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Message from the Chair
Dear Brothers, Sisters, Allies, and Friends,
I hope 2023 is off to a good start for you! I know that November ’23 and ‘24 feel far away. But, trust me, they’re not. Plus, there are critical elections even sooner on which we need to focus. That’s why it’s essential that we show a SUPER strong Q1 this year. It will demonstrate that we are not letting our foot off the accelerator (I no longer say “gas” in case someone has an EV 😉) and will allow organizations and candidates to keep the momentum building instead of atrophying and having to rebuild later on. Plus – this enables year-round organizing – which is exactly what we need to do to build trust in marginalized and rural communities who don’t want to be used for their vote. Thus, this email covers Actions and Insights to help keep things rolling now and into the future.
Insights:
- This blog by Dan Pfeiffer about the Kevin McCarthy Clown Car is great at putting the House investigations in perspective. (I know I keep pointing to Dan Pfeiffer’s Message Box for perspectives on key issues, but why reinvent a wheel when someone else is synthesizing it better than I ever could?!)
- The Debt-Ceiling: This very straightforward article explains what this is all about. And this Politico article shares the White House’s approach to it (it’s non-negotiable that we need to pay our debts) and the House Republicans. Go JOE!!!
- This phenomenal NYTimes Opinion piece does a great job enumerating the failure points of the GOP right now (especially compared w/past critiques of the Dems) finishing off with a damning line about McCarthy and the GOP: “a hollow speaker for a hollow party”.
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2023 Black History Month theme provided by the Global Black Caucus: Black Resistance in The Past, Present, and Future…
Black history is a living and breathing story of struggle and overcoming. It is both ancient and in process now. It is the summation and multiplication of Black people’s capacity for innovation and the will to survive and thrive in the face of relentless violence against our humanity.
Our story is chronicled over thousands of years of Black existence—beginning with the bones of Dinknesh, the great Mousian library, and the civilizations of Mali, Songhai, Kush, and Aksum. It has been likewise expressed in the untold revolts by those who were enslaved, and Black people’s persistent march toward liberation and freedom.
And, we are making history right now. The largest protest movement in the history of the world was birthed on these shores by our people who have declared that Black lives matter. Black people, and Black women in particular, saving the best prospects for democracy in the last election cycle is yet another testament to this fact.
Placing Black history in this context of past and present affirms that it does not begin with slavery (as this country is wanton to do all too often). This point of departure is also a reminder that history should not be merely relegated to the past, but that in this very moment, we are making history in a way that will impact the kind of future we will have together.
With this level-setting as a backdrop, I’d like to draw your attention to a set of questions that I’ve been reflecting on in the advent of this new year. They are questions that invite us to reflect on our history courageously, be informed and intentional about the decisions before us today, and embrace the idea that what we do now will impact our future together.
Looking back at generations past, what if:
- African civilizations never encountered European invaders and colonialism?
- Black people actually received their 40 acres and a mule?
- Slavery or Jim Crow never happened?
- Race riots in places like Tulsa, Memphis, Atlanta, and Chicago never happened? FDR made stronger and more explicit provisions for Black folks in the New Deal?
- The wars on crime and drugs—and the resulting rise of mass incarceration never happened?
- There was a way to revitalize our neighborhoods without gentrifying them and displacing Black people?
- The murders of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Emmitt Till, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, Felycya Harris, Mia Green, George Floyd, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Trayvon Martin never happened—and they were still alive?
Asking these questions in this way not only opens our imagination for what might have happened if people living during these times had chosen to do otherwise. It also invites those of us who are living in the present to consider the critical choices that are before us now—what they will require of us, their impact, and how people 100 years from now will reflect on what we do in this present moment. Given this, we are left to consider the ‘what if’s’ of our time.
What if we:
- Became a democracy that leads with racial equity and racial justice?
- Closed racial income and wealth gaps?
- See poverty (particularly Black poverty) as a systemic and societal failure rather than an indictment on individuals?
- Embrace a comprehensive reparations program for Black people that redresses America’s history of racism and allows us (and the entire nation) to heal?
