in California in 1996. It was important that Ward and his so- called American Civil Rights Institute (ACRI) win first in one of the biggest multi-racial states. They swarmed in before folks had a chance to figure out what was happening. Then ACRI used California as a trophy state to show that his initiative had significant support. The ballot initiative was heavily funded by white contractors and big business interests. ACRI moved on to Washington and Michigan, pitting blacks against whites, men against women, and liberals against conservatives. The KKK in Michigan went on record in support of the initiative that took two elections to get passed. Now the cocky group is looking at a “Super Tuesday for Equal Rights” this November, in five states that would outlaw affirmative action in public contracts, higher education and jobs.
Besides Missouri, ACRI is actively working in Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma - the strategy being to hit states with predominantly white populations. Deceptive ballot language is a key factor in the winning strategy. To their credit, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and Attorney General Jay Nixon have legally challenged the language for the Missouri ballot. The judge did make some changes but the case is now being appealed.
Let us be very clear. ACRI’s initiative is to eliminate the meager measures that were put in place to level the playing field for those who have experienced systemic discrimination in the workplace and in education. The effects of having no enforced plan are definitively evident. In California, student enrollment in colleges and universities has dropped significantly. Within a few years, contracts to women and minority-owned firms were cut in half. It is a roll back to the days of segregation. The affirmative action dialog is knocking heads with the race issues that have erupted in the presidential campaign. It is an excellent opportunity to talk about opportunity - who gets it, who doesn’t and why.
Missourians can stop the ACRI if we understand that the way we conduct racial matters is the reason we are seen as an easy win. We Can MO is a coalition of groups and individuals committed to stopping the CONnerly game before he gets the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative on the ballot by encouraging voters not to sign their petition. There is a lot of stake and we all suffer when there are artificial divisions created for the benefit of a few. Dr. Terry Jones, a white professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis said it best at We Can’s recent town hall meeting: “To call a ban on affirmative action a “civil rights initiative” is a lie. It deprives people of color of the right to have the sufferings and effects of centuries of slavery and segregation overcome. It deprives whites of the ability to support policies that will move us to a more equal society. It deprives women of the right to have the impact of centuries of discriminatory laws undone. It deprives men of the ability to champion programs [that] will lead to us a more equal society.”
Postscript: Progressives forces successfully beat back the slimy efforts of Ward CONnerly in Missouri before it could even get on the ballot. Out of the five states he targeted, CONnerly was successful only in Nebraska. Arizona, Oklahoma and Colorado also stopped him in his cold, conservative tracks before the initiative could be put on the ballot.
The Fraud Against ACORN
October 19, 2008
Congresswoman Michele Bachman suggested that it was poor, black folks who brought Wall Street down. The Minnesota Republican blamed African Americans for the housing crises caused by subprime loans. That is the first lie.
In the last presidential debate, John McCain pronounced that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was “on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.” This is the second lie.
These two lies come together at the brink of an historical presidential election. To find out why and how, allow me to be your guide to Lie-Lie Land. Most economic analysts will agree that subprime loans were not the cause of Wall Street’s collapse. A big part of the collapse occurred when these loans were bundled and resold again and again to investment companies throughout the world. A study by First American Loan Performance, a San Francisco research firm, reported that by the end of 2006, 61% of the borrowers offered subprime loans had credit good enough for market rate loans. And since black folks were a big percentage of these loans, I think it is clear who the victims are.
You are a black, prospective homeowner sitting across the desk of a loan officer at a reputable institution. Why would you automatically think you’re about to be catapulted into bankruptcy or homelessness? Ted Janusz, a former senior loan officer and author of Kickback: Confessions of a Mortgage Salesman, confessed that it was pressure “to get a signature on the bottom line, at any cost.” Last September, ACORN released a report confirming that minorities were steered to risky loans and were therefore disproportionately affected by the unscrupulous lending practice. ACORN reported that upper-income blacks were 3.3 times, and Latinos 3 times more likely than upper-income whites to have a high-cost loan when purchasing a home in 2006. ACORN has fought against redlining by financial institutions and has exposed predatory lending practices in poor communities. The group has put a lot of energy and resources into the passage of the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act, which encourages loans to neighborhoods historically redlined and suffering deterioration, as a way to increase home ownership and stabilize communities. Bachman and others erroneously point to this act as the single factor behind the current housing meltdown.
The group has fought for affordable housing, livable wages and conducted voter registration drives. They have been hauled into court over the years to defend themselves against a number of charges. ACORN has been in Republican crosshairs for awhile. It is now ACORN’s voter registration campaign that is under fire. In Nevada, scores of suspicious registrations have been uncovered, prompting Republicans to demand an investigation by the Justice Department. The real reason may have more to do with the fact that over one million voters have been signed up. Although ACORN is a non partisan group, it is doubtful that these new voters will be future GOP supporters.
Let’s use some common sense here. When Mickey Mouse shows up as a new voter on an ACORN voter registration list, it is actually defrauding that group since ACORN pays workers to do registration. Plus, even if Mickey gets past the approval of the election registrar, would a poll worker really allow Mickey to cast a ballot? And if Mickey does cast a ballot, can you legitimately accuse ACORN of voter fraud? This is an attempt to bring ACORN down and at the same time project a reason as to why the McCain-Palin ticket went down in defeat on November 5th. A sinking campaign is trying to take a community-based organization with them. Critically thinking citizens must demand that Republicans and Wall Street take responsibility for their own downfalls and let ACORN handle its business.
Postscript: Instead of celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2010, ACORN was filing for bankruptcy, the result of an orchestrated scheme by right-winger, Andrew Breitbart, along with con artists, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles. Giles pretended to be a prostitute and O’Keefe her pimp. They went undercover to various ACORN offices to videotape responses to very specific questions. The problem with the tape that was released to the national media is that it had been edited to make the organization look as if they were engaged in illegal and unethical practices. By the time their trickery was exposed, the damage was effective and complete. Defunding was swift and the Right claimed a victory for ACORN’s demise.
Arizona: We Can’t Afford to Lose the Battle or the War
BlackCommentator, July, 2010
The backdrop for July 29th has certainly been set with the premature firing of Shirley Sherrod from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An ambush initiated by blogger Andrew Breitbart, who aired a doctored video tape of Sherrod, was fueled by the rest of the right-wing media. These are the same people who have been ratcheting up anti-immigration sentiments across the nation and who celebrated the passage of SB 1070 in Arizona. July 29, 2010 - that is when the
