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Democracy in Color Releases “The White List” Showing 79% of Democratic House Members Haven’t Cosigned HR 40 Despite Popular Support
** Democracy in Color Host and President Steve Phillips is available for interviews from San Francisco, CA.
Please contact Louie Tan Vital at [email protected]*
SAN FRANCISCO — Democracy in Color announced the launch of “The White List” today—a list of 75 White congressional Democrats who have failed to support HR 40, the bill establishing a commission to study the effects of slavery and ongoing discrimination on Black Americans, and explore remedies, including possible reparations.
See the 75 members on “The White List”
The legislation has been introduced in the House for 41 years, but is gaining traction amidst the current national racial reckoning. HR 40 now has more than 135 sponsors.
Of the 95 Democratic House members who have not cosigned HR 40 yet, 75 are White, comprising “The White List.” That is, 79 percent of Democratic House members who have not cosigned HR 40 yet are White.
While White members of Congress have fallen short, American support has surged with a majority now supporting reparations for Black people, following similar patterns of growing support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. According to a new poll released last week by Democracy in Color and Civiqs, 86% of Democratic voters and 50% of all respondents want Congress to establish a reparations commission to study the legacy of slavery and persistent systemic discrimination against living Black people—a startling increase up from the 31% last year. The poll also found 56% of respondents think the U.S. Congress is “doing too little” to address racial inequality in the United States, including 46% of White respondents.
“Many White Democrats expressed support for Black lives in May and June, but they have been unacceptably silent on addressing and redressing the lasting legacy of slavery and anti-Black racism,” said Steve Phillips, Founder of Democracy in Color. “The politics and polling are clear, and there is no longer any excuse for failing to co-sponsor HR 40 now to begin to address the economic consequences of slavery and racial discrimination.”
Democracy in Color is urging these members of Congress to support and pass H.R. 40.
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Democracy in Color is a political organization focused on race, politics and the multiracial, progressive New American Majority.
FLORIDA STAR — This year, three African American candidates from Orlando, Miami, and Broward are vying for top-ranking law-enforcement positions, putting Florida at a major crossroads when it comes to the State’s Attorney’s race. Campaigning in a time of coronavirus is no easy task, especially when the stakes are so high. If they were all to win, it would be historical in a myriad of ways.
Sometimes, as a community, we can forget that the most important elected positions are in our very own backyards, not Washington DC. As Shaun King is fond of stating, “when they go low, we go local.” Yet rarely do state races garner the kind of media attention they deserve, even when they are significant milestones in our history.
This year, three African American candidates from Orlando, Miami, and Broward are vying for top-ranking law-enforcement positions, putting Florida at a major crossroads when it comes to the State’s Attorney’s race. Campaigning in a time of coronavirus is no easy task, especially when the stakes are so high. If they were all to win, it would be historical in a myriad of ways.
Harold Pryor and David Cannady in Broward andMelba Pearson in Miami will be the first African Americans to hold that position, with Pearson being the first Black woman to run in Miami. In Orlando, Monique Worrel is looking to be the second African American to win in her area – continuing the legacy of the first African American in Florida to hold the position.
Historically speaking, African Americans have found more success on the local and legislative levels of office. Yet to date, there has never been an African American governor; or any that have served in key cabinet positions since Reconstruction, with the first African American elected to higher office in the state of Florida post-Reconstruction being Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry. Nationwide, over 90% of elected prosecutors are usually white, with 79% being white men.
Of course, there are prevalent reasons for this, look no further than the usual systematic suspects of oppression. People of color often struggle due to a lack of fundraising abilities, recognition, and incumbents who leverage connections within the community backed by a war-chest worth of donor money. Then, there are those few cases of our community leaders, advocates, and grassroots activists questioning black candidates’ viability in comparison to their white counterparts, especially if two Democrats are competing. Fearful of repercussions for backing another political horse from within the same party and the minuscule policy headway they may have already made. Which, in turn, creates unspoken lore of a perceived ability to destroy opponents’ careers and those who supported them. Lastly, merely overcoming everyday racism—and sadly sometimes even colorism—from potential voters makes running a truly unappealing option at times. It can, initially, be a very thankless task.
