Why do y'all think I (as a black man) care all that much about what Bernie did over 50 years ago?
Last edited Sat Feb 20, 2016, 02:24 AM - Edit history (2)
I (as a black man) get to make a determination of my own as to how much Bernie's civil rights activities in Chicago mean to me...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/02/17/1486622/-Quick-Hit-White-folks-be-funny-sometimes
Bernie Sanders civil rights activities in the 1960’s were never a very significant criteria for me in predicting whether and how President Sanders might approach the problems that African Americans face.
The relationship of Sanders with his African American constituents (and they have been his constituents for over 25 years) is hundreds of times more significant than whether he marched with King or not.
Because Sanders’ constituents “know him” and his work far better than I do; they are better judges than you or I.
And the answer from Sanders’ African American constituents to the question of Sanders’ concern for blacks: Meh.
Sanders isn't an innocent victim of his state's demographics, suggests Brattleboro-based Reed. "He's from Brooklyn and grew up with black and brown folks," he notes. Sanders' record of largely avoiding the topic of race "is simply a choice on his part that invalidates the presence of black and brown people," contends the African American activist. "Sen. Sanders suffers from a disease called color blindness."
Colston adds, "If his career had emanated from Brooklyn, he'd have a completely different perspective" on race.
Clarence Davis, a black Shelburne resident* who worked for Sanders in the House, adds that he would like to see "more discussion of race" in which his former boss would participate. It's wrong to regard the country as having achieved a post-racial consciousness, Davis suggests. "We don't live in a color-blind society and never have," he says.
The national campaign will likely push Sanders to be more forthcoming on race. Up until now, however, it has been "as if he's running again for office in Vermont rather than for national office," says Rafael Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican from the Bronx who works as a student services administrator at the University of Vermont. "He's not explicit about racism."
Sanders had a poor record as mayor in appointing minority-group members — as well as women — to high-level positions, says Hines, who has lived in Burlington since 1963. The core of his progressive entourage has been entirely white and almost exclusively male, Hines adds.
"I have a great amount of respect for Bernie," she says, "except I wouldn't vote for him." Hines is supporting Clinton, whom she regards as preferable on issues of concern to women and African Americans.
In the SevenDaysVT (a publication that I’ve come to love!) there’s at least two stories that noted that Sanders had no people of color that worked for him.
I do know that since African immigration to Vermont has become a bit of an issue, Sanders has stepped up to the plate a bit: I don’t feel like hunting down those links right now but that was a point in his favor.
And the conversation continues:
MONTPELIER, Vermont — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders may be about to hit a "black firewall" in South Carolina, as one Vermont activist on race issues put it Friday, but support for him appears to run deep in Vermont's tiny black community.
While progressive politics and home-state loyalty appeared to boost support for the state's U.S. senator at a Black Lives Matter event at the Statehouse on Friday, some observers said he could have done more during his time in the U.S. House and Senate to cement relations with residents of color and thereby keep more current on race relations in America.
Dozens of activists gathered Friday to call for a racial justice agenda in Vermont, including more hiring of black teachers and school administrators and having more accountability for state agency hiring practices.
~~~~~
Mark Hughes, leader of the group Justice For All-Vermont, said he understood why many blacks in South Carolina, site of the next Democratic primary, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus were taking an approach to Sanders that might be summed up with the phrase, "Hello, who are you?"
Because Vermont is 93.5 percent non-Hispanic white, the second-whitest state after Maine, and because Sanders has not done a lot to reach out to people of color during his time in the U.S. House and Senate, "I think there's a lot of folks from his home state where they might be having the same discussion," he said.
"We don't have a lot of interaction with our congressional delegation," Hughes said.
FTR, I think that Hillary Clinton is “meh” on this topic as well.
UPDATE: A POC supporter of Bernie Sanders, J17, "gets it."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1279926
= new reply since forum marked as read
But it was when my mama was a small child. Not much since then.
I do. We cancel each other out. Glad that's all settled now. 
Ever.
No matter what.
now reread it with new eyes. 
I understand that -- and would never dispute it. Sadly, with the way Democrats have sold their souls to corporate interests the same could be said for citizens other than AAs.
Which is why I'm a proud "BernieBot".
And 'reverence' was a poor word choice in retrospect. What I was actually thinking about was 'support'. I must say, though, that I've been moved by the writing/thinking of Michelle Alexander.
Time for this old boy to get to bed. Be well, CK!
Words aren't worth shit. Bernie can talk the talk because he's been walking the walk his entire adult life. Hillary, not so much. Someone in a different thread posted this evidence:
That's why. If you still feel like throwing your vote away on someone who will maintain the status quo, you have only yourself to blame four years from now when nothing has changed.
If you want more of this, go right ahead.
Apparently it's not important.
Where have we heard this before? It's the greatest hit of GDP. 
I view Bernie's past as a history lesson, informing/educating/reminding the great unwashed masses of his role in the civil rights movement. It might not matter to you, but the point is to get through to those who for whom it will matter. And by "those" I mean folks of all races and ethnicities.
