To Be Equal 
August 2, 2024

The late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
  
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “I am a benefactor of the hills and valleys, the broken bodies and broken hearts, the loss of life of many who have gone on before me.” – U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

The so-called “anti-woke” movement in the United States is determined to obscure the nation’s ugly history of slavery, segregation, and discrimination.

But Sheila Jackson Lee saw the beauty in that history.

“The Constitution did not grant us citizenship or even status as one human being, but we survived,” she said. “We had the Harriet Tubman of the world, the Sojourner Truth of the world. We had the Frederick Douglass of the world.  That is the beauty of America. We were resilient, we should tell that story. Brutality comes with survival and success.”

Lee, who passed away July 19, inspired a generation of public servants and activists with her fearlessness and indomitable spirit. She fought tirelessly for racial justice and equal opportunity, speaking up for those who too often go unheard.

She was a longtime friend of the Urban League movement. The National Urban League was proud to honor her with our Living Legend Award during our Conference in Houston last year. 

As Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, she was part of a dynamic panel of experts who participated in the virtual release event for the 2020 State of Black America report, “Unmasked.”

She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Houston Area Urban League.

Lee didn’t plan on a career in public service when she was growing up in Queens, New York City. That all changed when Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. If King had died trying to create better opportunities for people like her, she had an obligation to make the most of those opportunities.

One immediate opportunity was a scholarship for Black students to attend New York University, which led her to Yale where she was among the first graduating class to include women. She was among a handful of Black students in her class at University of Virginia School of Law. A classmate described her as “a hard worker who loved to grapple with the issues in the hypothetical cases that we were required to analyze.”

She continued to grapple with difficult issues throughout her career. She was the author and lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which established the first new federal holiday in 38 years, and the lead sponsor of H.R.40, the Commission to Study Slavery and Develop Reparation Proposals.

“Though some have tried to deflect the importance of these conversations by focusing on individual monetary compensation, the real issue is whether and how this nation can come to grips with the legacy of slavery that still infects current society,” she said. “With the over criminalization and policing of black bodies, a reoccurring issue in African-American communities, I believe this conversation is both relevant and crucial to restoring trust in governmental institutions in many communities.

“A federal commission can help us reach into this dark past and bring us into a brighter future."

August 3, 2024

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As we celebrate the 59th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) this month, it is important we remember: the only way to tackle the complex challenges of our time is with a democracy that is responsive to the people it represents. 

From racial justice to economic opportunity, gun violence to health care, education to reproductive freedom, there is no issue that stands out as an exception to this rule. Certainly, our ability to tackle the climate crisis – one of our most urgent challenges, and the most existential for our planet – depends on the strength of our democracy.

The Biden-Harris administration has made historic progress on climate action. The Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are but two examples of the policies keeping America and humanity in the fight against fossil fuel-driven climate change. And there are dozens more examples of executive orders and agency rulemakings from the administration that represent bold climate action. To continue and expand on this progress, our democracy must be built to ensure it is serving the interests of the many, not just the few.

The fight against climate change is not just a scientific or environmental issue, but also a deeply political and democratic one. The climate crisis is a global emergency that demands immediate attention and action, and it is the people who have the power to drive and influence our leaders and policymakers to prioritize that action.

But the reality is that the fossil fuel industry, with its immense wealth, has been able to shape and influence our democracy to serve its interests, rather than those of the people. That is why we need to strengthen our democracy to better protect voting rights, make it easier to vote, curtail partisan gerrymandering, and reduce the corrupting influence of money in politics. The power in a democracy should rest with people, and the voice of the voter, not a small handful of executives and investors getting rich from one planet-killing industry.

Transitioning to a clean energy economy is not just a moral imperative, it is an investment in America in so many ways. It reduces pollution, making the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil where our food grows cleaner, safer, and healthier. And it is better for consumers and ratepayers too. Renewable energy like solar and wind are already more affordable and resilient than fossil fuels and that gap is widening every day. The same goes for electric vehicles. 

Speeding up the transition will continue to create jobs, ensure American competitiveness in the next economy, and grow and strengthen our economy. We have already seen well over 300,000 jobs created by the Biden-Harris administration’s investments in clean energy. 

Someone who understood this was my friend, the late Congressman John Lewis. Rep. Lewis was one of our greatest champions for strengthening American democracy and protecting the rights and power of voters. In his final years, he said:

“I do not agree with the dark vision of America’s future [then-President Trump] described that pits accepting responsibility for our environmental impact against the economic stability and vitality of our country … The rest of the world has seen the economic and environmental benefit of clean energy, and they will leave us behind.”

