There's More to Say about Black People and the Vaccine and Voting Rights
We talk vaccines, voting rights, and what comes next after Black History Month
I got to be on CNN's "New Day" program with Alisyn Camerota. We discussed attitudes among Black people toward the Coronavirus vaccine, recent attempts to put more restrictions on voting, and what comes next after Black History Month.
If I had more time I would have explained that plenty of Black people want to get the vaccine, but it’s a matter of access. Yes, we should do all we can to persuade people that the vaccine is safe and effective. The conversation, however, should center around how to we make it as easy as possible for Black people and other people of color to get the vaccine. That has to do with everything from internet access to get on waiting lists to the geographic location of vaccination centers.
Voting rights is also an urgent issue.
When you lose an election you can respond in a couple of ways.
You retool your message and your platform to appeal to more voters.
You rig the system to make it harder for the people who are likely to vote against you to actually cast their vote.
Many Republicans, unfortunately, have chosen the latter approach. Ultimately this subverts the “will of the people” principle in democracy and makes the possibility of having a voice in your own government through the vote harder to achieve.
Let me know what you think!
Remember to purchase my latest book How to Fight Racism.