Justice in America; It’s Complicated

Mildred Robertson

According to civil rights leader Dr. William Barber, the outcome of two racially tinged trials in America with divergent outcomes is, well to say it simply, “complicated.” Barber was referring to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Kenosha WI, and the Ahmaud Arbery trial in Georgia.

While a predominantly white jury with just one black seated in the Georgia case took hours to find guilty three white vigilantes who stalked and killed 25-year-old Arbery as he jogged down a public street; a white jury in Wisconsin found Kyle Rittenhouse innocent of injuring one and murdering 2 Black Lives Matter protestors. Rittenhouse claimed self-defense despite coming to the protest armed with an AR 15, loaded with 30 rounds of hollow-point bullets. The first man he shot was unarmed. He was then pursued by a man wielding his skateboard, and another who had a handgun. Rittenhouse shot and killed one of his pursuers and injured the other.

The Rittenhouse verdict, while disappointing, surprised no one. The same cannot be said of the Arbery trial where a jury consisting of one black and 11 white jurors took little time to come back with a precise verdict that spoke directly to the offenses of each of the three defendants on trial. While defense lawyers pandered to what they hoped would be a racist jury, the prosecutor laid out a roadmap of facts that led to a definitive guilty verdict for all three of the men charged.

One trial stood as an example of what jurisprudence in America should be, while the other held the systems glaring failures up to the light. One trial was based on facts and evidence, while the other was based on vigilante justice.

The judge in the Rittenhouse trial showed a bias toward the defendant from an initial pretrial motion to determine whether those slain on the streets of Kenosha could be referred to as victims; to the point where he sat with the defendant as the jury viewed presentations by the attorneys. Throughout the trial, the judge scolded, yelled at, and berated the prosecuting attorney, blocking any opportunity he took to humanize Rittenhouse’s victims or to show he was the aggressor.

In contrast, the Arbery trial judge showed no signs of bias for or against the defendants. But that trial did not occur without issues of prejudicial behavior by the justice system. First, it was months after he was shot down in the streets before Arbery’s attackers were even arrested. The first call the shooter made was to District Attorney Jackie Johnson; now indicted for her actions. She told him to go home and wash his hands. Arbery’s attackers were arrested after a video of the encounter was released to the public. Linda Dunikoski the prosecutor who so eloquently tried the case was brought in from Cobb County. She successfully prosecuted the case, demolishing the defendant’s attempt to establish self-defense. All three of Arbery’s assailants are expected to spend the rest of their lives in prison, and still face federal charges for his murder that could result in additional life sentences.

The sentencing in the Arbery case is appropriate to deter others who might take similar actions in the future. Furthermore, Georgia has changed its laws to make it clearer when it would be legal to make a citizen’s arrest. Arbery’s mother said she thought she would never see this day but could look at the empty seat around her Thanksgiving table knowing that her prayers have been answered and that Ahmaud can now rest in peace.

While Ahmaud may now be able to rest, we cannot. These two disparate outcomes show the imbalance in the American justice system. One should not be afforded justice based on the luck of the draw in a jury pool, defense lawyer or prosecutor, or judge. Until these disparities are addressed, volatile instances of racial violence will continue to occur around this nation. Until America admits the role race plays in our criminal justice system, the phrase “Liberty and Justice for All,” is just words. 

In America race colors how the system views the crime; sometimes even determining that no crime was committed, as in the Rittenhouse case. You see, it’s complicated.

How Biden’s Build Back Better Legislation Will Affect You

Democrats Push for Social Change

Mildred Robertson

All politics is local. That may not be clear from the hoopla occurring in Washington, D.C. over President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” (BBB) initiative. But this bill is packed full of benefits that will transform North Carolina, and other states across this nation for years to come. We are talking about historic investments in child care, affordable housing, education, and health and family home care that will recreate our economy around today’s realities. 

We no longer live in an agrarian society where generations of family members live together to provide support for the young and the old. Our reality today generally requires a two-family income. That means families are left to grapple with child care and elder care, while both parents hold down full-time jobs. Not only must earned income go toward childcare and eldercare, but the costs for caring for our loved ones are exorbitant.

The North Carolina Democratic Party states that the average annual cost of child care for a toddler is $8,746. BBB will ensure that access to high-quality child care will consume no more than 7% of a family’s income. In North Carolina, that could affect close to 630,000 young children. Not only will this bill help with child-care costs, it will fund universal, high-quality preschool for children throughout the nation. Through BBB, more than 154,103 children ages 3-4 years old will gain access to North Carolina’s existing preschool program.

