Cozzie Watkins’ bold words said it best
during last week’s Roll Call Across America.
While pledging North Carolina’s delegates to
the 2020 Biden-Harris ticket, the 69-year-old nurse, who
works on the front lines against COVID-19, proclaimed to a
national television audience “Black people, especially Black
women are the backbone of this party and if we don’t show
up, Democrats don’t get elected.
For sure, Kamala Harris – the daughter of an
Indian mother and a Jamaican father – is the first woman of
color to serve on the presidential ticket for one of our
country’s two major political parties. Harris can unite
immigrants, Asians, Latinx, African Americans and whites. In
a country which often ignores, denigrates, and denies Black
women’s talents, experiences, wisdom and words, Harris is
feared by her political opponents for her relentless
prosecutorial questioning and scathing critiques of their
failed leadership.
Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect
rivals to, in the words of author Carol Anderson, “cherry
pick Harris’ record on crime,” but also implement other
forms of backlash in response to significant gains by
blacks.
“People are afraid that society is changing
and recognizing that women are the most skilled and capable
people, if not more than men. Men have screwed this thing up
long enough,” explained a long-time male activist. “The
language and the actions are misogynistic, pessimistic, and
privileged. Let’s end the patriarchy and male hegemony.
Anybody using words to describe women as mean or nasty,
their language has revealed them.”
Nor is the backlash limited to glass ceilings
and misogynism. You can also add voter suppression.
A broad cross-section of the Toledo community
showed up at a rally last week in support of the postal
service. Leaders of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union
and others accused the United States Postal Service of a
deliberate slow-down of local mail service.
Approximately six weeks ago, according to
sources, five of 11 sorting machines were removed from
service without explanation. Also, one of two crucial
overnight lines that key the mail up for the carriers to
come in at 6 a.m. and load for distribution was eliminated
with no overtime assigned. “Essentially, six of 13 automated
mail processing machines have been taken out of play so that
a letter going from Toledo to Maumee takes five days to
deliver.”
The impact has been that the delays cause
many people – including senior citizens - to receive late
charges on bill payments and not getting critical medicines
or refills on time. Others, see the delay in mail delivery
as a deliberate voter suppression tactic, which they fear
will cause many absentee ballots to be received after the
deadline and not be counted.
What can be done to “blacklash” or counter
the backlash?
“Go (vote) early, and be safe,” urges Lucas
County Commissioner Pete Gerken. The Lucas County Board of
Elections could also place 10-12 ballot box drop off points
throughout the County.
The ballot box drop-offs could provide a
valuable alternative for those who don’t trust the mail or
don’t want to stand in line to vote. However, this policy
will require a court challenge to overturn Ohio Secretary of
State Frank LaRose’s earlier directive limiting ballot drop
boxes to one per county.
Lucas County is also revamping its early vote
center at 1301 Monroe Street to make the area more
expansive, allowing for social distancing. The remodel was
made possible by Owens’ Community College’s exit.
Also, voting is not enough. Young people
should also sign up to be poll workers to fill the shortage
of older workers caused by that group’s increased risk to
the coronavirus.
Lastly, you can encourage your mail carrier.
Kindness and understanding go a long way too!
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org |