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Harris stood up for workers like me on the picket line. Trump has advocated the execution of innocent black men. I’m standing with Harris.

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Kamala Harris, theGrio.com

When William Lucy and Martin Luther King Jr. led 1000’s of Black Memphis sanitation workers on strike in 1968, Lucy’s powerful statement defined the movement: “I am a MAN.” The movement demanded respect, higher pay, safer working conditions, and the same opportunities for a greater life as white men.

The same fight continues today. I’m a father of 4 beautiful children, a former airport worker, a union member, and a disabled veteran (Army National Guard and Air Force). My journey has not been easy. In the past I used to be homeless and unemployed. I do know the pain of not having the ability to support yourself and your loved ones. No matter your background, where you’re employed or where you reside, Black men have the same priorities. We want well-paid jobs that allow us to support our families, enjoy free time, and be respected in the workplace and community. It’s that straightforward.

That’s why on this election I’m voting for leadership that can champion the issues facing working Black men like me and the opportunities we’d like to construct our strength to fight for the future we would like to create. It’s not about leaflets, it’s about opportunities. That’s why I’m a supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris.

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For me and other black men who’re members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), we’ve checked out the facts and the alternative is evident. We all support Vice President Harris, Governor Walz, and other pro-union candidates. We’re knocking on doors, calling, and having real conversations with voters about why working people – and particularly black men – should stand with Vice President Harris.

Vice President Harris Economics of opportunity the political agenda is strictly what working families need. This includes increasing the availability of reasonably priced housing, protecting workers’ rights, reducing the cost of on a regular basis items, improving our care system and protecting our surroundings. All these activities are vital to me. But then she went a step further. She delivered on what many Black men have been demanding: a plan for us in the Opportunity Economy that specifically addresses our issues and the fight against inequality. Her plans to equip more Black men with the tools to realize financial freedom, access more educational opportunities and address health disparities are game-changing.

There are many things I like about Vice President Harris’ plan. This just isn’t the weak “concept plan” that former President Trump talked about, nevertheless it is something real and doable. It’s clear that he respects and understands working people. Moreover, it has already laid the groundwork and began working to deliver on guarantees resembling improving access to well-paid jobs.

If unsure, I encourage you to read the facts and achievements of these candidates.

Actually, here’s one for you.

Only one candidate stood with working people on the picket line after they went on strike. That’s Vice President Harris when she was a senator in 2019. I understand how vital it’s to have that sort of support on the picket line. When I used to be a member of the UAW working at the Jeep plant and my union went on strike, President Biden supported us and we won. Vice President Harris supports workers like me. She met with workers from various industries, from Starbucks to nursing homes, and for a day played the role of care workers and security officers. She fought for pay equity, raising the federal minimum wage, and protecting workers’ rights to arrange. Creating more good union jobs and increasing access to good jobs is a serious part of her economic plan.

Then there’s former President Trump — the man who took out a full-page ad in newspapers calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty for The Central Park Fivecurrently the Exonerated Five. From gold sneakers to “rappers” at the RNC, Trump mocks working people, especially black men. He talked about firing striking workers who demanded extra time pay. He gave out massive handouts to corporations, millionaires and billionaires, but raised taxes on the rest of us. And if that wasn’t bad enough, 2.7 million people lost their jobs during his presidency. The unemployment rate rose to six.4%, ending his term with the worst employment record since the Great Depression.

If re-elected, he’ll make matters worse by implementing Project 2025, a far-right political plan to dismantle the U.S. government, reverse human and civil rights, and destroy democracy. These policies would double the evil of systemic racism; mainly aimed toward black men. This plan includes proposals to strip workers of union rights, fair wages and extra time pay, end DEI initiatives, and weaponize the Department of Justice.

For Black men, Vice President Harris offers opportunities and paths to a greater future. Trump offers Project 2025 that can set Black men back lots of of years.

It’s your alternative. Be smart.

I support Vice President Harris, but I won’t simply vote for her. I’m casting my vote for myself and a greater future for all Black men, my family and all working people.

We demand that political leaders get our votes and keep their guarantees. We don’t need or desire a messiah or handouts; we would like accountability and good leadership that really cares about, respects and works for people. Based on the facts and track record, I’m confident that Vice President Harris will do exactly that.


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

Why is Trump delaying signing the ethics agreement?

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Trump, election, Vanity Fair, cover


The campaign’s legal department reports that President-elect Donald Trump is stalling the presidential transition process by refusing to sign an ethics pledge that is legally required of each sitting president

Under the Presidential Transition Act, Trump and his transition team must sign a document ensuring he avoids any conflicts of interest once he takes office. Only after the document is signed and sent to the General Services Administration (GSA) can the incoming administration gain access to federal agencies.

The transition, which President Joe Biden has promised will likely be “orderly and peaceful,” sets the tone for the Trump-Vance administration’s approach to transparency, accountability and earning the trust of Americans, all of that are seen as essential to making sure the administration fulfills its responsibilities to the U.S. people mean .

