Politics

Stacey Abrams Talks Candidly on Race, Political Power in U.S.

WASHINGTON INFORMER — Stacey Abrams, 45, made history last November in her effort to become the nation’s first African-American female governor.

Published

6 years ago

February 21, 2019

Oakland Post

By D. Kevin McNeir

Stacey Abrams, 45, made history last November in her effort to become the nation’s first African-American female governor — a race that she lost by the slimmest of margins and whose results — that is the validity of the outcome — remain “questionable” to many Americans — Black and white. Her campaign initiated a new national conversation about the importance of voting rights by shining a light on voter suppression efforts in Georgia. As a result, there is a new focus on ending what Abrams calls “systematic disenfranchisement” of African-American voters and other voters of color in America.

As she indicated during a provocative conversation held on Feb. 15 at the Brookings Institution in Northwest, a public policy think tank founded in 1916, her defeat and scurrilous conditions and circumstances behind her loss, have only served as an impetus for her to become even more involved in leading the charge against voter suppression. Joined by Jelani Cobb, she discussed the increasing political power of African Americans after the 2018 elections and the tensions that may arise as the African-American electorate and candidates claim more political space.

“I was raised to understand that the process of voting is directly tied to the kinds of policies we want to see, so voter suppression is more than saying ‘you can’t vote,’” she said. “Voter suppression is physical activity and psychic events that tell you not to use it — done in three ways — the Georgia ‘trifecta.’”

“First, there’s registration and impediments like it being hard to get on rolls, making it difficult for you to use a third party, the requirement that your name has to exactly match (ID and the voter’s registration card/data base) — something that impacted 53,000 voters in Georgia who were denied their right to vote by the employ of this law, 93 percent of whom were people of color and the requirement in Georgia that immigrants had to use their alien number — a violation of federal law,” she said.

“Also, some states still have ‘use it or lose it’ laws, something that was addressed in a recent lawsuit in Ohio, that allows states to remove voters from the rolls if they haven’t voted in a certain amount of time.”

“Second, ballot access, if voters did not request an absentee ballot in Georgia. Of 300 precincts in the state, 214 were shut down, making it more difficult, if not impossible for those with transportation to get to their closest polling location.”

Third, counting the ballots. Voters could not be sure that their vote was counted as some counties in the state threw away ballots due to “discrepancies” with their signature or for simple things like voters putting the date in the wrong place. Collectively, these are the ways that voter suppression works.

Cobb: How can these anti-democratic, racist practices continue to persist?

Abrams: They were never removed. They have just been perfected. It wasn’t until the 20th century that Native Americans were allowed to vote. One way to deny certain people the right to vote, specifically millennials, people of color and immigrants, and to therefore maintain control over public policy, is voter suppression. The insidiousness of voter suppression is that the laws allowed things to proceed in the GA election — what was done was perfectly legal — but could not be considered ethical or moral. Remedies remain limited you have people to change the policies — so, it’s a vicious cycle.

“The crisis of our day is we live in a nation where those in power use the law to undermine the very lawmaking process we both desire and deserve,” she said.

Abrams’ ‘Fair Fight’ Initiative

Abrams recalls that while on Nov. 6, the race remained too close to call, she began receiving a host of cries and calls for her concede. She says she couldn’t.

“We kept getting calls and calls about those who’d had difficulty exercising their right to vote,” she said. “In places where the majority of voters were Black, many reported being forced to stand in line for up to four hours. Some could not afford to stay in line that long because they had to return to work. Students at the AU Center were denied provisional ballots because polling places ran out of paper.”

“The night of the election, I demanded that every vote be counted because I understood that my campaign was premised on being a vote for people who had not been seen or heard. It wasn’t about the outcome. Still, we filed lawsuits and made incremental progress vs. the other side that had allegedly been destroying ballots. By Nov. 16, we were able to show that voter suppression was real. We got 50,000 calls. But imagine how many did not call or didn’t know they could call.”

“My campaign wasn’t the only one to face this — I was just the one getting the most attention. I chose not to respond with anger or sorrow but rather with action. I was raised not to just identify problems but to look for ways to solve them. ‘Fair fight’ has become something I’ve chosen to address — this should not happen to anyone else.

