Connect with us

Politics and Current

Op-Ed: Trump’s Reelection: Reckoning with the Present and Preparing for the Future – Essence

Published

on

Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Our country elected a convicted criminal perpetrator of sexual violence who tried to invalidate the elections and caused an rebellionwas disrespectful our Constitution, has proudly stripped women of their reproductive rights and expressed disinterest in maintaining our democracy with the intention to change into president. Again.

We have been here before, but this time is different because now we all know indisputably who this man is. But it wasn’t enough. I still cannot find the words to precise the depth of this broken heart. But first, I can confidently say that we – Black women – have done our job. From stepping up on a historic Zoom fundraising call, to campaigning tirelessly and, in fact, showing up at the polls and voting for Harris, we did every thing we could. We needs to be proud.

Nevertheless, the next 4 years can be difficult, to say the least. We’ve already lived through the Trump presidency once, and while we’re still struggling with it, we are able to pass though it again. As we’ve done throughout history, for generations and under terrible conditions, we’ll adapt and resolve this case. This will not be the end. We can feel despair, but we cannot accept defeat.

Here are the cards we received.

Healthcare

A Trump presidency could significantly disrupt access to health care, especially for Black Americans, by targeting core programs which have reduced racial disparities in health care. There was lots of speak about Trump repeal Or exchange The Affordable Care Act (ACA) despite its success in reducing coverage gap between black and white adults. In doing so, Trump risks reversing the gains made in health care affordability, exposing tens of millions of individuals to higher costs and lack of insurance.

Then there’s medical debt. About 41 percent Americans have this type of debt, which disproportionately affects Black Americans – based on NPR56% of black adults owe money for treatment or dentistry, in comparison with 37% of white adults. Project 2025 presents a plan to make this possible withdraw a recent law against surprise billing and stuffing cut Medicaid, which can likely have a devastating impact on low-income families and communities of color, as about half people enrolled in Medicaid are black or Latino. Black Americans already struggle with disparities in health outcomes, so cuts to Medicaid coupled with efforts to remove protections like the recent ban on surprise medical bills will likely worsen these inequities. Limited access to reasonably priced health care can result in a rise in untreated disease and financial hardship, placing additional burdens on Black communities who depend on these programs to administer and finance their care.

Reproductive rights

We live in a rustic that has the so-called highest maternal death rate in high-income countries around the world, with the highest amongst black women highest the maternal mortality rate of all women in the US – which makes black American women more more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than some other group of ladies in the high-income country. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, thanks largely to Trump, the variety of cases wherein women can, will, and die while pregnant has increased. For women in states that don’t protect a girl’s right to decide on, limit or prohibit abortion, the maternal rate is higher. Black women like Amber Thurman28-yr-old medical student and mother of 1 child, and Candi Millermarried mother of three children, each deceased will be prevented the deaths in Georgia in the wake of Roe’s overturn are only two of the victims of this attack on our rights and bodily autonomy.

It’s possible that as Trump returns to office, he’ll proceed to embolden more states to adopt stringent measures, and his administration may even try and pass a federal abortion ban or severely limit funding for reproductive health care providers. These restrictions will disproportionately affect women of color, especially Black women, which may lead to even higher maternal mortality rates.

Education

A Trump presidency could have a profound impact on education in the United States, especially for Black communities that rely heavily on federal programs to access and afford higher education. Project 2025 proposes elimination Department of Education and end federal education fundingpublic service student loan forgiveness and an income-driven loan repayment program. This will disproportionately impact black Americans – especially black women — because we depend on student loans and are afflicted with student loan debt at levels higher rate than white people.

For many Black students, these changes will severely limit financial support, making it even harder to realize educational and economic progress. Moreover, without federal oversight, public education may change into much more inequitable, and Black and low-income communities are more likely to face more significant financial losses. Removing these resources could worsen existing disparities by undermining educational access, affordability, and mobility for Black Americans.

Economic Justice

While Kamala Harris has expressed plans to support and profit the middle class and on a regular basis Americans, Trump’s economic platform will likely proceed his work to lower taxes for the wealthy. He too expressed as possibly eliminating federal income and payroll taxes, each of which fund Social Security and Medicare. Moreover, Trump has announced that he’ll accomplish that increase trade tariffs and prioritize deregulation that may impact so many areas of our lives, from our water to our food — and each can be felt around the world.

His support for rolling back regulations on industries like health care, education and the environment may lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for families while undermining protections that protect the public good. His potential cuts to social safety nets, including Medicaid and food assistance, would also burden low- and moderate-income households that depend on these programs during times of economic hardship. Ultimately, these policies may deepen economic divisions, making it harder for middle-class families to realize financial stability and upward mobility.

Criminal justice reform

A Trump presidency could seriously undermine social justice and civil rights, especially for Black and brown communities. Trump intends to realize this by supporting Project 2025 increase financing for the police and grant immunity officers accused of inappropriate conduct. He also advocated aggressive and racist tactics like “stop and frisk” which have a documented history of racial bias and harming people of color.

These measures will embolden police departments to act with even less accountability, strengthening systems that disproportionately goal Black communities. His presidency will foster an environment that normalizes injustice against communities of color.

Environmental policy

Trump has consistently advocated for energy independence prolonged fossil fuel production and announced that it was withdrawing from environmental protection. This drive towards fossil fuels not only accelerates climate change, but in addition increases pollution levels, as is commonly the case most serious in Black communities that are already burdened with environmental hazards. He will likely seek to withdraw from climate agreements and ease restrictions on industries that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Under a second Trump term, environmental protections would likely weaken further.

Black women, who usually tend to live in urban areas near industrial facilities, face greater exposure to pollutants that exacerbate respiratory diseases, cancer risk and other health problems. Additionally, the effects of climate change similar to extreme heat, floods and storms – which have gotten more intense as greenhouse gas emissions increase – disproportionately harm marginalized communities. A second Trump term could deepen environmental injustice and threaten the health of us all.

Foreign policy

For those of us who’re dissatisfied with the Biden-Harris administration’s response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Trump presidency will likely be worse. Now that we’ve a president who doesn’t even see the humanity of the residents of his own country, we’re farther from a ceasefire than we were. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time in congratulating Trump. “Your historic return to the White House marks a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the grand alliance between Israel and America.” he said Netanyahu.

None of this can be a surprise. Trump told us and showed us who he’s, but tens of millions of Americans elected him anyway. Trump’s opponent was a black woman of South Asian descent, so despite the impressive campaign she ran, this result will not be surprising. It is and all the time has been a deeply racist and misogynistic country, with such a capability for hatred that it has allowed that hatred to forestall it from truly flourishing time after time. Since Trump’s victory in 2016, his supporters have been shown that darkness is rewarded on this country, so here we’re – entering one other 4 years of chaos, division, and very real consequences that may likely change our country in ways we’ve not even noticed yet. dream. Changes that may negatively impact generations of Americans as they grow up in a spot with fewer freedoms than their parents and grandparents had. Once Trump becomes president again, we go backwards. Still, we must discover a technique to move forward.

Harris’ victory didn’t end all our problems. Especially considering that Trump’s presidency in 2016 was already consequential enough and will proceed to influence our lives for a few years to come back. Harris may not have “healed” us, but she can have stopped the bleeding, unlike Trump, who intends to proceed cutting us open. Nevertheless, here we’re. We will carry on as we’ve all the time done.

But today we mourn.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Politics and Current

Why is Trump delaying signing the ethics agreement?

Published

on

By

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
Continue Reading

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

Published

on

By

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
Continue Reading

Politics and Current

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

Published

on

By

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
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending