Re-elect Lucy McBath

 I do not live in Lucy McBath's Congressional district but like to see her reelected because of her compassion and determination to help others.

She entered Congress in 2019 to end gun violence,  expand healthcare, and reinvigorate the economy.

The shooting death of her son in 2012  made her a "mom on a mission."  She co-sponsored the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act of 2019 and the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. Both have passed the House and have strong bipartisan support in the Senate. In addition,  She backed the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women's Act as a freshman Congressperson that made it through the House of Representatives but has stalled on a technicality in the upper chamber.  And she coauthored workplace violence legislation during the 116th Congress and continues to speak out on violence of any kind across the country.

Aside from efforts to protect the country from violence,  McBath has fought for veterans,  families,  and students seeking higher education.  She introduced a bill on the House floor signed into law by the president, "which protects military disability benefits from going to creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding." (1)  Moreover,  she voted for the Pay Check Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act that received the president's signature back in April, which lowers drug costs and helps struggling families and businesses combat the novel Corona Virus. In addition,  she and a colleague pinned The Childcare is Essential Act that awaits Senate approval. She also cast a ballot to extend eligibility to students seeking financial aid whose schools have closed or been caught up in wrongdoing. (2) Perhaps above all,  McBath and other Democrats blocked attempts to kill the Affordable Care Act and passed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour that,  like many other Democratic initiatives,  sits in the Senate.

McBath has backed or been a part of other landmark legislation such as The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act,  which passed the Senate in 2020, middle-class tax cuts,  The Families First Corona Response Act, which became law in 2020 as well,  and disaster relief for Puerto Rico.  

With a record to stand on,  Congresswoman McBath enjoys widespread support in her district as she continues her pilgrimage of love,  respect,  and justice for every American citizen.

1. Congressional Voting Record

2. Congressional Voting Record

 

Let's Vote

Voting is a fundamental right for all Americans to enjoy that may hang in the balance in a year marked by change.

Whether under assault or denied to any group in our society,  the right to vote must be protected by every American willing to fight with all they have to keep it around for future generations.

Several factors have emerged in recent years to hinder us from voting that we cannot let stand in the way, such as a shortage of voting locations,  voter ID laws,  and Georgia's Exact Match rule.  Minorities and the elderly may find it difficult to satisfy these unnecessary requirements because of barriers to transportation, finances, and COVID-19, which is still on the rise. 

Most of the current attacks on voting are related to the gutting of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  In  Holder vs. Shelby in 2013,  The Supreme Court removed a provision that required states with a history of voter suppression to get the approval of the U.S. Justice Department before making changes to how they conduct elections.  In the wake of Obama's two decisive victories and shifting demographics,  Conservatives rushed to get their argument before the high court that such protections were no longer needed with startling consequences since many states seeking the change fell under Federal guidelines.   A bill to restore the historic measure to its original glory,  which has passed the House,  currently sits on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's desk.

Gerrymandering,  a much older form of voter containment,  which has been practiced by both Democrats and Republicans,  impacts voting too. Every ten years, districts have to be redrawn based on population changes. The party in power may skew or carefully draw the Congressional map to increase their representation in Congress. It was recently used by Democrats to enhance black voting strength in Georgia, which led to a majority African-American  Democratic delegation from the state.

In addition to Gerrymandering,  many Southern States introduced the Runoff Primary system in the 1960s to curtail black and Republican voting.  It mandates that if no candidate receives a majority of the votes or 50.1 percent,  a second election will be held between the two top vote-getters.   The theory was that if blacks or Republicans were to vote in a bloc,  giving their candidate the most votes in a crowded field,  it could give Democrats and Segregationists,  who made up a majority of the electorate,  a chance to mobilize against the minority opponent.

A new form of voter suppression may be in the works involving the U.S. Postal Service. Due to COVID-19,  Democrats and Republicans may have to rely on their local post office to cast their ballots in the general election. The country's mail system, however, is facing financial setbacks.  The president has tied any attempt to fully fund the agency to the money to help fight the Coronavirus outbreak, which will fall far short of what it needs to function.  The president has even threatened to withhold funding altogether if he does not get what he wants as a way to punish the Democratic Party.  Lastly,  the postmaster general,  who donated handsomely to the Trump campaign in 2016,  has reportedly eliminated much-needed employee overtime, dismantled sorting machines,  and removed drop boxes.  If Democrats lose this election and it is proven that mail delays or White House corruption played a role,  there will be a civil war in this country.  

We cannot wait to prepare the U.S. Postal Service for an onslaught of mail-in ballots or closely monitor any efforts by the president to disrupt the process. The post office can process millions of Christmas cards any given year. But now,  we have a president who stands in the way of progress.  Thus,  we cannot use or rely on the mail system as a primary source of voting and must, as former First Lady Michelle Obama said,  vote early,  wear a mask,  pack a lunch,  and be willing to stand in long lines well into the night if necessary and make sure everyone has the documents to vote and fix any voting irregularities.  

America needs bold leadership. We must put partisan differences aside in favor of the right to vote.  Let's vote whether we are Democrats or Republicans.  

