politics

Mario Mims, better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, wrote an open letter asking Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves to declare a state of emergency and address what he calls a "humanitarian crisis" unfolding in prisons across the state.In the letter, the rapper called for the governor to "put the full weight of your office and authority to protect [inmates'] basic human rights." In the last three weeks, two inmates have been beaten to death inside the Parchman state penitentiary, and a total of nine deaths have occurred in other prisons statewide. "We recognize that there are people incarcerated in the [Mississippi Department of Corrections] for due cause—that they may be considered a danger to society," the letter read. "We are asking that they be able to serve their sentences as human beings and not animals." Last week, Jay-Z's Team Roc, which co-wrote the letter with Yo Gotti, filed a lawsuit against the head of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, where 29 inmates argued that the state's prison conditions are unconstitutional.The allegations aren't without merit, as a report released by the state detailed both unsafe and unsanitary conditions. The 150-plus-page report outlined that many Mississippi inmates are living in moldy units without electricity, clean mattresses, or clean water."If the goal of incarceration is rehabilitation, how can we ever hope to return these men to society when the extreme neglect and dangerous conditions under which they are subjected strips away every last bit of self-worth?" the letter asked. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Mississippi ranks third in the nation in imprisonment rate, with 1 out of every 200 people in the state behind bars, a statistic that's often cited for the poor conditions in its...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____Growing up as a kid in Chicago, I saw my fair share of Chicago politics. My mom would have WVON playing in the background while she read Ebony Magazine. I overheard Black political commentators, such as Lu Palmer, discuss the race of Mayor Harold Washington. Lu was a political organizer, radio show host and ardent supporter of Harold Washington, who became Chicago's first Black mayor.My mother was a civil rights activist who sometimes removed me from school to protest against companies doing business with South African government, and to fight for fair contracting. It's safe to say that as a kid, I sat in the front row of civil rights activism in Chicago.I serve as Chairwoman of Flourish PAC, which is dedicated to helping Black women get elected on every level of government and train future campaign managers and staffers for hire via the Illinois Black Campaign Academy.I want to highlight Black women who lend tirelessly their time, space and money to support candidates, issues and causes. They are the campaign strategists, the politicos, the elected leaders as well as the movement builders who work both behind and in front of the scenes in Illinois politics. I set out to comb every corner of the state to find unsung Black female political supporters.For far too long, she has provided civic leadership, votes, time commitment and financial resources to advance causes, issues and candidates throughout Illinois. It's time we value her worth.Click here to access the online nomination form, which is available until January 31, 2020. The final list of Black woman to watch in Illinois politics will be revealed in February...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____Our country is in mourning after a church shooting left two dead in White Settlement, Texas, this past holiday season. This came after two other horrendous domestic terror attacks in the state, with 22 killed in El Paso, and eight killed in Midland/Odessa.Growing up in a post-9/11 America, the idea that terrorism could be performed at a domestic level was so appalling it was farfetched. Dystopian at best. For my generation, terrorist meant outsider. It meant people who did not look like us, or live like us, wanting to hurt the American people and our country. That’s why we went to war in the Middle East. That’s why we work so hard to keep non-Americans out. But contrary to the teachings of a post-9/11 school system, terrorism is largely a domestic security issue.9/11 will forever be regarded as a tragedy, in which almost 3,000 lives were lost. But there have been over 2,631 casualties and almost 10,000 injuries in the United States from mass shootings since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. To many Americans, the face of terrorism is solely the face of a non-American. Ironic, considering that the FBI is investigating 850 open domestic terrorism investigations; 40% of those cases being racially motivated.From the Muslim Ban, the end of new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns, our government is working to barricade external threats from entering the country.We are taught to vehemently fear Jihadists and border crossing caravans. We are taught to be wary of American citizens or inhabitants whose lineage may persuade their loyalties to lie elsewhere. These teachings are fear-mongering. They are over-exaggerated, xenophobic and tragically distracting. Our country’s largest national security threat is not lurking on the border. Our largest national security threat is here now.Experts are now confirming that “the terrorist threat in the United States is almost entirely homegrown.” Domestic terrorism, coupled with our country’s relaxed gun regulations and growth in violent extremist ideology, is putting our citizens and residents at risk.Over all, on the list of American’s top policy priorities, foreign terrorism is fourth, while reducing domestic crime is 11th.  As a public, it is time to re-calibrate our priorities and ground ourselves in reality. Terrorism has changed substantially since 2001, but our understanding of terrorism has not.Our country spends approximately $175 billion every fiscal year on counter terrorism. Though gun violence is a leading cause of death in America, our budget for research on gun violence and policy is about $63 for every life lost. This is astronomically low, even in comparison to our budget for other leading causes of death. (For example, HIV research gets ~$182,668 for every life lost.)I know the idea of another major foreign terrorist attack is terrifying. The proposition to focus less on counterterrorism may even seem anti-American to some. Such audacity to suggest we walk around, afraid of an attack from a foreign enemy, like the country did for most of the 2000s.To be clear, we should always fund counterterrorism efforts in some capacity. But there are plenty of Americans walking around who are afraid of other Americans, right now.Hate crimes are on the rise by 35%. And while the possibility of dying at the hands of a foreign born terrorist is one in 45,785, the likelihood that you will die in a mass shooting is one in 11,125. Even worse, you have a one in 315 chance of dying from gun assault.It is time to adjust our fear, and our actions accordingly to our nation’s largest threat:...

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams made comments at a Martin Luther King Day event Monday at the National Action Network in Harlem that is raising eyebrows. During his impassioned speech, Adams called on those from other places in the country viewed as a gentrifying force."Go back to Iowa, you go back to Ohio," Adams said. "New York City belongs to the people that were here and made New York City what it is."Naturally, some took issue with the statement. Ok I’ll be the first person brave enough to ask the question. Has Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams gone batshit crazy? Come on liberals you can’t give Rudy the moniker and then let crazy shit like this slide. https://t.co/xKDaNNLRE1— Tony Gatto (@gattotony) January 20, 2020If Eric Adams wants to dunk on gentrifiers and people who move into the city, maybe he should stop taking so much damn money from the real estate industry who created this problem. I won’t hold my breath.— Brandon West (@btwest) January 21, 2020BP Eric Adams housing plan? Telling new New Yorkers to "go back to Iowa" and "go back to Ohio" as he pins gentrification on newbies and accuses them of "hijacking" apartments in an incendiary speech -- https://t.co/48MtRKcGUe— Nolan Hicks (@ndhapple) January 20, 2020As someone who researches and writes about our collective immigration stories for a living, hearing the Brooklyn Borough President tell people to “go back to where they came from” disgusts me. I’d encourage him to read some history. https://t.co/zMylqseVQj— Elizabeth Woller (@ElizabethWoller) January 21, 2020 Others found nothing but substance and truth.  Eric Adams was accurate. People are being displaced from their long-time homes; calling the cops on people and complaining about every single sound; if the vibrant neighborhood you chose to move into is too loud for you, then perhaps you should return from whence you've come.— VCB Von (@VCBVon) January 21, 2020People may not like what Eric Adams had to say, but valid points were made. He ain’t have say go back Iowa or Ohio tho. That was not necessarry! With that being said we cannot act like native nyers are not being pushed out and leaving NY by record numbers!— Tiffington B. (@TiffLizB) January 21, 2020Then there was just this: Eric Adams dunking on us for being white and living in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/Oi7LSJJnct— Tejoshi 6ix9ine (@Bendetowies) January 21, 2020 Backlash over the comments may have been heightened because the former cop is currently a leading contender in the ongoing 2021 mayoral race. After criticism for the statements, Adams took to Twitter to offer clarification."Anyone can be a New Yorker, but not everyone comes to our city with the spirit of being part of our city," the Brownsville native explained in a Twitter reply. "I have a problem with that and I'm unapologetic in asking more of our new arrivals to communities who were once waking up to gunshots and not alarm clocks."Let me be clear: Anyone can be a New Yorker, but not everyone comes to our city with the spirit of being part of our city. I have a problem with that, and I’m unapologetic in asking more of our new arrivals to communities who were once waking up to gun shots and not alarm clocks.