Written by Kazemde Ajamu

Forging Alliances and Conquering the Congressional Maze for Justice

Let’s talk about a game where the stakes are nothing less than the scales of justice themselves. We’re not just building coalitions here; we’re stitching together powerhouses of influence to push through the thickets of Capitol Hill’s maze. It’s about mastering the political chessboard, plotting moves with Machiavellian grace, and pulling the strings in the puppet show of legislation. This isn’t your polite hand-shaking affair; it’s a strategic battleground where only the savvy and relentless emerge victorious. Are you ready to navigate the treacherous corridors of Congress and claim justice as your prize? Buckle up; it’s going to be a wild ride.

Kazemde ajamu – The urban politician

Developing a Unified Reparations Plan

Before any political maneuvering, the first step is to forge a widely accepted reparations plan within the African American community. This plan needs to articulate clearly the rationale, the beneficiaries, the form reparations should take (e.g., financial, educational, community investments), and funding mechanisms that are politically feasible. The challenge here is immense, as it involves balancing diverse viewpoints and interests within the community while also presenting a proposal that can gain traction in a broader political context.

Engaging Beyond Black Congressional Districts

While the 58 Black Representatives and 3 Black Senators play crucial roles, the real political battleground lies in districts and states not directly controlled by African American voters. Identifying Democratic-held districts with significant Black voter populations but represented by White Congress members is a strategic starting point. These districts potentially offer leverage to influence representatives by making the case that their electoral success depends on addressing the concerns of their Black constituents.

Building Cross-Demographic Alliances

Achieving the necessary majority in Congress will require building alliances beyond the African American community. This means engaging with Hispanic, Asian, and White voters in districts critical for securing the additional votes needed. Crafting a message that resonates across these demographics, emphasizing justice, equity, and the long-term benefits of reparations to American society as a whole, is essential. The complexity of this task cannot be overstated, as it requires bridging diverse interests and perspectives.

Navigating the Senate’s Higher Hurdle

The Senate, with its broader state-wide constituencies and the need for a supermajority to overcome filibusters, presents an even more formidable challenge. Success here demands a nationwide strategy, targeting states where Senators might be swayed by public opinion and pressure from a coalition of voters from various racial and economic backgrounds.

The Role of Republican Support

While the discussion often focuses on the Democratic Party, gaining some level of Republican support could be crucial. This involves identifying moderate Republicans who may be open to the idea of reparations under certain conditions or framing the issue in ways that resonate with conservative values, such as justice and rectification of historical wrongs.

Learning from State-Level Efforts

California’s exploration of reparations provides a valuable case study. Observing how one of the most liberal states addresses the challenges of consensus-building, funding, and implementing reparations could offer key lessons and strategies that might be applied at the federal level.

The Political Realities

The suggestion to withhold votes from the Democratic Party to force action on reparations risks alienating the very representatives who might be most sympathetic to the cause. A more effective approach may involve targeted political engagement, voter mobilization, and strategic alliances to shift the balance of power in Congress gradually.

In conclusion, navigating the political landscape to achieve reparations is a multifaceted challenge that requires a sophisticated and strategic approach. It demands unity within the African American community, the building of broad-based coalitions, and a pragmatic engagement with the realities of American politics. While the path is undoubtedly difficult, the pursuit of justice and equity through reparations remains a noble and essential endeavor.

The post “Strategic Pathways to Reparations” appeared first on Urban Politician.

GEORGIA: The Senate Runoff Election between Senator Raphael Warnock and Hershal Walker will take place on Tuesday, December 6. Early voting begins on November 28 and will end on December 2.

On Tuesday, November 15th, Raphael Warnock’s campaign filed a lawsuit against Georgia after the state said it would not offer Saturday early voting for the closely watched runoff in which Warnock is seeking re-election to the US Senate.

Contradictions have arisen from the shortened runoff period for voting that Georgia Republicans put into effect last year in order to deter people from voting. The four-week period that was supposed to last nine weeks is now in conflict with the state law that doesn’t allow early voting around holidays. According to state law, early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving would not be allowed. The day after Thanksgiving is also a state holiday in Georgia, which was originally created to commemorate Robert E Lee, a Confederate civil war general. However, in 2015, state officials decided to take Lee’s name off of the holiday and just refer to it as a “state holiday”.

