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COMMENTARY: From MLK’s Alma Mater and John Lewis’ District, Reminders of the Power of Direct Action

I believe that the president’s call to action was a reminder of the power of direct action. And a reminder of the power of the people — that when it comes to preserving voting rights and our democracy, we must all remain vigilant and willing to act with what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.”

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Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way.
Ben Jealous.

By Ben Jealous, President of People For the American Way

President Joe Biden could have delivered his recent voting rights message to U.S. senators from the White House just down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol. Instead, he and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta a few days before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It was the perfect place for the president’s powerful message urging senators to be on the right side of history by doing whatever it takes to get voting rights legislation passed and put on the president’s desk.

The president and vice president visited King’s church before traveling to Morehouse College, King’s alma mater. They spoke in a place represented long and nobly by the late civil rights champion and congressman John Lewis.

I was honored to be in attendance, surrounded by friends and colleagues in the voting rights movement. History was all around us. I could feel the presence of so many witnesses, including those who gave their very lives to the cause.

I had to think that Dr. King and the late Rep. John Lewis would appreciate that some of us sitting in the front row for the president’s speech had been on the front lines just a few weeks earlier. We were arrested outside the White House while urging the president to put the full power of the presidency behind a push for voting rights protections.

King and Lewis had great strategic understanding of the power of nonviolent direct action to highlight injustice, to motivate supporters, to stir the conscience of those on the sidelines — and sometimes to light a fire under allies

The invitation extended by the White House to those of us arrested outside its gates in November was a sign that the president appreciates the urgency that drove our direct action.

President Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King were partners in passing civil and voting rights laws, and each understood that movement leaders had a different role to play than the politicians.

Some voting rights advocates held a sit-in inside the White House itself just days before President Johnson made his famous “We Shall Overcome” speech calling on Congress to uphold American ideals by passing voting rights legislation.

Voting rights advocates have known all along that Biden was an ally. He has publicly criticized the wave of voting restrictions passed by Republican states after record voter turnout in 2022 led to former President Donald Trump’s defeat. We respected the importance of other items on the president’s legislative agenda, including investments in infrastructure and the American people.

But we watched with increasing alarm as Republicans in the U.S. senate used filibuster rules to repeatedly block action on federal voting rights bills that are needed to override voter suppression and brazen election subversion schemes being put in place in key states. We saw time running out to reverse these changes before the 2022 elections.

So, we took to the streets and called on the president to make the case to U.S. senators that the right to vote is far more important to our democracy than the current version of the Senate’s filibuster rules.

Biden rose to the occasion in Atlanta. “To protect our democracy, I support changing the Senate rules, whichever way they need to be changed, to prevent a minority of senators from blocking action on voting rights,” he said. “When it comes to protecting majority rule in America, the majority should rule in the United States Senate.”

“I will not yield,” Biden said. “I will not flinch. I will defend the right to vote and our democracy against all enemies, foreign, and yes, domestic.”

I believe that the president’s call to action was a reminder of the power of direct action. And a reminder of the power of the people — that when it comes to preserving voting rights and our democracy, we must all remain vigilant and willing to act with what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.”

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way. Jealous has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice and seasoned nonprofit executive.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

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OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare. 

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Rhonda M. Smith.
Rhonda M. Smith.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners

Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”

That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.

That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.

The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.

These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.

I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.

About the Author

Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.

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