— Eric Adams (@BPEricAdams) January 20, 2020Thanks for asking, Mara. Some of it is as simple as saying “hello” to your fellow neighbors. It’s also patronizing local businesses that have been there for years. It’s adopting a local school or shelter and lending a hand. It’s breaking bread with new faces and building bonds.— Eric Adams (@BPEricAdams) January 20, 2020 The comments even got a response from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who weighed in through a spokesperson in the New York Post. Telling the paper the city is welcoming, though they need to work on affordability issues and largely agreeing with the borough president's larger point. "The mayor doesn't agree with how it was said, but the borough president voiced a very real frustration," the statement said. "We need to improve affordability in this city to ensure New Yorkers can stay in the city they love, but New York City will always be a city for everyone."The 2021 election is to be the first in New York with ranked-choice voting — which allows voters to place candidates in order of...

Sherrilyn Ifill, the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, while returning from Washington on an Amtrak was reportedly asked to give up her seat to another rider.The incident came to attention due to a Twitter thread the civil rights attorney, scholar, and activist started Friday evening, questioning Amtrak directly for why that choice was made. “The conductor has asked me to leave my seat because she has ‘other people coming who she wants to give this seat.’ Can you please explain?” Ifill tweeted..@Amtrak I’m being asked to leave my seat on train 80 which I just boarded in D.C. There are no assigned seats on this train. The conductor has asked me to leave my seat because she has”other people coming who she wants to give this seat.” Can you please explain?— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) January 17, 2020 An Amtrak spokesperson, Jason Abrams, said in a statement to the Baltimore Sun that the company apologizes and wishes they had issued a faster response. “We should have responded publicly sooner and we apologized for the incident and our slow response,” Abrams wrote. “Amtrak is looking into the matter more closely so we can prevent situations like this going forward.”The incident led into Martin Luther King Jr. weekend — meant to commemorate the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader, who would have turned 91 years old this year if not for his assassination. For Ifill, her biggest concern was with the authority on Amtrak.What really disturbs me is how someone with this authority can just entirely make up something so ridiculous and approach a customer in this way. I did wonder when she was carrying on - how far will I take this? And the immediate answer in my mind was “all the way.”— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) January 17, 2020 “What really disturbs me is how someone with this authority can just entirely make up something so ridiculous and approach a customer in this way,” Ifill tweeted. “I did wonder when she was carrying on — how far will I take this? And the immediate answer in my mind was ‘all the way.’”Ifill is the cousin of late PBS Political Analyst Gwen Ifill and has not responded to media requests for comment according to the Baltimore...

Former Vice President and presidential contender Joe Biden is getting a new wave of backlash after doubling down on a racist trope about Black parents. In a New York Times interview, Biden claimed Black parents are unwilling to support their children's education because they did not receive one themselves. Biden made the suggestion, one he sourced to his wife who works in education, that poorer parents wouldn't want to show the level of necessary support due to embarrassment. "[They] don’t show up because they’re embarrassed," Biden said. "They’re embarrassed the teacher’s going to say — and it’s hard to say, ‘Well, I can’t read.’”The editorial board conducting the interview attempted to give Biden a way to walk back his seemingly problematic statements, responding that minority parents may instead just be working second jobs to make ends meet. Biden, however, continued down the path of arguing to the merits of the absentee parent.“Well, that’s true, but there’s also a good deal of it, and check with the educators," Biden said. "There’s a good deal they just don’t know what to say, many of them. They don’t show up.”The information used by Biden goes against research from Rice University showing Black and Latino parents were more likely to emphasize the importance of postsecondary education.“The survey provides no evidence whatsoever to support the belief that [Black or Latino people] do not value education as much as [Anglo-Saxon] and [Asian people] do,” said survey Author Stephen Klineberg, Kinder Institute co-director and Rice professor of sociology. “The educational disparities have much more to do with resources and income inequalities than with any presumed differences in aspirations or values.”The mistake harkens back to a moment during the third Democratic debate where Biden argued the way to address the legacy of enslavement and segregation was to "play the record player" and to “make sure kids hear...

