America, What Are You Doing?

by with No Comment FeaturedGlobalPoliticsRace Relations

America abandoned its values over the weekend; however, if I am being honest, it seems as if America began this abandonment long before this past weekend. The images of Haitians being stopped by U.S. Border Patrol with the use of horses and what appears to be a lasso, a lariat, or whip, made me ashamed to be from this country. 

Thousands of Haitians, men, women, and children seeking protection as deportation was not the answer for them. Deportation back to their homeland would not seem to be the right solution at this time. Haitians have been in a state of peril since the July 7th assassination of their president, Jovenel Moïse. In the aftermath of his death, violence and civil unrest became commonplace. A 7.2 earthquake on August 14th, leaving over 2,000 Haitians dead and more than half a million who would need assistance. They have suffered enough. To make the dangerous journey to seek safety in the United States only to be met with border agents telling them, “This is why your country is shit.”?

Where is the compassion? Where is the humanity? What does it say about America?

It says America has no heart and the evidence of that has been displayed throughout this country’s history, particularly against immigrants. It seems contradictory considering that America is made of all immigrants. The images pain me to know that in people’s greatest hour of need, we kick them down. 

While I do understand there are many other factors that go into immigrants seeking asylum, Haitians can still be treated with respect. It upsets me, it angers me to my core. What if the roles were reversed? At any time, disaster could strike us and where would Americans turn to? Who would want to even lend a helping hand considering we have demonstrated that we do not give a damn about others. We have become increasingly so more self-centered. 

Returning thousands of Haitians to their homeland, in the current state it is in, is not the best idea. Their own country is not even prepared to handle the return of those who had already made the dangerous trek to leave. 

I do not know if deportation is the best solution; however, I do know that if it is right now the only solution, then there must be a better way to solve this issue. If sending the Haitians back to their homeland is the best option, in what other capacity is the U.S. doing to provide additional support?

The proper support was given to the Afghan Nationals who were fleeing for their lives after the Taliban had taken over control of Kabul. If I am going to be honest, the statement by the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, stating that, “Those two processes are quite different,”  is the definition of pretense. How? Mayorkas states that the Afghan Nationals were being, “Brought in by air … they have been screened and vetted. That is a safe, orderly, and humane process,” he said. “That is quite different than illegal entry in between ports of entry in a time of pandemic when we have been quite clear, explicit, for months now that that is not the way to reach the United States,” he concluded.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Afghan Nationals were brought in due to the state of their country because it is not safe. Haitians have made the journey because it is not safe. Yet the processes are different, both are not humane? Why is that? Despite the pandemic, Border Patrol has been clear and explicit for months; but still, the Afghan Nationals are safe to start to rebuild their lives and pick up the pieces, yet Haitians are not. The U.S. has been clear, but in those months of making those clear statements; however, it was during those months the journey was being made to the land where people are given a chance. People risked their lives only to be met with disappointment. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has not had much to say about the circulating images and the behavior displayed by Border Patrol and their methods other than Vice President Kamala Harris expressing her outrage for the actions taken against these immigrants. Madam Vice President, your outrage is felt by us all. Madam Vice President, we agree with you when you say, “We’ve got to support some very basic needs that the people of Haiti have.” It is going to take more than just statements about how we must support the basic needs of the people. We need more than statements about how horrific it is to see people treated in such a manner. We need the Biden-Harris administration to do something that would be conducive and beneficial for the people who are simply trying to make a better life after the turmoil they have experienced so far. I know it will not be an easy task, but the United States must do a better job with this challenging situation. If we cannot find another way, or just simply refuse to find another alternative, the only question that remains… America, what are you doing? 

Similar Read: Citizens vs. Government: The Crisis in Haiti

History Made in Georgia

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Last year, the United States descended into pure chaos. Systemic racism was thriving and it resulted in several untimely deaths. All the while, we were ill-equipped to handle the pandemic that seized the world due to inadequate leadership. So many civil uprisings, rallies, and rioting for change that was long overdue. Now, after the election in November 2021 is looking to be the start of that change.

When Biden and Harris won the election, I sighed with relief. While they might not be my number one pick for president and vice president, I think that they can get the ball rolling for the United States to improve for all of its people.

For some states it was time to elect new Senators, Georgia being one. What is so significant about Georgia is that it is a traditionally red state. It has been for a long time. And yet, for this election, Georgia flipped to blue, directly resulting in the White House, the Senate, and the House being blue.

