Lawmakers and activists around the country voiced their support for longtime Congressman John Lewis after he announced Sunday that he is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The 79-year-old civil rights icon and Georgia representative said he plans to continue serving his district while undergoing treatment for the…
Video footage of Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg saying Black Americans had its generational wealth stolen was shared today.
When asked his stance on reparations, Buttigieg not only voiced his support for HR 40, but also said the wealth disparity between Blacks and whites is a result of “systemic racism in this country.”
“Now I support HR 40 … but I don’t think we have to wait for that commission to do its work to do other things,” Buttigieg said. He added if generational wealth is “true for a dollar that’s been saved, that’s also true for a dollar that’s been stolen – and what has been stolen from Black Americans is generational opportunities to build up wealth.”
The video was captured and shared by a Twitter user identified as Jameion B. Fowler, who identifies as an outspoken member of the American Descendants of Slavery (#ADOS) movement.
“So we shouldn’t be surprised that when slavery ended… less than two lifetimes ago, that we continue to see the consequences of that, in addition to things that are not from some distant far off point past but happened within living memory,” Buttigieg continued.
In a second clip shared by Fowler, Buttigieg added making policy changes without addressing past injustices would not work.
“What we’ve learned is you can’t just get to 2019, replace a lot of these racist policies with neutral policies and say okay now everything is going to take care of itself. It doesn’t work that way, or if it does it’ll take hundreds of years, so we’ve got to act now to address this,” Buttigieg continued.
There were mixed reactions to Buttigieg’s response from other #ADOS members. While one of his colleagues applauded Fowler for asking the “right questions,” another seemed exasperated and said Buttigieg didn’t even really answer the question.
#ADOS #WallStreetPete #RefundPete pic.twitter.com/47do6z4OIE
— Jameion B. Fowler
(@jbf1982) December 12, 2019
This article was written by Isheka N. Harrison for Moguldom.com on December 12, 2019
The country on Sunday felt a collective weight after the announcement that civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer — news that prompted political figures and celebrities to express their emotions on social media.
The outpouring of support came from a parade of people, from former President Barack Obama to celebrated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, and echoed the feelings of the country about a man who has been called a national treasure.
READ MORE: Rep. John Lewis announces that he is battling stage four pancreatic cancer
Lewis, a longtime U.S. Congress member representing Atlanta and a longtime member of the Democratic Congressional leadership, is the last surviving organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. He was a disciple of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the Freedom Riders, who bussed through the South to win voting rights for Black Americans.
If there’s one thing I love about @RepJohnLewis, it’s his incomparable will to fight. I know he’s got a lot more of that left in him. Praying for you, my friend.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 30, 2019
Dear Congressman.
You are loved.
You are respected.
You are magnificent.
Lifting you up in prayer, peace and the power of your ancestors this day.
May God continue to bless you in all the ways you’ve blessed us, sir.#GoodTrouble pic.twitter.com/vF0S9JN3pD— Ava DuVernay (@ava) December 30, 2019
DuVernay directed the 2014 film Selma that depicted the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches led by Lewis, King, James Bevel and Hosea Williams. In her tweet, she posted photos of her, Lewis and others involved in the cast. In one photo, she and actor David Oyelowo are kissing Lewis on each side of his face as the congressman breaks up.
A host of others showed their support for the congressman on social media, pledging their prayers and support for him.
Tweeted former President Bill Clinton, “If there’s anyone with the strength and courage to fight this, it’s you, John. Hillary and I love you, and we join with millions of other Americans in praying for you and your family.”
READ MORE: Democrats are vying for the coveted support and endorsement of Rep. John Lewis
Stacey Abrams, former candidate for Georgia governor, tweeted, “Rep. John Lewis is America’s conscience and Georgia’s heart. We stand with him as he fights one more battle – to defeat pancreatic cancer. As he wages that war, he continues to do the people’s work, buoyed by the prayers and good will of millions. God bless you, my friend.”
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held up Lewis as a “national treasure” in a statement released to Twitter, and hailed him for spending his “entire life on the front lines of the fight for equality.”
She tweeted, “As he now takes on his next fight, as a community of faith, we stand in agreement with him, believing that God is still on the throne, and that healing and restoration are on the horizon.”
