historic Election for african americans in pittsburgh

In a letter to his colleagues this morning, state Rep. Austin Davis, D-Allegheny, announced that he is resigning his seat in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives effective immediately, so that he can focus on his new role as the state’s lieutenant governor and assist in the transition to the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in the state House of Representatives and to be the voice of my community in Harrisburg,” Davis said. “If you had told me as a 16-year-old teen, driven to my first city council meeting to protest gun violence that had reached my own block, that I would have the privilege to represent my hometown and neighboring communities in our state Capitol, and the opportunity to take those issues head on and improve lives, I wouldn't have believed it.”

During his time in office, Davis worked tirelessly to represent the people of the Mon Valley and promote policies to improve the lives of all Pennsylvanians. Highlights from his time in office include working to create and expand access to the state’s insurance marketplace, Pennie; working with his fellow Democrats and Republicans to deliver historic state funding for local schools; support local workforce development initiatives; and helping promote the revitalization and redevelopment of the Mon Valley.

Davis said he will deeply miss working with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle but is also looking forward to continuing his work on behalf of his fellow Pennsylvanians as the state’s first Black lieutenant governor.  

“This is a very bittersweet moment for me,” Davis said. “While I am proud of our accomplishments in the House and will miss working with my colleagues there, I am also excited and looking forward to working with Gov. Shapiro to continue to move our commonwealth forward.”

Josh Shapiro won the Pennsylvania governor’s race, defeating Republican Doug Mastriano and keeping the swing-state office in Democratic hands, NBC News projected. Shapiro led Mastriano by about 11 percentage points with roughly 64% of the vote in, according to NBC. He will succeed Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who reached the commonwealth’s limit of two consecutive four-year terms. 

Shapiro released the following statement after winning the election:

Thank you, Pennsylvania.

Over the last 13 months of this campaign, I spent a lot of time criss-crossing the Commonwealth — and I’ve done a whole lot of listening, and a whole lot of learning, and a whole lot of growing as a result of those conversations. You’ve helped me by sharing your hopes and fears, your dreams and your worries. You have helped me become a better man.

Voters from Gen-Z to our seniors, Pennsylvanians from all different walks of life, have given me the honor of a lifetime to give me the chance to serve you as Pennsylvania’s next Governor. 

While my name was on the ballot, it was always your rights on the line. I believe this Governor’s race was a test for each of us to decide what kind of Commonwealth and what kind of country that we want to live in. It was a test of whether or not we valued our rights and freedoms, and whether we believed in opportunity for all Pennsylvanians. 

I humbly write to you as your Governor-elect knowing that you met this moment.

We showed in this campaign that no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to, you are valued here in Pennsylvania. The good people of Pennsylvania won. A woman’s right to choose won. Your right to vote won, in the face of all the lies in the conspiracies and baseless claims. 

Real freedom won in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

The kind of real freedom where we give people the opportunity to start a small business, to marry who you love, and to live in a Commonwealth that respects you for who you are. Thanks to all of you, in the birthplace of our democracy in the cradle of liberty, we defended real freedom. 

In this election, we joined together behind three simple truths that have sustained our nation over these last 246 years. We value our freedom, we cherish our democracy, and we love this country. Because all across this Commonwealth, you chose to take off the red jersey and the blue jersey and wear the Pennsylvania jersey, a jersey that brings us together. 

I spoke a lot about my faith in this campaign. My family and my faith call me to service, and they drive me forward. My scripture teaches me that no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it. Each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, get in the game, and to do our part. 

So I want you to know — the job is not done. The task is not complete. With our feet firmly planted on a foundation of our democracy, our hearts more open than they were even just yesterday, and our eyes looking ahead, we begin to work together to move this Commonwealth forward. 

I want to say thank you to the thousands of people from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties and every one of these United States who invested in this campaign, and believed in us. I want to thank the men and women of organized labor, who were always there for me. I want to say a special thanks to the many Republicans across this Commonwealth, many of whom told me they were voting for a Democrat for the first time. I want you to know that I not only appreciate your vote, but I’m humbled by it. 

And of course, I want to say thank you to the love of my life since the ninth grade, Pennsylvania’s next First Lady, Lori Shapiro. Lori has blessed me with her love and we have been blessed with four amazing children. Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Reuben. I love you.