In 2020, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were elected to the Senate in a run-off election by Georgia voters. They did not receive the 50.1 percent majority vote required by state law in the general election. The Urban Politician Alliance was able to get started with the help of generous donors from different parts of the United States. We were able to gather the necessary funds through both small and large donations, and we partnered with Georgia State Representative Doreen Carter and the DeKalb County Democratic Party. This allowed us to bring both Warnock and Ossoff to the Black Dot Cultural Center on Main Street in Lithonia. We also implemented a get-the-vote-out campaign that led to massive turnouts in DeKalb County, Georgia.

This year, we have less time to send Senator Warnock back to the Senate, and we need your help once again. The Urban Politician Alliance is a grassroots organization whose goal is to inform, engage, and activate the voting power of local citizens. We understand that all politics is local and that we must elect officials who will serve our communities.

Your donation will go directly to helping the Urban Politician Alliance organize local DeKalb County voters and getting the vote out during early elections from November 28th through December 2nd and election day December 6th.

The post Mobilizing the Vote for Warnock appeared first on Urban Politician.

Hey Atlanta,

You’re upset that Special prosecutor Peter Skandalakis didn’t indict Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan for killing Rashard Brooks? I am too, however, what are the laws in Atlanta governing police use of force? Who makes the laws governing police use of force? The Atlanta City Council makes the laws and the Mayor signs them. The same goes for police union contracts. More importantly, who votes for council members? The citizens of Atlanta vote for them in office. Even if you stand on the sidelines and don’t vote, your nonvote or your voice stands in the way of corrective action. The other side wins. Police officers continue to be held to a different standard.

Prosecutors can only indict based on the laws that govern their decisions. What was the Atlanta Citizens Review Board recommendation or Police Officers Standards and Training (POST)? Were these officers stripped of the certifications or cleared by all agencies?

What was the recommendation of the Citizens Review Board or the Police Officers Standards and Training (POST)? Did these officers have their certifications removed?

Here are some action items.

• It is imperative that you petition your local representatives to Update the legislation governing law enforcement’s use of force.
• If demands aren’t met, vote for officials that will meet your demands
• Require police officers to carry liability insurance.
• Get involved with the Citizens Review Board
• Don’t get mad, stand up, be counted

Atlanta is a predominantly Black city; if you harness your political power, you can ensure that no more police officers get away with murdering an unarmed citizen.

If you want more information on police officers’ liability insurance plans, check out this article.

The post Upset About the Rashard Brooks Decision appeared first on Urban Politician.

Written by Kazemde Ajamu

How the Southern Strategy is at work

The Southern Strategy was a political strategy employed by Richard Nixon and the Republican Party in the United States to win votes from white southern voters who had traditionally been loyal to the Democratic Party. The strategy involved appealing to white southern voters on issues such as race and law and order. In the 1972 Presidential election, Nixon won 43.4 percent of the vote to Humphrey’s 42.7 percent, and Wallace captured 13.5 percent. Third-party candidate George Wallace was unsuccessful in his run for the U.S. presidency that year, winning 13 percent of the vote (9,906,473) and five Southern states as the nominee of the anti-liberal American Independent Party.  Wallace garnered the majority of his backing from White Southerners and disgruntled blue-collar workers who were fed up with the Democratic Party’s Civil Rights policies from the previous decade. The success of this tactic led to its adoption by other Republican-majority states.

In 2021, the Republicans have complete control over the legislative and executive branches in 23 states, while the Democrats will have control of the legislative and executive branches in 15 states. African Americans make up a significant portion of the population in Republican-controlled states. As of 2022, the population of African Americans living in the 23 states controlled by Republican politics is 20,925,486.

 The Federal government’s passing of legislation to end Jim Crow and ensure rights for women was vital in setting the stage for progress in the southern states and across the country. This number is expected to increase in the coming years, which made it all the more imperative that the Southern Strategy refocuses its efforts on fighting for State Rights.

The term “states’ rights” is often used in political discussions, but what does it actually mean? States’ rights are the powers and authority that are reserved for state governments, as opposed to the federal government. This means that each state has the right to govern itself and make its own laws, as long as those laws don’t violate the Constitution.