The two new Senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, are not originally politicians. Ossoff was an investigative journalist and documentary film producer and Warnock a senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. I believe that the more non-political people we elect into positions of power, the more likely legislature will be passed for all people due to the diversification of personal, academic, and professional experiences of the people in power.

Warnock is the first Black Senator of Georgia, and this can only mean great things moving forward for communities of color. He might be the catalyst for even more people of color obtaining positions in state and federal governments. While I’m not from Georgia nor do I live in Georgia, I am excited to see what Warnock will help make happen to address the racism that has been running rampant.

However, I think the short term implications are worth considering. With the diversification of the government, it has exacerbated the tyranny of President Trump and the radical actions of ‘the proud boys’.

On January 6th, an armed mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in retaliation to the federal government turning blue. This was an act of domestic terrorism and yet President Trump did nothing to get the mob to leave. He did nothing to ensure the sanctity of the White House. All he did was condone their actions and allow them the privilege of destroying government property. The only thing on my mind as I watched this on the news is how if this mob was predominantly people of color, they would be shot before they even made it to the lawn.

I saw on the news a few days later that the mob planned to attack not only the U.S. Capitol again, but also all fifty capitols in the United States. CNN also said that if President Trump was impeached before the inauguration on January 20th, they will attack. Of course, there were death threats towards Biden, Harris, and House representative Pelosi.

I don’t know if these threats are still a concern, especially now that the House has impeached President Trump for the second time. Yes, beautiful progress is being made, but I worry about whether there will be a safe transition of power, and about whether President Trump and his ‘proud boys’ will be held accountable for their transgressions.

Similar Read: You Didn’t Vote for Biden, You Voted Against Trump

You Didn’t Vote for Biden, You Voted Against Trump

by with One Comment FeaturedhighlightPolitics

Earlier this month, U.S. residents across the country held their breath. An 8-month period of coronavirus, a slumped economy coupled with rising unemployment rates, and uncertainty about who our Commander in Chief would be invoked anxiety around the recent “unprecedent” presidential election. Even more, so many people including myself were exhausted by the constant racial profiling of people of color, particularly Black men and the fleeting protests surrounding abuse and violence against Black women in this country. So, we mailed in our ballots, raced to the polls, and watched our television screens as we waited for CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, or our relatives on Facebook to tell us who won the election. And then it came.

Four weeks ago, those who voted blue celebrated the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the first, Black, Indian, and woman Vice President of the U.S. Except we weren’t truly celebrating their victory. Instead, we were celebrating Donald Trump’s defeat.

I was frantically texting my family when it hit me. We defeated Trump and no longer were to be under a chaotic and destructive administration. But I realized there were still 73,786,905 people who voted for him, despite the lies, deceit, and manipulation. The people who voted for him still believed in him, reinforcing their support for white supremacy. From the “nice” suburban white mom to the raging “redneck” deep in poverty to the black republicans vilifying their race for a taste of political power, and the southern Latinx populations supporting Trump’s machismo and toughness, the other side of victory, defeat, matters as well.

And what’s also important is that Democrats, particularly those who are marginalized, don’t necessarily have the same agenda to equal the playing field. Kamala Harris being conservative in her role as District Attorney General of California hurt people of color – criminalizing them for their poverty. Additionally, Joe Biden sponsored the Crime Bill of 1994 that disproportionally affected people of color as well. We shouldn’t ignore this. Whether there’s representation on the federal level, doesn’t negate the brewing discontent and white fear on the local level and how progressive people can continue to be complicit in the systems that affect people of color, particularly Black and Brown folk.

So where do we go from here? I propose we continue to keep our leaders accountable for their actions and adopt a critical lens of politics that doesn’t put binaries on people because of their political party. We need to watch candidates closely and see their actions instead of their words. Politics is who gets, what, when, and how and for Biden he happened to run at the right time, arguably invoking our nostalgia for the Obama Administration. Nevertheless, communities are the ones who are catalysts of change and with the right checks and balances, we can continue to heal the nation.

Similar Read: An Imposter at the Homegoing

Breathe Again

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For four years, it has felt like I have lost a little bit of my breath every single day. It seemed as though we as a country were losing hope by the hour.

Breaking News after Breaking News.

Lies and Lies.

Defeat after Defeat.

Can we the people just get a break to BREATHE? 