As we remember Rep. Lewis’s legacy this summer – between last month’s anniversary of his passing and the anniversary of the VRA this month – let us remember those words as a call to action. And let us also remember that although there is no conflict between economic prosperity and doing all we can to fight the climate crisis, the climate fight is indeed a conflict. It is a conflict between the infinitesimal number of extremely wealthy and powerful people who benefit from the fossil fuel status quo and the rest of humanity.

By protecting and expanding voting rights – with bills like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act – we can ensure that all voices are heard and that climate policies are developed with equity and justice in mind. When marginalized communities, including communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities, have a seat at the table and a voice in the democratic process, they are more likely to push for climate policies that prioritize their needs and interests.

Moreover, the same systems and structures that perpetuate the climate crisis also undermine democracy and the rule of law. So, it is not just that democracy is a climate issue. Climate is a democracy issue as well. By addressing the climate crisis, we can also address the underlying democratic deficits that perpetuate inequality and injustice.

Climate justice requires a democratic system that is accountable, transparent, and responsive to the needs and demands of all people, particularly those most affected by climate change. By strengthening democracy, we can ensure that climate policies are developed with the participation and consent of all affected communities.

Let us work together to build a democracy that serves the people, not just the powerful. Let us prioritize voting rights, climate action, and environmental justice. The future of our planet depends on it.

Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

July 30,2024

NEWS ANALYSIS

Vice President Kamala Harris 

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Vice President Kamala Harris has a political career that is classic textbook. She leveraged her legal training at the University of California into a position in the District Attorney’s office. Then she ran for San Francisco District Attorney, beating the incumbent in a runoff election. She came out on top of a crowded Democratic primary for California Attorney General, and narrowly defeated her Republican opponent for the office in 2010. 

She overwhelmingly beat her Republican opponent when she ran for re-election in 2014. When she ran for the United States Senate in 2016, she garnered twice as many votes as the next-highest vote getter, and in the final election earned mor than 60 percent of the vote.

The Vice-President’s electoral history is well-know, and I recount it for a reason. Kamala Harris earned increasing responsibility by running for office and winning. There is no diversity, equity and inclusion in electoral politics. The only way you move up is to get more votes than your opponent. If there is any DEI in the Harris record, it’s Definitely Earned It.  

Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett made headlines by describing our Vice-President as a “DEI hire”, describing her as “checking all the boxes”.  Her electoral record refutes that fact. The Vice President didn’t just drop out of a coconut tree, to paraphrase her. She has worked for every office she has earned. To be sure, she was selected to serve as President Biden’s running mate. But she would not have been selected had she not been elected so many times.       

If the rabid Republicans stuck to describing our Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as DEI, that would be an ill-placed slur. But former President Trump and his equally woman hating Vice President have stooped even lower, describing our Vice President as “garbage”, ‘bum” and “crazy.” 

Throw a little “San ‘Francisco liberal” in there to complete the predictable cocktail of slurs and attacks. No one is surprised by the Trump slurs, as the former President is amazingly consistent in his approach to his opponents. Indeed, the inarticulate nature of his slurs leads one to question his mental competency and suggest that he be tested for his comprehension. One wonders how his verbal vomit will survive any international negotiations.

Trump's Vice presidential nominee JD Vance has the same relationship with truth as his boss, Mr. Trump, does. In making his case against “childless cat ladies”, he accuses Democrats, including Vice President Harris, of being “anti-family”, but it is Democrats that have advocated profamily policies, including the child tax credit that would lift millions of children out of poverty. Like Trump, Vance does not mind telling outright lies.

Kamala Harris is used to the lies, the slurs, the white male disdain. She’s had to deal with that through much of her career, as most women in power have. Trump is an expert at disparaging women, attacking their looks (Carly Fiorina, E. Jean Carroll), their clothing (Nicky Haley), their mental acuity (Nancy Pelosi) and more. All I say to these rabid Republicans is, ”bring it”. Vice President Kamala Devi Harris is time enough for you. Mr. Vance has described the Harris candidacy as a “gut punch” to the Trump-Vance ticket. 

Instead of campaigning against a Biden they’d described as “old” and feeble, they’ve got an opponent who is young, energetic and vital. Instead of debating the Biden who failed to challenge Trump on his incessant lies in the late June debate, he will be debating the prosecutor who sliced and diced Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Vice President Harris is not a gut punch, she is a knockout punch. She has definitely earned the nomination of her party, and indeed the presidency. 

DEI, indeed!  Definitely earned it!