Update (January 21, 2020): After a months-long battle including protests, court dates and an eviction at gunpoint, Oakland housing rights activists Moms 4 Housing, represented by Oakland Community Land Trust, are in negotiations to purchase the investor-owned home that they were evicted from just last week, according to KTVU. The announcement came Monday, a national holiday in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which has become a day of organizing and action across the United States.Wedgewood LLC, the real estate investment company that owns the single-family home the mothers began occupying in November of 2019, has made a “good faith” agreement to negotiate the sale of the West Oakland property to nonprofit Oakland Community Land Trust. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has declared the homeless crisis an emergency, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reportedly stepped in. Earlier this month, during a speech about the homeless crisis, Moms 4 Housing activists interrupted Schaaf in an act of civil disobedience to bring attention to their plight and have successfully made the discussion national news, as Blavity previously reported.Monday, the formerly unhoused mothers marched through downtown Oakland followed by dozens of supporters, including city council president Rebecca Kaplan and city council representative Nikki Fortunato Bas – there was also a drumline.We’re marching to the @ACSOSheriffs because of the violent, militarized eviction of @moms4housing. We will #HoldThemAccountable #ReclaimMLKOak #HousingIsAHumanRight #CloseTheCamps #StandWithTheMoms#MLKDay https://t.co/5uKKclyuBU— Alyssa Kang (@1alyssakang) January 20, 2020They led the march to the plaza in front of Oakland City Hall, which the residents have reclaimed as “Oscar Grant Plaza” in honor of a man that was murdered by local transit police causing civil unrest in 2009, where they expressed gratitude for all of their supporters and laid out their plans for the future. They plan to keep fighting. Huge crowd at Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland right now celebrating @moms4housing victory on MLK Day. #ReclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/MG5A2m0Dvx— Indybay (@Indybay) January 20, 2020“This movement does not end today with us, with that house on Magnolia Street. We will not stop fighting and organizing until all unhoused folks who want to have shelter have shelter," Dominique Walker, one of the founders of Moms 4 Housing, said.  The march continued to the Alameda County Sheriff's offices where protesters showed their disapproval for the way the moms were evicted. In a scene reminiscent of a war zone, Alameda County sheriff’s deputies used tanks and camouflaged officers with AR-15s in the 5 a.m. raid that lead to the arrest of four, including two of the mothers.This is what showed up to evict black mothers from their home in Oakland last night. This is the weaponized arm of speculative real estate investment capital. #Moms4Housing pic.twitter.com/xoRUnhaSgC— imperfect produce 🍃 (@LeeHepner) January 14, 2020While being interviewed by Ta-Nehisi Coates for the MLKNow 2020 Conference, United States Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentioned the Moms 4 Housing activists when discussing how movements begin with the people.AOC on @moms4housing: "That's the kind of organizing that's required. That organizing challenges many of the operating tenets that the United States was founded on, including racism, but also including the protection of capital over human beings." https://t.co/6oJpEcC8S7— Rick Paulas (@RickPaulas) January 20, 2020"That's the kind of organizing that's required. That organizing challenges many of the operating tenets that the United States was founded on, including racism, but also including the protection of capital over human beings," the trailblazing congresswoman said. Original (January 15, 2020): Four people were arrested in a pre-dawn raid Tuesday morning at the West Oakland house where Moms 4 Housing activists had been staying. In order to bring increased attention to the homeless crisis in Oakland, members of the group had taken over the empty residence.  According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, activists with connections to the group, and others, are calling the arrest and subsequent story a win, bringing increased attention to the fight the organization originally set out to highlight. The mothers have occupied the house since November, but a judge made a ruling Friday and ordered the group to leave the vacant home within five days or face eviction. View this post on Instagram The @moms4housing protests have continued, following the court's decision to evict the group of homeless mothers who were living in a vacant Oakland home on Tuesday. The women had already planned to stay and fight for their right to housing, despite the court order, when militarized police officers arrived to their home early this morning to carry out the eviction. A total of four arrest were made, including mothers Jesse Turner, Tolani King