By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom sounded upbeat when he announced at a press briefing Friday afternoon that he has submitted a $227 billion budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year to the State Legislature for approval.

The spending plan reflects a brighter picture than the gloomier one Newsom presented last summer when he projected a steep budget shortfall of more than $50 billion. In this proposal, the governor’s office is estimating that there will be a budget surplus of about $15 billion over the 2020-21 fiscal year, with nearly $3 billion stashed in the state’s operating reserve.

“In these darkest moments of the COVID-19 pandemic, this budget will help Californians with urgent action to address our immediate challenges and build towards our recovery,” said Newsom. “As always, our Budget is built on our core California values of inclusion, economic growth and a brighter future for all.”

The proposal includes significant investments intended to shore up and revive the state economy battered by the COVID-19 global pandemic. It proposes $2.4 billion for a one-time payout of $600 per individual from the “Golden State Stimulus” fund for the lowest earning Californians, many of them essential workers, who have been hit hardest by the global health crisis and the economic dip it caused. The majority of workers that have been affected are African American, Hispanic or from other ethnic groups in California and across the country.

To ensure a swift economic recovery, the governor has allocated $372 million to facilitate the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines across the state.

Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Los Angeles), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus and the only African American lawmaker in the upper house of the California legislature, says he is pleased that the governor’s budget invests in equity. He told CBM that he will work with the governor’s office to make sure the proposals in the plan, particularly the relief for businesses, benefit Black Californians.

“Governor Newsom’s 2021-2022 budget proposal reflects what we are all hoping: that things are getting back on track and in a better way. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate California, but thanks to the swift actions taken last year by the Legislature and the Governor, we are in a strong position to combat this crisis and rebuild our economy,” Bradford said

 “We do not want to go back to where we were. We want a more just economy moving forward,” the senator added.

Workers at hospitals, grocery store clerks, public transportation operators and more had to continue showing up to work through the most difficult and uncertain phases of the pandemic last year. And entrepreneurs like barbers and beauticians and workers in retail, food and beverage service, hospitality and the leisure sectors suffered the most job losses. Newsom announced $777.5 billion in his budget for economic recovery, including assistance to businesses of all sizes – more than $500 million will go to small businesses — and money to support the state’s minimum wage increase to $14.

Bradford, who is also chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, applauded Gov Newsom for including funding for improving prisons and criminal justice reform efforts.

“As Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I am also pleased to see funding for the maintenance of California state prisons, Los Angeles County, use of force investigations by the Department of Justice, and rehabilitation and educational programs for our inmate population,” he said.  “Following the work I began in 2018 with the California Cannabis Equity Act, I am delighted to see the permanent funding of the state’s local equity grant program, which is a momentous step toward a fair and equitable cannabis market.”

The money for COVID economic recovery comes at a time when there looms the threat of another economic downturn. According to numbers released by the U.S. Department of Labor Friday, payrolls across the country decreased by 140,000 jobs in December. It is the sharpest drop in jobs since last April. The economy has not fully bounced back since the beginning of the pandemic last march when it lost 22.2 million jobs. Only 12.4 million jobs have been recovered so far.

Although the governor’s budget projects optimism, and it provides substantial funding for critical ongoing government priorities like education, transportation public safety, higher education, health care and green initiatives, it is short on details. It does however include a clear high-level breakdown of where the money will be spent – if not exactly how. For example, Gov. Newsom calls for $2 billion to help schools across the state to reopen in the next couple of months. The budget also allots $85.8 billion for schools, which includes teacher training, early childhood education programs, teacher recruitment and money to extend learning into the summer.  The governor is also proposing that the state invests $500 million in low-cost housing tax credits; $1.75 billion to continue purchasing motels to house the homeless under “Project Room Key;” and $353 million for job training and creation programs.

Over the next 5 months, Gov. Newsom says he and the Legislature will be working to hash out, distill and define budget priorities. Through the process, they will determine how and at which level of government – state, county or municipal – the monies will be spent. Then in May, he will present his revised, and more detailed, budget to the legislature for final approval before the fiscal year begins in July.