While addressing quality-of-life issues for families in this country, BBB also takes direct aim at the housing crisis. The NCDP says more than 600,000 renters in North Carolina spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Homeownership, they say, is out of the reach for many families. BBB addresses both these issues by expanding rental assistance and focusing on increasing the supply of high-quality affordable housing. 

Other issues this bill addresses is the need to expand health care coverage and lower costs. The bill will close the Medicaid coverage gap while reducing premiums, making insurance more accessible and affordable. That translates into 388,000 uninsured individuals who will gain coverage in North Carolina alone. NCDP says that 229,100 North Carolinians will, on average, save hundreds of dollars per year on insurance.

Additionally, “Build Back Better” will support long-term family care needs and will cut taxes for workers and families. It is estimated that the extended Child Tax Credit increase will become permanent and will provide a tax cut of up to $1,500 for 593,000 low-wage workers in North Carolina.

So as you weigh the importance of the Washington beltway chatter about the Biden administration and his “Build Back Better” program, I encourage each of you to examine how these cutting-edge policies will affect your daily lives. I believe the bill is transformational. I believe it positions America to be on the cutting edge of social, business and political innovation for the coming millennia. And I really do think it will make America better.

So ignore the chatter. Talk to your local legislators, read your local newspapers. Do your research. I believe you will find that BBB will help create a better life for you today and for generations to come.

Kyle Rittenhouse: Murderer or Martyr?

 By Mildred Robertson

Today we watched baby-faced Kyle Rittenhouse bawl on the witness stand like the child that he is, as he recounted the tragic day that he shot and killed demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is said that Kyle’s tears seemed to move some of the jurors who probably sympathized with him because of his youth.  They may be weighing his actions based upon his adolescence. They may be thinking that no one his age should have had to make the decisions he made that night.  And they are right, because Kyle Rittenhouse should not have been there.

The fact is, Rittenhouse crossed states lines, illegally armed himself, attended a MAGA rally, and went to the protest looking for trouble. He found what he was looking for.  Rittenhouse murdered two people and wounded another.

He claimed it was self-defense. It is hard to argue with his claim, because the folks who could rebut his testimony about purported threats to his safety prior to the shootings are dead. He claims he was threatened by the first person he shot, after which other protestors pursued and threatened him and became his target.

While the defense has done a less than stellar job of bringing it out in court, Rittenhouse set in motion the events that led to the fatal shootings when he decided that he would become a vigilante peace-keeper during the unrest in Kenosha. It is my belief that he went to Kenosha in order to do just what he did. He wanted to be famous, and he has achieved that goal. Since the murders, he has been praised by the MAGA crowd as a hero and martyr.

Whether found guilty or not, he was no hero. Rittenhouse was at a place he should not have been, carrying a weapon he should not have had, taking actions he should not have taken. He did not live in Kenosha, and police had already called curfew. So when Rittenhouse illegally drove to Kenosha (He had no driver’s license), to participate in the unrest, he was wrong. When he strapped on an AR 47 long gun loaded with 223 full-metal jacket ammunition, he was wrong. When he entered a cordoned-off area of town through police barricades he was wrong. When he failed to heed police announcements to vacate the area due to curfew he was wrong.  

No one knows whether Anthony Huber or Joseph Rosenbaum threatened to kill Rittenhouse that fateful night. They are dead and cannot speak for themselves.  The third victim, Gaige Grosskreutz, who was armed and pursued Rittenhouse after the shootings, says that he had his hands raised, yet Rittenhouse still shot him.  But the fact is, these events were set in motion by Rittenhouse himself and his actions. It was he who precipitated the events that led to the death of two human beings, and the injury of another.

While watching the proceedings today, it is clear that the judge is inclined toward the defense, openly displaying his disdain for the prosecution. It appeared that at every turn, he took the opportunity to chastise the prosecution, while giving leeway to the defense. Let us hope that the jury looks at the facts, and not his youth, or his white skin to determine his guilt or innocence. Let us hope that the justice that would be meted out to a black protestor in the same circumstance will be afforded to Kyle Rittenhouse.  

