Fighting racism with unity

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.)
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist

After the election on November 5, we tried to imagine how we came to the results, but it’s still hard. It’s really hard to see the people of America electing a convicted criminal. We witnessed Vice President Kamala Harris conduct a perfect campaign in a positive way, while she was called every filthy word by the convicted criminal.

We saw the excitement of women from day one– women of most races and cultures because someone was finally understanding the importance of women’s health care and our desire to make choices about our own health – but many later betrayed us.

We saw nearly every union in the nation support the Harris/Walz team. We saw nearly every Blak female voter show our pride in the ticket and we worked for the victory. It’s hard to imagine many other women did – and I have tried to imagine how any woman supports someone like the criminal is going to protect them whether they like it or not! We Black women rejected that threat. I am so proud of my sisters for doing so because we knew what it meant not just for us, but for our families and friends, as well as the women who voted for him.

We are supposed to accept the results of elections, but time and again, we see the problem with that because we read not just what candidates are saying, but we know their past record. We’re not going out breaking into and destroying the Capitol and leaving the bill for others to pay for the damage.

The fact that those responsible for the destruction haven’t paid for any damage. Had we done that, we would have been required to pay for the damage and go to jail! The difference in treatment is a sure sign of racism! We don’t cry racism easily. We just go back to work and do all we can to try to find common ground the next time around. We just take losses on the chin, and begin working toward a better day the next time. We work for unity with good people who’ve shown themselves willing to work for a better world for all. Looks like that number dwindled in the immediate past election even though we Black women gave it our all. Still, it’s hard to see that other groups deserted us in what they led us to believe were our common causes. Some misled us – some to a greater degree than others, but as usual, we believe as Fred Hampton taught us many years ago when he said, “You don’t fight racism with racism. We fight racism (and I add sexism) with unity.”

It wasn’t just that so many betrayed us. The results tell you who did, and while it’s painful, we’ll do what we always do. We’ll continue to work as our well-deserved period of grieving is over – and we will never give up the fight for what we deserve. We thank President Biden for the opportunity he gave us to again showcase the great talent of another Black woman. Now, we ask that he allows the real 47th president of the nation to take her place by allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to take that number, even if it’s only for the next two months.

Another request is that President Biden pardons his own son who does not have 34 criminal convictions, no racist attacks, made no hateful speeches, and didn’t hurt any of the American people or our sacred buildings.

My second request is that President Biden pardons former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby so that she can return to doing the great work she was doing before the real criminal (Donald Trump) got involved to make sure she suffers a wrongful conviction for doing her job so well! We’ve sent several requests. It’s time for an answer.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, President of The Dick Gregory Society.

This article originally published in the November 25, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.