Cincinnati deserves leaders with vision, not excuses that even AI rejects | Opinion

I’ve become more intrigued by artificial intelligence − not because it can do everything, but because sometimes it strips away the emotions and excuses we attach to hard truths. It has a way of putting the facts on the table without flinching.

Recently, I asked AI to analyze the leadership response after the Cincinnati Music Festival weekend incident here in Cincinnati. What it told me confirmed something many of us already knew in our hearts: The leadership we needed wasn’t there.

Let me be clear − I have never been shy about saying Mayor Aftab Pureval has failed to show up for Black Cincinnatians in any meaningful way. From day one, he has leaned on his identity as a "Brown" man and touted the appointments of Black women in his administration as though history started with him. But representation without accountability is not progress − it’s performance.

Here’s what AI said about the mayor’s press conference and how it risked "weaponizing Black leadership as a shield":

• The mayor relied on Black (leaders') credibility to calm the situation while avoiding deeper accountability for structural segregation, media double standards, and White (people's) silence.
• Optics mattered more than justice.
• The incident received unusual prominence compared to violence at events like St. Patrick’s Day or Oktoberfest, which have a majority attendance by White people.
• The mayor did not publicly challenge this double standard.

 AI saw it clearly. And if a machine could see it, why couldn’t our Black leadership?

Here's what accountability should have looked like:

• A mayor willing to call out racialized media framing and double standards.
• White civic leaders standing side by side with Black leaders, sharing the weight of responsibility.
•  A conversation that addressed root causes − poverty, segregation, racial tension − not just the reaction of our community.
•  A call for unity and shared responsibility across all communities.

Instead, what we got was silence from White leaders, and the burden was placed squarely on Black people. The first act of violence came from a White male, yet somehow the framing quickly became about "Black violence."

This is the cycle that must end. Because when leadership fails to name the truth, the community pays the price. When we fail to challenge the double standards in how violence is covered, we reinforce them. And when we let representation be enough, we settle for crumbs instead of demanding real change.

But I refuse to believe that’s where the story ends. Cincinnati’s future can look different. We can have leaders − Black, White, and Brown − who don’t just show up for the photo op, but who show up with courage, honesty, and a vision for equity. We can have a city where Black leadership is not tokenized but trusted, not used as a shield but empowered to set the standard.

I’m running for City Council because I believe that future is possible. I believe in a Cincinnati that doesn’t just manage optics, but delivers justice. A city that acknowledges the wrongs of the past, confronts the failures of the present, and commits to building something better together. But only if we elect leaders who are willing to see what is really in front of us − and act on it.

AI may help us see what’s wrong. But it’s up to us − the people, the voters, the leaders we choose − to make it right.

Laketa Cole lives in Bond Hill and is a former Cincinnati City Council member (2003-2010) and a 2025 Charter Committee candidate for City Council. She is a business owner, single mother and vice president of the Bond Hill Community Council.