FUELING A NEW BLACK STUDENT MOVEMENT

 By Mildred Robertson

While the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s was ignited by luminaries like Martin Luther King,  Jr., Fannie Lou Hammer, and Malcolm X, it was fueled by freedom fighters from across this nation's college campuses.  Young men and women from both the north and the south joined forces to oppose the abomination of segregation; sacrificing their black and white bodies to end that horrid system of oppression. Even though great strides have been made in the fight for justice since the 60s Civil Rights movement, recent politics has exposed the simmering racism that bubbles just below the surface of American society. During the latter part of the 20th Century many Whites succumbed to social pressure against overt racism and retreated to passive aggression. This resulted in a false appearance of decreasing racism in our nation. That perception was shattered during the Trump administration as he whipped White racial backlash into a frenzy.

This backlash requires a response. Peter Grear, Co-Publisher of Greater Diversity News (GDN), has proposed such a response. He and a group of socio-political activists have joined forces to articulate the current state of American racism and to motivate a new generation of Freedom Fighters to take up the fight.

It was a group of students from North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, who in February of 1960 began the sit-ins at the Woolworth counter that helped drive a youth movement that swept across this nation. These young people became a catalyst that helped sustain the momentum created by Dr. King and others as they sought justice and equality for Black people across this nation. Looking at the past as prologue, Grear and GDN suggests that a new student response is needed to address the resurgence of overt racist acts that permeate today’s social and economic landscape.

Grear recalls his days at Fayetteville State University (FSU) from 1962-66 where he was part of the original Black Student Movement. He participated in the sit-ins and protests that helped integrate Fayetteville, and worked to end segregation. Grear moved on to follow his career path, which in 1976 brought him back to North Carolina. He noted that a common complaint he heard among his contemporaries when he returned home was, that unlike their generation, Black students just weren’t voting.

Having made his mark as an attorney and publisher, he was recognized in 2017 with the NC Black Leadership award. While receiving that recognition, he realized that his work was not yet done. So, at a conference in Charlotte on October 14, 2017 Grear got together with political advocates and legislators long in the battle for equality in this state, to see whether they could determine why the current generation of students seemed to lack the passion for political change they themselves had experienced back in the 60s.

Their brainstorming resulted in a concept designed to reignite the power of young people, not only across North Carolina, but ultimately across the nation. The group agreed that, though the work they had done in the 60s was impactful, they had somehow failed to pass on that knowledge and sense of urgency to the generation that followed. Their strategy was to help build a model that could be used by young black men and women to re-engage in the Civil Rights movement in a way as impactful as that we experienced in the 60s. Thus was born, The New Black Student Movement (NBSM).

The vision included the mobilization of Black Greek Letter organizations, Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alumni associations and the NAACP to systematically promote civic engagement and increased voter participation on college campuses across the state, and eventually, the nation. The group opined that if the “Divine 9” were to lead the way, other students would follow.

Among the organizers were Congressman, G.K. Butterfield, and four former Chairpersons of the North Carolina Black Leadership Caucus, (NCBLC) Carnell Robinson, Dr. E. Lavonia Allison former Rep. Larry Hall, and Peter Grear.

Currently, The NBSM is in its infancy as volunteers gather to hammer out the model which will be used to proliferate the movement across the state. The idea is to provide a prototype that can be used on any college campus to organize and mobilize student activists. That includes Black students attending predominantly White colleges and universities (PWI).

A soft launch of the concept occurred back in 2019 when “A Call to Colors” conference was held. The group, for the past 2 years, has worked to create and fine-tune the five models for civic engagement for HBCU, Greek Letter and non-profit organizations. The NBSM was the name recently adopted for the student model.

The initiative is poised to implement a core part of the NBSM model where students can volunteer to work on the project through non-profit organizations focused on civic engagement. The goal is to volunteer 8, 16, 24 or more hours per election cycle. The student group has volunteer advisors and are working to fine-tune the model. “The volunteer group is constructing goals and objectives to develop a roadmap accessible to any student organization that wishes to engage,” Grear says. The group hopes to work with HBCU student government associations and institutionalize the knowledge so that it is passed down to subsequent generations of leaders.

Grear also points to the need for coordination with existing organizations to create a strong model that can become self-sustaining. “It is within the framework of establishing HBCU-wide administrative initiatives that it becomes imperative to establish nonpartisan groups such as NAACP to organize and help develop organizational skills for students,” he says.

That is the goal; to spur the development of next-generation leadership among Black students and other young people across, first North Carolina, and ultimately, nationwide. “Through their mobilization we can increase the youth vote and have a substantial impact on voting outcomes across this country; an impact just as far-reaching as that of the Freedom Fighters of the 60s,” Grear says.

To stay informed about the New Black Student Movement, subscribe to Greater Diversity News’ free eNews editions at greaterdiversity.com.

Gridlock in Washington, D.C.