and Misty Cross. They were arrested for resisting an eviction, authorities said. Walter Baker was also arrested for allegedly obstructing officers. Following the eviction, supporters went on various platforms to voice their solidarity with the mothers as well as their disapproval of the arrests. #HousingNow #Moms4HousingA post shared by Blavity : Politics (@blavitypolitics) on Jan 14, 2020 at 11:57am PST“People are talking about things and changing their relationship to land and who deserves [ownership] just because of this action [Moms 4 Housing] took,” said Carroll Fife, regional director of Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. “Just having their children be housed was a victory, but the larger victory is what this means for the larger community.”Fife shared a video on Twitter, showing children who sang together to support the mothers. “This gave me life today,” she said.  This gave me LIFE today #Moms4Housing pic.twitter.com/IMuGa7oE50— Carroll Fife (@fifeca) January 13, 2020Vicente Vera shared a short video of a documentary he made about the group’s effort.A short documentary I produced on @moms4housing Dec. 30th court battle. Forgot to post it earlier. A group of mothers are currently settled in a home in West Oakland and they say they are not leaving any time soon. More on this developing story coming soon. 1/3 #moms4housing pic.twitter.com/t366E97dzl— Vicente Vera (@VicenteSJSU) January 10, 2020Supporters of the group also came together and formed a human shield as a symbol of unity.Supporters have created a human shield for the moms who have taken over an empty house in Oakland. Their eviction has been ordered but they have no plans to leave. #Moms4Housing pic.twitter.com/MZgrPcele3— Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) January 13, 2020Fife was in the middle of an interview with Democracy Now when she heard the sheriff had arrived at the home to evict the mothers..@moms4housing's interview with @democracynow was cut short this morning when word came in by text message that the sheriff was at the door to evict the families who have been living in a vacant house in Oakland. Oakland has four times as many empty houses as unhoused people. pic.twitter.com/oRdGWKbXjC— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) January 14, 2020According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Wedgewood Properties bought the home in July and took possession in November after the mothers came in. “The solution to Oakland’s housing crisis is not the redistribution of citizens’ homes through illegal break-ins and seizures by squatters,” Wedgewood Properties officials said in a statement to the Chronicle. Wedgewood spokesman Sam Singer spoke to CNN, saying he “is pleased the illegal occupation of its Oakland home has ended peacefully." "That is what the company has sought since the start,” Singer said. “We will now work with a non-profit, Shelter 37, to renovate the home giving opportunities to at-risk Oakland youths and splitting the profits with the non-profit so that other youths may benefit." Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies were seen in military-style fatigues with rifles and executed the eviction order on Tuesday.“They came in like an army for mothers and babies,” said Dominique Walker, one of the mothers who was not arrested, to KTLA. “We have the right to housing; this is just the beginning.”Fife said it wasn’t enough for the city to offer the group a stay in a shelter for two months.“Anyone who has tried to get housing in the city of Oakland knows that two months is nothing,” she said. “The system doesn’t work.” Watching this video will help you understand what it means to live in the Bay Area. pic.twitter.com/XNGfOHOsLv— L E F T, PhD ⚫️ (@LeftSentThis) January 13, 2020Each of the arrested individuals has been booked into Santa Rita jail on misdemeanor resisting and obstructing charges, Sgt. Ray Kelly said during a media briefing Tuesday morning, and bail has been set at $5,000 each. Moms 4 Housing has set up a GoFundMe page to raise bail money for the affected individuals — it has since exceeded its goal.According to the group’s website, Moms 4 Housing brings together “uniting mothers, neighbors and friends to reclaim housing for the Oakland community from the big banks and real estate speculators.”  “My heart goes out to these courageous mothers (who) are standing up for a basic human need,” Mayor Libby Schaaf told reporters. “This is a difficult situation, and it is clear evidence that our laws are not working properly.”The mothers confronted Schaaf during a housing rally last week and asked why she is ignoring their cry for help, The Chronicle reported.“No one should be homeless when homes are sitting empty,” the mothers stated on their website. “Housing is a human right.” According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness in California increased by 16.4% in 2019 compared to the previous...