{"id":5456,"date":"2022-06-30T14:09:37","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T14:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=5456"},"modified":"2022-06-30T14:09:37","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T14:09:37","slug":"vice-president-harris-addresses-black-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/30\/vice-president-harris-addresses-black-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Vice President Harris Addresses Black Media"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Vice President Kamala Harris takes her official portrait Thursday, March 4, 2021, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Asia Nail
\nThe Truth Reporter<\/p>\n

The National Newspaper Publishers Association, NNPA, is a trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States. As a member of the Black press, we are an incubator for history making news that impacts our country. Vice President Kamala Harris briefed us to give breadth to the Black perspective on the Biden-Harris administration.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Chavis, DMin, was the moderator of the afternoon briefing of Madam VP Harris. Chavis acted as a premier moderator, since activism courses through his bloodline.<\/p>\n

His grandfather, John Chavis was the first black graduate from Princeton University and went on to set up an underground school for African Americans who were forbidden to learn to read and write. In his youth Benjamin Chavis became active in civil rights at the young age of 13 after attempting to integrate the all-white library in his North Carolina hometown. In school, Chavis was the editor of his high school newspaper while also writing for the local black paper, The Carolinian, in his spare time.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Franklin Chavis\u2019s moderation of the briefing was relaxed while his progressive questioning of Madam VP Harris intrigued the audience. Questions were submitted by members of the Black press and presented in conversational form. It was a delightful liberal element of innovative reasoning in action between Chavis and VP Harris.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was announced that the former mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, will be joining the White House, tell us more,\u201d Chavis asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe will be leading all we are doing around public outreach,\u201d shared VP Harris excitedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a former mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms is truly someone who cares about family, communities and our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

This June 2022, Bottoms officially joined the Biden administration as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.<\/p>\n

After serving as the 60th mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, Bottoms did not run for a second term. Instead, President Joe Biden nominated Bottoms as vice chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection at the Democratic National Convention for the 2021\u20132025 term, a role focused on protecting voting rights and expanding voter participation.<\/p>\n

A conversation about the role of Black women in the Biden-Harris administration between Chavis and Vice President Harris ensued in light of this historic announcement.\u00a0 \u201cI am humbled and honored to be the first African American to hold my position,\u201d shared Harris. \u201cBottoms is a very important part of this history-making administration.\u201d<\/p>\n

VP Harris has her own history of being the First.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Benjamin Chavis, DMin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With every job Harris has had, she made history: The first female DA in California, the first Black Attorney General in California and the first South Asian Senator in all of America.<\/p>\n

Her representation speaks volumes. It says a lot of great things about Harris\u2019 character and a lot of not-so-great things about a society full of budding Black talent often buried under unfair systems.<\/p>\n

After the killing of George Floyd, Harris returned to the Senate with a new purpose, explaining unapologetically that, \u201cBlack Americans want to stop being killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

VP Harris gave a speech a few weeks ago in South Carolina that the President (when he was a candidate) had said that he was going to put a Black woman on the Supreme Court and she has now been confirmed. Soon we will all acknowledge her as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.<\/p>\n

When we look at the appointments to the federal judicial courts and appointments to other branches of government, we must only look to our American Black history to know the significance of this.<\/p>\n

The Biden-Harris administration has appointed more Black women to the federal court than any administration in the history of the country thus far. \u201cThese are the judges that will interpret the law and they will be able to bring personal experience to their perception of how equality is defined,\u201d shares VP Harris.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Black press has notoriously followed urban development or a lack thereof on the topic of biased home appraisals,\u201d says Chavis. Data shows when Black families get their homes appraised, those homes get appraised for less than if they were owned by a white family. In fact, there are examples of knowledgeable Black families staging their homes by inviting over their white neighbors in preparation for a home appraisal. After equipping the home visually with family photos of Caucasian descent the Black homeowners were given a higher appraisal.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder Marcia Fudge\u2019s leadership in the Biden-Harris administration we have now confronted the issue of biased appraisals,\u201d explained Harris proudly.<\/p>\n

The Biden-Harris administration is also doing historically ground-breaking work by way of criminal justice reform. In May 2022 of this year, the Biden administration signed an executive order on police reform.<\/p>\n

President Biden\u2019s historic Executive Order to advance effective, accountable policing and strengthen public safety, promotes accountability and creates a new national database for police misconduct. The EO orders the Attorney General to establish a National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, in which all Federal law enforcement agencies (Federal LEAs) must participate. The database will include records of officer misconduct (including convictions, terminations, de-certifications, civil judgments, resignations and retirements while under investigation for serious misconduct, and sustained complaints or records of disciplinary actions for serious misconduct). The order celebrates accomplishments as well with commendations and awards.<\/p>\n

\u201cNumbers show that what our administration did by extending the child tax credit substantially lifted the burdens of children living in poverty the first year we implemented it,\u201d shared Harris.<\/p>\n

The Biden-Harris administration has also put $5.8 billion into HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities). \u201cPresident Biden and I are paying attention to the disparities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Black publication readers have noticed a glaring difference between the focus of the mainstream media vs the focus of the Black media.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the Biden-Harris Administration get more credit for the progress you\u2019ve made in the mainstream news,\u201d asks Chavis.<\/p>\n

