Voter ID: The American Anti-Democracy Movement's Weapon of Choice

A Special Guest Commentary by Activist and Writer Kevin Powell

"Voter ID: The American Anti-Democracy Movement's Weapon of Choice"

by Kevin Powell

Anti-democracy forces in the US are relentless.

Each time our nation takes a step forward, sure enough, a collective of well-financed anti-democracy naysayers comes along to shoot holes in the social and political progress of this country. Never mind that voting is a fundamental right guaranteed by the US constitution. Never mind that people have been killed, through decades and centuries, so that ordinary working Americans, including blacks and other people of color, women, and 18 year-olds could have this basic human and civil right. Never mind that the 15th amendment to the constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were added as extra layers of protection to insure democracy for all.

Anti-democracy forces could care less. For they are thumbing their noses at this history, at human and civil rights, and instead, are promoting for all they're worth the "voter ID law" movement, which has been in play the past few years but is now amplified in 2012 because of the presidential election. This means there are now eight American states with voter photo ID laws. These laws vary from state to state in terms of what is "identification". Some require an ID card with an expiration date. Others mandate that an ID be only state-issued and for the state where that person is voting. Still others demand a full name and address on the ID card, while others specifically prohibit even valid college IDs as proof of identity.

Given these new sets of rules, and the very real possibility that more of America's 50 states will adopt similar measures, despite the movement's legal setback in Wisconsin this week, it is little wonder that the Brennan Center for Justice recently reported that as many as 5 million eligible voters could have difficulty casting ballots, come Tuesday 6 November, election day in America, including an estimated 800,000 in Texas alone.

And the most vulnerable to voter ID laws? Poor people of all races, and people of color, who've historically had to do battle with laws preventing them from voting, as well as senior citizens and college students. Then, there are groups like newly-married couples, or newly-divorced ones, the transgendered community, Native Americans, American citizens with immigrant family members, and those who may have recently lost their homes due to the foreclosure crisis.

What this translates into are additional costs per voter to secure new IDs, or birth or marriage certificates, or transportation fees to get to hours-long lines, and away from work and other gainful activity. Many will simply shrug their shoulders and not bother to vote. And this, I feel, is the ultimate goal of the voter ID movement.

This is why Rose Sanders says there is one American "law" that has never been repealed: the law of circumvention. Mrs. Sanders should know. Not only is she a long-time resident of Selma, Alabama (a city partially responsible for that Voting Rights Act of 1965), but she is also the founder of the National Voting Rights Museum and co-creator of the 21st Century Young Leadership Movement camp, which educates youth about, among many things, the history of voting in America. She is a daughter of the American South, having lived in North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. Before settling in Selma, with her husband Hank, also a civil rights veteran and community leader, Rose Sanders lived in a neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama named "Dynamite Hill", because African Americans' homes were often bombed as a terror tactic to keep them from voting.

Ironically, I first met Rose Sanders in the mid-1980s when I was among a group of college students who had journeyed to Alabama to re-register voters knocked from voter rolls by Reagan-era policies – not unlike the ID practice today. Sanders is clear that the more things change, the more they stay the same:

"Every means that was used to circumvent the 15th amendment has re-surfaced with new names. Voter ID is the new poll tax. Efforts to stop immigrants or relatives of immigrants from voting are no different than the fugitive slave laws and grandfather clauses that were once used."

This is why Ben Jealous, head of the NAACP, America's oldest civil rights organization, has traveled this week to Geneva to speak before a United Nations panel in Switzerland. Generally the UN's human rights council hears cases from such troubled areas as the Middle East and Africa. But this is not the first time Americans have done this. The irony that this is happening with an African American president sitting in the White House is not lost.

This is also why organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), must be exposed. Since its founding in the early 1980s, Alec has very quietly played a major role in American legislation, including dramatic changes to voter laws. Much of Alec's base is Republican or conservative, and mostly white, and much of its funding comes from corporations, corporate trade groups and corporation foundations. Alec has, in turn, pushed bills it wants to see in place, state by state. Little wonder that when we hear the clarion cry "We want our country back", it is really coded language to say, "We want an America where not everyone has access to the ballot, or the American dream. Just as was the case in the years before the civil rights movement."

