Politics
Will the Black Caucus put African-Americans back to work?
OPINION – The CBC is in the unique position to provide this kind of direction, and I believe they have the vision and capacity to make it happen…
This tour is a prime opportunity for the Caucus to communicate to “the people” what they should be doing to support the fight to increase jobs, promote responsible spending, and challenge all of Washington to operate in the best interest of the entire country. But if the focus of the traveling roadshow becomes the rhetoric of “blame the Tea Party and the president,” the people will be left waiting for direction.
I am not one who believes the president should not be politically challenged when appropriate. But I do believe the president should be personally defended against the blatant racism that continues to rear its ugly head from not just the Tea Party, but from other Democrats using this period in history to fling personal remarks about this president in ways that are historically unprecedented.
“The people” should be taught to do both: productively challenge the president on policy and direction they disagree with, while fighting those who would further advance white supremacist ideology by using terminology to describe the president in ways that are not just offensive, but yes, also racist.
The CBC is in the unique position to provide this kind of direction, and I believe they have the vision and capacity to make it happen.
However, they must step out of the current political matrix that encourages them to blame, and transition to a higher ground, using this tour as a moment to lead: to lead their constituents and direct them to help create the political environment that encourages job creation; lead them to advocate for their own political power as so many states are under attack through voter ID legislation; and lead them to be engaged as an electorate in 2011 and 2012 in ways that they failed to in 2010.
The CBC has the vision and capacity to provide this type of leadership, the question is do they have the will to do so and make this tour more than a lost opportunity.
Lead the people, and those who are ready will follow.
By Jeff Johnson
Source: theGrio
