Op-Ed

OP-ED: White Privilege and Black Power

WASHINGTON INFORMER — Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is a member of Congress.

Published

6 years ago

February 22, 2019

By Julianne Malveaux

Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is a member of Congress. Let me repeat that. Ms. Omar is a member of Congress. So how dare Elliot Abrams, 45’s nominee as Venezuelan envoy, presume to interrupt the congresswoman as she made a statement and interrogated him?

He was relatively docile when white people questioned him, but was angry and ignorant in his response to the congresswoman. His behavior was disgraceful. He said he “would not respond to a personal attack,” although he was the one who pleaded guilty to withholding information from Congress and was later pardoned for his perfidy.

I must commend Congresswoman Omar on her focused and poised interrogation. I must condemn Mr. Abrams for his rude defiance to the congresswoman. Their exchange is illuminating because it encapsulates the change in tone and tenor in Congress. Old white men can hold onto their privilege, but younger women, some women of color, aren’t having it. They are doing what they need to do to provide for the people who elected them.

Congresswoman Omar’s interrogation of Elliot Abrams has a backstory. Last week she tweeted that the blind congressional support of Israel is “all about the Benjamins.” Jewish people were disturbed that her remarks seemed anti-Semitic (I don’t necessarily think so), and she apologized in the face of pressure. But now the deranged “leader” in the White House has called for her resignation (despite his own hateful, racist, anti-Semitic and other statements) and Vice President Pence said there should be “consequences” for her comments (although no one has ever experienced consequences for genital grabbing). There have been calls for Omar to lose her seat on the House Foreign Relations Committee. She prevailed, with dignity, in her questioning of the corrupt Elliot Abrams. She is to be applauded.

Again, let me say, how dare that man! How dare he disrespect a member of Congress, something he would not have done if a white man were questioning him! How dare he interrupt her, how dare he talk over her. But thank you, Elliot Abrams, for projecting the many experiences that Black women and other women of color have had in corporate boardrooms and in other places where our voices are not valued.

Abrams, you are a pardoned liar. You are a shady scandal. You ought not to be walking out among free folks, but 45 has pulled you out of the disgraceful slush pile (yes, Hillary was right when she called some folks “deplorables”) to help our country interfere in yet another free nation, Venezuela. You needed to sit at that table and behave humbly, but humble is not in your vocabulary when your white privilege collides with the Black power of a Congresswoman who has the right to interrogate you. I get it; you didn’t like it not one bit. So here’s a message you need to send back to your circle of aging troglodytes — get ready for it!

Here’s the deal and here’s the bottom line. There are 110 women in Congress. There are congressional committees co-chaired by women on both sides of the aisle. These are women who are not planning to put up with your over talking shenanigans. These are women who are out of time regarding you.

And while Democratic and Republican women aren’t always on the same page, the fact that of the 110 women in Congress, only 13 are Republican speaks to the failures in your party. With 435 members in the House of Representatives, equity means that at least 217 are women. On the Democratic side, this increasingly means women of color, who are staring down your white privilege and eviscerating it.

So that man who occupies the People’s House has the temerity to call for Omar’s resignation oblivious of his own moral depravity. She had the right response in a tweet, “You have trafficked in hate your whole life—against Jews, Muslims, Indigenous, immigrants, black people and more. I learned from people impacted by my words. When will you?” The fact is that 45 doesn’t learn. If he did, he would stop tweeting.

As Omar has noted, “anti-Semitism is real.” At the same time, it is important to note that criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitic. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is simply wrong and violates every notion of human rights. The backlash against Angela Davis, Marc Lamont Hill, Tamika Mallory and Alice Walker is also wrong. While we must address anti-Semitism, we must also address the ways that Israel has been oppressive to Palestinians and the ways that Israel advocates have, especially, attempted to shut down Black voices that embrace the human rights of ALL people, including Palestinians.

We must also address the ways that a white male criminal was allowed to behave badly and arrogantly when an elected member of Congress made a statement and asked reasonable questions. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is to be commended for her work. Elliott Abrams is to be condemned for his rude and futile clinging to his sick white privilege!

Malveaux’s latest book, “Are We Better Off?: Race, Obama and Public Policy,” is available via www.amazon.com.