We are all now masked up longer than should be, yes for safety but because a leader has failed to lead and it’s even harder to actually breathe. During the recent weeks leading to the 2020 Presidential Election, I could not stop thinking about an Atlanta-based church led by Pastors Gerald & Tammi Haddon called BREATHE ATL. I think about how this ministry not only teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also love, restoration, reconciliation, and renewal. Amidst it all, the one thing that I always reflect on is stop and BREATHE. 

Regardless if you’re a religious person or not, we all need a breath of fresh air. All the American people wanted was a chance to BREATHE Again. On November 7, 2020, the country elected a new leader. A very well capable leader that is not perfect, but he is the man to take us from chaos to a place of solitude and stability. History’s ceiling has once again been shaken, shattered and now broken at the celebration of the country’s First Woman as Vice President and first woman of color, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and President-Elect Joe Biden, the former Vice President of the country’s first African-American President Barack Obama. 

Life will not be perfect. This day does not solve all our problems. This moment does not calm all of our fears. But, while we are looking for healing in the land, at the moment I am reminded of BREATHE ATL… no matter what life may hit you with, don’t forget to stop and BREATHE!  I feel like I can start to BREATHE AGAIN!

Similar Article: Ideas Make This Country Great

Second Time’s a Charm?

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When Kamala Harris made her run for the Democratic Nomination for President, I was very skeptical. I was skeptical and openly questioned her background and her experience as a Prosector.

After she dropped out of the race, I took a step back to look at all the media coverage she received. I was really disappointed with how I handled my scrutiny of her. While it’s absolutely fair to share opinions on a political candidate, I for some reason held her to a higher standard than I did some of the other options. Not because I didn’t want to see her win but because as a Black woman myself, I couldn’t wrap my head around some of her decisions. Kamala was bullied by the media and while that certainly won’t stop now that she’s Biden’s VP pick, I can say with confidence that I will not be a part of the onslaught this time. While I definitely do not agree with some of her decisions in the past, I believe that she is a capable and promising addition to Biden’s campaign. My only hope now is that she be used as an asset and not a pawn. 

Similar Read: The Woman for the Job

The Woman for the Job

by with One Comment FeaturedPolitics

On August 11, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic and primary elections taking place in multiple states, Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice President (VP) pick. This is a historic moment for women and Black women specifically, and no doubt a game-changer for the Biden campaign. She would be the first African-American woman, the first Asian-American woman, the first Howard University Alumni, and the first HBCU graduate to become the Vice President of the United States of America. Her background as a District Attorney and Prosecutor were very challenging for her as they are for many prosecutors. She made decisions at the time that many strongly disagree with; but like all of us, we try our best to make the best decisions at the time. While we have to admit that sometimes we miss the mark, we must get up and keep moving. And I believe the people want Harris to keep moving.

Harris’s record is impressive. She was the first African-American District Attorney in San Francisco. She is only the 2nd African-American woman to serve in the US Senate and she is currently the only African-American woman currently serving in the US Senate. There have only been 11 African-American Senators elected since 1827 in both Republican and Democratic Parties, but only 10 were seated when Louisiana Republican Senator-Elect Pinckney B.S. Pinchback African-American Senator was elected but denied the seat. President Obama was only the 5th African-American to serve in the US Senate. Corey Booker became the 9th African-American US Senator to serve and Kamala Harris became the 10th, and the only Black women currently serving. 

Kamala Harris seems to be one of the women that President Trump is actually afraid of. He has minimized his attack on Harris thus far although we are expecting that to change rather quickly. There is no doubt that Biden could have chosen many great candidates out of this all-women selection pool. But Kamala Harris is definitely the toughest and the best woman for the job.

Should Biden’s VP be a Black Woman?

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In an unenthusiastic race for president the light and fire for the Democratic side will come from the vice-presidential pick. Former Vice President, Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee after a long primary that hasn’t officially ended.  After the last round of primary races in March, Biden announced that he would pick a woman as his running mate. To no surprise women and many liberals were ecstatic at his announcement. 

That was over a month ago. 

Now as we approach June many are wondering whom Biden will pick. Several women have already made their intentions clear about their desire to run alongside Biden. California US Senator Kamala Harris, Massachusetts US Senator Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota US Senator Amy Klobaucar have all expressed interest after failed primary bids for president. There’s also Stacy Abrams, who ran a tight and unsuccessful bid to become the Democratic Governor of Georgia in 2018. 

