Historic Election for african americans in pittsburgh

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Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris' scheduled Monday rally in Pittsburgh will now take place from 5-10 p.m. at the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Swissvale and Rankin.

The Harris event was originally scheduled for Monday afternoon at Point State Park, Downtown. Those plans were changed on Sunday, though, due to logistical concerns. 

Former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to hold a rally of his own at 6 p.m. Monday at PPG Paints Arena. Doors for the Trump rally open at 2 p..m.

A number of musical guests have been announced and are scheduled to perform at the Harris event, including pop artist Katy Perry, hip hop DJ D-Nice, R&B artist and actress Andra Day, and Pittsburgh-based DJ Arie Cole.

Additional travel plans to Pennsylvania from The White House:

On Monday, November 4, the Vice President will travel to Scranton, PA to deliver remarks at a campaign event. These remarks will be pooled press.

Then, the Vice President will travel to Allentown, PA to deliver remarks at a campaign event. These remarks will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

In the evening, the Vice President will travel to Pittsburgh, PA to deliver remarks at a campaign event. The Second Gentleman will attend. These remarks will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

Later, the Vice President and the Second Gentleman will travel to Philadelphia, PA where they will deliver remarks at a campaign event. These remarks will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

Then, the Vice President and the Second Gentleman will travel to Washington, DC.
 

Maya Angelou warned, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”  Given what Donald Trump has shown of himself, we should believe that his election on November 5, 2024 would leave many of us in a very dark, dreary mental space.  

If, as President, Trump implements many of the bizarre things he has said, then we will be in the onset of a dystopian society where [1] injustice runs rampant; [2] the overt expression of racism becomes normative; [3] economic inequality widens; [4] xenophobia thrives; and, in general, [5] America becomes more of a dictatorship than a democracy.  Proof of the foregoing possibilities consists of what Donald Trump has shown of himself before and during the current presidential campaign.  

With no more than a figment of his imagination along with deliberate lying, Donald Trump underscored his long-term xenophobia when he declared things such as [1] “How about allowing people to come to an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers, many of them murdered far more than one person, and they’re now happily living in the United States.  You know now a murder, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now…;” and [2] “In Venezuela, many countries, they’re emptying their prisons into our country.”  

Going further with his xenophobia, Donald Trump stated, “I’m announcing today upon taking office we will have an ‘Operation Aurora’ at the federal level to expedite the removal of these savage gangs.”  While in Wisconsin, he indicated that he would conduct the "largest deportation operation in American history if re-elected.”  One needs only think back to the internment of Japanese Americans to appreciate further the egregious nature of the latter claim. His expressed views regarding public education are just as weird and dangerous.

Trump’s transphobia and frightening views related to what transpires in public schools were revealed when he declared, “Your child goes to school, and they take your child. It was a ‘he.’ And comes back a ‘she.’ And they do this…  And often without parental consent.”  As reported by Matthew Stone (March 25, 2024), “On the campaign trail, Trump has said that parents should elect school principals…, promised to cut federal funding to schools pushing progressive social ideas, and pledged to establish universal school choice.”  In short, left to Trump, there would be the death of public education which provided equal access for all, a major reversal of the Brown Vs. the Board decision that ended “separate but equal schooling.”

Regarding education at the federal level, Trump and his “2025” peers indicated the followinganarchist notions: “Title I, the $18 billion federal fund that supports low-income students, would disappear in a decade. Federal special education funds would flow to school districts as block grants with no strings attached, or even to savings accounts for parents to use on private school or other education expenses. The U.S. Department of Education would be eliminated. The federal government’s ability to enforce civil rights laws in schools would be scaled back…”  

Notwithstanding having been convicted of sex crimes involving E. Jean Carroll and, despite his ongoing licentious behavior, Trump recently told women, “You will no longer be abandoned, lonely or scared. You will no longer be in danger. ... You will no longer have anxiety from all of the problems our country has today,” Trump said. “You will be protected, and I will be your protector.”   One would have to search far and wide to find a better example of a “fox being in the hen house,” given his long history of misogynistic behaviors. (For details related to the sex crimes for which he was convicted as well as other anti-women conduct, see “81 things Donald Trump has said about women” Things Trump has said about women | The Week.  He has been as reckless with his sexual misconduct as he promised to be with the judicial system.

Donald Trump showed us his true stripes regarding his preferred judicial system when he wrote, “When I win, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences… Please be aware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials.”

Regarding how to handle thefts in stores, Trump declared, “The craziest thing…  And the police aren’t allowed to do their job. They’re told, if you do anything, you’re gonna lose your pension…. They’re not allowed to do it because the liberal left won’t let ’em do it. The liberal left wants to destroy them, and they want to destroy our country…  If you had one really violent day…one rough hour, and I mean real rough, the word will get out and it will end immediately.”  In short, Trump would give us Gestapo 2.0!

One of the scariest things about a possible second term for Donald Trump as President, is that we have many reasons to question his mental health.  For details related to his mental health, one should read the following article:  Mental health experts sound the alarm on Trump’s potential ‘cognitive decline’ as he’s ‘lost touch with reality’ | The Independent.  

In another article related to Donald Trump’s mental health, the following was reported:  “A clinical psychiatrist at a leading medical school says if a patient presented with the rambling incoherence that former president Donald Trump​showed in his widely panned debate performance earlier this week he would refer them for a ‘rigorous neuropsychiatric evaluation.’  Richard Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry and director of Weill Cornell Medical College’s psychopharmacology clinic, wrote in The Atlantic​Thursday that he watched Trump debate Vice President​Kamala Harris ‘with particular attention to candidates’ vocabulary, verbal and logical coherence, and ability to adapt to new topics—all signs of a healthy brain.’”  (Psychiatrist Says Trump Should Be Examined for Cognitive Illness After Disjointed Debate (yahoo.com).  Truly, the “inmates running the asylum” could be in play if he were to be elected.

Should the reader not be persuaded by the foregoing content, please read what those who worked closely with Donald Trump had to say in “The long list of Trump administration officials turned critics” (The long list of Trump administration officials turned critics | CNN Politics).  Perhaps former US Army General Mark Miley stated it as clearly as possible when he said of Trump, “He is the most dangerous person ever. I had suspicions when I talked to you about his mental decline and so forth, but now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is now the most dangerous person to this country… A fascist to the core.” (Retired Army US General Mark Miley in Bob Woodard’s new book War.) 

In sum, as the New York Times July 11, 2024 editorial indicated about Donald Trump, “HE IS DANGEOURS IN WORD, DEED AND ACTION.  HE PUTS SELF OVER COUNTRY. HE LOATHES THE LAWS WE LIVE BY. DONALD TRUMP IS UNFIT TO LEAD.”  It is not exaggeration to suggest that a Donald Trump victory on November 5, 2024 will be the prelude to a society so scary that it will be as frightening as The Exorcist (1973).  In the immediate instance, we the people must perform the exorcism by voting!  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

October 15, 2024

Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. The ACLU of Pennsylvania is committed to ensuring that all citizens are able to cast their votes and have them accurately counted.

The ACLU has routinely represented voters and candidates in order to protect the right to vote and the right to participate in a fair election process.

The nonpartisan voter protection Election Protection Coalition works to ensure that every eligible voter in Pennsylvania is able to cast a ballot that gets counted. The PA Election Protection Coalition is coordinated by the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Common Cause Pennsylvania, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, All Voting Is Local, and Pennsylvania Voice. 

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE UPCOMING ELECTION AND YOUR RIGHTS AS A PA VOTER.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON OUR LET PEOPLE VOTE CAMPAIGN IN BERKS AND LANCASTER COUNTY

Voters can call the following nonpartisan voter hotlines for basic information, such as the location of their polling place or how to obtain an absentee ballot, as well as report problems on Election Day:

• 866-OUR-VOTE hotline (866-687-8683) for English
• 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) for Spanish
• 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) for a variety of Asian languages (The APIA vote hotline lists them here http://www.apiavote.org/hotline: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali)

The Election Protection Coalition is prepared to assist voters with:

• Questions about polling locations, dropbox locations and registration status
• Instructions on absentee or mail-in voting
• Improper challenges at the polls
• Voter intimidation
• Polling places that are not open or that have very long lines
• Poll workers improperly asking for photo ID from voters
• Voters denied the opportunity to vote or not permitted to vote a provisional ballot

The Election Protection Coalition has recruited hundreds of trained legal and grassroots volunteers across the commonwealth to monitor key polling precincts and to respond to voter complaints to the hotlines on Election Day. The coalition will also have attorneys on call in every county who are prepared to go into court if needed.

If you are interested in volunteering to help the effort to make our elections equitable for everyone, please visit here.

Questions? Contact us at info@aclupa.org.

Sublime refers to something “of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe.”  During the August 2024 Democratic Convention, the former First Lady Michelle Obama all but “dropped the mic” as she delivered her sublime speech (See Read and watch: Michelle Obama’s full speech to tNohe DNC – NBC10 Philadelphia (nbcphiladelphia.com).  She reached her rhetorical zenith when she stated, “Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open for others.  She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward… we will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.  If we bankrupt a business… or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance. If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead… we don’t get to change the rules so we always win.  If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.  No, we put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something.” 

Indeed, if we love America’s promise regarding equity and social justice, then we must do something as we approach the November 2024 Presidential election.  As many have advised, “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” Therefore, now is not the time to bask in the civic warmth generated by the many hope-related remarks at the recent Democratic Convention.  Rather, we must heed the following remarks from former First Lady Michelle Obama, “So we cannot afford for anyone to sit on their hands and wait to be called upon… don’t complain if no one from the campaign has specifically reached out to ask for your support… there is simply no time for that kind of foolishness. You know what we need to do.  So, consider this to be your official ask: Michelle Obama is asking you to do something!   …In some states, just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner.  So, we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt… we need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us. Our fate is in our hands.”  

Moving forward, in addition to actually voting, below are some things to consider doing prior to November 2024.

·  Educate yourself regarding all local, regional, state and national issues on your ballot.

·  Thoroughly research the policies and practices of all candidates on your ballot.

·  Encourage others to register and actually vote.

·  Volunteer to work for the political party of your choice.

·  Donate financially to support specific candidates.

·  Participate actively in organizations devoted to the pursuit of equity and social justice.

There are, of course, many other ways that one can use their talents to undertake their civic responsibility.  While doing so, never forget that the opposition will be relentless in terms of not only advancing their causes but also in tearing yours’ down.  Opposition tactics will range from gaslighting to outright lying, from ad hominem to physical attacks.  Knowing the burden of doing something in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality, Martin Luther King Jr. advised, “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.” (Keep Moving from this Mountain).  We must keep moving forward.  That is, all of us must do something because the November 2024 election is a battle for the soul of America, a battle to demonstrate that “we won’t go back,” a battle for hope to triumph over hate, and a battle for “we the people” to emerge victorious over a convicted felon.  

We must do something because, as former First Lady Michelle Obama stated, “Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what’s in your bank account… we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life… all of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued.   Because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American… no one!”  Or, as Langston Hughes poetically put the matter, 

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody’ll dare

Say to me,

“Eat in the kitchen,”

Then.

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

August 27, 2024 

Led by state Reps. Aerion Abney, Napoleon Nelson, Rick Krajewski, Anthony Bellmon and Greg Scott, the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus on Tuesday heard from Allegheny County officials over incarcerated peoples’ right to vote from jail.

The caucus held a news conference in Pittsburgh during their Lunch and Learn Event with guests, including Allegheny County Jail Assistant Deputy Warden Connie Clark, County Elections Manager David Voye, Lorraine Cross of the Black Political Empowerment Project, Amy Kleissas from the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh, Destiny of Faith Church Rev. Brenda Gregg, and Teresa Minor Spencer of West End Power.

"Even behind bars, the right to vote is a beacon of hope, reminding us that every voice matters, and that redemption and civic duty are intertwined," said Abney, D-Allegheny. “Voting from jail underscores the principle that rehabilitation includes reintegration into society, fostering a sense of responsibility and participation in democratic processes.”

