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Black women meet with state Democratic Party leaders

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — Saying they felt taken for granted, a group of black women met with the leaders of the California Democratic Party Aug. 24 during the party’s summer executive board meeting. More than 200 people, including newly elected party Chair Rusty Hicks, attended the forum in San Jose, where a panel of California black women discussed their continued disappointment in the party.

Published

7 years ago

August 8, 2019

Oakland Post

By Kate Croxton

LOS ANGELES — Saying they felt taken for granted, a group of black women met with the leaders of the California Democratic Party Aug. 24 during the party’s summer executive board meeting.

More than 200 people, including newly elected party Chair Rusty Hicks, attended the forum in San Jose, where a panel of California black women discussed their continued disappointment in the party.

“Black women have been the most loyal and effective Democrats across the country for decades,” said Progressive Caucus Chair Amar Shegrill. “However, if we are honest with ourselves, the party has been taking that support for granted.

“The Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party decided to host this panel and invite our party leaders to listen because it is imperative that we renew our commitment to supporting and electing black women.”

Panelists included Democratic activist and two-term Richmond City Councilwoman Jovanka Beckles, San Diego resident and African-American Caucus Chair Taisha Brown and Los Angeles City Council candidate and Democratic activist Dallas Fowler, along with Democratic activist and political commentator Jasmyne Cannick, who served as moderator.

The forum started with Cannick admitting that, like many other black women, she had one foot inside the party and one foot out because of the party’s response to the fatal overdoses of two black gay men in the West Hollywood home of one of the party’s major donors.

“At the time of Gemmel Moore’s death, our chair was good friends with Ed Buck and because of that, this party said and did nothing,” she said. “I decided I didn’t want to belong to a party that doesn’t value our lives. But rather than leave, I decided to stay and get involved because the Democratic Party gets the majority of [black women] votes, and it’s time we discuss our return on our investment with our votes to this party.”

Another topic included the lack of support by the party for black women candidates with panelists agreeing that there is little support for black women when they run for office.

Cannick, who is running for Los Angeles County Democratic Party’s Central Committee in the 53rd Assembly District, which includes Boyle Heights; downtown Los Angeles; East Los Angeles; and Koreatown, talked about the lack of black women elected as party delegates if they are not coming from traditional black areas, as well as the lack of support from elected leaders who represent those areas.

“It’s racism,” said Beckles, who recently ran as a Democrat to represent California’s 15th Assembly District and received 46% of the vote. “It’s unconscious racism. I ran for Assembly District 15, and I found it so fascinating that there were literally signs in yard that said ‘Black Lives Matter,’ and yet they also had signs for my opponent — a white woman.

“We’re talking about the unconsciousness of racism. You can’t say ‘Black Lives Matter’ and not support a black woman who has been doing this work for a long time within your own community. You can’t say ‘Black Lives Matter’ and you don’t support those black women who are running for office.”

Brown then explained that black women can lead and represent areas that are not traditionally black.

“With gentrification, I don’t even think there are any black communities in California anymore — at least not in San Diego,” she said. “It’s very mixed. I happen to believe that black women can serve all-white communities, all-Latino communities, all-Asian communities. We’ve always been inclusive in everything we do. That’s just part of our nature to be inclusive.

“I feel that when Kimberly Ellis ran [for California Democratic Party chair] the first time, she was qualified,” Brown added. “She was way more qualified than Eric Bauman, in my opinion. But she’s a black woman, and that’s the one thing that people looked at and they judged her because she is a black woman.”

Ellis, an African-American progressive Democrat and Bay Area grassroots activist, lost her second bid for chair earlier this year to Hicks after first running and losing by 62 votes to Bauman, who ended up resigning amid sexual harassment allegations in November. If she had been elected, Ellis would have been the first black woman to serve in the state party’s executive role in more than 30 years.

Another issue discussed was the lack of black women employed in leadership executive positions by the party or as consultants.

“Black executive leaders and decision makers, that’s who we want to see in the party,” Fowler said. “I also want to see executive leadership in the party that looks like me. Executive leadership, decision makers — that’s who we want to see.

“When we talk about the contracts, the party spends over $100 million when it comes down to our mid-term and general elections. And when we look at the contracting to African-American … consultants, you’re only talking about $50,000, if that, of that money. So we have to really work on the supplier diversity of this party.

“We have an opportunity to do that, and it starts with these types of conversations. When we look at the contracts and the money that the party reports, we want to see diversity as opposed to some of these big shops that continue to get the contacts year after year after year and we don’t get the opportunities to lead,” Fowler added.

All the panelists thanked Hicks for attending the forum and listening to their concerns.

“Our party’s diversity is our strength,” Hicks said. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, including hiring experienced African-American women leaders in our executive team and more diversity in our standing committees, but there’s much more to do. We look forward to working with the progressive caucus to push for greater representation at all levels of our party.”

This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

4 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.