Very Interesting...

[qwlauren35]

I still haven't made up my mind, but... I just went to the Bernie and Hillary websites to look at where they stand on the issues. On the Bernie website, there's a section on racial injustice, with, after lots of rhetoric, the offer to address policing problems, incarceration, voting rights and employment. Those are pretty important things. Then I went to the Hillary website. She declined to give us our own section. Instead, she addressed the points as issues, without saying that they are African-American issues. Immigration got mentioned, LGBTQ got mentioned, women got mentioned... but not us.

Which is the right approach?

In my opinion, I prefer the Bernie approach. One of the things I think Obama tried to do was tackle our issues as part of America's issues, and as a result, our issues didn't really get much play... for the last 7 years. Hillary seems to be following that model.

I remember many years ago, someone described the African-American community as a microcosm of America's problems. Like a magnifying glass. Whatever we struggled with intensely, the rest of America was also grappling with to a lesser extent, or was about to grapple with, they just didn't know it. Police brutality is a problem. It just affects us 17 times more. Incarceration is an American problem, it just affects us disproportionately. Voting disenfranchisement is a problem. And it's happening in states where Republicans want to marginalize the Democrats, and that usually means us. Employment is a national issue, but black unemployment rates are not falling at the rate of the country.

But I think we have seen that tackling the symptoms does not address the root problem. We are a racist society, have been, and possibly will always be.

At any rate, websites mean a lot to me. They are an easy source of information about a platform. Hillary, gurl, I'm not impressed. Time to go look at O'Malley.

[JI7]

1. Obama had to hold back but a non black president

Would be more acceptable in saying certain things.

[qwlauren35]

3. Whatever my disappointment in our president,

I temper with the thought that if he ever REALLY tried to make a difference for us in a way that was overt and clearly meant to address our issues specifically, he'd probably get shot. He has done his best. He got us money for HBCUs, he convened a task force to look at police brutality. And he has maintained "social welfare" programs that affect the lives of those of us at the bottom, and some in the lower middle. At least twice that I can recall, he has TRIED to have a conversation on race.

And his speech at the church where the 9 people were murdered was absolutely presidential.

I will never, ever regret voting for him. I will never, ever regret the hundreds of hours I spent campaigning for him. Both times.

Yup, he's only got one more year to dodge bullets. Then millions of black folks will say that their prayers were answered.

[Chemisse]

2. Good, thoughtful post.

In theory, solving these basic problems that hurt blacks disproportionately should help everybody. Sadly, we've never had a chance to see if that is true.

Your average white Democrat is going to care about these issues. But she is going to care about other issues just as much. Overall, if the government's actions generally go her way, she puts up with not getting everything accomplished. From your post, I gather that's the track Clinton is taking. On the other hand, black Democrats will care a lot more about these issues that so strongly affect black communities. So even though these are things we all want, I agree that politicians should considered them African-American issues, and the black vote be catered to accordingly.

[Chitown Kev]

4. Well, since their websites

they can be changed at any moment, Hillary could well change this website in the future.

I'm inclined to be a TOTAL cynic about it and say that Secretary Clinton is taking the black vote for granted whereas Senator Sanders really, truly, desparately needs the black vote and the website is the way it is because he's pandering.

Advantage to Senator Sanders because at least he seems to be vying for my vote and thinks that it's important

[F4lconF16]

5. This.

I remember many years ago, someone described the African-American community as a microcosm of America's problems. Like a magnifying glass. Whatever we struggled with intensely, the rest of America was also grappling with to a lesser extent, or was about to grapple with, they just didn't know it.

This is why I am just beginning to understand what people mean when they say social justice issue must always be the priority.

When we fix the racial issues, the gender issues, the identity issues--in doing so, we unavoidably will fix any economic ones.

If we focus on both, it is almost assured that minorities will take a backseat to the priorities of the white male.

It took me a while, but I see why people are refusing to vote for Sanders, who epitomizes this problem. (Although I don't see how Clinton fixes that).

[Number23]

6. With all the storm und drang from Black Lives Matter this year, I don't see how any candidate

could not understand the importance of having specific, race-based policies as a big part of their platform.

And not just empty rhetoric. You know the "we need to look at..." kind of stuff that politicians do that means next to nothing. Concrete, fact based policies and IMPLEMENTABLE plans to address the specific issues of Americans of color.