So why is this important? The states’ rights vs. federal government. It is clear that in order for the Republican party to maintain power, they need to grow their base and control state politics. By passing laws within their own states and sending representatives to Washington to vote on legislation and putting Supreme Court Justices on the bench, they are working to dismantle any obstacles that stand in their way.

Beginning in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated seating was unconstitutional and made segregation illegal in public schools in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964—legislation initiated by President John F. Kennedy—into law on July 2 of that year. Followed by the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965. The Fair Housing Act was a groundbreaking piece of legislation that was passed in the aftermath of King’s assassination. It aimed to put an end to housing discrimination and ensured that everyone had equal access to housing opportunities, regardless of race, sex, national origin, or religion. This act was one of the many accomplishments of the civil rights movement. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed Congress in 1972 and was quickly ratified by 35 of the 38 states needed for it to become part of the Constitution. As the seven-year time limit for ratification approached in 1979, Congress and President Jimmy Carter controversially extended the deadline by three years. However, no additional states ratified.  During the mid-1970s, a conservative backlash against feminism eroded support for the Equal Rights Amendment, which ultimately failed to achieve ratification by the requisite 38, or three-fourths, of the states, by the deadline set by Congress. Roe v. Wade is a 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide. The decision was based on the Fourteenth Amendment, which protects a woman’s right to privacy.

When Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, it shifted the ideological balance of power toward conservatives who embraced the Southern Strategy. These justices have embraced the Southern Strategy and delivered rulings that have brought power back to the states. The Supreme Court is now majority-conservative, we can expect to see more rulings that favor the states over the federal government and that chisel away at the civil rights protections that have been put in place over the past few decades. This is a major shift in the balance of power, and it will have far-reaching consequences for our country.

The recent Supreme Court decisions on the Voting Rights Act and Roe v. Wade show that the Southern Strategy is working. For example, the Voting Rights Act was weakened when the Federal government was stripped of its oversight role. Similarly, Roe was overturned, and states were given the power to make their own decisions about abortion. This is a huge step backward for civil rights in America.

Although schools are no longer legally segregated, 23 Republican-controlled states are introducing legislation that prevents educators from teaching history through the experiences of African Americans and other minority groups in America. Florida Governor Ron Desantis, a potential candidate for President in 2024, has recently signed into law one of the most oppressive education policies in the country. In an article for the Counterpunch titled “The Nazification of American Education,” Henry Giroux writes: “Not only are these laws aimed at minorities of class and color, but this GOP attack on education is part of a larger war on the very ability to think, question, and engage in politics from the vantage point of being critical, informed, and willing to hold power accountable. More generally, it is part of a concerted effort not only to destroy public education but the very foundations of political agency.” This is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed. It is imperative that we take action against this discrimination to ensure that all students have access to quality education.

What began in 1968 with Nixon’s attempt to convert White southern voters to the Republican party by appealing to their racist and misogynistic policies through messaging that would be described as dog whistles or code language that only whites can understand, became the national calling card for the conservative movement. The “less government intrusion” platform plank of the republican party is nothing more than their “State Rights” agenda. The coded language ended when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries and Presidential election. Trump spoke directly to the White disgruntled voters of America who feared that their whiteness was losing political and economic power to African Americans, women, and other minorities. Trump and his Republican base began to exercise their right to hate speech both politically and socially protected by the Constitution.

In the unsuccessful bid for Trump’s reelection, he still garnered 74,223,369 votes, the second most by any presidential candidate. More confirmation that the messaging of the Southern Strategy which was designed to win over Southern white voters has now permeated the mainstream. The current political landscape is dominated by identity politics. This has resulted in a decrease in moderate Republicans and fiscal conservatism has become the prevailing ideology while trying to conceal the true objectives. The groundswell of support from primary voters is carrying this party’s agenda forward, and those who align with this ideology are voicing their approval loudly. Those who oppose this movement within the party are keeping mum for fear of being voted out in future primaries. We saw the lengths they were willing to go to when the aforementioned loss was so devastating to them that they not only spread misinformation but also resorted to deception and violence in an attempt to storm the Capitol and disrupt Congress’ constitutional duty to certify Biden’s election.