The reasons for withholding Trump’s documents are unknown, but some speculate it has to do along with his latest financial disclosure reports and for one reason particularly. Many of his holdings might be considered conflict of interest red flags, equivalent to his latest cryptocurrency business, a majority stake in his social media platform Truth Social, real estate, books and licensing deals.

It’s not only the GSA that the president-elect is avoiding. According to , Trump also refused to make use of the State Department’s secure phone lines and interpreters and kept away from using the FBI’s security clearance system. That’s why House Democrats issued latest laws on November 19 requiring Executive Office employees to have FBI security clearances. If not, Congress will likely be warned.

Democratic lawmakers and powerful Trump opponents like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are baffled by his transition team’s refusal to sign an ethics agreement.

“Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law. I would know because I wrote the law myself,” Warren wrote in X on November 11. “Future presidents are obliged to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement. This is what illegal corruption looks like.”

Skepticism towards the bill, presented by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Ted Lieu (D-CA)persists. The upcoming GOP-controlled Congress is seemingly leaning toward Trump. Once back in office, Trump will give you the chance to issue security clearances to anyone he wants, no matter the FBI’s objections or whether the person faces legal charges. This latest situation involves two of Trump’s Cabinet picks – Matt Gaetz as attorney general and Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, each of whom have faced allegations of sexual misconduct.


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

Social media reacts to video of Susan Smith’s tearful plea for parole 30 years after she killed her two sons and blamed their disappearance on a black man

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Susan Smith pleads for mercy during parole hearing

Parole was denied Wednesday for notorious South Carolina mother Susan Smith, who drowned her two young children after initially claiming a black man had kidnapped them.

“I wish I could take it back, I really do,” Smith, now 53, said. “I didn’t lie to get away with it. … I used to be just afraid. I didn’t know the way to tell the individuals who loved them that they might never see them again.

Smith said she found peace because of her Christian faith. God is a vital part of her life testified on Wednesday, “and I know he has forgiven me.”

Susan Smith pleads for mercy at her parole hearing
Susan Smith cries openly during her emotional parole hearing. (Source: ABC News live video screenshot)

It was her first appearance before the state parole board, which voted unanimously to keep her in prison for the remaining of her life. After serving 30 years, Smith is eligible for parole every two years.

“I know what I did was terrible,” she said in her testimony given via Zoom. “And I would give anything if I could go back and change it.”

“I love Michael and Alex with all my heart,” she said openly, crying and wiping away tears.

The disappearance of 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex made national headlines after their mother told the chilling story of how a black man stopped her automotive and took her children. She appeared incessantly on television, playing every bit the role of a distraught mother, and the search for her boys lasted nine grueling days.

It was then that Susan Smith, questioned by police who began to doubt her story, truthfully confessed what really happened on October 25, 1994.

Smith, then 23, strapped her sons into their automotive seats and drove the automotive into a lake near her home in Union, South Carolina.

Smith’s pleas fell on the ears of not only the parole board but in addition many on social media. As videos of her interrogation began circulating online, a whole bunch of comments condemned the mother for not seeming sufficiently remorseful about her actions.

“☠️MONSTERS should be kept in CAGES☠️”, one person wrote on Xformerly Twitter.

Another added: “I remember it when it happened. She claimed that her children were kidnapped by black people. And people believed her, unfortunately. She should be sentenced to death. He must remain behind bars until the very end.”

“I’m sure her children, strapped in their automotive seats, screamed and cried as they drowned in their own mother’s hands for her lustful pleasures. Shameful,” – wrote one other commentator.

Sixteenth Judicial District Solicitor Kevin Brackett recalled pulling Susan Smith’s automotive out of the water with her children inside. She added that these crimes shocked not only the family but your complete country.

“On behalf of the community I now represent, I do not believe she should ever be released from prison until the last living person who remembers Michael and Alex dies, and that will not happen in her lifetime. She should never have been released,” Brackett said Wednesday.

Defense lawyer Susan Smith argued that she planned to die with her sons, but jumped out of the automotive on the last minute.

Lead prosecutor Tommy Pope noted that Smith was not wet or injured when she ran for help after the automotive disappeared beneath the lake.

“Susan’s focus was always on Susan,” said Pope, who presented evidence during Smith’s murder trial that she was distraught over her breakup with one other man. Prosecutors say the connection ended because Smith had children.

“Susan made a terrible, terrible decision, choosing a man over her family,” Pope said. “If she could have put David in the car, he would have been there too.”

David Smith, Michael and Alexander’s father, who was captured entering the constructing, told the board that his ex-wife had never shown any remorse for their murder.

“It wasn’t a tragic mistake. (…) She deliberately wanted to end their lives,” he said.

David Smith testified that his grief over the loss of his sons “came close to taking my own life.”

His current wife, Tiffany Smith, says there are still days when her husband cannot get out of bed because of the pain.

“Michael and Alex didn’t get a chance at life,” she said. “They were given the death penalty.”

He said his ex-wife served just 15 years for each child. “It’s just not enough.”

