Ben Jealous: 'Every part' of Sanders' platform helps African-Americans

[JudyM]

"He has the best racial justice platform of any presidential candidate -- but every part of his platform helps African-Americans. His infrastructure plan creates or preserves 13 million good jobs. That helps African-Americans. Providing tuition-free education at public colleges and universities opens the door to opportunity for young people. That helps African-Americans. He has a plan to protect and expand Social Security -- that helps African-Americans."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-todd-jealous/who-is-bernie-sanders_b_9245748.html

•••

Former head of NAACP responds to a common DU topic...

[yourpaljoey]

1. Keep spreading the word

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Yeah, but...

a lot of folks seem to think that doesn't matter because Bernie doesn't specifically help ONLY black Americans, or doesn't talk about how to 'end racism'. Therefore, they can't support Sanders, despite the fact that his policies would actually help black Americans.

(And I'm still not clear exactly on how Clinton is going to end sexism, end racism, end homophobia, no matter how many policies she claims to have and Sanders supposedly doesn't.)

[nashville_brook]

3. it's a bunch of neoliberals preaching the prosperity gospel

who are making all the noise about Sanders. people are seeing through it.

[TCJ70]

5. I think it's best we just ignore those posters...

..."end racism"...talk about unicorns and rainbows.

[thesquanderer]

9. Hillary's answer to that

"Look, I don't believe you change hearts. I believe you change laws, you change allocation of resources, you change the way systems operate."

It's a perfectly good answer. But I don't know if Hillary fans would feel that would be acceptable if it had come out of Bernie's mouth.

[roguevalley]

17. she also told BLM that she'd only talk to

white people

[thesquanderer]

22. Actually, I give her a pass on that one.

In full context, it isn't quite what it seems.

[fbc]

26. same

[roguevalley]

32. I dont. agree to disagree

[thesquanderer]

41. If you'd like to see more of the other perspective...

...check out http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017300425 especially posts 32/33/35.

But agree to disagree is okay too. Just kinda wanted to make sure you actually saw the other side before disagreeing with it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. They never look at it that way.

[Uncle Joe]

34. None of them would come on to this thread and make the argument that Bernie's economic

policies couldn't/wouldn't also reduce racism.

I tried repeatedly but there were no takers.

POVERTY AND RACISM INEXTRICABLY LINKED, SAYS UN EXPERT

Amongst his recommendations, the Special Rapporteur invited member states to adopt comprehensive approaches for tackling the intersection of poverty and discrimination which is prevalent around the world.

In particular, he recommended that member states review and redesign policies and programmes which may have a disproportionate effect on racial or ethnic minorities in view of their socioeconomic vulnerability and implement effective measures to improve the access of such groups to civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.

The Special Rapporteur further encouraged the stakeholders of the post-2015 agenda to continue focusing on reducing socioeconomic inequalities while taking into account issues surrounding discrimination.

While the Millennium Development Goals have addressed the reduction of extreme poverty, he suggested that in the post-2015 agenda specific goals and targets be developed to ensure that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or ethnicity, has universal access to health care, education, water, food and security.

Kanaga Raja is Editor of the South-North Development Monitor (SUNS), from which this article is reproduced (No. 7692, 8 November 2013). SUNS is published by the Third World Network.


http://www.socialwatch.org/node/16324


http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511221589

[Mnpaul]

71. I saw an interesting movie the other night

10,000 Black Men Named George
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10,000_Black_Men_Named_George

It told the story of A. Philip Randolph, leader of the first AA union and leader of the civil rights movement The movie showed how their fight for rights at work turned into something much larger:

Asa[1] Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the American labor movement, and socialist political parties.

He organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first predominantly African American labor union. In the early Civil Rights Movement, Randolph led the March on Washington Movement, which convinced President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802 in 1941, banning discrimination in the defense industries during World War II. The group then successfully pressured President Harry S. Truman to issue Executive Order 9981 in 1948, ending segregation in the armed services.

