(ThyBlackMan.com) “The political philosophy of black nationalism only means that the black man should control the politics and the politicians in his own community. The time when white people can come in our community and get us to vote for them so that they can be our political leaders and tell us what to do and what not to do is long gone. By the same token, the time when that same white man, knowing that your eyes are too far open, can send another negro into the community, get you and me to support him so he can use him to lead us astray, those days are long gone too.” Malcolm X – The Ballott or the Bullett– April 3, 1964
In theory, the fundamental premise of American democracy is “one man (or person), one vote.” Under the original concept of Jeffersonian Democracy, in most states access to the franchise was limited to White males who owned at least a fifty-acre plot of land. Towards the end of the 18th century and early into the 19th century, states began lifting the property and education requirements for White males. African Americans were legally granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1870. Women were granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Even though the franchise had become constitutionally protected for African Americans, in many states, especially in the South and mid-West, African Americans faced state-enforced systemic disenfranchisement. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1, of the Constitution known as the “Elections Clause,” gives state legislatures the power to prescribe the “Times, Places, and Manner” of holding elections for senators and representatives. There are other constitutional provisions that address presidential elections.
For decades state-enforced, systemic disenfranchisement was the order of the day in many states across the country. Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. These laws affected all aspects of everyday life for African Americans, from impacting the ability to go to school, access to housing, employment, travel and access to public accommodations to voting. The implementation of literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses and direct personal physical intimidation were all tools used to keep African Americans from voting.
Congress and the Supreme Court came to the rescue (or so it was thought) with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The 1964 Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and eliminated many of the voter discrimination tactics that had been used to suppress the African American vote. The 1965 Act prohibited racial discrimination in voting and empowered the federal government to oversee state elections. The 1965 Act is considered by many to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted because it changed the relationship between the federal and state governments relative to voting.
As America celebrates the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 it is important to realize that it and other acts before it are under attack. These acts primarily deal with the processes or “mechanics” of voting, not the “business” of electoral politics.
For evidence related to the process or mechanics of voting being under attack you can turn to the work of investigative journalist Greg Palast. In his piece, Trump Lost. Vote Suppression Won. Palast documents how “…if all legal voters were allowed to vote, if all legal ballots were counted, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Vice-President Kamala Harris would have won the Presidency with 286 electoral votes… As in Bush v. Gore in 2000…this election was determined by good old “vote suppression,” the polite term we use for shafting people of color out of their ballot. We used to call it Jim Crow.”
Based upon Palast’s research, here are key data points that he was able to uncover related to mechanics of the process:
- 4,776,706 voters were wrongly purged from voter rolls according to US Elections Assistance Commission data.
- By August of 2024, for the first time since 1946, self-proclaimed “vigilante” voter-fraud hunters challenged the rights of 317,886 voters. The NAACP of Georgia estimates that by Election Day, the challenges exceeded 200,000 in Georgia alone.
- No less than 2,121,000 mail-in ballots were disqualified for minor clerical errors (e.g. postage due).
- At least 585,000 ballots cast in-precinct were also disqualified.
- 1,216,000 “provisional” ballots were rejected, not counted.
- 3.24 million new registrations were rejected or not entered on the rolls in time to vote.
In the context of the ‘business” of electoral politics, since the 2010 supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporations and unions have been granted the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals. Corporations and other entities can spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns. Hence, the “business” of electoral politics.
According to an April 2024 article in The Guardian entitled, Pro-Israel US groups plan $100m effort to unseat progressives over Gaza – “The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is betting that $100m will be enough to fight back a wave of progressive dissent over Israel’s war in Gaza this election cycle… The 2024 election will be bellwether of the enduring impact of these groups on US politics amid shifting US public opinion on Israel.”
Many voters are confused. They can’t understand why in so many instances the individuals they elect to represent their interests, get to Congress and represent the interests of outside forces. In the African American community many wonder if the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), originally known as the “Conscience of the Congress” has become unconscious? I published a piece to that effect in 2022, wherein I wrote, “Now is the time for the African American community to take stock, not of the original 13 members of the CBC, but of the current 58. Are they in fact addressing the problems facing the African American community? Are they taking effective “group-action”? Has the “conscience of the Congress” become unconscious? Have they devolved into a comprador class of relatively privileged, wealthy and educated natives of a colonized land that have been “bought” by the colonizers? More simply put by the late Glen Ford, have they become “the Black Misleadership Class”?”
Just look at the data. According to Open Secrets and the numbers for the 2023 – 2024 election cycle based on Federal Election Commission data, Rep. Ritchie Torres received $1,635,583 from the Securities & Investment industry and $535,798 from AIPAC. During that same period, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jefferies received $866,425 from AIPAC. Rep. Gregory Meeks received $510,128 from the Pro-Israel industry (as classified by Open Secrets) and another $448,828 directly from AIPAC. According to a 2024 report from JStreet, the JStreetPAC – the political fundraising arm of the pro-Israel advocacy group J Street – announced it has raised over $6M for the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.
It is important to understand that what is documented here is not illegal. This is “pay to play” politics in America aka “He who pays the piper calls the tune”. As a result of the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, corporations and unions have been granted the ability to use money as free speech.
Listeners to my programs ask, “does my vote matter” and “what do I have to do to bring about change?” Yes, your vote does matter, but voting is not enough. Too many people believe that once the vote is cast the job is done. The reality is, that’s when the work starts. Change takes constant pressure, engagement, and yes… finances. Too many in the African American community continue to vote for representatives who are paid by outside forces to support issues that are not in the best interest of the community. Simply put, the community does not control the representatives it elects because the community is not paying to play. That’s why, as Fred Hampton said, by engaging in this process in the prescribed manner you continue to, “… come up with answers that don’t answer, explanations that don’t explain, you’ll come up with conclusions that don’t conclude…” They can’t make it make sense.
As America celebrates the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is important to realize that it and other civil rights acts are under attack. The fundamental elements of democracy are under attack. Steve Bannon, the “Trump whisperer”, was very clear. They are engaged in “…a daily fight for ‘deconstruction of the administrative state…’” It’s a direct assault on the processes or “mechanics” of voting coupled with the “business” of electoral politics. Don’t ever forget, “He Who Pays the Piper Calls the Tune!” Also, if you don’t pay for a seat at the table, you will probably be on the menu.
Written By Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III
Official website; http://www.wilmerleon.com
Also follow him on Twitter; http://Twitter.com/drwleon