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____Co-written by Dr. Rahsaan Harris____The Democratic debate stage on the evening of December 19, 2019, was “melanin challenged.” Andrew Yang was the only candidate of color to qualify to participate. By January 14, the debate stage was “melanin absent” with no candidates of color participating in the debate! As Buggin’ Out famously asked the pizza shop owner, Sal, in Do the Right Thing, people of color are wondering, “How come ain’t no brothers on that wall?" (Sal responded, “This is my pizzeria!”)Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Andrew Yang are the only people of color that remain in the Democratic Party presidential primary and they aren’t frontrunners in early primary states. Their odds for success are slim. Relatively unknown billionaire Tom Steyer seems to be a more viable candidate due to his massive spending on television advertising and a recent second-place showing in a South Carolina primary poll.Will voters of color be able to support a candidate that understands their struggle to gain equality in the United States? Does this tell us anything about the current state of the country and people of color’s place in it? The Democratic field of candidates for the President of the United States was once the most diverse in American history. It has become nearly whitewashed as candidates of color exit the stage.Kamala Harris dropped out of the race for president over the Thanksgiving holiday because her “campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources [they] need to continue.” The latest candidates of color to exit are Julian Castro, who offered "it simply isn't our time" for why he ended his campaign, and Cory Booker, who cited lack of money as the primary reason for dropping out.In this presidential campaign, big money is the difference maker for the outcomes of two candidates who had strikingly similar views on people of color and the criminal justice. One of those individuals is no longer in the race and the other still is. What is even more telling, one by one candidates of color are being systematically outspent out of the race. A billionaire could possibly win the nomination because of their ability to outspend other candidates!Michael Bloomberg entered the race for president on November 24, 2019, in his words, “… to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America.” Interestingly, he went on an “apology tour” before he entered the race. Bloomberg explained that he was wrong for pushing the "stop and frisk" policy that disproportionately affected Black and Latinx boys and men while he was mayor of New York City. Reverend Al Sharpton “welcomed the former mayor's remarks but reminded him that ‘it will take more than one speech for people to forgive and forget a policy that so negatively impacted entire communities.’"Kamala Harris was consistently taken to task for her position as a prosecutor and the impact she had on the imprisonment of Black and brown folk. It will be interesting to see if Bloomberg is challenged in the same way as Kamala Harris was. People of color are disproportionately negatively impacted by the U.S. prison system.Criminal justice reform is an important issue for Black and brown communities. What may be (or perhaps should be) disconcerting for Black and brown people is the diluting of their collective political power to reject a candidate who is detrimental to their socio-political and economic interests because of the power of money in politics. It is reported that Bloomberg’s first campaign ad exceeded in cost what other candidates’ advertising budgeted for the entire year.We understand that the Black vote is not monolithic and that voting for someone just because they look like you does not mean that the candidate has the electorate’s interest at heart. For Blacks, it could very well be that Harris was not their ideal candidate because of her views and actions on Blacks in the criminal justice system. She is no longer in the race.The power of big money in politics should not be permitted to overshadow the will of the people. Bloomberg may not be the candidate of choice for Blacks either because of his similar views and record of support for aggressive policing of Black and brown people. Unlike Senator Harris, he is still in the race.It is concerning that Bloomberg is able to infuse his campaign with massive amounts of capital to possibly subvert the will of a segment of the electorate. This outcome is a frightening proposition for Black and brown people, the groups most negatively and disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system. Big money in politics is a reality. It has the power to dilute the net effect of Black and brown support of candidates who understand issues important to their communities.As we recently remembered the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., like him, we recognized that engaging in the political process is an important means for gaining equity. He encouraged Blacks “to continue to struggle through legislation and legalism” in his speech at the NAACP Emancipation Day Rally in Atlanta, GA in 1957. Dr. King asked for individual Blacks to “go down in our pockets and give big money for the cause of freedom.” He knew that this path of freedom required financial resources.Black investment in electoral politics has long been a conundrum. Many people of color believe the vote is impotent to bring about positive change in the lives of everyday people. Removing big money from politics could change that dynamic. Perhaps the solution to the outsized importance of money in elections lies in campaign finance reform that restricts private money. Alternatively, people of color may gain access to more electoral power through increased participation in political giving.Whatever the path forward, it’s worth exploring ways to ensure more brothers and sisters are on that...