by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I was on the radio this morning with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill (Columbia University Professor and host of "Our World with Black Enterprise"), Regina Thomas (former Secretary of the Commonwealth for the State of Virginia) and Charles M. Blow from the New York Times. One of the issues that came up is the fact that the Democratic Party is spending as much as three million dollars to shore up the black vote before the mid-term elections. Apparently, they suddenly realize that black voters exist, and I wouldn't be surprised if black voters disappear from their memories again after the elections are over. By ignoring key issues in our community and suddenly appealing to black voters when it's time to protect their power, the Democrats are coming off as frat boys who show up to a girl's house when it's time to get naked.
One of the profound points being made by Dr. Hill (which I backed up immediately) was the fact that the Democrats, in their appeal to black voters, have not taken the time to establish any kind of trade-off with our community. There's been no consistent effort to directly address massive black unemployment, excessive numbers of foreclosures, disparities in the educational system, mass incarceration or any of the other issues that matter to us. Now, for some reason, the Democrats think that African Americans will forget that they've been forgotten.
2 comments:
This is just counterfactual. President Obama mapped out this strategy some time ago. And anyone who thinks that the teapartying GOP means black people any good is certainly not working in service of our interests nor is connecting with the thinking of the black community. Thanks for basically calling the overwhelming majority of us who are responding to POTUS' call that we must maintain the Democratic majorities, stupid. And for creating this media content in advance of a set of crucial elections. This is in service of the GOP without a doubt IMO, however inadvertant.
Good grief, Watkins is an idiot of the highest order. When will these fake "power to the people" pseudo pundits actually start to be productive instead of counter-productive? Is Watkins trying to get a book deal? Trying to get a spot on msnbc?
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