Senate Republicans say over 19,000 small businesses in the state have had to shutter since the pandemic began. Therefore, they are urging the governor to increase funding for them.

“Over the past ten months, the Governor’s shutdowns and COVID-19 challenges have made it difficult for millions of Californians,” said Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) in a statement responding to the governor’s budget.

Some environmental groups complained that the budget redirects cash to emergency preparedness, “short-changing” programs that provide funding to underserved communities, some of them places where Black Californians live.

“The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is meant to cut pollution in our most impacted communities,” said CEO Debra Gore-Mann, president of the Greenlighting Institute, a public policy and research organization based in Oakland. “Funding for wildfires should come from the utilities whose recklessness led to so many problems.

Gov. Newsom says now that he has presented his budget, the hard work begins.

“The Budget makes progress towards the goal I set when taking office to harness California’s spirit of innovation and resilience and put the California Dream within reach of more Californians,” Gov. Newsom said.

SACRAMENTO–The California Legislative Black Caucus has elected Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and Assemblymember Kamlager (D-Los Angeles) to serve as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively, through the 2021-2022 legislative session. In addition, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) will now serve as Secretary and Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) will remain in his position as Treasurer.

“I am honored and humbled to be elected by my colleagues to serve as the next Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. We are grateful for Dr. Weber’s leadership during her time with the Caucus and have no doubt she will lead with the same passion and desire for equality and justice as Secretary of State. I look forward to serving in a similar fashion of Dr. Weber and previous Chairs championing African American issues for the state and nation,” said Senator Bradford.

Senator Bradford was elected to the legislature in 2009, making him the longest serving member of the Caucus and currently the only Black senator in the state legislature. Senator Bradford’s election as Caucus Chair follows Governor Newsom’s appointment of former Caucus Chair, and Assemblymember, Dr. Shirley Weber as California’s next Secretary of State.

“It is a bittersweet moment as I pass the leadership torch to Senator Steven Bradford. The California Legislative Black Caucus is a small but mighty group of 9 members. Together we have been a powerful force, united and unwavering in our commitment to fight and win tough battles to improve the lives of Black Californians. I thank the Black Caucus for its support during my tenure as Chair, and I have full trust and confidence in Senator Bradford to take on the leadership of the Caucus. I also look forward to building on the partnership between the Secretary of State’s office and the CLBC to protect and expand voting rights in California,” said Dr. Shirley N. Weber.

Throughout its over 50-year history, the CLBC has been instrumental in crafting and supporting legislation to promote racial and gender equality for the State.  We will continue to advance an agenda that assures quality health care, establishing a more transparent and accountable police system, increased employment and economic security, and justice for all Californians.

Some thoughts on how something that once looked impossible became possible … still, there’s a lot of reasons to remain cautious

By Charles Ellison, b | e Note

January 5th (well, possibly some number of days or weeks after depending on how tight it is) will answer a very critical question for Americans on the current trajectory of our very troubled nation – who will run the federal government: Joe Biden or Mitch McConnell?

The answer will hinge on the convergence of two events: 1) the voting decisions made by more than 7.7 million Georgians who are currently registered to vote in the state of Georgia and 2) how much Republicans will, literally, cheat.

That’s a Lot of Georgians …

First: Stacey Abrams Great Georgia Revenge Tour is definitely a beautiful feat of voter mobilization to watch. She’s done a superb job – to get two Democratic candidates into a tightly contested runoff in a deep Southern politically fried red state like Georgia was once unimaginable … well, for conventional thinkers.

When we say 7.7 million registered Georgians, we’re talking about 72 percent of Georgia’s population of nearly 11 million. So far, more than 3 million have voted. That translates into more than 39 percent turnout … and that’s in the early voting phase … of a runoff Senate race. That’s also about 28 percent of Georgia’s entire population already voting. With so much excitement, high national anxiety, flooded email inboxes and campaign ad bombardment around this state, will the turnout crack records?

