Renewed Vision for Racial Progress

By Olivia Dowling  |  The Politic  |  Link to article
March 20, 2009

You have lived through some of the most important events of racial politics in America, have volunteered for the Black Panther Party in California, and now head the Congressional Black Caucus. What did voting in the 2008 presidential election mean to you?

It was one of those moments; it was really a transformational moment. I felt like how many in our country felt about the work of our ancestors, the work of our civil rights organizations [such as] the Black Panther Party, all of our groups, organizations and individuals that really fought for that moment and now we were there. When I voted, I thought of all of those who had paid such a dear price, who sacrificed so much for this day to come. So I voted in the spirit of gratefulness and thankfulness.

The 2008 election saw the highest voter turnout since the 1960 general election, according to the Washington Post. The African-American community also saw record-breaking turnout. Some political analysts have predicted that black turnout rates exceeded white turnout rates for the first time in American history. To what do you ascribe this record-breaking turnout? Can it simply be explained, as some have suggested, as the African-American community’s excitement to vote for the first African-American candidate on a major party ticket?

No, I would say we had an inspirational candidate who was an African-American, who was smart and had a message of change. We saw many young people get involved, and I think that may have factored into the huge turnout. It was amazing how young people saw President Obama as a person who got it, who really wanted real change, and so they volunteered in many, many ways to make sure that he won. It was quite a turnout that we all hope to continue in terms of the engagement of young people and the African-American community. We have to make sure people stay engaged in their government processes.

What sort of role models do you believe President Obama and his family will be to the African-American community? What will be their influence on the broader U.S. population?

They are wonderful role models. You see a father, a mother, two children who are ordinary folks, who care not only about their family and their children, but who care about their community, their country, and their world. Every time you see them, you see this beautiful first family, with these two beautiful young girls going to school, doing what normal young girls do. I think it really shows the country and the rest of the world the strength of African-American families and how we can build on our strengths. When we strengthen our families, we strengthen our community, we strengthen the country, and we strengthen the world. They are a great example of what parenting is about.

Journalist Gwen Ifill’s upcoming book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, describes a new generation of black politicians who are “younger and more likely to get to power not by marching in marches the way their parents did or by leading protests” but through education and “choosing public service in a different way.” Do you agree that this is the future of black politics after Obama?

I think we have to have both inside and outside strategies. I think the protests and the marching, which I call ‘street heat,’ still have their place. When you look at, for instance, what is happening in my own community with police brutality, with a young man just being shot in a cold-blooded murder by a police officer, we have to have protests; we have to have an outcry of support. We need to know that we have the right to petition our government in the Constitution. Education, moving up the professional ladder, and using our skills and knowledge to help not only our families but the community and country are really the keys with young people. I see that as a strategy, but I do not think we need to believe that the protests and the ‘street heat’ are not important. That pressure has to be there on the government for it to respond appropriately to the needs of the people. [Marches and protests] may not have the same role in terms of civil rights, but when you look at trying to end the occupation of Iraq, when you look at the peace movement, we have to have that support.

During the Civil Rights Era, the preeminent challenge facing the African-American community was discriminatory law and blatant discrimination. Now, however, challenges facing the African-American community such as inferior public schooling and sub par healthcare seem to be more complex. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the African-American community? How do you think President should address these issues?

When you look at incarceration rates among African-Americans, especially among African-American women, and crack cocaine determinant sentencing, it is hugely disproportionate. We have to address these issues in order to close these moral gaps. When you look at healthcare, the health disparities in the African American communities, and in all communities of color, are huge. With HIV/AIDS, look at the disproportionate rate as it relates to African-American men and women, so when we talk about universal healthcare and healthcare reform, you can’t forget communities of color have specific gaps that have to be closed. Otherwise, we won’t be attacking the problem where we need to. I think [President Obama] is doing a great job. The economy is the first issue to millions of people who are losing their homes with the foreclosure crisis, and he’s really focusing on how to mitigate that and keep people in their homes and create jobs. We look forward to working with him.

You have been a persistent advocate of poverty eradication, as evidenced by your authoring of the poverty section of the Congressional Black Caucus’s Gulf Coast reconstruction legislation. Yet, the issue of poverty was overshadowed by rhetoric focused on the middle-class during the presidential campaign. How should President Obama address persistent poverty, especially as this issue significantly impacts African-American communities?

We, in the Congressional Black Caucus, are definitely looking to make sure that not only middle class issues are addressed, but that the people who are poor and don’t have a voice, have a voice. That’s part of what being the ‘Conscience of the Congress’ is. We’re looking to deal with poverty head on with the Half in Ten Campaign, cutting poverty in half in ten years. We have earned income tax credits [and other] specific initiatives that will help reduce poverty. We definitely, as a Congressional Black Caucus, intend to address this in a big way.

At the time of the Democratic primaries, the 42 members of the Congressional Black Caucus were roughly split between supporting Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. What do you believe accounted for this early split in support among the African-American leadership?

Well, I think that’s what democracy is about. That’s what primaries are about. Everybody has the right to endorse whomever they want to endorse. Senator Clinton was a phenomenal candidate. But, you saw after the primary election that we became unified. I endorsed [President Obama] for many reasons including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’ve been against these wars from day one. He has been very clear on how he will begin to bring our young men and women home from Iraq in a responsible way. The other members supported Senator Clinton for their own reasons, but I think in a democracy, debate is healthy and people have the right to endorse and support whom they desire.

As the new head of the Congressional Black Caucus, how do you intend to work with the Obama Administration? What issues will the CBC most strongly address this year and why?

We hope to continue, first of all, to be the ‘Conscience of the Congress’ and the voice of the voiceless. That is the role of the Congressional Black Caucus. We’re currently working with him on the economic recovery initiative, creating jobs, and health care efforts. We have four full committee chairs and 15 subcommittee chairs in the Caucus, so many of President Obama’s policy agendas will come to committees that members of the Congressional Black Caucus chair. We look forward to working with him to bring unity to his agenda and our agenda, so that the bottom line will be that people will be served well, and the country will be served well by this collaboration on the legislative packages that come forth.

Obama has tapped four African-Americans for his cabinet, including the first African-American Attorney General, Eric Holder, and UN Ambassador, Susan Rice. The only cabinet appointment you have commented upon is the nomination of Steven Chu for the Department of Energy. What is your assessment of the incoming Obama cabinet? What has been the wider reaction within the Congressional Black Caucus?

I can give you my personal reaction. I think he’s put together a very creative team. This is a team of experts, of bright, smart people who are coming to his administration with a new perspective, but also with experience. He has his ideas of where he will take the country and I think the people he has appointed will make sure that those ideas, and his vision that the people voted for, become real.

You have also been a key leader in addressing the continuing crisis in Darfur. How is the Darfur initiative progressing in Congress and what actions do you hope President Obama will take in regard to Darfur?

Others and I have submitted a white paper on how we think the new administration should look at ending the horrific genocide that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. It’s a shame and disgrace that while the Bush Administration has talked a good game, they didn’t walk the walk like they should have and too many people’s lives have been lost. I intend to keep pushing forward on all of my bills. We’ve got the divestment bill passed and signed into law. We’ve made some major, important steps, but it’s the implementation of these measures that needs to happen now. I authored the divestment bill on sanctioning multinational companies doing business in Sudan and receive no federal contracts. The Bush Administration didn’t comply with all of these laws and now we need to make sure these laws are executed.