H. Rap Brown & Stokely Carmichael in Oakland (1968) | KQED Archives

Sojourner Truth: A Journey of Love

Sojourner Truth spent her life fighting for justice and equal rights.  She escaped slavery to become one of the country's greatest orators for the right of all  Americans to live with dignity.  She preached the word of God,  comforted the poor,  and helped those free from bondage live lives they could be proud of.  

She was born into slavery in 1797 in the rural community of Swarteville,  New York to  James Baumfree and Elizabeth Baumfree, who named her Isabella, which she would famously change later in life. She endured several masters as one of ten siblings and was treated like most enslaved Africans, which included beatings and forced labor.  She was also denied the right to an education and sexually assaulted. Baumfree was sold to her last owner,  John Dumont,  in 1810,  where she would remain until her escape. 

 Life on Dumont's farm did not go well for Baumfree.  Dumont's romantic overtures caused tension between Baumfree and his wife.  She was later raped by him, which resulted in an infant daughter. Likewise, she was prevented from having a productive relationship with her first love,  an enslaved gentleman from a nearby farm, in 1825, which left her brokenhearted.  His master not only forbade it but beat him severely for fear any offspring would be the property of Dumont.  Baumfree eventually married an older male slave on Dumont's land around 1820 and is believed to have born four offspring. 

Dumont promised to free Baumfree if she was a "dutiful" slave. However, he withdrew the offer due to a hand injury. (4)  Understandably upset, Baumfree escaped to freedom or "walked away," as she put it in 1826,  with her newborn daughter in her arms, leaving the rest of her children behind only months before New York State would officially free all its slaves in 1827.

Baumfree settled in New Platz, New York, where she befriended Issac and Maria Van Wagenen, well-known Quakers, who paid Dumont for the balance of her service. He accepted the measly sum of twenty dollars until the State Emancipation Order took effect. (6) They hired Baumfree as a housekeeper and offered her a place to live as she sought additional work around town.

A year later, she learned Dumont had sold her only son,  then five,  to a slave owner in Alabama after New York officially abolished slavery.  With the help of the Van Wagenens, she filed suit in Federal Court in 1828 and gained her son's freedom to become the first African American woman to win a judgment against a white man in the United States. (7) 

 During her stay with the Van Wagenens in 1829, Baumfree converted to Christianity, which set the stage for the rest of her life. (8)  She left for New York City, where she worked with key religious figures such as Elijah Pierson and Robert Mathews and did charity work for the poor.

In 1843,  Baumfree joined the Methodist Church. She adopted the name Sojourner Truth,  believing God had anointed her to travel the land and preach the truth about slavery and stand up for the downtrodden and disenfranchised. (9)  She traveled the Connecticut River Valley, "preaching about the abolition of slavery" to anyone who would listen. (10)  She ventured to Massachusetts,  where she attended camp meetings held by the Millerites Adventists, who prophesied the return of Jesus by 1844. They were enthralled by her singing and preaching ability,  which drew large crowds. (12)  However,  Truth and others departed the group disappointed when the Second Coming did not come to pass.  

Shortly afterward,  Truth united with the North Hampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts, started by Abolitionists.  It billed itself as a community of like-minded individuals who advocated for women's rights and an end to slavery. (14)  Truth and about 240 members lived on 470 acres. They owned a grist mill,  sawmill, and silk factory. They also raised livestock to demonstrate how to be self-sufficient.

Baumfree is believed to have supervised men and women on the property before the group disbanded.  While there,  she was not only encouraged to deliver antislavery speeches to a larger audience but also met popular Abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Lloyd Garrison,  who greatly influenced her work. 

Truth joined other organizations,  attended meetings,  and delivered countless speeches in the years ahead to further the cause of freedom and women's suffrage.  In her most famous speech,  "Ain't I a Woman,"  delivered at the Ohio Women's Convention in 1851,  she "demanded human rights for all women and for all blacks,"  which was a risky proposition even in the North. She declared she was equal to a white woman in needs,  desires,  aspirations, and hopes as a virtue of her womanhood.

Following the outbreak of the Civil War,  like many black leaders of her time,  Truth went out of her way to support the Union cause that she hoped would one day result in the freedom of her people.  For instance,  she recruited black soldiers for the Northern Army and witnessed the enlistment of her grandson in the legendary 54th Massachusetts.  She worked for the National Freedman's Relief Association in Washington,  D.C.,  "Where she diligently sought to improve conditions for blacks." (18)  Near the end of the war,  she found work at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington,  D.C., where she "rode in the streetcars to help force their desegregation."(19)  She was even invited to the White House by President Lincoln,  who came to admire her determination for change.  

