#BlackMastodon#BlackTwitter#Election2024#politics
This post is for the Black and Brown people who post on Mastodon. Other people can read it but this thread is to open a dialogue with our community specifically. I was traveling in Chicago for most of this week and I had an opportunity to talk to quite a few working class folks during my stay. When traveling I usually try and take the temperature on what is happening in Black communities locally so politics comes up often. 1/5
#BlackMastodon#BlackTwitter#Election2024#politics
Not a single person I talked to mentioned fascism nor the stakes connected with the election. Not a single one of them mentioned reproductive freedom and this included four Black women who I spent several hours with on Tuesday. Here are the topics they mentioned: lack of affordable housing, the city’s unwillingness to address the issues that hit them in their pocket, safety in their communities, and immigration. 2/5
#BlackMastodon#BlackTwitter#Election2024#politics None of them had a clear understanding of why Biden can’t just issue an Executive Order “like Trump did” and resolve the border crisis. They had no memory or knowledge of previous immigration crises such as the Mariel Boatlift . Two of my cab drivers were green card holders. They resented the perceived “open arms” treatment recent undocumented folks were getting versus the hostility they received on arrival. 3/5
#BlackMastodon#BlackTwitter#Election2024#politics
They were mad about funds that were supposed to address local unhoused needs being diverted to the new influx of immigrants. None of the people I talked to had a clear understanding of what rights and responsibilities Congress had versus the limitations on Presidential action. All this to say, the issues for the mainstream democratic party platform did not address the concerns of their communities and their comments reflected that. 4/5
#BlackMastodon#BlackTwitter#Election2024#politics I am hoping that those of you who post here about fascism, the “stakes,” and voting will also consider sponsoring some coffee klatchs, some informal discussions in a library, for example, or work with a respected civic organization in Black and Brown communities. You can help dispel misinformation and aid civic education. It may not feel as cathartic. This not a criticism of posting but rather encouragement to do something more grounded. 5/5
@fulanigirl
Why can't the take away be that the mainstream democratic party platform SHOULD address the concerns of their communities.
It's not really an education issue.
They SHOULD be angry about funds for local housing efforts being diverted. It's happening because the (democratic controlled) federal government is not helping us with a crisis being caused by the governer of Texas and we are left to our own devices to try to solve it.
@wakingrufus Yes they should and my heart goes out to folks in TX, FL, LA and Mississippi trapped with hateful and reactionary leadership. For a couple of decades now the DNC abandoned dealing with local issues in favor of a small # of national ones and they have no long term plan. Its a foolish strategy because as you say people are right to be angry and failure to address their issues is super dangerous. But folks also don't understand govt so they don't know how to petition for redress.
@daihard In Critical Race Theory we examine how American law treated Asians (first Chinese and then Japanese and then the rest) as they entered this country. They were "othered" as you know and much of the anti-Asian sentiment on this country can be traced back in a straight line to that time. Until 1957 there was vigorous debate in the courts whether Asians could become citizens because they weren't "white" in the understanding of race at that time. So yeah...y'all are Brown!
*ed - grammar
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