Saturday, October 21, 2006

African Americans' Views on Illegal Immigration

I have always believed that the argument that illegal immigrants take jobs that Americans don't want does not bode well for American working-class people and African Americans. Note that the "Americans" in this sentence implicitly refers to the most disadvantaged who we would expect to take those jobs. First, there is no evidence for the claim that blacks and working-class people don't want certain jobs. Second, it fosters the belief that poor whites or African Americans (because they are disproportionately economically disadvantaged compared to whites) are not hardworking and are picky about their jobs. Third, it enables immigrant workers to be exploited economically. Two African American talkshow hosts were on CNN recently discussing the topic.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Michael Steele and Black Voters' Catch-22

What are black voters going to do? (Note: It is my belief that if we had gotten Howard Dean in office, which would have given the Democrats a swift kick in the butt, we wouldn't be in this situation, but I digress). We have a Democratic party that does not respect our vote, yet whose policies overall are better for us. On the other hand, we have a Republican party whose poilcies are horrendous for us, yet who now are running black candidates who support their policies (such as backing the Iraq War, being anti-affirmative action, being pro-big business, etc.) to secure some black votes.

Michael Steele, an African American Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Maryland embodies this Catch-22. We wish the Democrats would support us, we have even worst things to say about the Republicans, so the Republicans are basically asking us why don't we just support something new---a black Republican candidate? Media moguls and entrepreneurs such as Russell Simmons and Cathy Hughes have jumped on board to support Steele. Mike Tyson and Don King have also given their support, although I'm not sure whether their support helps or hurts. Note that all four are among the wealthiest Americans and are business-people, so it's not surprising that they would jump onboard to back a Republican candidate.

Clearly, supporting Steele won't help. What is needed though is the support and development of more African American progressive candidates who can shake up the Democratic party. Perhaps the rise of candidates such as Deval Patrick and Barack Obama will help in strengthening the pipeline. What are your creative ideas?

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Black women called ho's in new Republican ad

The New York Sun reports on new ads put out by the Republican group, America's PAC which features two black males discussing black women and their children. While trying to draw black voters away from the voting booths and from the Democratic party, they draw on stereotypes of black men and women. One man is quoted as saying in the ad:

"If you make a little mistake with one of your 'hos,' you'll want to dispose of that problem tout suite, no questions asked."

Read more.

Mark Foley and Black Voter Disenfranchisement

Earl Ofari Hutchinson wrote a scathing commentary on Republican Mark Foley recently. He argues that Foley was a critical player in the disenfranchisement of black voters during the 2002 elections. He writes,

Foley played a pivotal role in sealing Bush's much-disputed snatch of the White House. He helped shove thousands of dubious votes into the Bush column in his home district of Palm Beach County, Florida. And he enraged thousands of Democratic leaning black, Jewish, and elderly voters by passionately and publicly defending the manipulation, exclusion, and possible outright fraud of their votes.
Read more.

On the Genocide in Darfur

Genocide is occurring right now in Darfur, while America continues to focus on superficial celebrity news here in the U.S. Watch the video for a graphic representation of this. Stay aware and do what you can to support the efforts to stop genocide.

On Blacks Who Are Miseducated about the History of the Republican Party

The Black Commentator recently published a speech by Bill Fletcher, Jr. on "Race, The Democratic Party, and Electoral Strategy." He discusses the recent rise in media prominence of misinformed black Republicans who claim that the Democratic party is historically racist and that blacks need to reconsider the Republican party. Fletcher notes,
These Republican ads are the political equivalent of a Hollywood shuffle. They play the African American for a fool, and caricaturize history.
Read more.

U of Maryland Government and Politics Professor Passes Away

Behind the politics we see and engage in are researchers who systematically study it and help us understand how it works or does not work. One of those who focuses on American politics, particularly with regard to race and class passed away recently. Linda Williams, an associate professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, passed away this past week from lung cancer. Read more about her and her legacy here.

NYTimes: Triumphs and challenges of Cory Booker's first 100 days

The New York Times today ran an article about the challenges and triumphs of Cory Booker's first 100 days in office as the mayor of Newark, NJ. They write,

It is too early to grade his administration, but Mr. Booker’s first three months in City Hall offer hints of his governing style and highlight some of the issues and priorities that will shape his tenure — and his future as one of the most prominent African-American politicians in the country.

He is a workaholic. He is obsessed with reducing crime. He is intent on increasing the role of charter schools in a city whose public education system, under state control for more than a decade, is in a shambles. And he knows how to use the news media to promote his agenda.


Read more and see the post about Street Fight, the documentary narrating his election here.




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