Politics and Current

What Would a Kamala Harris Presidency Mean for Black Women? – Essence

Published

2 months ago

August 2, 2024

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

President Biden sent shockwaves through Washington by abruptly ending his campaign on Sunday and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.

Influential Biden supporters like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez anxious that eliminating Biden wouldn’t routinely donor support for Kamala Harrisblack woman. But Harris’ entry into the race injected a shot of energy and money into what had develop into a demoralizing Democratic presidential campaign.

As many as 44,000 Black women joined the Win With Black Women Zoom call, and in only three hours, it raised greater than $1 million for Harris. ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platformhe tweeted that $46.7 million flowed into Kamala Harris’ campaign in 7 hours, making Sunday “the largest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle.”

There are many issues that Black women face, from challenges to reproductive freedom to staggering student loan debt and aggressive policies that disrupt our families and communities. So what would a Harris presidency mean for Black women?

Reproductive rights

Harris has been a staunch advocate for reproductive rights. On the 51st anniversary of Roe earlier this yr, Harris launched into a multi-city tour in support of reproductive freedom. In her first stop on the tour, in swing state Wisconsin, she explained in Interview for CNN that Trump was happy with what he had done to decimate women’s rights, and there was so far more at stake if he were reelected. “The motion is proud that women have been stripped of their basic freedoms to make decisions about their own bodies; the motion is proud that doctors are being punished and criminalized for providing health care; proud that women are suffering in silence because they don’t have access to the health care they need,” Harris added. “So let’s understand that the stakes are so very high.”

Harris also highlighted measures the Biden administration has taken to guard reproductive freedom, including increased access to contraceptives for federal staff and a rise within the variety of approved drugs available for free under the Affordable Care Act, in line with US News and World Report.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, praised Harris as a champion of reproductive rights: “I actually have had the extraordinary privilege of working and most recently campaigning with Vice President Kamala Harris. I actually have been proud to observe her develop into some of the vocal voices within the fight for sexual and reproductive rights.

“As a lawyer, attorney general, senator, vice president, and as a Black woman, Vice President Harris understands what lies ahead. She knows what it means for Black women to have less reproductive freedom in a country where we are more vulnerable to everything from maternal mortality to criminalization, and she is fighting back,” McGill said in a statement to ESSENCE.

Economic policy

Harris can also be a fighter with regards to creating economic opportunity for middle- and lower-class families. For example, during her first presidential campaign, she proposed a $6,000 tax break for married couples earning lower than $100,000, to be financed by reversing the tax cuts enacted within the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and taxing certain financial institutions, in line with PBS reports. In addition, she has championed the Biden administration’s economic policies, which include a bipartisan infrastructure bill, funding for small businesses, capping insulin costs at $35 and limiting prescription drug out-of-pocket costs to $2,000 for Medicare enrollees. Inflation Reduction ActAdditionally, Harris has advocated for student loan forgiveness, which might have a significant impact on the black community, as blacks graduate from college at a high rate. more student loan debt According to PBS reports, they’re wealthier than their white counterparts and take for much longer to repay their debts.

Rose Pierre-Louis, executive director of NYU’s McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, said that is a crucial moment that goes beyond politics and shows Black women and girls what is feasible. “This is a historic moment—not just in politics, but for Black women and girls across the country. At the McSilver Institute, we support communities empowered by generations of Black women who have worked tirelessly to lift and create opportunities for success despite ongoing histories of oppression, violence, and neglect,” Pierre-Louis told ESSENCE. Vice President Harris embodies countless years of individual and community effort within the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. We have long assured Black girls that they’ll at some point be president of the United States. This is the primary time we now have a real opportunity to deliver on that promise.”

Gun control

Vice President Harris has been an energetic advocate for increased gun control, dating back to her time as California attorney general, when she spearheaded a statewide effort to confiscate guns from those that illegally possessed them. As a senator, she co-sponsored laws ban assault weapons and high-capability magazines (those who can fire greater than 10 rounds before reloading). And as a part of the Biden administration, she worked to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), probably the most significant piece of gun control laws in 30 years. Among its provisions are funding for red flag law programs (which permit a judge to temporarily confiscate a gun from someone who’s having a mental health crisis and appears to be a danger to themselves or others), expanding access to mental health services, and expanding community violence intervention programs. Vice President Harris also took the lead in White House Office on Gun Violence Preventionwhich closed the gun show loophole by requiring all gun sellers to conduct background checks, no matter where the products are sold.

