2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumI thought Sanders was bad for black people. These women changed my mind.
The candidate's economic plan is more important than I realized.
By Terrell Jermaine Starr January 29 at 7:13 AM
Terrell Jermaine Starr is a New York City-based freelance journalist who writes about U.S. and Russian politics.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/01/29/i-thought-sanders-was-bad-for-black-people-these-women-changed-my-mind/
Six months ago, I was a Bernie Sanders skeptic. In July, I wrote about how Sanders had bungled his outreach to the black base. Though he spent a lot of time talking about economic inequality, his message seemed aimed at the thousands of white liberals who attended his rallies. A month later, I accused his white online supporters of condescending to black people who werent sold on his civil rights record.
Ive heard these concerns echoed throughout the black community. Just a few days ago, Fordham University political scientist Christina Greer said that, in the rush to make it all about class, you turn on your blinders to certain things that quite frankly arent about class [Sanders is] missing a very large piece of the puzzle, and what makes some black voters nervous, there seems to be a huge gap in his understanding about race.
But now, Im beginning to rethink my position. Thats thanks, largely, to Sanderss black women supporters. Over the last week, Ive spoken with people like Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, Trayvon Martin family lawyer Natalie Jackson and several black female Sanders staffers. No one shaped my thinking more than Erica Garner. Shes the daughter of Eric Garner, an unarmed African American who died after being put in a choke hold by an NYPD officer in 2014.
During our conversation, she argued that Sanderss push for economic equality is just as important for black people as fighting abusive policing. Listening to Garner explain how she feels Sanders will help ease her financial hardships struck a chord. Women make, on average, just 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. Black women earn just 60 cents on the dollar; Latinas make 55 cents on the dollar. For Garner, it doesnt matter how many cops are thrown behind bars for killing black people if she cant afford to pay her rent or afford child care for her 6-year-old daughter Alyssa.
FULL story at link.
NaturalHigh
(12,778 posts)winter is coming
(11,785 posts)Guess who benefits from compartmentalizing social justice and economic justice, while implying that it's not possible to care about and work for both.
mhatrw
(10,786 posts)The oldest trick in the top 1%'s book is to try to set different factions of the 99% against each other.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)CharlotteVale
(2,717 posts)farleftlib
(2,125 posts)Income inequality is an issue that transcends race, gender or what-have-you.
thereismore
(13,326 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)to do with institutional racism. My take is that the perversion of money/property has everything to do with everything bad in the world (except, of course, for the occasional crazy person doing violent things; and, yes, I know most crazy people aren't violent but some are). Institutional racism can't exist if it's not being nurtured by TPTB.
Z_California
(650 posts)SoapBox
(18,791 posts)nyabingi
(1,145 posts)intersection between race and economics, and how the two work together and are used by the wealthy (of all races) to keep enriching themselves. Broader economic change is most certainly needed, and the changes Bernie is talking about making will be a large benefit to all people. Bernie was very smart to also realize that the issues of importance specifically to Black Americans need to be addressed as well, and his outreach and work since the Netroots protests have been effective in getting his message out.
Like I've always said, Hillary has been skating by mainly with name recognition in the Black community because she's offered nothing in terms of policy that should make the Black electorate excited about her as a potential president.
ancianita
(36,133 posts)they'll compare his work to the damage the Clintons did to the black community and change their minds about trusting Hillary.
TCJ70
(4,387 posts)...it isn't about one group of people. It's about Americans. All of us.
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)Cheviteau
(383 posts)Why would you think Sanders would be bad for black folks? He was on the front lines of the civil rights movement back in the sixties. Either you're young and haven't done your homework in vetting your candidates, or you may be old and can't appreciate those days. I'm 76 yrs. old. I remember them very well...having lived in New Orleans in that period. Sanders takes a back seat to NO ONE when it comes to civil liberties for all people. Jesus!, you had to have someone tell you? Bet you still don't know what's on his resume'. Do some research.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)as long as Sanders was an unknown factor they could pretend to keep up the atmosphere that he was a clueless economistic wonk talking only to Portlandia types
at the same time Clinton's AA appeal started to shift as they heard of him and, more importantly, started hearing of her record, started hearing what she was telling *other* groups when she said she was their One and Only, started getting disgusted with the content-free race-baiting by the likes of David Brock designed to cover up the tremendous damage she actually did
valerief
(53,235 posts)Omaha Steve
(99,708 posts)uponit7771
(90,363 posts)... delivering could set us back
mhatrw
(10,786 posts)Or to promise that we cannot have the kind of efficient, affordable healthcare every other rich and semi-rich nation can somehow have and deliver.
artislife
(9,497 posts)I am thoroughly pissed about the DU turf wars in the thread but I think it needs to be seen..so read the replies.