Fortunately, Trump and his divisive rhetoric did not win in the end. Biden not only won the electoral college, but he also won the popular vote by over 7 million votes. This fight is far from over, with the midterm elections this year and the presidential election in 2024. Trumpism, identity politics, and the southern strategy are synonymous and still very much alive, even without Trump himself.

In conclusion, the consequences of the Republican platform are immeasurable. The ongoing campaign to spread misinformation amongst African Americans is designed to create apathy and confusion. This is precisely what they aim to achieve–create enough chaos as well as passing legislation to disenfranchise voters to guarantee their party’s victory. Their goal is to make America like it was before–great again. Which ultimately means returning us to our former position.

No matter how complex the Republican agenda becomes, we can see through it. We must be constantly vigilant in scrutinizing information designed to alarm us and prevent us from participating in the political process. While we should be concerned with what the current Administration and this Democratic Congress are doing or not doing, we must not lose sight of what the Republican agenda will do if they regain power.

It is imperative that we all turn out to vote this November. Why do you ask? Well, if we want to maintain control of both houses in Congress and also increase numbers in the Senate by having three more Democratic members, that’s why. Additionally, doing so would allow us to codify abortion rights for women and pass the John Lewis Voting Act – which would help restore the Voting Rights Act’s requirement that states pre-clear any changes made to their voting laws with the federal government. The act was reintroduced in the 117th Congress and is named after the late Georgia Representative and voting rights activist John Lewis. Another important piece of legislation we should demand is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, it is a bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives. These are only a few examples of the legislation we could hope to achieve but by no means a comprehensive list.

While we are focusing on Federal legislation, we cannot lose sight of what is taking place in our local and state politics. Remember that all politics is local. The Republican Party’s strategy for the last 50 years has been to control the politics in states. That strategy has proven successful for them. We are most effective where we live and must push back collectively on these repressive policies.

The significance of your donation cannot be overestimated. Your donation is what makes it possible for us to conduct the necessary research to provide reliable information and enact real change.

Thank you for your support.

The post The Dismantling of Civil Rights in America. appeared first on Urban Politician.

CSX Transportation has the legal right to use the tracks through Lithonia and all of Georgia that have been granted to them by the federal government. Local municipalities have no control or oversight over this activity. They are one of the seven largest freight railroad companies and the largest in the Southeast. Additionally, Georgia boasts the largest rail network in the Southeast.

Earlier this year in February, the 11 Alive News Investigation Team looked into the matter and found that complaints about stalled trains in Georgia had jumped 259% in 2021. Deshon Cooper of Lithonia started a change.org petition late in 2020.

Nearly 400 people in Lithonia have signed a petition on change.org complaining that CSX trains blocking traffic for days at a time, an issue that Lithonia Mayor Shameka Reynolds says has been plaguing the city for nearly a year.

“Today they have it opened up and we’re grateful for that,” Reynolds said pointing to the tracks, showing two rows of train cars on either side. “But nine times out of 10, it’s mostly connected and we have to go a different route.”

When the trains are connected, Reynolds said it blocks people from accessing resources like grocery stores and can keep police from using the most direct route to an emergency. 

In each instance, CSX’s temporary relief measure will only buy time until they can return to blocking off Lithonia streets for extended periods of time. This has resulted in frustration for residents and officials, who have received a variety of explanations for the delay, including a lack of personnel and trains being stuck in place for mechanical and operational difficulties.

CSX’s website states, ‘While CSX operates in many kinds of communities, the company’s focus remains constant. CSX has an unwavering commitment to the safety, the service of its customers, the disciplined utilization of assets, and the development of people and the communities where the company operates.”

The commitment CSX claims to have toward safety for the communities they operate in does not make sense.

When the focus is on them, they appear to rectify the situation without having a fervent dedication to addressing it entirely. It seems as if CSX has no plans to address the issue and will continue to act with total disregard.

This can only be solved politically and the Georgia State Legislators proposed HB1473 in their 2021/2022 Legislative Session. 37 States have passed legislation prohibiting CSX Transportation and other freight railroad companies from creating safety issues by limiting how long trains can sit on the tracks.