This is why it is such a huge mistake for any leader to refer to what is happening as "voter suppression". We need to continually call it what it is: anti-democracy. Because only anti-democracy forces would go to such lengths to make voting that difficult for that many, especially when the Department of Justice has stated, very clearly, that voter fraud is not rampant in our society. And we need to challenge it from every angle, including voter registration and education drives.

For this is much bigger than one presidential election. This is about the future of our democracy.

Detailed information on Kevin Powell is available here: http://www.kevinpowell.net/

Photo courtesy of http://newblackman.blogspot.com

Herb Boyd to Host Discussion on Malcolm X

"By Any Means Necessary Malcolm X: Real, Not Reinvented" Will be the Focus

On March 16, at 7:30 pm, Amsterdam News reporter Herb Boyd will host a discussion on his latest publication By Any Means Necessary Malcolm X: Real, Not Reinvented. 

The book, which was edited by Boyd and several other acclaimed authors, and the discussion take a close look at how and why El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, the iconic Malcolm X, some forty-seven years after his 1965 assassination, remains an indelible figure on the American political landscape. 

The discussion will also examine how the legendary leader's words, stance, and his behaviors ever bring to the fore debates and controversy regarding the better path by Blacks towards their own liberation and justice within the American social and economic construct.

The Iconic Malcolm X

The event will be held at the Hubert Hubert Harrison-Theodore Allen Society (HAS) at the Brecht Forum, 451 West Street, New York (Bank & Bethune Streets, at the Westside Drive in the Village).  

HAS is an outgrowth of lectures lead by Jeffrey B. Perry, Ph.D. Its purpose is to deepen the understanding of the Black/Euro-American Divide through the use of selected texts, books, studies and experiences in all aspects, historical and contemporary.

Boyd is an awarding-winning author and journalist and has published 22 books and countless articles for national magazines and newspapers. Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America: An Anthology (One World/Ballantine, 1995), co-edited with Robert Allen of the Black Scholar journal, won the American Book Award for nonfiction.

In 1999, Boyd won three first place awards from the New York Association of Black Journalists for his articles published in the Amsterdam News. Among his most popular books are Black Panthers for Beginners (Writers & Readers, 1995); Autobiography of a People: Three Centuries of African American History Told By Those Who Lived It (Doubleday, 2000); Race and Resistance: African Americans in the 21st Century (South End Press, 2002); The Harlem Reader (Crown Publishers, 2003); We Shall Overcome: A History of the Civil Rights Movement (Sourcebooks, 2004); and Pound for Pound:The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson (Amistad, 2005).

In 2006, Boyd worked with world music composer Yusef Lateef on his autobiography The Gentle Giant, which was published by Morton Books of New Jersey. In 2008, he published Baldwin's Harlem: A Biography of James Baldwin, and is working with filmmaker Keith Beauchamp on several projects.

Boyd has been inducted into both the Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent and the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame as a journalist.

Along with his writing, Boyd is national and international correspondent for Free Speech TV. A graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, Boyd teaches African and African-American History at the College of New Rochelle in the Bronx, and is an adjunct instructor at City College in the Black Studies Department.

For more information on the event, call (212) 242-4201. 

Photos courtesy of Herb Boyd.

'He Was a Leader in US-Africa Policy'

Statement by the President on the Passing of Congressman Donald Payne

Michelle and I were saddened to hear about the passing of Congressman Donald Payne, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. By any standard, Don lived a full and meaningful life. After serving as the first African American President of the National Council of YMCAs, and then several years in local government, Don went on to become the first African American Congressman to represent the state of New Jersey. 

The late Congressman Donald Payne

In Washington, he made it his mission to fight for working families, increase the minimum wage, ensure worker safety, guarantee affordable health care and improve the educational system. He was a leader in US-Africa policy, making enormous contributions towards helping restore democracy and human rights across the continent. Don will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

Payne photo source: U.S. House of Representatives
Author: U.S. House of Representatives
Permission: Public Domain

'When an Angel Speaks'

Special Commentary from Bishop Terry Angel Mason

Multitudes, Multitudes in the Valley of Decision!