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____Since the Great Depression, African Americans have moved in unflinching lockstep in support of the Democratic Party. Those who don’t are likely to be “cancelled” or excommunicated; such as in the case of Kanye West, who has been heavily criticized for publicly supporting President Donald Trump. However, for all of our unwavering and unrelenting support, we continue to receive little in return.It’s as if we are in an arranged marriage with the Democratic Party: our political allegiance is practically inherited, decided on the basis of race and the implicated societal pressures long before we are born. Unfortunately, this steadfast support has enabled the party to neglect us. Sure, during election seasons democratic candidates exclaim “Black lives matter,” tease ideas for reparations and riff about the importance of investing in minority and underserved communities. Yet, most of these issues do not rank at the top of the democratic agenda. Additionally, democratic lawmakers who actually mean well lack the political capital or skill necessary to push minority-centered bills into laws.Whether it be the former or the latter, the result is the same: African American issues go unaddressed. Similar to a one-sided marriage, the Democratic Party consistently fails to fulfill their end of the bargain. African American voters do not want to be wooed by candidates with help from Beyoncé, LeBron James and other Black figures only to be undermined, unserved and unincluded later.While it still holds true, the old Black adage of voting for democrats because they will do less harm than the republicans, or supporting democrats because they are the lesser of two evils, has fallen out of favor with younger generations of Black voters. African Americans care about kitchen table issues — expanding affordable health care, fortifying childcare, increasing access to college, narrowing the achievement gap, addressing income inequality, bettering public schools, etc.While we are not a monolith, Black voters, specifically millennial Black democratic voters, feel a communal disenchantment with the Democratic Party. Black democrat voters need to be convinced that, if we show up to support our neglectful spouse, the love will be reciprocated. Most Black voters aren’t deciding if they are going to vote for a republican or a democrat. Many African Americans believe that the Republican Party has consistently shown not only that it could care less about minority issues, but that its agenda is actively antagonistic to our struggles. This is evidenced by the rhetoric of its leaders and complacency of the members. As a result, many Black voters are contemplating whether they are going to vote democrat or just stay home “because things aren’t going to change either way.” Unfortunately, unbeknownst to many voters, by not voting they are effectively casting republican votes, as evidenced by the 2016 presidential election.This piece may sound as if it were written by an antagonist to the Democratic Party, or at least someone with a disdain for them. However, this could not be further from the truth. I am a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party, having even interned in the office of a democratic congressmen during college. However, I am a millennial minority from the midwest — the very demographic the party needs to encourage to vote if it hopes to win the 2020 election. Hillary Clinton lost the state of Michigan by a few thousand votes, votes which could have easily come from fellow Detroiters if they were excited or energized. The same can be said for Pennsylvania, which was also lost by a narrow margin.Democratic leaders hoping to win over Black voters in 2020 need to show that even though the marriage has been a little rocky, they are willing to change and shower us with the support and attention we deserve. Candidates need to clearly articulate their understanding of the specific issues minority voters are facing and present well-developed plans that would effectively address these issues if the candidate is granted power. Or, at the very least, do a better job explaining how the general policies the candidate plans to enact will benefit minorities in America. (We want numbers, and facts.)Whichever route the candidates choose, they need to do so quickly and act as if their very political survival depends on it — because honestly, it...

