What's happening in the Black community

[angee_is_mad]

while others moan about doom and gloom.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/14/AR2010101406750.html
"A major survey conducted by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University found that 80 percent of black Democrats are as interested or more interested in the midterms than they were in the 2008 presidential election, when their enthusiasm helped propel Barack Obama into office.
This year, 62 percent of all black Democrats say they're likely to encourage others to support certain candidates, according to the survey, compared with 47 percent of white Democrats and 57 percent of all Republicans."

http://www.eurweb.com/?p=57854
"The African American community in Gainesville hosts its annual “Empowerment Sunday” on October 24th. Every year, the black elected officials along with the black ministers organize a political rally with food/drink and encourage the community to vote. The event is held right next to the Early Voting site so people can go vote and then come a grab a bite to eat and here some of the Democratic candidates speak."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/51942/218434
Jay Z

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2010/09/28/whos-voting-early/#more-4845
"Jessie Sears of Avondale was one of about 30 people – nearly all Democrats and members of the NAACP – who camped out overnight on Broadway downtown to be there when the Hamilton County Board of Elections began its in-person early-voting at 8 a.m.
She spent the chilly night in a lawn chair, wrapped in a heavy pullover, while her 18-year-old grandson, Emmanuel Brockman, slept tin the car.
Like all of the campers, Sears was determined to make a statement by being among the first to vote in this year’s election.
“I think it is important,” Sears said. “If we don’t vote, so many of the things we have gained over the years could be lost – Social Security, Medicare. People need help. We have to put the right people in office to help them.”

and they think we're EXHAUSTED!!!! Fired up and Ready to Go!!

[jesus_of_suburbia]

1. good news.

[angee_is_mad]

2. Great to have Good news

instead of the doom and gloom outcome of the elections.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

47. "instead of the doom and gloom outcome of the elections."

Exactly.

I think we have an excellent chance of maintaining the Senate, and a shot at maintaining the House.

I'm not ready to admit a "gloom outcome of the elections" (as you said).


I think we as Democrats often think we're going to lose, so we cater to the Repukes, and it becomes reality. I personally think we're going to surprise the Repukes!



Glad to see us all fighting together!

[MadMaddie]

3. This indeed is good news

The MSM won't report it because it doesn't support their political agenda.

[jenmito]

4. Rep. Clyburn talked about this on MSNBC today. n/t

[angee_is_mad]

8. Secret weapon

Congressman James Clyburn, "I really believe that that is what is going to be the secret weapon here," said the South Carolina Democrat, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, on MSNBC. "That is the unknown to a lot of people."

[jenmito]

11. Yup...

and I believe he's right.

[Number23]

21. Oooo "secret weapon." I like that!

[angee_is_mad]

5. black folks are EXHAUSTED

didn't you get the memo?lol

You are right the msm and alternative media probably won't cover this much. But get out the vote is all over urban radio. Hosts are making jingles and raps about voting.
Heard one good rap today on TJMS about "the tea party may like tea but they sure don't like chocolate." It is being noted the bashing and anti-Obama sentiment out there.Many feel they have to have his back because no one else is. Except for Ride N Die Joe of course.

[MadMaddie]

7. Ha..ain't that the truth!!

That's rich
<snip>
good rap today on TJMS about "the tea party may like tea but they sure don't like chocolate."
<snip.

[Number23]

24. "the tea party may like tea but they sure don't like chocolate"

That's hilarious. :rofl:

[AspenRose]

15. Yeah, like Ms. 'I'm tired of defending you"

She's just so TIRED. *shaking head*

[Tarheel_Dem]

34. Chris Paul is a nut, and can come up with a rap in seconds. I heard that too!

:rofl:

On a serious note, I agree that as a community, we see how this president is being treated by the Repukes, and even some whom we've long considered "allies" on the left. I mean, I know the Repubs hated Bill Clinton, but there's an especially contemptuous disrespect being shown for THIS president, and I think it has our community "Fired Up".