Just a few days ago, I walked into my favorite soul food place near my home. While I was waiting in line to order, I noticed a newspaper lying on the counter and out of curiosity I picked it up. To my surprise, it was a newspaper that I read regularly, but the reason that I did not recognize it was because the publisher had completely revamped the paper and given it an entirely new look. I was so impressed by how appealing and professional it looked until I took a copy of the paper home with me. When I got home, I began to focus my attention on the unforgettable photo on the front of the paper -- hundreds of angry Americans holding signs that read, "PEOPLE NEED JOBS!" Below this thought-provoking photo was a graph starting at 2000 and ending in 2010 that emphasized the spiraling unemployment rate. Additionally, the article pointed out that unemployment among African-Americans had risen a whopping 16% over the last ten years.

This article was preceded by an alarming event reported in the Huffington Post and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, about 30,000 people who rioted in Atlanta while attempting to be placed on a waiting list for Section 8 Housing subsidies. According to the Post, more than a thousand people gathered Wednesday, August 11, 2010 outside a metro-Atlanta shopping mall in hopes of being placed on a waiting list for federal housing assistance. That initial thousand grew to over 30,000 people. The massive event escalated into a chaotic mob scene filled with anger and impatience. Some 62 people needed medical attention and 20 of them were transported to a hospital, authorities said. Children were trampled and a baby went into a seizure in the heat and was stabilized at a hospital. People were removed on stretchers and when a throng of people who had been waiting hours in a line were told to move to another line, people started pushing, shoving and cursing, witnesses said. The police had to stop the crowd from storming a nightclub being used by the East Point Housing Authority in East Point, GA, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

I must tell you that because I love people so dearly, it literally breaks my heart to hear of these events and to see my sisters and brothers confronting such horrific and destitute conditions. Being a student of the mind who practices and regularly employs Biblical success principles on a daily basis, I realize that what people really need more than anything is not just more housing assistance and more jobs but the knowledge of HOW TO CREATE WEALTH. When this knowledge is obtained, understood and applied, it is life-changing. When I say "life-changing", that is an understatement! This liberating message releases individuals from the chains of poverty, sickness, worry, debt, and lack that bind them and propels them into a lifestyle that many even refer to as "the life styles of the rich and famous," a way of living that is available not just to a select few, but to ALL!

Having lived on the planet for almost a half a century, like most people I spent many years living this way. I did what most do, looked outside of myself to employers and the government for support and sustenance. This is what I was taught to do and this is what most human beings are also taught to do. The only problem with living this way (besides being frustrating as hell) is that rarely is this way of living fulfilling, and rarely do any of our God-inspired dreams ever come to fruition when we live this way. Just think, multitudes have stepped onto the stage of life and made their departure having never fulfilled the Divine Plan of their life, without ever knowing what true happiness really is -- sad but true! What is even sadder is that this mindset is so anchored in most human beings until people buy into the ideology and philosophy that this is the way life is supposed to be and never challenge these limiting factors, belief systems and/or conditions. Know emphatically that our true wealth is not outside of us but rather on the inside of us! One of my favorite passages in the Bible expresses this far better than I ever could; it reads as follows: "For we have this treasure in earthen vessels..." Cor. 4:7. The treasures that we have within are the incredible gifts that have been bestowed upon each child of God. When we learn to harness these talents, gifts, and genius abilities, and employ their use, then we find true happiness, prosperity and fulfillment.

When slavery was instituted, African-Americans overcame the horrors of slavery by activating their faith and by accessing their inner creative resources. Even though it was illegal for them to educate themselves, they found a way to do so in secrecy and many of the greatest minds were born. They tapped into Divine mind through their genius abilities and birthed many of the world’s greatest creations. For example, Robert T. Freeman was the first graduate from Harvard Dental School; Ralph Bunch became the first Black person awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, followed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Joe Black became the first pitcher to win a World series game; Edward W. Brook became the first Black U.S. Senator (since reconstruction) and was a awarded the Spingarn Medal for public service; Moneta Sleet Jr., (of Ebony Magazine) was the first Black male cited by the Pulitzer Committee, and won the Pulitzer Prize; Sarah Boone created the ironing board; Jan E. Matzelinger invented the shoe lacing machine; Walter Sammons invented the comb; Lydia O’Newman invented the brush; Madam C. Walker created hair care products; Lloyd P. Ray invented the dust pan; Thomas W. Stewart invented the mop; George T. Samon invented the dryer; John Love invented the pencil sharpener; William Purvis invented the fountain pen; Lee Burridge invented the typewriter; W.A Lovett, invented the advanced printing press; John Burr invented the lawnmower; Richard Spikes invented the automatic gear shift (used in cars); Joseph Gammel invented the super charge system for internal combustion engines; Garrett A. Morgan invented the traffic light and the gas mask; John Standard invented the refrigerator; Alice Parker a Black female, invented the heating furnace; Frederick Jones invented air conditioning; the electric trolley was invented by Elbert R. Robinson;  Alexander Miles invented the elevator; Phillip Downing invented the letter drop mail box; William Barry invented the post making and canceling machine; and Lewis Howard Latimer invented the filament in the light bulb.

