It’s not over!

Yes, we did the right thing by supporting Raphael Warnock and voting him into office as a senator from Georgia-for a full six-year term – but it’s far from over.

In fact, it might not ever end given the nation’s history of widespread voter suppression, ongoing efforts to peel back voting-rights laws, and the growing interparty war being fought around the country, fomenting deeper racial divides.

Black folk must remain in constant vigilance, watchful of the ploys to keep us marginalized – from the center of national politics, around the margins in local elections, and within our own communities.

In fact, this last nail-biter in Georgia raises the perennial question: Do we have a Black agenda, and who represents that?

Outside of a very few older elected officials – Congressman James Clyburn, D-SC being one of a diminishing number – our “representatives” are few. The Congressional Black Caucus has lost much of its influence, nearing irrelevancy in this new era, and the erosion of what little power remains there, is alarming. More effective caucuses are forming around global issues, e.g., climate change, women’s reproductive rights, parental rights to choose educational material, etc., issues which also affect Black people, in general.

But what about the advocates for specific “Black rights,” i.e., protection of the vote, enforcement of fair housing laws, monitoring disproportionate arrests and incarceration rates (especially of Black men), having access to jobs/training, reducing police brutality, to name a few.

We know that the Democratic and Republican platforms have responded to the Black agenda differently. Accusations from each charge the other of either “exploiting” or “ignoring” Black folk, shifting between the two equal “ills” since Emancipation (thanks to the Republicans), Reconstruction, to the Civil Rights era (dominated by Democrats), into today when we have a growing movement led by mostly young, conservative Blacks urging Blacks to turn away from the Democratic party.

(A word to Black rightwing media: Take a moment to pause and parse out your privilege upon which you have built your platform. Analyze your point of view within the context of history and simply ask, “What if I didn’t have the opportunity to stand on this platform; and, how did I earn this audience?”)

The recent strategy employed to divide us by pitting two unequal Black men against one another in the critical race in Georgia is a long-tried, but this-time-failed attempt to hoodwink us into selecting the wrong person. I’m not against a good campaign where both candidates offer viable points of view and positions that can actually advance the cause of Black folk. Historically, we have had titans show us how to debate the merits and not just mutterings about issues, e.g., W.E.B. Dubois vs. Booker T. Washington re the work ethic vs. pursuit of intellectual advancement, Marcus Garvey (Pan Africanism) versus the NAACP (Integration).

Famously, the dialogues in the 1960s between Martin Luther King and Malcom X, who offered diametrically opposed ideologies and strategies, brought the two closer to one another about what was good for Black folk. We all benefited from their publicly pronounced points of view. They stood as equals in their spheres of influence, their thoughtful analysis, their philosophical perspectives. Indeed, their debate continues amongst us.

We have a wonderful window over the next two years, in advance of the 2024 elections and beyond, to shape – no, re-shape the dialogue.

We can ill afford to remain so deeply divided. With all due respect for well-established philosophies and thoughtfully derived points of view along party lines (the Lincoln Republicans versus the expanded civil rights Democrats), a Black agenda must be defined and adopted and offered as a platform to be considered by all parties.

Our devotion must be to the cause and not the crusade; the difference being that flags get exchanged under the influence of money, by the strength of individual leaders, and how high emotions are stoked. Our cause must remain clear.

It’s not easy being Black in America. But being Black in America should remain as the center of our everyday existence, our daily choices, and how we participate in the larger political process – making selections of candidates and supporting policies that benefit us.

And once again, we must always VOTE, Vote. Vote. 

Toniwg1@gmail.com