Susan Smith’s attorney, Tommy Thomas, told the parole board his client’s case shows “the dangers of untreated mental health.” He said Susan Smith was not diagnosed with depression after the birth of her second child.

Her stepfather testified that he had sexually abused her for years.

Susan Smith was not a model prisoner. She was convicted multiple times, once for sex with a prison officer and one other time for drug possession. She was also threatened with punishment for providing documents with her ex-husband’s contact details.

Her lawyer said that if she was released on parole, she would live with her brother.

David Smith said if his wife applied for parole again, he could be there for the sake of his sons.

(*30*) he told the board.


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

The Congressional Black Caucus is ready to take on Trump and Republicans, says presumptive Republican chairwoman Yvette Clarke

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Yvette Clarke, Yvette Clark CBC, Rep. Yvette Clark, Yvette Clark Congressional Black Caucus, What is the CBC, What is the Congressional Black Caucus, control of Congress, Congress, theGrio.com

U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.) is set to turn out to be the subsequent chair of the Congressional Black Caucus throughout the next session of Congress, marking a pivotal moment for the longtime New York congresswoman and the 53-year-old caucus.

When the subsequent session of Congress is sworn in on January 3, Clarke – who is unopposed as the present first vice chairman – might be ready to lead the CBC at its peak. This comes as Democrats come face to face with a Republican troika in full control of Congress and a White House stuffed with President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.

While Congresswoman Clarke admits she and her colleagues within the Congressional Black Caucus are “extremely disappointed” in Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat, she believes the caucus can effectively stand between Republicans and policies that would harm Black communities.

The congresswoman noted some vivid spots within the 2024 CBC elections, similar to expanding the caucus and winning more “non-traditional” seats, like Rep.-elect Janelle Bynum’s flipping of Oregon’s fifth Congressional District. The congresswoman also highlighted the historic victories of Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware – each Black women – bringing the overall variety of CBC members within the U.S. Senate to 4, probably the most within the club’s history.

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 12: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) (C) meets with newly elected Democratic senators, (L-R) Senator-elect Andy Kim (D-NJ), Senator-elect Ruben Gallego ( D-NJ) AZ), Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA), Senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) on the U.S. Capitol Building on November 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“We will have members on every committee of jurisdiction, which puts us in a good place in terms of … advancing legislation that will advance the benefits of Black communities across the country,” Clarke said.

She added: “…in addition, we are positioned to combat disinformation and disinformation regarding any suggestions made by colleagues that are not in the best interests of the Black community.”

Clarke said the CBC have to be “vigilant” now greater than ever because it serves as “the vanguard of the Black community across the country.” Even though Republicans can have full control of federal power in Washington, Congresswoman Clarke said caucus members will proceed to focus next 12 months on reintroducing key laws to improve voting rights protections, combat police brutality, and delineate path forward for renovation.

“We will continue to be the conscience of Congress and advance legislation that will greatly benefit Black communities,” the hopeful CBC president promised.

Miss Universe 2024 sparks a debate about diversity in beauty standards and more

Democrats are already preparing for a controversial 4 years of the second Trump administration. The president-elect has nominated several controversial nominees to his Cabinet, including former congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general, Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and, most recently, wrestling entertainment mogul Linda McMahon as education secretary.

Clarke said she’s not surprised by what many see as Trump’s several unqualified picks or the shortage of diversity within the proposed administration up to now. The congresswoman argued that the selections prove that Trump intends to implement the controversial Project 2025, which he claimed he had no idea about throughout the campaign.

“It is abundantly clear to me and members of the Congressional Black Caucus that planning around Project 2025 puts Black communities in the crosshairs of mistreatment and retaliation,” Clarke said.

The congresswoman expressed particular concern about Trump’s plan for the “largest” mass deportation within the country’s history, which she described as “unknown territory.”

Trump Deportations, theGrio.com
SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 13: Supporters of US President Donald Trump rally in support of the president during his visit to see controversial border wall prototypes on March 13, 2018 in San Diego, California. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)

While the problem of immigration and conversations about deportation largely focus on Mexican and Latin American immigrants, Clarke said she is equally concerned about black immigrants.

“We live in a society that has stigmatized people of African descent from the beginning,” she explained. “So when you think about the terrible disinformation campaign being waged against Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, you get the idea of ​​the kind of justification and targeting of people of African descent in this mass deportation.”

While Democrats and members of the Congressional Black Caucus will definitely use their positions to oppose what they see as harmful policies from the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress, additionally they hope there could also be pockets of bipartisanship.

Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy amid surge in holiday travel

Rep. Clarke said she would love to see the favored Child Tax Credit, which expired in 2021, restored and laws to higher improve privacy regulations within the tech space, particularly on social media. However, the congresswoman admits that she is unsure whether such cross-party cooperation might be possible at the subsequent Congress.

“The body has changed quite a bit in terms of membership, and with that comes a change in GOP chemistry and strategy,” she said. “It’s much more magnetized… so hopefully there will be places where we can connect.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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