His letter to Thatcher re: the IRA hunger strikers is a good example... it speaks volumes as to who he is as a human being. No one can force anyone, particularly an Irish Catholic, to care about his stance on '80s Ireland, but why not bring it to light? It's fascinating history, just like the SNCC.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/12163172/Bernie-Sanders-made-plea-to-Thatcher-on-behalf-of-IRA-hunger-strikers.html
Voters can make their own determination. And something tells me we won't hear Irish Catholics kvetch about his involvement with the Vermont Committee for Irish Human Rights.
More this, please, less divisive internet bullshit.
I'm rarely in a good mood at 6:48 a.m.
Wish 22191 and 22026 were as engaged in the primaries as they are in the general. Hoping the good winds will blow down their way come March, for a change.
But that's just between you and me!
do it on black rights. do it! do it! to it! just google.
But really start doing it on every progressive issue you think is important. It will be an eye opener. Do it for Bernie too.
Make a list, in 10 mins you can wipe out a lot of things.
Climate change
Fracking
War industry
Monsanto
wall street corruption
for profit prison industry
and put her name with the subject in the list and then Bernie's. See what google comes up with.
then come back and tell me about evil
Strike while the iron is hot. 
Response to Chitown Kev (Original post)
& you get left being insulted & lectured. 
Bernie has been consistent. Hillary flops around like a fish out of water.
Bernie's history is important because for the last 50+ years he has been fighting for Social Justice for not just blacks, but for all people. Without Social Justice for all, there can be no real Racial Justice, there can be no real Economic Justice, no real Gender Equality, no real Educational Equality. Bernie does it not by pointing to himself, he does it by what he stands for, the same thing he has stood for all along, all the way back to when he fought discriminatory housing practices at the University of Chicago in the early 1960's.
Today I was lucky to see a Public Television Show on Vel Phillips, a black civil rights leader in Milwaukee, WI beginning in the 1950's. She was the first black female graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. She was also the first black Alderman on the Milwaukee, Wisconsin City Council. She fought valiantly for years to roll back segregated housing practices in Milwaukee but was unsuccessful. She participated in non-violent civil disobedience over various issues of the time. The fair housing rules were finally put in to effect after various Federal Protections were passed in 1968. In the 1960's In Chicago Bernie fought housing discrimination by his University. He was a member of CORE (Congress on Racial Equality)
He was at the March on Washington in the 1960's and if Senator John Lewis had turned around he would have seen a few rows back and to his left as shown in this image.
Not so sure about Hillary's "Honesty" especially after she stood on a debate stage before New Hampshire and outright lied about Senator Sanders writing a Foreword for Bill Press's book. Looking at the index on-line THERE IS NO FOREWORD IN THE BOOK!! This is what Bernie said on the back cover of the book:
"Bill Press makes the case why, long after taking the oath of office, the next president of the United States must keep rallying the people who elected him or her on behalf of progressive causes. That is the only way real change will happen, Read this book." Bernie Sanders
That statement was then twisted into this on the front: "Bill Press makes the case--read this book" Bernie Sanders
The name of the book is "Broken Promises: How Obama Let Progressives Down" by Bill Press It is interesting to note that Mr. Press closes his book with a three page letter to Hilary Clinton should she win the presidency. In the letter, Mr. Press reminds Hilary of her progressive past, the work she has done, the causes she has championed and asks her to please be bold going forward in addressing the needs of the American Public. He also includes a letter to Bernie, this is what it says: Dear Senator Sanders, Congratulations! You defied the odds. You made it to the White House. Now, be yourself, that's all we ask. Hillary's is three pages, his is three lines. He is who he says he is and he does not have to be reminded of what he has been fighting for for the last 50 or so years.
This is post by Bill Press verifying that Hillary misrepresented what Bernie said
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-press/the-blurb-heard-around-the-world_b_9237814.html
I am a supporter of President Obama. I have been outraged by the ridiculous way he has been treated by the republicans in CONgress. My States own senator was the worst, pledging to make sure Obama would be a one term president. Bad enough to pledge that, but to pledge that in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression should have led to McConnell's impeachment. Instead he and his fellow republicans blocked and refused to compromise on anything of substance with the president. President Obama made one crucial mistake early on that I think most of us can agree on, he held out for the hope of compromise with the republicans way longer that they deserved and it wound up limiting what he could actually accomplish. Once McConnell said what he said, that should have been the end of any thought of compromise on the president's part. Also, far to many times he seemed to me to lead off with his compromise position. Kind of like Hillary and the minimum wage. She is on board for $12/hour which should in all reality be her final compromise position instead of her lead off position. She and President Obama sometimes seem like they would be terrible poker players. Bernie is at $15/hr and I believe he will be able to get us close to that.
I will close with one of the best spokespeople for Bernie I have seen yet.
Nina Turner, former Ohio State Senator and former Hillary Clinton supporter, now a Sanders spokeswoman.
