Tuesday, November 5th is election day, the last day for citizens to vote in the federal election. There is no exaggeration about its possible outcomes. It’s Kamala Harris and Tim Walz or it’s unbelievable trouble and woes for Black and other non-favored people.
As was the case in 2020 when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez predicted that electing Donald Trump would lead to a revival of Jim Crow, the danger is there again with Trump and much of the MAGA crowd declaring that non-European descendants are not genuine Americans. That attitude would be the basis of congressional actions if the Republicans control both houses or the basis of executive orders if Trump wins the presidency, even if the Republicans do not control congress. Don’t think that it can’t happen. Woodrow Wilson rolled back what his predecessors had in place. Ronald Reagan did the same. With the help of the supreme court, it also happened under Richard Nixon and Trump. This time around things could get much worse with the help of Project 2025, the composition of the supreme court and the penchants of Trump. Just as he has announced plans to round-up millions of illegal immigrants, he could initiate moves against African Americans that are akin to, if not the same as enslavement.
In addition to that, there has already been a great deal of news and campaigning about the loss of America’s developing democratic form of government. Fascism, something that is favored by much of the MAGA group, is provided for in Project 2025, and would not be blocked by the current supreme court. Although African Americans have never really experienced full-fledged democracy, Trump’s outright commitment to Jim Crow and fascism would just add insult to injury. At least the democrats have been marching toward multiracial democracy since the days of Franklin Roosevelt.
Thirdly, it’s D-day for such human rights as access to adequate healthcare, including reproductive care; living wages, including the right to bargain for such; free access to the ballot box and one man-one vote apportionment; comprehensive public education, including college; fair and equitable income taxes; adequate food and housing; safety from gun violence and other crimes; and viable and just alliances and relations with other countries, including African and Third World countries.
The amazing thing is that Donald Trump has enunciated policies on none of these, but tried to deny the negative manifestations of those that are included in Project 2025. In that regard, Kamala Harris is being held to a higher standard than Trump. We should not be fooled nor let it to pass that she is burdened by the twin monsters of racism and sexism. Yet, she rises to the occasion. Tuesday, November 5th is D-day for protecting ourselves as targets and advancing our cause as citizens still struggling against racism.
While the bulk of this discussion has been about the president and vice president, we dare not forget about the down ballot candidates. We need to elect Ty Pinkins in order to help Harris to have a senate majority with which she can accomplish some progressive things. We need to elect Diane Black in Congressional District One, Bennie Thompson in District Two, and Craig Rayborn in District Four in order to create a working house majority to assist Harris and Walz in getting progressive things accomplished.
It should never be forgotten that nobody can save us like us and nobody can take our place as the key actors up north or down south. We can and should ally with other individuals and groups when we can – liberal Whites, Natives, Latinos, Arabs, Asians, and others. The bottom-line, however, is that on Tuesday we need to come out and vote in massive numbers, as if our lives depend upon it, since they do.
