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Mexico Celebrates Election of First Woman President

THE AFRO — This is indeed a proud and momentous moment for gender equality and female empowerment not only for the region but the entire world. Mexico is known for its strong patriarchal structures. Sheinbaum’s election to the presidency speaks volumes regarding the advancement women have made in Mexico since Universal Adult Suffrage.
The post Mexico Celebrates Election of First Woman President first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 months ago

June 8, 2024

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By Wayne Campbell and Francine Mclean | The AFRO

“For the first time in 200 years of the republic, I will become the first female president of Mexico. I do not arrive alone. We all arrived, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our ancestors, our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters.”
– Claudia Sheinbaum

Women have played a fundamental role in Mexico’s independence, reform and revolution.

Unfortunately, they did not have a right to political participation. Finally, women in Mexico got this fundamental right to vote on October 17, 1953. Their struggle began during the Mexican Revolution, with the starting point being the First Feminist Congress of the Yucatan in 1916. At that historic meeting, the women gathered there demanded equality, education and citizenship in order to build together with the men in a responsible manner.

Historically, Yucatan was the first state to recognize women’s right to vote in 1923. Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico’s first woman president in an historic landslide win. Mexico’s official electoral authority said preliminary results showed the 61-year-old former head of government of Mexico City winning between 58 percent and 60 percent of the vote in the June 2 election. It was a landmark vote that saw not one, but two women vying to lead one of the hemisphere’s biggest nations.

Sheinbaum’s election will see a Jewish leader at the helm of one of the world’s largest predominantly Catholic countries. Mexico has a population of over 129 million people. In a country with one of the highest rates of murder against women in the world, Sheinbaum’s victory underscores the advances women have made in the political sphere.

Both of her parents were scientists. Sheinbaum studied physics before going on to receive a doctorate in energy engineering. Sheinbaum is accustomed to breaking the proverbial glass ceiling. In 2018 she became the first female head of government of Mexico City, a post she held until 2023, when she stepped down to run for president.

Nearly 100 million people were registered to vote in the election, but turnout appeared to be slightly lower than in past elections. Voters were also electing governors in nine of the country’s 32 states, and choosing candidates for both houses of Congress, thousands of head of government positions and other local posts, in the biggest elections the nation has seen.

Jewish ancestry

Sheinbaum, whose Jewish maternal grandparents immigrated to Mexico from Bulgaria fleeing the Nazis, had an illustrious career as a scientist before delving into politics. Her paternal grandparents hailed from Lithuania. An estimated 50,000 Jewish people live in Mexico. The majority are settled in Mexico City and its surroundings, with small communities in the cities of Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Cancún, San Miguel de Allende and Los Cabos.

The first Jews arrived in Mexico in 1519 along with the Spanish colonization. The community began to grow substantially by the early 20th century, as thousands of Jews fled from the Ottoman Empire to escape instability and antisemitism.

International conflict

Sheinbaum’s win also comes at a significant time as the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has displaced more than one million Palestinians and left more than 35,000 people dead, according to officials in Gaza. Since the beginning of the war last year, Sheinbaum has condemned attacks on civilians. She even called for a cease-fire and said she supports a two-state solution.

Without a doubt Sheinbaum is Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s political protégé. She started her political career as his environmental minister after he was elected head of government of Mexico City in 2000. She has been unwaveringly loyal ever since, even supporting his pro-oil energy agenda despite her environmental background.

It is often said that while Sheinbaum lacks López Obrador’s charisma and popular appeal, she has a reputation for being analytical, disciplined and exacting. Most importantly, she has promised to support López Obrador’s policies and popular social programs, including a universal pension benefit for seniors as well as providing cash payments to low-income residents. Under Mexico’s constitution, presidents can only serve one six-year term.

This is indeed a proud and momentous moment for gender equality and female empowerment not only for the region but the entire world. Mexico is known for its strong patriarchal structures. Sheinbaum’s election to the presidency speaks volumes regarding the advancement women have made in Mexico since Universal Adult Suffrage.

The election of Sheinbaum will undoubtedly provide hope to thousands of Mexican girls in particular and girls in general that their biological sex is not an indicator of what they can achieve.

The post Mexico Celebrates Election of First Woman President first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

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Democrats Call for Fierce Defense of Democracy and Working-Class Values

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In an electrifying moment at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that likely set the tone for the party’s campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the opening night, seizing the stage to the triumphant anthem of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.” The crowd erupted with fire in her voice as Harris declared, “I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.” The first night of the DNC was more than a celebration; it was a battle cry. Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats. The message was clear: Biden’s work is not done, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are ready to continue that fight.

Speakers who are most familiar with Biden, such as Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and Ashley Biden, shared stories that painted a picture of a president who is unwaveringly dedicated to the American people. “In public and in private, President Biden never backed down from his vision for an America where everyone has a fair shot,” Warnock emphasized. Dr. Biden and Ashley Biden gave heartfelt tributes to the man who led the nation and his family with steadfast devotion. The emotional high point of the evening came when Biden, introduced by his daughter Ashley, took the stage to a thunderous ovation as “Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher” filled the arena. The crowd’s response was deafening, with chants of “We love Joe” and “Thank You, Joe” reverberating throughout the hall, a powerful testament to Biden’s connection with the American people.

In a speech that was as much a rallying cry as it was a reflection on his presidency, Biden delivered a stark reminder of what’s at stake. “Let me ask you… Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and America? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden’s words resonated as he recalled the perilous moment of his inauguration, just weeks after supporters of the twice-impeached former president stormed the U.S. Capitol. “You cannot say I love my country only when you win,” Biden asserted. “The winter of peril and possibility has passed, and with a grateful heart, I stand before you to report that democracy has prevailed. But now, democracy must be preserved.” Biden highlighted the progress made under his administration, pointing to economic recovery, healthcare expansion, and the battle against corporate greed. He singled out Harris’s critical role in these achievements. “We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world… More Americans have health insurance than at any time in American history. And we finally beat big pharma. Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris. Now it’s the law of the land—$35 a month for insulin.”

The evening was charged with passionate speeches that struck the heart of the nation’s issues. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump, contrasting Harris’s steadfast dedication to American values with Trump’s chaotic legacy. “Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” Clinton declared to thunderous applause. “She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies foreign and domestic. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made history as the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery endorsement of Harris, framing her as the champion of the middle-class needs. “In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class,” Ocasio-Cortez proclaimed. “She understands the urgency of rent checks, groceries, and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home.”

Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back in her critique of Trump, accusing him of being a self-serving demagogue. “Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said. “I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” The night was filled with moments that galvanized the crowd. Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, invoking the words of Steph Curry, declared, “After the results are tallied that night, we can tell Donald Trump, ‘Night, night.’“UAW President Shawn Fain tore off his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB,” igniting the crowd into a fervent chant of “Trump’s a scab! Trump’s a scab!”

In one of the night’s most pointed moments, Rep. Jasmine Crockett drew a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: “She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal. Who would you hire? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resume, and Donald Trump has a rap sheet with 34 felonies, 2 impeachments, and 1 porn star to prove it.” The NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Melanie Campbell, the President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, led a standing ovation for civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson during the celebration.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also delivered a powerful message that resonated deeply with the audience. “I know that my daughter will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values… Kamala Harris—she’s got us.” Harris’s words from earlier in the night echoed as the event ended: “We are at a pivotal moment. The choices we make now will determine the future of our nation. Together, we will fight for the soul of America and build a future where everyone has a fair shot. Our best days are still ahead, and we are ready to lead.”