In 1963, Randolph was the head of the March on Washington, which was organized by Bayard Rustin, at which Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech. Randolph inspired the Freedom budget, sometimes called the "Randolph Freedom budget", which aimed to deal with the economic problems facing the black community.

A. Philip Randolph threatened a march on Washington in the '40s and the feds gave in. He threatened a march in the 50's and the feds gave in. He went forward with the march in the 60's and that was the one where MLK made his famous speech. Why does he get little or no mention in the media or history books? I had never heard of him before seeing the movie.

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. At this point those few posters are pure white noise

the kind that lulls me to sleep

And I recommend people take that tack with them.

[cyberswede]

4. K&R

I've posted excerpts from Bernie's Racial Justice platform - hoping for constructive criticism on it - if it doesn't go far enough, or doesn't' address specifics well enough, or whatever. Nobody has commented on any of them.

[in_cog_ni_to]

46. That's because that's not really their "issue" with him.

It's just the excuse they use.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[JudyM]

48. +1! Nt

[in_cog_ni_to]

49. ...

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[DURHAM D]

6. Given what Ben did to Shirley Sherrod

what he has to say is of little interest to anyone.

[JudyM]

8. ... and Obama too? He admitted his administration forced her out.

Just curious...

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Sherrod tendered her resignation upon demand from Cheryl Cook, Dep Undersecratary of the USDA

and Cook said the pressure was from the WH. Jealous had no power over her, Obama certainly did.

[AlbertCat]

30. Jealous had no power over her, Obama certainly did.

Don't burst the Hillary bubble! They love looking down their noses at those lesser entities that don't fall for "Bernie doesn't get it" memes started by the GOP.

[firebrand80]

7. The Iranian nuclear agreement helps African Americans

The issue I have with Bernie is not whether he has a good platform. I want to know whether he thinks the race problem in America extends beyond class. I don't think he does.

[HerbChestnut]

10. I think he does.

He typically mentions institutional racism in his stump speeches, and he's done several appearances where he's talked at length about racism and minorities, particularly African Americans. It just tends to get overshadowed by his views on the economy and Wall St, which is a product of both the way he approaches his speeches and the way the media covers them.

[firebrand80]

11. When he's asked about issues of race

His first reaction is typically "create more jobs." That's what leads me to believe that he doesn't quite get it.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. So what is Hillary's answer that lets you know she 'gets it'?

To me, Hillary's strong opposition to civil rights for LGBT offers a red flag in terms of how Hillary deals with the rights of minority groups.

[firebrand80]

14. It's the way she talks about the issues

He recent speech on race is a good example. She recognized racial inequality that goes beyond economic inequality, such as racism in denial of loans, voter suppression efforts, and Republican opposition to President Obama.

[libtodeath]

16. What does she propose to do though?

[firebrand80]

18. about what?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. Seriously???

[TeeYiYi]

31. !...

TYY

[libtodeath]

23. You cant make something like that response up.

[Hiraeth]

38. funniest. reply. ever.

omg. can't breathe over here, laughing so hard.

[freebrew]

24. Expert government study...what else?

That's her answer to cannabis legalization, labor problems, etc.

After the studies are done, prolly back to status quo.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

37. Hillary is running on fighting the Republicans to keep what we have....

An article the other day used the word "stagnation".

What I believe is we will have four years of impeachment hearings.

Impeachment votes in the House will be all the rage alongside their usual Repeal Obamacare votes.

[freebrew]

39. "What I believe is we will have four years of impeachment hearings."

Along with a lot of republican legislation getting passed to screw over the working and middle classes.

As if there's much left of us, they'll get it all with HRC in the WH.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

40. The banks will get off completely for the financial crisis too....

I'm sure she has a Goldman Sachs alumni waiting in the wings to be Treasury Secretary.

[Autumn]

25. Talk. That's more than enough is what I keep seeing.

She doesn't have to do anything. Just talk. I don't get it.

[firebrand80]

45. I'm not saying talk is enough

In every election voters are expected to essentially "guess" which candidate will be better on issues they care about based on the candidate's record, history, and what they say.

