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Barbara Lee and Urban League President Marc Morial Discuss Trump’s Impact on African Americans

Published

7 years ago

August 4, 2017

Left to right: Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Marc Morial and Angela Glover Blackwell spoke Wednesday evening in Oakland about the risk of President Trump´s policies to African Americans. Photo by Ken Epstein.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee hosted a community forum this week to answer the question posed by Donald Trump to African Americans during his campaign: “What do you have to lose?” The event was held Wednesday evening in the auditorium of Castlemont High School in East Oakland.

Discussing the impact of President Trump’s policies on African Americans and strategies for building the resistance were a panel of speakers hosted by Congresswoman Lee: Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, East Bay Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, BART Director Lateefah Simon and Policy-Link founder and CEO Angela Glover Blackwell.

“President Trump and his administration are actively undermining progress for the African American community, and we must resist all attempts to roll back progress. Everyone is hurt by unfair polices, and, like Dr. King said, an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” said Congresswoman Lee.

Morial, who is visiting California on an organizing tour for the Urban League, is the former mayor of New Orleans and a Louisiana State Senator.

“In this political climate, it is imperative that we unify as a community to advocate for a plan that protects and furthers the progress of African Americans,” he said.

“Since 1964, the National Urban League has issued a ‘Main Street Marshall Plan’ with the goal of taking urban America from poverty to prosperity through thoughtful policy solutions and community investments,” he said. “This plan addresses common goals in the areas of education, healthcare, housing, economic empowerment, as well as civic engagement. Without a strategic plan and a commitment to hold those who continue to overlook our communities accountable, our way of life will end as we know it.”

Pointing out that the quality of life for African Americans is 72 percent of that of white Americans in the 70 largest cities in the country, he called for people to mobilize against major risks to the well being of Black communities:

One of the largest risk areas, he said, is a “challenge to the very essence of democracy… (the creation) of a bogus voter integrity commission, (which is) an effort to create a smoke screen for more voter uppression.”

He also called attention to the “assault on the budget, which is an effort to transfer $50 billion from poor people and working people to the military.”

BART Director Simon discussed the federal attacks on criminal justice reform.

“We´re just at the beginning of making the changes we need,” she said. “We are spending millions of dollars on caging people and nothing on healing them.”

Assemblyman Thurmond, who is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, said, “We spend so little on programs – like universal preschool and after school programs – that we know are alternatives to incarceration. We have got to support our young people, and we have got to support our education system.”

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me

NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.

A Familiar Disappointment

I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.

In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.

The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough

On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?

Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.

One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.

A Call for Action Beyond Words

White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.

If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.