Calling out candidates who don't directly address issues important to blacks isn't charging racism [View all]

[bigtree]

...it's pointing out that candidates aren't addressing some issues important to the black community.

Let me make some things clear. Economic distress and disparity is certainly an important issue which most Democrats do not fail to recognize and address directly. However, economic justice and opportunity isn't the totality of concern from the black community, nor will remedies along those lines solve all of the issues and interests of the black community. I don't feel that economic policy is a panacea for all social concerns, nor is it a substitute for issues related to justice and the application of law.

For instance, calling for higher wages or wage equity, as Bernie Sanders did in his announcement speech is laudable and on target, but isn't a substitute for addressing job discrimination against black applicants and workers seeking to advance in existing positions.

There are also issues of racial policing which need vocalizing; an issue which got zero mention in his speech. I'm looking for candidates to directly address the issue of racial disparities in arrests, detentions, and other confrontations with police.

Sen. Sanders and his history with SNCC and support of civil rights in the past is certainly a plus, and I appreciate his voicing concerns about black unemployment. That background of support for black Americans and other economic issues beneficial to the black community is certainly something which makes Sanders an attractive choice for our community. Whether he will be able to communicate that in his campaign will be key to his garnering the support he needs from black voters to fill out the coalition which Barack Obama advantaged in his elections.

Yet, what I'm interested in may or may not be key to his electability (or any other candidate). I'll be seeking to hold all of these politicians accountable for these issues, primarily, as well as other economic, military, and social policy concerns.

I also want candidates to directly address solutions for immigration, such as defending the refugee status of young, undocumented immigrants. Sanders, in the past, has supported legislation favorable to the 'Dreamers' and has been supportive of President Obama's executive actions on immigration; even criticizing the president for delaying those actions to facilitate the midterms. That issue also got zero mention in his announcement speech. I look forward to hearing more from the senator on the campaign trail on these issues and others affecting immigrants and migrant workers as he has supported these concerns and interests in his state and elsewhere on many occasions.

Likewise, Hillary Clinton has also been a strong supporter of civil rights and economic issues which impact and affect the black community. She has also been a strong supporter of the immigrant community. Although her own introductory effort in this election included a diversity of individuals featured in her video, she suffers the same lack of specificity, so far in this election, in addressing the concerns I've outlined. I'll also be looking to hear more from Mrs. Clinton in the coming year.

I don't think it should be too much for the candidates (and their supporters) to bear criticisms asking for more specific language and proposal from candidates in issues that concern our particular communities and interests. I don't believe that pointing to past support for these issues or related past support for the black community, for example, is defense enough against those expectations of specificity.

We may not get the answers we expect, but asking for them certainly isn't an accusation that those candidates who folks observe have neglected to vocalize those concerns are racist. I think their reticence, if it persists, is more of a political calculation than anything else; not particularly inspiring or supportive, but not necessarily racist.

Let's keep asking our questions and making our demands where we feel candidates fall short of our expectations. The election year is one of the most visible opportunities to raise our concerns and interests to a national level of debate and consideration. Let's remember that, for some, these campaigns aren't always just a zero-sum game. It's an opportunity to get our voices heard, as much as it is for the candidates to garner our support. Let's keep our issues and interests at the head of our advocacy to ensure that they advance along with our candidates.