Here is the aerial view from the U.S. Election Project …

Here’s a look at how that’s breaking down demographically …

So Far, So Good

Democrats have multiple reasons to feel positive and enthusiastic. For one: they were able to flip the state from red to blue in the presidential race, handing it to President-elect Joe Biden.

They’ve got two fairly well-polished, young and energetic candidates in Jon Osoff and Rev. Ralph Warnock. Grassroots voter mobilization boots on the ground are getting it done. High early voting returns would suggest a Democratic advantage. Younger voters – from GenZ to Millennial – are turning out in big numbers. The whole party is unified behind the candidates. And there have been, so far, about 118,000 new voters who’ve participated in early voting during the run-off who didn’t vote in the 2020 General Election.

Meanwhile, as the Democratic candidates are running perfectly (on the surface, at least) as a team, Republicans are faced with vicious party infighting. Both GOP candidates continue to make the state look bad and backward (at a time when many Southerners are pushing for “New South” themes). One Republican incumbent (David Perdue) is quarantined by COVID while the other Republican incumbent (Kelly Loeffler) is parading around with white Klan terrorists. As all that’s happening, the outgoing leader of the GOP, President Trump, is openly committing violations of both state and federal law by pressuring Georgia’s Secretary of State into committing voter fraud (and since Georgia’s Attorney General is a Republican and the federal Department of Justice is run by more Republicans, no one will prosecute him for this). Both Democratic candidates have raised more than $265 million combined for their Senate races (even though they’re both burning cash fast).

The most recent polling also suggests Osoff and Warnock are doing rather well.

Here is what FiveThirtyEight shows …

And here is the look from RealClearPolitics (which is a little more stingy with the data) …

But … Stay Cautious

While all the fundamentals look good for Democrats, there are still quite a few reasons to remain cautious – and not “cautiously optimistic,” either.

Say all you want about Southern states like Georgia attempting to re-brand themselves into “The New South,” the South, at the moment, is still the South. All the more reason to remain skeptical. There are a lot of questions: will White Georgia voters want a Black (Warnock) and Jewish (Osoff) Senator representing them in Washington? Even though there is high early voting turnout, there’s no way to tell at the moment just how many of those voters are Republicans actually turning out (despite objections from a president they remain loyal to). Will Georgia Republicans turn out stronger on Election Day when heading to the polls? And will Georgia Republicans view this as an opportunity for a protest vote against Biden’s election, to vent their rage at what they wrongfully view as a “stolen” election?

And just because Democrats are outperforming Republicans in the fundraising race doesn’t mean much since Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Harrison was doing the same thing in neighboring South Carolina against incumbent Lindsey Graham. In fact, he was absolutely obliterating Graham in the fundraising race. Polling showed that race tight, too. Harrison was raising all kinds of loot.

Still, Harrison ending up losing by 10 points.

Some clues on the outcome in Georgia are found in the latest AtlasIntel poll

GOP registration slightly outnumbers Democratic registration, which means a lot will depend on self-reporting Independents (Osoff and Warnock won 51 percent and 37 percent of independent voters, respectively, in the general election). Nearly 61 percent of the electorate is White while 30 percent is Black, which means Democrats need to cobble together a solid coalition of Black, White, Latino and Asian voters.

Here are the breakdowns for the Purdue vs. Osoff match-up …

And here are the breakdowns for the Loeffler vs. Warnock match-up …

The White electorate isn’t budging much, and there are large numbers of Latinos (along with 10+ percentage points of Black voters) saying they’re voting for the GOP candidate. One other thing others might dismiss, but we shouldn’t: Black voters account for 28 percent of the Georgia electorate even while they’re 33 percent of the overall state’s population (that’s a 5 percent difference); the White Georgia electorate matches its statewide population proportion of 60 percent. So, in a sense, Black voters in Georgia are still punching below their potential electoral weight in terms of size.