Georga House Bill 1473

To amend Part 3 of Article 6 of Chapter 8 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to operation of trains at crossings, so as to prohibit the operation of a train in a manner that occupies or blocks a street, road, or highway grade crossing longer than a certain amount of time; to provide for exceptions; to provide for immunity from penalty in certain instances; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

(a) No railroad common carrier shall authorize the operation of a train in a manner that occupies or blocks any street, road, or highway grade crossing by engines or passenger or freight cars longer than 15 consecutive minutes unless the train is in motion or such blockage is:

(1) Due to a power brake failure or other mechanical failure;

(2) Necessary to avoid striking any object or person on the track;

(3) Due to a derailment or other accident; or

(4) In order to comply with a federal safety directive or regulation or other federal law.

Georgia HB 1473 never made it out of the Transportation Committee to a full vote in the Georgia State House. In other words, the bill was dead on arrival. It is critical that we have a discussion on HB1473 so that we can move forward with this important legislation. Representative Dr. Jasmine Clark (D) has co-sponsored the bill along with 3 Republicans, but the Chair of the Transportation Committee Rick Jasperse (R) in the Georgia State House has not allowed a debate on the bill. We need to pressure the Chair to allow a debate on this bill so that we can move forward on this crucial issue. Federal Interstate Commerce laws protect trains, so the state is limited in what it can do. Further Governor Kemp has expressed interest in bringing stakeholders to the table, but that’s about all he has done. He can do more, such as actually bringing people to the table. He has that power.

Virginia is one of a limited number of states that have a law in place to restrict the amount of time that trains can block crossings, as dictated by the State Corporation Commission. The time limits for such situations range from five to twenty minutes, depending on the circumstances.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission is “joining a national effort to seek federal assistance regarding the burgeoning safety issue of blocked railroad crossings,” according to a press release from earlier this month.

“The Association of State Railroad Safety Managers is urging the adoption of federal regulations to limit the amount of time a train may block a highway-rail grade crossing,” the release stated. “The association recently circulated a resolution calling for federal legislation requiring the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to prescribe regulations making it unlawful for trains to block highway-rail grade crossings for longer than a specified period unless the train is stopped for mechanical or emergency reasons.”

The increase in complaints about stalled trains in Georgia is cause for alarm and we must take steps to address the issue. This is an election year in Georgia and Stacey Abrams is running against Brian Kemp for office. It is essential that she receive as many votes as possible in order to win. She trails Kemp by a few points in the polls. Issues such as this resonate with Georgia voters, especially in small places like Lithonia and other municipalities that are held hostage by CSX and Republican politicians like Rick Jasperse. This is an excellent opportunity for Stacey Abrams and other state and federal officials in Georgia to advocate for this critical legislation.

The Urban Politician Alliance is located in Lithonia, Georgia, in the Metro Atlanta area. This small city has a population of just 2,600 people. We are dedicated to bringing to light all that is done to keep our communities unsafe and unattended to by our local, state, and federal politicians. The time to act is now, and your donation can be instrumental in making this a reality. With your monetary support, we can maintain our tireless pursuit of combating social injustice through our writing and media platforms.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

The post Ga Republican State Reps Kill Bill that will limit how long trains stay on tracks appeared first on Urban Politician.

Trump Speaks at America First Policy Institute Summit

Written by Kazemde Ajamu

While the mainstream media is fixated on the January 6 investigations, the Black community is concentrated on more pressing issues such as the rising cost of gas and food, education, and law enforcement. Meanwhile, Trump and the Republican Party rolled out their agenda for the mid-term elections this year and the 2024 elections should they win. Their strategy! is to isolate cities and speak to suburban and rural white voters through law and order. This strategy worked in the 2016 election and if we’re not careful, this may very well work again.

We live in an era of massive propaganda aimed at all sectors of the country, more specifically the Black community. This creates confusion and apathy for most voters. What lies underneath all the noise is the real agenda. It matters not whether these policy positions will ever become law—that’s not the objective. The objective is to diminish the Black vote and recapture the suburban white vote. Stoking fears among suburban and rural whites was on the agenda in his speech, and public safety is his most noted tool.

“Our nation is now a cesspool of crime,” “We have blood, death, and suffering on a scale once unthinkable because of the Democrat Party’s efforts to destroy and dismantle law enforcement agencies all throughout America.” Trump sternly tells a room full of Republican legislators and followers.

