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Biden Beware, Young Folks Don’t Care

Published

2 years ago

November 15, 2023

There is no question how I will vote in a contest between President Joe Biden and the toxic prior President. Biden wins every time. But I’m just me, I’m not the pollsters, the young’uns, the rural votes, and the disaffected. Listing Biden’s accomplishments and comparing them to those of others might be instructive if people paid attention to facts. Too many voters are motivated by feelings, and they aren’t feeling good about their own economic circumstances, the uncertainty of recession, about our international involvement, especially in Ukraine, and even about his age and his health.

Now, for a month Israel has been brutally bombing Gaza, bombing hospitals, refugee camps, schools and more. They say it is retaliation for the brutal Hamas on Israel on October 7, which no one condones, and most have repudiated in strong terms. But an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind, and in their bloodlust to retaliate against Hamas, Israel has slaughtered nearly ten thousand innocent Palestinians including thousands of children. They have denied the Gazan population the mere basics, like drinking water, electricity, fuel and health care, reducing doctors to performing surgery in the dark and without anesthesia. They have denied requests for a cease fire or even a humanitarian break, leaving as many as two million people stuck in Gaza without border openings. Whatever inhumanity Hamas perpetrated on October 7, Israel has increased it exponentially.

Saturday was a balmy pleasant day in my DC neighborhood. A friend and I were walking toward a local restaurant when we encountered a group of young people who had just come from the Palestinian March to the White House. There were six or seven of them, diverse, a couple of Black folks, a white guy, and two women wearing the keffiyeh, the checkered black and whie scarf that Yasir Arafat wore, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity. Another carried the Palestinian flag, the black, white, green stripes with a red triangle at the left. I asked them how the march went, and they were exuberant. But one woman, then another, then another said harshly, “I will never vote for Joe Biden. I voted for him before, and I won’t do it again.” What about the alternative, I asked. Would you rather have the Republican alternative? One young woman lowered her head and her voice. “I don’t care,” she said. “Biden has betrayed us.”

Congresswoman Rashida Talib (D-MI) has said much the same thing, accusing President Biden of supporting the genocide of Palestinians. The first Palestinian to serve in Congress, Talib’s principled outspokenness has attracted the ire of her colleagues. Republicans have attempted to censure her for her pro-Palestinian comments. Meanwhile, Palestinians are dying, and our nation’s rabid support of Israel seems to sideline concerns about innocent Palestinian civilians who have been victims of the extreme Israeli response to the Hamas provocation.

President Biden is walking on a tightrope, and his balancing act isn’t working well, especially for young Palestinians and other young people of color. He must, (and he has) condemn the Hamas attack. But many think he has bent too far backward to mollify Israel while minimizing Palestinian civilian losses. Given who he is, and how he is, he has, perhaps, done his best. But his best is not enough for those who cringe at Israel’s aggression, which did not start with the response to the Hamas October 7 attack. Between 2008 and September 2023, more than 6,400 Palestinians were killed by Israelis. You can push people so hard for so long before they respond.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinkin, while necessarily singing from the Biden hymnbook, offers a measured attempt to broker a peace, a cease fire, a time out. His very careful comments are a credit to the Biden-Harris administration, but they aren’t enough to quell the anger that many young people feel about the administration’s failure to call for a cease fire. How many Palestinians must die in hospitals, refugee camps, and in their homes to satisfy Netanyahu’s bloodthirsty quest for revenge?

President Biden, beware. Many young people don’t care about all the good you’ve done. It doesn’t matter when you turn your back on people who are being decimated by the bloodthirsty despot Netanyahu. In the midst of a cordial impromptu sidewalk conversation, I saw an angry determination in the eyes of the young people, who’d driven from New York to participate in the protest on November 4. “I will never vote for Biden,” one of them said, with an edge to her voice missing from our prior cordial conversation. President Biden, what will you do about that? You need these young people to win in 2024. Don’t ignore them.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. Reach her at juliannemalveaux.com.

The post Biden Beware, Young Folks Don’t Care appeared first on Forward Times.

The post Biden Beware, Young Folks Don’t Care first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

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Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

1 week ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”

Stacy M. Brown

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WATCH: Five Years After George Floyd: Full Panel Discussion | Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real | Live Podcast Event

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Published

1 week ago

May 28, 2025

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=OsNLWTz6jU0&feature=oembed

May 25, 2020. The world stopped and watched as a life was taken.

But what has happened since?

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

She shares reflections, insights, and the story of a community forever changed. What has a year truly meant, and where do we go from here?

This is more than just a date; it’s a moment in history. See what one leader in the Black press has to say about it.

Recorded live at UROC in Minneapolis, this powerful discussion features:

Panelists: