Activists: The Sleeping Giant, Black Voters, Will Help
An upbeat Congressman Danny Davis (D-7th) believes “a change is coming” when the polls close at 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 5, predicting voters will have won a “trifecta”—electing Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, whose candidacy has energized voters, and winning seats currently held by House and Senate Republicans in swing states.
“There are so many great, legislative ideas that are right on the verge of being able to be passed,” Davis told the Chicago Crusader during his Monday, August 19 Democratic National Committee (DNC) event at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
“When we take the House back, maintain the Senate, and elect Kamala Harris as president, all of those things have the great potential of becoming reality. I think we have the opportunity now to create the environment to get us over the hump. We are right on the edge.”
Davis was referring to bills languishing in committee due to Republican opposition, such as providing every child with access to early childhood education, every low-income family having resources needed for their families to be economically sustained with a child tax credit, and that children don’t have to worry about having enough food to eat.
The congressman said the thought of these bills passing under the Harris administration “warms” his heart and makes him work harder to get-out-the-vote. He is hoping for a huge voter turnout. If that happens, he believes these and other progressive programs will become a reality
Rep. Davis isn’t the only one who believes a massive voter turnout will displace the Republican House majority that continues to block progressive legislation. Northeastern Illinois University Professor Emeritus Robert Starks believes it can happen, especially if “the giant, sleeping Black voters, are awakened and come out in droves.
“The sleeping giants are those Black men between the ages of 18 and 35.”
Starks attended Davis’ DNC symposium at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. He later told the Chicago Crusader “We don’t have a Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. around to rev up the Black voter registration.”
However, during the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s 58th convention, held August 15-18, which had as its theme “The People’s Agenda 2024,” Attorney Barbara Arnwine, president and founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, announced she is partnering with the PUSH organization to increase voter turnout. She, too, believes that come November 5, voters will turn out in huge numbers and win a political “trifecta.”
Arnwine believes that with the renewed interest in this presidential campaign due to Harris’ candidacy, winning the trifecta of the presidency, House, and Senate is possible.
She said Harris’ “coattails can be mass. The Senate races were already doing well, and Biden was doing horrible in the polls” after his poor performance with Trump during their first televised debate.
She believes with the new energy in this campaign “people are now seeing that the key districts that the Democrats lost during the mid-terms in New York and California are extremely optimistic” about flipping those eight districts that could lead to a Democratic majority House.
Asked if the increased voter interest is due to the Harris candidacy, Arnwine said, “Yes, I think it is. I think the Harris vote has been significant.”
She also credited the Democratic Party for working hard to get-out-the-vote “and investing more in these local races.”
“They are not taking anything for granted.” On the non-partisan side, Arnwine is also getting out the vote on a national level.
When asked what her organization is doing to increase voter turnout, Arnwine said, “On the non-partisan side, we are working really hard in 12 states to increase voter turnout.” Those states are:
Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. “They are a combination of battleground states and those with high African American populations experiencing severe voter suppression.”
She cited Alabama which is not a battleground state, “as having incredibly high levels of voter suppression in its Black population. It has a new congressional district which is why people are optimistic.”
She was referring to the new congressional district that was approved, which could elect an African American. The same is true for the newly created congressional district in Louisiana, which also can result in a Black person winning that office. “That would be a new game-changer for the House.”
Arnwine’s campaign will flood those 12 states with voter turnout “powerful voting” messages, including having musicians, actors and a series of GOTV concerts in all 12 states. She will focus on voter registration in some states while taking people to the polls in other states. “We are excited about getting new registrants and, more importantly, about helping people vote.”