If I were to list all of the of the innovative African-America inventors that have graced the planet with their marvelous inventions, there would not be enough room in this book to list them all. All of this is proof that our true wealth exist on the inside of us and not on the outside of us. Moreover, when we tap into this creative genius ability, we thrive as a race, fulfill our Divine purpose, and realize our dreams and Divine destiny; yes, and become a blessing and a boon to all of humanity.

All of these wonderful accomplishments achieved by our forefathers enrich my life today, and remind me that I come from good stock. It was these awesome accomplishments that inspired me to write, "GET ON THE ROYAL ROAD TO RICHES." Even though the book has only been out for a short time, I am confident that soon millions will be reading it (as they are my other literary compositions) and liberating themselves from the prisons of lack and limitation by harnessing their God-given gifts to create and amass wealth and achieve their goals. This book is not a gimmick, nor do I make unrealistic claims about what the knowledge contained in this book can accomplish in your life. What it will do, however, is manifest all that you have dreamed of possessing and being if you will commit to faithfully employing the principles on a daily basis. While the price of the book is extremely affordable, the contents are worth millions and will manifest millions for those who truly apply themselves.

Dr. Catherine Ponder, a famous prosperity teacher once said: You can't get something for nothing, but you can have the best of everything when you are willing to give full measure for the good you wish to receive!" The full measure that I am asking you give while reading this dynamic (life-changing) book is faithful application, for it is the application of knowledge that will manifest the wealth and happiness that you seek. There is a spiritual proverb that states, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear!" It is apparent to me that you are ready because you either purchased this book or was blessed with it as a gift! This in itself is an indication of your intense desire to excel and be all that you were meant to be. Now get going! Don't waste any more time being idle! And don't be discouraged if your friends, family, and loved ones won't go on this journey with you! You may have to walk down this road alone in the beginning, but in the end you won't be walking alone, for you will draw to you other like-minded prosperous people whom the Creator will use to further propel you into your bright new future!

Always remember that every human being has several Divine appointments and a Divine destiny! Sadly, many people miss their appointments, take detours and walk down roads never intended for them to travel on. These same individuals step off the stage of life and into eternity never having experienced the kind of happiness and fulfillment that they were meant to. How this must grieve the heart of The Creator to watch His most beloved creation cheated and robbed of all the good He lovingly provided for them. Could this be one of the reasons why the prophet weeps with great lamentation while penning Joel 3:14: Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision…” An awful truth is that multitudes sabotage their dreams by succumbing to limiting thinking, while others completely abort their dreams (like a woman in travail who has experienced an untimely miscarriage), simply because they don’t know how to tap into their own individual creative abilities. This does not have to be your fate! Simply choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Terry Angel Mason, Global Author and Intl. Columnist

WWW.TERRYANGELMASON.COM

'The G-Man' Opens Up on WRHU 88.7 FM

Candid Interview Reveals Stunning Secret That Led to the Creation of "From The G-Man"

On Monday, February 6, between 7am and 9am, Hofstra University radio station WRHU (88.7 FM) will broadcast a powerful and revealing 17-minute interview with Gary Glennell Toms, also known as "The G-Man".
 
Toms, who serves as creator and editor-in-chief of From The G-Man, an independent news and information source, discusses his journalism career, the current state of journalism in America and abroad, and other topics.

Toms also reveals a painful and stunning secret that led to the creation of his news site -- a secret he has kept for the last two years.
 