 Broken Washington Politics Matters: It's About You

By Mildred Robertson

Sometimes we wonder whether what is going on in Washington D.C. has any real impact on our lives. I have all but tuned out on the debate on President Biden’s “Build Back Better” campaign.  The endless wrangling over the hard infrastructure package, and the contentious $3.5 trillion soft infrastructure package proposed by Democrats seem to be unending and unfruitful. As politicians debate about the various components of that package, such as healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid, many of us think, I am doing okay. I can afford my medications and doctor’s visits. The fact is, you do not know how broken the system is, until it breaks in YOUR life.

This past weekend, I spent time looking through old photographs. Needless to say, I am twice the woman I was back in my youth; both figuratively and literally. I, like many other women my age, have gained a lot of weight over the years. While I have struggled with diet, exercise, intermittent fasting and other purported remedies in an attempt to bring my weight down to a healthy level, nothing seems to work.  So I finally went to a nutritionist, and working with her I discovered that my problem is likely insulin resistance.

I felt really good to know that my weight gain was not just a matter of lack of control or exercise regimen. And, thank God, there was an injection that could help address the problem. So, they gave me samples of Wegovy, a medication that could help break my insulin resistance, and allow the other tactics I was using for weight-loss to work. They gave me two samples of the once-weekly dose, and I was on my new journey to a healthier body…I thought.

It turns out the medication is REALLY hard to keep stocked, and it is REALLY expensive. The Nutrition Center had a $25 coupon distributed by the manufacturer to make it accessible to patients. My pharmacy, however, told me they’d been trying, unsuccessfully, to get Wegovy in stock.  But that wasn’t all. The medication is not covered by Medicare, and the coupon cannot be used by Medicare patients. Understand, that with just two doses, I had begun to see results, and I was elated. You see, I am pre-diabetic, trying not to go to the next level. So it’s not vanity that motivates me, but health concerns. You must also understand that without insurance, the medication could cost as much as $1000/month.

So, there is a medication available that could help me achieve the weight loss I need in order to avoid diabetes and live a healthier life. But I can’t access it because America’s broken health-care system has allowed capitalism to dictate healthcare.

I do not purport to understand the mechanizations surrounding pharmaceutical prices, insurance and government regulation.  But I do know that people should not be denied needed healthcare due to the lack of wealth.  I do believe that Medicare should be allowed to negotiate fair prices for life-enhancing, life-sustaining drugs.

So this battle raging in Washington D.C. about President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan will have a direct effect on MY life. I’m certain there is something in the plan that will directly affect your life as well.

If Democrats are successful in crafting a bill that will address run-away healthcare costs, I might be able to get and afford a medication that can positively affect my health and well-being. Their plan may result in better roads and highways in your community. Perhaps you’ll see higher paying jobs in your area, or more kids will gain access to higher education. 

So as difficult as it is to see endless news talk shows drone on about the battle in Washington, it really is relevant to each of us on an individual level. We must stay tuned in. And, if Washington D.C. does not deliver, we need to proactively seek representation that will give us results. We must make our voices heard. It really is all about us.

 

DEMOCRATIC RULE UNDER ATTACK IN AMERICA

 By Mildred Robertson

The foundation of American democracy is the participation of its citizenry. Our history is replete with stories of patriots who fought to the death to have a say in how this nation will be governed. One would think after close to 250 years, that matter would have been settled. But alas, we still struggle with who can lay claim to U.S. citizenship based on race, ethnicity, place of origin and religion. There are those among us who wish to rebut the unfettered immigration offered as a welcome to all willing to participate in this American experiment called democracy. The Statue of Liberty boldly proclaims, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…”

“Not so,” says the party of Lincoln.

Republicans have determined that this nation and its bounty should restrict the benefits of citizenship to those who are more melanated than the Europeans who sailed to this continent, slaughtered its inhabitants and enslaved an entire race of people. (That statement is not Critical Race Theory—It’s just facts.)

According to our constitution every native-born and naturalized citizen over the age of 18 is eligible to vote (with some exceptions such as individuals who are incarcerated or on probation.) But Republican legislatures across this country are waging an all-out war to make it difficult for qualified Americans to vote, ranging from erecting barriers to registering and casting a vote, to purging voting rolls of qualified voters.