Racial Justice and Diversity (DEI)

Harris was one among several senators to introduce the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act. As Essence reports, the bill would end qualified immunity for cops, mandate de-escalation training for officers, create a national database of police misconduct and make it easier for the Justice Department to prosecute officers for civil rights violations.

Citing the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on black people, Harris has also called for an end to mandatory minimum sentences, money bail and the death penalty for the reason that murder of George Floyd. However, in her previous role as prosecutor wasn’t at all times so progressive and once pushed for higher money bail and refused to support independent investigations into police shootings, as reported by the NY Times. Asked about her evolution, she said, “I was swimming against the tide, and thankfully the tides have changed; the winds are in our sails. And I’m riding it out like everybody else — because it’s long overdue.”

Black women, the backbone of the Democratic Party, are largely supporting Harris’ historic run, and Democratic leaders are following her lead. Not only are all 50 states Democratic Party chairs have endorsed Harris, but previous Biden supporters like Bill and Hillary Clinton and James Clyburn (who resurrected Biden’s dying 2020 campaign) have endorsed Vice President Harris.

Bernice King, daughter of the late Dr. Martin Luther King and CEO of the King Center, also wholeheartedly supported Harris, publishing on X: “We urgently need a president who will ensure that the civil rights that my parents and so many others have fought so bravely to advance our Beloved Community are not destroyed. For that reason, I consider this presidential election a legacy vote. We must protect our legacy of perseverance in the fight for civil rights and stop efforts to restrict them.”

She continued, “With these beliefs in mind, I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president and I call on all of my AKA sisters, HBCU alumni, Divine Nine members, and democracy advocates to join me in this goal.”

This spirit of camaraderie and collective support for Harris was reflected on social media. On Instagram, political strategist Alencia Johnson posted a photo of herself standing proudly next to Vice President Harris, with the caption: “So, it’s clear. Absolutely the only choice, and that’s Vice President Kamala Harris for president. I will do everything possible to ensure the inauguration of our first Black woman president.”

Despite the passion of the Democratic base, black women are well aware of the sexist and racist attacks Vice President Harris will face on the campaign trail. Still, women like Johnson consider Harris can beat Donald Trump.

“Hours after announcing she’s running, the energy from Black women voters is palpable. It means something that the backbone of the Democratic Party is already forming — ready to rally around the vice president and keep her spirits up as she faces a difficult but winnable fight,” she said.

Now that Vice President Harris’ presidential bid is all but certain—with grassroots support reaching all of the solution to the White House—the actual work begins to defeat Donald Trump, be certain that no a part of Project 2025 is realized, and preserve and expand the rights that Black women have fought so hard for. From Shirley Chisholm’s “Unbought and Unbossed” campaign as the primary Black woman to run for president in 1972 to Kamala Harris today, American democracy owes a debt of gratitude to the efforts of Black women, and let’s hope the remainder of the nation joins us within the fight.

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

Politics and Current

Watch: Rep. Byron Donalds Talks Trump’s Appeal to Black Male Voters

Published

7 hours ago

September 16, 2024

IAM

Ahead of last week’s presidential debate between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Rep. Donalds said he believes Trump enjoys growing support amongst black male voters.

Donalds pointed to hip-hop artists who’ve announced their support for the 78-year-old, twice-impeached, indicted and convicted former president. The Florida Republican described the support for Trump from rappers like Ice Cube and Sexy Redd as “organic.”

“They’re looking at the same country as everyone else,” Donalds said. “If you look at a lot of artists, where do they come from? They’re mostly from urban areas like the ones I grew up in. Struggling with the same things I grew up in.”

Donalds, who’s from “inner Brooklyn,” referenced the 1996 rap song “Get Money” by rap group Junior Mafia. The congressman stressed: “We’re trying to get money! How can you do that in this economy?”

Donalds said he believes there needs to be a change within the White House and that Trump will make that change because the potential next president of the United States of America.

“When he was president, we didn’t have these conflicts around the world. The economy was strong. The border was secure,” Donalds said.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

Politics and Current

Lawsuit alleges Mississippi county discriminates against blacks

Published

16 hours ago

September 16, 2024

IAM

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

Politics and Current

Black Atlanta Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for Murder After Detective Hid Key Evidence — Now Free, But Corrupt Cop Won’t Face Any Punishment

Published

1 day ago

September 16, 2024

IAM

Keith Sylvester, a black man from Atlanta, spent greater than a yr in prison for the murders of his mother and stepfather — despite video and cellphone evidence proving his innocence that was intentionally suppressed by the detective investigating the murders.