In 2016, Aramis Ayala, the first African American State Attorney in Florida’s history, was elected to the 9th Judicial Circuit (which encompasses Orlando and neighboring county of Osceola.) She successfully ran as part of a wave of progressive prosecutors—around the country—to challenge long time white officials and win. Ayala faced severe backlash for her controversial decision not to pursue the death penalty – including receiving death threats and nooses sent to her office. After only one term, she refused to run again, paving the way for her potential successor, Monique Worrell. Worrel is running on the platform of shifting the culture of prosecution while centering criminal justice reform policies. Her fresh perspective on justice comes from “an inherent belief and first-hand knowledge that our Criminal Legal System is fundamentally flawed, harming victims, tearing families apart, and failing to make our communities safer.” Paramor property developer—and former neighborhood kid—Timothy Green, has publicly endorsed her as “by far the best person for the job, I’m really excited for the community!” Her supporters include Van Jones and Allie Braswell, who have both endorsed her via social media.
Three hours south in Broward County, Michael Satz announced his retirement in 2019 after an astounding forty years. In doing so, multiple candidates are able to fight for his position. Of note, are two African American candidates: Harold Pryor, and David Cannady. Pryor, considered the front runner by many, is a former prosecutor at the State Attorney’s Office in the 17th Judicial Circuit (Broward County). Currently, he is in private practice, seeking to prioritize violent crimes and bring about a balance of reform. He is backed by former state Rep. Sean Shaw, who ran as the 2018 Democratic candidate for Attorney General. Cannady is serving as a prosecutor in this office and hopes his own experience as the child of an incarcerated father can help promote more holistic changes. “An ever-changing landscape of criminal justice requires integrity and transparency,” Cannady says. “These are keys to providing security, justice, and economic prosperity for the citizens of Broward County.” He feels this “will play a vital role in helping stem the tide of school shootings, rise in veteran homelessness, and the opioid crisis. These are the important elements of 21st century prosecuting.”
One of the most watched races brewing in Miami right now, between Melba Pearsonand Katherine Fernandez Rundle—Pearson’s former boss—is a Democratic rivalry that mirrors the ever-growing gap between progressives and the old guard within the party. Pearson is challenging her former highly-criticized boss Rundle, who has been in office for 27 years, for her tepid responses to high-profile police brutality cases. The most notable examples include Darren Rainey, who was boiled to death in a scalding hot shower by correctional officers, and Jesus Menocal, a police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting women and girls. No charges, in either case, have been brought against anyone involved. Progressives have long criticized (and complained to no avail) about Rundle’s repeated inability to charge police officers for killing unarmed people.
During the pandemic, Pearson is using her platform to speak out for Miami’s most vulnerable—and disregarded populations—prisoners. Miami-Dade has the second-most positive tests of the COVID-19 virus (8,131 cases and 163 deaths according to the Florida Health Department) of any Florida county. As the epicenter for infections in the state of Florida, prisons are at the highest risk. “The total population in the jail [Miami-Dade] was 4,444, and the number of folks who self-identify as Black is 2,364,” Pearson told The Miami Times. “That is problematic because we know Blacks represent 15 to 20 percent of the county’s population. Prison officers and other public servants working within our judicial system are also at risk of bringing the virus home into our communities, which sadly are proving to be the most susceptible to coronavirus fatalities.” She publicly pushed for current State Attorney Rundle to ditch cash bail and increase physician availability, among other reforms, amid the virus outbreak in South Florida. Her platform includes prioritizing bail reform, rehabilitation programs, and finding new resources to fight violent crime. Pearson’s supporters include include grassroots organizations, victim advocates, and current prosecutors/staff of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
As of April, 15 a federal lawsuit has been filed to protect incarcerated inmates living in overcrowded and highly unsanitary conditions. To date, nearly 500 Miami jail inmates, a staggering 41 percent tested, have caught the coronavirus. Miami’s police chief Jorge Colina has also tested positive for coronavirus.
Although shameful that in 2020 we as a community still have to celebrate “firsts,” as engaged voters, we can push the tide of change forward, starting locally. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result, that’s why state and local races should be just as important to us as the national contests this year. As The Gantt Report noted back in March; “Electing a President is meaningful, but electing 2020 politicians that will vote for reapportionment plans that will pave the way for far more elections of Blacks and other persons of color is far more important.” He encouraged our communities to “cast votes in record-breaking numbers.” Now that opportunity is happening so close to home, and in such a history-making way, let’s get the word out and show our candidates some support.
