As the city of Sacramento waits to find out whether or not District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert will press charges against the two police officers who shot and killed 22-year-old Stephon Clark in March as he stood in his grandparents’ backyard holding a cellphone, Clark’s older brother has decided to run for mayor of the city that was ripped apart by his brother’s death.
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Stevante Clark, 25, filed paperwork Nov. 19 with the California secretary of state to open two campaign finance committees—one of which is tied to his mayoral bid for the 2020 election, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Clark, who has been a vocal critic of the city of Sacramento, its police department, as well as its current mayor—Darrell Steinberg—told the Bee, “I don’t have the most experience, I’m not the smartest guy. At the same time, I’m from the city of Sacramento and if there’s anybody who’s going to listen to the people of Sacramento and who knows the problems of Sacramento, it’s me. Even though I did decide to run for mayor after the death of my brother, I’m not making this about me in retribution and revenge.”
Clark told the Bee that if he is elected, he will work to improve life in the city’s “underdeveloped communities.”
His plan of action includes opening resource centers in his brother’s name throughout South Sacramento that would offer job training, computer labs, recreational opportunities, childcare, mentoring programs, and mental health therapists.
Clark, who had a number of high-profile mental health hospitalizations following his brother’s death, told the Bee: “Mental health is one of the biggest things I want to combat.”
He also has a list of police reforms, grouped under what he calls the Clark Family Act, that he plans to propose to city leaders. Those reforms include hiring more officers of color who grew up in and are familiar with urban areas. He would also like to see more department-mandated training for officers on use of force, implicit bias and gang politics, as well as more community outreach, including weekly ride-along programs for youth.
If he fails in his bid for mayor, Clark told the Bee he plans to move out of state.
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