Tweeted Bernice King, CEO of The King Center in Atlanta and daughter of the late Martin Luther King, “I am praying for him and encouraged by the knowledge that he is a legendary fighter. Fight on, sir.”
Lewis’ longtime colleague in the Democratic leadership in Congress – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California – tweeted out a photo of herself with the congressman at a former slave fort in Ghana, on a trip in which a delegation of lawmakers visited the nation.
.@RepJohnLewis, we are all praying for you following this diagnosis. John, know that generations of Americans have you in their thoughts & prayers as you face this fight. We are all praying that you are comfortable. We know that you will be well. pic.twitter.com/j7YMUGLPC2
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 29, 2019
READ MORE: Alabama’s ‘Bloody Sunday’ racial violence of 1965 remembered
In announcing the news via a statement on Sunday, Lewis said, “I have been in some kind of fight — for freedom, equality, basic human rights — for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now.”
The congressman said he will return to Washington in the coming days and continue to work while undergoing treatment.
The post Leaders react with support, expressions of love after John Lewis cancer announcement appeared first on theGrio.
Video footage of Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg saying Black Americans had its generational wealth stolen was shared today.
When asked his stance on reparations, Buttigieg not only voiced his support for HR 40, but also said the wealth disparity between Blacks and whites is a result of “systemic racism in this country.”
“Now I support HR 40 … but I don’t think we have to wait for that commission to do its work to do other things,” Buttigieg said. He added if generational wealth is “true for a dollar that’s been saved, that’s also true for a dollar that’s been stolen – and what has been stolen from Black Americans is generational opportunities to build up wealth.”
The video was captured and shared by a Twitter user identified as Jameion B. Fowler, who identifies as an outspoken member of the American Descendants of Slavery (#ADOS) movement.
“So we shouldn’t be surprised that when slavery ended… less than two lifetimes ago, that we continue to see the consequences of that, in addition to things that are not from some distant far off point past but happened within living memory,” Buttigieg continued.
In a second clip shared by Fowler, Buttigieg added making policy changes without addressing past injustices would not work.
“What we’ve learned is you can’t just get to 2019, replace a lot of these racist policies with neutral policies and say okay now everything is going to take care of itself. It doesn’t work that way, or if it does it’ll take hundreds of years, so we’ve got to act now to address this,” Buttigieg continued.
There were mixed reactions to Buttigieg’s response from other #ADOS members. While one of his colleagues applauded Fowler for asking the “right questions,” another seemed exasperated and said Buttigieg didn’t even really answer the question.
— Jameion B. Fowler
This article was written by Isheka N. Harrison for Moguldom.com on December 12, 2019
After a violent few days in New York City and one far-out suburban community in which Jewish people were targeted, Black and Jewish leaders planned to come together Monday morning in Harlem to denounce the attacks.
The coalition planned to speak out at the National Action Network House of Justice, headquarters for the National Action Network civil rights organization headed by Rev. Al Sharpton.
READ MORE: Jersey City attack being investigated as domestic terrorism
Along with Sharpton, other leaders slated to speak are: Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference, and Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
The greater New York area was reeling after five people were stabbed at a Hannukkah celebration at a private residence in Monsey, N.Y., over the weekend, and several more attacks took place in the five boroughs throughout the month of December. The violence comes on the heels of a fatal attack at a Kosher supermarket in New York City that left six people dead.
The escalating violence prompted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday to declare that the NYPD is addressing concerns over mounting anti-Semitism, but also to say that coalitions would be crucial in attacking what he called a crisis.
READ MORE: 6 killed in New Jersey gunbattle, including police officer
“It’s going to take the strong police presence; it’s going to take prosecutions for hate crimes; but it’s also going to take a new effort to educate young people, to get out into the communities, bringing together multi-ethnic coalitions,” the mayor said. “Because the way to solve this is with actually encouraging a unity and encouraging a real presence out in the streets of people who want to work together to stop this trend.”
Part of the concern over the attacks is that the suspects in the Jersey City and Monsey cases are Black, and relations between the Black and Jewish communities in New York City have been strained at times.
Monday’s press conference was slated to start at 11 a.m. ET.
The post Black and Jewish leaders unite in NYC after wave of anti-Semitic attacks appeared first on theGrio.