:toast:

[angee_is_mad]

35. We are

the MOST DEPENDABLE base in the democratic party. Now we need to go out there and vote.
What I have found is that it isn't as much as supporting individual candidates as much as supporting Obama and having candidates in DC that will WORK WITH him.
I tried to find a clip of that rap with no luck. Even went to Tom's website and youtube. If you find it how about posting it here.I think DU would get a kick out of it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

38. I'll see if I can locate it. (nt)

[stevedeshazer]

6. +1, way to go angee

:)

[oswaldactedalone]

9. I posted this on a similar thread

but thought it would be good to post it here as well. I received this email about a month ago from a long-time African-American friend who I met in college. I hope it's circulating in the black community as the original writer meant for it to.

----

WE MUST VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2nd AS IF OUR LIVES DEPEND UPON IT, BECAUSE THEY DO!
The Republican party has embraced dangerous, radical hate mongers called the "Tea Party." They are led by Glen Beck, Sara Palin, and the owners of right wing media outlets, whose chief goal is to take down President Obama. These people hate blacks, latinos, minorities in general, and any moderate Republican who might want to cooperate with President Obama. More than anything, they desperately hate our President.

Their rallying cry? "We want to take our country back!" Take it back from who and to when? The 1940s or 50s? American soil remains stained with the blood of our Africa-American brothers and sisters who fought and died for our right to vote.

The polls say Republicans are going to win enough seats to take over the U. S. House and maybe the Senate because Democrats lack the enthusiasm to vote. WE MUST GET AS MANY AND MORE PEOPLE TO THE POLLS AS WE DID DURING THE 2008 NATIONAL ELECTION.

We want your enthusiasm, but we need you to vote. We need you to vote out of FEAR. Fear that these radicals will take our country back to Jim Crow. Fear that the virulence of the KKK and similar hate groups will once again be the order of the day. You think this couldn't happen? Just stay home on election day and take a gamble on what might happen if we allow the leadership to change.

Don't leave voting to the other guy. Vote a straight Democratic ticket for your U. S. Senator, Congressman, Governor, and Democrats down the ballot.

Like African drums calling out across America, reach as many people as you can!
Don't break this chain message or we may find ourselves in chains once again.
VOTE NOVEMBER 2nd!

Forward this E-mail to at least 15 people and please keep it going!

----

So, it seems to me that there's motivation to vote building among African-Americans. Feel free to copy, paste, and forward it along as well.

[angee_is_mad]

17. this, "We need you to vote out of FEAR"

enuff said!

[Kind of Blue]

27. You had me at

"they desperately hate our President" :grr:

[Number23]

31. Wow. Typos and mild hyperbole aside, that's one hell of an e-mail

I like it. Thanks for posting!

[babylonsister]

10. Thank you, angee-great to read! nt

[butterfly77]

12. Condelezza rice on cspan..

right now telling the press club about the black community since she is a so called expert on the subject..

[ClarkUSA]

13. After GOTV in Philly, I can say that if Sestak wins, he'll owe a lot to the AA community there.

There's also a lot of excitement among the youth vote in the many universities in the Philly region, including the Main Line. Almost everyone my OFA group talks to wants to support President Obama and the Democratic agenda. I hope we can swing PA away from Toomey. The polls sure show a good trend.

[tallahasseedem]

50. Thank you for your help!

I'm doing all I can here in the tri-state area. Lot's of crazy stuff going on!

[AspenRose]

14. "We've got your back."

Fired up, ready to go.

Black America says: Enough with the teabagging bullshit, already.

[ej510]

16. On Sirius 106 The FoxxHole Jamie Foxx's Channel they've been pushing

early voting. Everyday they are telling us to vote. Mark Thompson on Sirius Left is doing the same.