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer.

Julianne Malveaux

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Activism

Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Published

4 weeks ago

June 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.

As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.

At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.

Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.

Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.

Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.

This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.

Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.

Oakland Post

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Activism

OPINION: California’s Legislature Has the Wrong Prescription for the Affordability Crisis — Gov. Newsom’s Plan Hits the Mark

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

Published

4 weeks ago

June 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.

By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook

As a pastor and East Bay resident, I see firsthand how my community struggles with the rising cost of everyday living. A fellow pastor in Oakland recently told me he cuts his pills in half to make them last longer because of the crushing costs of drugs.

Meanwhile, community members are contending with skyrocketing grocery prices and a lack of affordable healthcare options, while businesses are being forced to close their doors.

Our community is hurting. Things have to change.

The most pressing issue that demands our leaders’ attention is rising healthcare costs, and particularly the rising cost of medications. Annual prescription drug costs in California have spiked by nearly 50% since 2018, from $9.1 billion to $13.6 billion.

Some lawmakers, however, have advanced legislation that would drive up healthcare costs and set communities like mine back further.

I’m particularly concerned with Senate Bill (SB) 41, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a carbon copy of a 2024 bill that I strongly opposed and Gov. Newsom rightly vetoed. This bill would impose significant healthcare costs on patients, small businesses, and working families, while allowing big drug companies to increase their profits.

SB 41 would impose a new $10.05 pharmacy fee for every prescription filled in California. This new fee, which would apply to millions of Californians, is roughly five times higher than the current average of $2.

For example, a Bay Area family with five monthly prescriptions would be forced to shoulder about $500 more in annual health costs. If a small business covers 25 employees, each with four prescription fills per month (the national average), that would add nearly $10,000 per year in health care costs.

This bill would also restrict how health plan sponsors — like employers, unions, state plans, Medicare, and Medicaid — partner with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to negotiate against big drug companies and deliver the lowest possible costs for employees and members. By mandating a flat fee for pharmacy benefit services, this misguided legislation would undercut your health plan’s ability to drive down costs while handing more profits to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

This bill would also endanger patients by eliminating safety requirements for pharmacies that dispense complex and costly specialty medications. Additionally, it would restrict home delivery for prescriptions, a convenient and affordable service that many families rely on.

Instead of repeating the same tired plan laid out in the big pharma-backed playbook, lawmakers should embrace Newsom’s transparency-first approach and prioritize our communities.

Let’s urge our state legislators to reject policies like SB 41 that would make a difficult situation even worse for communities like ours.

About the Author

Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Council Approves Budget to Invest in Core City Services, Save Fire Stations, Invest in Economic Development

I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering the consequences of last year’s budget, where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services, including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts.

Published

1 month ago

June 14, 2025

Oakland Post

District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland.

By Janani Ramachandran, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember

On Wednesday, June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund 5 police academies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, re-instate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded.

Our budget comes in response to the widespread and consistent calls from across Oakland’s diverse communities asking us to prioritize funding solutions to the issues that have most directly impacted our residents’ safety and quality of life. Our priorities are also inspired by our belief that Oakland is on the way not only to financial recovery, but also to global recognition. Oakland can attract and preserve businesses of all sizes with safer, cleaner streets. We can and will have more large-scale festivals that celebrate our culture, concerts that uplift our incredible local musicians, conferences that attract patrons from across the world, and award-winning restaurants that top national charts. We are on our way to rebuilding a thriving economy and having a cultural renaissance will create more jobs for Oaklanders while also generating more revenue for the City through sales and business taxes.

I am grateful for the close partnership with our new Mayor Barbara Lee, and know that she shares our values of ensuring we are prioritizing keeping Oakland’s residents safe, our streets clean, and our businesses prosperous in an open and fiscally responsible manner. I am also thankful to our City Administrator, Jestin Johnson, and former Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ efforts to produce the initial proposal that our Council budget team used as a starting point for our amendments, and for their shared commitment to transparency and ethical government. I am especially grateful for every resident that took the time to make their voice heard throughout this rigorous budget process. I have no doubt that we are on the verge of true change, and that together we will bring Oakland back to being the world-class city I know it can be.