A slightly good thing, for Democrats, is that there is a very small, barely noticeable number of undecideds. So, every registered voter about to vote is locked into their decision, according to this poll. Still, fewer White voters went for Perdue in 2020 (69 percent) than they did in 2014 (74 percent). Yet, there is that pending question from the Loeffler vs. Warnock general election match-up: while Loeffler won 42 percent of White voters compared to the other GOP candidate Rep. Doug Collins at 28 percent, where will those White voters go? Theoretically, that’s 70 percent of White voters going to Loeffler.

Republicans Are Cheaters

Lastly: modern Republicans don’t appear to know anything about legal, democratic elections. While a genocidal pandemic rages on, killing nearly half-a-million Americans thus far (with the long term public health consequences not fully grasped), they are still uniformly obsessed with overturning an election in which the legitimate winner won by a nearly 8 million vote margin.

Republican cheating and racist voter suppression techniques are par for the course in Georgia. The sting of being cheated out of a statewide election by the current Governor is what’s driving Abrams. That Biden even won Georgia by such a slim margin probably means he really won by such a convincing number of ballots that Republican cheating methods could not overcome it. Republicans everywhere cheat in elections – but, in Georgia, they’ve transformed it into a dark and sinister art form.

Forty percent of Georgia’s 10 most populous counties had dramatically closed the number of early polling locations before the runoff. Most of those counties hold the highest concentrations of Black voters. That was expected. An 11th-hour attempt to purge voter rolls in two Georgia counties was thwarted by a federal judge just days before New Year’s Day. Voting rights advocates were already battling the purges of more than 200,000 Georgia voters by the current Secretary of State.

And while lots of folks on and off social media want to induct current Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger into the Justice League as he’s smoking Trump on Twitter and refusing to engage in criminal voter fraud acts on a recorded phone call, watch the mail ballot rejection rates in Georgia’s early voting returns very carefully.

Here are the Georgia counties with mail ballot rejection rates above 1 percent

Two of these counties are majority Black and all, with the exception of one, hold Black populations of more than 30 percent. In terms of total numbers of ballots rejected thus far, we’re seeing a similar pattern in counties with large Black populations ..

This could lead to issues and challenges resulting in a protracted recount battle way past January 5th.

COLTON, CA— San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., released the following statement after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID-19 vaccination began at San Bernardino County Arrowhead Medical Center.

“Today is a momentous occasion for San Bernardino County in its fight against COVID-19.  San Bernardino County’s brave and resilient front line workers will receive the first 15, 600 doses of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine.   These five high-risk workers represent the best of our county and embody the true meaning of public service.  

As the representative of the Fifth District, I know how critical it is for the County to start vaccinations because my community is one of the most impacted by the scourge of COVID-19. This disease has disproportionately impacted the elderly, poor, and communities of color. This vaccine and the others that will soon follow, give me and our community hope, that we can overcome this pandemic.

Our goal should be to continue to keep ourselves and loved ones safe until widespread access to the vaccine becomes available. Believe me, I can’t wait until we can get back to normal. Until then, we all must continue to do our part by wearing a mask, practicing social distance, and following CDC guidelines. 

Although it is not over yet, I know together we will conquer COVID-19.”

LOS ANGELES, CA—- An organ donor from Moreno Valley will be among those honored by OneLegacy and Donate Life as part of the Tournament of Roses 2021 TV special, “The Rose Parade’s New Year Celebration presented by Honda.” The local donor, Xavier Kesan Brown, passed away at 13 months old. His family chose to donate his liver, lungs, pancreas, both kidneys and small intestine. 

Xavier’s mother, Kayla Fouse, said that donating her son’s organs was the best decision she ever made for him and for her family.  

“It takes love and sacrifice to make the decision to donate organs, but it’s the greatest give anyone could ever give, and I am proud that my son was able to do that,” said Fouse. “While he is not physically here with us, there’s a piece of him still here helping others make memories he wasn’t able to make with us. He has given families more years, more birthdays and more holidays with their loved ones.” 