- Convened truth and reconciliation commissions at the national and local levels?
- Design interlocking systems of education, health, civic participation, and economy that produce racial equity and racial justice?
- Established a new paradigm for wealth-starting with Black wealth?
- ALL Black lives really mattered?
And yes we invite you to have the conversations and share the knowledge you gather here with your family and friends, brothers and sisters, allies, or even the stranger sitting next to you on a bench….
We've put together lists of activities/events, books, films, and other information we hope you find interesting, inspiring, helpful, and educational on our GBC website.. The resources on this page are intended to help you learn more about African-American History, and GBC issues and help you develop activities and events for your chapter or precinct.
The Black History Month 2023 Resources page will be regularly updated.
Where links are provided, they have only suggested sources. Please use the sources you are most comfortable with.
If you have any questions or ideas you would like us to include, please feel free to contact us at: [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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Our first Call To Action….Black Out your Social Media Channels!
We hope you will join us in posting a black picture for 24hrs with the following suggested text and yes, please encourage your families, friends, brothers, sisters & allies to follow your lead:
This Black History Month the Global Black Caucus is Black Resistance in The Past, Present, and Future.
February first we are blacking out all of our social media pages for 24 hrs because, yes there still are people out there who just recently stated that African-American people are not Americans.
An attack on our African-American Community is an attack on all Americans…
The fight is far from over. When we look at the cumulative effect of what’s going on with our voting rights - the cumulative effect of the rise of white supremacists coming into black areas trying to intimidate - the cumulative effect of states who are putting forth more and more voter suppression laws.
The fight is not over. It’s far from over!
We are dedicated even more to fighting harder. Being demoralized is not an option!
We are talking about our liberty, our freedom! Not just for us and our children but for all Americans.
We demand fair treatment!
We demand reparations!
We demand fair education!
We demand fair healthcare!
We demand Fair elections!
We demand equality and justice for ALL!
#BHM #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackResistance #VotingRights #InequalityIsReal #LookUp #BlackVotesMatter #BlackLivesMatter #DemsAbroad #GlobalBlackCaucus #VoteFromAbroad #Reparations
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Events
Reparations and the Black Vote
A cornerstone of international Black political thought, reparative justice is a demand Democrats of all backgrounds can no longer afford to ignore.
Join the Democrats Abroad Reparations Task Force on January 28 at 10:00 a.m. EST as we discuss the post-George Floyd movement for reparations in the United States. Together, we will learn what reparations are and what they are not, with the help of two esteemed Black thought leaders:
- Nina Turner, former Ohio state senator
- Dr. William “Sandy” Darity, economist and social sciences researcher
As preeminent figures in the modern-day reparations movement, Senator Turner and Dr. Darity will help us gain insight into what drives our party’s most loyal voting bloc: Black Americans.
The National Welfare Rights Organization 1966 - 1975
An outgrowth of the Civil Rights Movement: Women of Color Rising to lift themselves and their children out of poverty.
Join the Global Black Caucus for an insightful webinar, during Black History Month 2023, and learn more about the significance of the National Welfare Rights Organization and its activism and legacy which still carries on today.
February 11, 2023, at 10:00 AM EST / 16:00 PM CET / 23:00 HKT
A 21st-Century Economic Bill Of Rights
How do we reverse increasing income inequality in the United States? A 21st-Century Economic Bill of Rights would guarantee all people residing in the United States the right to the essentials of a good life, regardless of their income, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or country of origin. Join our guest speakers to learn more about this progressive proposal and what we can do to implement it.
Confirmed speakers:
- Harvey J. Kaye: American historian and sociologist. Author of several books, including “Thomas Paine and the Promise of America” and “The Fight for the Four Freedoms.” He is Professor Emeritus of Democracy & Justice Studies and the Director of the Center for History and Social Change at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.
- Alan Minsky: Executive Director of the Progressive Democrats of America and a lifelong activist, who has worked as a progressive journalist, as Program Director at KPFK Los Angeles, and as coordinator for Pacifica Radio’s national coverage of elections.
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Donate here if you want to help keep these efforts rolling smoothly into the 2023/24 cycle.