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Lawsuit alleges Mississippi county discriminates against blacks

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Mississippi, Black voters


A federal lawsuit alleges that of the five districts used to elect officials in DeSoto County, Mississippi, all discriminate against black Mississippians. The Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the ACLU of Mississippi, and Harvard Election Law are plaintiffs within the lawsuit, and the lawsuit was filed on behalf of two voters within the county, in addition to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. The lawsuit was filed within the Northern District of Mississippi on September 12.

According to , although 32% of DeSoto County residents are black, not one of the county’s 25 elected officials are black. These positions include: county supervisors, district court judges, law enforcement officials, school board members and election commissioners.

According to Legal Defense Foundation Press ReleaseLDF leaders consider the division of constituencies into wards is racially discriminatory.

As stated in a press release by Amir Badat, LDF special counsel for voting, “Black voters in DeSoto County deserve full and fair participation in the democratic process to ensure their interests are represented and their communities are considered,” Badat said.

Badat continued, “The racially discriminatory DeSoto County redistricting plan deprives Black DeSoto residents of their fundamental right to elect representatives who invest in their unique needs. This dangerously impacts the quality of life of Black DeSoto residents… We will work to protect the rights of Black DeSoto residents to participate equitably in this democracy and to elect governing bodies that best represent the interests of their community.”

Daniel Hessel, an attorney and clinical lecturer on the Harvard Election Law Clinic, agreed with Badat’s assessment, saying in a press release that “DeSoto County’s election district map fractures the county’s black community by depriving black voters of a voice in government. Black voters in DeSoto County are entitled to fair maps to ensure their needs and interests are reflected in the five offices elected on these district lines.”

The fastest-growing county in Mississippi deserves fair representation, in keeping with Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “DeSoto County is the fastest-growing county in Mississippi. Individuals and families who move to our state deserve fair and equitable representation in their local government,” Dortch said.

Dortch continued, “Unfortunately, the current Supervisor district boundaries are drawn to favor white voters and disadvantage voters of color. The community will only thrive when all voices are heard and some voices do not count more than others.”

This introduction to the lawsuit immediately mentions the indisputable fact that despite DeSoto County’s significant black population, no black person has been elected in greater than twenty years. He also says that previous county plans have divided the black community, weakening the political power of black residents in DeSoto County.

“Despite DeSoto County’s large black population, no black person has been elected to county office in at least two decades, and candidates elected by the black community have rarely been elected.”

The lawsuit suggests it is feasible and helpful to redraw the maps in order that black and white residents of the county can share power.

“A district map could be drawn that follows traditional districting rules and includes a reasonably configured district in which black residents make up a majority of the population. Such a map would give black voters the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate as one of five officials in each of the five county offices currently covered by Plan 2022.”

According to Charles Taylor, executive director of the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP, “solving the injustice in DeSoto County starts with fair election mapping and access to the ballot box,” Taylor said.

He concluded: “Participation and representation are fundamental rights guaranteed by democracy, yet the county’s black citizens have long been deprived of these rights by office holders.”


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Politics and Current

MAGA crowd criticizes Kamala Harris for taking a vacation to Hawaii as Karine Jean-Pierre shuts down a reporter who questions the vice president’s ‘downtime’

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Twelve years after his complete defeat by Republican Richard Nixon in the 1972 election, former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern was asked how long it took him to get better.

“I’ll let you know when I get there” – South Dakota Democrat he joked.

So it stands to reason that Kamala Harris, who entered Election Day with an excellent probability and finished far behind Donald Trump in vote totals, could use a vacation.

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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the 88th National Convention of the American Federation of Teachers on July 25, 2024, in Houston, Texas. The American Federation of Teachers is the first union to endorse Harris for president since her campaign was announced. (Photo: Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

“Part of the problem is that you’re running for 18 months straight,” said former Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis, who lost decisively to George H. W. Bush in 1988. “Your time clock is screwed up. “Walter Mondale told me that after he lost to (Ronald) Reagan (in 1984), he woke up at 2 a.m. for months.”

Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, arrived on Hawaii’s Big Island on Tuesday and plan to stay there until next week. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed temporary flight restrictions for “VIP Traffic” from 7:15 p.m. Tuesday until noon Monday.

A Harris aide told NBC News that the trip had already been delayed because the vice president wanted to be certain it would not be needed to break a tie in the U.S. Senate to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees.

Critics say the trip to Hawaii, a Thanksgiving tradition for Harris and her family, was ill-timed as “Europe prepares for World War III,” as Daily Mail headline on the vice president’s suggested vacation story.

Others say it isn’t a good idea for the vice president to flee to Hawaii while Democrats try to determine how to take care of the debt related to the $1 billion spent on the Harris/Walz ticket. The Democratic National Committee has already been forced to fire employees without severance pay.

Asked Thursday during his every day briefing whether President Biden was considering “optically” about Harris leaving Washington “when so many DNC staffers are literally wondering what they’re going to do,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre he argued downtime is deserved.

“The vice president took time off to spend time with her family,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. (…) She’s worked very hard over the last four years, and the fact that she’s spending a few days with her family is good for her.”

But critics say Harris has had loads of time to recover from the defeat.

After securing the Democratic nomination, the vice president took several days off from the campaign, a contrast to Trump’s breakneck pace.

“No, I can not accept it. Who the hell is leaving? Trump said in October. “You have 14 days left and she is going to take a few more days off too. Do you recognize why? She’s lazy as hell and has that popularity.

