
All too often, the Congressional Black Caucus gets a bad
rap. What do they do, many ask. What have they recently
accomplished? Are they leaning on their revolutionary origins,
their founding in 1971, the once widely publicized People's
Budget? Have they become go-along to get-along politicians as
usual?
These are reasonable questions that I often raise myself,
often so frustrated by Congressional inaction that I don't see
the big picture, the lovely picture of more than fifty Black
members of Congress, when we once had only one at a time,
and with the many ways that their collective action makes a
difference. All too often, it is not what they do but what they
prevent by working to stop the foolish impulses of some of the
Republicans who would oppose our Black existence.
I was reminded of the efficacy of the Congressional Black
Caucus when I recently interviewed Dr. Sherice Jenaye Nelson,
a Howard University-educated political scientist whose recent
book, The Congressional Black Caucus: Fifty Years of
Fighting for Equality (Archway Publishing, 2020), recounts
the history of Black political participation at the Congressional
level. This sister scholar has done meticulous work describing
the many ways the Congressional Black Caucus has been
enormously impactful. In our radio conversation, though, she
also talked about the limitations that CBC members face
because of their ideological diversity and their need to be
reelected to make change.
My idols are the activists like Congresswomen Maxine
Waters (CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX), Barbara Lee (CA), and
Karen Bass (CA). Newcomers like Cori Bush (MO) and Lucy
McBath (GA) have also earned my admiration for their strong
positions and willingness to go against the grain. At the same
time, some will go nameless who don't much step up or speak
up. Dr. Nelson reminded me that some of them don't have the
freedom to speak, partly because they represent majority-
white districts or aren't that radical, being elected because they
are & moderates.
Still, they can sometimes be counted to vote with their
African American colleagues, and those are the votes that
count. Writing them off can be counterproductive when we
need to get things done. Don't get me wrong – we should call
them on their racial ambivalence when we need to. At the same
time, during this Black History Month, I'm willing to dial back
some of the criticism and look at the very many excellent
things the Congressional Black Caucus has done.
Dr. Sherise Jenaye Nelson's book is one worth reading. It
speaks to the foreign p9licy the CBC has done historically,
es0pecially around Africa issues (Congressman Ron Dellyms’
championship to the Free South Africa movement is notable)
and Caribbean issues, especially around Haiti. Domestically,
Congressman James Clyburn (SC) HBCU advocacy is laudable,
as is Congresswoman Alma Adma’s (NC) work forming the
bicameral, bipartisan HBCU Caucus. There's more, and you'll
have to read the book to get the whole story.
I'm lifting these Black folk during this Black History
Month because they deserve it. At the same time, I can't
completely take my critic hat off. It is shameful that so many
did not support HR 40 when Congressman John Conyers (MI)
lived. It is commendable that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson
Lee has taken the baton from him and championed the
reparations cause, and with the help of organizations like
NCOBRA (the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in
America) and NAARC (the National African American
Reparations Commission, an organization sponsored by the
Institute of the Black World), garnered 215 co-sponsors for the
legislation. Why aren't more Black members of Congress more
enthusiastic about economic justice and reparations? Political
considerations notwithstanding, this is a just cause.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has annually
sponsored a Phoenix Awards Dinner at its annual legislative
forum. The awards reference the closing speech of
Congressman George White, who was the African American
post-Reconstruction member of Congress (1897-1901). He
highlighted Black progress since enslavement and said that,
like the phoenix, we would rise. We have140,000 farms
and homes, valued in the neighborhood of
$750,000,000, and personal property valued about
$170,000,000. We have raised about $11,000,000 for
educational purposes…We are operating successfully
several banks, commercial enterprises among our
people in the Southland, including one silk mill and one
cotton factory. We have 32,000 teachers in the schools
of the country; we have built, with the aid of our friends,
about 20,000 churches, and support seven colleges".
Congressman White spoke of progress. There is
still much room for advancement. The Congressional
Black Caucus members are agents of progress. Criticize
them, if you will, but embrace them. They are the
conscience of Congress. They are our champions.
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean
of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.
Juliannemalveaux.com
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