Pennsylvania, we showed how to build a coalition to win a race in a big way. And tomorrow we begin the hard work of building a coalition to govern this commonwealth and move us forward. I am profoundly grateful for this honor.

Governor-elect of Pennsylvania

"I might be the first Black Lieutenant Governor-elect in our Commonwealth’s history, but it’s my responsibility to ensure I’m not the last. Together, we made history." Declared,  Austin Davis who will be Pennsylvania’s first African American Lieutenant Governor after Josh Shapiro declared victory Tuesday night.

Davis, who was endorsed by gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro in the primary, received 63% support among the three-candidate primary race. 

The 32-year-old state lawmaker from Allegheny County,  Davis is in his third term in the state House of Representatives. Davis tweeted, "I’m Austin Davis, a first generation college graduate, the son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser, and the first Black Lieutenant Governor-elect in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. History made.

Davis currently serves as chair of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation and vice-chair of the House Democratic Policy Committee, as well as serving on the House Appropriations Committee, House Consumer Affairs Committee, House Insurance Committee, and House Transportation Committee. Plus, he is also a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, Climate Caucus, and PA SAFE Caucus. 

Davis and his wife reside in McKeesport where Davis began his career. In high school Davis founded and served as chairman of McKeesport Mayor Jim Brewster’s Youth Advisory Council. After graduation from the University of Pittsburgh, Davis joined the Allegheny County Executive’s office and ran for the State House in 2018. 

Davis will be sworn in as Lieutenant Governor on January 17, 2023, and a special election will be called to fill his seat in the State House. 

 La’Tasha D. Mayes won her seat for HD24 on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Mayes – a nationally recognized, award-winning leader in the fields of reproductive justice; human rights; and leadership development for Black women, girls, femmes and gender-expansive  folx – defeated incumbent Martell Covington in the May 2022 primary to become the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania House District 24. Mayes ran unopposed in this week’s general election. 

“I  am overjoyed and grateful to serve the people of House District 24 as their State Representative,” Mayes said. “Now, I focus my attention to service the needs of my constituents from East Hills to East Liberty to the Hill District, and I continue to bring

 my vision for reproductive, racial, economic, gender and environmental justice to my continued community organizing and now with my colleagues in Harrisburg.” 

Running  for public office holds deep personal meaning for Mayes. She attributes her commitment to public service and community organizing to her mother, Charlotte D. Stroud, a U.S. Army veteran, food service worker and a UNITEHERE union member. 

“This  day is not possible without my ancestors who paved this path for me. I ran to disrupt politics as usual, and we have done just that. I will be the first woman to represent House District 24 and the first out lesbian in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, but  I will not be the last.”

La’Tasha D. Mayes, MSPPM, is a nationally recognized, award-winning  leader in the fields of reproductive justice, human rights and leadership development for Black women and girls. She’s the founder and former president and CEO of New  Voices for Reproductive Justice, an organization  dedicated to the health and well-being of Black women, femmes, girls and gender-expansive folx with roots in Pittsburgh and operations in Cleveland and Philadelphia. Beyond her 18 years of pioneering work with New Voices, Mayes has held community leadership  positions with many boards and contributed writings on reproductive justice and public policy in numerous articles and several books. Mayes, who resides in Morningside, is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

 Mayes also earned a Master of Science in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University and completed the Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pittsburgh. Mayes most recently served on the Governor’s Commission on  African American Affairs and was named The 2022 Power of Diversity: Black 100 by City & State magazine.

Progressive Democrat Summer Lee won election to the House on Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.

For Lee, it’s the second time she’s made history. Four years ago, Lee became the first African American woman from the region elected to the state House in Harrisburg.  Lee’s success marks a major win for progressives. 

Lee, a second-term state House member, lawyer and former labor organizer, comes from the party's progressive wing. She was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two-time presidential candidate and a leading voice in the Democratic Party’s left wing who came to campaign for Lee.

"This was a movement that was about what it looks like when we prioritize the most marginalized, when we prioritize and really fight for what a real working-class movement can look like in this country," Lee said at her election night party in downtown Pittsburgh.

In the primary, Lee beat out second-place Steve Irwin, who was endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Party and backed by prominent Democrats from the county. Mike Doyle conceded to Lee Tuesday night.

Lee says, "My election proves that fighting and getting dark money out of politics is still good policy and good politics!"

It is a very sad commentary on American democracy when individuals state, “Why should I vote? Voting doesn’t matter.” In the original sense of staying woke, i.e., being sensitive to issues related to social justice, the following question is asked of such pessimistic people. If voting didn’t matter, then why did the following occur?

· When George Washington was elected President in 1789, the founding White “Fathers” limited voting to only White males.

· It took almost another century before the 1870 passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution which gave Blacks the right to vote.

· Women had to fight for centuries to get the right to vote, with the passage of the 19th Amendment coming only in 1920 guaranteeing women the right to vote. 

· It was not until 1965 that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act designed to prevent state and local governments from subverting the 15th Amendment. 

· As we approach the November 2022 election, a pervasive Republican Party strategy consists of preventing those who don’t share their agenda from voting.

As the foregoing voting history indicates, the denial of oppressed peoples’ voting rights has been a major method of maintaining systemic racism, sexism, and White male privileged patriarchy. However, history also demonstrates that, when woke folks vote, then significant societal changes take place.

If wokefolks had not voted in sufficient numbers during the past national election, then [1] we would have gained neither our first Black female Vice President nor our first Black Female Supreme Court Justice; and [2] we would not have the following judicial outcomes reported by the Pew Research Center: “As of Aug. 8, the first day of the U.S. Senate’s August break, Biden has successfully appointed 75 judges to the three main tiers of the federal judicial system: the district courts, appeals courts and U.S. Supreme Court. That’s far more than the number appointed by Donald Trump (51) and Barack Obama (42) at the same stage in their presidencies, and slightly more than the number appointed by several other recent presidents – including George W. Bush (72), Bill Clinton (74) and Ronald Reagan (72) – by this point in their tenures…” (August 9, 2022).

As many have said, “elections have consequences” and one of the most significant consequences of the last national election was that President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act which, among other things, lowered health costs for millions of Americans. Biden’s approval of student loan forgiveness debt is estimated to impact many millions of borrowers, with reductions related to Pell Grants possibly as high as $20,000.  

Regarding the importance of voting in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania area, one needs to look no further than the recent election of Black Mayors. As the New Pittsburgh Courierreported, “Allegheny County is home to just a 14 percent African American population among its 1.2 million residents, but there are eight Black mayors overseeing cities and boroughs in the county…” Those elected include, “Ed Gainey, Pittsburgh Mayor; Joelisa L. McDonald, Rankin Mayor; Dontae Comans, Wilkinsburg Mayor; Delia Lennon Winstead, Braddock Mayor; (Bottom Left) Betty Copeland, Bridgeville Mayor; John Burwell, Homestead Mayor; Val Pennington, Bellevue Mayor; Cletus Lee, North Braddock Mayor.” (February 17, 2022). 

If anyone has an iota of a disposition regarding it not being important to vote, then I urge them to consider the following words of former First Lady Michelle Obama, “…In this tumultuous period, they’ve (young people) been learning something that often took previous generations years, or decades, to understand: that life can be unfair. It can be unjust and more than anything is always uncertain. But if you live by foundational truths—like honesty, compassion, decency—and if you channel your frustration into our democracy with your vote and your voice, you can find your true north even in times of crisis.

…So, every single person out there needs to ask themselves, do they trust the folks in charge to make the right call? Whether it’s school boards or statehouses or those in Washington—are my neighborhood’s interests being represented, or are they being ignored? They’re questions we should be asking every year, in every election, and at every level of government. …what happens when you don’t vote, you are giving away your power to someone else—someone who doesn’t see the world the same as you. You’re letting them make some really key decisions about the way you live. And the truth is, that’s exactly what some folks are hoping you’ll do. They’re hoping that you’ll stay home so that they can make these important decisions for you.”  (Cox Media Group National Content Desk July 12, 2020). 

Regarding Ms. Obama’s main contentions, why would eligible women voters not vote and thereby leave it to ill-informed, ill-willed, misogynistic elected officials to pass legislation that will have adverse impact on all aspects of reproductive justice, including literally the lives of women. 

At a time when misguided armed people cause chaos at public school board meetings, why would parents eligible to vote permit the election of officials who will have adverse impact on their children’s education? Why, by not voting, permit the election of school board members with little if any positive regard for LGBTQ children? Why permit the election of school board officials who liken Black children to monkeys?

In my opinion, the conscious failure of an eligible Black voter to vote is tantamount to a betrayal of those who, since the days of chattel slavery to date, struggled to end systemic racism; structural poverty; health and housing disparities; educational achievement gaps derived from the lack of equal opportunities; poor policing; discrimination based on sexual orientation or religious beliefs; White male privilege; violent neighborhoods; absence of appropriate gun legislation; and other major oppressive factors in America. How dare you not vote when, in 2022, [1] a Republican political tool consists of arresting people for voting after Florida officials certified their rights to vote; [2] a delusional, egotistical tyrant seeking to become President again believes he can declassify secret documents “even by thinking about it; and [3] on October 4, 2022, USA Today reported, “Hundreds of elections deniers running for office nationwide in 2022 pose 'major threat' to U.S. democracy.”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

October 25, 2022

Part of our role as legislators is to help increase access to opportunities for those we are elected to represent. Act 77 of 2019 did just that.

It was a bipartisan bill that expanded access to the ballot by moving the Commonwealth on a path towards normalizing no-excuse mail-in voting. Simply put, Act 77 provides voters with the opportunity to have more options to cast a ballot.

We live in a 24/7 world, yet we have often been stuck in a 9-to-5 form of government.

Government’s role is not to force citizens to adapt their lives to government. Instead, we should figure out how to leverage government to improve their quality of life.

This includes not expecting the majority of Pennsylvania’s 8.7 million+ registered voters to cast a ballot on two specific days of the year or else risk not having their voice heard in this process called democracy.

And wouldn’t you know it? Many of the same people who voted for Act 77 have publicly discredited that same piece of legislation.

Fast forward, however, to last week when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court validated mail-in voting as safe, legal and…CONSTITUTIONAL!

The onslaught of COVID-19 changed life as we know it. One of those changes has been a tremendous uptick in mail-in/absentee ballot requests for those unwilling to risk exposure to the virus.

Being forced to choose between your health or casting a ballot is a false choice.

But let’s think from another practical perspective. More people voting by mail means fewer people waiting in long lines to vote on Election Day. That means less stress put on our volunteer poll workers to manage those long lines.

Voting by mail also gives voters an opportunity to see who or what is on their ballot and have time to do their own research on a candidate(s) or issue(s) before making a selection.

The alternative is to show up on Election Day and see names for a down-ballot race for school board or borough council for the first time, for example, and have no clue who they are or what they stand for.

In fact, many of those kinds of positions are won by just a few votes and can have a bigger impact on citizens’ everyday quality of life than the U.S. president ever will.

Any efforts to continue this race to nowhere by appealing this court decision is a terrible use of time, energy, and taxpayer dollars.

Instead, let’s talk about making a plan to vote and creating positive voting experiences.

Most of all, let’s talk about getting out and making our voices heard on Nov. 8th.

Aerion Abney is the state representative for the 19th Legislative District in Allegheny County.

 The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus responded today to Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2022-23 budget proposal, applauding his investment in important programs without a tax increase, according to PLBC Chairwoman Donna Bullock, D-Phila.

“Continuing our work in addressing issues that impact communities of color will remain our focus as we move forward in this year, reaching out to the governor in urging his support for meaningful initiatives,” Bullock said. “We’ve been able to secure funding for important programs that combat community and gun violence but so much more work needs to be done. We will remain steadfast in our determination to provide guidance to the governor on these and other issues that are of importance to the people of Pennsylvania who are affected by these particular issues, like fair education funding, access to healthcare, environmental justice and programs to combat gun violence, to name a few.” 

“The governor’s budget address is just the first step in the long process of crafting a budget that benefits as many Pennsylvanians as possible, said PLBC Vice Chairwoman Summer Lee, D-Allegheny. “We need to draft a spending plan that funds fixes to our toxic schools, ensures fair wages for all workers, and helps folks who are struggling to pay their bills. It’s time to get to work and create a budget that is fair and equitable for all Pennsylvanians, regardless of where they live, how they look, or what they do for a living.”

"No budget can be considered adequate if it is not investing in addressing the health, wealth, education, and justice systems that hold up or hold down members of our communities," said Rep. Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery, who leads the PLBC Subcommittee on Budget Equity. "My focus during this budget process is on education, indigent defense, raising the minimum wage, and ensuring affordable housing access for everyone. If our residents don't have a place where they can lay their head each night, the rest of this work can never be truly complete."

###

A video of Chairwoman Bullock discussing budget priorities can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULZlBZRCvuA&list=PLjtqNtfs0bgXAl2Qh6sQ9el2i1ZEfvy9m&index=1

January 28, 2022

HARRISBURG - Today, a Commonwealth Court ruling overturned the 2019 law that made vote-by-mail possible in Pennsylvania. In the 2020 general election alone, nearly three million Pennsylvanians took advantage of the law to vote in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ruling will be appealed to the state Supreme Court and automatically stayed, keeping vote-by-mail in place until the justices rule on the case.

During the legislative debate over the bill that became Act 77, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania was among the advocates supporting the legislation, along with the voting rights coalition Keystone Votes. The following can be attributed to Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania:

“This lawsuit is an attack on the right to vote. Vote-by-mail has been wildly successful, with millions of Pennsylvanians taking advantage of the option in 2020 during the worst pandemic in a century. We’re on the side of democracy; we believe that voting should be convenient and accessible. By expanding mail-in voting to everyone, this law made that possible.

“Why are the challengers in this lawsuit afraid of the voters?”

The following can be attributed to Marian Schneider, senior voting rights policy counsel for the ACLU of Pennsylvania:

“The state constitution requires that absentee voting be available to voters with disabilities, those who will not be in their precinct on Election Day for business reasons, for religious purposes, and for people deployed in the military. To read that language to mean that absentee voting is, therefore, forbidden for all other voters is a serious misreading of the constitution.

“This ruling will be appealed to the state Supreme Court, and it will be automatically stayed, which will keep vote-by-mail in effect while on appeal. And we hope that it ultimately will be overturned.”

  During the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, we heard plenty of pleasantries regarding the values of love, forgiveness, selflessness, service, nonviolence, and equality. The plethora of motivational messages were more than sufficient to cause many to reengage the freedom struggle in the spirit articulated by King Jr. when he stated, “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Given also what King Jr. meant by the “fierce urgency of now,” there are some hard truthsfreedom-seeking people must keep in mind, especially when it comes to achieving voting rights. 

A key voting rights hard truth was articulated by Malcolm X in his 1964 Ballot or the Bullet speech. Therein, he stated, “…What alibi do they use when you and I ask, ‘Well, when are you going to keep your promise?’ They blame the Dixiecrats. What is a Dixiecrat? A Democrat. A Dixiecrat is nothing but a Democrat in disguise. …The Democrats have never kicked the Dixiecrats out of the party.  …They have got a con game going on, a political con game, and you and I are in the middle. It's time for you and me to wake up and start looking at it like it is, and trying to understand it like it is; and then we can deal with it like it is.”

“Looking at it like it is” when it comes to “having our backs,” what ought we to think when [1] Texas State Democrats fled to Washington D.C. to meet with President Biden about voting rights; [2] throughout last year, the League of Women Voters stressed to President Biden the importance of voting rights; [3] Reverend William Barber II, on behalf of the Poor People’s Campaign, went to Washington D.C. to impress upon President Biden the importance of voting rights; and [4] Blacks throughout the nation repeatedly stressed the importance of voting rights, but it was only after certain defeat of voting rights legislation that President Biden chose to essentially do a photo op in Atlanta during the King Jr. Holiday? (For more, see Charles M. Blow, Baltimore Sun, January 23, 2022). 

In terms of “Democrats in disguise,” Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) and Joe Manchin (West Virginia) might not be “Dixiecrats” but, when it came to supporting the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, what difference did it make given the fact that they would not vote to change the Senate's filibuster rule? Notwithstanding his claim to being “a guy that grew up in a single-parent household, mired in poverty, with really no prospect for something dramatically different,” isn’t South Carolina’s Republican Senator Tim Scott’s behavior tantamount to playing the role of a “Dixiecrat” as he too failed to support the Voting Rights Act? 