During Trump’s speech at the America First Policy Institute Summit, he detailed very specific policy goals for creating his own dystopian propaganda; placing police cars on every corner, moving the homeless population out of the inner city onto inexpensive land outside the city, reinstating stop and frisk, and subjecting the death penalty on convicted drug dealers. To be clear, Republicans in the House and Senate cannot impose these sanctions on local and state governments. Under the doctrine of states’ rights, the federal government is not allowed to interfere with the powers of the states reserved or implied to them by the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

As Trump stated regarding the current situation, ‘We will pass legislation where you can go in and immediately help those people that are under siege and they have Governors that don’t know what they’re doing under these circumstances. The Federal Government has the right to do what they want to do, but we can’t do that. We can get that. It’s a duty for us to use every tool, every authority and constitutional power at our disposal to defend the citizens of our country.'”

In conclusion, Republican politics are characterized by a focus on personal gain, a willingness to political games, and a lack of transparency. These features are evident in Republicans’ approach to both domestic and foreign policy.

The Urban Politician Alliance is committed to shattering the misinformation and bringing you the facts. Your donation is essential in helping us meet the needs of our community. Thank you for your support

The post Trump Calls for Stop and Frisk in US Cities appeared first on Urban Politician.

Video: Cited by Kazemde Ajamu

Written version retold by Ishakamusa Barashango: There was a traveler who had gone around the world He had been to many different countries. One day he was in the western portion of *Alkebu-lan and he came across a city named Pali. As he stumbled upon this city, he walked from one end of it to the other and spent all day there. His mouth opened in amazement because he has never seen anything like this in all of his travels throughout the world. He had seen many things, having traveled and studied different cultures, cities, and nations. He kept walking around shaking his head because he could not believe what he saw.

Finally, he saw a venerable old man in the direction of the setting sun. As he was moving along, he said to the man, “Sir, please forgive me for disturbing you.” The elder said, “What can I do for you, my brother”? He said, “Look, I’m perplexed. I need you to help me. I’m wondering if I got sunstroke as I was traveling or maybe I’m suffering from some type of hallucination. What kind of experience am I having?” The elder, not quite understanding the traveler, said, “Just what is it? What is happening with you, my son?” “Well, I have traveled this whole city, and every place I went, I saw fine homes, every one of them looked like mansions. Everybody in the city is dressed well, they wear their finest **kinte cloth. They have a look on their face – a glow of happiness. They seem to be prosperous. They look healthy. The children are safe. I see them everywhere, all over the city. I have not been able to find one piece of trash on the streets.

I have not found one poor person in the whole city. Not one beggar! Now that cannot be! Everywhere I have traveled in this world, you have the rich, a middle class, and on the bottom, you always have the impoverished. No matter where I go, this is the case. Even on this great continent of Alkebu-lan, I have experienced this. This is the only city I have ever visited where I have not had that experience.” It was a shock to the traveler and he just couldn’t seem to understand. “What I’m seeing,” he continued, “is that everybody in this city is wealthy! Is this true?!”

“Yes, they are,” replied the elderly man. The traveler replied, “But how can this be? How did you all accomplish this?” The elderly man replied, “Well sir, whenever someone comes to this great city of Pali and they desire to become a resident, we meet in council. The Council of Elders and the Mothers of the City come together. We interview the person and present them with questions. After our spiritual priest and priestesses observe the person, we meet again in a closed session. If we decide that this person has the kind of character we would want in our community and that they will bring something of value to this community, then we accept them as a resident.

On the day that we welcome them into the city of Pali, there is a large gathering and celebration. Everybody brings a brick and a dollar.” The traveler asked, “Well… how many residents do you have?” The elderly man thought for a moment. “Just over 100,000. So on the day, you are welcomed into the city, each person presents you with a brick and a dollar. When you come here, you start out with a mansion and $100,000.

The post Brick & Dollar Fund appeared first on Urban Politician.

Our local police department is full of good people. Meanwhile, instances of violence against unarmed people of color by police officers are way too high. We need to enact federal legislation that governs how and when cases are investigated, ensuring that everyone receives the same protection under the law and that we have a methodology in place to hold people accountable for their actions. This should be coupled with state and local ordinances governing police conduct and pushing for malpractice insurance per officer. This solution will force change at every level of our justice system, from federal to local communities.