Now, Sylvester is about to receive $1.5 million in damages following an appeals court decision to overturn his conviction, in accordance with WSB Television.

But it doesn’t appear that the officer investigating the case, Atlanta Police Detective James Barnett, was ever punished for withholding evidence that might have proven that Sylvester never murdered his parents or set their house on fire after strangling them.

Black man wrongly convicted of murdering parents settles for $1.5 million after detective 'willfully lied to state judge or was so reckless with the truth' — Keith Sylvester (left), pictured along with his mother, Deborah Hubbard, spent 14 months in prison for falsely convicting him of murdering his mother and stepfather after Atlanta Police Detective James Barnett (right) ignored evidence that might have exonerated Sylvester. (Photos via Facebook and LinkedIn)

It also doesn’t appear that he could possibly be charged with perjury, which could be an appropriate charge in this kind of case.

“The argument is that a jury could find that Detective Barnett either intentionally lied to a state judge or was so reckless with the truth that he misled the state judge into thinking there was probable cause,” in accordance with the appeals court ruling that overturned his conviction.

Atlanta police arrested one other black man, Cornelius Muckle, for the murders of Deborah and Harry Hubbard after cellphone records showed his phone was at their home before they were murdered and their home was set on fire. Muckle, who had nothing to do with the Hubbards, also tried to sell items stolen from the house at an area pawn shop two days after the murders.

But Barnett claimed Sylvester murdered his parents to get the insurance money. However, Sylvester’s lawyer on the time said he was not even listed as a beneficiary, in accordance with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“His name is nowhere on the insurance policy,” he said.

Zack Greenamyre on the time. “He would have been one of six children and stepchildren who would have been beneficiaries of the policy.”

Sylvester, who helped detectives on the case for nearly six months in hopes of finding the killer, said he was shocked when he was arrested.

“When (the detective) handed me the summons and told me I was arrested for the murder of my parents, I thought it was a ploy on his part to get more information,” Sylvester told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Article from May 2024.

“I thought it was a mistake. They’d figure something out and I’d be out of there soon. I thought I’d be out in a few days.”

Instead, he spent 14 months behind bars on charges of murder, arson and insurance fraud.

Murder

It was June 2nd, 2018, and Sylvester was visiting his mother and stepfather at their Atlanta home, which he did almost on daily basis, in accordance with WBS-TV.

However, in accordance with dashcam footage, cellphone operator footage and security cameras that recorded him at gambling establishments, the person left his home before 9 p.m.

Phone records also show Harry Hubbard called his niece, Nyaira Walton, at 9:30 p.m. Nyaira told detectives her uncle showed no signs of distress throughout the call.

At 3:56 a.m., the Atlanta Fire Department received a report of a house fire. Upon arrival, officers discovered bodies inside with signs of strangulation.

Firefighters also determined that the hearth had been intentionally set “shortly before” the decision was received, which might have prevented Sylvester from setting it, in accordance with the aforementioned evidence, which was never presented at trial. The autopsy also showed that the couple were still alive when the hearth began, because the couple had ash and soot of their tracheae, indicating that they were still respiration when the hearth began.

However, it appears Barnett had no luck finding the actual killer, so he focused his efforts on Sylvester.

According to the appeals court ruling:

Nearly six months had passed because the murders when Barnett arrested Sylvester in December 2018, much to his shock because Sylvester had continually cooperated with police to assist solve the crimes.

This is how Sylwester described the arrest WGRZ in February 2019 after two months in prison:

Barnett spent the following yr attempting to prove his innocence, writing letters to judges, prosecutors and civil rights groups, hoping they might consider his case.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation and determined that Muckle was the actual killer.

But prosecutors tried to pin the blame on Google for locking up the unsuitable man, accusing the tech company of taking nine months to answer a request for a search warrant under a geofence that might allow investigators to “cast a wide net, collecting information on all devices located within a specified area,” in accordance with National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

In this manner, they determined that Muckle’s phone had been within the Hubbards’ house shortly before the hearth broke out, and that the Hubbards had been murdered, in accordance with 11 Living news. It was also determined that Muckle attempted to sell items stolen from the house at an area pawn shop two days later.

“The results of this investigation show that the assailant, who was not named in the original police investigation, was in fact inside the home of Deborah and Harry Hubbard 20 minutes prior to the 911 call about the fire that caused their deaths,” District Attorney Paul Howard said in an announcement to 11Alive News on the time.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com