Discussion centered on allowing incarcerated individuals to vote and how that emphasizes the idea that justice and democracy are inclusive.

"The vote is the great equalizer; it bridges the gap between those inside and outside prison walls, ensuring that all citizens have a say in the laws that govern them," said Nelson, D-Montgomery, who is Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus chair.

"To deny the vote to those in jail is to silence a part of our community.”

Participants all agreed that voting from jail is important because it gives a voice to marginalized groups, helping to address systemic issues and promote fairer policies that affect both inmates and the wider community.

“I appreciate the work being done in Allegheny County Jail to ensure that voting rights are respected. Anyone held pre-trial or convicted for misdemeanors absolutely has the right to vote but, too often, incarcerated voters are effectively disenfranchised when they aren’t provided with voter registration forms or absentee ballots,” said Krajewski. “Creating voting procedures like those in Allegheny County Jail is a simple step which not only protects voting rights but, research shows, decreases recidivism by keeping incarcerated individuals civically engaged in their communities. It’s time to pass my bill, H.B. 1756, and ensure measures like these are in place at every correctional institution in the commonwealth.”

"The right to vote from jail is a powerful reminder that democracy extends to all citizens, fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging positive societal contributions even from within prison walls," said Scott, D-Montgomery. “Our commitment to this sacred right is ironclad.”

"Empowering incarcerated people to vote acknowledges their humanity, challenges the notion of disenfranchisement, and strengthens the democratic fabric of our society," said Bellmon, D-Phila.

AARP Pennsylvania's first 2024 election survey shows that candidates should pay close attention to Pennsylvanian voters ages 50 and older, and highlights the priorities and concerns of Black voters ages 50 and older that will likely influence the outcome of the 2024 elections. Seventy-nine percent of Black voters in Pennsylvania are extremely motivated to vote this year.

When asked about the issues that are important as they decide whom to vote for this November, older Black voters cited Social Security (92% say extremely or very important), Medicare (89%), policies to help seniors live independently at home as they age (87%), the cost of prescription drugs (86%) as key issues. In fact, Social Security and Medicare emerge as their top priority issue in their vote for Senate this year, with nearly twice as many Black voters 50+ choosing Social Security and Medicare as any of the other dozen issues tested. 

"With inflation and the rising costs of living squeezing all Pennsylvania households, Black voters 50+ are clearly looking for leaders with a plan," said Bill Johnston-Walsh, AARP Pennsylvania State Director.  "Candidates would be wise to listen to their opinions and concerns if they want to win in November."

Among Black voters 50+, President Joe Biden (D) leads former President Donald Trump (R) by a large margin: 84% to 8%. In the race for U.S. Senate, Senator Bob Casey (D) leads Dave McCormick 87% to 7%.

 Other key takeaways include:

• 96% of Black voters 50+ say they are more likely to vote for a candidate for U.S. Senate who advocated making sure workers get the Social Security they paid for through a lifetime of hard work;
• Four of the five issues measured as cost concerns are important to many Black voters 50+: health care/prescription drugs, utilities, food, and housing; and
• 58% of Black voters 50+ are worried about their personal financial situation including 63% of women. Health care/prescription drugs and housing are the biggest cost concerns;
• 66% of Black voters 50+ and 73% of Black voters 65+ say Social Security is or will be a major source of their income.

AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward & Impact Research to conduct a survey. The firms interviewed 1,398 likely Pennsylvania voters, which includes a statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters, with an oversample of 470 likely voters age 50 and older and an additional oversample of 328 Black likely voters age 50 and older, between April 24-30, 2024. The interviews were conducted via landline, cellphone, and SMS-to-web. The margin of sampling error for the 600 statewide sample is ±4.0%; for the 800 total sample of voters 50+ is ±3.5%; for the 400 total sample of Black voters 50+ is ±4.9%.

View the full survey results at aarp.org/PApolling.

For more information on how, when and where to vote in Pennsylvania, visit aarp.org/PAVotes.

 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.

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