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COMMENTARY: Who Gains When Democracy is Destroyed?

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Why are so many so silent, though? These are people who say they love democracy, but their truth is that they love it only when it works for them. So, while they cringe privately, they cower publicly, understanding full well that they work for a racist, crook, and tyrant who will suppress democracy at any cost. What do they gain?”

Published

5 years ago

April 22, 2019

Oakland Post

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Democracy is defined as the government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Who are the people who support our contemporary status quo? And how, in marginalizing the will of the people, is democracy destroyed?

The long-anticipated Mueller report is a scathing exposé of at least ten ways the man who calls himself the President of the United States bent or broke the rules and actively interfered in an investigation of his wrongdoings. The Attorney General who auditioned for his role by sending a memo that indicated that a sitting President could not be charged by the In-Justice Department edited, obfuscated, and then prevaricated about the many ways Mr. 45 simply did the wrong thing. His wrongdoings ranged from perjury (which he often couched as “I don’t remember”) to intimidation, to near, if not outright collusion. After the release of the Mueller Report, many Democrats have called for investigation or impeachment, but few Republicans have raised their voices to censure the rogue they selected as their leader.

As of this writing, Utah Senator Mitt Romney (R) has been the most vocal detractor of Mr. 45, but he was that before the Mueller Report was issued. George Conway, the bold husband of the equally fearless Kelleyanne Conway, has called for 45’s impeachment even as his spouse maintains her position as the 45 handmaiden. I don’t even want to wonder what their pillow talk sounds like, but George Conway gets mad props for speaking his truth even as he sleeps with the devil.

Why are so many so silent, though? These are people who say they love democracy, but their truth is that they love it only when it works for them. So, while they cringe privately, they cower publicly, understanding full well that they work for a racist, crook, and tyrant who will suppress democracy at any cost. What do they gain?

Most importantly they gain the courts. While Senate Majority Leader, the Tennessee Turtle Mitch McConnell built a wall between President Barack Obama’s constitutional right to appoint judges by blocking appointment whenever he could — most notably a Supreme Court appointment that should have gone to Merrick Garland. He has never met an inexperienced Republican ideologue that he would not rush to confirm. Lifetime appointments to 39-year-olds (consider Florida’s Robert J. Luck) who have practiced law less than a decade but proven their worth with harsh partisan positions, will have an impact on public policy for decades. If McConnell rules the Senate and 45 stays in office, so many of our rights will be eroded, including voting rights, the right to choose, labor rights and more.

Voting rights are on the chopping block in jurisdiction after jurisdiction. The judicial repeal of the Voting Rights Act with the reversal of Section 5 has been a setback, but aggressive state legislatures who have sought to restrict the right to vote have posed an equally challenging problem. In Florida, despite a successful initiative to restore the rights of convicted felons, the legislature has attempted to reverse the will of the people by imposing financial requirements to these returning citizens. There will undoubtedly be a court challenge, but will it be resolved in time to have 1.4 million people participate in the 2020 Florida election? In Tennessee, the state legislature proposes to impose fines on organizations that register voters who make minor mistakes on their registration forms, mistakes as insignificant as middle initial or hyphen. Republican state legislatures are passing new rules to restrict the vote in anticipation of a 2020 surge of new voters. Florida and Tennessee aren’t the only states that would suppress the vote. But voter suppression is what Mr. 45’s sycophants gain when they fail to call him out on his perfidy.

Those who support 45 gain profit maximization opportunities – he is the triumph of predatory capitalism.

From a tax cut that disproportionately advantages the wealthy, to a massive corporate tax cut that places a tax burden on the rest of the economy, 45’s economic policies have been an unapologetic transfer of income from people at the bottom to people at the top. While he talked populist trash to white folks who had racial issues, he offered public policy that contributed nothing to his core constituency. Meanwhile, through his appointments to, as an example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB), he eroded consumer rights. Instead of draining the swamp, he fed his personal alligators the raw meat of consumer protection; shredding the many ways CFPB protected the little people.

Supporting Mr. 45 also supports the triumph of white supremacy. After Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville by a now-convicted white supremacist, our nation’s leader opined that there are “good people on both sides.” His rhetoric is a signal to racists that it’s okay to attack those who have been historically marginalized in our nation. While we are in the middle of a cultural realignment, with pointed questions being raised about the corrosiveness of confederate culture, we have a national leader who disgustingly cleaves to the past and elevates white supremacy. Republicans who fail to censure an out of control president often do so because, while they abhor his behavior, they embrace his white supremacist enthusiasm.

Democracy dies when tyrants prevail, and when we have seen a prevaricator, a provocateur, a philistine, and a panderer occupy the Oval Office. Why? Because predatory capitalists gain from the elevation of a braggadocios tyrant who, while feeding their bottom line, is behaviorally uncontrollable. We have attempted to impose democracy all over the world. Why are we willing to support its demise in these United States?

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. Her latest project MALVEAUX! On UDCTV is available on youtube.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 month ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.