The unrest we’re currently witnessing is no great surprise. I’m surprised it has taken this long for America to have this toughest of conversations.  Nor should anyone be surprised that the killings of our Brothers and Sisters at the hands of police or vigilantes will continue. My Mother always said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” More maddening is we as a community, continue doing the same things and expecting a different result. We as Black people are at war…fighting on multiple fronts… for our children and our sanity. Fighting for dignity and simple human justice on multiple fronts tells us that new strategies and tactics are necessary. As a community, we as Black people must learn from one another. These unique times suggest that those who care about justice must be at the table. And those of us at the table must be mature enough, committed enough, and WISE enough to hear all ideas.  Nothing should be left off the table, AND ALL OF US must be committed to learning…new strategies, new tactics, new ideas, intergenerational sharing, new ways to resolve conflict, and researching what others are doing. There are multiple discussions taking place around the country amongst different segments of the population.  A number of agenda items are on the table pertaining to the Black community and law enforcement.  One topic under review…once again… is the call for the creation of Civilian Review Boards.  On the contrary…studies have shown many problems with this citizen activist model.  Research shows Civilian Review Boards are highly political, partisan enterprises ineffective, without decision-making powers, and without backbone as Mayors demur to the needs of the police.  These boards are historically low-funded operations with minimal or no staffing. It begs the question…if these entities cannot address at the most basic level, citizen’s complaints about police, must black people spend valuable time and political capital working to create them?

Should our strategies then be electoral?  We should work to elect county attorney’s willing to prosecute and take action against police misconduct in the Black community.  Cities such as Philadelphia, Boston, and San Francisco have done so and have made an incredible difference…refusing to prosecute victimless crimes, prosecuting police officers for misconduct, eliminating cash bail, and, in this pandemic, releasing those awaiting trial for non-violent crimes or who’s age might make incarceration a death sentence. Do we use our collective clout to impact the state attorney’s general and the Federal department of Justice?  Let’s take a look at what some organizations and advocates are doing.

• Color of Change—a nonprofit racial justice organization, launched a unique tool…: a searchable database of “every prosecutor in all 2,372 municipal jurisdictions in the United States. The database, part of a larger project called Winning Justice, is meant to hold top county prosecutors accountable for their actions, as well as create a mirror of transparency for the public. Another justice is non-profit.
• Campaign Zero has done extensive work on police reform. Campaign Zero created an 8-point police reform package called 8cantwait. 8 Cantwait speaks directly to the current times we live in today:
  1. Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds
  2. Require De-Escalation
  3. Require warning before shooting
  4. Exhaust all alternatives before shooting
  5. Duty to intervene
  6. Ban shooting at moving vehicles
  7. Establish use of force continuum
  8. Require all force be reported 

*** Data proves that together these eight policies can decrease police violence by 72%On Capitol Hill, Senator Kamala Harris is advocating for tightening the national standard for the use of lethal force law enforcement. The current standard is:“In the United States, the use of deadly force by sworn law enforcement officers is lawful when the officer reasonably believes the subject poses a significant threat of serious bodily injury or death to themselves or others.”What Sen. Harris proposes is to change the standard to whether or not lethal force is necessary at all. If this small but significant change becomes law, we could see a higher number of police convictions and certainly fewer police shootings.

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA 45th District) proposes creating a national database to track officers who were fired for using excessive force from securing employment as a law enforcement officer in another jurisdiction. I, personally like this proposal, but in my view, it doesn’t go far enough. For example, If the federal Department of Justice is responsible for managing the database it would be subject to the political whims of whatever party is in office…on the left and on the right Allow me to share a little story.

