GOP’s SAVE Act bad for Blacks; Rickey Smiley rips hazing; Shoot victim wins $27M
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The 'SAVE Act' mandates birth certificates or passports for voting, effectively creating a poll tax and disenfranchising millions, particularly Black, brown, low-income, and married women.
- ❖Voter ID laws gained traction only after Obama's 2008 election, indicating their true intent as a voter suppression tactic.
- ❖Republican efforts to suppress votes are not about election integrity but about controlling the electoral count and who can cast a ballot.
- ❖Hazing in Black Greek-letter organizations is a 'generational curse' that causes PTSD, physical harm, and even death, undermining the organizations' core values and risking their financial viability.
- ❖Stefan Barber, a Black man, was awarded $27.5 million in a civil lawsuit after being partially paralyzed by a San Bernardino County deputy who fired without warning.
- ❖Civil lawsuits are often the only recourse for justice in police brutality cases when district attorneys fail to prosecute officers, underscoring the vital role of dedicated legal representation.
- ❖The 'Love Forward Together' march in North Carolina serves as a template for mobilizing voters against gerrymandering and other policies that harm marginalized communities.
Insights
1GOP's 'SAVE Act' is a Modern Poll Tax Targeting Black Voters
The proposed 'SAVE Act' demands citizens present a passport or birth certificate to vote, eliminating driver's licenses or voter registration cards. This requirement disproportionately affects 50% of U.S. citizens without passports, 70 million married women whose birth certificates may not match current legal names, and low-income individuals who cannot afford the fees for these documents. This effectively creates an unconstitutional poll tax, reminiscent of historical voter suppression tactics.
Cliff Albright of Black Voters Matter states 21 million voters lack passports and 70 million women have mismatched birth certificates. Roland Martin highlights the cost of obtaining these documents as a poll tax. The Houston Chronicle editorial is cited () detailing the act's requirements and impact. Senator John Ossoff explicitly frames Trump's attacks on Fulton County's 2020 vote tabulation as an attack on African-Americans ().
2Hazing in Black Greek-Letter Organizations Causes PTSD and Risks Organizational Survival
Comedian Ricky Smiley, an Omega Psi Phi member, and host Roland Martin, an Alpha Phi Alpha member, condemn hazing, highlighting its severe psychological impact, including PTSD, and physical harm, leading to hospitalizations and deaths. They argue that hazing is a 'generational curse' that deviates from the founding principles of these organizations and poses significant financial liability risks, with only one insurance company currently covering the Divine Nine.
Ricky Smiley states, 'members... have post-traumatic stress disorder from pledging, got mental health issues for the rest of their life from pledging' (). Roland Martin recounts a Morehouse Alpha pledge dying from chest blows due to a heart defect (). Smiley emphasizes, 'One insurance company is representing the divine nine. Only one. If this keep going on and that insurance goes away, it's over' ().
3Civil Lawsuits are Critical for Justice in Police Brutality Cases
Stefan Barber, a Black man, was awarded $27.5 million in a civil verdict after being partially paralyzed by a San Bernardino County deputy who shot him six times without warning. His attorney, Rodney Diggs, explains that civil lawsuits are often the only avenue for justice when district attorneys decline to prosecute officers criminally. The verdict is one of the largest non-death awards in California and among the top five in US history for cases involving lethal force where the victim survived.
Rodney Diggs details that Barber was acquitted of criminal charges (attempted murder, battery on an officer) before the civil case. He states, 'If the DA chooses not to file charges, really the only only recourse you have is a civil lawsuit' (). Diggs confirms the $27.5 million verdict is the largest non-death verdict in the Riverside federal courthouse and among the largest in California ().
Key Concepts
The Old Playbook
This model describes how current voter suppression tactics, like the 'SAVE Act,' are not new but rather updated versions of historical methods (e.g., poll taxes, closing DMVs in Black communities) used to disenfranchise specific populations. It suggests a predictable pattern of behavior from those seeking to limit democratic participation.
Generational Curse (Hazing)
This concept frames hazing as a deeply ingrained, harmful tradition within Black Greek-letter organizations that is passed down through generations. Breaking this 'curse' requires conscious effort to challenge tradition, recognize the trauma it inflicts (PTSD), and realign practices with the founding principles of brotherhood/sisterhood, rather than violence.
Litigating Publicly
This model emphasizes that in cases of police brutality and civil rights violations, justice often requires not only legal action but also public and media engagement. Lawyers and media figures play a crucial role in bringing these cases to national attention, framing the narrative, and mobilizing public support to counter official narratives and ensure accountability.
Lessons
- Educate yourself and others on the specific, restrictive details of proposed voter ID laws like the 'SAVE Act' to counter misinformation that frames them as reasonable.
- Actively speak out against hazing in fraternities, sororities, and other organizations, emphasizing its psychological and physical harm, and advocating for safe, constructive initiation processes.
- Support Black-owned media and legal organizations that provide platforms for discussing critical issues and offering legal representation in civil rights and police brutality cases.
Mobilizing for Voting Rights: The 'Love Forward Together' Template
Organize and mobilize locally: Emulate the 'Love Forward Together' march in North Carolina by creating grassroots movements that engage voters county by county.
Connect issues: Link voting rights to broader social and economic justice issues like Medicaid access, living wages, and public education to build a diverse coalition.
Counter gerrymandering and voter suppression: Actively resist legislative efforts to redraw maps or implement restrictive voting laws designed to dilute the power of marginalized communities.
Notable Moments
Senator Jon Ossoff's powerful speech directly linking Trump's attacks on Fulton County to a deliberate suppression of Black votes.
Ossoff's speech explicitly called out the racial motivation behind election denialism, framing it as an attack on the political and spiritual center of Black history and mobilizing listeners to respond with overwhelming voter turnout.
Ricky Smiley's personal testimony and strong condemnation of hazing, emphasizing the PTSD it causes and the financial threat it poses to Black Greek-letter organizations.
Smiley's candidness, as a prominent public figure and fraternity member, brings a powerful, personal dimension to the anti-hazing message, challenging entrenched traditions and highlighting the severe consequences for individuals and the organizations themselves.
Quotes
"Voter ID is not unreasonable. How hard it is to get IDs in poor in rural communities is unreasonable. We can fix both. Democracy requires two things. Fair access to the ballot and fair counting of the ballots. Right now, neither side trusts the other. That is unsustainable."
"This is pathetic. As I told you personally, all caps back in 2021, this was never just about voter ID. And for you to be posting this while ignoring the citizenship requirements and unconstitutional poll tax, which would make it difficult for at least 75% of voters, is simply dishonest."
"The power of black voters and the fact that the power of black voters ejected him from office may outrage him more than the defeat itself."
"There are young black men dying at 18, 19, 20, being hospitalized, having lifelong health implications with bladder, heart and and organs because somebody beat their ass viciously. And I'm sorry, that is not what this is supposed to be about."
"We don't we don't the crips in the blood beat people to get in and and beat them or kill them uh uh to get out. You know what I'm saying? our founders, man. I I I love I have so much love and respect uh for the founders of Omega Sappernity Incorporated and and the things that they've done."
Q&A
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