The hard truthis that we should not be surprised that the current Congress, like a roach-infected house, contains many members with “Dixiecrat” roots sprung from American chattel slavery --slavery whereby, based on race, slaves and their descendants are deemed slaves forever and never voters! As noted in the January 16, 2022 Washington Post, “More than 1,700 people who served in the U.S. Congress in the 18th, 19th, and even 20th centuries owned human beings at some point in their lives. …The most common political affiliation among enslavers was the Democratic Party –more than 600 Democrats in Congress were slaveholders.” Parenthetically, Pennsylvania readers should take note of the fact that, over the years in question, more than 50 Congressional enslavers came from “Penn’s Woods.”  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania citizens would also do well to visit and revisit Free at last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18thand 19th Centuries, an exhibit inspired by the distinguished historical journalist Robert Hill. 

As we march on to achieve voting rights, we must also be aware of those people/organizations who enable members of Congress such as Joe Manchin. For example, one report indicated, “Manchin’s political action committee received a combined total of 36 corporate donations in October and November… American Express, Goldman Sachs and Lockheed Martin were among the major companies that gave November contributions ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to Manchin’s PAC. UnitedHealth Group, Blue Cross Blue Shield and CNX Resources, a natural gas company, also gave to Country Roads last month …In total, Country Roads brought in $110,000 in November…” (See, ttps://news.yahoo.com/report-corporate-donors-gave-manchin-000500097.html).

Going forward, we must never forget Assata Shakur’s hard truth whereby she warned, “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten  their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” With that in mind, note that [1] suppressing voting rights is key to holding on to the current vestiges of chattel slavery, and [2] upon perceiving the impending death of White patriarchal privilege, the beneficiaries are not about to “to go gentle into that good night.” Therefore, instead of “wining-and-dining” contemporary “Dixiecrats;” explicit racists; CEOs focused on performance as opposed to results; and those with colonized minds; we the people must do the essential work of not only getting people registered but also enabling them to be well-informed voters in every election. 

The very hard truth continues to be what Frederick Douglass stated in 1857, “…The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle.  …If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. …Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress…” 

In the immediate instance, Congressional and other tyrants’ suppression of voting rights will be curtailed only when, during the next election, we the people vote them out of office and replace them with people who demonstrably “have our backs.” Now is the time for a tsunami of well-informed Blacks and like-minded others to set voting records. Otherwise, following the 2022 election, folks will once again be “sick and tired of being sick and tired” but, to tell the hard truth, they will be victims of what they were willing to endure. 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

January 24, 2022

Geovette Washington, senior vice chancellor and chief legal officer, was selected as the team lead on President-elect Joe Biden’s agency review team for the Department of Commerce.

The Biden-Harris agency review teams are responsible for ensuring a smooth transfer of power, understanding the operations of the agency and preparing Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and their cabinet to run the agency.

University spokesperson Kevin Zwick said Washington is on leave from Pitt, but he doesn’t have more information on the length of Washington’s leave or who will fill her position while she’s gone.

Before joining Pitt in 2015, Washington served as general counsel and a senior policy adviser for the Office of Management and Budget at the White House from 2013-15. Washington was also deputy general counsel from 2010-13 for the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this position, she was the second-highest ranking official in the Office of General Counsel in the Department of Commerce.

Source: University of Pittsburgh

Governor Tom Wolf urged the legislature to quickly pass his plan for safe and secure elections that ensures voters will receive mail-in ballots early, have time to return them, and that counties will have the time they need to quickly count the anticipated historic number of votes cast. The governor also reminded voters that the best way to make sure their vote is counted is to sign up now for a mail-in ballot and return it well before the Nov. 3 election.

“My administration continues to have great confidence in the state’s election system,” said Gov. Wolf. “Regardless of whether you cast your vote from the convenience of home with a mail-in ballot, or in person on election day, my administration has worked hard to ensure that every person has their voice heard and every vote is counted. These proposed reforms will further strengthen our elections, help people to vote safely from home, and assist counties in processing the surge in mail-in ballots.”

The primary in June was the first time that voters could use mail-in ballots after the historic, bipartisan Act 77 of 2019 signed into law by Gov. Wolf last fall. Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly embraced mail-in voting with nearly 1.5 million voters casting a mail-in or absentee ballot, more than half of all votes cast. Despite the record increase in mail-in ballots, and pandemic-related challenges, the primary was administered smoothly with few disruptions.