[All candidates campaigns concludes on Aug 18]
This article originally appeared in The Florida Star
MADISON — State primaries and local races around the nation are especially significant this election year, and iVoterGuide is helping to ensure that voters everywhere are informed before they head to the polls.
“Regardless of how they cast their votes, Americans want accurate, well-researched information and trusted guidance in order to remove all uncertainty from the most important part of voting—making the right choice,” said iVoterGuide President Debbie Wuthnow. “The greatest threat to our republic is not delayed election results or even fraud, but ill-informed voters. Now more than ever, Americans need readable, honest, comprehensive facts about candidates and issues, such as our trusted voting guidance provides through just a couple of clicks.”
WHO: iVoterGuide
WHAT: Voter guide in Wisconsin that gives a report on candidates, information on voting (in-person or by mail), sample ballots and other crucial information.
WHERE: Online at ivoterguide.com/All-in-State/
view iVoterGuide’s COVID-19 updates at ivoterguide.com/news/
WHEN: Primary is August 11, 2020
WHY: From election dates to voter registration deadlines and polling locations, iVoterGuide has resources to help turn out 2.2 million voters across all 50 states in the 2020 primary and general elections in order to restore the principles of limited government, free enterprise and traditional American values. iVoterGuide is distributed through gold partners such as American Family Association Action and Family Research Council Action.
HOW: Providing the most comprehensive, educational information on nearly every race in the country, iVoterGuide has researched over 24,000 candidates in more than 11,000 races and offers sample ballots, voting information and candidate evaluations. Learn more at ivoterguide.com.
View the media page for iVoterGuide here. For more information on iVoterGuide, visit ivoterguide.com or follow iVoterGuide on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
MILWAUKEE, WI—After ongoing consultation with public health officials and experts—who underscored the worsening coronavirus pandemic—the Democratic National Convention Committee announced today speakers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention will no longer travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in order to prevent risking the health of our host community as well as the convention’s production teams, security officials, community partners, media and others necessary to orchestrate the event.
In accordance with this guidance, Vice President Joe Biden will no longer travel to Milwaukee and will instead address the nation and accept the Democratic nomination from his home state of Delaware. Details about the location of the speech will be released at a later time. Other speakers who had been planning to come to Milwaukee will not travel to the city.
“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first. We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives. That’s the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves. And that’s the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House,” said DNC Chair Tom Perez.
Democrats have been working for months to build flexible plans that modernize and transform the convention experience for delegates and viewers across the country. From the start of the pandemic, contingencies were put in place for a successful convention that would ensure public health was protected. Today’s announcement represents a small adjustment to the overall planning, as the majority of speeches and segments were already taking place in locations across the country. Democrats will offer four nights of programming, which will include a mix of both pre-recorded segments and live broadcasts from locations across the country.
“2020 will always be remembered as a year of once-in-a-lifetime challenges and changes—but it will also be remembered as a time when Americans were their most compassionate and resilient selves. While we wish we could move forward with welcoming the world to beautiful Milwaukee in two weeks, we recognize protecting the health of our host community and everyone involved with this convention must be paramount,” said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Scheduled to kick off in less than two weeks, the Democratic National Convention will air for two hours each night, 9:00-11:00pm ET, from August 17-20, 2020. A custom virtual video control room has been designed to take in hundreds of feeds from around the country, including the potential of interacting with Americans from around the country.
“This convention will look different than any previous convention in history. It will reach more people than ever before, and truly be a convention across America for all Americans, regardless of which party you belong to or who you’ve voted for in previous elections. This “unconventional” convention will launch Joe Biden to victory in November,” Solmonese added.
In order to ensure that the convention will reach viewers wherever they are, convention officials have been working with partners to house convention content on over a dozen platforms, in addition to traditional broadcasts. The official live stream for the 2020 Democratic Convention will be hosted on DemConvention.com, where viewers can also find the full convention schedule, and a digital tool kit to get involved.