The state of Missouri has faced countrywide backlash since announcing the Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act or House Bill 2044, a new bill that would allow state officials to ban books, defund libraries and arrest librarians.Sponsored by minister and conservative Republican Rep. Ben Baker, the bill aims to create parental library review boards that would have immense power over what books would be allowed in state-funded libraries.Missouri Library Bill by The Washington Post on Scribd The elected, five-member panels would take suggestions from the public about what books to ban but ultimately would have control over which books are allowed in libraries. According to the law, any library that violates the law could be completely defunded and any librarians who try to circumvent it could face a $500 fine or up to a year in prison.Baker added provisions that would allow the boards to remove anything they believe is “age-inappropriate sexual material.”“This is a shockingly transparent attempt to legalize book banning in the state of Missouri. This act is clearly aimed at empowering small groups of parents to appoint themselves as censors over their state’s public libraries. Books wrestling with sexual themes, books uplifting LGBTQIA+ characters, books addressing issues such as sexual assault—all of these books are potentially on the chopping block if this bill is passed,” said James Tager, deputy director of Free Expression Research and Policy at PEN America, in a statement. According to an interview with local Missouri news outlet The Springfield News-Leader, Baker wanted to write the bill after reading news reports of "drag queen story hours" that sometimes take place at public libraries. The newspaper said libraries and public spaces in St. Louis and Kansas City have held these events, apparently enraging the conservative pastor and other religious groups.“I’m trying to figure out a way for parents to have recourse if something's happened and actually the library board is saying 'Hey, we're OK with this' or even promoting it, which has happened,” Baker claimed.Baker is well known in the state for pushing religiously backed bills, and last year he caused another firestorm with a bill that would have forced public schools to create Bible-based courses for K-12 students.Librarians in the state, as well as LGBTQ activists, have come out fiercely against the bill, telling news outlets that it was tantamount to censorship. The drag queen story hours were a way for positive messages about LGBTQ people to be spread amongst young people, according to Shira Berkowitz, a spokeswoman for the LGBTQ advocacy group PROMO.“We think that visibility is really, really important. Especially in a state where LGBTQ people can still be denied housing or fired because of who they are,” she told The Springfield News-Leader.Both Missouri Library Association President Cynthia Dudenhoffer and associate director at the Springfield-Greene County Library District Jim Schmidt both agreed that the bill was completely unacceptable and out of bounds, especially considering the harsh penalties listed in the law.Schmidt said most districts in the state already had local governing boards that held public meetings and allowed the public to question their actions, making the need for another board redundant.“Public libraries already have procedures in place to assist patrons in protecting their own children while not infringing upon the rights of other patrons or restricting materials. Missouri Library Association will always oppose legislation that infringes on these rights,” Dudenhoffer said. When pressed about the harsh penalties in his bill, Baker admitted that he will probably need to rewrite them. But he alleged that he "wanted to send a strong message that we need to protect our kids and we need to do something about this, but that's all negotiable.”According to The Guardian, book titles like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak have all faced scrutiny and criticism in Missouri over the last decade over the content inside their pages.“Every reader and writer in the country should be horrified, absolutely horrified, at this bill. The fact that a librarian could actually be imprisoned under this act for following his or her conscience and refusing to block minors from access to a book, that tells you all you need to know about the suitability of this act within a democratic society,” Tager said in his...