Discussions in print, electronic and social media today, whether about presidential politics, sports, music or film are often about “race” in America. The repetitive media focus on San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s “protest” during the performances of the “Star Bangled Banner” before the commencement of a 49’s NFL game is just one example.
The repetitive news commentaries about presidential candidates Donald Trump and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s respective campaigns in African American communities is another.
Against this background, the Presidential Elections of 2016 just may be THE historic opportunity for the United States in 2017 and beyond to finally address the legacy of slavery underlying the existential issue of “race” in our country.
We write this because of the issue of race in America is ubiquitous. And, the subject of a renewed semester 15 week course we teach at the University of San Francisco. The course, “From Slavery To Obama-Renewing The Promise of Reconstruction” was created with the assistance of superbly able faculty members at USF.
The thesis of the course is: Notwithstanding the election of an African American as the 44th President of the United States, the current generation of Americans will be unable to understand or address the issue of race unless they study the institution of slavery, it’s companion ideology of “white supremacy”, their joint consequential impact on subsequent generations of the descendants of slaves and slave holders and our political, educational, economic and social institutions.
The 45th President, after taking his or her oath of office in January 2017 should respond to what we described above as “THE opportunity” by following the example of South Africa, after it’s election of Nelson Mandela as President following generations of racial “Apartheid”.
The new government created a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” to publicly acknowledge the atrocities committed against Black South Africans and publicly apologized, (and in some instances offered “reparations”) to the victims’ families.
Our new president could convene a Special Joint Session of Congress, just like President Lyndon B. Johnson did in connection with introducing the new Voting Rights Act of 1965. This 2017 Special Session could be convened to issue an apology to today’s descendants of slaves for the institution of slavery on behalf of predecessor governments and our current national government.
We anticipate that there will opposition from the “right” and the “left” to such a proposal. Those opposing such a proposed apology are likely to say in effect “I had nothing to do with slavery, therefore, I have nothing to apologize for”. Some current descendants of slaves might react by saying “Don’t give me no apology. Give me reparations for the 240+ years of unpaid labor extracted from my ancestors!”
We are simply proposing that something dramatic be done to break the cycle of cynicism about race and race relations in America today.
Meanwhile, recent polls suggest that the 2016 Presidential and Congressional elections may be putting many African-American voters between a “rock and a hard place”
Over 25 percent of African-Americans are between 18 and 34, and 44 percent are older than 35, according to 2013 census data
“Today’s young African-American voters are less likely to be found in black churches and more likely to be found in schools, loosely organized activist groups and online”, said Ms. Packnett, a St. Louis activist polled by Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster.
“Mrs. Clinton’s difficulties with young African-Americans were laid bare in four focus groups conducted in Cleveland and Jacksonville, Fla., for a handful of progressive organizations spending millions on the election: the service employees union, a joint “super PAC” between organized labor and the billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, and a progressive group called Project New America”.
In describing the doubts lingering especially among 18-34 African American voters, pollster Cornell Belcher wrote”
“Doubts about how aggressively Mrs. Clinton will move to combat racism are at the heart of black suspicion toward her. Some African-Americans said her 1996 reference to some young criminals as “super-predators,” and the legislation that President Bill Clinton signed imposing stiff sentences on nonviolent offenders, have made today’s activists skeptical about her true intentions”.
Sadly, Hillary Clinton’s Democratic “establishment African American advisors themselves appear not to have clue as to what’s most important to this generation’s African American community.
Then, there are former Senator Bernie Sander’s supporters who are having their doubts and suspicions confirmed about their belief that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is fundamentally a “tool” or “spokesperson” for the rich and wealthy donors. How else to explain raising $140 million within 30 days from such donors? But, no time during more than 272 days to hold a traditional press conference with reporters.
Clearly, the establishment leadership wing of the National Democratic Party, after rigging the primaries in favor of Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders, have decided to turn its back on millions of Sanders’ supporters’ opposition to the influence of “big money” in the Democratic party.
Some cynics are saying the race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for president is similar to the past Gubernatorial race between Louisiana Governor Edward Edwards and David Duke a leader of that State’s Klu Klux Klan: A political choice then described as being between a crook that Louisiana voters for governor knew(Edwards), and David Duke of the Klan. Edwards was reelected governor.
Strategic political leadership, after thoughtful analysis often requires difficult choices that transcend satisfaction of immediate political goals or objectives. The 2008 Obama campaign frequently cautioned against making “Perfect the enemy of the good”, or the enemy of what’s pragmatically possible; and politically necessary.
As a former primary supporter of Bernie Sanders we are confronted among choosing Trump, Clinton or voting for a third party presidential candidate.
Hillary Clinton is ethically challenged and a political opportunist. However, we are unwilling to provide Trump with the unique opportunity to appoint new justices to the United States Supreme Court. This singular fact is so important to us that ii requires us to hold our noses and vote for Clinton: the devil that we know, to achieve a more important politically strategic objective.
Again, as we conclude with several of our blogs: We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!
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