The Democratic National Convention Committee will work with the Network Pool and Congressional Press Galleries to establish pooled media opportunities to cover the program. As in past conventions, a feed of convention proceedings will be available at no cost for media and accessible in multiple formats, including via satellite and embeddable livestream. The campaign and convention team will also provide virtual coverage opportunities, including remote press briefings and interviews.
Lawyers’ Committee Statement On Trump Tweet Suggesting Delay In November Election
Statement of Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
“Dictators and despots seek to delay elections and rig the rules to maintain their grip on power. But this has never been the case in American democracy. President Trump seeks to promote chaos and confusion by suggesting that the nation’s November 3rd election should be delayed or postponed. President Trump has absolutely no power to postpone or delay the election.
“Sadly, Trump’s autocratic tweet lands on the same day legendary voting rights icon Rep. John Lewis will be laid to rest in Georgia. The president’s statement completely contradicts John Lewis’s lifelong efforts to promote voting rights and open elections for all Americans.”
Background:
Election Day is set by the U.S. Congress. Even if Congress moved the date, the president’s term expires on January 20, 2021, and this cannot be moved or altered except by constitutional amendment.
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About the James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate at the Lawyers’ Committee – The James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate, at the Lawyers’ Committee, supports communities and individuals targeted for hate and challenges white supremacy by using creative legal advocacy, disrupting systems that enable hate, and educating the general public and policymakers. The Byrd Center’s resource and reporting hotline for hate incidents, 1-844-9-NO-HATE (1-844-966-4283), connects people and organizations combating hate with the resources and support they need. For more information please visit: https://www.lawyerscommittee.
Hello Sherman Park Community & Friends,
Please join us for the Virtual WI State Senate District #6 Candidates’ Forum this Thursday, July 23rd from 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. & Virtual WI State District #17 State Assembly Candidates’ Forum next Tuesday, July 28th from 6:00p.m.- 8:00p.m. This event will be hosted by Grasslyn Manor Block Association and The Sherman Park Community Association, Inc. Please share the attached flyers with your networks of residents, family and friends. Registration on Zoom is open now and this event will be live streamed via Facebook also. We hope you will join us for both of these very important events!
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
MILWAUKEE— This week, every City of Milwaukee household will be receiving a SafeVote postcard encouraging residents to vote safely from their home by requesting an absentee ballot by mail. The postcard will provide residents written and visual information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot, encouraging use of the myvote.wi.gov website. Additionally, residents can visit one of eight Milwaukee Public Libraries to receive assistance with the registration or absentee process.
“The City of Milwaukee is committed to protecting our citizens’ right to vote and protecting their health. We especially want to encourage Milwaukee residents to vote absentee ballot by mail because it is the safest way to participate in our democracy while protecting yourself from COVID-19,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “We are beginning the necessary education and outreach far in advance of the August 11 election to ensure everyone has the opportunity, resources and assistance to vote absentee and stay home on Election Day.”
The Common Council’s first action as a governing body in the new term was to unanimously pass the SafeVote program, authored by Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic to empower and enable all residents in the City of Milwaukee to participate safely in the fall elections.
“The circumstances around the April election forced thousands to choose between exercising their right to vote and possibly endangering their health. Steps needed to be taken to ensure voters don’t have to face this choice again,” said Alderwoman Dimitrijevic.
The demand for absentee voting has increased since the onset of COVID-19. The April 7 spring election saw 96,712 absentee ballots issued with 76,362—roughly 80% of all votes cast— returned. To date, the Milwaukee Election Commission has received over 60,000 absentee ballot requests for the August Partisan Primary Election, and over 50,000 requests for the November General Election.
Recognizing some of the mail delivery delays the City experienced in April, the SafeVote plan has also expanded the number of physical absentee ballot drop-off locations at the libraries. Voters can deliver their ballot and obtain a witness signature, if needed. Plans are still evolving to further expand drop-off locations ahead of the November 3 General Election.
“In creating the SafeVote plan, it was important to the Election Commission to ensure that we had community partners at a neighborhood level to provide assistance to voters who might not be comfortable navigating the MyVote website or uploading a photo ID,” said Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg.
“We have always had a strong partnership with the Milwaukee Election Commission and remain committed to expanding the partnership and voter services in the midst of a pandemic,” agreed Milwaukee Public Library Director Paula Kiely.