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Shop Talk Explores the Upcoming Presidential Election
By Tricia Hall
Sojourner’s Truth Reporter
A group of black male leaders gathered for a virtual black
barber shop chat to discuss the upcoming November
Presidential election. The October 22 chat featured
Cleveland Councilman Basheer Jones as facilitator and
discussion panelists Columbus barber shop owner Muhammad
Shabazz, SCIU Deputy Director of Government Affairs Dominque
Warren, Deputy Engagement Director for Ohio Democratic Party
Jordan Hawkins, and Columbus Councilman Shannon Hardin.
The virtual location, a black-owned Cleveland barber shop,
Mobazz, owned by Shabazz was selected because it represents
an important location in the black community.
“The barber shop is the sanctuary for black men. It’s a
place to get information, this is a safe space where you
come and get therapy. The barber is a peacemaker and does
more than just cut hair,” explained Jones.
The discussion began with opening remarks from each panelist
and quickly pivoted to the current negative impacts that
COVID-19 has had on the black community, including loss of
jobs and health disparities.
“If we don’t have the right type of president in the White
House that understands urban communities and understands
people like us, we’re in trouble. Voting for Joe Biden will
not make our lives perfect, but I promise it can make it
better than this,” said Hardin.
The panelists shared perspectives about how Joe Biden’s
presidency would improve the lives of black people by
increasing minimum wage to $15 an hour and how Biden and
Harris are working to run a moral campaign.
“We’re seeing the effects of Trump’s presidency from the
last four years we’ve lifted the old dirty carpet up and
seeing what is happening in our communities. We’re seeing
police violence, under employment, unemployment, young black
males dying of COVID, lack of access to healthcare, a
shaking education system, and also education and wealth
gaps. Voting is one of the tools of activism, but not the
only tool. When Trump says make America great again. He
means more segregation, more racism and more violence
towards black males. Once Biden is elected as president, we
will have a seat at the table and the ability to advocate
for things that we need,” shared Warren.
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Cleveland Councilman Basheer Jones
Columbus Councilman Shannon Hardin
Dominique Warren |
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Ohio is one of the few states that took proactive steps to
provide absentee ballots for Ohio residents, who also have
two additional options to either vote early before the
November election or in person on November 3, 2020.
“We are in the fourth quarter and in the home stretch of
this election. We need to wake up every day and ask
ourselves, what are we doing to bring this election home for
our communities? There is so much on the ballot our lives
are on the ballot. We need to do what we can to get our
folks out to vote,” stated Hawkins.
Facilitator Jones mentioned the recent backlash against
Biden for the negative impact from the 1994 ‘Crime Bill’ had
on the black community. The Violence Crime Control and Law
Enforcement Act of 1994 was drafted by Joe Biden who was the
Senator from Delaware. Panelist Hardin addressed that
question.
“People were asking four years ago, what was the difference
between Clinton and Trump, look where we are at now. There
are 230,000 people dead because of an incompetent man
without morals, who’s currently running our health system.
There is so much negativity being pushed out there about
Biden and Harris, we need someone with morals in the White
House. Let’s be honest for one moment, we know black women
will vote, we need black men to step up and vote too,”
explained Hardin.
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