[angee_is_mad]

18. Joyner, Baisden, Ballentine,

Madison, Harvey, Ricky Smiley, and of course Sharpton. I'm not even going to mention the local black talk show hosts.

[bigdarryl]

22. Joe Madison is saying everyday on his show the POWER 169 that

we as African Americans cannot sit this election out because the Tea Baggers want to take this country back to the 1800's when black people didn't have anything

[butterfly77]

25. Yes...

someone once posted this "Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black" - Tim Wise http://ephphatha-poetry.blogspot.com/2010/04/imagine-if-tea-party-was-black-tim-wise.html


Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure - the ones who are driving the action - we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protester — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose.

Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington.

Imagine that a rap artist were to say, in reference to a white president: “He’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun.” Because that’s what rocker Ted Nugent said recently about President Obama.

Imagine that a prominent mainstream black political commentator had long employed an overt bigot as Executive Director of his organization, and that this bigot regularly participated in black separatist conferences, and once assaulted a white person while calling them by a racial slur. When that prominent black
Imagine that a prominent mainstream black political commentator had long employed an overt bigot as Executive Director of his organization, and that this bigot regularly participated in black separatist conferences, and once assaulted a white person while calling them by a racial slur. When that prominent black commentator and his sister — who also works for the organization — defended the bigot as a good guy who was misunderstood and “going through a tough time in his life” would anyone accept their excuse-making? Would that commentator still have a place on a mainstream network? Because that’s what happened in the real world, when Pat Buchanan employed as Executive Director of his group, America’s Cause, a blatant racist who did all these things, or at least their white equivalents: attending white separatist conferences and attacking a black woman while calling her the n-word.

Imagine that a black radio host were to suggest that the only way to get promoted in the administration of a white president is by “hating black people,” or that a prominent white person had only endorsed a white presidential candidate as an act of racial bonding, or blamed a white president for a fight on a school bus in which a black kid was jumped by two white kids, or said that he wouldn’t want to kill all conservatives, but rather, would like to leave just enough—“living fossils” as he called them—“so we will never forget what these people stood for.” After all, these are things that Rush Limbaugh has said, about Barack Obama’s administration, Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, a fight on a school bus in Belleville, Illinois in which two black kids beat up a white kid, and about liberals, generally.

[Top Cat]

19. K&R

[Number23]

20. Yeah! Nothing scares the shit out of some folks more than a black person voting

I hope that the community comes through (as we always do) and is able to make a significant impact on the elections.
:bounce:

[angee_is_mad]

26. it scares the shit outta kirk

in Illinois. Sorry, dirty bastard!

[David Zephyr]

23. Honored to be 24th K&R.

Thanks for the positive news! K&R. :)

[Kind of Blue]

28. I do not tire of this repost - it's twice as nice.

KnR

[donheld]

29. Thank you

[angee_is_mad]

30. no, thank you

now we just need to do the dayum thang!!!!

Fired Up Ready 2 Go!

[firedupdem]

32. Thanks Angee...

while the teabaggers and firebaggers etc. push their doom and gloom, we will show up at the polls.

[Pirate Smile]

33. Great post. Kick and Recommend.

Saying popped into my head with all the "take back America" crap - "We ain't goin' back, we're goin' forward."

[rasputin1952]

36. Blacks and Hispanics willl turn this election away from the GOP/Teabaggers!

Here's a GOP/Teabagger nightmare scenario...set up "security" forces in black/hispanic voting areas.. There was a short blurb on this the other day...intimidation pure and simple. They've done this before, "unpaid ticket, no vote, you get arrested"; it's all lies, but it can scare some away. In most districts, if your on line when the polling place closes...you vote. Noe of of this, "you're too late garbage". I worked a polling place in AZ. At closing time, one each, D/R and occasionally a police officer, where placed the the end of the line. If you were late, you lost, if you were in line, if it took all night, you got you chance to cast your vote.If you're not on the roll,you get a provisional ballot, and it is as valid as any other ballot as long as the info is correct.