The Department of State and counties are using experiences from the primary to make improvements for the general election. Many counties, which administer Pennsylvania’s elections, are preparing for millions of mail-in ballots by increasing the use of high-speed scanners and other technology to quicken ballot canvassing and vote counting.

In addition, based on experience in the primary, Gov. Wolf called on the legislature to take immediate action on election improvements including:

• Allowing counties to start pre-canvassing ballots 21 days before the election rather than at 7 a.m. election day to make vote counting faster. Pre-canvassing involves counties scanning and verifying the ballot envelope, matching the voter’s signature to voter rolls, opening the mail and secrecy envelopes, and removing and scanning the ballot. Counties would not tabulate or report vote totals until polls close at 8 p.m. on election day.
• Allowing counties to count eligible ballots postmarked by election day and received by the Friday following election day to ensure that all ballots mailed by the deadline are counted.
• Requiring counties to start sending mail-in ballots at least 28 days before the election rather than 14 days as currently required. The change ensures voters who apply early will have at least four weeks to receive and return their ballot.
• Providing counties flexibility to appoint poll workers to vacant positions earlier than five days before an election. More poll workers are still needed, and the Department of State is encouraging businesses, colleges and organizations to reach out to their county elections office and volunteer at their local precincts.

The governor made the announcement during a news conference at Ridgeway Community Church, which serves as a polling place in Dauphin County. The governor was joined by Centre County Commissioner Chair Michael Pipe.

“If you want to vote by mail, apply now and your county will send you a ballot as soon as it is finalized,” said Gov. Wolf. “When you receive your ballot, complete it and mail it back as soon as you can so your county gets it in plenty of time.”

The Department of State soon will launch a public awareness campaign to inform voters how to apply for a mail-in ballot and will partner with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Allegheny County on voting initiatives.

Eligible voters may apply for their mail-in or absentee ballot online at votespa.com, in person at their county election offices, or by paper forms submitted by mail. Once the county determines the voter is eligible, counties will send the voter a ballot with return postage paid by the Department of State, so casting a ballot is free to voters. Voters have several convenient options to return their ballot by mail, in person at their county election office or at drop boxes, which many counties expect to provide.

Voters may register to vote and apply for their mail-in or absentee ballot online, in person at their county election offices, or by paper forms submitted by mail. The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 19. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 27. Online application for mail-in and absentee ballots are available in Spanish.

Pennsylvania is not automatically sending ballots to voters.

For voters who prefer to vote in person, polling places will be available in all counties on election day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Source: PA Gov. 

 Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Stephen Kinsey, D-Phila, along with PLBC members, issued this statement congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris:

 “I am thrilled to soon call Joe Biden and Kamala Harris president and vice president. Their presence in the White House will restore intelligence and dignity to these esteemed offices, and a sense of pride in the American people. It is refreshing to see concrete, well-crafted strategies to move our nation forward, and I look forward to seeing manifestations of this progress,” Kinsey said on behalf of the PLBC.

 “Breaking through the monotony of 231 years and 48 white men vice presidents, our nation elected its first woman and woman of color vice president, making this victory nothing short of historic. I am especially in awe that a HBCU graduate and a fellow member of a Divine 9 will soon serve as America’s vice president. Reveling in this moment means so much to me as a father of Black daughters, with Vice president- elect Harris shattering a glass ceiling, ultimately becoming a beacon of inspiration for every girl of color who can now walk through this world with the confidence in knowing that their big dreams can also become reality.

“We can’t celebrate this victory in, as President-elect Biden said, ‘the battle for the soul of this nation,’ without first acknowledging the warriors of this battle—Black activists, Black organizers and Black voters across Pennsylvania and the nation. It was their tireless efforts that ensured countless voices were heard loud and clear, especially over the racket of vicious voter suppression tactics. They organized and mobilized communities to exert their immense political power, and down to the days after, these community-builders occupied the streets demanding that every vote, every voice, was counted. We owe them a great deal and we must continue to support their labor in establishing political power. As legislators, however, the only way we can wholly repay them is to enact meaningful policy to satisfy their demands for true criminal justice reform, ending police violence, investments in marginalized communities, dismantling health disparities, especially in the wake of COVID-19, and ensuring equal access to opportunities that afford upward mobility.”

