for every constituent in their district. I believe Sky is that person.
And why do we continue to support the shuffling of the same politicians around in new seats? We keep hearing the same names go around and around. They’re certainly not all bad but there is no guarantee that they will be better in one seat versus the one they came from. Personally, I would love to see people with resources also investing in some of the political power and promise of those up-and-coming future leaders that are going to inherit the problems we find ourselves in today.
Act 6: “Can she REALLY win?”
YES! Hillsborough County is growing and changing daily, most especially in the areas of District 3. As such Sky will do everything in her power to protect the intergenerational significance of all the communities in District 3 that are so important to who we are as a county. She sees what’s wrong with the system and will proactively work on making things better for everyone while staying squarely focused on making sure District 3 is represented on the County Commission in a real and meaningful way.
I would like to close with a quote from President Obama’s recent commencement speech:
“First, don’t be afraid. America’s gone through tough times before — slavery, civil war, famine, disease, the Great Depression and 9/11. And each time we came out stronger, usually because a new generation, young people like you, learned from past mistakes and figured out how to make things better.”