Call before the election, the County Clerk has where your polling place is. Do NOT let some goomer in a polling place send you across town; Know ahead of time where you can cast your vote. Don't get angry! Explain yourself and make sure others around you hear your explanation, (they may have the same situation).

Keep fired up, talk to people! If it's going to be cool in your area, dress for it, taking kids, take little treats...but above all VOTE!!!

[angee_is_mad]

37. DONE!

and thanks!

[HipChick]

40. +100..I'm organizing free rides on election day..it worked well in Nov 2008

[jesus_of_suburbia]

44. We will. And I am a member of another minority community as well......

the GLBT community.




The majority of us will also come out and vote for Dem candidates.




Let's get out there and vote Democratic!

[rasputin1952]

45. ...

:woohoo:

[jesus_of_suburbia]

48. "Keep fired up, talk to people!"

I LOVE your spirit!


And I think that's what we all have to do.


Talk to our friends. Talk to those around us.


ESPECIALLY talk to those who have voted Dem in the past and might be discouraged to sit out 2010 or 2012.

I KNOW we can do great things given time.

[ClarkUSA]

49. Don't forget Asians and Pacific Islanders, too.

[rasputin1952]

52. YEP!!!

:woohoo:

[NJLEFTY]

59. Why

From the statistics that I read, unemployment and underemployment have grown faster in the Black and Hispanic community than in any other demographic. Since I am white and employed and have been regardless of the administration, I can't help but wonder how the enthusiasm for Obama remains high.

[politicasista]

39. Kick!

:kick: :patriot:

[Kdillard]

41. Thanks so much for posting this in the face of so much negativity.

I truly hope this effort will make all the difference and that the media (and some duers) will be in for a big surprise in terms of the House and the Senate.

[political_Dem]

42. I am glad for this positive news. Thanks for the heads up.

I am glad that more folks are getting empowered. We cannot have apathy this election cycle or the next. Empowerment means fighting for a better future and keeping those who might prevent it out of office.

This is the type of news after an ugly week that keeps my spirits up. :)

[moondust]

43. Great!

K/R

[Phx_Dem]

46. The black community put Obama in office, and they can keep him there.

And they keep Congressional Dems in office too. I wonder if they know how much power they have.


*V * O * T * E *

*V * O * T * E *

*V * O * T * E *

[angee_is_mad]

51. We do, but the question should be

does everyone else (including progressives) realize it?

[Phx_Dem]

54. Progressives think they're the ones who put Obama

into office. :eyes: But I think most everyone else does realize the power of the black community because they are a much larger group than progressives.

[oswaldactedalone]

53. K&R

Back to the top

[ampad]

55. I welcome the negativity

From this board, from those inbred teabag freaks and from nasty republicans in general. I welcome the negativity because it just makes me more determine to vote and to get others out there to vote. I think that as an African American I see the negativity in a different light. It just makes me more determine. Most of my African American friends feel the same way.

[CakeGrrl]

56. A few weeks ago, there was a truck in front of me with a bumper sticker

that read "Deport the Kenyan".

'nuff said.

I'm voting straight Dem ticket as I always have. Anything less during a Teabagger insurgence is idiotic, IMO.

[Number23]

58. + a million

I welcome the negativity because it just makes me more determine to vote and to get others out there to vote.

There's a phrase for that way of thinking. It's called STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY. And that line of thinking is one of the backbones of the black community. Without it, we would have withered and died a long time ago.

[oswaldactedalone]

57. Update on the email I posted on this thread

I posted the text of an email I received from an African-American friend a month or so ago regarding encouraging African-Americans to vote. Since posting it here, I've also shown it to black co-workers and other acquaitances. Without exception, they've responded positively to it, and asked me to send it to them so they can forward it. You might consider pasting it into an email and forwarding it along as well. When I got it, it was titled "Vote November 2nd" but feel free to change it to whatever works best for you.