"I, as well as faculty and other students here at Hofstra, was completely shocked after listening to his story. I have no doubt that many people in New York City and the country will be also when they hear this interview," said Dylan Berg, host of one of the morning radio shows and a sophomore majoring in communications and journalism. 

"I was awed by the fact that he edited, wrote and posted nearly 2,000 news stories last year, by himself! But what he endured in the process is remarkable. I thought it was a shame that no one in mainstream media was willing to share his story, and that's why my producers and I contacted him and decided to do the interview," Berg added.

"Revealing my secret was extremely difficult, and, at first, I was reluctant to do so. I was petrified of what people's reaction would be to me and my news site after my revelation", said Toms. 

"What changed my mind was the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of young men of color in poor communities in New York City, and the country, that have lost all hope and turned to drugs, gangs, crime and extreme violence. I'm willing to risk public embarrassment and humiliation if my story will help them realize that a better life is possible, if they're willing to leave the negative behind and fight like hell."

The interview will also be streamed here: WRHU 88.7 FM

President Obama Speaks at Washington Auto Show

President Obama discusses the resurgence of the American auto industry at the Auto Show in Washington, DC.

2012 State Of The Union Address: Enhanced Version

Mason Named Spokesperson for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Bishop Terry Angel Mason


Event Will Target 14 Major Cities to Promote Awareness

Terry Angel Mason, internationally-renowned author, keynote speaker, poet, singer, songwriter, minister, columnist and civil rights activist has been selected as The National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Spokesperson for 2012.
 
February 7, will mark the 12th annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a nationwide community mobilization effort to emphasize the HIV/AIDS “State of Emergency” among African-Americans. The theme for this year's event is entitled “I am my Brother/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS."

Mason will be assisting NBHAAD by using his international platform to encourage individuals to get educated about HIV/AIDS, get tested, get treated, and get involved in advocating for the resources necessary to fight the disease.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day will target 14 major cities to promote awareness events and activities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and Washington, DC.

The National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is led by a Strategic Leadership Council (SLC) that provides guidance, direction, and strategic thought to engage African American community stakeholders and organizations for sustained participation in the initiative.

The SLC includes six national organizations that work together to address specific issues which influence the course of HIV/AIDS in African American communities across the United States.

The author and LGBT advocate has been making local and international headlines since the release of his first book, Love Won’t Let Me Be Silent, a gripping tome that offers strategies to help parents, families, ministers, teachers and community leaders effectively understand and support gay teens, young adults and people infected with HIV/AIDS.

A highly respected, in-demand speaker, Mason is poised to join other notable leaders, entertainers and spokespeople in fighting this disease, and recently announced that he will be available for interviews on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

“The HIV/AIDS epidemic has hit the African-American community the hardest, and I want to prevent the spread of this disease in our community by sharing my story and educating people on the facts and how they can protect themselves,” stated Mason.

Mason has been garnering local and national praise for his latest literary release titled, They Say That I Am Broken, which deals with a plethora of issues affecting the Same-Gender-Loving community, including homophobia in the Black church, HIV, DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell), gay marriage, homeless gay children, and more.

“The book also features captivating articles about CNN anchor and author Don Lemon, Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, and much more,” said the author.

“They Say That I Am Broken is poised to gain worldwide recognition, as it affirms God’s love for all people, and eloquently dissects race, religion and homosexuality through empowering essays, poems and stories,” Mason added.

A survivor of full-blown AIDS and cancer, Mason was selected as Real Health’s Magazine Advocate of the Month and featured in www.HealthyBlackMen.org -- for the month of December -- for World AIDS Day. (Direct link to article: Terry "Angel" Mason is Blessed, Not Broken )

Mason's books have touched millions of lives and have been submitted for a Pulitzer Prize and numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary Award and the Stonewall Book Awards. Since his international debut, Mason has sparked worldwide debate about pressing issues affecting African-Americans and the gay and lesbian community.

The celebrated blogger and columnist recently published an article about SB 48, (The Fair Education Act; a law that requires schools to include LGBT history), and denounced the Black religious community’s actions to overturn the bill, citing that their intolerance and support of inequality promotes more bullying, discrimination and violence in the gay community.

Photo courtesy of Bishop Terry Angel Mason