 A federal district court judge today dismissed a lawsuit brought by President Trump’s campaign for reelection against Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and seven counties, dealing a crippling blow to the president’s attempts to undermine the election’s expected results in the commonwealth. In an amended version of the lawsuit filed on November 15, the Trump campaign asked the court to order the Department of State to not certify its presidential election results because some counties contacted and permitted voters to fix mistakes with their mail ballot declarations while others did not.

Judge Matthew Brann rejected these arguments, saying, “(T)his Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations...unsupported by evidence. In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state.”

Intervenors in the case hailed the ruling as a victory for democracy and for the state’s voters. Last week, Judge Brann granted intervention by Black Political Empowerment Project, Common Cause Pennsylvania, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference, and eight impacted voters, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, the ACLU Voting Rights Project, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Public Interest Law Center, and the law firm Covington & Burling LLP. That ruling allowed the lawyers for the organizations and voters to participate as parties in the lawsuit.

“This is a victory for voters. All voters deserve to have their voices heard and their ballots counted,” said Suzanne Almeida, elections advisor for Common Cause Pennsylvania. “This lawsuit was a blatant attempt to change the rules after the election was over and silence the voices of the people. Voters in Pennsylvania and around the country have made a clear decision. It’s time for the results of this election to be accepted and the will of the people honored.”

Along with Boockvar, the Trump campaign also sued the boards of elections of Philadelphia, Allegheny, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton, and Centre counties.

“This case sought to invalidate the votes of our clients and, at its most extreme, the votes of nearly seven million Pennsylvanians,” said Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center. “We hope this decision ends the farce that this campaign has put Pennsylvania voters through these last few weeks. We are pleased that truth and democracy has prevailed over wild conspiracy theories, false claims, and unfounded fraud charges.”

“Pennsylvania voters have spoken in greater numbers than ever before, and today’s decision confirms the sanctity of the vote,” said Terrie Griffin, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. “It is time to move past the desperate accusations, stop the perpetuation of false claims, and accept the choices of Pennsylvania voters.”

Despite numerous filings in this and several other cases, the Trump campaign has yet to produce evidence of misconduct that impacted actual votes or the results of the election. In their own filing asking the court to dismiss the case, the intervenors noted that the law required the Trump campaign to bring its objections over process before the election, which was a position that the Trump campaign itself held in 2016 in response to a lawsuit brought by Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

“This ruling rejects the Trump campaign’s baseless attacks on the election results in Pennsylvania. It is past time for the campaign to stop its shenanigans and move on. The voters have spoken,” said Sophia Lin Lakin, deputy director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.

“This should put the nail in the coffin on any further attempts by President Trump to use the federal courts to rewrite the outcome of the 2020 election,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The court could not be any clearer in underscoring the baseless and meritless nature of the claims presented in this case. Voters across the commonwealth overcame tremendous obstacles to register their voice, and this suit sought to disenfranchise them without a scintilla of evidence.”

While the Trump campaign has the option to appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, election-related deadlines loom, including Monday’s deadline for counties to certify their results with the Department of State.

“The court saw through the attempts by President Trump and his enablers in Washington and Harrisburg to interfere with democracy,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “The people of Pennsylvania have had their say, and it is time to put this election behind us.”

More information about this case, including a copy of today’s ruling, is available at aclupa.org/trumpvboockvar.

Source: ACLU

"I'm running to be Pennsylvania's next Lieutenant Governor. With Josh Shapiro's support, we're going to make sure working Pennsylvanians don't just get by — but have the opportunity to get ahead. Let's get to work..."  Pennsylvania State Rep. Austin Davis announced Tuesday he is running for lieutenant governor.

Davis, 32, is in his third term representing McKeesport and other nearby towns along the Monongahela River in the state House of Representatives.  Austin has also been an assistant to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald a vice chair of the county Democratic Party. Davis is also a member of the Legislative Black Caucus and, if elected, would be the state’s first black lieutenant governor.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic Party’s presumed nominee for governor this year, on Tuesday endorsed Davis to be his running mate and lieutenant governor.

"Pennsylvanians from Westmoreland to West Philly need to be represented by folks who understand the issues they face — and can bring people together. Austin Davis is a proven fighter for the working people of western Pennsylvania, and he'll make Pennsylvania proud as Lt. Governor."

The primary election is May 17.