Since 2004, OneLegacy has been the lead sponsor of the Donate Life Rose Parade float to spread the lifesaving message of organ, eye and tissue donation to an international audience. Although the 2021 parade is canceled due to COVID-19, Donate Life and the OneLegacy Foundation will keep the tradition alive with a 25-foot floral sculpture, honoring 21 deceased donors from across the nation.  

“Lifesaving transplants would not be possible without generous donors and their families, who, in the midst of tragedy as they lose a loved one, find the courage to say yes to donation,” said Tom Mone, chairman of the Donate Life Rose Parade float committee and CEO of OneLegacy, the nonprofit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization serving the greater Los Angeles area. “We are proud and grateful to honor Xavier, and all these donors, whose acts of kindness have given others a second chance at life.” 

The Donate Life floral sculpture, themed “Community of Life,” features a vibrant floral honeycomb built by bees, sharing the important message that we’re stronger when we work together as a community. Individually dedicated roses will adorn this floral installation to honor the gift of life given by donors, donor families, transplant recipients and health care heroes, carrying personal messages of love, remembrance, hope and gratitude. 

The Tournament of Roses 2021 TV special will include live-to-tape musical and marching band performances, heartwarming segments related to the Rose Parade, celebrity guest appearances, special Rose Bowl game football highlights, equestrians, spectacular floats from years past, and a behind-the-scenes look into the making of a float. The Rose Parade TV special will air on various broadcast networks January 1, 2021. 

The Donate Life Rose Parade Experience is produced by OneLegacy and is made possible thanks to dozens of sponsoring donations, transplant, health care and family care organizations along with individuals who help make donation and transplant possible across the country. Sponsors for 2021 include: American Association of Tissue Banks, Axogen, Community Tissue Services, CryoLife, Dignity Memorial Providers of Las Vegas, Donate Life California, Donor Alliance, Donor Network West, JJ’s Legacy, Legacy Donor Services Foundation, Legacy of Hope, LifeLink Foundation, LifeShare of Oklahoma, Lifesharing, LOPA, Nevada Donor Network, New England Donor Services, New Jersey Sharing Network, OneLegacy and Specialist Direct. 

About OneLegacy   

OneLegacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern. It serves more than 200 hospitals, 11 transplant centers, a diverse population of nearly 20 million, donors and families across the region, and waiting recipients across the country. For more information, visit onelegacy.org.  

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Board of Education welcomed newly elected trustee Mayra Ceballos during its meeting on Tuesday, December 15.

Ceballos and returning Board of Education members Dr. Margaret Hill, Gwen Rodgers, and Dr. Scott Wyatt were sworn into four-year terms. The Board presented outgoing Board member Michael J. Gallo with a special resolution in honor of his service.

The Board unanimously elected Rodgers to a second term as Board president and Wyatt as vice president.

The Board members develop the policies by which the educational programs and other business of the District are carried out. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCS0je7TAd8.

Meetings are open to the public, except for closed sessions, which the Board is permitted to hold to discuss confidential matters relating to employees, students, or litigation. Actions taken in closed session are reported out at the end of the meeting.

Edited by Naomi K. Bonman, Written by the Smile America Abdi Foundation

The holidays are all about the spirit of giving and Smile America Abdi Foundation had plenty to give this year. On September 24, 2020, the foundation gave out over 400 backpacks with supplies. In October, the foundation gave out 200 homeless survivor kits throughout Rialto, Fontana, San Bernardino, and Colton. In addition to the kits, 10 individuals were able to be placed shelters. This was just the first part of the season, before the holidays kicked off.

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As the days rolled into the Thanksgiving holiday, Smile America Abdi gave out over 200 turkey and chicken plates at Werner Elementary School on November 24. And most recently, on Monday, December 21, over 1000 toys were given away at the same elementary school.

“Not a day or a second that goes by that we do not think of Abdi and Miss Abdi so much,” Farah M., representative of the Smile America Abdi Foundation, stated. “No matter what Abdi’s Spirit is with us and his Love of improving, empowering his Community will continue until the End of time GOD WILLING.”

