I had to wonder:
Is it fair to ask Kamala Harris to be the savior of black people alone?
my friend threw this at me today,
and honestly,
i had to do a double take.
kamala harris isn’t just here to champion black folks...
her job is to be the president of the whole country—
Black,
White,
Latino,
Asian,
Gay,
Bi,
Straight,
Trans,
They/Them,
Male,
Female,
…you name it.
she’s not like our cousin ty’quell,
who hits the NBA and suddenly everyone’s looking for a handout.the moment he doesn’t,
he is called everything but a child of God.
kamala’s role is to manage the entire nation,
not just one demographic.
given the backdrop of a racist country and being a woman of color…
Why would we pin all our hopes on her focusing solely on black issues?
remember the same issues with obama?
“He’s black and in the White House,
so every black person should be thriving and turning the tables.”
even i was like,
“he ain’t doing enough!“,
and that was pretty unfair to think that tbh.
we forget there’s a whole government machine behind these leaders.
many of them are pretty spiteful and vindictive.
have we not seen how many of those jackals get down?
i’m starting to see that if things are falling apart in our cities,
it’s on us to put the right people in those positions.
many of us like to complain but aren’t at the town hall meetings.
we have issues but we get on social media to vent.
The president doesn’t care if your trash isn’t being picked up,
the rats have staged a coup,
or the MTA is late every single morning when we are late every single morning.
that is usually on the mayors,
governors,
and other assigned representatives our cities.
look at new yawk with eric adams.
he’s messing things up but we elected him.
when his term ends,
let’s hope we all align and make better choices.
sometimes,
it feels like we are living in a la-la world,
while expecting a lot,
but doing nothing about it.
Am I off base here?
it’s like some of how some of us go about relationships or even life.
some of us just want to be rescued.
lowkey: is this why everyone is so focused on what another did for his “african-americans”?
“Is it fair to ask Kamala Harris to be the savior of black people alone?”
I don’t think black people are expecting her to ONLY do something for us. What Black Americans, like myself, who hold this kind of sentiment are saying is that we want something in return for our votes.
The Democratic Party loves to talk about how black people, in particular black women, are “the backbone” of the party and how important they’ve been to the party winning elections, but they can’t pass legislation specifically for us, like an Anti-Black Hate Crime Bill?
Democrats will say they can’t do anything to “specifically help black people” while in the same breath giving money to specific group (or countries) and passing legislation that specifically addresses their communities’ issues. It’s a slap in the face and it’s anti-black.
This election cycle I won’t be voting for Harris or Trump as neither candidate is anywhere close to my liking. I will instead focus on local and state level politics.
I’m confused by your argument. You’re saying black people shouldn’t expect Kamala Harris (or any black President for that matter) to address black issues, but at the same time suggesting that the only way for people to have their issues addressed is to participate in the political process, thereby electing officials who will act in their interest.
Which is it?
Are black people the only constituency that shouldn’t expect to have their interests served when they elect a politician? Every other constituency votes in their interests and expects their politicians to deliver. Are black people the only exception?
Even if you’re suggesting that black people shouldn’t expect their elected official to prioritize their issues over others, my question is—why? Black people are quite literally the backbone of the Democratic Party. Without black votes, the suffrage movement doesn’t exist, there is no Civil Rights legislation, and black people are back cleaning kitchens and picking cotton.
So—yes, we should expect to have our interests served. Actually, we should demand it.
THIS!!!!
Black people, specifically Black Americans, are the only demographic in this country that are expected to just cast their ballot without making any demands or have any expectations for their votes. F that!
Jamari, this is exactly what I was trying to communicate on the last Kamala post. Asking what her policies are means people are being informed voters rather than just voting “black woman” or “never Trump.” You’re highlighting the importance of people taking part in the entire Democratic process, which includes the state and local levels as you mentioned, so you’re not off base, not even in the slightest.
People love to say politics is draining, but want to complain about something they never used their vote to affect. If there’s anything worth it to be drained for it should be your local and state politics. Everyone screaming about roe v wade could have voted appropriately in their state and local elections for candidates that are pro-choice. The federal government should not be making any laws about anyone’s body in any way. And that’s what people misunderstand about one aspect of conservative thinking, the federal government should not be interfering in the freedoms of citizens following the Constitution, let your state, county, city, or village govern what happens where you are as the Constitution has it organized.