Cobb: Are there really 500,000 unregistered Black voters in Georgia? Are they really there? They didn’t come out for Obama so I’ve been skeptical about that number. What goes into mobilizing these electorates? Is this applicable to progressives and people of color running in the South?

Abrams: I am partisan so my advice probably isn’t applicable for those who aren’t Democrats. That said, you have to start early. I had been laying the groundwork for seven years while a member of the Georgia Assembly. You have to send people out to community with cultural competence. You have to train people to do the work so that later they can be hired to work on other campaigns. and then be able to be hired by campaigns.

We were aware of and met with those representing multi-racial, multi-ethnic, religious or sexual orientations differences. We met with Black-owned newspapers and inquired how to get into their media. We held roundtables with LGBTQ communities, with African Americans and with Asians. Pundits criticized us for investing in reaching out to voters rather than spending our money with the mainstream media. But I’ve never believed in turnout models so I refused to spend time or money only with those historically proven as more likely to vote.

Abrams said, when asked about Donald Trump and his decision to declare a national emergency in order to secure funding for the building of his wall, “He hopes to gain political clout after having failed in the actual process but the judicial system will deal with that. But we cannot turn this into a 24-hour circus over why or why or how doesn’t understand how American politics work. We have to ignore him.”

As for her plans to run for U.S. Senate, she replied, “I do not know.”

“But I can say that being the first Black female candidate for governor in the U.S. was an eye-opener,” she said. “We tend to take for granted those things or people that have proven most reliable. Black women are among the highest demographic of consistent voters. And like our car, which we assume will always start, it’s been assumed that Black women will always vote and will vote in certain ways. But we need to really understand more acutely the consequences of our actions. A car needs consistent care — Black women require care as well, particularly given our long history of reliability when voting.”

“Running a campaign is hard, expensive and mean. In fact, those who were meanest to me said things like ‘I really believe you’re the best candidate.’ Then they whispered to me, ‘but you’re a Black woman,’” she said.

“We can ill-afford to hold pity parties by saying that voter suppression remains alive and well in the U.S. and that it negatively impacted the results of my run for governor. We have to talk about voter suppression every day, with every political pundit, with every reporter — every day.”

“As for the Democratic Party, they need to decide what issues are most important. They need to be authentic and tell the truth all the time. They need to be clear about what their vision is for America. As for those who say they don’t see color or decry identity of their constituency, they don’t deserve to be president.”

Abrams’ newest book, “Lead from the Outside,” is slated for release March 2019.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org

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Biden’s Legacy Secured with Record-Setting Black Judicial Appointments

His record surpasses previous efforts by his predecessors. President Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black judges, including seven Black women. In stark contrast, Donald Trump’s first term resulted in only two Black women appointed out of 234 lifetime judicial nominations. The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Published

6 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

iStockphoto.

By Stacy M. Brown
WI Senior Writer

President Joe Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary has culminated in a historic achievement: appointing 40 Black women to lifetime judgeships, the most of any president in U.S. history.

Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, cementing his presidency as one focused on promoting equity and representation on the federal bench.

The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to dismantle key civil rights protections, including the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Having the Black woman’s experience on the federal bench is extremely important because there is a different kind of voice that can come from the Black female from the bench,” Delores Jones-Brown, professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told reporters.

Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights told reporters that these district court judges are often the first and sometimes the final arbiters in cases affecting healthcare access, education equity, fair hiring practices, and voting rights.

“Those decisions are often the very final decisions because very few cases actually get heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Zwarensteyn explained.

Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court further reflects his commitment to judicial diversity. Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Patrick McNeil, spokesperson for the Leadership Conference, pointed out that over half of Biden’s Black female judicial appointees have backgrounds as civil rights attorneys and public defenders, experience advocates consider essential for a balanced judiciary.

Meanwhile, Congress remains divided over the expansion of federal judgeships. Legislation to add 66 new judgeships—approved unanimously by the Senate in August—stalled in the GOP-controlled House until after the election. House Republicans proposed distributing the new judgeships over the next decade, giving three administrations a say in appointments. President Biden, however, signaled he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued the delay was a strategic move to benefit Trump’s potential return to office. “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to expand the power of the presidency and giving him 25 new judges to appoint gives him one more tool at his disposal,” Nadler said.