Ella Scarborough deserves our roses. Charlotte should celebrate her.

In our community superheroes are rarely superstars. They aren’t always on the big screen or surrounded by glitz, glam, and fanfare. They are often the unsung saviors of the neighborhood. The teachers and firefighters. The familiar face working the cash register at the grocery store. They are artists and organizers, pastors and political figures. In our community, we hold those who serve in high esteem. We celebrate them. We remember them. We honor them.

County Commissioner At-Large Ella Scarborough is a giant in our midst. More than a career public servant, she is reminiscent of warmth, of tenacity, of home. She’s got big auntie energy and those of us in the Black community understand that auntie energy is a thing, sacred.

I met Commissioner Scarborough back in 2016. I was hosting a program for Women’s Equality Day that was designed to honor women in politics from Mecklenburg County. We chose to honor a group of dynamic elected officials and women who help them get elected. I interviewed each woman over the phone, and then wrote a custom poem that told her story.

When I interviewed Commissioner Scarborough, she opened herself up to me right away. She was generous with her story. That doesn’t always happen. I could hear the fire and the gentle in her tone as she spoke. She talked to me about her life. She told me about why she serves. She told me what makes her a fighter. She’s been fighting since birth. She was born premature; 3 lbs. At that time, Black babies weren’t guaranteed an incubator, so her little body had to fight just to exist. As a teenager, she had to fight again. While registering voters, she was arrested by the police. She told me that she was registering voters because she understood the importance of the Black vote. That followed her along a successful and trailblazing path. She was the first female African-American City Council member in our city. She has been serving in a formal capacity since 1987.

When I finally met her in person, Commissioner Scarborough did not disappoint. Her signature, white lightning hair entered the room before her. It framed her silky, dark brown skin like a crown that was designed by GOD just for her. Her smile was sincere. It wasn’t forced like that of some public servants who are worn out from one appearance after another. She smiled and spoke like she wanted to be in the room. Her spirit was infectious and her presence was unforgettable. She moved like she knew that she belonged in the room, because she did.

Commissioner Scarborough is one of many Black women giants in the Charlotte political ecosystem. Locally and nationally, Black women are the unstoppable force holding up the democratic party. Many have given more time, energy, intellect, effort, and care — to building our community up and getting our community through — than people can ever fully understand. The Ella Scarborough’s of the city deserve their roses now.

Recently, news broke that the Mecklenburg County attorney was looking into whether or not someone has voted on Commissioner Scarborough’s behalf during a Board meeting. This has presented questions of her mental capacity to serve. I’ve followed this story closely because it means a great deal to me. She means a great deal to me. Not solely because she opened up and shared her story with me, but because of who she is and what she represents. Commissioner Ella Scarborough is a person who has lived with the audacity to lead. She’s signed up for service when service was not easy for women like her. She has shown up for our community time and time again. She is grace under fire. She’s living history. She is legacy.

The county has since dropped its review of Scarborough. I am not sure what will come of the lingering questions, but I am sure that her legacy matters. Her place in our community deserves to be celebrated and her story needs to be told with care. Her voice has always been a unique one that makes you remember it was in the room. As we continue to speak about her and her legacy in the days to come, I hope we will all remember her tenacity, her audacity, her courage, conviction, and of course her voice.

This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.