While a woman as a vice presidential running mate would be historic, having a Black woman would be monumental. But does Biden owe it to the Black community to pick a black woman as his running mate? South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn doesn’t think so. Considering the Biden campaign’s win in South Carolina was a major turning point during the primary, especially because of Clyburn’s endorsement, it’s reasonable to think Biden might listen to his advice. But that advice hurts Black women and their chances to become VP, and deprives the Black community of actualizing a national Black candidate outside of former President Barack Obama.

Joe Biden should pick a woman of color and that woman of color should be a Black woman.

Black voters in America have been the driving force behind the Democratic party for decades. And Black women are the most consistent voting bloc of the Democratic party. But Biden shouldn’t pick a Black vice-presidential candidate because he owes it to loyal Black voters, but because it would signal that he values the Black vote beyond election day. It would signal he values Black voices in the policy realm and more importantly it sets up his pick to run for president in the future.

Similar Read: The Demise of Kamala Harris – the Good, the Bad, and What’s Next

What Does It Mean To Have Two Old White Men Running For The Democratic Primary In 2020?

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The 2016 election was historic. Hillary Clinton became the first woman ever to secure the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. While her run for president was historic, unfortunately, she did not win against Donald Trump. 

However, after her run, unprecedented drives of women – more than ever before – began stepping up to run for office across the country and at every level. So, it was no surprise that the 2020 election for president would see a historic level of women running. Major Democratic ticket contenders included NY Senator Kristin Gillibrand, MN Senator Amy Klobuchar, CA Senator Kamala Harris, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, author Marianne Williamson, and MA Senator Elizabeth Warren. Of these six women, Gabbard remains in the race, but her campaign is not viable.  Warren was the last serious candidate to drop out, falling hard after Super Tuesday where she had a poor showing. 

So what does this mean for a primary that has seen upwards of fifteen-plus candidates enter and leave the race? 

Some Americans are saying this country is ready for a woman president; however, their actions are not matching their words. Arguably, Warren was the Democratic Party’s best chance for a woman candidate, but she did not win a single state during the four early primary contests (IA, NH, NV & SC) and she fell flat during the 14-state Super Tuesday contest. She didn’t even win her home state which is a bad indication of support. 

Even more than her loosing and ultimately dropping out, we now face a primary that is likely to showcase a contested convention with two old White men. Our moderate candidate being former Vice President Joe Biden and our liberal candidate being Bernie Sanders. 

As a self-proclaimed woman advocate, it’s extremely hard to look at a contest that seemed so promising with a diverse field of candidates running from age, gender, race and sexual orientation to dwindle right back down to what we’ve been used to in this country – old white men. 

While Gabbard remains in the race, clearly unviable, Warren dropping out sends a strong signal that what this country preaches it clearly doesn’t practice. We already have a president who has proven himself to show clear bigotry and sexism towards women. What we should be running toward are more women who can represent the more than majority voting population of this country – women. 

While I believe we will have a woman president within the next decade, I can’t help but wonder what message we are continuously sending by advancing old White men.

Democrat Minorities Deserve Better, When Will the Party Learn?

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Last year, we saw a record number of Democrats declare their candidacy to be the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. There was really no unity early on for what was going to be a long and grueling fight to become the 2020 nominee to face off against Donald J. Trump, our nations 45th President. 

A total of 28 candidates threw their hats in the ring. Yes, you read that right, 28! Of that 28, 22 were male and 6 were women. Of those 22 males, 5 identified as a minority (3 Black male candidates: Corey Booker – Senator from New Jersey, Deval Patrick – former governor of Massachusetts, and Wayne Messaum – former Mayor of Miramar, Florida; 1 Asian candidate: Andrew Yang – Entrepreneur, and 1 Hispanic candidate: Julian Castro – Congressman from Texas.). Of the 6 women, only 1 identified as a minority: Senator Kamala Harris from California. 

Today, only 1 minority top candidate remains, Andrew Yang. He is popular among millennial males and seems to care more about the next generations (millennials and xennials) more than any of his peers still in the race. There are 11 top candidates left, of whom 7 are White males with 3 are White females. Does anyone see a problem here? When you have a country that has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world of a single group of people (Hispanic men and women) growing at a rate of 60 million people in 2018 (Pew Research Center, 2019), you really must wonder if the Democratic candidates see what everyone else sees. Are they representative of the people?

Just a few weeks ago, Julian Castro, the only Hispanic candidate in the race dropped out and immediately put his support behind Elizabeth Warren. A noble effort maybe to position himself as her running mate should she be nominated or some other notable position in her cabinet should she win, time will tell why he decided to go this route.

