mekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

The criticism of Ice Cube coming from many white folk, vs Black folk, is different in important ways.

When Biden stresses "Bipartisanship" and says that he will work with people from both parties to get things done for the American people, he's praised. If I criticize his centrism, y'all yell at me.🤷🏿‍♂️

When Ice Cube says we don't know who's going to win the election: if it's Dems I'll work with them, if it's GOP I'll work with them, to get things done for Black people...y'all call him a fool.🤡

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

I disagree with Ice Cube's tactic (as do most Black voters), but he has not "turned right wing," and he is not "unaware that he's being used by right wingers"

He's making the very specific point that most Democrats take the Black vote for granted. They expect Black folk to work harder than everyone to elect Dems, and then do nothing to prioritize the issues most important to Black people. Because they say, "What're you gonna do, vote GOP? Ha ha! They hate you even more!!! You have no choice!"

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

Biden wants to *increase* police funding. Even after we've all seen how ineffective that is at anything but increasing the harm experienced by Black men and boys.

Governor Hochul wants to *bring back* prison labor and reinstate cash bail, to resupply the required prison slavery workforce. Even though she knows how racist and harmful that is to Black folk. This is cartoonishly evil and racist. Slavery in NYC.

Progressive candidates that run on anti-racism are *kneecapped* by centrists.

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

Ice Cube is practicing a very dangerous form of brinkmanship.

He understands that if the GOP wins, Black folk will be more screwed than if Dems win.

He also knows that white Dem voters and politicians will be significantly impacted if the GOP wins, and that the Dems cannot win without the Black vote. It's "If you take the Black vote for granted, I will sink this whole ship. Yes, I will drown first because I'm on a lower deck, but we will all drown. I don't care. Try me."

Show threadvyJul 30, 2023
@mekkaokereke I wonder what's the basis for claiming Democrats take the Black vote for granted. Do you think the Vice President does, the minority leader in the House? Did the Dems move the first primary from NH to SC because they were taking the Black vote for granted? Some Democrats definitely do - for example the hapless Tim Ryan in Ohio lost for that reason. But Democrats are hardly an organized party let alone a unified entity.
Show threadmekka okereke 

@vy

I mean this with no disrespect, because I do believe you ask these questions in good faith, but...

I'm not the right person to (re) explain Black voter issues 101 to you. You can either read all my posts in this thread and find Malcolm X pointing out the exact same issues that most Black voters complain about, or you can read literally anything on the topic by doing the most basic search, or you can have a friend explain it to you.

But I'm not retyping all that stuff just for you.

Jul 31, 2023 at 1:19amWeb
Show threadvyJul 31, 2023
@mekkaokereke you are far from the only Black voter I follow on social media.
Show threadmekka okereke Jul 31, 2023

@vy

OK, I just read your other replies, and I take back what I said about your question probably being in good faith.

Show threadvyJul 31, 2023
@mekkaokereke With no disrespect, why should I consider you an authority on Black America over the Vice-President or the minority leader in the House or the assistant Leader who is responsible for Biden being in the white house?
Show threadmekka okereke Jul 31, 2023

@vy

🤦🏿‍♂️ Where did I say I was the authority? I said what most Black voters have said, that's verifiable in any number of polls. But to try to reduce Black voter opinion to "Which one Black person speaks for all of you? Take me to your leader!" is more than I'm willing to unpack this evening.

Listen, I'm not enjoying this conversation, so I'm leaving it.