Laws proliferating in many Republican controlled legislatures are designed to:

• reduce early voting days, which is a voting practice widely used by minorities.
• reduce the number of hours polls are opened, particularly in democratic areas.
• reduce the number of polling places, resulting in long lines, particularly in minority neighborhoods.
• Deny felons the right to vote (approximately 1.4 million denied access each election, many of whom are black or Latino).
• require photo IDs, forcing tens of thousands to obtain new ID just to vote. This places particular  hardship on the poor or elderly who may have transportation problems, or have difficulty getting off work to obtain documentation. (To illustrate the impact of such laws, the Charlotte Observer reported that, in North Carolina, as many as 800,000 registered voters lacked the necessary photo ID, and more than 556,000 had no ID at all.)
• block college students from voting where they attend school, and denying them the right to use their college photo ID to vote.
• bar people from voting over small discrepancies, i.e., women who have recently married and changed their names.
• eliminate registered voters from the voting rolls who have not voted in consecutive elections.
• hamper or eliminate mail-in voting.

Other tactics used include intimidation at the polls, sometimes using armed police; misinformation where GOP campaigns and GOP-led governments have sent out mailings with incorrect dates and locations for voting; and gerrymandering where districts are drawn to benefit Republicans, making it almost impossible for the opposition to win. That is how Hillary Clinton won nearly 3 million more votes than Trump, yet still lost in the Electoral College. And then, there is the Electoral College itself where less populous states have statistically more representation than more densely populated states where many minorities reside.

As many minorities and Democrats struggle to counter this assault on democracy, there are those who chose to sit out the fight. While this nation’s Founders may not have intended for the benefits of American citizenship to be extended to any but male, white land owners, thank God that the constitution is a living document that has matured as our nation has developed toward becoming a true democracy.

But we are becoming.  We are not there yet.

Those of us who still believe in the promise of America must not sit idly by while disloyal seditionists betray our heritage and tear our nation apart. We cannot give in to hatred, racism and minority rule. We must stand firm if we are to realize the full vision of what America can be…”One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

 

Critical Race Theory and American Education

By: Mildred Robertson

The buzz phrase among republicans and conservatives these days is “Critical Race Theory," (CRT) defined as “an academic movement of civil-rights scholars and activists in the United States seeking to critically examine U.S. law as it intersects with issues of race in the U.S. and to challenge mainstream American liberal approaches to racial justice.” Seems simple enough, right?  But the term has been weaponized to attack a national shift toward better understanding racism and how it is rooted in this nation’s history of slavery and the dehumanization of people of color.  

There is disagreement between liberals and conservatives about what is “critical race theory.”  In fact, CRT is just that, a theory of race and racism in America.  It is taught primarily in colleges and universities and is designed to help students examine race in America and understand how it has informed America’s societal norms and  public policy related to people of color. It is not, as many on the right proclaim, a way to make white children hate America.  The aim of the study is to examine American history and address the dehumanizing effects race has had not only on the Africans who suffered through slavery, but also on the slave owners who had to forgo their humanity in order to enslave another human being. 

The knee-jerk reaction of conservatives, and yes, racists, when one begins to examine slavery is to downplay the cruelty and inhumanity of the system, and paint it as a benevolent necessity for development of the New World. And it is true that America could not have thrived as it did without the free labor the system provided. But because of the brutality of the system, Europeans had to create a scenario to justify their actions. That is why the African was portrayed as a savage, less than human…not entitled to human dignity or human comforts. Public policy in America was then created based upon this concept of the innate inferiority of enslaved people. 

For instance, in the 1930s, government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. Banks subsequently refused to offer mortgages to Black people in those areas. Today the pattern continues as cities prevent affordable housing developments in majority white neighborhoods. These are not pleasant facts, but they are part of the foundation upon which this nation was built. In order to create a more just society, we must examine how America came to be and the integral part played by enslaved people in its building. 

It is alleged that the study of CRT will create a greater divide between whites and blacks, and will negatively impact the perception of America by white children exposed to it. However, there is a difference between CRT taught in colleges and universities, and the simple teaching of history in public schools. 

History is fact-based. It simply tells what happened, when it happened, where it happened, who it happened too, and sometimes examines why it happened. Our public schools must present students with historical facts as they occurred.  Public education should present an authentic retelling of this country’s history. 

Our storied history is a saga of good and evil. We offer our children a disservice if we do not present our authentic selves to them, and provide them the tools to build on the good and reject the bad. That is the only way to make our society better. We are not responsible for the bad decisions made centuries ago; but we are responsible for the ones we make now.

We can address the legacy of slavery that plagues our nation to this day by creating thoughtful, truthful, age-appropriate curriculum to address race in America. We can only do that, however, if we face the reality of our history and chart an informed path for our future.