Here we go again with another group of people vying for the highest office in the land that doesn’t look like the majority they represent. The mere fact that they still use the state of Iowa as the first voting poll to see what the rest of the country is going to do is outdated as well. At some point, the Democratic party needs to wake up and see that the methods that they’ve always used just aren’t cutting it anymore. With an impeachment going on, a man in office that could really care less about the pageantry that is the Presidency of the United States of America, and his supporters that hang on his every move (including Republican congressmen), you have to wonder what if anything the Democrats can do to regain control and push this country back in the direction of fair and balanced.

It is not too late to do any of that, but the old bait and switch routine of saying they care about minorities and then not supporting minority representation in the party is not only wrong but has to stop. The people who are tired of the wool being pulled over their eyes need to make up their mind and hold the candidates accountable.

The late Fannie Lou Hamer said it best, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” 

Similar Read: The Demise of Kamala Harris, the Good, the Bad, and What’s Next

Kamala Harris Could’ve Been President, but Black People Wouldn’t Let it Happen

by with One Comment FeaturedPolitics

On January 20, 2019, Senator Kamala Harris entered the race for president. She had a huge campaign rally in Oakland with 20k+ attendees, which was much larger than a lot of the major candidates. She had a great start. On December 4th, she suspended her campaign due to lack of funds to continue. 

Kamala Harris was seen as the next Obama. She was the first elected official to campaign for him in Iowa in 2007. Hillary Clinton’s donors groomed her right after her historic Senate race win in 2016. She was a District Attorney, Attorney General, and a Senator in California. She had the makings of a great presidential candidate. So what happened you ask?

4 days before she entered the race, the NYT wrote a hit piece on her titled, “Kamala Harris Was Not a Progressive Prosecutor” – that was the beginning of the end. From there, she never received adequate press coverage with the exception of any negativity that was going on in her campaign. Even her much-lauded debate performance in November received little coverage. AM Joy did a panel on why Kamala wasn’t receiving the media coverage she deserved. (you know there is a problem when the media says you aren’t receiving enough coverage). Her poll numbers were low due to several factors such as name recognition, no media coverage, and her reputation as a “cop who locked Black people up.”

What I have found is that most people wrote her off from the beginning due to the fact that she was a DA. Without giving her a fair chance or actually reviewing her record, she was doomed from the jump. Amy Klobuchar was a DA too with a far more troubling record. Joe Biden wrote the crime bill and Bernie voted for it. Did they receive any negative coverage for it? NO.

Many will say her campaign was flawed. But I am here today to tell you that EVERY CAMPAIGN IS FLAWED. I believe with Trump in office and the media pushing this white savior complex since 2016, no woman or person of color will be able to win this race. 

Black people have overwhelmingly supported Joe Biden due to the fact that he markets himself as the only one who can beat Trump and he was Obama’s VP. In 2016, the fear of Trump did not win us an election and it will be the same in 2020. The treatment of Kamala Harris by Black people has by far been the worst I’ve ever seen of any candidate. Even after she dropped out, Black social media continued to drag her. They said she wasn’t the one, but maybe she would be a great AG or VP. If you criticized her record as AG of California… why would you want her to be AG for the entire country? If she isn’t good enough to be President… why is she good enough to be VP? I believe Black people have always made it harder for other Black people to succeed. 

The day after she dropped out, campaign vultures began to swarm around Kamala’s supporters and donors. Elizabeth Warren even created an ad with a picture of her and Kamala stating that Kamala was forced out of the race due to low funding and billionaires got to stay in the race and if she was president she would fix that problem. That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen in my life. She used the demise of a Black woman to boost her own candidacy and gain her followers. That’s how America treats Black women… uses them up and throws them away.

I was deeply invested in the Kamala Harris campaign for many reasons. The main reason was because I believed in her ability to win and get things done. I believed she would have dragged Donald Trump across the debate stage and trounced him in an election. I believed in her vision for America – to uplift people instead of put them down and to speak truth. When she was on the debate stage, she was the only candidate that would bring up issues that directly related to Black people. That will now be gone forever as there are no Black candidates able to qualify for the debates. Her impact was felt as you have seen in the days following her announcement to drop out.

She has received more media coverage in the days following her exit from the race then she ever has. It’s a sad state of affairs. 

Similar Read: The Demise of Kamala Harris – the Good, the Bad, and What’s Next