While most individuals on social media supported Harris’ decision to take a break, MAGA showed no sympathy.

“She’s going to lose her job in about two months,” said one commentator on Program X. “She could definitely wait, especially since she took some time without work for the campaign after which a whole week to get better from it. I’m glad we didn’t find yourself with that lazy woman.

Others haven’t any problem with the vacation, but agree it was poorly timed.

“I do not think ‘a few days off’ is a problem, KJP. “This is the right time” said the commentator to X. “Its boss has just approved the escalation of the war in Ukraine, for example, and it looks like there is no such thing as a one in charge in the face of Putin’s threats. So possibly it’s good for her, but not for national security.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Here’s what Byron Donalds said about Trump not appointing any Black Republicans to his team

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Donald Trump, Byron Donalds, Trump administration, second Trump administration, Black members of Trump administration, Byron Donalds Trump administration, theGrio.com

Despite campaigning heavily for Donald Trump throughout the 2024 election cycle, to the curiosity of many, Republican Byron Donalds of Florida has not yet been appointed to the president-elect’s future administration. In fact, no Black Republican has been elected among the many greater than two dozen appointments and nominations Trump has revamped the past week.

During an appearance on CNN with Laura Coates, Congressman Donalds he said He was “not surprised” that he was not chosen for a position within the Trump-Vance administration and has vocally defended President-elect Trump against criticism from Democrats reminiscent of the Rev. Al Sharpton.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t do other things in the future,” added Donalds, who’s rumored to be considering a run for Florida governor in 2026 or a run for U.S. Senate if Trump is nominated for U.S. secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio has been confirmed.

Donalds rejected criticism that Trump has not appointed any Black people to his Cabinet or administration, suggesting that Democrats are simply upset about losing the 2024 election. He argued: “They are still licking their wounds over the fact that it didn’t work out the way they thought it would.”

The 46-year-old Florida lawmaker said the subsequent Trump administration is not about race or ethnicity, but reasonably about “the people who will carry out his agenda.” In contrast, he argued, the Biden-Harris administration had “an element of every identity” but “failed to do its job.”

“Whether you’re Black or Latinx, if the border is unsafe… does it help everyday people’s lives? “No, no,” Donalds said. He continued: “The election of Donald Trump is about restoring competence and reality to Washington in the White House, making sure that the work gets done on behalf of the American people, regardless of their race, regardless of their religion or regardless of their creed.” creed.”

Byron Donalds, theGrio.com
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 30: Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) shakes hands with former U.S. President Donald Trump throughout the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors National Summit on the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on June 30, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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“This assurance that black people will not be in the highest echelons of power in this country is… representative of that,” he argued. “It actually shows what the program is about and who it is aimed at.” But no matter whether Trump chooses a Black Republican leader for his administration, Brown stressed, “That doesn’t mean it’s safe for our community as well.”

He explained, “They would still have to agree to serve in a government that is dismantling the Department of Education, that is, dismantling DEI programs that are actually opening up opportunities for Black people to access economic and career opportunities, access to education, etc.”

Brown continued: “There are two sides of the coin where yes, there is no diversity of representation and that is by design.” He added: “But people who look like us being considered for these roles wouldn’t help us. They would help Donald Trump.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Matt Gaetz withdraws from Trump’s nomination for attorney general

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Former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz is withdrawing from President-elect Donald Trump’s presidency nomination for attorney general after backlash.

In an announcement released Nov. 21 via X, Gaetz withdrew from the nomination, saying his confirmation was a “distraction.” “I had excellent meetings with senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful opinions and the incredible support from so many people. While momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation unfairly distracted from the critical work of the Trump-Vance transition,” he wrote.

“There isn’t any time to waste on an unnecessarily prolonged fight in Washington. “I am therefore withdrawing my name from consideration for the position of Attorney General.”

Knowing that the appointed attorney general should be able to serve on the primary day of the brand new Trump-Vance administration, waiting for legal proceedings would make it harder for Gaetz to meet that commitment. A former lawmaker is under federal investigation for allegedly paying two women to have sex and watch him appear on Fox News. Both women claim that in 2019, Gaetz also paid them to accompany him to a Broadway show. During testimony before the bipartisan House Ethics Committee, the ladies alleged that Gaetz paid them to travel across state lines to have sex almost twice.

The women were between 19 and 21 years old on the time of the alleged encounters. They testified that the disgraced congressman paid them to travel to the Bahamas with other young women – including one who alleged that she had had sex. with Gaetz when she was a minor.

After Trump announced his nomination to move the Department of Justice (DOJ), attention focused on outdated allegations, prompting the discharge of an Ethics Committee investigation report.

As committee members failed to determine whether to release the report’s findings, Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) characterised Gaetz’s potential confirmation as “Kavanaugh on steroids” in reference to the 2018 racial and sexual misconduct hearings. – Judge Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “He’s a smart guy, I’m sure he realizes that,” Cornyn said, in line with .

A senior member of the Judiciary Committee warned that each one details of the FBI’s investigation and committee report – each good and bad – will eventually develop into public. “It will reach us a technique or one other. There are not any secrets here,” Cornyn said.

Before withdrawing, Gaetz met with Cornynand in addition Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) .). Vice President-elect J.D. VAnka also took part within the meetings. He encouraged lawmakers to present their former colleague a likelihood to present his vision for reforming the Justice Department and to carry off on making judgments about his fitness to serve.

At the time of Gaetz’s withdrawal, Trump had not yet issued an announcement.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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