The Smile America Abdi foundation was founded by Abdi Mohamed of Somalia located in East Africa. He has lived and knows of the struggle that many African Refugees face. However, he noticed that not much was different after relocating to Southern California. He noticed that the Black communities in California were no better than the refugees in Africa.

Mohamed’s love of helping, empowering, motivating, and advocating for his people as continued here in Southern California. In addition to the holiday giveaways, through the foundation he tutors children after school, and he recycles in order to buy pizza at the park so children in the community do not join in local gang groups. He also teaches youth skills in money management, how to fill out college applications and FAFSA forms. He also babysat for single mothers.

Abdi Mohamed did great works for the foundation, but unfortunately, he was killed in 2018; however, his work is not in vain and is now being carried out by his sister Farah Mohamed.

“My brother Abdi believed in bringing local government, local business, and the community together in order to make our community a better place for the next generations to come,” Farah Mohamed said.  

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Hours after?Gov. Gavin Newsom picked California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to be California’s next United States Senator, he announced that he will submit to the State Legislature the nomination of Assemblymember Dr. Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego) to replace him.  

If confirmed, Weber will become the first-ever African American to serve as Secretary of State of California. 

“Dr. Weber is a tireless advocate and change agent with unimpeachable integrity. The daughter of sharecroppers from Arkansas, Dr. Weber’s father didn’t get to vote until his 30s and her grandfather never got to vote because he died before the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. When her family moved to South Central Los Angeles, she saw as a child her parents rearrange furniture in their living room to serve as a local polling site for multiple elections. Now, she’ll be at the helm of California’s elections as the next Secretary of State – defending and expanding the right to vote and serving as the first African American to be California’s Chief Elections Officer,” Newsom said. 

Weber, an Assemblymember since 2012, is a former President of the San Diego Board of Education and a retired Africa Studies Department professor for 40 years at San Diego State University. Her nomination is subject to confirmation by the California State Assembly and Senate. A decision must be made within 90 days. 

“I am excited to be nominated for this historic appointment as the Secretary of State of California. I thank Governor Newsom for the confidence he’s placed in me and his belief that I will stand strong for California. Being the first African American woman in this position will be a monumental responsibility, but I know that I am up for the challenge. Expanding voting rights has been one of the causes of my career and will continue to motivate me as I assume my new constitutional duties,” Weber said. 

State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), vice chair of the CLBC, congratulated Weber, saying his “former colleague and college professor” will do an amazing job. 

“I am happy for my former college professor and chair of the CLBC. Her hard work and dedication to public service is a testament of the excellence she demonstrates as a legislator,” Bradford said. “She will do a tremendous job as Secretary of State. I look forward to working with her and her continued leadership.” 

Taisha Brown, the president of the California Democratic Party Black Caucus (CDP Black Caucus) said she is elated over Dr. Weber’s appointment but is still disappointed that the governor did not choose a Black woman to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the United States Senate. 

“I am happy. I don’t think they could’ve picked a better Black woman to take Alex Padilla’s spot,” Brown said of Weber’s appointment. “But I will say that it is not enough and does not satisfy the fact there is not one Black woman in the United States Senate.” 

Weber chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety and the California Legislative Black Caucus. She also serves as a member of the Assembly Standing Committees on Education, Higher Education, Elections, Budget, and Banking and Finance.? 

In addition, she chairs the Select Committee on Campus Climate, which was created to examine and mitigate hate crimes on California’s college and university campuses. The committee also explored student hunger, sexual assaults, homelessness, and freedom of expression. 

In August 2019, Weber introduced and passed historic legislation on police reform, Assembly Bill (AB) 392, also known as the “California Act to Save Lives.”? The measure set new standards, one the toughest in the nation, on the use of deadly force by police.  She has also been a leader on issues of social justice and economic justice.  

“I am happy for Dr. Shiley Weber,” said Rev. K.W. Tullos, president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Southern California. “However, it does not suppress our feelings about the U.S. Senate seat. I look forward to working with Dr. Weber around voter issues.” 