After the Civil War,  Truth attempted to secure land grants for the Freedmen to smooth their transition from slavery to freedom and engaged in other projects in the coming years. Only a handful of African Americans received free land as promised, while others purchased it and passed it down through generations. In 1871,  she addressed the Eighth Anniversary of Negro Freedom,  where she crucified the institution of slavery for what it had done to her and other ex-slaves, such as destroying families.  Months later,  she delivered remarks to a receptive audience at the Second Annual Convention of the American Women Suffrage Association.  She declared women must have the same rights as men.  She also fought for prison reform to help stem the tide of black men being forced into work camps and lobbied against capital- punishment at the Michigan State House. (20)

In 1872,  Truth campaigned for the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant as one of her last battles for uplifting America.  She attempted to vote but was turned away at the polls. (21)  She backed a man many African Americans viewed as a savior for winning the Civil War and supporting the Freedman's Bureau that helped former slaves build schools,  start businesses, and own land.  She was fortunate to meet the president as well.

Sojourner Truth died on November 26,  1883, after an eventful life.  She found freedom and Christ and waged war on slavery. She also campaigned for equal rights and counseled presidents on what was best for African Americans.  It was the end of the road for someone who cared deeply for others.  

After being buried in her adopted hometown of Battlecreek,  Michigan, attended by local and national dignitaries,  efforts began to celebrate her legacy that continues today. The Episcopal Church commissioned a bronze statue in her likeness in Battlecreek,  Michigan.  There is a statue of Truth also at the University of California San Diego. (22)  Numerous other commendations such as books on her life,  murals,  paintings,  buildings, and roads named in her honor, T.V. specials about her, and the recognition she receives during Black History Month pay tribute to a woman who fought hard to change America.

Source: Wikipedia

Convenience Stores

What is the historical significance of the relationship between black men and convenience stores?  My father nearly banned me from them or monitored me closely as I went inside.  He would yell,  "Take your hands out of your pockets!"  They have been the site of beatings,  brutal armed robberies, and a refuge for homeless men looking for a handout or second chance at life.

What has caused the strain between black men and the corner store?  Jim Crow undoubtedly played a role.   African Americans,  particularly black men,  received poor service if at all,  which built resentment and a sense of caution of what to expect over the years.  A black man could have been killed or seriously injured for questioning the clerk or stepping out of line.

The unfair treatment continues today, with the best black male patrons treated like second-class citizens.  They are made the butt of jokes or chronically overcharged, known as "pulling prices out of the sky." A confrontation usually develops, with the consumer being misjudged or hauled off to jail by biased law enforcement.  In the end,  no one wins.

Do black men contribute to the problem?  Yes!  Some linger, sell drugs on store property, or harass store employees.  Others fight fire with fire instead of filing a report,  shopping elsewhere, or starting a business.

Nevertheless,  it may seem difficult for some to grasp that one group of Americans cannot shop without being harassed,  marginalized, or made to feel less than a citizen of the United States.  It happens frequently. I remember having a cash register slammed shut in my face by an angry white female store clerk after I questioned my purchase.  I lived to tell about it.  

The ugly history between black men and local store clerks has been years in the making that peaceful dialogue,  respect, and economic expansion can heal.

Harriet

Harriet Tubman may be considered the bravest American to fight against slavery or rescue others from bondage.  She not only escaped to freedom but returned numerous times to save others from cruelty in the South. 

Tubman endured the hardships of being a slave on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Born into slavery in 1829, she received beatings, including a severe head injury that affected her for life when she got caught in the crossfire of a slave owner throwing a twenty-pound weight at a runaway slave that struck her instead. 

Moreover,  she saw loved ones sold downriver and dealt with the indignity of forced labor or not being able to determine one's lot in life.  She could not own land,  start a business, vote, receive an education or simply enjoy family life,  which impacted Tubman and other slaves immensely.  After a showdown with her master over broken promises to free her,  she fled to the nearby free state of Pennsylvania, leaving behind her husband,  John Tubman,  and other family members that she would return to get later.

While in the North,  she embarked on a mission to help other slaves.  She not only delivered anti-slavery speeches but joined forces with noted Abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Garrison.  She confided in them a plan to return South and deliver others from the misery of involuntary servitude. One of her first missions involved rescuing family members who would reside with her in upstate New York.  

By the time Civil War broke out,  the woman Moses had made as many as nineteen trips into slave territory,  escorting at least 300 slaves to safety in the Northeast and Canada as a conductor on the Underground Railroad,  which consisted of a system of back roads, waterways,  safe houses, and trusted allies that helped enslaved persons make it to freedom.

During this time,  Tubman aided the Union Army, which she hoped would one day free her people.  She served as a Union spy because of her hands-on knowledge of the South.  She led a raid on a Southern stronghold that brought about the freedom of nearly 700 slaves.  She became the first woman in American History to lead U.S. forces into Battle.

Tubman's humanitarian efforts continued after the war.  She bought land in Auburn,  New York, where she built a two-story home for family and friends alike.  In addition,  she established an infirmary and old age cottages for the destitute on her property and money from her massive garden, and a small army pension to keep the mission afloat.  Later in life,  Tubman fought for women's Suffrage with contemporaries like Susan B. Anthony.

Tubman passed away in 1913 at the dawn of a new century.  A crowd of friends, neighbors, loved ones, and dignitaries paid tribute to an American hero who was laid to rest with full military honors.  Her story has been passed down from generation to generation and received top billing during the establishment of Black History Month in the 1970s.  Eventually,  her New York estate and birthplace in Maryland would become national parks.