[mhatrw]

53. Talk nicely and carry a big whip. nt

[marmar]

28. Well, accepting tons of money from the prison industrial complex and loan-denying banksters.....

..... is an odd way to show it.

[AlbertCat]

33. in denial of loans, voter suppression efforts, and Republican opposition to President Obama.

in denial of loans,

economic



voter suppression efforts,

Sanders has talked about this. It too stems from economic "segregation"



and Republican opposition to President Obama.

Every liberal has talked about this. A lot of economics goes in there too.


The "way she talks about it" sounds scripted and certainly not passionate.

[firebrand80]

44. That's where I disagree with Bernie

These issues of race are intertwined with economic issues, but they aren't one in the same. For example, I don't worry about where my next meal is coming from, but I do worry about one of my sons being treated unfairly (or worse) by a police officer.

I will concede that sounding "human" and not like a technocrat is not a political skill of hers. She shows flashes from time to time, it's very difficult to pull out of her though.

[JudyM]

54. Bernie jumped right on the Florida black vote disenfranchisement. Just one example

of his actions speaking volumes about his values.

[firebrand80]

58. Good for him

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that Bernie's heart isn't in the right place on these issues

[eridani]

68. So, what did Clinton do (or try to do) about Florida 2000? n/r

[A Simple Game]

47. Wow, she actually recognized racial inequality. She is so far ahead of her times!!!

Ummm, no mention on what to do about it?

[beam me up scottie]

51. Really? Have you seen this video?:

She doesn't get it at all.

[firebrand80]

55. No, this is the first time I've seen it

That said, is there something in her response you found objectionable?

[beam me up scottie]

56. Yes, she didn't address white privilege, all she did was talk about herself.

She doesn't "get it" in other words.

[firebrand80]

57. Sounded like she did to me

She was talking about a time when her own privilege was recognizable to her

[beam me up scottie]

59. She talked about how she suddenly realized PoC love their kids too.

How is that discussing white privilege?

[firebrand80]

60. She talked about how much more well off

Her upbringing was compared to theirs

[beam me up scottie]

61. That's not white privilege, that's a person who grew up with money talking about monetary privilege.

[noiretextatique]

70. not this tired canard

ask a poor, black person if a job would improve her life. a part of the race problem is economics. this non-argument is only pushed by people who are not poor. for the downtrodden black upper class

[uponit7771]

15. Including his overall stance on guns?! I don't think so Ben

[Spitfire of ATJ]

21. "Overall" meaning his D- from the NRA?

[uponit7771]

63. no, c liftime avg...d is from one year

[AlbertCat]

35. Including his overall stance on guns?!

This debunked meme again?

Are you referring to his D- rating with the NRA?

Or perhaps his reluctance to vote for bills with crap inserted into them at the last minute?

[beam me up scottie]

50. His overall support of gun control doesn't help AAs? Link? Tia!

[uponit7771]

64. no...you have enough info on it

[beam me up scottie]

65. No I don't, how does gun control hurt AAs?

[CoffeeCat]

27. The word is getting out and will continue to spread

ALL PEOPLE, regardless of race, gender and creed--will research these candidates and draw their own conclusions.

They won't be swayed by Hillary propaganda and race baiting--a machine that is working overtime to position Sanders as someone who doesn't care about minorities.

It's all lies. I trust that the truth will surface.

[AlbertCat]

36. position Sanders as someone who doesn't care about minorities.

A meme started back in June? July? by the GOP.

Remember! VT is so small and white, it isn't even a part of the USA! (neither apparently is IA and NH)

[JudyM]

42. Some may not care about the truth. Some may be looking for anything at all, even if clearly false.

Hm, wonder why?

[Uncle Joe]

29. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, JudyM.

[mhatrw]

52. But why even try to make things better for blacks if it won't end racism and sexism? nt

[eridani]

69. ^^should be an OP^^ n/t

[Arazi]

62. This is a great read! Thanks for posting

[amborin]

66. K&R

[LWolf]

67. K & R