A couple of years ago I was appointed to serve on a commission to interview and recommend candidates for a new Chief of Police. The Committee reviewed resumes, interviewed candidates, and provide recommendations to the City Council. A quality I was looking for in a Chief was their acceptance and commitment to work as partners with community leadership…A Police Chief that would come into the community and encourage his or her officers to do the same. Relationship building, in my view, is critical for successful police-community relations. As a commission member, I was able to see clearly the pitfalls that exist in the system. For instance, I quickly learned about POST (Peace Officers Standards and Training) When an officer is under investigation or has been disciplined, that action is annotated onto POST. POST has the power to revoke, suspend or place officers on probation.  However, in Georgia, accused Officers will resign before an investigation is completed and secure employment as law enforcement officers in a new jurisdiction without penalty.  In Lithonia Georgia, for example, an officer was charged with rape and aggravated assault   Previously this officer was a policeman in Atlanta, where he resigned due to misconduct.  The officer in question, David Wilborn, POST had this to say about him“Wilborn allegedly admitted to supervisors that he approached the woman at the lingerie shop where she worked, followed her into a back room, and engaged in the act, POST records show. The police department sustained the allegations for absence from duty and conduct unbecoming an officer. In 2010, Wilborn’s police certification was suspended for two years and he received a public reprimand from the POST council. He was hired by the Lithonia Police department in July 2017.”Source: Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionIn another high-profile killing, the officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice, Timothy Loehmann was removed from one department after he showed a “dangerous and reckless loss of composure” during firearms training” yet he was hired as a patrolman for the Cleveland Police Department. After killing 12-year-old Tamir, Timothy Loehmann is now a patrolman with The Bellaire Police Department,  a community of 4,000 across the Ohio River from West Virginia. The point is, Officers not convicted of a crime can escape discipline and move to different departments.In all cases of police misconduct, the American taxpayer bears the brunt of it. When families sue, that financial settlement comes out of the pockets of the taxpayers…the very same community that’s been injured. The best policy that I have seen, comes from One Million Conscious & Conscientious Black Contributors & Voters (OMCCBCV).  Their policy plank concerning Police Reform proposed back in 2016, never got any traction. I’m not sure why. I assume police political activity had something to do with it.  However, I highly recommend studying this proposal and implementing it. Admittedly even in this current political climate, this policy would be tough to pass and enact.  however, if we as a Black community embrace our political power and use ii effectively, I believe we can win. We simply need to provide our elected leadership the backbone to secure the justice that we seek.“All duly sworn enforcement officers and their administrative superiors should be required at their own expense, or with assistance from their unions, to purchase and maintain in effect, misconduct insurance similar in nature to the malpractice insurance that is required of doctors and other medical professionals, so that they are held financially accountable to whomever they wrongfully harm in violation of rights assured by the United States constitution or financially accountable to the family members of anyone they murdered “The implementation of Misconduct insurance for all law enforcement officials will go a long way to reform the use of lethal force laws. Insurance companies are uniquely qualified to provide oversight because it’s about money and not politics and/or relationships. Insurance companies would only be interested in protecting their bottom line, paying out as few settlements as possible. If mandated by law that all instances of misconduct or use of force are documented, Insurance companies can increase premiums on the officer or the department or if sufficient changes or reforms are not implemented, drop the insurance policy, rendering that officer or officers unable to work anywhere. If a death occurs at the hands of the police and a wrongful death suit is brought by the family, the taxpayer by law would not bear that expense.

Police Departments should also be held accountable through a rating system. Patterns and Practice violations must come at a cost to the department. Departmental budgets should decrease, and officers’ premiums should increase. We are told constantly that there are more good officers than bad, yet, because of the “Blue Code of Silence,” the good ones remain silent. Misconduct insurance would provide financial incentives to cleanse the department of bad police officers.

Many of us are asking what should we do? What can we do to significantly impact this crisis our community is facing at a time when we are also facing a pandemic, massive unemployment, business closings, hunger, and lack?   We are traumatized by institutional racism.  The lies of America have been exposed for all the world to see.  In the spirit of our ancestors and for the future of our young, it is incumbent upon us to act.  Register to vote. Read.  Ask questions.  Think.  Get involved.  Take control of our lives and our communities.  Our children’s future depends upon it.

The post Police Reform Campaign appeared first on Urban Politician.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives in February, but has yet to receive a vote in the evenly-split Senate. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins joins Judy Woodruff with an update on where things stand.

The post What is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act? appeared first on Urban Politician.

Congress Must Pass the ‘For The Peoples Act’

American democracy urgently needs repair. We now have a historic opportunity to bring about transformative change. In both houses of Congress, the For the People Act — H.R. 1 in the House, which has passed and S. 1, which is held up in the Senate — was designated as the first bill, a top priority this session.

The post Congress Must Pass the ‘For The Peoples Act’ appeared first on Urban Politician.