The African American People’s Convention that convened in 1991 to identify a consensus African American candidate to rally around in the quest to wrest control of the mayor’s office is a milestone in local politics.

Last month, political activist Dell Gill tried to jumpstart another such convention to whittle down a crowded field of mayoral aspirants seeking to replace former Mayor Willie W. Herenton in the Oct. 15 special election.

The idea went over like a led balloon.  

Tyrone Moore, who played a role in the 1991 convention that tapped Herenton, said the “movement” that spawned the first elected African-American mayor in Memphis’ history has lost its savor in 2009.

“There is a climate change,” said Moore, a political activist and program manager for Direct Medical Supplies. “The movement then was a little stronger. We don’t have a powerbase, the leverage, and legitimacy.”

Herenton’s 142-vote squeaker over then-mayor Richard “Dick” Hackett was a success, Moore said, because a collective group of citizens with political foresight fought to reshape the political landscape.

“The elements and groups that made the convention possible in 1991 have since dissipated,” said Moore, noting the dynamics that drew about 4,000 people to the Mid-South Coliseum.

“The people had more power,” said Moore. “Now we’re fragmented, disjointed and we’ve run amok.”

Larry Moore, a political analyst and University of Memphis professor, said political operatives in 1991 grew tired of African Americans winning primary elections and then losing to non-blacks in runoffs.

Moore cites two examples of when the electoral process prevented African Americans from winning citywide elections: Criminal Court Judge W. Otis Higgs’ unsuccessful challenge of mayor Wyeth Chandler in 1975 and 1979, and J.O. Patterson Jr.’s loss to Hackett in the 1982 special election to replace Chandler.

“If the court hadn’t thrown off the runoff election, Higgs and Patterson would have won,” said Moore, referring to a ruling by the late Judge Jerome Turner who disallowed runoffs in citywide elections.

At that point, the white voting populace was larger than the black voting populace, said Moore. “Then the white voting populace started shrinking because of white flight and the black voting populace increased,” he said.

Today, the political backdrop is different, said Moore.

“Now, the winner takes all. They (African American candidates) all feel like their chances are just as good as the other candidates.”

Moore said today no one would take the chance of being eliminated on the front end when each candidate has his/her own constituency.

“Why eliminate yourself when all you have to do is get your constituents to the polls,” he said. “They are not ready for a convention to set up a ‘king’ now. Instead, the ‘king’ will be set up on Election Day by the voters.”

Moore makes another point: “There are no strong clicks now like in the days when there were political bosses like (Harold) Ford. Race politics was high then.”

Using a football analogy, Moore said, “Back then, it was a political super bowl. Now, it’s like a regular season. Everybody wants to get out there and play.”