Pictured above: GBC Members at DA EMEA Conference in Madrid. From Left to Right Cuthbert Telesford-Denmark, Elizabeth Bond-Spain, Nicole Pearson-Spain, Angela Fobbs-GBC Chair-Germany, Ronda Zelezny-Green-UK, Christina Skovsgaard-Norway, Patricia Hamzahee-UK, Second Row. Adrienne Johnson-UK, Erica Smith-France, Shari Temple-Germany.
Welcome and thank you for visiting the Democrats Abroad Global Black Caucus page.
For a quick-to-use list of our contact links and ideas for action, go here.
The Democrats Abroad Global Black Caucus (GBC) is made up of DA members of all ethnicities from around the world who are willing and able to advocate on issues important to Black Americans within the United States of America and those living abroad. All DA members are eligible to join the GBC. We advocate for laws, policies, and programs that improve the lives of Black Americans and educate all people on the humanity of Black people.
People of visible African descent have been in what we now know as the United States of America since 1619, long before many ethnic groups who are now considered to be White. Black Americans were essential to building America. Without Black people, the greatness of America would not be possible. Today, Black Americans are in all walks of life and are 13.3% of the American population[1]. By 2060, the projected black population in the United States will be 74.5 million, with a predicted median black wealth as of 2053 of zero and a current median White wealth of $116,000.
According to the Voter Participation Center, from 2012 to 2016, Black voter turnout dropped by 4.7% overall[2]. Black voter turnout is essential for Democratic election victories. Therefore, it is necessary for Democrats to identify and focus on those issues close to the hearts of African Americans and other minority voters. In general, voters do not turn out unless they feel included, listened to, and excited. It is important that Democrats Abroad have a caucus that directly addresses the issues of Black Americans. Thus, the Global Black Caucus will produce and disseminate political content which bears witness to the ever-unfolding international history of the Black American reality. Black Lives Matter!
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[1] “QuickFacts.” U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts Selected: UNITED STATES, United States Census Bureau, 1 July 2016, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216.
[2] Fraga, Bernard L., et al. “Analysis | Why Did Trump Win? More Whites - and Fewer Blacks - Actually Voted.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 8 May 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/05/08/why-did-trump-win-more-whites-and-fewer-blacks-than-normal-actually-voted/?utm_term=.c54e479ea009&wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1.
DA Global Black Caucus Leadership:
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American Voters in Africa
Thank you for registering for the event "The Power of the American Vote in and for Africa: How Americans Who Vote in Africa Can Shape US Policies"
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Join Democrats Abroad
Join our Caucuses. DA sponsors caucus groups, which exist to engage members with a particular area of interest in campaigns, initiatives, and advocacy projects.
All Democrats Abroad members are welcome to join them. Learn More.
Help other Americans Abroad get registered to vote and request an absentee ballot. Become a VFA Voting Champion. Learn More.
Spread the word about voting from abroad. Explore ideas to help get out the vote.
Make a video to help other Americans understand the importance of voting in 2020. Information and script here.
Make a donation to help get out the vote.
Take part in our events. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of our events are online and open to anyone who wants to attend. Learn More.
Member Stories: Howard Hemsley
I came home from work and instead of the usual puddle of piss in my doorway, there was a dead rat. It was the size of a cat and laid in state on a white paper plate; a message from the dealers, steerers, and lookouts who sat on stoops and lounged in tenement doorways on First Street; a drug supermarket where cars with Jersey plates and dudes in ragged sneakers came to cop. It was the eighties.
There were drugs on the block when I moved there five years before after serving every day of a three-year sentence at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary for the minor crime of passing bad checks and the major crime of being a smart-ass New York ni****r. Drugs on the block did not matter. What mattered was my ground floor loft, a former hippie belt factory more than twice the size of the railroad apartments upstairs. The rent was two-fifty a month and there was no heat, electricity, or plumbing when I moved in. A broken toilet in the middle of the floor was all that remained. With my overtime, I could make it a dream apartment. My arrogance had gotten me a job at a bigtime Wall Street law firm, where I worked sixty, seventy, sometimes eighty hours a week on deals worth billions. Every day I locked horns with biggety Harvard and Yale lawyers who decided I was a revolutionary.
After five years I knew my neighbors well enough to nod hello. My front door opened to the sidewalk and I did not have to enter the building with the weekend one-night stands from gay bars in the West Village.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 04:00 PM Vienna Time · 21 rsvps
Solidarity Sundays #36: Dismantling Structural Racism Workshop
In recent months the issue of race equality has dominated the news media. However, racism is not confined to police brutality or to the white supremacistsholding their rallies in public. That is racism at its most crude and visible form. More subtle is the structural racism in every aspect of our society - not just in our criminal justice system but also in our schools, the media, the workplace, and communities.
Join us for a workshop that will provide attendees a better understanding of how racism shapes our culture and laws and to take part in imagining new ways to move forward. The workshop will be facilitated by Mrs. Sherri Spelic, an educator and leadership coach.
The event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27th from 16:00-18:00. Please RSVP here to receive the link.
Wednesday, November 04, 2020 at 01:00 AM through November 05, 2020 at 1am Eastern Time (US & Canada) · 10 rsvps
Election Results Waiting Room
Look for somewhere to hang out and wait for the election results? Look no further. Our GBC Cafe has been turned into a post-election waiting room. Join us for companionship, solidarity, and discussion about the election and beyond. We'll also be streaming the news.
We'll keep this channel open until we know the results of the presidential election, etc.
RSVP to receive the Zoom link.