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Electing the First Black Speaker of the House Depends on You

By Donald M Suggs, Word in Black The significance of each congressional seat has been brought into sharp focus after an unprecedented vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3 saw California Republican Kevin McCarthy removed from the top leadership post as Speaker of the House. Against this backdrop, the possibility of the Democrats gaining control of the […]
The post Electing the First Black Speaker of the House Depends on You first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

December 5, 2023

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By Donald M Suggs, Word in Black

The significance of each congressional seat has been brought into sharp focus after an unprecedented vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3 saw California Republican Kevin McCarthy removed from the top leadership post as Speaker of the House.

Against this backdrop, the possibility of the Democrats gaining control of the House introduces the prospect of a historic shift: If we take action on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, we will have, almost certainly, the first Black Speaker of the House in United States history.

Why a Black Speaker Matters

The Speaker of the House — the presiding officer of the House — is elected by whichever party has the most voting members, and it’s a powerful role. After the vice-president, the speaker is second in line for the presidential succession. The speaker manages all business in the House of Representatives, including appointing committee members.

You likely know who Nancy Pelosi is because she was Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. How powerful was Pelosi? Without her, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, likely would not have become law.

Hakeem Jeffries, who represents the diverse Eighth Congressional District in New York, an area that includes most of the larger parts of Brooklyn is serving his sixth term in Congress. Jeffries is the current leader of the Democratic Caucus and therefore is likely to become the Speaker if Democrats gain control of the House.

The current narrow margins in several swing districts that hold the balance of power in federal elections means the level of Black voter participation has even more impact. This should be a huge incentive for all of Black America to mobilize for massive voter participation.

The Cost of Voter Apathy

The devastating costs of voter apathy for African Americans are even more alarming when you realize that, according to the Cook’s Political Report’s Davis Waserman, only 82 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives’ races every two years are competitive across the country between Democrats and Republicans. That is just half of the swing districts in 1999.

That has led to a vast majority of primaries placing an outsize influence on any group of highly engaged and more-intense people who show up and vote. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center less than 1 in 5 eligible voters cast their ballots in party primaries. It means that a relatively small group of voters that do show up have a disproportionate impact on who goes to the influential U.S. Congress.

There is the issue of party registration in the 30 states where only registered party voters can vote in primaries. Alaska, California, Louisiana and Washington either don’t have primary elections in federal elections or changed them into non-partisan contests in which the top finishers make it to the November ballot.

In any case, Black voter indifference means a huge missed opportunity to affect primary election outcomes. We need to understand better how electoral policies actually work and take more responsibility to learn how to better use the system to protect our interests and advance concerns.

We must become smarter, more active voters. We must become more willing and able to recognize that many strategies and aspects of our lives and well-being are dependent on public policies that are influenced by how we strongly make our voices heard at the ballot box.

Countering Voter Suppression

We know that voter suppression and gerrymandering maps that dilute the power of Black voters are used to undermine our political influence. New York Times columnist Jamelle Boule reminds us that “various efforts to invalidate elections and create durable systems of minority rule in the states are possible only because of a constitutional structure that gives a considerable amount of power and sovereignty to subnational units of political authority.”

But despite those challenges, we must not be discouraged and take greater measures to incentivize our voters to get to the polls. They need to understand that their votes, in many situations, do count — especially if they participate — because the margins that determine who will be in control are often very close.

Moreover, there has also been a significant shift of Black voters from inner cities to the suburbs where they often hold the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans. This increasingly significant Black suburban vote helped several Democratic candidates win, including the presidency because of the results in several states including Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania where the margins of victory were razor thin. Biden won the popular vote by six million, but he would have lost if not for narrow victories in a small number of swing states.

The Consequences of Not Showing Up at the Polls

Thirteen months from now, Americans will go to the polls to elect the next president of the United States. Some of us will also vote in Senate races. And no matter where you live, you’ll vote for who will represent you for two years in Congress.

A negative outcome of the upcoming national elections in 2024 goes beyond a Black man — Hakeem Jeffries — not becoming Speaker of the House. Not turning out the vote could lead to immense harm for you, your family, and your community. If the next president is Donald J. Trump and Republicans gain control the House and Senate, we would likely see the country move down a perilous path that would create tremendous danger for Black people.

The vote was gained for Black people only after much pain, suffering and sacrifice by our forebears and sympathetic non-Black people. Our vote is still continually being compromised as shown in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision by a 5 to 4 count (Justice Clarence Thomas cast the decisive concurring vote) that reversed the most aggressive and effective rule for federal protection of voting rights since Reconstruction.

We must organize to protect against any further diminution of our vital right to votet. It is a sacred duty and obligation. We must mobilize to turn out in record numbers and use this hard won right by showing up at the polls.

______

Donald M Suggs is the publisher and owner of The St. Louis American.

Local Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable trust that provides support for the Word In Black collaborative, does not endorse political candidates. Word In Black, however, invites and publishes opinion essays, including this one, from vital voices and opinion makers central to creating equity in Black communities.

This article originally appeared in San Diego Voice and Viewpoint.

The post Electing the First Black Speaker of the House Depends on You first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”
The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.

The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts

Is your home EV charging setup ready? Dealerships may not warn you about critical outlet and circuit needs. Find out before you plug in!
The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Dealerships won’t tell you: charging this big battery at home isn’t always simple. Verify your outlet capacity, circuit, and setup before assuming level one or basic outdoor outlets will suffice.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/A9Cd2SspoaQ

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The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts

Don’t get tricked at the dealership! Learn essential car buying secrets to secure the best deal and avoid hidden traps.
The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Before stepping into a dealership, secure bank pre-approval for your financing rate. Then, get the out-the-door price in writing. Never discuss monthly payments until that number is fixed. Test road noise and rear visibility yourself. Decline add-ons with a simple ‘Not today’. Check backseat space with your tallest household member.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/maAOBjO1puY

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The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.