Dr. Julianne Malveaux, a DC based economist and author, is a columnist for the Trice Edney News Wire. Juliannemalveaux.com

July 29, 2024

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - In many ways our nation has changed, but it hasn’t changed. When the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, informally known as the National Lynching Memorial, opened in Montgomery, Alabama, it was to commemorate the Black victims of lynching in the United States. Its focus was to acknowledge past racial terrorism and advocate for social justice throughout our nation. Symbolically placed on high ground overlooking the city, it is located approximately a mile from the state capitol building and the city’s overabundance of Confederate statues.

The powerful museum explains lynching as a direct legacy of slavery and a way of enforcing white supremacy. Lynching often involved amputations, mutilation, torture and castration. The bodies were publically lifted up and displayed in full view because they wanted to intimidate and traumatize Black communities. The spilling of innocent blood is their legacy which was tolerated and often aided by law enforcement and elected officials. Exhibits explore a consistent history of violence and control over Black Americans. More than 4,400 Black people were killed in racial terror lynching between 1877 and 1950. They are remembered having their names engraved on more than 800 monuments – one for each county where a lynching took place.  As this memorial confronts the shameful history of racial terror, it also reminds us that this legacy of fear and trauma continues today by way of unjust killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement.

George Wallace once occupied the Alabama state capitol as governor. His idle words would eventually become deadly. He provoked public violence in the south where people were inspired to put violent action behind their personal feelings of resentment and rage. Many of Wallace’s speeches were rallying cries which indirectly motivated acts of domestic terror, harassment and even murder. During the same year as his infamous “segregation now” speech, Wallace in a newspaper interview, said he believed Alabama needed a “few first-class funerals” to stop racial integration. One week later, four young girls were killed and over 20 others were injured in a bombing at the 16^th Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham. Martin Luther King later informed Wallace that “the blood of four little children….is on your hands. Your irresponsible and misguided actions have created in Birmingham and Alabama the atmosphere that has induced continued violence and now murder.”

Wallace changed, but he didn’t change. In his case, while campaigning for president in Maryland, Wallace was shot as part of an assassination attempt leaving him permanently paralyzed. Being bound to a wheelchair can make a person humble. Each person is ultimately held accountable for their actions. A contrite Wallace met with various civil rights activists and addressed Black congregations to personally ask for their forgiveness. While speaking before a Black church in Montgomery, Wallace showed that a man can change his ways. “I think I can understand some of the pain that Black people have come to endure,” he said. “I know I contributed to that pain, and I can only ask for your forgiveness.” In Wallace’s public campaign for forgiveness, John Lewis said that while he could never forget the hatred Wallace unleashed and his “political opportunism” he could forgive him. “George Wallace should be remembered for his capacity to change,” Lewis wrote years later in The New York Times. “And we are better as a nation because of our capacity to forgive and to acknowledge that our political leaders are human and largely a reflection of the social currents in the river of history.” The forgiveness helps to address the personal and community trauma, but did Wallace go far enough?

History makes it clear that Wallace, who once had Ku Klux Khan members for advisors, went to the Black community for their forgiveness. It is not clear what message a contrite Wallace had for the white church and community. As Wallace went to Black congregations for forgiveness, did he return to white congregation with a message of racial reconciliation? Did he ask for forgiveness from the white church and community for perpetuating their racial hatred toward Blacks for his political gain? Did he challenge the white power structure to change? The oppressed can forgive, but can the oppressors repent? The forgiveness by members of one community is only part of the equation if we are to see a true end to America’s legacy of lynching. Forgiveness is really the second part. The first and critical half is the repentance by specific members of the white church and community who still uphold this legacy of white supremacy and the lack of value for a Black life. Wallace changed, but he didn't change enough to boldly correct to his counterparts. Today, the Black community is still paying a heavy price as a community as whites fail to boldly confront their counterparts. This out of control legacy of lynching is one of the root causes behind our police misconduct problem.

For the hanged and beaten. For the shot, drown, and burned. For the tortured, tormented and terrorized. For those abandoned by the rule of law. We will remember. William Donnegan was a shoemaker and once a conductor on the Underground Railroad. During the Springfield massacre of 1908, a white mob unsuccessfully attempted to lynch Donnegan and left him for dead. Police later cut him down from a tree outside his home. He was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. In July 2024, Sonya Massey was shot by law enforcement in her home over a pot of hot water. Massey was a descendent of William Donnegan.  She, like any concerned citizen, called police in fear of a home intruder. As we make the generational connection, Sonya Massey and William Donnegan died at the same St. John’s hospital 116 years apart. Two lives cut short over a senseless attack. Things change, but they don’t change.

David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America.