Vice President Harris brought to mind the realization that everyone in the world has in one way or another been in home confinement due to COVID. \u201cWe are getting on the road now to make sure the American people know the accomplishments we\u2019ve made. We all have so much to be proud of,\u201d said Harris.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, VP Harris is no stranger to big accomplishments.<\/p>\n

She has been responsible for bringing Issues such as maternal mortality to the stage of the White House with other Democratic freedom-fighters such as Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood.<\/p>\n

When Harris was in the Senate, she brought to light the issue of Black women being three times more likely to die in connection to child birth than any other group. \u201cThe Black press has been fair. We don\u2019t expect special treatment, just fair treatment to cover our administration\u2019s accomplishments, because they are significant,\u201d shared Harris.<\/p>\n

Michael Regan (one of the Nation’s Black leaders on environmental issues) and Harris have gone on a \u2018road-show\u2019 of sorts to speak to Americans about the national emergency of lead pipes.<\/p>\n

Michael S. Regan is the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).<\/p>\n

The impact this Infrastructure Law will have on the quality of life for not only Black communities but all communities, particularly those who have been disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards like lead pipes, is tremendous.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver half of America’s children under the age of six are at risk of lead poisoning via pipes or paint,\u201d explained Harris. Administrator Regan and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge have been getting out and speaking with voters about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.<\/p>\n

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes a once-in-a-generation investment of $350 billion in highway programs. This includes the largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the Interstate Highway System.<\/p>\n

Whitehouse.gov says, \u201cThis Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will rebuild America\u2019s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

VIce President Harris concluded, \u201cWe are on the road to getting rid of all lead within our country\u2019s pipeline through our administration\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\u201d<\/p>\n

This work not only affects the work mayors do all around the United States, but particularly in places like Flint, MI where residents have had a horrific water crisis. Lead in pipes is not exclusive to the Black community, in contrast it causes a detrimental effect on all of our children\u2019s health and ability to learn in America.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat our administration says is that the government should think of this as a public health matter that requires us to invest public dollars in removing dangerous lead pipes,\u201d said Harris.<\/p>\n

Black media publishers in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, many states are facing state legislatures that are doing anything they can to keep people from voting.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do we overcome voter suppression?\u201d<\/p>\n

What we know historically is every election cycle black Americans say why should I vote? The VP suggested that underserved America can overcome voter suppression by understanding that when they turned out in record numbers in 2020, the impact can be seen today.<\/p>\n

If we look at the states with restrictions on voting there seems to be an overlap of restrictive citizens\u2019 rights, including a woman\u2019s right to make decisions about her own body and reproductive health.<\/p>\n

Thanks to President Joe Biden signing into law a federal holiday to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth. Many people wanted to know how they should celebrate.<\/p>\n

A cool way VP Harris framed her answer was describing Cali culture. For anyone who knows Oakland and Berkeley, California, there was a place called Rainbow Sign<\/em><\/strong>. Known locally as, \u201cA Black Table at Which Everyone Is Welcome to Eat,\u201d Rainbow Sign was an intergenerational community center. Often described as somewhere between a Black progressive headquarters and a middle class social club, it attracted all walks of life.<\/p>\n

Harris recalled, \u201cMy mother would take me and my sister to Rainbow Sign. Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, politicians and artists would be there talking about everything from art to music to poetry to politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it came to Harris\u2019 parents they had a fascinating love story. They met while pursuing their graduate degrees at UC Berkeley falling in love with their shared passion for the civil rights movement. VP Harris then shared memories of the aroma in the air of big pots of soul food cooking in the kitchen at Rainbow Sign<\/em><\/strong>, and how both the kids and adults would listen to various leaders talk about the issues of the day.<\/p>\n

Regardless of our political preferences we can all agree the recognition of Juneteenth as a National holiday was long past due and is much appreciated by the American people who value historical advancements among black people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Juneteenth principles I think Americans should celebrate are freedom and liberty,\u201d shared VP Harris passionately. Before the Civil War, the few times the media talked about freedom came primarily from the black press by way of journalism on freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve clarified what slavery is to America, now it\u2019s time to clarify what freedom<\/em><\/strong> is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Black leadership has become increasingly fragmented and uncertain yet the Biden administration is still managing to \u2018Build Back Better\u2019 for the underserved. Many civil rights activists are even hanging up their marching shoes and running for public office.<\/p>\n

Black politicians, in fact, are the new black leadership class.<\/p>\n

As Democrats do their best to \u2018Deliver\u2019, make sure your vote is a part of the collective conversation. Together we can move from protest to politics. Together we can successfully translate the black vote into better schools, better jobs and better communities for us all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Asia Nail The Truth Reporter The National Newspaper Publishers Association, NNPA, is a trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States. As a member of the Black press, we are an incubator for history making news that impacts our country. Vice President Kamala Harris briefed us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[128],"class_list":["post-5456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-headline","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5456"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5459,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5456\/revisions\/5459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5456"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=5456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}