Weber is the mother of two children. She has two grandsons and a granddaughter and is the widow of the late Hon. Daniel Weber, a California state judge.

Black, Indigenous and Latino folks need to have a real conversation about what can make them all great as a winning political combination

By Dr. G.S. Potter | Contributing Editor | b |e News

As many have already heard, actress Eva Longoria is under fire for these comments…

Eva Longoria under fire after her interview with @MSNBC about Biden’s victory:

“The women of color showed up in big ways. Of course, you saw in Georgia what Black women have done but Latina women are the real heroines here,” pic.twitter.com/VBcgdTq3cr

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 9, 2020

Naturally, there was a fierce backlash (for the most part, on social media), and she was forced to make a clarification…

Eva Longoria apologizes and clarifies why she said Latinas were ‘the real heroines':

"When I said that Latinas were heroines in this election, I simply meant that they turned out in greater numbers and voted more progressively than LATINO MEN," pic.twitter.com/60wSq2vxMU

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 9, 2020

So, here we go again, imagine that: the media using a celebrity to spit a divisive talking point to split people of color. Except, in this particular situation, Latinxs get actors instead of rappers. 

In light of this, there is a real need for a conversation on coalition building. And, maybe, after that conversation we can understand what makes coalitions coalitions – and how intertwined our political fates are given the circumstances we face as what is regularly known as “BIPOC:” Black, Indigenous, People of Color. We’re not all the same, that goes without saying, the complexities in terms of history, culture and specific needs are there. But, we are all on the front lines of a war waged against us by white supremacy and we find a common existential threat from that against our well-being and future. 

Yet, many of us still don’t realize how powerful we are united against that. 

We all need to lead a coalition. The Black community must lead a coalition of people of color, as hard as that may seem, if it’s going to win. Group nationalism won’t work here, especially when Black folks are outnumbered by Latino communities – and, we’re all still outnumbered by Whites in this country. But, imagine how powerful we are as a united front. 

We have to be careful about getting too immersed in a debate over which “people of color” had it worse than the other or who lays claim to what piece of American land. The United States is, still, originally Indigenous land and Indigenous people have been nearly wiped out as a result of white supremacists and imperialists stealing it. American history is a horrific tale of Black slavery, as well as a horrific tale of Brown and Red slavery. Our collective legacy is a tale of poverty, deliberate miseducation and incarceration. We are all reacting to colonialism, not just Americanism. We are all being targeted with the same vicious nuclear arsenal of racism by the same people, just in different languages and thought processes. 

This is the part, however, that many folks don’t want to talk about. Every group, instead, wants to say they have it the worse and to hell with everyone else and that’s their claim. But, that’s how crab-barreling works. For example: I’ve personally seen how this plays out in grassroots homeless organizing. We’re all homeless and being beaten, shot, or about to die – but, sure, let’s fight over whether or not this person that’s Indigenous and Black has it worse than this other person that’s Mexican and Black because that’s all you think gives you power. 

That’s why it’s important to hold court on expertise and how it relates to organizing. Yes, sometimes being Black makes you the expert on certain things. Sometimes, it doesn’t. Know when to hold that court … or everyone is Kanye or some random Black intellectual who is promoted by White-owned media.

Anti-immigrant sentiment is great for White folks, that’s why it’s one of the more baseless fallacies that Brown folks are stealing their jobs. It’s also a false assumption that a middle-class Black person (who is actually “working class” when compared to actual White middle-class) has it harder than an immigrant field worker living in a tent and getting beaten daily by police. Homeless Brown folks and Black folks, together, are still getting beat up sleeping on carboard boxes. 

We need to acknowledge historical and current policies and patterns of treatment and respond accordingly as a coalition. We don’t need to crab barrel ourselves into a white nationalist utopia. So, we’ll need to have a serious Black and Brown conversation in a way that still puts Black folks at the forefront but not in a way that says “me before you” to Indigenous and Brown folks. It must say “all of us” according to need.