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Message from the Chair
Dear Brothers, Sisters, Allies, and Friends,
The Global Black Caucus is wishing you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. May good health, peace, and the joy of the holidays be with you, today and throughout the new year.
I want to use the momentum of our highest gratitude to all our Volunteers and Supporters, our domestic and international Collaborators, and all Democrats Abroad Volunteers who all share the same mission and passion of Getting Out The Vote and fighting for upholding our Fundamental Rights To Vote!
Please read our final statement of 2022 on the Respect For Marriage Act.
Whilst 2022 is nearly at an end, our GBC mission continues to advocate on issues on behalf of our African-American Brothers, Sisters, and Allies.
Please know that you are not alone. Our GBC Community is made up of strong, diverse, and supportive members from all around the world who are always there for each other and hear one out, and if you do feel alone and would like to exchange some thoughts, you may always drop us an email: [email protected]
Love and Light,
Leedonal 'Jazz' Moore
• Democrats Abroad Global Black Caucus
• Democrats Abroad Interim Int. Secretary
• DPCA Voting Rep. DACH
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Happy Kwanzaa! Habari Gani?
Habari Gani?
Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration honoring African heritage in African American culture and takes place from December 26th to January 1st. All Seven Principles of #Kwanzaa are inspiring, uplifting, positive, and centered on traditions of the African harvest season. In fact, the name Kwanzaa comes from the #Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits of the harvest.”
Can you list all 7 principles of Kwanzaa?
The “Nguzo Saba” or as it translates from Swahili to English as “The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa” is a value system and set of principles that outline the mission statement and intentions of Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa founder Dr. Maulana Karenga describes the principles as “…the core and consciousness of Kwanzaa. They are posed as the matrix and minimum set of values African Americans need to rescue and reconstruct their life in their own image and interest and build and sustain an Afrocentric family, community and culture.”
The Nguzo Saba are listed as:
🔴🕯Umoja (Unity)
⚫️🕯Kujichangulia (Self-Determination)
🔴🕯Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
⚫️🕯Ujaama (cooperative economics)
🔴🕯Nia (purpose)
⚫️🕯Kuumba (creativity)
🔴🕯Imani (faith)
During Kwanzaa someone will informally ask, “Habari Gani?” or “What's happening?” in Swahili throughout the day. Someone will respond with the principle for the day, which today is “Umoja” which translates into English as “Unity”. To learn more about Kwanzaa’s history, cultural expressions, and to find fun activities for new families & children, as well as more information on the 7 principles, join our virtual Kwanzaa celebration: nmaahc.si.edu/kwanzaa
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Insights
- Quick thoughts on Warnock’s win:
The net-net is that we can’t give oxygen to the narrative that the awfulness of Herschel Walker is the main reason Warnock won. Republican candidate quality was only a small factor. All the charm or smarm in the world doesn't matter if you don't factor in actual voters and voting.
- Moore v. Harper - the SCOTUS case that could determine the fate of our Democracy – and some potentially positive direction:
First – This The Daily podcast from the other day summarizes the case and the SCOTUS perspectives beautifully.
Next – how did arguments go and when should we hear? For those as impatient as I am, I’m sorry to tell you that the decision might not be shared until June. I participated in a call with NDRC folks and they shared that they were encouraged by what they heard. I’m not a lawyer, so apologies for my very pedestrian readout. Specifically – the opening arguments for the plaintiff, Moore (the NC state legislature that wants to uphold the gerrymandering) seemed to bring the case down to a smaller scope. While the justices could take it to whatever scope/scale they see fit, this was, for some, interesting and unexpected. The other surprise was that Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett both asked questions suggesting that they’re skeptical of the case. Given that the case would reduce checks and balances – and especially reduce judicial authority at the state level, this may be a bridge too far for even BK and ACB.
Now that said – where it may end up is some middle-ground – ie the State Courts still able to rule on the legality of the district lines, but not propose maps/come up with solutions (procedure vs. substance). We shall see!
Last, what we can do now is make sure we increase awareness around the impact of this ruling so that the Justices make their decisions mindful of the “blast radius” (great phrase from the defense attorney) of this case. The National Redistricting Foundation is a great 501c3 vehicle through which to do that!
- Marriage equality:
HOORAY!!!! This Op-Ed by Evan Wolfson (Head of Freedom to Marry) on How we got to this moment and what it means is worth reading. Note – Evan first laid the groundwork for this law decades ago in his thesis and this win is the result of tremendous patience and persistence by tons of dedicated and strategic individuals.
- Ground-game rules!
This article on the merits of door-knocking using Congresswoman-Elect Marie Perez as an example speaks to the importance of having strong grassroots and tons of volunteers. However, to have effective and targeted grassroots also requires extraordinary data, tech, strategy, organization, voter protection and air-cover messaging!
- Speaking of Tech:
This recap of the incredible 2022 Tech investments will take you under the hood, blow you away, and give you deep faith in what Dems can do when we think/work/invest long term! As you’ll read, we got a ton done to improve the technology used as the foundation for the whole Democratic ecosystem.
We have come SOOOO far since 2016 so that state parties, national committees, voters, and candidates up and down the ticket have what they need to be focused, effective, safe and Democratic!
Donate here if you want to help keep these efforts rolling smoothly into the 2023/24 cycle.
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Actions
- Help Flip the Wisconsin State Supreme Court:
The next very big race is for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April 2023 for an open seat that a conservative judge is leaving. Here’s an informative article about the race. If we win that seat, it flips the court to be more liberal. This matters for many reasons, but at the top of the list is the opportunity to address the awful gerrymandering that their very gerrymandered legislature continues to perpetuate. This thread is useful to see the value.
And here’s your action:
Please support the Wisconsin State Party and/or the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) to make sure they can drive turnout to flip that seat – no matter which liberal candidate wins the February primary.
Donate here if you want to help keep these efforts rolling smoothly into the 2023/24 cycle.
- Help retain/flip Legislative Chambers in Special Elections:
The other elections in the next few months we will see are for state legislative seats in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. In PA, while we won the majority, tragically, one of the Dem legislators has since passed away and two others won higher office positions. Thus, three House seats will have special elections – threatening our new House Majority. In New Hampshire – we are close to flipping their house and, with the many special elections that happen there, it’s quite possible a flip will happen in the coming year.
- Subscription reco:
If you’ve recognized the importance of State government, a great news source about which I recently learned (thanks to my friend Suzi) is ❖
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Donate here if you want to help keep these efforts rolling smoothly into the 2023/24 cycle.